Madeline is apparently four going on fourteen. Maddie recently and suddenly announced her own coming of age. Just before an ordinary mother/daughter crossing of a busy street, Kendra, completely unaware of Miss Madeline’s growth sprit, reached down to take her hand as she traditionally does. But ... Read More
“Oh, Besides Him”
One day I had the occasion to sit in on a Young Women lesson being taught by one of the Young Women. She was teaching a lesson on what the girls could do to avoid immorality. “So, what are some of the things we can do to keep ourselves morally clean?” she asked the class. There was a long silence. ... Read More
It’s Never Too Late, But It’s Also Never Too Early
I know it’s never too late to apply the principles of recovery and healing to our lives, but I also believe that it’s never too early. My granddaughter Eliza went through a tantrum phase that had us all baffled. One day she was spending the afternoon with me when she had occasion (and any occasion ... Read More
The Dailies – Daily Devotion or Daily Deception?
The Dailies - Those things we do each day that help us access the knowledge and power needed to do God’s will are sometimes referred to in addiction recovery, as The Dailies. As I was raising my children I encouraged them to make such things as prayer, scripture study, and journal keeping a part of ... Read More
Maybe Progress is Perfection
Today as I walked into school I was met with true elation. Five-year-old Ethan ran into my arms ecstatic over an event that had just occurred at recess. Jake, his hero, his older by 6 years and a near home school graduate had spent the thirty minute brake preparing Ethan to have a “first.” “Grandma, ... Read More
High Fives! Just as Many as it Takes – Step 11
Today as I was tending the “Grands” I poked my head into four-year-old Ethan’s room. It had been a little too quiet, if you know what I mean. He had the “to hard” dinosaur puzzle he had received for Christmas, spread all about him on the floor. “Grandma, will you please help me.” I took my place on ... Read More
“Just About!” – Step 1
Every kid can relate to the image of his mom or dad standing at the bathroom or bedroom door before school or church or the family reunion, knocking multiple times and saying, “Are you ready yet?” I’ve said it myself time after time, times five kids. My youngest child, Andrew, is a freshman at a ... Read More
“He leads me, He leads me along.” The Difference a Few Words Can Make – Step 2
Out of a slight sense of embarrassment we tend to keep some of the little ah-ahs of life to ourselves. For example, we have probably all experienced the surprise and humor of gazing down at the words of a song we have chanted over and over since childhood, only to discover that the words we thought ... Read More