By the time you read this I will have spent the past 4 days shopping and lounging at the beach with my lovely daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters. It’s become an annual tradition. While we were doing girl things, my sons and son-in-law proved their manhood by backpacking several miles into a lake with 50 or so pounds a piece on their backs. We ladies are all really glad we’re not […]
Read More →Author: Pam
A Favorite Story
The Runaway Bunny is one of my all-time favorite picture books, and now I get to read it to my grandbabies! If you’re not familiar with the book, you should be. It’s a sweet story of a little bunny who says he’s going to run away. When he tells his mother about his plans, she tells him, “If you run away, I will run after you. For you are my […]
Read More →Training Our Children to See
“The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them” (Proverbs 20:12). I’ve always been amazed at what children don’t see. They can step over an obstacle in the middle of the floor and not even notice it was there. Clothes on the floor, lidless toothpaste tubes, over-flowing wastebaskets – all are apparently invisible to many children. Children need to be trained to see before […]
Read More →Ruby — A Precious Jewel
“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged…” (Prov 17:6a, ESV) Ruby is my buddy. We both love ice cream. We both love bubble baths. We both have naturally curly hair. We share M & M’s after church. We go for walks with her mama and little sister. We take the lid off the salad spinner and watch the lettuce fly. She makes my day when I walk in the door […]
Read More →The Child Who Delights in Another’s Discipline
I admit it. When I was a kid, I sometimes enjoyed seeing my brother get in trouble. He was an easy-going, good-natured big brother. He even tried his hardest to teach me to do backwards somersaults, and I still had the gall to gloat when he got in trouble! I was definitely not born basically good, no matter what the secular psychologists may say. My old sin nature was up […]
Read More →When the Parent Becomes the Judge
Parents spend a lot of time helping children work through disagreements. Children can be trained to settle many of their own disagreements, but they will need help in learning this process, and some situations clearly require parental involvement and disciplining. It’s easy to become annoyed or discouraged with what feels like endless striving. It is tempting to ignore or downplay bickering, or to respond to it in a sinful manner. […]
Read More →Stronger than a Mama’s Love
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35a). I enjoyed reading all the comments about living with little ones last week after Johanna’s review of “Loving the Little Years.” The words of an old hymn by Isaac Watts came to mind as I read the comments – a song we sing in our church, a song that I especially love. Now shall my inward joys arise, and […]
Read More →Praising the Good
“…to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Pet. 2:14, ESV). It’s easy to become focused on what our children are doing wrong. When the toddler spews the food he doesn’t like across the room, we have to clean it up. And we have to train him to behave differently. When angry boys resort to punching each other, we have to evaluate their stories. […]
Read More →Teaching Our Children to be Thankful for Their Food
“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever… Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Ps 136:1 and 25). The Israelites complained about the food God gave them. There it was, miraculously appearing on the ground every morning, “angels’ food” (Ps. 78:5), free for the gathering. It tasted good. It was good for them. Their loving Father, […]
Read More →God’s at Work in Poland!
I would like to share just a little bit about the mission trip to Poland that I and several members of our family participated in this past month. Many of you joined in sending us on this trip when you participated in our fundraising sale early in the year. You helped us raise over $4000 for the trip! Thank you for your part in this mission effort! Eleven people from […]
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