Today my husband and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. It seems inconceivable that twenty years have passed. But the gray hairs and wrinkles and expanded waistline remind me that yes indeed, twenty years have elapsed. The husband of my youth is now the husband of my middle-age. And you know what? Life and love have only grown sweeter.
In a day where there are so many things and people vying for the attention of our children, it has become vitally important to stay connected with them. If we as parents do not create an environment where our children know that they are valued and loved, they will certainly look outside of the home to find the acceptance they crave. If they sense that we as parents do not care about them and their interests, they will find someone else who does. If we show that we have little time to be involved in their world, there will be others who will make the time…and I don’t mean that in a positive way.
I’m forty-three years old. With each passing year it seems that I become more and more forgetful. I bet some of you can relate to my plight. I forget where I parked my car, what I had for dinner just last night, what I came to the store to buy, and I almost always call my children by the wrong name (good thing I have all boys and no dog!).
Several months ago I challenged my three boys, ages 10-15, to plan, shop, and prepare a meal, for our family of five, for $20 or under. Each of them stepped up and did an awesome job!
We would see her often, on the way home from church, as we drove to the market, whenever we were simply around town. A woman, older, likely in her sixties, neat, simply dressed, hair done, pushing a shopping cart filled to the brim with black garbage bags. Homeless, I supposed. Not a common sight in our community. Yet, there she was, day in and day out, making a morning pilgrimage down the main street, her cart taking up residence in a local park’s gazebo, and an evening pilgrimage back up the same street to an unknown address.
Continue reading “Miss Betty – Opening Your Eyes and Heart to Those Around You”
Father’s Day comes and goes each year. It’s one of those bittersweet days. I love to celebrate my husband and the wonderful dad that he is to our boys. Yet, inevitably, at some point during the day, I reflect on my own dad. Our journey as father and daughter was an interesting one. I learned some of life’s greatest lessons from my dad. Our story is marked by a sad beginning, a turbulent middle, and redemptive ending. I hope you’ll stick with me.
After the chicken incident from my previous post, I began to rack my brain, trying to think of a way to best help my boys understand the value of a dollar. It was my goal to have them realize just how much money it takes to feed a family of five. I also wanted them to realize that the Lord calls us to be good stewards of all that He has given us, whether that be money, resources, time, talents, or, in this case, food. All of my guys enjoy being in the kitchen. They are typically clamoring to help me cook. Why not put them in charge of a dinner? Why not give them a budget, hand them the cash, and take them to the store to shop for said meal? Thus, the $20 Challenge was born.
Teenagers.
I believe that it is no coincidence that most parents begin to go gray at the very time their children become teenagers.
With three boys ages ten through nearly fifteen in the house, craft time is, well, becoming a thing of the past (understandably). However, there is one craft that still gets them all, hubby included, to the table to join in: paper snowflakes. We’ve been making these little gems since the kids were toddlers. It’s a downright cheap craft with potentially spectacular results. I simply adore my wintertime windows bedecked with these handmade beauties.
“Life in the Van” took on a whole new meaning this past week as my crew took a road trip to Tennessee. After the completion of twenty-two hundred miles of driving, we were left with some awesome memories, ones that I know we will not soon forget!
Life in the Van 