Analogies can be a way for us to understand ideas or experiences better. Here are 3 good analogies I’ve heard used to describe sex, and why I find them helpful: #1- SEX IS LIKE A BLAZING FIRE. The weekend-getaway we do with our 12-year-olds is called “Passport2Purity.” That is the first place I remember hearing […]

Last week, I wrote about how I stop tantrums lickety-split. Make no mistake, I’m an advocate for parental authority and consistent discipline: But it made me think– I am coming at these things from a perspective of having GREAT AFFECTION FOR my children, and lavishing GREAT AFFECTION ON my children every day. And, sadly, I am quite certain […]

As Christian women, the topic of modesty can be a conversation fraught with traps. What does”modesty” even mean? Do we all have to dress according to some standard of not drawing the gaze of the biggest creep in the room? Or be like the most school-marm-y woman in the congregation? Is it a matter of inches on our […]

Mom On Purpose Podcasts from April 2017 NOTE: Episode 24 was the end of season 2 of the Mom On Purpose podcast.  Posts From April 2017 on JessConnell.com: PLEASE TAKE MY 2017 READER/LISTENER SURVEY!!! As a busy wife (to a Pastor), and homeschooling mom of 8, my time is limited. Doug & I are currently praying […]

{In the first article in this series, we defined the word/idea of “modesty.”} Here, let’s consider: what are the common problems in the church? Dresses are too short Clothes’ tightness and cut can often draw people’s eyes to the wrong places. (i.e.: Slits up the thigh. Mesh fabrics and lace draw attention to what’s underneath clothing.) […]

Sometimes life blindsides us. It could be any number of things. But sometimes in life, we feel like everything has exploded around us, and nothing is as it was before. (For us, some of them have been death of a parent while he was driving to our wedding, miscarriage x3, job loss, unexplained illness, hurting/sick […]

{This is the 3rd of 4 articles in a series about Christian modesty. How can a local Body of Christ, with its own individual “culture” (country, part of the country, religious norms/background, temperature, seasons, etc.), come together in unity about this topic of modesty, when opinions about what is appropriate can be so different? Particularly because– […]

Years ago, when I worked for Governor Huckabee, oh the dreams that I had! Having worked for the States of Arkansas and Texas, ladies, I was determined. I’d work my way up through the political ranks, and one day, be a Senator. And to tell the truth, when I get […] Continue reading “Releasing Our […]

Wonderland Trail, Day 5: Real Talk- Babies, Stinky Feet, & Yelling {NOTE: For those readers who don’t know our family, we’re the Connells. Doug’s my husband and I’m Jess. At the time of this trip, we had 7 kids (Ethan-14, Baxter-12, MeiMei-10, Silas-8, Moses-6, Theo-3.5, Luke-18 months), and I was 6 months pregnant with our […]

Last night I got up out of bed because I remembered this wonderful advice– I needed it and my soul wouldn’t rest until I found it and reminded myself of these truths.  Perhaps you need it too? I’ve added some Scripture references for each point, for further meditation. PRESCRIPTION FOR […] Continue reading “How to […]

For those long-time readers or people who know us in real life, this autobiographical background may be review, but it’ll help explain what follows: 12 years or so ago, for many reasons, we moved abroad. Doug managed a coffee roasting business, and I stayed home with our ever-expanding family. We each learned languages and made local […]

Last summer, we hiked the Wonderland Trail with our 7 kids (ages 14 down to 18 months). The Wonderland is a 93-mile loop trail around Mount Rainier, with 22,000 feet of elevation gain. People have taken anywhere from 20 hours to 15 days to hike the entire thing. We did it in 12 days. For […]

Analogies can be a way for us to understand ideas or experiences better. Here are 3 good analogies I’ve heard used to describe sex, and why I find them helpful: #1- SEX IS LIKE A BLAZING FIRE. The weekend-getaway we do with our 12-year-olds is called “Passport2Purity.” That is the first place I remember hearing […]

We typically don’t know when emergencies are going to happen. This means we’re often in high-adrenaline, reactionary mode, when those emergencies come. One way we can make those times *less* stressful is by being prepared in advance, in the ways that ARE possible. Here are 5 ways we can prepare our families for emergency situations: Basic […]