I sat discouraged and exhausted at the end of the table. I needed a sabbath rest and instead sat between sibling rivalry. The rest of the afternoon the bickering continued, and I complained to the Lord.  I just wanted to unplug and avoid the family drama. I longed for much-needed rest. God heard my prayer of complaint—and taught me two truths about Christian parenting that might encourage you as well.

The weeks sometimes feel like a whirl—is it already Monday again? The days swirl with loads of laundry, work deadlines, dentist appointments. Sometimes I wonder how I maintain any friendships in this cyclone of activity. A few years ago, a friend and I wrote about how we cultivate our sisterhood in the whirl of motherhood. I think our insights are just as timely today (and a good reminder for me too).

The crowd hooted and whooped. Handclapping sounded like thunderous downpour. I walked across the stage and received my diploma from Dallas Theological Seminary, and it felt monumental. Spiritual. Euphoric. Friends stopped by our Airbnb after the ceremony. We ate large amounts of General Tso’s Chicken—and hugged deeply. Then, my family and I flew back home.  I woke up the next day to tired kids complaining about going to school. The GI Joe battlefield exploded in most of our living room. The empty milk carton signaled the urgency of a Kroger run. No crowds. No awards. Just me faced with a task list big enough for a CEO, but simple enough…

Parenting is not an easy journey—even for the most faithful Christian. And at times we all feel shame. Here are three truths to remember to combat parenting shame.

Sometimes we forget the faithfulness of God. When we face mountains impossible to move, it’s time to remember how God has already led us through. Here are two ways families can remember the faithfulness of God together.

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time, but can we really trust writings penned thousands of years ago? Here are three reasons I trust the Bible and so can you.

Rhythms shape us and focus us. Rather than simply stating New Year's resolutions, how can we honor God in the rhythms of our daily lives to live for him—and reach those goals?

Advent practices sometimes get replaced with distracting activities. We hurry to bake the shortbread, build the gingerbread house, drive through the light display. But inwardly our souls are screaming, “Rest! Don’t rush!” But, how can we observe Advent without adding to our hurry?

There is so much I want my children to know and embrace before they leave. Everything from knowing the Bible, manage money, or even boiling an egg. Many spiritual and practical lessons I was not taught (hubs taught me how to boil an egg and I had no idea how to read the Bible entering college). Sometimes I feel like I am scrambling to know how to teach them because I want them to know so many things. But then, this morning gave me hope. After we sat for a quick morning devotion before heading out the door, I heard one of my children singing a song I made up…

We all get overwhelmed. Our chest tightens. Our breath shallows. Our eyes tear. We believe no matter how hard we strain, things won’t work out. In these days we need reminders of truth. Here are six truths that help me overcome feelings of defeat:   6 Truths to Guide Us 1. We are valuable because God made us (Genesis 1:27). We see a person’s job promotion on Facebook. Yet again. We unpack boxes in the house a friend bought, when we barely made rent. Our souls feed on images of value—how much we possess or have accomplished. So, we strain. We build our ladder and hang every rung with weight…