Quoting my daughter…“Sometimes I think the most constant thought in the mind of a little boy is, "What should I do next to drive my mother crazy?” My daughter called and related the following experience to me. She said she might call it, “Wild Boys on the Loose,” “Irresponsible Mothers,” ... Read More
Potato Peels Are Just The Beginning – Steps 4-10
Who knew a few potato trimmings could cause such trauma in the kitchen! The day of rest turned into the day of the big mess with just a flick of the disposal switch. With chicken gravy on the stove and the taters my daughter had cleaned and seasoned baking in the oven, Sunday dinner looked like it ... Read More
The Light at the End of the Tunnel – Steps 10, 11, and 12 The Maintenance Steps
Sunday I attended church with my children and their children. The service closed and before Carson could run off (I mean walk reverently) to Primary I grabbed him and gave him a big hug and asked him how he had enjoyed the Saturday excursion with his family to the zoo. He reported that it had been ... Read More
10th Step Symptoms – It’s Not Rocket Science
Madeline, age five, was outside trimming leaves off the bushes with her little friends. They were within view of their mommies and were being allowed to use the kid scissors. One of the adults looking on saw Maddie open the scissors up and place them as though she was about to give herself a new and ... Read More
Go Ahead and Wave Back, What Can It Hurt! – The Unanticipated Blessings of Taking Step 10
One of the great results of taking the first nine steps is our increased desire to care for our relationships with other people, today. We don’t want to let our wrongs, big or little, pile up again, and so we take care of them daily. Step 10 is about daily accountability. It says, “Continue to take ... Read More
The “Sick Coat” – Maintaining What We Have Obtained – Steps 10-12
If you grew up with me and happened to have the flue, a fever, the measles, the mumps, or an earache you were given some very special attention in the form of two items of clothing. First, the earache hat, a little homemade flannel bonnet mom placed on our heads if we were suffering the pain of an ... Read More
“Falling” Into Christmas – Step 10 – Daily Accountability
My daughter called and related the following experience to me. She said she could call it, “Wild Boys on the Loose,” “Irresponsible Mothers,” “Christmas Tree Festival Gone Bad,” or “So There I Was…” but her first thought after it happened, after everyone in an auditorium full of Christmas Tree ... Read More
“Only Us Are Going To Watch Ourselves!” – Step 10 Daily Accountability
As I was raising my children I involved them in lots of extra curricular, after school activities…dance, piano, violin, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, karate, band, and choir. You name it; someone tried it! Depending on the situation I accompanied them and listened and watched, or I dropped ... Read More