Ever read Genesis 3? It’s the chapter where sin enters the picture. One verse previous, Adam and Eve are frolicking in the perfect garden God crafted for them, naked and unashamed. But by Chapter 3, everything goes awry. Genesis 3 teaches me, frames my theology, and makes me long to walk with God in Heaven. […]

Each month I get a number of e-mails and private comments asking interesting questions that may be applicable to more than just the person asking. My plan is to select a few thought-provoking and practical questions, keep the asker & identifying details anonymous, and share my answers with all of you, at the end of each month. Let’s […]

Home July Mailbag: Conceived Before Marriage? Knowing God’s Will? Potty Training? On the last day of each month, I take some of the Q&As that have happened in e-mails, private messages, and interactions with readers/friends, and anonymously share them here, with you all. CAN I CORRECT A CHILD WHEN I STRUGGLE WITH THE SAME THING? Q: I’ve wondered whether you […]

Home 6 Ways I Handle Being an Exhausted Mom At this point in life, I’m fairly convinced I should walk around with caution tape wrapped around me as a visible symbol to everyone I encounter: WARNING, WARNING, WARNING… DO NOT GO INTO THIS CONVERSATION WITH GREAT EXPECTATIONS. IN FACT, LET’S JUST DIAL THOSE EXPECTATIONS BACK TO […]

For the past few years, I’ve been dissatisfied with my personal study of the Bible, and I’m trying to hash out why. My goal is to reclaim joy in my studies of God’s Word. Here are some things I’m thinking through as I try to discover an approach to God’s Word that rightly honors Him as the truth-teller and […]

My blood began boiling over this issue a few years ago, when the (supposedly) “safe for the whole family” Christian radio station in my area began advertising “Mommy Makeovers” throughout the day, every day. The ad went something like this: “Sick of your post-baby flabby midsection? Ready to treat yourself and your body to some […]

“She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. . . . She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.” Proverbs 31: 16-18, 24 As we discuss this passage, keep in mind that […]

“[SHE] MAKES HER ARMS STRONG. SHE PUTS HER HANDS TO THE DISTAFF, AND HER HANDS HOLD THE SPINDLE. SHE OPENS HER HAND TO THE POOR . . . SHE IS NOT AFRAID OF SNOW FOR HER HOUSEHOLD, FOR ALL HER HOUSEHOLD ARE CLOTHED IN SCARLET. SHE MAKES BED COVERINGS FOR HERSELF; HER CLOTHING IS FINE LINEN […]

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 […]

“She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.”Proverbs 31:20 VERSE 20: “SHE OPENS HER HAND TO THE POOR AND REACHES OUT HER HANDS TO THE NEEDY.” The woman described in Proverbs 31 is a giver. You know the term close-fisted? When it says “she opens her hand,” here […]

My blood began boiling over this issue a few years ago, when the (supposedly) “safe for the whole family” Christian radio station in my area began advertising “Mommy Makeovers” throughout the day, every day. The ad went something like this: “Sick of your post-baby flabby midsection? Ready to treat yourself and your body to some […]

(Though these “Mom on Purpose” posts are being published over time, they were written days in a row.) First, I asked myself the main question of essentialism. Two days ago, I got clear on the principles of what’s essential for me right now. And then yesterday I put essentialism into practice. Today was a tougher day than […]

Well, so here it is. After Josh Duggar molested a number of girls and got caught a number of times, he went on TV, got himself a wife, and sold purity and courtship and not kissing until marriage. We all watched as his dad gave him a purity talk, which we now know, he did solely for the camera, because he […]

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 […]