• 11.14.2007 W, X, Y and Z.
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    Well, friends, the 26 letter journey has come to an end. If you have traced the No-Regrets steps during this last month, you may have picked up a new habit, pursuit, or perspective along the way. Here are the last four…thank you for those of you who’ve brainstormed with me. Z is for Zeal. n: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of an objective. May that objective be godly and glorified living in motherhood. Y is for Yelling. Yelling ultimately says more about the person without self-control than it does about the person being yelled at. Yelling is really emotional manipulation–and it doesn’t honor the Lord…even if it makes us feel better. Note to self: try praying before speaking out of anger. X is for Xenophile. This is perhaps my favorite word of all. n: an individual who is attracted to foreign peoples, manners, or cultures. W is for Worry. […]

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  • 11.10.2007 Baby Baby
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    There’s something in the water at our church. A sweet baby girl was born to our friends, the Cawoods, this afternoon at the very time of a baby shower given in honor of another couple from church, Megan and Brian. At the shower alone were two more pregnant ladies. Aaahhh….we are blessed. While I adore infants (not so a decade ago, but only after having three of my own), I generally find baby showers cumbersome from all the silly games involving baby food, diaper changing, and word scrambles. Today’s shower was more my speed: lovely food, lovely people, lots of gifts, period. My friend, Leslie (who is NOT yet with child), did a wonderful job hosting her first baby shower. I was blessed to see our church gals come alongside Megan (who is from further East) as her family and community. That’s how it should be. Megan is a bibliophile […]

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  • 11.04.2007 T is for Toys…V is for Value.
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    V is for Value. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 We all treasure our children and love them unconditionally, yet somehow most children struggle (especially as teenagers) with their sense of value. It makes me think: love and affection alone does not sufficiently communicate value. What, then, instills value in our children? How about their value in the eyes of their creator? Psalm 139 is a great starting point. The Gospel is also a great picture of value. How about the ways he provides for our wants and needs? There are so many more examples. Let’s take our children through the many truths and many tangible ways God shows His children that they are valuable. And in doing so, as parents, we will have conveyed value through our strongest language of value: quality time. U is for Unity. My husband and I used […]

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  • 11.03.2007 S is for Silliness.
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    S is for Silliness. The words I hope my children use to describe me when they are grown: loving, gentle, honest, wise, diligent, godly, trustworthy, consistent, brave, funny and silly. I want my kids to know the real me–the woman that has a loud laugh, a penchant for impersonation, and an inner hip-hopper ready to bust out (at home.) Some of the greatest memories I have of my mother is of her hula-hooping in cut offs at my seventh-grade birthday party…or when she used make fun of herself, or when she could make me laugh just by dancing and fixing dinner at the same time. Our kids need to see us mature and grounded, but why not let them see that we were once just like them…and sometimes still are? R is for Read. Reading to our children from the earliest age inspires them to love learning, enjoy reading, and […]

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  • 10.31.2007 O…P…Q.
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    Back to the ABC’s… Q is for Quiet Time. For this particular instance, I’m referring to the “quiet time” we have with our heavenly Father as followers of Christ. (I do wholeheartedly advocate down time, or quiet time reading and playing alone, for children as well!) If you struggle to have a disciplined time with God as an adult it is probably as a result of not having a routine, yet meaningful quiet time with the Lord. Some ways I am trying to teach my young children to have a personal quiet time: 1. Listening to audio Bible CDs. (Kids have an amazing knack for audio learning.) 2. Listening to Bible verses set to music. 3. Copying a Bible verse out of his own Bible after reading a passage. 4. Keeping a prayer journal. Pictures are okay…they understand what they’ve drawn! 5. Talk to them about the “why” and not […]

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  • 10.29.2007 M is for Money. N is for Nagging.
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    N is for Nagging. May I encourage you—don’t do it. Nagging is continuous urging to the point of irritation. When has that ever produced the results or the attitude we desire in our children? This is how I try to lead my children to obedience: 1. Assess what I’m asking for. Is it reasonable, right, and righteous (Biblical)? 2. Communicate my request (not just demand, but explain). 3. Communicate the consequences for disobedience (both physical and spiritual), and communicate to my child the joy of trusting his parent to know what’s right. 4. Follow through with my guidelines; don’t nag. M is for Money. All of us desire for our children to be responsible with money, to grow up to be debt-free, to give back to the Lord, and to be generous. Though honorable, none of these aspirations preclude our children from being lovers of money. Our children will learn […]

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  • 10.27.2007 L is for Legumes.
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    L is for Legumes. Back to food again, legumes are plants of the pea or bean family (that splits into two valves with the seeds attached to one edge of the valves). Think peas, beans, sprouts, soybeans, chickpeas, peanuts, lentils… Why should they be part of our child’s diet? They are low in fat and high in protein. They have folate, potassium, iron and magnesium, which are all good for his body. They keep your digestive system healthy and prevent diseases. Bet you didn’t know they were so important! Here are some ideas for your kids: hummus and flatbread, peanut butter and apples, black bean dip with quesadillas, ham and cheese lentil stew, soynuts instead of potato chips. For some recipes and more information, look here. K is for Kaleidoscope. Like the changing reflections in a kaleidoscope, we can show our children various ways of looking at the many colors […]

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  • 10.25.2007 G…H…I.
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    I is for Instruments. Whether your personal preference in music is jazz, classical, pop, or country, there is no denying that life would unbearable without musical instruments.  Instruments are voices of expression that require skill to communicate.  It used to be that all children learned at least one instrument at some point in their childhood; but not so today.  Many of today’s children are missing out on the discipline and enjoyment of learning an instrument.  Don’t you look back and wish you knew how to play the piano, or the sax, or maybe the celtic flute?  Let’s encourage that side of creativity in our kids. H is for Hide. “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11) The New American Translation uses the word “treasured” instead of hidden, so you see the idea: value, cherish, treasure, meditate on the word of […]

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