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 on scraps? […]

  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… […]

Like many Americans in the 80s and 90s, (maybe like you?) I grew up with one sibling. So I didn’t really know what to expect as a mom of many children (we have 9 now). Some things we can anticipate: (laundry, food, and stacks of clothes bins!), but what I wanted to talk about in… […]

  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… […]

We’ve all heard of (and experienced) the Mommy Wars. But what is God’s view of it all? As mothers, we can feel completely removed– even from other believers– if we make a parenting choice that is contrary to what they are choosing or what they chose. No matter where you live, if you’re reading this and […]

Cranford‘s delightfully absurd Miss Pole (an unmarried elderly woman who had hardly ever talked to a man) said, “My father was a man. I think I understand the sex.” Well, as a mom of 7 boys, 15 years in, I think I actually *do* understand more about raising boys (at least *little* boys) than the average… […]

{Note: This article has been updated from its original publishing in Dec. 2008.} Today I want to share the ethos behind some big choices of my life. I’ve lived as an at-home-on-purpose mom for the last 13+ years of my life because I believe this simple truth: as a mom of young children, the best place for me to be…

The early part of this summer was a hurricane in our lives. I won’t recount all the details, but we were poised to buy a family business. Instead, the carpet was yanked out from beneath our feet. Had we been on our own, we would’ve gone scrambling, but God placed solid paver stones under our… […]

Q: How do you get your kids to stay in their beds? Mine are continuously coming out until 10:00 some (a lot of) nights. So the time between 8:30 (when they go to bed) and 10:00 (when they finally fall asleep) is spent herding them back to bed, getting them drinks, laying down with them, etc….

It’s easy to be filled with zeal and purpose when they first put that baby in your arms… but how can we stay engaged and intentional as moms, over the long haul? In Episode 1, Mom on Purpose host, Jess Connell, shares: why she left a job she loved, to be a stay-at-home mom. how she thinks through […]

  We’ve all heard of (and experienced) the Mommy Wars. But what is God’s view of it all? As mothers, we can feel completely removed– even from other believers– if we make a parenting choice that is contrary to what they are choosing or what they chose. No matter where you live, if you’re reading this… […]

This is a guest post, written by my mom, Debbie. As we are currently preparing for a cross-country move, away from my parents, my husband’s mom, & much of our extended family, she had some thoughts she wanted to share. Visit her new website: TheButtonWoman.com. ************************************* Many of my friends and loved ones have commented […]

“The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children.”   ~Charlotte Mason Dear Mom of young children, Do you realize the incredible power you have… […]

“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,”…