Foods 
Over the years, probably the one of the biggest concerns I've heard from our readers sounds something like this: "I want to make healthy changes, but there's so much information out there. How do I know where to start? Information overload often leaves me scratching my head, and then I just don't start anything." Here's the key: just do something. I've never made a massive overhaul to my diet. I've made healthy changes slowly over time—one step at a time. Below are some of the changes I made to my diet early on—again, not all at once, but bit by bit. Why these things? One of the things I always recommend to ...Read More
Archives for 2018
Christian Parents, Are You Raising a Little Pharisee?
As a Christian parent, you want to train your children to love God—to obey Him, walking in His ways for His glory and for their own good. So you and I teach our kids to do good and to flee evil. We model obedience to God. We correct them when they err. We discipline them so they don't stray too far. And we do those things with the Word of God as our road map and the Holy Spirit as our guide. But I've noticed something interesting over the past few years: when kids are trained this way from an early age, they can tend to become dogmatic, quick to judge others and not inclined to administer grace. They can become ...Read More
The Complete Gluten-Free Grains List
When our whole family started to move towards a gluten-free diet, the first few months were the hardest. I didn't know what I was doing. Didn't someone just have a gluten-free grains list? A cheat-sheet to help me get started? And more than that... some days I just wanted was a stinkin' doughnut. (And being completely honest, there are still days driving by the doughnut shop the familiar smell calls my name like some kind of wicked pied piper tune.) Today, cravings for gluten-filled foods have subsided and I've come to really enjoy my current diet. Plus, I love knowing I'm doing what is best for our health. Are ...Read More
What’s the Best Bible Translation for Kids?
There are dozens of English Bible translations available, but what's the best Bible translation for kids? One major factor to consider is your child's reading level. Recently, we were shopping for Bibles for one of our kids. Can we say, overwhelm? There are so. many. options. What helped us narrow down our options was considering several important factors... Longevity: Ideally we wanted a Bible he could read over and over for years, not just a Bible that was suitable for one or two years of his life. Reading Level: At the same time, we didn't want to buy him a 12th-grade-reading-level Bible when he was ...Read More
A Sure-Fire Way to Give Your Kids a Map of the Bible
When our oldest was 7 years old, he was attending a VBS at a local church, and the teacher asked all the kids, "Who knows what sin is?" Many kids started listing out different kinds of sins: lying, cheating, stealing, disobeying parents, etc. The teacher said, "Yes, those are different ways people sin, but what is sin?" My son raised his hand and said, "Sin is disobeying or not conforming to God's law in any way." The teacher stood stunned for a moment, and then said, "I think that's the best definition of sin I've ever heard." Of course, he didn't come up with that definition on his own. After VBS I told the ...Read More
Best Essential Oils for Dry Skin
We live in Michigan. The winter months here drag on and on...and on. They also tend to be brutally cold. The dry indoor air from the furnace running all the time paired with the biting cold outdoors, is a disastrous combo for our skin. Lucky for me, I've got the best essential oils for dry skin on my side! So do you just deal with it and wait for spring? I think not! Instead of suffering from dull, itchy dry skin this winter, check out these 7 essential oils that can help your skin feel more supple and refreshed. You'll be ready to face the day with these essential oils, no matter how cold it is. 7 Essential ...Read More
What Are Your Cravings Telling You?
What are your cravings telling you? I feel like a piece of chocolate. Oh, doesn't that movie popcorn smell heavenly! I'll eat that last cupcake. . .we don't want it to go to waste now, do we. What do you crave? Krispy Creme Donuts? A thick slice of bread and butter? What foods trigger the munchies? Peanuts? Chewy candy? The crunch of potato chips? We joke about the cravings of pregnant women, but are you the average Joe - or Josephine - with food cravings all the time? What are your cravings telling you? Maybe your cravings are telling you that you have a bad habit of late night snacking. Or your body ...Read More
Humility: A Christian Parent’s Secret Weapon
Good parents may appear to always know what they're doing. But honest parents will freely admit that they're usually flying by the seat of their pants. Because, while the Bible is far and away the very best parenting manual, there are a lot of practical things that the Bible doesn't specifically address. I wish it told me how to help my 8-year-old stop sucking her thumb. I wish it told me how to help my teen navigate her last couple of years in high school as she prepares to enter college. I wish it told me how to help my 11-year-old open up about how he's feeling. I wish it told me how to un-spoil the 3-year-old ...Read More
