They say that we don't just read the Bible, it reads us. It's the Living Word, and it reads our hearts and minds, pulling out issues and illuminating the dark. This process can be surprising, even awkward... That's been the case for me this.

"One of my clearest memories is, as a five-year old, convincing my best friend that the really fun part of bubble-blowing was the popping part. Because, of course, there was only one bubbler-blower, and I wanted to be the one using it..

He comes out of his room again, for a drink of water this time. Last time - four minutes ago - it was to go to the bathroom. We both know the real reason is that he's not tired enough to sleep yet, and.

At birth our sweet second-born was the largest of all of my babies. She was also the only one born into the still, sacred waters of the birthing tub. I adored the waterbirth experience and wish that I could have had the following two.

It's his second day of school, and as we talk it over in the car on the way home, he's genuinely perplexed.

During science class the teacher asked the class something along the lines of where animals come from. My nearly 7-year-old son said.

One of my favorite things about this fall is the kitchen table. Actually, it's not quite the table that I love. The table itself is on the small side, 29 x 42 inches, and only just accommodates five plates when we're all sitting at it. (The.

The day before my due date, we went for a little hike in the hills and lunched at a favorite pizza joint nearby. Minutes after settling my 3- and 2-years old for their naps afterwards, my water broke. I'd neither experienced this before nor.

It's amazing what six weeks away will do for your perspective, if you let it. I often don't let it when I'm on vacation, as least not much. I've been known to cram in a few too many goals and busy-making-tasks for my own good -- or the good of my family, for that matter..

Three weeks after our move and into our scaled-down life, I can look back on recent weeks and directly compare / contrast the features of big vs. small house living. Up close and from personal experience. It's generally assumed today.

There's a section in The Wal-Mart Effect about the increase in T-shirt sales that's taken place in America over the past couple decades. Marketing specialists wonder: what are consumers actually doing with the higher volume of T-shirts they own (compared.

Our family's recent move from a 2200 square foot house on a postage-stamp suburban lot to a 1000 square foot house in a little farm neighborhood has got me thinking a lot about why families live where they do. Our.

Our family made a big move this month, though not a distant one. We band of six moved fifteen miles east to a neighboring California town, into a tiny bungalow nestled in a grove of trees on a strawberry farm. The house, at around.

I attended the annual Christian Alliance for Orphans summit last week, a great privilege. It's held in a different city each year, and since it was at Saddleback Church this spring.

A couple years back I skimmed my nephew's copy of "Do Hard Things: a Teenage Rebellion against Low Expectations" by twin brothers Brett and Alex Harris. Aimed at teenagers, it's a call to live.

My little theologians are curious about Easter, wildly curious. Their questions are good ones. And hard ones. This year they're especially interested in how Jesus felt on the cross. How bad did it hurt?, they want to know. "More than when you crash your.

The spring that my oldest kids were 3 1/2 and 18 months was the spring I realized how lame is it that Easter, for the Christian, is the.biggest.deal.all.year... (What could top Jesus rising from the dead?! All of history hangs on that moment)... And.

Last weekend I had the opportunity, along with a dozen other moms of young kids, to take a spiritual gifts test. There are about a bazillion of these floating around out there... I'm guessing you've taken one yourself.  This one was based on Myra.

My kid is obsessed with leprechauns... and I mean, obsessed. He talks about them, reads about them, and contemplates trapping mechanisms nonstop. It all started when the kindergartener next door was assigned a school project of building a leprechaun trap. He was inspired. Now.

Real quick, pick one word that best describes you of these four: 1) administrative; 2) athletic; 3) productive; 4) creative. No brainer for me: #3. Productive. It's what I do best; it's what I'm known for. I move fast; I talk fast..