by Tashica Jacobson With the start of October we are now in the last quarter of the year, which always seems like the busiest part of the year. Cold weather is setting in making last minute yard and house work a must and preparations for the...
by Elise Ellsworth In my last article I indulged in a little uncalled for husband bashing - to which my husband turned a partially blind eye. I felt bad about this - my husband has saved my bacon in numerous situations, including watching the kids on...
I don’t often give parental advice. On the whole, I feel like all your children really need is you, and there are as many ways to be a good parent as there are parents. However, children are growing up in an age where they are inundated...
by Ashley Corbaley My wedding day was the best day of my life so far. Since that day there have been many good days and bad days and in-between days. There have been tears and laughter, joy and sadness. Some days have been sunny and others...
by Erin Weist Driving home from a family dinner tonight my husband taught me a great lesson. As we began our drive, a light-hearted argument commenced about what to listen to on the radio. Since it was Sunday I had turned it to classical, orchestral music....
by Jackie Bowles Recently a 2nd Grade teacher, Brandy Young in Texas, went viral with her new “No Homework Policy” at Godley Elementary. Ms. Young says, “After much research this summer, I'm trying something new. Homework will only consist of work that your student did not...
by Whitney Ireland It’s almost October and ads for Halloween costumes and decorations seem to be popping up everywhere. Soon children will be running from house to house dressed up as ghosts, ninjas, princesses, pirates and more as they fill their pillow cases with candy. Then...
by Ashley Corbaley For as long as I can remember Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous saying: “Do one thing every day that scares you” has been my personal motto. I had the quote pinned to my corkboard in my bedroom growing up. I wrote it in school binders...
by Erin Weist Recently, I was reminded of a group of teenagers who reached out to my mom’s brother as a youth and with that small act of kindness drastically altered the life of their whole family for the better. I can say with assurance that...
by Mekelle Tenney “It’s human nature!” This popular saying is often used to justify behavior. Human nature, or men in the state of nature, was a topic that we studied and debated a great deal in college. And it is something that I have been thinking...
by Kindsey D. Smith Suzie looks down, fighting back the tears as her mind processes what her husband George (names have been changed) had just said. “I’m done being a father and I’m done being a husband” is something that Suzie never thought she would hear...
by Laura Friend I looked over at my 13-year-old daughter and felt that familiar well of love spring up from deep within my heart – my, she has grown into such a beautiful young woman, I thought to myself. We were on our way to see...
By Ashley Corbaley When I was younger I accidentally broke a very special family heirloom. After several failed attempts to fix the precious heirloom, I decided to replace it. The replacement, however splendid or similar to the original, did not and could not replace the broken...
by Christie Masters Not too long ago, while worrying about one of my children and wondering how to approach her and attempt to solve a problem, the two words “build relationships” were like a whisper to my heart. Every time the worry tried to take over,...
by Whitney Ireland It seems that we are constantly hearing about how far the U.S. lags behind other industrialized nations in education. After testing more than 510,000 students in 65 countries and economies on maths, reading and science, the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) administered...
by Ashley Corbaley What is a friend? It’s someone who knows you, cares about you, and supports you. A friend is someone you trust and who will never leave your side – a person who knows all of your weaknesses but loves you anyway. Friendships are special....
by Jennifer Johnson When was the last time that you saw a meme or commercial that portrayed men doing something ridiculous, and you laughed because it was a “boys will be boys” scenario? How about the insurance company commercial during the Olympics that showed a man...
by Elise Ellsworth “FATSO.” With indignation, I poke my head out the door. Again, “fatso.” “He shouldn’t be calling him a fatso,” I tell my husband. “I know,” says my husband, completely nonplussed. It is hard to sit and write at the computer - kids keep wandering...
by Ashley Corbaley When I first moved in my house I could not help but notice how perfectly manicured my neighbors yard was. In the passing weeks, my husband and I tried our best to make our yard look as nice as theirs did, with no...
by Erin Weist Creeds from religious organizations throughout the world include a call to action: one that puts words into deeds, changing individuals and changing communities for the better. These actions usually revolve around the principles of love, kindness, respect, understanding, and empathy. So whatever your...
by Tashica Jacobson Family members have a responsibility to each other; and as each member fulfills his role the whole family benefits. There are many benefits that come from having a close relationship among spouses, and between parents and children. When children have a good relationship with...
by Diane Robertson The US federal government continues to push what it calls “transgender rights” on the American people and the American people continue to fight back. The Obama administration has come out with regulations for all hospitals that receive any federal funding and their physicians...
by Erin Weist I was listening to a speech recently about the merits of fathers in a society. The speaker started by saying he didn’t want to marginalize the work and importance of women & mothers, but he wanted to focus at this time on men...
by Mekelle Tenney It’s back to school season. Over the next two weeks kids will start going back to school. Education is one of those things that everyone both agrees and disagrees on. I don’t think anyone would argue that education should not be a priority...
by Diane Robertson The fight to maintain the natural family, parental rights, decency, and a respect for life in a society inundated with media that preaches the opposite is a hard fight. It’s hard to convince people that the opinions they once held about family, marriage,...