Friendship during bereavement

A classmate of my seven-year-old son passed away after a battle with cancer earlier this year. The parents as well as the children in the class were all affected by this boy’s death, as many of us had known the family for several years. I was not personally close to them, but God had led me to pray continually for him and his family.  

What’s in your freezer?

Well, we’ve explored our fridges and our pantries; now it’s time to open your freezer for stock-take in public! :-)

Here’s what I keep in my freezer:

Ginger Plowman: Don’t Make Me Count to Three!

At the time I found this book, I was desperate for some practical advice on how to use scripture in day-to-day discipline, particularly with my eldest child.

I knew I needed a model - a mom whose values and beliefs were similar to mine, who could show me how to do what I knew needed to be done.

Getting to know you: childcare choices

I’d love to hear your stories about the type and amount of paid childcare you use (if any). 

Were your choices limited by finances, location, availability of providers, or any other factor?
Was your choice influenced by your personal beliefs and values? If so, how?
Did you anticipate any issues in transitioning your child into care?
Did your child experience any issues in transition?

Asking for Help: Part 1

Asking for help is something that I am only just learning to do. 

When I got married at the advanced age of 30, I was astonished to discover that my dear husband couldn’t and didn’t want to read my mind. Of course, this caused much resentment and emotional pain for years, until I started following his exasperated requests to ask him for what I wanted.  When I started doing this, I was astonished to discover that it actually reduced quite a bit of the emotional upheaval I had been putting myself through.

Monitoring Cashflow

During a chat on the phone with a friend recently, I happened to mention that I was glad she called, because I could take a break from the paperwork. She was astounded, and pitying, when she discovered that I meant I was reconciling our bank accounts with our expense receipts, recording our future bills as they arrive, and ensuring that we had sufficient cashflow to cover our bills for the next few weeks.

What if it's true...? Part 6: God heals us

If you feel anger rising up at these words, if the bitter thought of 'I tried believing for healing, and it didn't work' creeps in, please don't turn away just yet.  Could it be that every time hope was crushed, every time prayer was seemingly unanswered, every time someone failed to get well, that God was pleading with us to come back to his Word and learn who is to truly to blame, and what we need to do to experience victory?

Could it be that we would see healing for ourselves and our loved ones...