By Jessica Wolstenholm
My youngest son is 18 months old, and he has a sincere dislike of shopping carts. Actually, he hates them. Every time we go to the store, he summons all the strength in his tiny body to try and escape the seat strap. I, on the other hand, summon all the strength […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
Salvation is based on the unmerited grace, i.e., forgiveness, of our heavenly Father. So the single best way to give your children a solid foundation for understanding salvation is by talking to them about forgiveness. Here are some ways to explain what forgiveness is (and isn’t). Forgiveness is… Given: You don’t have to wait on […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
Last week as I was folding clothes in the downstairs laundry room, I heard running water. My first thought was, “Why is someone taking a shower at 3:30 in the afternoon?” I had just been upstairs ten minutes prior to this and both boys were playing quietly in their rooms. As I started walking towards […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
This past weekend, my family disconnected from technology and reconnected with each other. Two days at a state park was just what our little crew needed to rest and strengthen our relationships. It wasn’t all bliss. We still dealt with attitudes, misbehavior, and boundless energy, but I noticed that by being intentional and spending time […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
How do you raise children to be compassionate and mission-minded? How do you instill qualities of a servant leader from a young age? What are appropriate ways for children to serve their community? How can you serve together as a family? These are questions I’ve journeyed with the past two years. I’ve […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
Back in 1976, my cousin Michael and I were both 9 years old and about to enter the 4th grade. This was the summer that we both had to memorize our multiplication tables. At some point before school started, Michael’s dad (my uncle) sat us down in his den and started a game with us, […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
Part of me wonders why my kids struggle with patience because they are painfully slow whenever I’m in a hurry. Okay, okay…the truth is I struggle with patience just as much as they do. It’s difficult to wait in a world of insta-everything. Our kids are used to instantly seeing the photo we just took, […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
I don’t know about you, but so many times I find myself overwhelmed at all that parenting entails. Not only am I in charge of meeting my three children’s most basic needs, but my husband and I are responsible for their emotional and spiritual development. I often feel like I am too young to […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
When I was old enough to start receiving an allowance, my parents pulled out three ceramic jars and placed them on the kitchen counter. I’ll never forget what they looked like—a cream colored based with pastel grapes painted around the sides and top. They were standard 90’s kitchen décor, but they weren’t for holding […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
I never really valued time until I had babies. All of a sudden time mattered. At first it was subtle. Sleep was lacking and the little pockets of time I could find to afford myself a bit of a reprieve were a gift. As my babies grew, special moments with them were cherished […]