The Lesson of the Apron

The Lesson of the Apron

Susanna Wesley used her apron. They say it was her way of disappearing into prayer. Her 11 children knew what an apron over Mom’s head meant: They better leave Mom alone.  I was thinking about Susanna the other day, this heroine of homeschool families and bustling households—the living, breathing Proverbs 31 woman—the ideal mother we…

The Tree of Life, a Colossal Corn Stalk, and a Feral Foster Child

The Tree of Life, a Colossal Corn Stalk, and a Feral Foster Child

Jake came to live with Stacy when he was six. Born a fetal alcohol baby, he’d been abandoned as unmanageable by four different foster homes already. His bright brown eyes and mischievous grin signaled a child behind the almost feral face and spidery tangle of skinny arms and legs. Stacy, an elementary school teacher, was…

The Miracles of Quiet

The Miracles of Quiet

Quiet time. It’s a description. A noun. A command. A miracle, really. I’m not sure when the phrase “quiet time” became defined by the perfect chair illuminated by the perfect light at the perfect time of day, flanked by the journal that has the perfect paper to capture our thoughts as we study the perfect…

A Journey to Healthy Relational Boundaries

A Journey to Healthy Relational Boundaries

Healthy relational boundaries are kindness in action. Enablers and approval addicts often think they are being kind, but enabling patterns are deceptively destructive. We are not being kind when we inadvertently encourage others to form ingrained habits that are harmful to themselves and others. When we do not tell the truth because we are afraid…