In the three months before my dad passed away I found myself several times needing to take off quickly from my home in Normal, IL to be with my parents in Indianapolis, IN. Dad was taken to the hospital in an ambulance several times and I needed to be there to help my...
Do you know someone who feels very deeply? They might even be affected by bright lights, strong scents, itchy clothing, and loud sounds. It’s possible they sense other people’s feelings before they ever say a word. They may even have a rich and complex...
I’m super excited to be launching the No More Perfect Podcast! Episode 1 is now available and I’m pulling back the curtain on a place where I’ve had a big learning curve in my life. As a mom and wife, I am always learning and growing. One of the...
Take a look at this picture. The desk on the left is Mark’s. The one on the right is mine. This, my friends, is the difference between innies and outies. Innies tend to file. Outies tend to pile. I first talked about innies and outies in my Better Together book...
In the Spring of 2020 I had the opportunity to share three programs on Family Life radio. We talked about three different subject on the three days of programming: empty nest, marriage, and loving your LGBTQ+ kids. If you’d like more information about any of...
Last year, we didn’t spend Thanksgiving with a single one of our five children. Did it feel odd? Yes. Was it the best for everyone? We think so. Our oldest daughter and her husband alternate holidays with his family and our family; last year Thanksgiving was with his...
Today’s words of encouragement come from Janet Thompson, an international speaker, freelance editor, and award-winning author of nineteen books including her latest Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness releasing TODAY! Her...
Three times this week I’ve received an email or Facebook message from someone who has a friend whose husband has left. Because I’ve walked through that horrible experience, each of these women are asking, “How can I help my friend?” It is truly...
“Mom, will you run up to the mall with me Sunday after church? I’ve narrowed my wedding attire down to two different suits and I’d like to have your thoughts.” I indicated that I’d be happy to do that, fully aware that he has taken the...
Last night I had hoped to make a trip to Springfield to be at our granddaughter’s school concert but I just didn’t have the energy for the two hour round trip after my second shoulder surgery on Tuesday (I had developed adhesions after my first rotator...
We didn’t spend Thanksgiving with a single one of our five children. Did it feel odd? Yes. Was it the best for everyone? We think so. Our oldest daughter and her husband alternate holidays with his family and our family; this year Thanksgiving was with his family....
Jill: Mark and I spent some time with friends recently. As the parents of several young adult children, they were struggling to make sense of their oldest child’s choices. Substance abuse and crime have landed their girl in prison for quite some time. Mark: Jill...
Dear Jill, Tonight I’m writing to you asking some advice, wisdom, and maybe some strength and encouragement sent my way. We are moving our oldest daughter to college and seriously I am kinda doing the “happy dance” tonight! Awful as it may sound,...
Today’s Marriage Monday is brought to you by Milan and Kay Yerkovich. The Yerkovich’s book How We Love has been a complete game-changer in our marriage over the past year. It’s also changed how we parent and tune into our kids’ emotional...
As Mark and I state in the first few sentences of our “College: Higher Education at Lower Cost” chapter in Living With Less So Your Family Has More book…”If you want to know one Savage parenting regret, just ask us about our experience leading...
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