The first time I remember waking up

in the night was in the winter time

when I was about six.  Papa had sent

the tobacco crop to Louisville

to be sold, and we sat by the fire

I've received many sweet notes of praise concerning my tough-love parenting yesterday.  And since many have asked for an update over how things went in the afternoon... I thought I'd post this picture and the following.

It was raining when I picked Caleb up, but instead of finding my cold, dejected, remorsef...

Brody is many marvelous things... creative, deeply feeling and expressive, joyful, quick witted, and tender.  But while all these things may be true of him one moment, the next minute the tide shifts and he becomes emotionally distraught and explosive.  Thankfully I've come to know my son, as I've studied him for nearly 6 years now, and I can practically predict when the pendulum will swing from one extreme...

To My Mother

a poem by Wendell Berry

I was your rebellious son,

do you remember?  Sometimes 

I wonder if you do remember,

so complete has your forgiveness been.

...

The other night I was up with my sweet seven year old multiple times, mopping his fevered brow with a cold washcloth and praying for him as he struggled for comfort.  The following day his fever was gone and only body aches and a headache remained.  Today he was altogether perfect.  

Watching our children suffer is terribly hard, isn't it?  And yet this morning at church I was challenged by the depth of suffering other people endure, as well as the eterna...

Today was exhausting.  I have no doubt that yours was probably exhausting too, but let me just say that mine was the sort of exhaustion that comes from having been in a physical and emotional FIGHT!  Yes, the dramatic high-point (or shall I say low-point) today was trying to get my youngest down for a nap.  

As the third born boy, he doesn't takes naps as often as most three year old first-borns.  Today he desperately needed a nap, however,  Unfortun...

It's been an eventful Summer for my Middle-est.  First he won a man-sized belt buckle at the Rodeo for Mutton Busting (that's riding a sheep bareback, for you city folk,) then he asked Jesus into his heart, and just this week he survived a wasp attack.

Wednesday morning began early, as they all do, but this morning there was a certain electricity in the air, for the boys were going fishing!  Matt took our two oldest, along with our friend Chris and his five year ol...

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

Our first born miracle is about to enter second grade in one month's time.  He is strong, confident, bright, and energized by being around others.  School is wonderful for a boy like mine.  However, he also struggles to listen, obey, and ho...

Our first weeks of Summer Vacation were idyllic!  Sweet hearted boys playing peacefully, contentedly, joyfully together.  And then something arose so great from within them that all the pedals on my sweet pea bouquet dried in an instant and fell to the counter top!  The boys began to fight!  And when i say fight I don't simply mean whining, crying, irrational demands and grumpy hearts that can't manage to honor one another or me, their Mother... I'm talking about flailing ...