Virtually all Christian women have read Titus 2. But practically speaking, what does it look like? What does it mean for you and me? Last month, we attended a home education conference with keynotes by Dr. Voddie Baucham. During the pastor’s luncheon, he took a few moments to address the “Titus 2 woman.” I want to share some…
sleep deprivation – Jess Connell
Naptime. Quiet time. Siesta. 🙂 Call it what you want. But do not underestimate its importance for happy family life, particularly with kids about four and under. In actuality, this principle of setting aside certain hours of the day for the purpose of rest can serve any family of any age and any size. CHILDREN… […]
“The Talk” – Jess Connell
This is my third article in a series about talking with your kids about sex. Here are the others: Is It Biblical to Teach Our Kids About Sex? The (On-Going) Talk (Talking With Your Kids About Sex, From Birth to Age 2) The reason this series is “The (On-Going) Talk” is because I believe this is not meant… […]
What Plays Loudest in the Soundtrack of Your Mind? – Jess Connell
“To glorify someone is to praise, enjoy, and delight in them.” ~Tim Keller This short tweet stopped me in my tracks. It’s not that I hadn’t heard these ideas before, or didn’t know the definition of glorify. But, simply, this little definition provides such a practical litmus test for us as believers. Sometimes “glorify God” can […]
biblical counseling – Jess Connell
Q: my son Caleb, who will be 6 next month. He is an extremely outgoing, active, almost hyperactive, little boy who talks non-stop and (perhaps because he’s the oldest; perhaps because that’s how he’s wired), is obsessed with the idea of being “the boss.” Overall, he’s actually a relatively compliant child, but lately I’ve noticed… […]
controlling heart – Jess Connell
Is this you, Mama? Are you tired of fighting against this sin? I get tired of it, too. Over the last 10 years, I’ve made progress in my fight against sinful anger, but I’m not “over it”– oh how I wish I was! Unfortunately, it is still a sin I have to actively fight, or else… […]
Navigating the Challenges of Real Life, Online – Jess Connell
If you share everything, you’re an exhibitionist. If you share nothing, you’re closed-off and unapproachable. If you share too many good things, you’re fake. If you share too many bad things, you’re a whiner. It’s hard to get the balance right, isn’t it? Online interactions don’t always lend themselves to complete transparency. And even when […]
The Stew or The Cross? – Jess Connell
You remember the story. Twin brothers– one with a penchant for cooking, the other a hunter. The cook (the younger of the two) had the favor of his mother. The hairy hunter was his father’s delight. In a moment of desperate hunger, focused on the immediate longing of his belly, the hunter traded his birthright— […]
gender – Jess Connell
We heard it so much over the last 9 months. “MeiMei needs a sister!” “You poor thing! So many brothers! Do you know what this one is yet?” “Oh goodness, you guys need a little girl this time!” Now I know… having a son would mean we’d have 7 boys, right? I mean, 7. BOYS…. […]
busyness of life – Jess Connell
Here’s a 3-minute video I made, smack-dab in the middle of my real life, to talk about the noise and chaos of real-life motherhood. IN THE COMMENTS, PLEASE SHARE: Has motherhood been more, or less, noisy and chaotic, than you expected? {Note: This article has been updated from its original publishing in Dec. 2008.} Today I […]
newborn – 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… […]
A Generous Giver (Proverbs 31:20) – Jess Connell
“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 […]
Mom On Purpose podcast – 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. … […]
raising chickens – Jess Connell
1. THEY ARE PRECIOUS AS BABIES. PRECIOUS!!! We built a pen out of the cardboard box from a deck box. We taped it to the floor in a trapezoidal shape so they wouldn’t have any 90-degree corners to run into (and get suffocated by the others, which apparently can sometimes be a problem with small…