A must-watch for the upcoming elections:   … [Read more...]

I wrote a post the other week about a scenario in our family where my oldest child, Matthew, broke down into tears one day because he was feeling more criticism than love from me.  Poor guy.  He needed a few mama hugs and then some...  I admit, it is easier to come down hard on him because he is my natural-born leader.  His example sets the tone for our family.  He is my go-to guy for help.  He paves the way for the rest of the kids--all of our experiences with him are new, which means … [Read more...]

Thirty two years ago, my first Olympics was boycotted. Twenty two years ago in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Ben Johnson tested positive for doping.  My childhood admiration took a tumble as I realized honesty was not a given in life. Fourteen years ago, while immersed in my own running pursuits, I was enamored of greats like Michael Johnson and Donovan Bailey at the Atlanta 1996 games.  I was readying to enter my senior year in high school and complete my first-ever Olympic distance … [Read more...]

I was talking with Kellie yesterday about a family's near-miss with drowning. It involved a 2.5-year-old at a lake and thanks to the heroism of an 11-year-old girl, the baby is still with us. Praise God. But immediately my mama mind goes to forbidden, sinful places--what about the times where things don't work out?  What about the near-misses and the misses to come in my future?  What about my family?  My brain takes over and my body shuts down while I manage different scenarios and imagine … [Read more...]

She is bashful of candles. She is enamored of bubbles. She is "assisted" by generous brothers. She eats cake with the help of her daddy. And she charms all around her because she's so darn sweet... Thank you, Lord. … [Read more...]

What do you do when your child is not very good at something?  Do you let them continue?  Or do you steer them toward activities more suited for their gifts? I started swimming when I was a wee one--swim lessons, private lessons.  I sunk like a rock doing backstroke.  My freestyle was okay.  Butterfly was out of the question. My first summer competing on a summer league, I was always in the third and slowest heat.  I swam on the "C" relay, which meant I cheered on my teammates and … [Read more...]