Tonight we settled down for devotions and L, my 4 year old daughter, pulled out The Story Bible, which we are going through for the second time (this is an excellent Bible, the words are very close to Scripture, not embellished like other Bible storybooks I’ve seen–read more about it in my starting devotions with […] Read more…
Family Life
How to Prepare Your Older Children for the New Baby
Here are some tips for how you can help your older children adjust to having a new baby around the house! Thanks for joining me for the pregnancy and baby related posts this week! Check out how I survived horrible morning sickness and how I’m fitting in exercising during this pregnancy if you haven’t already! […] Read more…
4 Ways to Help Your Child When They’re Scared {of the Dark, Monsters, Etc}
Remember the story “The Monster at the End of This Book“? Grover begs the children not to turn the page because he is scared of the monster in the book, but it ends up being none other than himself. This is what I think my children believe sometimes. They are so scared, even scared at […] Read more…
How to Answer the BIG and Little Questions Kids Ask
Not a day goes by in my house where many, many questions do not get asked. Some of these are questions that are easy to answer, like, “Can we get an elephant and keep him in the backyard?” but others are not so simple. Some of them are technical questions, like when my 7 year […] Read more…
Growing Into a Purposeful Mom
About 18 months ago, when I first started “seriously” blogging, I changed the name of my blog to “The Purposeful Mom“. At the time, I chose it because I figured I’d always be a mom and so that title would fit no matter what stage of life I was in! But I don’t think I really […] Read more…
Need a Squeeze of Freshness in Your Spiritual Life? {Encouragement for the Weary Momma}
Some days are simple, others are complicated. A few days are easy, the rest can be hard. All bring joy, but not all bring happiness {they’re different, I think}. I was supposed to start this post yesterday, but something held me back. Now I think I know why. Because it wasn’t ready yet. This morning, […] Read more…
My Top 5 Maternity Must-Have Clothing Items
I’m edging in on week 17 of my fourth pregnancy and along with it has come the realization that I can no longer fit into my regular clothes! This will be my first full summer pregnancy, so I’m on the hunt for maternity clothes that are stylish and also a good bargain. You can definitely […] Read more…
Practical Advice for Character Building Moments
When the kids are whiny and ungrateful. When the kids are fighting and unforgiving. When we want to teach good habits like diligence, obedience, good attitudes but don’t know where to start. I’ve been there. Likely you have too. And when I was reflecting on my post topic, “practical advice for character building moments”, I […] Read more…
Laying the Groundwork for Effective Teaching {Strengthening Your Spiritual Life So You Can Help Your Kids}
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” […] Read more…
The Busy Mom’s Guide to Teaching Character
This is for all the busy mommas….you know the ones. Tired, overwhelmed, juggling plates; knowing what they should be doing to teach and guide their little ones in character and wisdom, but yet not always sure how to make it happen. Stay-at-home, work-at-home, work-outside-the-home mom, this series is for you. When you have so many […] Read more…
The Hidden Reason Why Our Children Act Out (and How to Fix It)
It was one of those days where I just couldn’t get the 4 and 7 year old “residents” in our home to get along. I had a ton of overdue tasks that I needed to finish before the weekend and it just wasn’t getting done! The fighting and arguing continued on and on and no […] Read more…
From No to Yes: God’s Unexpected Plan for Our Family
Today I am so happy to have my real life friend Sara sharing with you about she and her husband grew their family through a very unique circumstance! I hope you’ve enjoyed all the adoption testimonies this week. You can read the others here. Children have always been a strong desire on my heart. So, […] Read more…
My Adoption Story and a Question: Are we Called to Adopt?
When I was a three-week old little baby, my parents excitedly brought me home from the adoption agency, thrilled with the precious gift of a child that they’d received after much time spent praying and waiting on God. But my story begins much before that moment, with a bittersweet but loving sacrifice made by birthparents […] Read more…
How Adoption is Changing Lives (Encouragement from Adoptive Parents)
Today I want to share with you some excerpts of testimonies sent to me by several different adoptive families. Each has a unique story that contains both challenges and blessings. This post is the longest I’ve shared, but these stories of God’s provision are so special! I hope you will be encouraged by what you […] Read more…
A Desire, a Prayer and a Dream for Adoption
I’m pleased to bring you the first of our adoption testimonies this week, from my friend Natasha at Mother of Seven. Our adoption story begins back when I was a little girl. In the Sunday paper each week there would be a picture of a little boy or girl who needed a home. One picture in particular […] Read more…