By Jessica Wolstenholm
School is out and summer is in full force! Personally, I love the first week of summer because everyone sleeps in a little later (or I pretend they do and pull the covers over my head a bit longer), and the morning rush transforms into a carefree laziness. When that first week of bliss fades […]
By Minno
The Origins Of Pentecost The historical and Biblical origins of what we know as Pentecost today can be found in Exodus 23:14-19, Leviticus 23:15-16 and Deuteronomy 16:10. One of 3 significant Jewish festivals, Pentecost is the Greek name for the Festival of Weeks, a prominent feast in the Jewish calendar that celebrated God giving […]
By Melanie Rainer
Music! How does music fit into a series about being a screen-smart family? When we were brainstorming topics to help parents navigate the world of screens, technology, and kids, music struck us as a pretty tricky subject for a lot of moms and dads. Between balancing what you want to listen to, what your kids want […]
By Editorial Team
I have very fond memories of family TV time when I was growing up. We gathered around the giant tube box and took turns getting up to change the channel or mess with the antennae. We chomped on popcorn while watching the Keatons and the Cosbys learn all of life’s big lessons in 30 minutes […]
By Melanie Rainer
Video games . . . the phrase no longer conjures up just images of kids laughing around Super Mario Brothers or Duck Hunt (pretty much the only video games I ever played as a kid!). Today gaming encompasses everything from super-violent battles played online, on computers, or game systems to virtual reality games such as […]
By Editorial Team
Social media. It’s a blessing and a curse. The tool that has reconnected me with my junior high best friend (what a joy!) has also taken me on an emotional roller coaster as I fight comparison and jealousy with every scroll (why haven’t I yet learned that comparison is the thief of joy?!). This is […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
This year, we’re rounding up some of our favorite bloggers to get their thoughts on faith and family. We asked them: How do you approach routines and schedules over the summer? Jessica of Gather and Grow I’m pretty unstructured as a mom but I know it will be important to keep the sense of structure […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
The idea of honoring fathers is an ancient one. The Hebrew Old Testament contains the command, “Honor your father . . . so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 NIV The idea that respecting parents will […]
By Jessica Wolstenholm
It was Mother’s Day 2013. I sat at my kitchen table, my fingers wrapped around a warm mug of coffee. I sipped slowly as I contemplated what would inevitably take place later that morning. Every year on Mother’s Day, our church dedicates a few moments at the beginning of the service to recognize the mothers […]
By Melanie Rainer
In a recent study from Barna, 65% of parents said that “technology and social media make it more difficult to raise kids today.” As a relatively new mom, I can certainly relate. Between the pressures of balancing screen time for my little girl, keeping up with the hand-crafted-and-meticulously-dressed Joneses on Instagram, and trying to stay […]