Life in 2020 sounds like a terrible melody of treble notes—-scarcity, panic, and complaining. But our souls need the bass notes. We’re all craving real truth and encouragement.Continue Reading
Dear Mamas of Teen Daughters…. Your daughter is hearing too many harmful messages. The world tells her she should be everything to everyone. She believes the lies of social media and thinks that her value is tied up in likes. She is striving for perfection and no one is telling her about grace. This is...Continue Reading
Yep, you keep messing up. Your to-do list has had the same three NEED TO DO! tasks on it for weeks now. You thought you would be really good at something but it turns out you’re not and you can’t shake the shame. You’re overdue for your dental cleaning. You spent too much on junk...Continue Reading
It’s Concordia Publishing House‘s 150th birthday this month and I’m celebrating their ministry the story of what they’ve meant in my life—as a reader, as a Jesus-lover, as a writer, as a mom, and as a teacher. Love in the Library My love for CPH books started where all good stories begin—in the library. My...Continue Reading
Dear Catie… It’s a little hard to believe you’re starting over again. We moved houses. You moved schools. Sophomore year and you’re having to deal with #freshmanproblems again. It’s a bit scary—for me, at least. There’s so much at risk here. The years of high school feel like stair steps to the grand goal of...Continue Reading
10. That girl at your church who helps at VBS…or in the nursery…or in the praise band. (Or, you know, that one teen girl who only shows up every once in a while but you’ve talked to her a couple times. Give here Shine. She will be shocked (and amazed!) that you noticed her. 9. You...Continue Reading
This post originally appeared on the CPH Blog. First, the bad news…. our teen girls are in crisis. I’m worried about them and you should be too. My oldest daughter, Catie, is in high school and my younger daughter, Elisabeth, is in middle school. We’re living the teen girl life around here and I see what’s...Continue Reading
I write for teens and for moms, so talk to them both a lot about what’s happening in their lives. Over the past few years, something has changed. Daughters now have all the information. Like never before, they are able to use social media, YouTube, Amazon, vlogs, and Pinterest to figure out life on their own. More...Continue Reading
This is a reprint of a story I shared in Love Rules. It’s about how God loves us and redeems the most dead parts of us. Ultimately, this is a story about Good Friday. No one is ever really ready for a dog. You think you are, but you can’t imagine the bolt-upright-in-bed terror...Continue Reading
Summers at camp are unlike anything else. If you don’t have plans for this summer, try it. Apply with the nearest camp….or look for one across the country. I’m reposting this in honor of Last Summer at Eden‘s Birthday. Here’s the book trailer, which talks about a few of these. Enjoy! You should work at camp...Continue Reading
