“It takes incredible amount of courage and strength to go against the grain of what people want you to be.” ~Janet Mock, trans advocate, in a documentary about Bruce Jenner’s recent ESPN award No it doesn’t. It doesn’t take strength at all to go your own way. That is what comes naturally. This is the human…
wife – Jess Connell
You’ve already given your best to the kids. all. stinkin. day. long. So what’s left for your husband– this man you pledged your life and love to? Scraps. Can I ask you a personal question? You don’t have to answer me… just answer in your heart: how long has your husband been surviving… […]
spiritual discipline – Jess Connell
WHAT IS CHRISTIAN FASTING?Simply put, fasting is choosing (for a set period of time) not to eat food in order to devote yourself more single-mindedly to the pursuit of God through Scripture and prayer. Christian fasting differs from the ritual/scheduled fasting found in other religions, and is not done in order to earn favor. Like…
save money – Jess Connell
Discount grocery stores— this is currently my top budget-slicing method. At Costco, one basket costs us about $300-400. At my discount grocery stores last week, I got 3 basketfuls of groceries for just over $150. It takes creativity, and a little more time (we went to 2 stores, 45 minutes away, rather than just 1 store…
appetites – Jess Connell
Well, this year we had a long summer. Longer than normal. And it was fabulous. Here are some highlights: Our family of 9 spent 12 days on a backpacking trip around Mt. Rainier. We were completely phone/internet disconnected during those days, and lived off of (1) what we could carry, and (2) what we stashed in 2 food/fuel… […]
Q&A – Jess Connell
Two days after having my precious new son, I shared a picture on Facebook with the following comments: I love the sleepy quiet snuggled-in days after a baby arrives, in general… and I love this quiet day, in particular. Seeing my babies love on my babies… and getting to see them embrace (not just philosophically… […]
loving our children – Jess Connell
(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… […]
storage – Jess Connell
8 kids is a lot. It’s not “19 and counting” or anything, but it’s still a lot. The bigger our family has gotten, the more I’ve had to up my game when it comes to swapping out sizes and finding good organizing solutions for clothes. Here’s what standing in line looks like when I take my youngest…
survey – Jess Connell
Mom On Purpose Podcasts from April 2017 Ep. 22: Fight Mommy Anger: Give Consistent, Prompt Discipline Ep. 23: Overcome Sexual Sin & Shame (Linda Dillow, Pt. 1) Ep. 24: Embrace Marital Intimacy as Godly & Good (Linda Dillow, Pt 2) NOTE: Episode 24 was the end of season 2 of the Mom On Purpose podcast. …
Wonderland Trail, Day 11: 2 Bears & the Perfect Summer Evening – Jess Connell
{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 8th child. I’m publishing journal entries, pictures, & memories from our 12-day […]
Postpartum – Jess Connell
The misperception is common, and I probably would have thought wrongly about it, too. Back when I was single, or a mom of 1-2 kids, if I’d had to describe what postpartum weeks would look like for a mom with her 8th baby, my eyes might have bugged-out, and I would have had the… […]
Bible – Jess Connell
As we’re talking about with Lisa right now on the podcast, mom life can make it tricky to be actively engaged with the Bible. I have two videos for you on today’s topic. #1- Here is one practical way I stay active with Bible reading as a busy mom: #2-… […]
electronics – Jess Connell
A reader asks: Q: Jess, what about when my husband is glued to his phone/laptop/ research for work constantly? Even when we eat meals together his smartphone is nearby in case any notifications pop up. He keeps music/talk shows playing in his headphones continually and actually does close to nothing around the house (with the exception… […]
finances – Jess Connell
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… […]