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The Best Christian Rules to Teach your Daughter
Have you read the rules to teach your daughter going around Facebook? I’ve seen that heart-warming, feel-good list a few times, but never read it carefully. It always seemed like an empowering, you go girl kind of list. Thumbs up, heart it and move on. But when I slowed down to actually read it, I was surprised by how many of those rules don’t line up with how God instructs us to live. In fact, following some of these rules led me down some paths that I don’t want my daughter to walk. I would rather her skip those portions of my coming of age if possible. Seriously, if I…
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How can my Sweet Baby Girl be Six Already?
Six already? How can my sweet baby girl be six already? No matter how often I try to grasp the sands of time a little tighter, be more determined to be more intentional, the days just keep running away with my heart. I’ve started writing these birthday letters to my daughter. I email them to her at an email address that will hold various letters, memories, pictures until she’s an adult. I hope that it will be a precious gift to her someday. Dear Sweet Girl, You quietly turned six tonight as I kicked green and orange balloons into your room and wove streamers around your bed as you slept,…
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Why I Disappointed my Daughter for Christmas
BYes, I disappointed my daughter for Christmas, and I think it was the right decision. But it was so hard to stick to my guns. Why would I deliberately disappoint her for Christmas? When she was five, she had asked for a $5 set of orange and blue ponies with hair to brush and braid, a minion toy, a Barbie that rides a horse that really walks, and a big white horse like her friend has. Every night for a week before Christmas, she reiterated her list. I had shopped for her gifts months ahead of time. All the gifts sat tucked away, all ready for Christmas. There would be…
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A Kiss and a Prayer
As a wife and mom, my going out after dark days are mostly behind me, but last night, a friend and I decided to live dangerously. We went to see War Room at 7:15 and have dessert afterward. For two mommies of littles, it was going to be a late night. We were out past 10, yo! As I was getting ready to walk out the door, it occurred to me I had no guarantee I would come home. Our highway into town is notoriously dangerous, especially in the dark. I could be walking out this door for the last time. I wasn’t maudlin, just mindful. Even though I had…
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To Homeschool or not to Homeschool
To homeschool or not to homeschool, that is the question! Whether it is nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of playground bullies, or to take up workbooks against the common core and by opposing – teach common sense. Oh to wonder no more, and by making a decision, to say we end the heartache of forever scarring our children by choosing incorrectly. . . Okay, that Hamlet allusion was probably only amusing me. My students either loved or dreaded Shakespeare units. I always started with a Monty Python-esque British accent and Hamlet’s soliloquy, attempting to inspire them to love the bard. As a dedicated public school teacher for 17…