“The days are long but the years are short.” It’s a refrain I often repeat. But sometimes even the days are short.
We make plans. We have the best intentions. And then . . . we fail to execute.
Distractions sweep us away from what is most important. (And drown us in what is merely trivial.) Continue reading CONVERT FAILURE INTO INSIGHT
With the flood of demands and opportunities that rush toward us, it’s easy to be swept away….
As the manager of my home, often the first challenge I face is just getting quiet enough to ask the question: “What is most important right now?”
If you find yourself asking the same question, I have three concepts to help you clear away clutter, expedite meal preparation, and invest in family relationships. Continue reading 3 Tips to Help You Overcome Overwhelm, Clutter, & Chaos
Songs you listen to when you feel victorious? Songs that bring comfort when you’re feeling blue? Songs to give you energy when you clean house or exercise?
Music has an amazing ability to influence our moods, which, in turn, can influence our actions. That’s powerful.
We would be wise to educate our children on the power of music. Continue reading EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN ON THE POWER OF MUSIC
Unbelievable as it may seem, I was 30 years old before I learned that Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter.
I grew up thinking Easter was all about jelly beans, marshmallow chicks, and chocolate bunnies. Continue reading The Easter Chronicle
The words affordable, efficient, and effective aren’t typically associated with college. But they can be accurate descriptors of your student’s college experience.
On March 27, at 7:00 PM CST, I was joined by education innovator Woody Robertson todiscuss the best ways to navigate the college decision.
We discussed common flawed thinking like:
Although muted by the blind’s wooden slats, enough natural light filters in through my bedroom window to sustain my vision as I read and reflect upon Hebrews 2:3.
“[H]ow shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”
Salvation.
What does that really mean?
As creatures of habit, we move through our days without even thinking about many of our actions. But, if we’re seeking to maximize our productivity, we need to turn off autopilot and start paying attention.
Although we don’t want to become self-absorbed, we do need to become self-aware. Continue reading Don’t Eat That Frog — Part 3
Have you ever had so many good options that you couldn’t make up your mind … and you ended up doing nothing? Continue reading Don’t Eat That Frog — Part 2
There are many time management books on the bestseller lists, with new titles added each year. As a long-time student of time management, I’ve observed that “the experts” frequently contradict one another. Continue reading Don’t Eat That Frog — Part 1
You care about how you invest your time. You’re trying hard to maximize your potential. Some days you feel like a “rock star.” Other days, not so much. Continue reading Don’t Eat that Frog – Introduction
(This is part 4 — life lessons — in our Walking with the Waodani series. Click here to start the series at the beginning.)
We hear it so often that it’s become cliché. But I suppose, if you don’t homeschool, there’s no way to know how many “social” opportunities are available to homeschoolers. Continue reading Walking with the Waodani — Part 4 — Life Lessons
(This is part 3 — poison fishing — in our Homeschooler Adventure Walking with the Waodani series. Click here to start the series at the beginning.)
In our previous Homeschooler Adventurer post, Russell Winter told the story of spear fishing in the Amazon River. The post also mentioned how, during his seven-week adventure in Ecuador, a new friend had taken him spear fishing on the Salinas coast. See the lovely fish he caught there? Continue reading Walking with the Waodani – Part 3 – Poison Fishing
Years ago, (it feels like another lifetime), before I had children, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lee Strobel and talk with him about writing. He has amazing stories to tell….
Continue reading ETERNITY IN THEIR HEARTS: Taking the Long View on Home Education
(Scroll down to get a coupon for 15% OFF the hardcover GIFT edition and 30% off the digital edition of I’d Rather Be Your Mommy!)
Raising children is a noble profession. In many ways, our future depends upon it. Somewhere along the way, our culture has lost sight of just how important motherhood and fatherhood really are.
Charles Spurgeon said it well:
You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God’s fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts.
Continue reading IT’S OKAY IF YOUR DREAM IS TO BE A GOOD WIFE AND MOTHER
Our adventure opens upon a battlefield. The year is 585 BC. Lydian soldiers clash with Medes. Blood flows; men die.
After six grueling years of engagement, weary families wonder whether the fighting will ever end. An ominous rumor ripples across the field. The philosopher Thales had made a frightening prediction. Suddenly, the sky grows dark. Continue reading Meet Thales — the Father of Western Philosophy
“Father…” I choked on the word as Roger and I sang a worship chorus with a small congregation in Kauai. I was a new believer at the time, and I still associated the word with my personal experience.
I love my father, and the Lord brought peace and great healing to our relationship before Dad passed into eternity. But for a very long time our relationship was a source of deep hurt.
Although God gave us the gift of family, when fathers’ hearts are not turned toward their children, that gift becomes distorted. Such families suffer a loss that is difficult to overcome. For some, it is devastating.
And the pain often carries into the next generations…. Continue reading HEALING BROKEN FATHERHOOD
(This is part 7 in our series. If you missed our first post, you can find it here.)
In the midst of our CollegePlus studies, the program underwent a major transformation. Consequently, we decided to “interrupt our regularly scheduled programming” to explain this change.
We’ll start with a little history… Continue reading MAKING THE MOST OF HIGH SCHOOL WITH COLLEGEPLUS — PART 7
(This is part 6 in our series. If you missed our first post, you can find it here.)
Without formal testing, it is unreasonable to expect a teacher who is responsible for a large classroom of students to know with certainty whether those students are comprehending the material presented. But in the intimacy of the homeschool environment, there are a variety of ways to make this assessment. Continue reading MAKING THE MOST OF HIGH SCHOOL WITH COLLEGEPLUS — PART 6
In that moment, the only work that will matter is the work done for Him… Continue reading The Mommy Book Gives