I am just a white mom. This is what goes through my head as I think about the recent race-centered wounds in our country. I am just a white mom. I’m scared to even write about this.  I feel inadequate and not strong enough. What can I do? I don’t have the soul strength to “lift” the…

This question recently came in: I was thinking about what you spoke about [in this podcast episode, called “Lean In & Learn from Other Women”] and the thing that stuck out most to me was how you learn most by living life with others. While I completely agree, I am stuck wondering HOW to make… […]

Yay, it’s August! Nearly time for a new school year to begin!! We’re actually going into our tenth year of homeschooling… which is crazy! In January of 2007, we began curling up together, Ethan and I, with Sonlight books. We discovered the world together through books like Twenty and Ten (WWII– Nazis, rations, resistance), Understood Betsy (farm life, lifelong learning), A Grain of… […]

(I wrote this 11/29/12 as a way to chronicle the loving, affection happening in our home and spur other moms on toward loving affection in their homes. I never published it, recently found it, and am sharing it even though it’s now 3 years old.) This morning, when Moses woke up, he came and crawled up… […]

Well, if you know anything about our family, you know we have a lot of kids (6, going on 7, to be exact). Spills have become part-and-parcel of Connell family mealtimes. And now, 12 years into this parenting gig, I’m nearly… getting better about… almost… past freaking out about spills at the table. One thing…

To the young lady, looking at a young man, as a potential husband: When you consider what you’d like in a young man, be honest… what ranks up there? Good looks? Nice eyes? Enjoyable sense of humor? Taller than you? Fun to talk to? Heck, I remember looking for those things (and getting them 🙂 I… […]

Last fall, we took our 12-year-old son away for a weekend of hiking and discussion while we worked through the Passport 2 Purity material together. When we went for our longest hike, it was a blustery day with heavy winds. As we went deeper down into the canyon, the pines at the top of the hill […]

{This is the 4th article in a series about modesty. We started with what the word/idea of “modesty” even means. Then we talked through 8 questions we should consider to discern our heart. Next we talked about deference as an act of submission to the Brothers and Sisters in our local Body of Christ.}   But… […]

Moms nowadays are obsessed with their bodies. Modern diet trends are all about the extreme. Extreme butt-tightener. Extreme abs. Extreme consumptions of raw food. Extreme protein quantities. Extreme cutting of carbs. Extreme cutting of sugar. But here’s the thing: Extreme rules lead to extreme breaking of rules. And generally, moderation leads to health. And that’s why I won’t… […]

The question comes from time to time: How can I have a successful blog while raising little ones? And here’s my honest answer. It may not be a popular one, but it is my real, honest, from-my-heart answer. BLOGGING WHEN YOU HAVE LITTLE ONES When I had all/only littles, I wrote only when I had… […]

A friend recently asked about battling postpartum insomnia, and I shared my thoughts with her and then decided to share them here with you, too, in case you’re facing similar concerns. SPIRITUAL/PHYSICAL ANGLE? I’m not saying this lightly, but have you prayed about it? I have found, for me, that those times when I am…

  We recently participated in a silent, prayerful, smiling protest. We used our rights and stood for life. It was our first time to participate, and we decided to go on the spur of the moment. Of course we talked expectations as we drove to the protest, brought snacks for the 2-year-old to enjoy during the… […]

In the comments section of a recent post, titled, “Why Have More Kids?” I received this comment: While I can appreciate your thoughts, my big issue with extra large families, is that ultimately, it is unsustainable. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone decided to have 6+ children!? We are already outgrowing…

If you’re discontent with life, it’s very very likely that you’ve been living in a mental place of comparison. Discontentment and comparison often accompany one another. Comparison always kills joy, whether we’re comparing UP or comparing DOWN. COMPARING UP?  It is interesting to consider that when we compare, if our hearts are yearning for self-pity, we compare up.   If […]