November 11, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Mom Moment: I’m not Raising Nice Kids
This last Sunday I asked my four-year-old what he learned in his Sunday School class. As usual, his answer was both adorable and enlightening. He showed me a picture he had colored of Paul being arrested and told me, “Jesus … Continue reading
October 28, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Mom Moment: Giving Our Kids Freedom to Fail
The other afternoon I was sitting on my porch, reading a book while my kids played in the yard. All at once I was startled by the sound of my son’s voice yelling, “Mom! Look over here!” I couldn’t see … Continue reading
October 26, 2018
by Maralee
3 Comments
About two weeks ago I listened to a forty minute interview with a popular Christian author and speaker. Something I heard in that interview just felt like getting a rock in my shoe. While I’m going to use a specific … Continue reading
October 5, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Teaching Empathy to Children (radio interview)
Empathy isn’t natural for kids. It’s something they learn by watching our example, and through the conversations we have. It’s become important to me to teach my kids about empathy intentionally and thoughtfully. I was glad to share with the … Continue reading
September 17, 2018
by Maralee
3 Comments
I got a present in the mail yesterday. It was a t-shirt with one of my favorite quotes on the front. “I care. I care a lot. It’s kind of my thing.” –Leslie Knope It was a gift from a … Continue reading
September 12, 2018
by Maralee
2 Comments
Three of my kids celebrate the anniversaries of their adoptions this month. It’s a time of year we tend to have a lot of big and small conversations about adoption within our family. We talk about what know about their … Continue reading
September 7, 2018
by Maralee
2 Comments
I’m not sure when the moment came that I started to feel a little conflicted about our current obsession with compassion voyeurism. Maybe it was the photo that went viral of a Chick-fil-A manager praying with a guy who was … Continue reading
August 6, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
My Sweet Kids, I know there have been times you have felt poor. There are vacations we can’t go on, the hand-me-down wardrobes, the times we didn’t send you to a friend’s birthday party because we couldn’t afford to buy … Continue reading
July 23, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on 5 Ways Lists about Marriage are Ruining Your Marriage
I love a good list. I love how they distill information into quick, bite-sized pieces I can easily digest. But I’ve found that I don’t love lists about marriage. Such a complex topic can rarely be handled well in a … Continue reading
July 19, 2018
by Maralee
Comments Off on Hey Bride and Groom: Invite Some Kids
My family attended a wedding this last weekend and it was all kinds of fun. As we were leaving one of my kids said, “When do we get to do that again? To go to a party with all our … Continue reading