Though I've been working on this post a little at a time since Luke and I returned from Tahiti (nearly 2 weeks ago!) I realize it's coming out just in time for Easter weekend. That seems impossible since it was New Years like, last week, (right!?) but I guess the calendar doesn't lie. With that, let me begin by wishing you a Very Happy Easter! I hope you have a sweet and meaningful weekend. (Easter is my favorite holiday and I wish I were dedicating an entire post to it, but my little book
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Signs of Life
I had been simultaneously sweeping the floor, boiling potatoes, and returning a text message to a friend when I heard the truck coming up the driveway. We have a gate and a long driveway, so it is rare that a car other than our family's pulls up unexpectedly. It was already 6:00 PM, but this was the FedEx man, delivering a package for my son.But wait, let me back up: Moments (ok seconds) before the truck drove up, I confess I was in a bad mood. I was feeling irritated. Irritated with the
Champion (Vegetable) Chili
I'm sharing a delicious recipe for Champion Chili (Vegetarian) from the How Not to Die Cookbook. Thank you guys so much for all of the great comments over at my last post. It's so interesting to read about all of the food journeys in this community--A lot of you have either been vegetarian in the past, or are moving that direction now. I loved hearing that the post was timely for many of you! (I recently read somewhere that there are 60% more vegetarians in America now than just a few years
What I’m Eating and “How not to Die.” My Eating Evolution and A Book Giveaway.
If you've been around here long, you've probably heard me talk about how I eat, which is pretty well summed up as "Everything in moderation." It's been that way for nearly 16 years, ever since I gave up dieting and made some radical changes in my relationship with food and exercise. This scary move away from a lifetime habit of diet plans and strict workout routines resulted in my finally experiencing freedom, and (the surprising icing on the cake) -- landing naturally at my ideal
Josiah’s Big College News…
Hey Friends...I posted some very special news on social media this week, but just had to share it here as well. I know some of you are not on social media, or if you are, those delightful (not) 'algorithms' (I'm looking at you Facebook and Instagram...) mean they pretty much control what we do and do not see... (don't get me started on this subject...)Regardless, YOU, my blog readers, mean the world to me, so I wanted to be sure you saw this too! Here's my very-good-news-post
Giving Your Kids the Tough Love they Need, and Getting the Respect you Deserve (A video)
This morning, as all of my guys were headed out the door to surf, I had a brief interaction with one of my boys in which I raised my voice justenough to make a point, and...well, got a little bossy. They were in a rush, so the two of us didn't exactly work through things or even have the chance to kiss and make up before he left, and for that -- I felt a little bad. But not that bad. The truth was: That son needed it, and he knew he needed it. I had no regrets over what I had said, or even
Something New for Praying Moms
On any given day, there's a lot we can worry about as moms. My boys do some crazy things: They surf powerful waves, jump off big rocks, and dive deep caves. Of even more concern to me though is the heart issues that all kids must go through to grow up: Identity issues, relationships, academic stress, questions about their own faith, and so much more.As moms, we carry a heavy burden, don't we?Like many of you, I am a total believer in the power of prayer. Prayer is my greatest
Boy Mom Book: Can I get your Input? On Boys and Technology.
Hi friends!I'm back again, asking for your input for my upcoming Boy Mom book.As I am working on the book, I thought I would also share a bit of the writing/publishing process here. I never want to bore anyone with nerdy writer stuff, but some of you have asked me about the process, and I think it would be fun to share. Last week I did a few Instagram stories talking about what I was working on, and the responses were so encouraging. (Feel free to ask specific questions if you're