I’m a wife, homeschooling mom to ten kids (yes 10!) and best-selling author. I’ve had 60+ books published, and I lead a Teen Mom support group in inner-city Little Rock. The number one thing I’m asked by others is, “How do you do it all?” If you were to see the piles on my… [Continue Reading]
adoption
Spring is a Celebration!
They say ‘April showers bring May flowers.’ But when you’re an author (and a homeschooling mom!) it also brings a busy conference season! However, when May comes around the first thing I think about is my WWII friends. Because my first novel From Dust To Ashes was inspired by the liberation of Mauthausen Concentration Camp… [Continue Reading]
Sleep as a Benefit of Homeschooling
I’d been a homeschooling mom for twenty years when I was forced to have kids in the public school system. I say “forced” because we had kids in foster care and DHS would not let me homeschool them. So for the first time ever I filled out paperwork and had to figure out the schedules… [Continue Reading]
How to stop your child’s angry cycle
The flash of anger in my tween daughter’s eyes surprised me. We’d been camping, and Maddie’s 6-year-old sister, Aly, had just burned her finger on hot ash. As I treat the wound, Maddie strode up. “I hurt myself, too,” she said, with attitude. “Last night when we were making S’mores.” “Hold on,” I said. As… [Continue Reading]
10 Ways to Make Your Home a Place of Healing For Kids From Foster Care
John and I opened our home to foster care and adoption with a lot of hope and little knowledge of what the reality would look like. As a mom trying to help these kids heal, I learned a lot about children, trauma, myself, our mutual needs, and healing. Out of everything I’ve learned, the… [Continue Reading]
When God Called Us to Adopt Teens
I clearly remember the moment I knew God was calling John and I to adopt a sibling group of older girls. God didn’t speak as through a megaphone. Instead, it was one small conversation—and more small thoughts—that built into an idea that I knew was from God. The thoughts first started as I mentored teen… [Continue Reading]
My Journey to Adoption {Listen to my Interview on the Restory Show}
Recently I had the joy of chatting with Mary DeMuth on her Restory Show. We talked about my story: growing up needing love, finding it in boys, being a pregnant teen, then turning my life over to Jesus. The bulk of the episode we talk about my family’s journey of adoption. Click here to listen our chat,… [Continue Reading]
Bonding Through Books | The Importance of Reading Aloud to Your Kids
I had the privilege of stopping by the Read-Aloud Revival podcast to share about how reading aloud help me bond with my adoptive kids. Listen to the interview to find out how even though I grew up in a non-reading family, reading and writing has become a huge part of my family’s culture. Also, discover some of my favorite read-alouds… [Continue Reading]
Put Your Work Aside and Enjoy God’s Presence
The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple. 1 Kings 8:11 (NLT) Has there ever been a time in your life when you were so amazed at God’s presence that you simply had to pause? Pause to take Him in, pause to… [Continue Reading]
Does My Child Need Emotional Therapy?
I remember the first time I took my 5-year-old to the therapist’s office. I honestly thought it was going to be a waste of time. We were going to therapy because we were adopting from foster care and our DHS (Department of Human Services) worker suggested it. We were having BIG meltdowns and a lot… [Continue Reading]
How to Help Foster and Adoptive Parents
One of the most overwhelming times in my life is when we welcomed new kids into our home by adopting through foster care. Having them in our home was new for us, and it’s new for them. There were all types of fears and both positive and negative behaviors. I was weary, but my load was lightened… [Continue Reading]