Parenting in the Early Years: Be In Charge

Mark and I have the joy of having 2 or our 3 grandkids all this week while Mom and Dad take their church youth group to a week-long youth conference. I’m knee-deep in diaper, sippy cups, and cutting up food at mealtime.  Because of the age range of my five kids,...

Quote of the Week

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.”                                                                                                             ~Marcus Tullius...

My Favorite Travel Apps

On our recent road trip I discovered a couple of apps that made travel so much easier! The first was Rest Area Finder.  If we needed to make a potty stop, the first thing I’d do is look at how close the next rest area was. This helped us know whether to exit and...

A Time of Rest

Austin, Mark, and I just returned from a much-needed two week vacation.  I chose to unplug during that time–I scheduled a few Facebook posts and blog posts so it didn’t seem like I disappeared. But in real life, I did. And it was wonderful. We started our...

Quote of the Week

“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” ~Peter Marshall

Does Grandma’s Prerogative Exist?

I first wrote about this topic two years ago and the response was so strong that I decided it was time to talk about it again. On the Sunday after my third grandchild was born, a well-meaning friend at church asked me if I was heading to Texas that week. I told her I...

Quote of the Week

“If we want to live a wholehearted life, we have to become intentional about cultivating rest and play, and we must work to let go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth.”                                                                       ...

What I’d Tell My Younger Self About Marriage

It was 31 years ago today that Mark and I promised to love one another for better or for worse. Of course, we had absolutely no idea what those words would mean from a practical perspective. If I had to go back and give my younger self some words of wisdom about...

Quote of the Week

“It is not the words we say that make a difference, it is power of God accompanying them.”                                                                                                               ~Stormie...

Love Your Uniqueness!

We live in such a conforming society that many of us struggle with our unique qualities. And if we struggle with our unique qualities, you can only imagine how challenging it is for our kids to embrace how they are different from others. For uniqueness to be...

Winners, My Cancer Update, and How Can I Pray for You?

On Monday, I sent out an update on my cancer journey.  However, it wasn’t titled that in the email delivery because two posts accidentally went out instead of one.  If you missed the post titled A New Normal: Life After Cancer, just click on the title here and...

He’s Not Very Lovable Right Now

Welcome to all my Proverbs 31 Devotional friends today!  I’m delighted you stopped by!  Please take a minute to leave a comment and introduce yourself! Happy Tuesday to all my favorite blog world friends who hang out with me here on a regular basis! Please hop...

A New Normal: Life After Cancer

Last Tuesday I finished my radiation treatment. I. Am. Now. Cancer. Free!  Surgery. Chemotherapy. Radiation. 8 months of treatment is now behind me. My oncologist, who I will now see every 3 months for the next two years, said I now have three responsibilities to...

Quote of the Week

“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”                         ...