Earth Day 2022 is almost here, and this year I thought I’d write about it here because the older I get and the more time I spend outside with my family, the more I realize how important our job of stewarding the earth and its resources really is. This is a Christian parenting blog, not an environmental blog, so you might not think that Earth Day should have any play here, but the thing is that as Christians, we should know better than anyone else what a gift this beautiful planet is. Bottom line-Christians should be treating every day like earth day, but doing something special on April 22 is great, too!

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Mamas, have you had enough?

I have.

I’m not talking about the clutter or the toys underfoot, the bad attitudes or the never-ending requests for a drink at bedtime.

It’s not the usual mama stuff, but honestly it’s more usual than it should be.

I’ve had enough of listening to the news and hearing about another black man, woman, teen, or child harmed, harassed, and/or killed for no particular reason.

The list is never-ending, and every one of the names on it represents a child of God. And that child of God was also a child of a mama just like you and me.

Except maybe not.

It’s fall, and I’ve been working on this list of experience gift ideas for awhile, already. I know it’s early, and I’m completely on board with keeping the holiday season confined to November and December, but the reality is that if you’re on a budget, you have to plan ahead or your bank account can’t take the hard holiday hits!

It’s pretty easy to have a good spiritual focus for Thanksgiving, but when it leads straight into the materialistic frenzy of Christmas prep, there’s potential for our messages to get mixed. Don’t get me wrong: I love Christmas decorations, the smell of a fresh Christmas tree, and the thrill of giving and receiving gifts. I think there’s room for that at Christmastime, but it’s important for us as Christian parents to help our kids keep focus firmly on Jesus and family togetherness–that’s why I’ve put together this list of experience gift ideas.

People, I’m WAY overdue for an update on how it’s going with my word of the year–diligence, so here it is, in all of its glory–in July (sigh).

If you haven’t read it already, here’s the original post on diligence (my 2019 Word of the Year)–check it out and then come right back here for the update and you’ll be all caught up!

Diligence: The Overview

The truth is, I don’t have a glowing report for you.

Why I chose a word of the year

Every year my husband (as well as each person on the pastoral team at our church) chooses a word of the year to serve as a guide and direction for his life and ministry. They meet together early in January to share the words they’ve chosen and to pray together to begin the new year.

I’m always invited to join the prayer gathering, but with 2 young kids at home, I haven’t made it yet. But for 2019 I decided that at least I would take the concept of the word of the year and choose one for myself.

Camping with kids isn’t easy. Packing, planning meals, gathering all of the supplies…it’s all a lot of work. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the unpacking is (arguably) even worse. But, I promise that the benefits of camping (even with kids) far outweigh the difficulties. It’s good for our physical, social, and spiritual wellbeing.