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    Toddler Tantrums and Our Sin Nature

    I have heard the adage time and time again:"You don't have to teach a baby to sin." As a mom of three small children, I quickly learned that this couldn't be truer! The cherub-faced cuteness began to wear off when my daughter started acting on her inclination to hit. Hitting was her preferred method of expression. This heavy-handed little girl wielded her back-hand with the power to smite anyone who stood in opposition to her!  So I had to roll up my sleeves and dive into the dirty work of behavioral modification with a two a year old.   A major source of irritation in her world, like most toddlers,…

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    Cleaning Out

    Our latest house project has caused us to do a lot of cleaning, which began with the simple need to empty some drawers and cabinets for painting. Then, we had to deal with dust and debris throughout the house from tearing out a tub and shower tile. Cleaning one area led to organizing it, which affected a related area that needed cleaning and/or organizing.    Frankly, it’s overwhelming because the whole process of doing what seemed like a small renovation led to cleaning out areas long neglected. Instead of getting cleaner, the house was getting worse as day by day we took more stuff out of hiding. But by the…