Dear ones, It always makes me happy to write to you at the end of each month! Hope you look forward to receiving these “just between us” letters. This month’s letter includes a story about what God is teaching me, a few photos from July, a fun announcement to share, and a question for you …

Friends & Family Fridays #7 Read More »

Keeping my two grandsons recently, ages 4 and 2 1/2, has reminded me of the perpetual dilemma I faced with my own children: Who started the fight and how can I possibly know the whole truth? You’ve been there too, haven’t you? Was it an accident that the younger one hit the older one? Is …

How Does the Holy Spirit Speak Personally to Me? Read More »

Note from Barbara: Today’s post is from an author new to me but perhaps not to you as she writes regularly for The Gospel Coalition and desiringGod.org. I read her new book, Glimmers of Grace, in one weekend. Her stories of patients and those who wait and pray with them spoke to me on many …

Forgiveness to Cover All Wounds Read More »

The lyrics, “These are a few of my favorite things” sunk deep roots into my memory when I first heard Maria sing the catchy song in “The Sound of Music.” While I love “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” there are other treats that make summer’s heat more bearable and delicious. Like: Le Pops on Kavanaugh  …

My Favorite Summer Treats Read More »

Opening an old journal I read some words I had written many years before: “I really wanted to go to the meetings this morning, but here I am in our apartment being a mother. Mothering doesn’t stop. Children’s needs don’t stop. Sick kids can’t be delegated. So once again I’m isolated and he, my husband, …

Heart Identity Matters Read More »

Note from Barbara: This summer I’m going to be sharing some books with you that will feed your own soul, help you invest spiritually in your kids or benefit your marriage in some way. The change of pace in the summer is a good time to make reading a priority. The first of these recommendations …

Ten Words to Live By Read More »

He was born in China to a woman who was a street beggar in 1968. Extreme poverty and extreme injustice, not a safe home and stable parents, helped shape the childhood of Bob Fu and his sister. Despite overwhelming obstacles, Bob graduated from high school with hope of a better life as one of the …

Set Free to Free Others: The Bob Fu Story Read More »

  Last words are important. They’re meaningful. Spoken before death or by a soldier leaving for deployment, parting words are memorable. Often those words keep the left-behind ones getting up each morning, counting the days as they wait for the anticipated reunion.  So the last words Jesus, before He ascended to heaven, are some of …

How Long Is an Age? Read More »

Happy Summer everyone! Summer for me means early morning walks because it’s too hot later in the day, staying on top of the weeds which grow too fast, picking blueberries and peaches, and making lots of BLT sandwiches with Arkansas tomatoes from farmers markets. Seasons do seem to be defined around favorite foods and activities, …

Friends & Family Fridays #6 Read More »

You’re getting your child’s classroom syllabus for all the benchmarks he’ll be required to know over the next months for science, math, art, and history. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what you needed to teach him for knowing God better? Dennis and I made a list of 50 qualities we hoped to teach our children before …

50 Character Qualities We Hoped to Teach Our Children Read More »

  Janel is a dear friend to Ever Thine Home and has contributed many blog posts over the years. Her writing is very whimsical and yet also full of wisdom. She is a mom to four kids so she is no stranger to the challenges of summer and the pressure to keep little ones entertained. …

Summer Bucket List: 30 Ideas to Try This Summer Read More »

Dear Barbara: Do second marriages matter? You talk so much about staying together and making marriage work. What if my first marriage didn’t and now I’m trying again? Can I honor God with a new marriage? I appreciate the honest question. When we added an official ministry to stepfamilies several years ago at FamilyLife, we …

Dear Barbara: Do Second Marriages Matter? Read More »