One day last year, I walked into our bathroom and found my 3-year-old, Moses, with his arms awkwardly positioned, slightly up in the air. Upon hearing my footsteps, he dropped his hands. His big, winsome smile didn’t fool me.   It was clear there was something in one hand he had pulled down and was trying to […]

One day last year, I walked into our bathroom and found my 3-year-old, Moses, with his arms awkwardly positioned, slightly up in the air. Upon hearing my footsteps, he dropped his hands. His big, winsome smile didn’t fool me.   It was clear there was something in one hand he had pulled down and was trying to […]

Is this you? Many moms land here from search engine queries that boil down to one thing: their kids don’t listen to them. This mom is weary of fighting what feels like an uphill battle for respect and well-disciplined children, and she’s looking for answers. She has a niggling feeling that things don’t have to be […]

There is a level of heartache that goes beyond the normal highs and lows of life. It cannot be quantified. Words don’t do it justice. It keeps you up at night, doggedly chasing you, taxing your mental reserves all day long. Even if you’re not an emotional person, tears threaten to fly down your face without […]

Over the years, in myself and others, I’ve observed a tendency toward laziness as moms. I’m not talking about laziness in how we clean, decorate, dress our children, or save money for our family. No, in those ways we can be quite purposeful and diligent. What I mean is this: many of us tend to lazily overlook the […]

Over the years, in myself and others, I’ve observed a tendency toward laziness as moms. I’m not talking about laziness in how we clean, decorate, dress our children, or save money for our family. No, in those ways we can be quite purposeful and diligent. What I mean is this: many of us tend to lazily overlook the […]

Wanna know what one thing has made the difference in becoming a better mother to my children? I made this 4-minute video to tell the answer to that question, and why I write at jessconnell.com. One of the lies moms have been fed in this past decade or so is that “you’re the expert” and that “you innately possess all the mothering […]

One day last year, I walked into our bathroom and found my 3-year-old, Moses, with his arms awkwardly positioned, slightly up in the air. Upon hearing my footsteps, he dropped his hands. His big, winsome smile didn’t fool me.   It was clear there was something in one hand he had pulled down and was trying to […]

Over the years, in myself and others, I’ve observed a tendency toward laziness as moms. I’m not talking about laziness in how we clean, decorate, dress our children, or save money for our family. No, in those ways we can be quite purposeful and diligent. What I mean is this: many of us tend to lazily overlook the […]

Parents instill appetites in their children. We know it’s generally true with foods. I didn’t grow up eating: * Russian goulash * Thai peanut chicken over a bed of sprouts & star fruit for dessert * Ethiopian injera I did grow up eating: * pancakes * tacos * spaghetti Even as an adult, while I might […]

–FAVORITE RESOURCES BY TOPIC– GROW as a Disciple: GROW in your Marriage: GROW as a Parent: TEACH YOUR CHILDREN about GOD’S DESIGN for SEX: TO BEGIN THE ON-GOING CONVERSATION: This series — “God’s Design For Sex” — is EXCELLENT! (4 books targeting 4 different ages/maturity levels) FOR BOYS’ BODY ISSUES: The Boys Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for […]

There are some things I can’t say without first referring you to this passage (Ephesians 5:17-33). Please read it in its entirety:  Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. …be filled with the Spirit, …giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting […]

Unfortunately, this last week in particular, I and my children have seen incontrovertible evidence that (at least for me), stress and yelling seem to have a direct relationship. When stress increases, the volume and frequency of my yelling increases as well. So this weekend, I asked a group of godly women to exhort me in regard […]

There are some things I can’t say without first referring you to this passage (Ephesians 5:17-33). Please read it in its entirety:  Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. …be filled with the Spirit, …giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting […]