Covering topics that impact today's Christian: family, marriage, raising kids, spiritual growth, forgiveness, etc.
The first day of school is always a weird jumble of emotions for me. I vacillate between being ecstatic that they have some place to be other than home, happy for a normal routine after a long summer without much structure, and pushing down that giant lump in my throat that forms knowing they are one more day closer to walking out the front door for good. I think I’m probably not alone in this and most parents have a
I’m the mom of three teenagers, two of whom are daughters. Sadly, we’ve been having the same discussion about modesty and what clothing is, or is not, appropriate since they were about eight. But I finally realized that we’ve been having the wrong conversation. There’s been much debate over school dress codes, and how clothes are made differently for boys and girls over the last few years. There’s been outcry over girls feeling body shamed, called out in front of
Dear friend, As a reader of Neither Height Nor Depth I want to invite you to join me for a free online Summer Women’s Bible Study I’m hosting. Beginning in July, each week I’ll send out an email with a brief lesson/story and list of daily scripture readings and prayer prompts. Then at the end of the week I will be hosting a Facebook live where we can all come together to discuss. But don’t worry if you can’t make it,
I’m a superhero mom. I don’t wear a cape or unitard, have a mask, or knee-high leather boots. Most days it’s jeans and sweaters, often with holes. It’s yoga pants stretched past their prime, stained t-shirts, and comfy shoes — always comfy shoes. But these clothes allow me to get dressed quickly so I can respond to your needs. They allow me to bend and reach and cradle, and snuggle without worrying about wrinkles. They allow me to climb and
What makes a great parent? Or even a good one? It’s a question that I have asked myself many times over. I used to know the answer…before I had kids. Oh yeah, it was so clear to me back then. Good parents set boundaries, loved fiercely, read nightly, kept to a routine, played lots of classical music, prayed with their kids, helped with homework, disciplined, modeled values, and showed up. And in return they had well-behaved, polite, kind-hearted, honest, hard-working
I have battled with my weight most of my life, to different degrees. And most of my life I have received messages that because of my appearance I did not measure up, I was less than. In high school I was told, “you have such a pretty face, if only you weren’t fat.” In college I watched as my girlfriends always got asked to dance when we went out, and I sat alone at the table. My first real
In a few days I will have another birthday. I will take one step further into middle age. I will leave the year of 40 and enter the year of 41. Birthdays aren’t really that big of deal any more, although I confess at one time they were. You reach a certain point where it all just seems silly, and big celebrations become needless. As long as I get my black forest cake from my favorite baker, I’m good. But
I’m going through a phase right now where I feel like I’m constantly failing. I say it’s a phase for two reasons: 1. I’ve been in this place before, and 2. I trust God to never let me stay here for too long. The problem really isn’t so much about failure to accomplish goals or tasks (although there is an element of that). The problem lies in my desire to be everyone’s person. The mom who shows up for every
Fifteen. Today you turn fifteen and I’m feeling very emotional about it. I can’t say exactly why, only that some ages hit me harder than others. I remember crying the year you turned seven, for no particular reason except that seven seemed so much older than six and I felt like a season was coming to an end. Today it’s feeling less like a season coming to an end and more like a new beginning. Like you are embarking on
When I was 11 years old I remember hanging out in the arcade at the bowling alley and two men came up to me, leaned in closer than I felt comfortable, and told me how beautiful I was. They offered to pay for my video games and then asked me for a kiss. When I was 13 years old I was molested by someone I trusted. Someone who was supposed to be a father figure to me. When I was