Editor’s Note: You can get Helena’s Shiloh Series, the entire trilogy in print, for only $30 (for a limited time). See here! The floor was polka-dotted with buttons. Blue and red and yellow and green. Round and square and scalloped. Someone had bumped the button jar and spilled it, but it wasn’t Verity. She…
September and October have been wild for us. We launched into a new year of homeschooling. We traveled to Wyoming with friends. We hosted a houseful of guests for a conference. I prepared a talk, edited and reworked about a thousand pages of fiction, and kept up a constant stream of communication with my new…
There was a time when I cringed to hear parents excuse their children’s appalling behavior by saying, “They’re just tired.” It’s a copout, I thought. Then God, in His infinite kindness, gave me children. At this point, I’ve come to expect any number of awful behaviors to rear their heads when my kids are worn…
Sally Lloyd-Jones is releasing a grown-up version of The Jesus Storybook Bible. Did you know that? It’s a testimony to the deep insight and beautiful simplicity Lloyd-Jones brought to this lovely piece of work. The chapter titled “The Terrible Lie” would be enough to set the proper tone for all future encounters with God, all…
I feel like a traitor. Is it wrong to recommend a television show to parents who have gathered with the goal of guiding their children away from technology, away from mindless media absorption? Do we lose ground if we allow television to play any role in our children’s lives? Frankly, I don’t know. And for…
Cora lifted the white paper wrapping. It made a crinkling sound as she pinched it between her fingers. She gasped. There they were. Her new shoes. Stiff red leather with thick brown soles and light brown laces. She smiled up at her mother, who stood wiping her hands on her apron. “Want to try them…
Mrs. Eddlemon, my second –grade teacher, earned my undying love in two ways: first, she rewarded good behavior with “Funny Bucks” (which we stored in cigar boxes) and allowed us to shop at her General Store on Friday afternoons, and second, she read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books to our class whenever she could squeeze them in….
I’m sitting on my couch, staring at a blank screen. I hope you’re not looking for any parenting wisdom, because I have none to offer. I’m tired. Yesterday, my kids succeeded in shattering two glasses, covering themselves with pureed blueberry glop, and ruining a few new items of clothing all in one fell swoop. I…
I don’t know about your kids, but as soon as their birthdays arrive, or Christmas rolls around, or their grandparents send them spending money, my children forget about all the multitudes of delightful toys that are scattered around their room. The stuffed animals piled on their beds, the cars and princesses crammed in their toy…
When she stands on tippy-toe, she can just see over the edge of the windowsill. From there, the little dogwood tree in the front yard towers over her, and the robin’s nest is high, high. She can’t reach the raisin toast on the counter. But those kitchen drawers house whole worlds of wonders: bowls and…
The snow globe slid from its perch on the bookshelf and crashed to the floor. The little photo holder inside, the one with the picture of him and his sister, was smashed, and the swirling glitter water drained out. My son loved that snow globe. Its base was a shiny red color. His favorite. And…
Gina Smith can hang a string of Christmas lights in her laundry room and make dirty clothes look magical. I discovered this last year when I started following her Adding Beauty Project. Gina’s blog fascinated me. My first thought was, “If I hung lights in my laundry room, it would look ridiculous.” But as the…
