Today we are facing new fears of many kinds. In fact, this month the Coronavirus (Covid-19) has become a huge story—a public health crisis like I’ve never seen before. Many are afraid. Some rightly so.
As a parent, you may be wondering how to react in this current situation because, let’s face it, these are scary days. How should we talk to our kids about the Coronavirus, especially when we ourselves might be afraid?
Read MoreSitting under the stars on a chilly Chicago night—the lake to my right, the city to my left—I experienced one of the greatest musical performances of my life.
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of hearing Yo-Yo Ma play the Bach cello suites on stage in Millennium Park. Much to my own chagrin, prior to this concert I knew little about Yo-Yo Ma and had, to be honest, never heard of the Bach cello suites. But there I was, sitting just a few feet from the stage, ready to take in the experience.
Read MoreEvery day was a battle.
As a young mom who mainly stayed home with her kids, I battled post-partum depression. I battled exhaustion. I battled discouragement. The days felt so long, and I felt completely inadequate. And I knew, somewhere deep down in the pit of my soul, that I was the only mom not loving the days of the littles.
Read MoreI can still picture the hallway in my high school where I stood in full costume and make up. We had just finished opening night of a high school production of You Can’t Take it With You, in which I had played the family’s maid, Rheba.
(How I remember that, I have no idea.)
As I stood with the rest of the cast members to receive kudos from our friends and family, I saw my parents walking toward me. I hugged them both and remember distinctly my mom’s words: “I am so proud of you!”
Read MoreSpending
“One for God, one for saving, two for spending.” Our family mantra.
B learned it another way when he was growing up: “Give ten percent, save ten percent, and spend the rest with joy and thanksgiving.”
Those numbers may have been tweaked a bit over the years, but the principal remains: if God has blessed you with money to spend, enjoy it. Don’t squander it, make sure you’re giving, but also don’t feel guilty about it.
Read MoreLet me just say right off the bat that I am no financial expert. I don’t even play one on T.V. (But I do sleep with one, so maybe that makes me qualified to write this post.)
What I do know is that money is a tricky, tricky issue. It can be the source of great joy, but it can also cause great sorrow.
Read MoreI have three grown daughters. All three are incredibly smart, hilariously funny, and strikingly beautiful. All three are either in or headed toward careers in business and medicine. They are gifted women who love Jesus.
None of them has ever dated seriously.
And that’s O.K.
Read MoreAs you are well aware, we're in an election season. The races are tight. Talk to a handful of people and you'll get a handful of opinions on candidates and their character.
Frankly, nobody I talk to seems to know for sure who to vote for this year because the candidates appear to be less than forthright about who they are or what they believe.
Scandals abound on both sides of the political aisle. No political party has the corner on the integrity market, that's for sure. It's hard to know who's telling the truth anymore.
Read MoreIt’s funny that I should be writing about discipline because, truth be told, sometimes I feel like the most undisciplined person ever.
It’s not that my parents didn’t discipline me—they did. For sure. They made sure I behaved properly. They made sure I finished piano practice and homework before I watched T.V. They made me play outside and get plenty of exercise.
My parents tried their best to raise disciplined children . . . and yet . . .
And yet I fail so often.
Read MoreSo how did it go last week? Did you spend time thinking about your unique family? Did you jot down some aspects of family life or character that you’d like to instill in your kids?
This week I want to expand on my thoughts from last week to share three things that intentional parents do.
Read MoreSeveral years ago, 2010 in fact, I wrote a blog series titled "Intentional Parenting." Maybe you were around here back in 2010 and read those posts. But maybe you're new here and have no idea what I'm talking about. This series is for you. And for those who read the first time through. And for pretty much any parent who wants to think critically about this important job God has given you.
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