Have you ever felt this? After a morning filled with: kids squabbling some semblance of chores and house cleaning schooling done (even if imperfectly!) toddler meltdowns bottoms wiped bellies filled it is easy to get to mid-afternoon and to SIMPLY. FEEL. DONE. I have most definitely felt like this before, and yes, sometimes daily, especially when all my […]

After last week’s topic (Should Kids’ Screentime Be Unlimited?) a reader asked: Q: how do you let them watch a video/cartoon without the younger (under 2) seeing it or wanting to see it? He’s in the same room or walks by, for example, and now he likes to watch (and asks to) at an even younger… […]

Christian woman, you may not even realize it, but are you pornifying our culture? Perhaps you say “no”– “I hate even the idea of porn!” “I don’t invite men to look at me with lust.” “I would never do that!” BUT– TAKE A FIELD TRIP THROUGH YOUR PHOTOS Go right now to the photos you have publicly posted…

  Here’s a detailed look at how, in the first two weeks of breastfeeding, I begin gently prioritizing sleep… so that our whole family (parents, older siblings, and baby included) achieves sanity, sleep, and contentment ASAP. This is the way we’ve done it with all 8 of our babies. Video outline: 1:00- What method we follow… […]

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…

Pandora is something I use almost every day. I’ve got a variety of playlists there, for when we’re feeling silly, worshipful, mellow, dancy, quiet, or happy. I love the control it gives me, to set the tone and go on with the day. I’ve got a question for you: If your life was a Pandora playlist, who’s the one… […]

Years ago, when I had 3- and 1-year-old little boys, and was pregnant with our little girl, I wrote out a list of 10 goals we had brainstormed for our children. Even though more than 10 years have passed, and we’ve now got 8 children, it’s still a list I refer to– for direction in decisions we…

{This is the 3rd of 4 articles in a series about Christian modesty. How can a local Body of Christ, with its own individual “culture” (country, part of the country, religious norms/background, temperature, seasons, etc.), come together in unity about this topic of modesty, when opinions about what is appropriate can be so different? Particularly because– […]

Oh, y’all, I am SO excited to share with you something I’ve been working on for a long time. My new book, ONE THING: Top Tip From a Mom of 6, is the most important piece of motherhood advice I’ve got. It’s just as relevant for the seasoned mom as it is for the newly […]

We have a bush, a beautiful bush that used to grow in our yard. (It was a Japanese Barberry— love them!!) But that was exactly the problem. It grew in the yard-– it had been planted in the middle of the grass. For two years, I mowed AROUND the bush, week in, week out. So earlier this […]

Psalm 23 has come up in various places in my life lately… you know how God does that? Sometimes He brings something to your face in various ways all at roughly the same time. Quick story: Last week, we thought we’d found a potential house for our family. It was an old church that had […]

Today I’m starting a new video series, where I’ll share “3 Things I Wish I’d Known” about various topics and life experiences. Many will be about life as a wife and mother, but this first one is “3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Blogging.” I’ve been blogging since the summer of 2006, and started blogging here (at jessconnell.com) […]

Sometimes we can feel like it’s wrong to ask, “why, God?” When hard times come, it’s often a natural question of our hearts… but I don’t think it’s a wrong question. The only concern I have is that I think we don’t ask it soon enough. I want to encourage you to ask it now…. […]

Analogies can be a way for us to understand ideas or experiences better. Here are 3 good analogies I’ve heard used to describe sex, and why I find them helpful: #1- SEX IS LIKE A BLAZING FIRE. The weekend-getaway we do with our 12-year-olds is called “Passport2Purity.” That is the first place I remember hearing… […]