What lessons did you learn in the garden as a child? Personally, I remember the wonder of seeing new sprouts poke through the dirt and green strawberries brighten to red under the summer sun. Gardening taught me about God’s good creation, and as I became a mom I understood that I could cultivate patience in… [Continue Reading]
Children
Giving Your Children a Heart for the World {Guestpost}
Our Life I felt like the worst homeschooling mom ever. While other parents were taking their kids on nature walks and art classes, I was dragging my three children along with me to the pregnancy resource center that I just helped to start. Cory, Leslie and Nathan—all in elementary school—helped me to fold baby clothes… [Continue Reading]
Praying God’s Word For Yourself and Your Child
Through the years I’ve seen how important it is to pray God’s word over and for my children. I’ve also watched how God moved in my kid’s hearts and lives when I shared the scriptures with them. That’s why I’ve made it a priority to read through the Bible each year and journal what… [Continue Reading]
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]
Helping Your Child Focus on Prayer Through Easter and Beyond
Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. I love celebrating Jesus and His resurrected life. I appreciate how—symbolic of Jesus’ rebirth—the whole earth breaks forth in life, budding fresh and new from a frozen world stripped bare. Easter gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the life of Christ. I… [Continue Reading]
Crack Open the Real Meaning of Easter with Resurrection Eggs
I’ve been a fan of Resurrection Eggs for Easter for many years. I started using them years ago with the young women in Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). Many of these young women had never heard the TRUE Easter story, and it was a great way to share the gospel in a fun and non-threatening… [Continue Reading]
How to Teach Your Children to Depend on God
Hi Friend! Greetings from Nashville! I’m here with the Teach Them Diligently Conference. Yesterday I taught about 40 Ways to Be Present In Your Child’s Day. I also taught with Kristi Clover about Homeschool Basics. I love, love, love meeting up with friends I’ve met at previous conferences and making new ones! Even as I write… [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]
3 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Your Kids by Jennifer Deibel {+ giveaway}
Have you ever stopped to think about why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Did you know that Patrick was a real man, who brought the gospel to Ireland? Or did you think Paddy’s Day was just an excuse to wear green, pinch people and talk like a leprechaun? It might surprise you to learn that… [Continue Reading]
7-Day Writer’s Challenge