Are you guilty of “attention infidelity?”

I recently heard a phrase that I’d never heard before: attention infidelity.I’m familiar with both words, but I’ve never heard them used together.  Since hearing the phrase, I’ve not been able to get it out of my mind. The term...

You just have to laugh…

I spent Wednesday of this week at my son’s school.  I was a guest speaker for all the 8th grade writing classes.  That morning before he got on the bus he informed me that, because I was speaking in his class, this was the worst day of his life. ...

Growing a Grateful Heart

Turn on the television these days and you’ll find just about every kind of makeover show possible. We seem to be drawn to this makeover madness by our desire for something fresh and new in our complicated, and sometimes disorganized lives.I’ve recently become aware of...

There’s no place like home…

Last week, Mark and I had a wonderful week at the Blessing Ranch in Livermore, CO. It was great getting away from the everyday. But truly, there is no place like home.As usual, while preparing for our trip, I struggled leaving my kids. I always do. This was the first...

There’s light at the end of the tunnel!

So tonight my newly married daughter, Erica, accompanied me to a speaking engagement in Morris, IL. After it was over and we were packing up the book table she said, “You did a great job tonight, Mom. I think the last time I helped you (which was a couple of...

Moms Getaway

Today (Wednesday) I’ll be traveling to Rochester, MN, for the NorthCentral Regional Hearts at Home Conference. I LOVE spending the weekend with almost 2,000 moms! We all come together to get our mommy batteries recharged!If you live within driving distance of...

A Different Dream for My Child Giveaway

Last week I posted about a new book for parents of chronically or critically ill children. I promised a giveaway of two books to two of my readers who posted a comment indicating they could use the book in some way. Because only three people posted comments, I’m...

Family First

Today’s been a big family day for me. My dad had back surgery today in Indianapolis. I was blessed to be able to be with my mom and dad Sunday night thru Monday evening. Surgery went well but he’s got a bit of a recovery ahead of him.I left Indy to drive...

A Different Dream for My Child

As a parent of older children, I’ve learned that my older children may not share the dream I personally have for their life. Coming to grips with the reality of that is an essential part of letting go and launching them into adulthood.But what if the...

“Plugged In” is a great resource for parents

When our kids started wanting to go to movies with their friends, Mark and I discovered Focus on the Family’s “Plugged In” Resource. We subscribed to the monthly magazine and tapped into their online movie and video reviews. In fact, our kids soon...

Open Heart, Open Home

Two years ago we had the opportunity to share our home with a young man from Poland. Daniel stayed with us for about a month and simply became a member of the family. This past week he came again for five days. We loved the time spent with him. We continue to help him...

I take the time when I get it!

Last week I spent three days helping Matt and Anne get their house ready for the baby due in April. They live three hours away (4 hours if Chicago traffic is bad!) so I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I’d like.As a mom of three married kids...

Life is So Unfair!

So my 13-year-old son wants the world to know that he is the ONLY kid in 8th grade who doesn’t have a cell phone. I told him I was happy to tell the world for him. After all, I think it’s only fair for people to know how unfair Mark and I are to our children. And...

Wisdom for first time moms?

I’m spent some time today with a new mom. She was looking for encouragement from a seasoned mom. “Seasoned…” that’s a nice way to say old. :-)That conversation got me thinking about a good blog conversation for us to have. Seasoned...