"Why doesn't God ever answer my prayers?" Her anguish rolls down her cheeks in large, salty droplets. I gather her shaking body into my arms and hold her close. It was a little thing that set off the flood of tears, but I know the question stems from something much bigger. Why, Lord? I've asked … Continue reading When Your Child Wrestles with Big Questions
As I spotted the sweater on the other side of the clothing rack, I knew. She was going to choose that one. It was blue camo. Old-school style fleece and massively oversized. It was everything I didn't like and everything she loves, and I'm trying to let her be herself. So when she picked … Continue reading Confessions of a Former Helicopter Mom: How Letting Go Has Changed Our Lives
To be a mom is to be a receiver of dreams. Of confidences. Of innermost thoughts. "Mom, can I talk to you about something?" To be a mom is to be entrusted with the heart of a child. The good. The bad. The ugly. The beautiful. To be a mom is to take those secrets … Continue reading To Be a Mom
In the noise and in the hustle, there’s a voice that whispers, “Come, My child, and rest.” In the twirling, whirling chaos of life, there’s a place of quiet that beckons. Peace, Even in the midst of it all. “Come away with Me.” Words so sweet, so full of promise. Words so soft, they … Continue reading Rest for the Overwhelmed Mom
Summary What do you do when you've lost your feelings for your spouse? When you fight constantly over everything? When you feel like you'd rather be dead than married to your spouse? Or when you're just doing the normal, everyday work that comes with a relationship so intimate? Dave and Ann Wilson have experienced it … Continue reading Book Review: Vertical Marriage by Dave and Ann Wilson
I don't remember an evening that we didn't gather around the dinner table growing up. My dad would sometimes come in a bit late, tired after a long day of physical labour, but always, we ate together. Our lives, our day, revolved around our evening meal. After dinner, my dad would pull out the big … Continue reading Family Rituals: The Key to Happier, Healthier Kids
Every December, I pack in the activities: Christmas parties, homeschool get-togethers, crafts, free concerts/plays, local Christmas events, and on it goes. If I can make it, I'm there with my kids in tow. By the time Christmas arrives, I'm exhausted. Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. But a few days before it even … Continue reading Why We’re Slowing Down this Christmas
It's messy. Even on the best days, homeschooling is messy. I'm not just talking about the books strewn across the table, the toys strewn across the living room and the dirt, grass, leaves and shoes strewn across the front entryway. It's the conflict that can arise when four people are together—all day, every day. Yes, … Continue reading Why Did We Choose Home Education?
My daughter discovered the cure for asthma last year. It had been hidden away for almost a hundred years we're guessing, tucked inside the yellowed pages of an old book. The book, reeking of mildew, was laying on a dusty shelf in the corner of a creaky barn in rural Western Ontario. The owners … Continue reading Wolf Pups, the Cure for Asthma and Other Spontaneous Adventures
They were so little. The youngest just a toddler. It was the last day of our homeschool co-op, and I promised the girls that if they were ready early enough, I would take them to the coffee shop beforehand for a special treat. They were so little. Yet they got neatly dressed in record time, the … Continue reading The Stranger in the Coffee Shop
The Grace-Filled Life 