Two-year-old Avi had been warned she was not to pick flowers in Nana's yard without permission. Still, she made a beeline for the lilacs again, which she was convinced were "grapes." I asked her not to pick any lilacs this time, and then I had a brilliant idea -- or so I thought. "Avi, look at all these pretty yellow flowers in the grass! You can pick as many of those as you want!" I encouraged her. She trotted off to check out the dandelions. It was a no-go.  Leaving the undesirable yellow flowers behind, Avi wound her way back to her Daddy and me, whining. "What's up, Av?" we Continue Reading

Your five-year-old daughter has gotten in yet another tiff with her younger brother. You break up the fight, but she walks away muttering, "It's no fair!" Photo Credit: Luis Marina You follow her to try to reason with her. She just gets angrier. Her attitude escalates to the point where you close the door to her room, but you still hear her throwing toys and yelling, "IT'S NO FAIR!" What happened to your little angel? When did she become this fuming, ill-tempered, tantrum-throwing version of the sweet girl you once knew? The answer won't be found in psychology or social science. Continue Reading

Chances are, if you're the mother of small children, you're tired. Most days, you push yourself through a haze of fatigue to deal with yet another round of dirty dishes and squabbling kiddos, while unfinished mental to-do lists whisper shame in your ear. Photo credit: Kevin Baird Sometimes you feel defeated before you ever get out of bed. Real life is not matching the fantasy you had: gleaming house, well-behaved children, happy husband, and your own income to boot. You were supposed to be able to do it all. Can I let you in on a secret that just might restore your hope? You Continue Reading

Cattle wander along rolling hills under a sunny sky. I'm homeward bound from a visit with my son Jed and my newest daughter-in-law Rebecca.  Tears sting my eyes as I drive. Photo credit: Iakov Filimonov, Shutterstock.com Oh, no, did you have a tiff with the girl? There's plenty of mother-in-law jokes out there, and plenty of conflict within families. I wouldn't blame you for making that assumption. Thankfully, my tears that day were happy tears. I'd been reflecting on the three young women that God brought into our family, the brides well-chosen by our sons. Scott and I had Continue Reading