I was recently reading an article stating that 45% of people in the United States would prefer to skip out on the holidays rather than deal with the stress of it all. Seems crazy, right? But if we think about it, it’s not all that surprising. From family...
“You have breast cancer.” I heard those words on a Wednesday morning when I got a phone call that turned my world upside down. This week marks eight years since I heard the words that no woman wants to hear. It’s honestly hard to believe that phone call...
Mark and I often get asked a lot of personal questions over social media, through email, or sometimes even in-person. They range from our relationship, marriage, parenting, hobbies, to the more personal side of our lives. So today we are doing something we’ve...
On the podcast, one of my favorite topics to talk about is relationships! Did you know that we were designed to be in relationships? Really! It’s the way that God intended us to do life and something Jesus modeled in His time here on earth. Even though connecting with...
If we’ve been connected for any amount of time, then you likely know how passionate I am about emotional health. As a “thinker” and a former “avoider,” I have finally–late in life–learned the value of feelings and emotion. Being married to someone...
Last fall, Mark and I hiked a trail in the Rockies that was listed as easy. However, we later found out it was mismarked and it was really a moderate 6.5-mile trail! The scenery was beautiful. We saw waterfalls, wildlife, and an alpine lake at the top of the mountain....
I grew up in a loving, Christian home. However, learning about Jesus was primarily done at church. Because of this, I had a foundation of faith, but I really didn’t understand what it meant to have a living faith. When I got to college, my faith moved from...
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have to work through a process to make peace with my past. I have to ask myself, “How can I make sure I don’t get stuck here? How can I move forward?” Maybe you’ve even felt like parts of your past are looming over you and that...
Dear parent who made a mistake, There’s been something on my mind lately that I’d like to share with you. I don’t know how “big” or “small” the mistake was. I don’t know how deep the roots go on the issue. We could be...
Has the “anger monster” ever shown up at your house? Do you sometimes find that frustration causes you to blow up? And afterward do you struggle with the guilt that often follows that anger? If so, I want you to know that you are not alone and today’s episode is going...
I remember sitting in the church nursery nursing my firstborn. Another mom and I were visiting as we rocked and nursed our little ones. “Are you praying for her future spouse?” the other mom asked me. I was surprised by her question. I had never thought to...
What if we could become experts at seeing joy in the mundane? Think about it. We’d likely learn to see the silver lining in the clouds. We’d identify blessings even in hard seasons. We’d view life through the possibilities rather than through the liabilities. I...
When my husband and I moved away from our hometown, my parents worried that their relationship with my kids wouldn’t be what they imagined. However, my parents did a fabulous job of staying connected to their grandkids despite the distance. Today we’re going to...
Dear Jill: Our adult daughter has chosen to walk away from the faith she was raised in and all that we taught her. She’s also come out as gay. I have grieved deeply, lost much of myself along the way, and find myself struggling to know how to connect with my daughter....
Your kids are spreading their wings and starting to head out on their own… Are you ready? Do you struggle to know how to parent teens at home and young adults away from home at the same time? Is it a challenge to find a good balance between boundaries and...
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