Hot Tea and the Holy Spirit

Because. I. Said. So.  Four words so familiar and iconic they titled a movie starring Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore.  We all heard those four words growing up, and many of us swore we'd never use them on our own kids. But let's be real: most of us have.  When I first became a parent, I looked at because I said so as a total copout--the phrase parents use when they don't feel like dignifying their kids with a real response.  And I suppose, at times, this may be true.  But 12 years and five kids into my parenting journey, I have found that  sometimes , those are the four most appropriate words to say.  My nine-year-old is incredibly literal and fact-driven. He needs to understand everything . I always try to make sure I explain my reasons and rationale for rules and reprimands very clearly to him, and most of the time he is very obedient. He likes to stay out of trouble, and he genuinely values doing the right thing. Sometimes, however, he perceives some...

I wrote the following post back when my almost-three- year-old was almost two. I don't know why I sat on it for so long, but today the time has come to share! I hope it blesses you in some way today! *** Raising kids is hard.  My husband and I had great intentions when embarking on our parenting journey. We promised ourselves we would prioritize consistency, love, and respect, taking the time to calmly address the heart of any issue with our kids rather than reacting in rage.  We started out strong. But with each kid added to the mix, consistency became a trickier and more elusive concept. Suddenly we found that we were yelling a lot more than we ever thought we would, and our kids followed suit. We wanted to be a grace-filled family, but we were having a hard time balancing grace and authority.  I remember watching one of our friends, a pastor, discipline his three kids at various points, and I always admired the way he was firm but loving.  He kept his composure, a...