Author Archives: Lori
Why Being Nice Isn’t Always Possible
Welcome to the series No More “Nice” Kids. This week, we’re looking at why raising “nice” kids isn’t the same as raising kids who have Godly character. If you missed the beginning of this series, you can find it here. “Can’t you two just be nice to each other?” I don’t know how many times … Continue reading
Why I’m Done Raising “Nice” Kids
I’m done raising nice kids. I know that sounds out of character. It sounds weird. Who doesn’t want their kids to be nice? Me. I don’t want my kids to be nice. I want them to have godly character. I want them to be kind and polite. I want them to be compassionate and concerned … Continue reading
Taking Time Out to Play
The first three weeks of summer have been really busy. We left the day school got out for a family reunion. When we got home, my older daughter had soccer camp and soccer tryouts. This week we have Vacation Bible School. I’ve been struggling to fit freelance projects in around the girls’ activities. It seems … Continue reading
Teaching Our Kids to Serve
Our church’s Vacation Bible School is this week. I’ve been teaching fifth grade VBS at our church for more years than I care to count, but this is the first year that my older daughter is old enough to help out at VBS. On Monday, after serving with the third-graders, she came home and said, … Continue reading
Making the Most of Today
I’m going to a funeral today. Our 37-year-old neighbor, who was a husband and dad of two small children, died unexpectedly last week. Our neighborhood has been shaken by the news. When I heard what had happened, my first instinct was to hug my family tight. It was a jolt, a reminder that we aren’t … Continue reading
Why I Said Yes to The Hunger Games
My 12-year-old daughter is a reluctant reader. She’s perfectly capable of reading. She just chooses not to. This week, however, she’s been reading up a storm. We finally found a book she is interested in reading. That book? The Hunger Games. A little over a year ago, I wrote a post about why I wouldn’t … Continue reading
First Friday: When Summer Showers You With Potting Soil
I remember the day the sprinkler-in-his-head giraffe came to live at our house. Well, I sort of remember. Okay, so maybe not the day. But I think I can at least name the season. Fall? Winter? Or was it Christmas? Mercy. Okay, so I overstated. I actually only remember some non-summery, non-spring time of the … Continue reading
Making Changes
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” I have no idea who said those words, but it’s a mantra I’ve heard over and over again in my life — probably because it’s true. This year has been one of our toughest years as parents. We’ve faced tough … Continue reading
Choosing Joy
It’s early here, even earlier than normal. I was pulled out of a sound sleep at 4:30 this morning to the sound of a child coughing. Before I could reach the side of her bed, it turned into the sound of a child puking. My first thought was, “Seriously? We can’t even make it through … Continue reading
What Does Summer Look Like?
We had our first official at-home day of summer break yesterday — and it did not go well. After 10 days of being constantly entertained during our vacation, my girls had a hard time settling into a routine. I always forget how difficult these first few days of summer are for everyone. I work from … Continue reading
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