Common-sense grace for the try-hard girl
At the end of the school year, I feel a little bit crazy town, like all the tiredness and frustration and routine have compounded until they explode in May. I start doing crazy things like playing games with time, negotiating as if I’m at a peace summit, and bargaining and bribing people just so we […]
Parenting is completely out of my comfort zone, and maybe it feels overwhelming to you too. I love efficiency, strategy, metrics, annual reviews, and sleep. You know, all the things that parenting doesn’t offer. When I first became a parent, I felt like The Worst Mom ever: Why couldn’t I be more nurturing? Why did […]
This letter is for any mama who’s been on bed rest or has a medical diagnosis that keeps her from doing what she thinks she should be doing. However, it’s also for any mom who struggles with finding her identity in what she does for her children. If you’re struggling as a mama, I’ve created […]
Here’s a try-hard girl sharing common-sense grace, and who’ll make you laugh out loud! I love Melanie Shankle’s ability to point us to Christ as we laugh at life as we find it. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of three books. Melanie speaks at events nationwide and writes on her blog, Big Mama. […]
I recently said something to a group of mom friends, and they all started laughing. But I wasn’t trying to be funny — I was being serious. What I said was true but clearly not believed: “When we yell at our kids, God lavishes us with love.” When I said that statement, I didn’t mean […]
As a kid, I tried to blend in… which is really hard to do when you’re three inches taller than all the boys in sixth-grade. I proudly wore my Guess overalls, Coca-Cola shirt, and white Keds to blend in. I listened to the right music (Rick Astin), wrote in notebooks decorated with Teen magazine headlines, […]
Here’s a try-hard girl sharing some common-sense grace! I knew that I’d found a mentor and companion in my parenting journey when I heard her dispense wisdom on the God-Centered Mom Podcast. Then I read her book Give Your Kids a Break, and I just knew that Kim must share her truths about compassion with […]
Michael Scott, the boss of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch on The Office, said it best, “Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not. I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked. But it’s not like this compulsive need to be liked, like my need to be praised.” And even […]
In the ’90s, I heard a radio commercial that announced something I’d never heard before. The voice-over said, “Go to http://www.houstonweather.com/today “ My first thought was, ”What is that nonsense?! That’ll never catch on.” In college, my friend told me her email address was jeh1234@unix.tamu.edu. “That’s ridiculous,” I told her, “There’s no way I’ll ever […]
I’m loyal by nature. I never wavered from my first-grade decision to attend Texas A&M, now my alma mater. I’ve had the same best friend for 20 years and the same husband for 19. This try hard girl is in it for the long haul, y’all. But my loyalty has its downfall—I’ve lived with one […]
