“How are you?” I tilted my head and looked in her eyes. “Fine,” she nodded. But then the up-and-down of her head shifted to side-to-side. “Actually, I’m not.” My friend…
Janel Breitenstein
Janel Breitenstein graduated summa cum laude from John Brown University and began her career with NavPress, where she worked on The Message Bible. She is a mother of four and she and her family served as missionaries to Uganda for five years. Janel has continued using her gift of writing by serving as a writer and editor and you can read more from her at A Generous Grace.
Battling the Joy Suckers of Motherhood
“Mom.” The insistent whisper pried my reluctant eyes open in the half-light of dawn that was slowly creeping across our bedroom. The view from my soft, welcoming pillow showed my…
6 Ways to Help Your Child Grow
“Did you know that glass is stronger than steel?!” My husband was having a lively conversation with my oldest son as the kids ambled around their bedtime routine. My husband…
28 Ways to Connect with God
We’ve all been there: those “I Know This Is My Quiet Time But My Brain/To-Do List/Kid Feels Very LOUD” moments. There’s that desire… which on days like these, can start…
Thanksgiving Gratitude: Another Reason It’s So Important
The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. —H.U. Westermayer, author Grateful kids are…
Helping Kids Deal With Their Fears, Part II
Editor’s note: Last week, Janel wrote about a situation with her daughter and how she and her husband dealt with her fears. Click here to read part one, and read…
Helping Kids Deal With Their Fears, Part I
I heard her sniffing before I saw the moist strokes left by tears on her cheeks. “I’m just scared,” she sobbed. My daughter was headed to a good friend’s house…
30 Ways to Help Your Kids Honor Dad
Editor’s Note: Do you have your Father’s Day game plan ready to go? Help your kiddos show Dad how they feel about him this Father’s Day. You don’t have to…
A Month of Easy Family Night Ideas
If coming up with ideas for keeping “family togetherness fun” alive is becoming a challenge and you are slumping a little lower in your seat, never fear. If the thought…
30 Ideas for March
Ideas to do with younger kids: Have a marathon story time. Pile together on the couch or on the bed and snuggle into an adventure — or a lot of…