Saying I’m not a fan of extra stuff would be a huge understatement. When I wrote to you about paring our possessions down to one backpack each, I wanted to convey what a blessing it was. But there are some things I want everyone to have. Here’s one of them: God wants to give […]
Who’s Got Your Feet?
I was down to my last pair of shoes. They were coming unglued, and both had holes. We were staying in a remote area, and without a vehicle, shopping was next to impossible. Someone noticed my feet and offered to take me shoe shopping. After multiple stores, the perfect shoes still evaded me. It was […]
Chances Are, You Don’t Hear this often Enough
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how that thing you say again and again to your kids might be God’s word to you (if you missed it, you can read that here). And today I was asking God about the crushing weight I felt deep in my chest, asking Him what truth I was […]
Sorry, But Your Sex Life IS My Business
For a while, I’ve known that any blog about listening to God and to each other would have to go there. What does sex have to do with listening to God and to each other? Well…everything. God cares a lot about sex. Two of the ten commandments deal directly with sexuality. Sex is foundational in […]
You Say it to your Kids…What if God Said it to You?
If you have little people in your life, you probably repeat yourself A LOT (if you don’t, I need to know your secret!). During these last few months of constant transition, I’ve found myself saying a few sentences over and over. Here are some of them: “Please stay on the path and follow your Abba. […]
What Do Improv and Church Have in Common?
Most people would say our family looks superspiritual from the outside (we’re actually memorizing the book of Deuteronomy…for fun). But the real test of how spiritual you are is how you respond to adversity. Since we arrived in Israel, we’ve faced the threat of terrorism, the ache of loneliness, and the uncertainty of not knowing […]
You Probably Don’t Struggle with this…but just in Case…
A weekly tradition we’ve started in Jerusalem is going to the open market and giving each kid their age in shekels (about $0.25/year) to spend. They choose any of the fresh or dried fruits, nuts, vegetables or breads they want. It gets them interacting with the merchants, making decisions, and it’s a great antidote for […]
We’re in Danger in Israel (and You are Too)
Our family arrived in Jerusalem a week ago, just as a new round of violence erupted. In the last week, we’ve had the privilege of experiencing some of the most important sites on the planet. I’ve had the opportunity to see the faces of my children light up with recognition as they see with their […]
Could Getting Your Kids to Listen Really be this Easy?
A couple of years ago, I became captivated with the possibilities for our family if we could learn to really listen to God and to each other. We began intentionally listening as a way of life. This focus informed our parenting, transformed our marriage, and launched us on the adventure of a lifetime. And it […]
What Your Kids Need (It May Surprise You)
Recently I asked seasoned parents for one piece of advice on how to parent my children through this time of transition (read more about that here) in our family. I also asked several adult friends who went through stressful childhood transitions (everything from illness to missionary life in multiple countries) and asked them what they […]