The good news? Connecting with your spouse doesn’t have to cost a lot. Some of the sweetest moments happen when you’re simply intentional about spending time together.

Remember: It’s About Connection, Not Perfection

Social media can make date nights look like fancy dinners, weekend getaways, and picture-perfect sunsets. But real life often looks more like frozen pizza, tired parents, and someone falling asleep halfway through the movie.

And that’s okay.

Marriage isn’t strengthened by expensive experiences. It’s strengthened by showing up for one another, laughing together, and making space to reconnect in the middle of everyday life.

Inexpensive Date Night Ideas You’ll Actually Want to Try

Take a Walk Together

After the kids are in bed or while they’re at youth group, head outside for a walk. Leave the distractions behind and simply talk.

You might be surprised how much easier it is to connect when you’re side-by-side instead of staring at screens.

Coffee Shop Date

Skip the expensive dinner and grab your favorite coffee or tea. Sit by the window, play a card game, people-watch, and enjoy an uninterrupted conversation.

Bonus points if neither of you talks about the family calendar for at least ten minutes.

Backyard Dessert Night

Put the kids to bed, grab a blanket, enjoy ice cream or cookies outside, and talk under the stars.

Simple? Absolutely.

Raining or cold? Have a carpet picnic inside!

Cook Together

Pick a recipe you’ve never tried and make it as a team. Even if dinner turns out less than Pinterest-worthy, you’ll probably gain a funny story to tell later.

Game Night for Two

Pull out a board game, card game, or even a puzzle. A little friendly competition can bring a lot of laughter into a marriage.

Just remember that “friendly” is the key word.

Recreate Your First Date

Think back to where it all began. Maybe it was coffee, a walk, a burger place, or a movie. Recreating those early memories can remind you how far God has brought you together.

Take a Drive

Sometimes a change of scenery is enough. Grab a snack, turn on your favorite music, and take a drive through town or a nearby scenic area.

No agenda. No pressure. Just time together.

Why Small Moments Matter

As moms, we’re often focused on meeting everyone else’s needs. But investing in your marriage is one of the greatest gifts you can give your family.

A healthy marriage creates security, models commitment, and reflects God’s love in the home. Even small moments of connection can help strengthen your relationship over time.

Don’t underestimate what God can do through a simple conversation, a shared laugh, or an hour spent together.

A Reminder

If your last date night was so long ago you can’t remember what year it was, don’t feel guilty. Life has seasons, and some are especially full.

Just start where you are.

A thriving marriage isn’t built on extravagant plans. It’s built one intentional moment at a time.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, thank You for the gift of marriage. Help us make time for one another, even in the busiest seasons. Teach us to prioritize connection, laughter, and love, and remind us that small moments spent together can have a lasting impact. Amen.

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In another video the husband screeches, “We have to set unrealistic expectations of how we live!”  And then as the company enters a perfectly clean home, the “wife” says, “I’m sorry it’s so messy I just haven’t had time to clean.”

Why do we do that to ourselves?

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

I remember my mom and dad had friends and they would trade hosting each other every other week.  One week it was just too much for my mom and she didn’t clean like she usually did.  The other lady walked in and said, “Oh, thank goodness, now I don’t have to break my back cleaning for you anymore.”  It was a relief for both of them.

When I host people at my house I do run around like a mad woman and clean everything.  I used to think that it was because I wanted my guests to feel serene and peaceful in a tidy home.  I’m questioning that now.  Was that the whole reason or was I guilt cleaning?  It was locked in my brain that being a mom and a woman meant that you had to keep a clean and perfect house.

I dislike housework a LOT.  So, usually I let things slide in between get-togethers.  That means that I have to run around even more to present a fake front when company is coming.  It’s exhausting trying to show that I have it all together (I do not).

So when a dear friend announced that she was coming over for a visit this week, my first inclination was to start my crazy cleaning frenzy.  But not only did I not feel like cleaning, I had a leg infection and the meds I was taking made me feel exhausted and ill.

In the days that followed I sat in my chair and looked around at all the things I “should” be doing.  I waited for the pre-company energy to hit me and it never did.  And then a small thought entered my brain, “Could I actually have people over without making my house look like a tidy person lived in it?”  I decided to experiment.  And here’s what I did:

Nothing.  I did nothing!

The floors weren’t swept and mopped.  The garbage cans weren’t emptied.  There were no bouquets in the bathrooms, no artful displays on every table, and no baked goods to serve company.  I did not run myself ragged cleaning everything in sight.

And it felt great.

And guess what, she didn’t even notice.  We curled up on the couch and visited for hours.  She paid no attention to dust balls, used tissues or the sewing project that was piled around us.  If she did notice anything SHE DID NOT CARE!

To take my experiment further I didn’t apologize.  I didn’t say a word about the messes and piles.  Because this is where life happens.  Why should I try and create a false picture of how I live? Why should I be ashamed that a full and messy life goes on in here?  There are toys on the floor, partially finished craft projects on almost every surface, tomatoes ripening in windows, and folded laundry stacked on the dining room table.  And that is my life.

I recently came across a meme that said:

That spoke to me on a deep level because that’s how I live my life.  And I want more of that whimsy in my life, not less.  I keep every rock my grandkids give me.  I leave the toys out that they played with when they visited because the sight of them makes me smile.  I start new projects before the old ones are finished because I’m drawn to so many different things.

Should I feel ashamed of all that?  Should I hide it away when company comes?  Don’t my friends love me for who I am and not for how clean I can make my house?

There will of course be times when I do a frenzy-clean, but there will also be times when I don’t.

And I will work on feeling fine with whichever way the pendulum swings.  After all, living a Mom and Nana life is a full and wild ride and why shouldn’t I let that show?

 “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.” Psalm 127:1-2

I allowed the rest and peace that only comes from the Lord to enter my soul this week.  And it felt great.

I’m not going to apologize for that.

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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.

]]> https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/im-sorry-im-not-apologizing-my-house-looks-like-love-lives-here/feed/ 0 https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/gluten-free-apple-cider-donut-bread/ https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/gluten-free-apple-cider-donut-bread/#respond Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:00:04 +0000 Maria Magee 2026-09-02T13:59:54+00:00 https://d955.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=61050 Maria Magee Sweet September is finally here, along with all the feelings of fall! Delicious baked goods are one of the best things about this season. There are so many cozy flavors to enjoy as the leaves begin to change and we wake up to that refreshing, crisp morning air. If you’re looking for a fall-flavored recipe this month, what could be better than a quick bread that tastes like apple-cinnamon donuts?! The cinnamon sugar topping adds a tasty crunch that pairs so nicely with the fluffy, spice-filled bread. It goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea and makes for a comforting after-school snack!

September might be full of schedule changes, new classrooms, and football games, but taking the time to bake up this sweet treat will definitely be worth it. Tummies will be full, your kitchen will smell heavenly, and hopefully it will even remind you to slow down a little and appreciate the simple things amidst the back-to-school chaos. Happy fall!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour (or regular flour if you prefer!)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup apple cider
• ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 ½  Tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two loaf pans. (for easier removal, line the loaf pans with parchment paper that hangs over the sides by a few inches-I forgot this step today!)

In medium bowl, gently whisk the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, cream the sugars and butter. Beat in one egg at a time. Stir in vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, whisk the applesauce and cider.

Maria Magee

In another small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar for the topping and set aside.

Maria Magee

Pour half of the dry flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Then, pour in half of the apple cider/applesauce mixture. Once combined, repeat this step and stir in the remaining flour followed by the rest of the cider mixture.

Maria Magee

Pour the batter evenly into your loaf pans and smooth out the top.

Maria Magee

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping on each loaf.

Maria Magee

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Maria Magee

Allow the bread to rest in the pans on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto the rack.

Maria Magee

Enjoy!

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Read more of Maria’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.

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One minute you’re taking photos by the front door, and the next you’re holding back tears as your child heads off to a classroom, a new teacher, and a year full of unknowns. Along with hopes for friendships, learning, and growth, many parents quietly carry another concern:

Will my child be safe?

If you’ve ever felt that tension between wanting to protect your child and knowing you can’t be with them every moment, you’re not alone. As parents, it’s natural to worry. But as people of faith, we’re invited to do something powerful: prepare wisely and trust the Lord deeply.

Back-to-school safety isn’t just about rules and precautions. It’s also about teaching our children that God is with them wherever they go.

Safety Begins with Everyday Habits

Most safety conversations aren’t about emergencies. They’re about the small, everyday choices that help our kids navigate the world confidently.

Talk with your children about:

• Paying attention when crossing streets
• Walking with friends when possible
• Following school and bus safety rules
• Checking in when plans change

These conversations may seem simple, but they’re an important part of helping children develop awareness and responsibility.

Faith Reflection

Throughout Scripture, we see that wisdom often shows up in practical ways. God cares not only about our spiritual lives but also about how we live each day. Teaching our children good habits is one way we help them steward the lives God has entrusted to them.

“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” (Proverbs 22:3)

Being prepared isn’t a lack of faith. It’s an expression of wisdom.

Teach Your Child to Use Their Voice

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the confidence to speak up.

Help them understand that if something feels wrong, confusing, or unsafe, they should tell a trusted adult. Whether it’s a problem at school, a difficult friendship, bullying, or an uncomfortable situation, kids need to know that their concerns matter.

Sometimes children stay silent because they’re afraid of getting in trouble or disappointing someone. Remind them often:

You can always come to me.

Faith Reflection

God created each child with value, dignity, and a voice. Teaching children to advocate for themselves helps them recognize that they are worthy of being heard and protected.

When we encourage open communication, we’re creating a safe place where truth and confidence can flourish.

Don’t Forget Online Safety

For many kids, the school day doesn’t end when they leave campus.

Homework, class discussions, friendships, and social interactions often continue online. That’s why digital safety should be part of your back-to-school routine. We highly recommend the Gospel Tech podcast for parental support on managing tech.

Have regular conversations about:

• Protecting personal information
• Using kindness online
• Avoiding conversations with strangers
• Reporting anything that feels uncomfortable
• Being thoughtful before posting

The goal isn’t to create fear. The goal is to create awareness and healthy boundaries.

Faith Reflection

Our words matter, whether they’re spoken in person or typed on a screen. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to use our words to encourage and build others up.

Teaching children digital responsibility is another way we help them reflect God’s love and wisdom in their daily lives.

Safety Starts with Connection

Here’s something many experts and parents alike have discovered: children who feel connected to caring adults are more likely to speak up when they need help.

That’s why one of the best safety tools isn’t found in a backpack. It’s found in your relationship.

Ask questions after school.

Listen more than you lecture.

Create moments where your child feels seen and understood.

Some days you’ll get a one-word answer. Other days you’ll hear stories that seem to last forever. Both matter.

The stronger the connection, the more likely your child will come to you when something important happens.

Faith Reflection

God models this kind of relationship with us. He invites us to bring Him our fears, questions, and struggles. As parents, we have the opportunity to mirror that same loving presence for our children.

When they know they’re safe with us, they gain confidence to face the world around them.

When Worry Creeps In

Let’s be honest: no amount of preparation completely removes a parent’s concerns.

There will always be situations beyond our control. News headlines can make the world feel unsettling, and our imaginations can quickly run toward every possible “what if.”

But God doesn’t ask us to carry those burdens alone.

When anxiety starts to overwhelm, we can bring our fears to Him in prayer. Not because we know exactly what the future holds, but because we know Who holds our children.

Faith Reflection

One of the most comforting truths for parents is that God loves our children even more than we do. His care doesn’t stop when they step onto the bus or walk into the classroom.

Every hallway, playground, cafeteria, and classroom is already known to Him.

“For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

A Prayer for the School Year

Father, as this school year begins, we place our children into Your loving hands. Give them wisdom, confidence, and courage as they navigate new classrooms, friendships, and experiences. Protect them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Surround them with caring teachers, trusted adults, and friends who encourage them. Help us as parents to prepare wisely without living in fear. When worries arise, remind us that You go before our children and remain with them throughout each day. May this be a year of growth, learning, joy, and deeper trust in You. Amen.

As parents, we’ll always wish we could protect our children from every challenge. But while we can’t walk every hallway with them, we can equip them with wisdom, surround them with prayer, and trust the God who never leaves their side.

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]]> https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/back-to-school-safety-trusting-god-while-preparing-our-kids/feed/ 0 https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/the-5-craft-supplies-that-will-get-you-through-fall/ https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/the-5-craft-supplies-that-will-get-you-through-fall/#respond Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:00:33 +0000 Joanna Gott 2026-08-31T13:50:55+00:00 https://d955.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=61022

Maybe it’s the cooler afternoons, the leaves changing outside our windows, or the fact that we’re spending a little more time at home. Summer has a way of keeping us moving from one thing to the next, but fall seems to invite us to slow down a little. To stay home. To make a mess at the kitchen table. To pull out the craft supplies and see what we can come up with.

Some of my favorite afternoons with Penny have started with a very simple statement/question: “I’m bored…what are we going to do?”

And usually, the answer doesn’t require a trip to the craft store.

In fact, I’ve learned that some of the best craft supplies are already sitting around our house. An empty cardboard box, a toilet paper tube, a handful of popsicle sticks, some paint that has been sitting in the drawer—all of it can become something entirely different with a little imagination.

I love that kind of crafting. There’s no pressure to make something Pinterest-perfect or to have every supply on the list. It’s just about sitting down together, putting something in our hands, and seeing where our creativity takes us.

So if you want to keep a few simple supplies on hand this fall, these are the five I would choose. And chances are, you already have at least a few of them tucked away somewhere.

1. Paint

Of course paint makes the list. There is almost nothing you can’t make a little more delightful with a bit of paint.

Watercolor, acrylic, tempera—use whatever you already have. Fall is the perfect time to pull out warm, cozy colors like rust, mustard, olive, cream, brown, and dusty pink, but don’t feel like you have to stick to a traditional fall palette.

With paint, you can make:

• Painted leaves and paper garlands
• Tiny pumpkins on paper or cardboard
• Painted rocks
• Homemade bookmarks
• Watercolor fall landscapes
• Painted paper plates turned into pumpkins
• Hand-painted gift tags
• Mini paintings to frame or give to a friend
• Painted pinecones
• A fall-inspired painting banner

I especially love crafts where the finished product doesn’t need to be perfect. A wobbly line or uneven brushstroke somehow makes it feel even more special.

2. Boxes

Before you toss that Amazon box into the recycling bin, save it!

Cardboard boxes are one of the most versatile craft supplies you can have, especially when you’re crafting with kids. They can become almost anything with a pair of scissors, some paint, and a little imagination.

Turn a box into a:

• Fall birdhouse
• Haunted house
• Pumpkin patch
• Barn
• Dollhouse
• Cardboard castle
• Little shop or market
• Puppet theater
• Fall village
• Giant pumpkin
• Mailbox for notes and drawings

One of my favorite things about using cardboard boxes is that there is no pressure to “get it right.” You can cut into it, paint over it, glue something on top, and completely change your mind. It’s basically the craft equivalent of a blank canvas.

3. Cardboard Tubes

Yes, I mean those little cardboard tubes left behind by toilet paper and paper towels.

Start saving them in a basket, and before long you’ll have a surprisingly impressive craft supply collection.

A cardboard tube can become:

• An owl
• A turkey
• A little pumpkin
• A scarecrow
• A spider
• A bat
• A fox
• A tree
• A napkin ring
• A set of binoculars for little explorers
• A miniature person or animal
• A Thanksgiving place card holder

Cut the tube into rings and you can also use the little circles to stamp patterns with paint. Or flatten one end into a leaf shape and make your own leaf stamps.

There is something wonderfully satisfying about taking something that was destined for the trash and turning it into something completely different.

4. Pipe Cleaners

Pipe cleaners are one of those supplies that seem almost too simple to be useful—and then you start crafting with them and realize just how much you can do.

They bend, twist, wrap, curl, and hold their shape, which makes them perfect for little hands.

Try making:

• Fall leaves
• Tiny pumpkins
• Spiders
• Acorns
• Corn stalks
• Little trees
• Leaf crowns
• Animal figures
• Friendship bracelets
• Garland
• Bookmarks
• Tiny flowers

You can even combine pipe cleaners with cardboard tubes to create little characters or animals. Add some paint, googly eyes, or pom-poms, and suddenly your recycling bin is starting to look like a craft store.

5. Popsicle Sticks

If you have kids, chances are you already have a pile of these somewhere. If you don’t, they’re inexpensive and easy to keep in your craft stash.

Popsicle sticks are perfect for building, gluing, and creating little structures.

Use them to make:

• Fall signs
• Picture frames
• Birdhouses
• Little scarecrows
• Acorn people
• Leaf garlands
• Pumpkin patches
• Mini fences
• Bookmarks
• Coasters
• Tiny houses

And don’t be afraid to mix them with the other supplies on this list. A popsicle-stick fence around a cardboard pumpkin patch? Adorable. A painted cardboard tube with pipe-cleaner arms? Even better.

And a Few Extras…

If you have room in your craft basket, there are a few other things worth saving throughout the fall: pinecones, ribbon, pom-poms, buttons, leaves, twine, and scraps of paper.

Pinecones can become little owls, turkeys, trees, or woodland creatures. Ribbon can turn into garland, bows, wreath decorations, or hair accessories. Pom-poms make wonderful little pumpkins, ghosts, animals, and snowmen once winter arrives.

The goal isn’t to have every craft supply imaginable. It’s to look around your house a little differently.

That empty box? A house.

That cardboard tube? A turkey.

That pinecone from the backyard? A tiny woodland creature waiting to happen.

That leftover ribbon? A garland.

And a rainy afternoon with your favorite little person? An invitation.

Because sometimes the best kind of creativity starts with what you already have. Gather a few simple supplies, clear off the kitchen table, put on a pot of something warm, and see what happens.

You might be surprised by how much fun you and your kids can make with a handful of things you were about to throw away.

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Read more of Joanna’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.

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 “If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?”

For my husband, the answer is steak.  For my grandson, it’s pizza.

I think of that question when I read about the Israelites traveling to The Promised Land.

God dropped manna from heaven for them every morning.  What a miracle that was and what a blessing.  They were given food on a daily basis for sustenance without having to hunt for it or go hungry.  They didn’t even have to store it or keep it fresh.  They just had to have faith that God would provide a fresh batch every day.

But they ate that manna for forty years.  That’s a long time.  I doubt that my guys would really be happy eating only steak or pizza for forty days.  Would anyone?

It’s easy to be judgmental when I read about the Israelites complaining about the manna.  Seriously, people?  God is providing heavenly nourishment for you and you’re complaining?  Talk about spoiled children!  But would I have been any different?  That’s a scary thought.

Let’s dive into manna.

The Israelites started complaining rather quickly.

^“The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”  Exodus 16:3

Exodus 16:4 states: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not‘”.

^“The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”  Exodus 16:11-12

^“That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.  When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.”  Exodus 16:13-15

The meaning of the word “manna” is WHAT IS IT?  Can you imagine?  Manna was not seen before the exodus or after.

“Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”  Exodus 16:15 – 16

(An omer is roughly 9-10 cups).

^“The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.”  Exodus 16:17-18

Then Moses added an important rule:

^“Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” Exodus 16:19

That was a real test of faith.  Don’t save any?  What if no more appeared?  What if they starved?  Did they trust God to deliver it every single day?

Some of them did not.

^“However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.”  Exodus 16:20

Gross!  But what an amazing reminder to obey God’s word.  I need that in my own life sometimes.  Walk away from God’s direction?  Fine, here are some maggots!  I’d get back in line really fast.

On the sixth day the Israelites were allowed to gather twice as much to honor the Sabbath.  And guess what, no maggots!  God is a God of miracles.

Even though Moses instructed the people not to try and gather manna on the seventh day, some went out anyway.  Of course they found none.  They finally understood the rules of manna gathering.

Exodus 16:31 gives us a description of manna.  “The people of Israel called the bread manna.  It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.”

Wafers made with honey sound pretty delicious but again it would take faith to eat that for forty years.  Do I have that kind of faith?

According to Joshua 5:12, the manna stopped falling the day after the Israelites celebrated the Passover and ate the produce of the Promised Land of Canaan for the first time.   They didn’t need it anymore.

“The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.”

“Manna from heaven” is a saying that is still used today.  It means any unexpected and much-needed help.  It can mean a financial windfall or a timely blessing that arrives precisely when things look bleak.  In other words, just like the original manna from heaven!

In Exodus 16:23 when Moses was instructing the Israelites to gather and prepare double the portion of manna, he mentioned baking or boiling it.  This gives us a hint on how it was prepared for consumption.

For generations manna has made people curious.  Yes, we have been told what it looks like and how it tastes, but we’d love to be able to taste it ourselves.  After doing some research, I have found some recipes for making your own “manna”.  Of course it won’t be exactly like the manna God provided.  We can only guess and try to mimic it.  But it’s a fun way to study Exodus.  I chose this old recipe to try.

At Home Manna Cakes

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon cold diced butter
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening or butter. Stir in warm water and honey until mixed (I did all these steps in my mixer). Knead the dough together.  Roll into little balls, flatten them with your fingers, and bake on a greased parchment-lined cookie sheet for about 5-7 minutes.  You don’t need to brown them.

They’re bland.  They taste like those rolled tinned biscuits BEFORE you slather them with butter and honey or jam.  As I baked them I thought, “Hmmm, these would be good with sesame seeds added.”  Or, “What if I added jam in the center of each cake.”  And, full disclosure, I did add seeds and jam to some of them!

So I can’t be judgmental towards the Israelites anymore.  I couldn’t last even one day eating manna.  My situation is a bit different of course, but after this experiment I ended up with a new appreciation for the Exodus and more questions than I had when I started.

Were the people allowed to add spices and found food ingredients to the manna?

Was there a right and wrong way to prepare it?

Was the lesson only about the faith that God would provide for them and how did that affect their grumbling?

And how long would I have lasted before I started whining?

This has been a humbling lesson and one that I’m glad I participated in.  The next time you hear someone being judgmental about the Israelites, pull out your flour and make them some “manna”.

I think we can all agree that our faith can always use a little refreshing.

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]]> https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/could-you-eat-manna-for-forty-years-a-lesson-in-faith-gratitude-and-gods-provision/feed/ 0 https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/god-fasting-and-the-things-wed-rather-not-talk-about/ https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/god-fasting-and-the-things-wed-rather-not-talk-about/#respond Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:00:22 +0000 Joanna Gott 2026-08-20T17:11:24+00:00 https://d955.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=60960 “You’re due for a colonoscopy” stop sounding like something that happens to other people and start sounding like something that is, unfortunately, happening to you.

For those of us 45 and older, we know the dreaded appointment is coming. We may not know exactly when, but eventually the reminder appears, the doctor mentions it, and suddenly you find yourself thinking, Maybe I can just skip this one?

I’ll admit it: I put mine off for a couple of years.

But becoming a parent has a funny way of changing your perspective on things. I know my health needs to be a priority—not because I particularly enjoy doctors, needles, tests, or anything involving the phrase “medical prep,” but because I want to be here. I want to be here for the big things and the little things. I want to see my daughter grow up. I want to be around for graduations, birthdays, vacations, arguments over whose turn it is to do the dishes, and all the ordinary Tuesdays in between.

So I made the appointment.

And then I slowly began counting down the days.

Now, let me clarify something: I wasn’t particularly afraid of the actual procedure. In fact, being put to sleep for a little while and having a legitimate medical excuse to rest for the remainder of the day sounded almost luxurious.

No, my dread was reserved for one thing.

The prep.

Specifically, the fasting.

I had heard the horror stories about the prep drink, of course. Friends had warned me. The internet had warned me. Basically, everyone who had ever survived this experience seemed determined to make sure I knew exactly what I was in for.

And yes.

The prep drink was another level of HORROR.

But even before I got to that part, I knew the fasting was going to be difficult for me.

I have a complicated relationship with food, which means I have learned to be careful about restriction. Even when I fast for church, I typically choose something like social media or caffeine rather than food. So as my appointment got closer, I realized I wasn’t simply dreading being hungry for a day.

I was already trying to figure out how I would control it.

What would I eat before? How would I handle the hunger? How would I distract myself? How long until I could eat again?

I became fixated on it.

And, honestly, it was a little ironic. I was worried about losing control over food while simultaneously trying to control every possible detail of the experience.

So when the day finally came, I started it differently.

I prayed.

I asked God to remove my need to control food. I asked Him to use this strange, uncomfortable, very unglamorous day to expose the deeper lies I had believed about it. I asked Him to help me remember that He is the One who provides—not just physical food, but the food that actually gives life.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never go hungry.” — John 6:35

So every time my stomach growled, I prayed.

God, fill me with Your Word.

God, help me trust You.

God, remind me that I am okay.

God, help me surrender this.

Did the day crawl by?

Yes.

Did I find myself turning to other distractions and completely forgetting to pray, only to remember twenty minutes later?

Absolutely.

Was the prep drink a nightmare?

One hundred percent.

There is no spiritual metaphor profound enough to make that drink taste good.

And somewhere around the middle of the day, I had another important realization:

I could NEVER compete on Survivor.

Never.

I don’t care how much money they offer. I don’t care how beautiful the island is. I don’t care how many alliances I can form.

Put me on a deserted island without food and I will choose to leave the island after one day.

But somewhere between the hunger, the distractions, the prayers, the prep drink, and the dramatic countdown to when I could finally eat again, something shifted.

I realized that God wasn’t asking me to conquer some enormous spiritual mountain that day. He was simply inviting me to let Him into something ordinary and uncomfortable.

Sometimes we imagine experiencing God in the big moments—the burning bush, the parted sea, the impossible miracle. And certainly, He is there in those moments.

But He is also there when we’re sitting on the couch hungry.

He’s there when we’re anxious about something that feels silly to everyone else but feels very real to us.

He’s there when we’re struggling to surrender something we’ve been trying to control for years.

He’s there in the ordinary.

And maybe that’s one of the most beautiful things about God: He doesn’t need our circumstances to be dramatic before He wants to be involved.

“The Lord is near to all who call on him.” — Psalm 145:18

He already knows every detail. He knows what we’re worried about before we say it. He knows the places where we struggle to trust Him. He knows the things we try to control.

But He still invites us to actively include Him.

Even in the uncomfortable things.

Especially there.

So yes, I survived the fasting. I survived the prep. I survived the drink that I hope never to encounter again (at least not for another 10 years). And I came away with a renewed appreciation for both food and modern medicine.

But more importantly, I walked away reminded that hard things don’t always require a grand miracle.

Sometimes God gets us through them one hour, one prayer, one growling stomach at a time.

I started that day thinking I needed to figure out how I was going to get myself through it. I ended it realizing that maybe I didn’t need to figure it all out. Maybe I just needed to let God be with me in it.

Because He doesn’t only meet us in the moments that make great stories. He meets us on the couch, in the waiting, in the discomfort, and in the places where we’re learning to let go.

And He wants to be invited in.

Have you read Dave Barry’s “Colonoscopy Journal”? It is absolutely hilarious! Read it HERE.

About the Writer: Dave Barry is a retired Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist from the Miami Herald.

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The tradition of giving apples to teachers started in 18th-century Europe and 19th-century America as a form of payment. Farming families used crops like apples to feed underpaid teachers. Over time, this evolved into a simple token of appreciation at the start of the school year.

Apples have thus become a part of back-to-school traditions.

Recently, some of my grandkids came over and we had an apple day.

Here’s what we made:

COLLAGE APPLES

Ann Kirsten

You’ll need: paper, a glue stick, scissors and old magazines.

Draw an apple shape onto a piece of paper.  Find red pictures in a magazine and cut out small pieces until you have enough to cover your apple shape.  Glue them onto the paper and trim the edges.  Do the same with green images for a leaf.  Place your apple into a thrifted frame.

APPLE WREATH

Ann Kirsten

You’ll need: white card stock, paint, brushes, an apple, scissors, glue dots, and a wire wreath form.

Cut an apple in half vertically.  Place the cut side onto a paper towel while you gather the rest of the supplies.  I used red, yellow, and green paint.  Brush paint onto the apple.  You can use pure colors or mix them together a bit.  Then press the apple down onto the card stock.  If your print looks a bit wonky, don’t worry.  That’s part of printing.  Let your images dry and paint on a brown stem and some black seeds.  You can use paint pens for this part if you have them.  Cut all your apples out (leaving a bit of white around the edges).  I used glue dots to stick the apples onto the wreath form.  A hot glue gun would also probably work.  Once you’ve covered the wreath, cut green leaves and glue them in any empty spaces.  My wreath makes me smile every time I pass the door.

APPLE “COOKIES”

Ann Kirsten

For snack time we made apple “cookies”.  We sliced apples horizontally and cored them.  Then we spread on natural peanut butter and sprinkled chocolate chips and raspberries on top.  You could use raisins, nuts, or even real sprinkles on top.  They were a healthy and yummy snack and I didn’t feel bad for eating three of them!

TEACHER GIFT

Ann Kirsten

This is an easy way to bless a teacher on the first day of school.  Simply buy nail polish in any apple color and add a cut-out leaf.  Easy-peasy.

APPLE GIFT

Ann Kirsten

Improve on the apple for the teacher by bagging up an apple and caramel dip.  Tie the top with a ribbon.

APPLE CUPCAKES

Ann Kirsten

Make or buy cupcakes and frost them in apple colors.  A pretzel stem and a gummi leaf (cut from a larger gummi) completes the cupcake.

APPLE PARTY

Perhaps you’ll want to gather your kids and their friends for an end of summer party.  These plates from Amazon would be perfect!

Amazon.com: 50PCS Red Apple Party Paper Plates Decorations Back to School Plates First Day of School Party Supplies Schools Disposable Tableware for 50 Guests Teacher Appreciation Kindergarten Preschool 6.6X7.4 : Health & Household

FUZZY APPLE

This apple would be a wonderful teacher gift or an end of summer gift for your kids.

Amazon.com: Apricot Lamb Toys Plush Food Plushies Red Apple Stuffed Fruit Soft 5” : Toys & Games

Need more apple ideas?  We’ve got plenty for you!

Here are the directions for crafty cardstock apples plus the origins of some of our favorite folk sayings, straight from the Bible.

• Apple Craft and Bible Truths: A Sweet September Activity | AllMomDoes

And here we’ve gathered a lot of apple activities from different sites:

• Educational Apple Activities for Your Preschooler, Homeschooler, or Just for Fun | AllMomDoes

Maybe you’d like to tie some cookies in with your apple fun.  Here is a recipe for caramel apple cookies (they’re yummy):

Ann Kirsten

• September Cookie of the Month: Caramel Apple Cookies | AllMomDoes

However you choose to celebrate the new school year, may this year be a very special one for you and your kids.

“Keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;”  Proverbs 7:2

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August is the perfect time of year for a fun, beach-themed craft! And who doesn’t love an adorable little octopus? I saw this online last summer and knew my kids would love it. With googly eyes and sweet hand-print cutouts, it’s a cute and easy way to celebrate the end of the summer season.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Maria Magee

• Assorted colors of cardstock paper (construction paper will work but it’s just not as sturdy)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Markers
• Googly eyes (or draw your own)

Getting Started:

Either free-hand or tracing a small bowl, make your octopus head. Next, trace your kid’s hands, leaving out the thumb. Cut them all out and arrange them.

Maria Magee

Next, glue the legs behind the head so that the pinky fingers are on the outside.

Maria Magee

Draw (or have your kids draw) the mouth, little dots on the head, cheeks, and little tentacles.

Maria Magee

Place the googly eyes.

Maria Magee

For extra detail, you can glue your octopus onto another sheet of paper so your kids can decorate an under-the-sea scene for the octopus. Or, use beach-themed stickers if you have them!

Enjoy these last weeks of summer as you savor the sunny days, beach time, and picnics. Hopefully these little googly-eyed guys brighten up your day and make craft time a splash for your kids!

Download our free printables by clicking the image(s) below!

Bookmarks:

Coloring Pages:

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As Christian parents, we can’t remove every source of anxiety from our children’s lives. But we can help them build something stronger than fear: a deep trust in God that steadies them when life feels uncertain.

Start by Bringing Peace Into Your Own Home

Kupicoo

Kids are incredibly observant. They often take their emotional cues from the adults around them. If our homes are constantly rushed, stressed, and overwhelmed, our children will feel it.

That doesn’t mean we have to be perfect. It simply means creating spaces where peace is practiced. Maybe that’s praying together before school, sharing highs and lows around the dinner table, or simply turning off the noise for a few minutes each day.

Peace isn’t found in a perfect schedule. It’s found in the presence of God.

Teach Them That Feelings Aren’t Failures

Igor Suka

Sometimes well-meaning parents accidentally send the message that fear is something to be ashamed of.

But throughout Scripture, we see people who were afraid. David was afraid. Esther was afraid. The disciples were afraid. Feeling anxious doesn’t mean your child lacks faith. It means they’re human.

Instead of saying, “Don’t worry,” try saying:

• “Tell me what’s making you feel nervous.”
• “Let’s pray about it together.”
• “God is with you, even in this.”

When children learn that their feelings can be brought to God rather than hidden from Him, they begin developing healthy faith instead of performative faith.

Help Them Focus on What Is True

Daisy-Daisy

Anxiety often grows when our minds become consumed with “what if.”

What if I fail? What if nobody likes me? What if something bad happens?

God gently redirects us toward truth instead of fear.

When your child is struggling, help them ask:

• What do I know is true right now?
• What has God done for me before?
• What does God say about me?

Over time, these small conversations help train their minds to look for truth instead of assuming the worst.

Make Prayer a First Response, Not a Last Resort

Wierzchu

Many of us learned to pray after we had exhausted every other option.

What if we taught our children something different?

When a friendship problem arises, pray. When they have a test, pray. When they’re worried about a game, pray. When they don’t know what to do, pray.

Prayer doesn’t remove problems from our kids’ lives. What it does do though is turn their focus heavenward and remind them that they don’t face their problems alone.

Limit the Noise

Not every child needs to know every headline, controversy, or crisis happening in the world.

While it’s important to stay informed, constant exposure to distressing news and social media can leave children feeling powerless and afraid.

As parents, we can help filter what enters our homes and our children’s hearts. More importantly, we can fill those spaces with things that build faith, joy, gratitude, and hope.

There are some great podcasts that help support you and are also a positive influence on your kiddos. Try God on the Go and That’s a Doozy!

If you’re wrestling with the amount of screen time and gaming that’s happening in your home, we highly recommend Gospel Tech. Nathan Sutherland’s goal is to equip parents with the tools, resources, and confidence needed to raise kids who love God and use tech.

Remind Them Who Holds the Future

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the reminder that God is still God.

The future may seem uncertain to us, but it isn’t uncertain to Him.

When kids know their security comes from God’s unchanging character rather than changing circumstances, they develop a foundation that can withstand life’s storms.

If you’re worried about your child’s anxiety, take heart. You don’t have to have all the answers. Life can be hard and our job is to help equip them to face challenges while pointing them toward the One who walks with them through every fear.

Little by little, prayer by prayer, conversation by conversation, you’re helping your child discover that peace isn’t the absence of problems. It’s the presence of God in the middle of them.

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Right now, as I type this, I have two friends I’m thinking of who I want to tangibly show up for this week.

Because lets face it, a “let me know if you need anything” text may be well intentioned, but it actually ends up putting all the work on them to figure out what they need and ask for it, which most people won’t do.

Specific offers are much easier to say yes to. I have been talking about this on air and compiling a creative list (feel free to add to it!) to spur us on to loving our neighbor (and sister, and friend, and coworker) well!

My friend Angie is excellent at this… its her Superpower. She can craft the most thoughtful, witty and practical text of love and tangible support on the planet, so I’m going to use her style as an example!

Sample text ideas:

Get specific. Offer something that already works with your schedule.

• “I’m doing a Target run Thursday. Text me your kids back to school list – or better yet, I can take them with me!”
• “I’m coming by Saturday to take your trash cans out and grab your mail. Don’t need to talk, I’ll just do it.”
• “I need to get my steps in today! Want me to walk the dog this week? I can do 7am or 6pm, whichever’s easier.”

Give a narrow window instead of open-ended time

• “I have Tuesday 2-4pm totally free. Want me to sit with you, drive you somewhere, or just be on standby?”
• “I’m free all day Sunday. Can I take a shift — kids, laundry, dishes, whatever’s piling up?”

Offer something logistical people forget to ask for

• “Do you want me to handle telling people, so you’re not repeating the story over and over?”
• “Want me to sit in on the follow-up appointment and take notes? Extra ears are useful for that stuff.”
• “I can pick up your prescriptions today… just tell me the pharmacy.”

For grief specifically, offer presence without pressure

• “I’m not going to ask how you’re doing. I’m just going to come sit with you Wednesday if that’s okay — no talking required.”
• “I’ll come mow the lawn / walk the dog / do a grocery run this week, no need to reply, I’ll just show up unless you tell me not to.”
• “Thinking about you today. I’m around all evening if you want company or silence.”

When they’re overwhelmed and can’t even triage

• “Text me one thing that’s stressing you out right now, even something small — I’ll take it off your plate.”
• “I know decision-making feels impossible right now. I’m going to pick a day to come clean/organize/whatever — Thursday work?”

The common thread: propose something concrete, give them an easy yes/no or multiple choice, and make it low-effort for them to accept — not “what do you need,” which is its own homework assignment.

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all the precious and pleasant riches. -Proverbs 24:3-4

Ah, August. All the fall things are starting to make their appearance even though we aren’t quite there yet, summer clearance sales are in full swing, and back-to-school prep has likely begun to flash through your mind! Whether you’re dreading the summer season coming to an end or happily anticipating your family’s new autumn routine, September will be here before we know it. Moms have an extra full plate this time of year as we prepare for the kids moving up a grade, new schools, new sports schedules, and all the fall activities that come cascading down on us like leaves from the trees in October!

If we aren’t careful, the pressure can add up and moms can quickly be left feeling discouraged, drained, and maybe even a little bitter as we try to keep everything running. It’s hard to pour out all the nurturing, love, and support our families need when we are depleted and knocked down by the day-to-day responsibilities.

So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. -Romans 14:19

This year, I’ve got one child in high school, one in junior high, one in elementary school, and one doing pre-k at home with me. It’s a lot to manage, but there are some things I’ve learned over the years that hands-down help our school days run much more smoothly. That doesn’t mean we don’t have bad days like everyone else, but it does mean that when I feel less scattered, our whole household does, too.

So, what are some of the ways we can lighten the load even when we can’t really lessen our responsibilities?

It starts with something we’re all familiar with, particularly at Christmastime. We talk about preparing Him room in December, and hopefully that’s something we’re all striving to do throughout the year, but what if we intentionally applied that as moms to the start of the school year, too? Think about what life is like for your family once September rolls around, what your schedule is like, your day-to-day routine, and when do you have a moment to yourself to connect with God?

I know it can feel daunting in this very busy, hands-on season of motherhood to schedule time for your Bible or even a short devotional, when from sunup to sundown you’re running from place to place, serving the meals, packing the lunches, finding the jackets and the missing shoes. The great news is, to prepare Him room, we don’t have to have a formal quiet time. Often, the times I talk to Jesus the most are in the middle of the busyness… while praise music plays in the car, while I’m doing the dishes, watering the garden, or folding the laundry. Maybe for you that’s the drive to work or while you’re nursing the baby at 3am.

Staticnak1983

I love to wake up early and take in a daily devotional or to meditate on a certain verse when I go to bed at night, but it doesn’t always happen that way. So, as you think forward to this school year, start with finding a few practical, realistic ways that you’ll be able to connect with Jesus each day. He is there for us while we are there for everyone else. If you can, write down a few of your favorite verses and inspirational quotes so you can draw from them throughout your week and be encouraged!

My children have made it nearly impossible for me to sleep past 5:30am for the last fifteen years. I’m an early riser, too, but it’s different when everyone needs you before your eyes are even open. When my fourth son was around 18 months old, I couldn’t take the morning chaos anymore! Trying to get myself ready while his brothers kept an eye on him became unrealistic. Since my husband leaves for work so early, it was up to me to find a way for us to function better each morning.

There was too much fighting, too much discussion, and too much stress. Being in such a rush is not a fun way to start the day and I’m sure almost every mom out there can relate! Even though my youngest was still waking throughout the night and every minute of sleep was precious to me, I decided to start setting an alarm for 5am. It was the best chance I had to shower, pour a cup of coffee, and maybe even read the bible before everyone else woke up. Although it doesn’t always work out perfectly, it has been life changing! Having that moment to wrap my head around our day and to be ready when everyone comes pouring out of their rooms at the crack of dawn has become a huge improvement to my routine and I wish I had done it a long time ago. Even little changes can make a big difference in how we approach the day ahead!

Aside from prioritizing time with Jesus and getting a head start on our days this fall, here are some other helpful habits I’ve acquired over the years that truly help our days run more smoothly:

Survival Guide:

Meal Prep!

Hopefully that idea doesn’t fill you with panic, but if it does, I would say to start small. If you’re not used to meal planning, start with one or two REALISTIC recipes to plan throughout the week. Even if it’s grilled cheese and some fruit, knowing what dinner is going to be on a crazy weekday can relieve a lot of pressure for moms. Each Sunday, I make sure I have a general idea of at least 3-4 meals that will fit with our schedule that week. I get a grocery list going with all the ingredients I’ll need and make a menu list on the fridge to stay organized. My kids love checking it to see what’s for dinner!

Have your family on the same page when it comes to screen-time!

Deciding on what you want these boundaries to look like for your family before the rush of the school year will be a huge relief and can save you from lots of nagging and debating if you have school-aged children. Maybe think back to last year and what went well and what didn’t when it came to your family’s screen-time habits. For us, having no video games on weeknights helps things go more smoothly. We also leave all phones, remotes, controllers, and school laptops in the open or put them away in our room when they’re not being used. Your kids might not be a big fan of that one, especially teens, but having those boundaries is so important in a day and age when the world has so much access to them.

Pick out your clothes the night before.

A lot of moms have their kids do this but it’s just as helpful for moms! I might stay at home with my kids and mostly wear jeans and t-shirts, but having my clothes ready to go when I jump up to shower is a lot better than staring groggily into my closet trying to remember what the weather was supposed to be that day. It feels so refreshing to start the day ready-to-go as opposed to being stuck in my pajamas until everyone else is ready.

Eat breakfast!

I’ve met so many moms who say they don’t eat breakfast. I get it, you might not feel very hungry that early in the morning. Just like we know how important it is for our kids to have fuel for the day, we need it too! It doesn’t have to be a lot, but I guarantee that you will feel better if you have something in your stomach as you hit the ground running. Some Greek yogurt with granola and fruit or just some oatmeal to go with your coffee are great places to start!

Get to bed at a decent time!

I know, this one is tough. It might mean staying up after the kids go to bed to read or watch your favorite shows on weeknights isn’t a realistic option for the season you’re in. Think about how many hours of sleep you’re really getting each night and if there’s a way to make some changes this fall so you can feel healthier and happier. That’s not always an option, especially if you have older kids in weeknight sports, but even if you can get in bed earlier a few nights a week it will make a world of difference. Set a small goal and see how you feel!

When life gets busy this fall, as it inevitably will, just remember that God is our safe place to land. We lean on him just as our kids and families lean on us. Be that safe place to land for your kids as they come home exhausted from having taken in so much from their surroundings that day. They sat still, stayed quiet in class when they were supposed to, dealt with other kids sometimes not respecting boundaries, a difficult teacher, or a stressful assignment. We have long days as moms, yes. But, so do they! They need to be able to trust that we will be able to comfort them, encourage them, and welcome them home. Making small changes to our routines so we have more to give is a great place to start!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. –2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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Summer is coming to a close, but there is still enough time to do some of those things that make summer memorable to a kid.  You know, making camp crafts, spending time outside, etc.  Summer is such a great time to put screens away and bask in God’s creation.

Psalm 96:11-12 – “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”

On a recent day, two of my grandkids came over and we decided to engage in some easy and fun summer crafts.  Here’s what we did:

NATURE HUNT

You’ll need: an empty egg carton, pens and paper, and a list (if desired).

First, my grandson made a Nature Hunt sign and drew some pictures of nature.  Cut the paper to the size of the top of an egg carton before you start drawing.

Ann Kirsten

Then, you can either make a list of what the kids need to find or you can just let them grab whatever catches their fancy.  List items might include: a leaf, some bark or wood, a rock, a feather, grass, flowers, dirt, seed pods, and a weed.  You can easily adjust your list according to what you have in your yard.

Ann Kirsten

Then, just send your kids out with their egg cartons and see what they find!  Of course take pictures and send them to grandma and grandpa.

Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.“

COLOR HUNT

You’ll need: an empty egg carton, paint and brushes.

Paint the cups of the egg carton in different colors.  We used these colors:

Ann Kirsten

Send the kids out to find things that match the colors.  They can ask known neighbors for help.  Easy and fun.

Ann Kirsten

Psalm 8:3-4 – “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?”

NATURE WEAVING

You’ll need: four sticks for each loom, string or twine or yarn, a glue gun is helpful, and miscellaneous plants and flowers.

I found it easier to glue the sticks together in a square or rectangular shape before I tied the corners with twine.

Ann Kirsten

Then create the “warp” (the strings that go up and down).  You can use my picture for an idea of how to do it or just wrap it your own way.

Ann Kirsten

Then simply go outside and find things to weave in and out of your warp.  Don’t overthink this step, just use whatever catches your fancy.  Cut twigs as long as you can but if they don’t reach all the way across just tuck the end in back and start where you left off.

We wove greenery in first.

Ann Kirsten

We added flowers last because their stems don’t have to be so long.  You can just take a few weaves to add them in.

Tie a string at the top and you have a nature wall or door hanging!

Psalm 139:13-16 – “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.” 

Looking for more ideas?

Emma Long made this lovely wall hanging.  Even with the flowers drying, it still looks so pretty.

Picture courtesy of Emma Long

Last year, My grands and I made “wind sticks”.  They still hold a place of honor in a pitcher on top of my bookcase.
Find out how here: Wind Sticks & Whispers of God

Ann Kirsten

Or this is the perfect time to make Mosquito Repellant Sticks.
Find out how here: Sage Sticks: An All-Natural DIY Mosquito Repellent

Ann Kirsten

To finish your craft day, why not have lunch outside on a blanket?  It can be as easy as take-out or you could create your favorite picnic items.

Skynesher

As you head outside to take in God’s creation, remember:

Psalm 24:1 – “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

Happy last days of summer!

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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.

It wasn’t a season of shopping. It wasn’t multiple Target runs, Amazon deliveries arriving every few days, or endless “must-have” lists filling my inbox. It was one big outing. We would get everything we needed for the school year in one trip: clothes, shoes, school supplies, a backpack, and a lunchbox. I remember getting two new pairs of shoes, a new winter coat, one pair of jeans, a handful of basic shirts, and a few other essentials. That was it. Somehow, those things carried us through the entire school year.

We mixed and matched what we had, rewore our favorite outfits, and never thought much about whether we had enough. Looking back, I don’t remember wishing I had more clothes. I remember being excited to see my friends, meet my teacher, and find out what adventures the new school year would bring.

Now that I’m a parent, back-to-school shopping feels a little different.

The moment August arrives, every store, email, and social media post seems to tell us that our kids need an entirely new wardrobe before they even step foot into the classroom. Add in influencer shopping hauls, endless supply lists, and the pressure to buy everything while it’s on sale, and what should feel like an exciting milestone can quickly become another overwhelming item on the parenting to-do list.

I love being organized, so my instinct is to want to have everything checked off before that first day of school. But over these past couple of years I’ve realized that being prepared doesn’t necessarily mean buying everything at once. In fact, slowing down has actually made the process less stressful. Instead of trying to create the perfect “back-to-school haul,” I’ve found that focusing on what my daughter truly needs—and making the shopping experience something we enjoy together—has made all the difference.

Here are a few things that have helped make back-to-school shopping feel a little lighter for our family.

1. Start by trying on everything they already own.

Before buying a single thing, pull every pair of pants, every sweatshirt, every jacket, and every pair of shoes out of the closet.

Yes, it sounds like a lot of work.

But you’d be surprised how many clothes still fit…and how many suddenly don’t.

Kids have a magical ability to grow overnight. One day their shoes fit perfectly, and the next morning it looks like they’re trying to squeeze into toddler sizes.

Instead of making it a chore, make it fun.

Turn on music and host a fashion show. See how quickly they can change outfits. Let younger kids strike silly runway poses after every outfit. Time them to see if they can beat their “quick change” record.

You’ll quickly create three piles:

• Fits
• Doesn’t fit.
• Maybe…but probably not for much longer.

Now you’re shopping from what they actually need instead of guessing.

2. Don’t feel like you have to buy everything in August.

This one has been freeing for me.

Every August, stores are filled with sweaters, boots, jackets, and long sleeve shirts.

Meanwhile…

It’s still 90 degrees outside.

The first few weeks of school often feel more like summer than fall, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. Our kids are still wearing shorts, T-shirts, and sandals while pumpkin displays are somehow already everywhere.

So why rush to buy winter clothes that won’t be worn for another two months?

By waiting, you’ll often find better selections later in the season, and you’ll have a much better idea of what your child actually needs after those first weeks of school.

3. Buy what they need now—and wait on the rest.

There are a few things that really are essential.

A backpack.

A lunchbox.

The classroom supplies.

Maybe a new pair of shoes because, once again, somehow their feet grew while they were sleeping.

Start there.

Once school begins, you’ll quickly discover what gaps actually exist.

Maybe your child suddenly needs another pair of athletic pants because of PE.

Maybe they realize everyone wears hoodies at recess.

Maybe they don’t actually need half the things you thought they would.

Waiting takes away so much of the guesswork.

Instead of buying “just in case,” you’re buying based on real needs.

And that usually means buying less.

4. Don’t overlook thrift stores, resale sites, and garage sales.

One of the wonderful things about kids growing so quickly is that they don’t usually wear clothes long enough to wear them out.

Which means there are some amazing secondhand finds out there.

I’ve found fantastic jackets, nearly brand-new shoes, and clothes that still had plenty of life left in them—all for a fraction of retail prices.

Late summer garage sales can be especially great because families are cleaning out closets before school starts.

Resale sites and local marketplace groups can also be gold mines for backpacks, coats, sports gear, and name-brand clothes that were barely worn before another growth spurt happened.

Kids don’t care nearly as much as we think they do.

They’re mostly excited about seeing friends again and finding their classroom.

5. Don’t let shopping hauls define what “prepared” looks like.

This one might be the hardest.

Open social media in August and you’ll probably see family after family sharing massive shopping hauls.

New outfits.

Matching shoes.

Perfectly coordinated accessories.

Closets full of brand-new clothes.

It’s fun to watch. But it can quietly convince us that our kids need an entirely new wardrobe every school year.

So this year, I’m giving myself permission to slow down. We’ll still make our shopping trip special. We’ll probably stop for a treat, laugh our way through fitting rooms, and marvel at how my daughter somehow managed to grow another shoe size over the summer. But more than anything, I want our shopping trip to build excitement for everything that’s ahead.

I want it to be a chance for us to dream about the new school year together—to talk about the friends she’ll see again, the teacher she’ll get to know, the things she’ll learn, and all the little adventures waiting for her over the coming months. Those conversations matter so much more than whether we found the perfect outfit.

Years from now, I don’t think either of us will remember exactly what ended up in the shopping bags. But I hope she’ll remember how exciting it felt to prepare for a brand-new school year together and how, long before she ever walked through those school doors, we were already celebrating all the possibilities waiting on the other side.

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> Trigger Warning: It’s Not Too Early For Christmas Displays!

I made some good points in it and I felt confident in my viewpoint.

Well, I am starting to change my mind or at least look at things from the other side.  Oh, my heart still quickens with joy when I see Christmas items start popping up and I don’t think I’ll ever change in that regard.  Christmas fills my heart with joy and I love any reminder of it.

But I’ve noticed a trend lately to speed life up and it’s a bit scary.

Recently, I was scrolling through Instagram and there were suddenly lots of Fall and Halloween pictures.  It’s summer!  Why would I be interested in pumpkins and acorns and other Autumn things?  Yet my feed was loaded with homes already decorated in fall splendor.

The influencers have even coined a name for this phenomenon: Augtober!  Apparently, it officially started on August 1^st and it means moving on to fall way too early!

I love Fall, don’t get me wrong.  I love the cooler weather, the colors, and the coziness of it all.  But skipping through the beautiful things of summer to get there faster just seems ridiculous.  By the time Autumn actually arrives the things that make it special will seem outdated and stale.

I have accepted that Summer is a time of setting up back-to-school displays too early (that used to drive my son crazy).  But it should also be a time of pool floaties and squirt gun displays, not pumpkins and fuzzy throws.

I worked retail for many years so I am not ignorant of the need to set things up early.  I also understand that the stores themselves did not make the decision to cram the next holiday’s merchandise out before the last holiday is even over (so don’t yell at the poor associates).  But it seems like it’s gotten completely out of control and things are being thrown at us faster and faster.

I saw a meme from Scott D. Clary that said:

That hit home with me.  Especially in the USA we have lost the importance of rest and just stopping for a while.

So, is this way of life new?

There is a word in the Bible that shows us it is not;

Selah.

This Hebrew word is meant as an intentional pause in the reading.  Even in our Bible reading we tend to rush from one verse to the next.  Selah is a reminder to pause, pause to think, to let the truth wash over us, to pray, to praise, to learn.

One definition of Selah is: “An invitation to reflect.”  Isn’t that lovely?  An invitation to reflect.  We all need that in our lives.  Instead of rushing from one thing to another, or one season to another, what if we accepted an invitation to pause and reflect.  Think of the beautiful things we could learn and feel.  Think of the peace that would wash over us.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a Selah button in life?  When my granddaughter was little her thoughts zoomed through her head faster than she could process or articulate them.  She would say, “Pause!”  And then she would stop long enough to catch up with what she was thinking about.  I don’t know where she came up with that but it was a brilliant way for her to process all the information in her brain.

Selah is found 74 times in the Bible (mostly in Psalms).  Psalms contains so much wisdom and it is a wonderful reminder to stop and let the words sink in.  It turns out that even our ancestors needed that reminder.

m-gucci

Knowing what Selah means will cause me to read scripture in a new way.  But where else can I implement it in life?  God has blessed me in so many ways.  Do I ever pause long enough to really soak that in or do I simply rush off to the next thing?  Do I really need to decorate my house for Fall before the summer is over?  Or can I just be content with sitting in the “now”?

Social media pushes us to zoom off to the next thing, the next holiday, the newest fashion item, or the latest food craze.  People make money by creating a frenzy of “I need” or “I want”.  But now I have a word when I feel frenzied.  Selah.  It will remind me to sit right where I am and be thankful.

There will be no Augtober for me.  I will relax and enjoy these last sleepy days of summer before I move on.

So the next time you are feeling guilty about what you’re NOT doing, remind yourself that it’s also important to pause and reflect.  After all, it’s written right in the Bible.  Seventy-four times.

“Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

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The bright blue skies of summer gave way to towering plumes of smoke that stretched across the horizon. Wildfires burned through thousands of acres surrounding our community, leaving thousands of families displaced and uncertain of what would come next. The smell of smoke lingered in the air, helicopters circled overhead, and emergency alerts buzzed across our phones. It was one of those moments where life suddenly feels a little more fragile than it did the day before.

Like many families, we found ourselves standing outside, looking toward the smoke. It’s strange how something can feel both far away and incredibly close at the same time. Our neighborhood was calm. Birds still chirped from the trees, sprinklers watered freshly cut grass, and a few kids rode bikes down the street as if nothing had changed. Yet just beyond the hills, families were packing up treasured belongings, saying goodbye to homes they weren’t sure they would see again.

Standing beside me was Penny.

She stared at the sky for a long moment before turning to me with the first of many questions.

“Mama, is the fire coming here?”

“What if it reaches our house?”

“What if people lose everything they own?”

“Would we have to leave?”

“And…what happens to all the animals?”

I smiled at that last question because, of course, Penny would be thinking about the animals. She has always had the kind of heart that worries about everyone else before herself.

As she waited for my answers, I realized I was carrying two different responsibilities. One was to tell her the truth. The other was to protect her heart. Those two things don’t always feel like they fit together.

I wanted to be honest without overwhelming her. I wanted her to understand what was happening without carrying fears that weren’t hers to hold. So instead of walking her through every possible scenario or explaining every alarming update I’d read that morning, I gently brought her back to what was true.

“Right now, we’re safe.”

“The firefighters are working so hard.”

“If anything changes, we’ll know what to do.”

“And no matter what happens, Mama will always take care of you.”

That last sentence wasn’t a promise that nothing bad would ever happen. It was a promise that she would never have to face it alone.

As parents, I think we spend much of our lives doing exactly that. We quietly carry information our children don’t need yet. We filter what they hear, not because we want to deceive them, but because we love them. We don’t tell them every frightening possibility before a doctor’s appointment. We don’t list every danger before a family road trip. We don’t explain every heartbreaking headline they are too young to process.

Instead, we help them focus on today.

Today we are together.

Today we are safe.

Today we have everything we need.

Tomorrow will come soon enough.

The older I get, the more I realize how often God parents me in exactly the same way.

There are so many questions I wish He would answer. I would love to know how every difficult season ends before it begins. I’d happily accept a five-year plan with color-coded tabs and a few reassuring footnotes. Instead, God usually gives me just enough light for the next step.

Not because He’s withholding good from me, but because He knows what my heart can carry.

As I looked at Penny that afternoon, I realized there were details I intentionally chose not to share. Not because they weren’t true, but because they weren’t helpful. They would have only invited fear into a heart that was already trying to make sense of something scary.

It made me wonder how many things God lovingly shields me from every single day.

How many disasters He prevents that I never hear about.

How many prayers He answers behind the scenes before I ever know to pray them.

How many details He keeps tucked safely in His hands because He knows I would spend all my energy worrying about tomorrow instead of living faithfully today.

Joanna Gott

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 suddenly felt less like instruction and more like the gentle voice of a loving Father: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

When I read that verse before becoming a mom, I mostly heard it as a command.

Now I hear it as comfort.

It’s almost as if God is saying, You don’t have to carry tomorrow because I’m already there.

Peter echoes the same invitation when he writes, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Not because He merely tolerates us.

Not because He’s checking a heavenly box.

Because He cares.

Because we are His children.

That afternoon, Penny eventually stopped asking questions. She wandered off to collect a handful of rocks, somehow deciding they were exactly what her stuffed animals needed. Children have a beautiful ability to return to joy once they know they’re safe. Meanwhile, I stood there thinking about evacuation maps, weather forecasts, and wind speeds.

Maybe that’s why Jesus tells us to have faith like a child.

Children trust the people who love them.

They don’t need every answer because they believe someone bigger is paying attention.

As I tucked Penny into bed that evening, the fires were still burning. The smoke hadn’t disappeared, and many families were still facing unimaginable loss. We prayed for the firefighters, for those who had been evacuated, and for rain. Then she hugged me, rolled over, and fell asleep within minutes.

I watched her for a little while before quietly leaving the room, and I couldn’t help but smile.

She slept peacefully because she trusted the One watching over her.

What a picture of the Gospel.

The truth is, none of us know what tomorrow holds. Fires come. Storms arrive. Diagnoses change everything. Plans unravel. We cannot promise our children—or ourselves—that life will always feel safe.

But we can point them to the One who never changes.

The God who watches over us never slumbers. The Father who holds tomorrow also holds us today. And just as I long for Penny to bring every fear to me instead of carrying it alone, our Heavenly Father invites us to place every worry into His hands.

Maybe that’s what courage looks like after all.

Not pretending the smoke isn’t there.

Not denying that hard things happen.

But choosing, one day at a time, to rest in the care of our Father, trusting that while we cannot see what tomorrow holds, the One who holds tomorrow has never once taken His eyes off His children.

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What do you do when you feel like you are losing your resolve to do what God instructs you to do, to follow Jesus no matter what? How do you strengthen your resolve to push on especially when you are going against the current. How do you navigate that season when it seems like even your very flesh is striving against you?

For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. Romans 7:15

Romans 7:15 shows, even from the experience of such a seasoned man of God, the very person who wrote majority of the New Testament: Paul, that it is impossible to achieve righteousness apart from Jesus. Every effort on our human part eventually ends in frustration as even when we want to do what is right, we do not. We end up doing what is wrong and what we hate to do because of the sin nature. That is why Jesus said to His disciples: Keep actively watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Matthew 26:41.

We need help from the Holy Spirit if we are going to do what is right in the sight of God.

What started off as a dilemma for Paul in Romans 7 ends with divine revelation in Romans 8. Paul discovered the key to successfully living according to the will of God, even on this sinful earth: the Holy Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.  Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. Romans 8:5-10.  

Jesus Christ living in us makes our spirits alive to righteousness and dead to sin! What a comforting truth! Indeed, we need Jesus every step of the way because apart from Him we can do nothing.

I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. John 15:5

You have had it been said that we ought to live our lives according to the Bible’s teaching rather than the culturally acceptable practices of the day. But whatsoever that look like practically? What strategies can you employ in the daily rhythms of your life and family to effectively do this?

We must have faith that God’s Word is true, trust in His promises to us and allow to be led by the Holy Spirit daily.

It’s not easy living whole-heartedly for Jesus in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Him is hard. Jesus warned us about this already, but He did not leave us helpless or hopeless. He sent us the most powerful and effective Helper anyone could ever ask for, the Holy Spirit. Jesus also encourages us to take heart; He has overcome the world. Not will or is going to but has already overcome. We are fighting from a place of Victory!

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] John 16:33.

God has set us up to succeed! He has put things in place to help us. One of the biggest advantages we have is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, as He was leaving this earth, assured us that it is good for Him to go, so He can send us exactly what we need: our Helper, the One who will help us succeed even when it seems like the odds are stacked against us. The Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that powerfully rose Jesus from the dead will give us the power to live righteously in this fallen world. Hallelujah!

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. John 16:7, 13.

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When they storm rages, be still and KNOW that He is God. When the storm rages, the natural reaction tends to be panic, stress, despair and sorrow. It is quite hard when you are in the thick of chaos to make yourself still.

So how do we build strong faith in order to stand when those tough seasons come? For starters, that faith must be built before the tough seasons come. You do not wait for the trials and tribulations to start building faith. That is instead the time when you tap into the reserves.

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8.

Like the writer of the Proverbs says, look at the ant, who stores up food in harvest for the time of scarcity. That is the same with our faith. We build it up daily, during the ordinary mundane I dare say boring seasons and also when all is going well.

The last few weeks have been trial by fire! It has truly been a time of proofing for our family. It is all well and dandy to profess God’s Word and promises when life is going well, but when the rubber meets the road, we see what we are really made of.

If you faint in the day of adversity, how small/weak is your faith. Proverbs 24:10

That is the verse that God gave me when I asked Him for encouragement. I was taken aback honestly. I expected Him to say something more soothing and encouraging in the way I wanted encouragement. Something more like I will take away all your trials and never ever let you go through hard times. Yes, I know that is not Biblical, but that is what I wanted to hear. God in His wisdom told me what I needed and not wanted to hear. He told me the truth. Which got me asking, is my faith strong or weak? Do I believe God and His word no matter what? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17. If you find yourself asking if your faith is strong or how to build your faith, the answer is read God’s word over and over, consistently and diligently. Store up His word as a treasure in your heart and ask for the grace to live by it. That is how faith comes. And faith grows by exercising it. Choosing to believe God’s word over your circumstances and seeing it work grows your faith.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6.

I have never been a big fan of this verse. I would rather other people encouraged me. God saw that I needed to grow in this area and gave me the “opportunity.” Oh my! This is what Paul must have been talking about moving from milk to meat/solid food.

Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your [spiritual] hearing and sluggish [even slothful in achieving spiritual insight]. For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. Hebrews 5:11-14.

Here’s a newsflash! In case you did not know it, the Christian walk requires work!

Continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. Philippians 2:12.

The Christian walk is not passive. Spiritual growth to a level where you can encourage yourself in the Lord does not just happen by chance. It is the result of consistent, diligent time in prayer, in worship, in Bible reading and in Bible following. It is a result of work. God still requires obedience. The good news is that when we do our part of yielding unto the Lord, He does what only He can do.

Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]… Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]. James 4:8,10

There is no situation too hard for God. Go to God in prayer, He is to God of impossibilities. Indeed, God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in times of trouble. He rescues us from the fowler’s snare and declares: touch not my anointed. Do my prophet no hard!  We have tasted and seen, time and time again that this God can be trusted.

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“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8

“Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer.” Proverbs 30:24-25

In scripture, ants are used as an example of diligence and hard work.  They do not use their tiny size as an excuse; they simply get their work done.  They prepare ahead of time and thus are ready for whatever is to come.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23

Looking to ants as an example is a great idea during these lazy days of summer.

One of the first times I realized how amazing ants are happened when I was on vacation in California.  I was in a room on the second floor of a hotel.  I had chicken for dinner and left the bones in the garbage can.  In the morning there was a line of ants from the ground, up two floors, in the window and to the garbage can!  Hundreds and hundreds of tiny ants were all in a line.  It was an amazing example of the lengths they go through to gather food.

Ants are worth studying.  They are a complex species.  A simple search will give you hundreds of ant facts to learn.  Here are a few to get your kids started.

ANT FACTS:

• There are over 12,000 ant species in the world.
• Some queen ants live more than 30 years.
• A single ant can carry over 50 times its own body weight.
• Ants live on every continent except ANTarctica (get it?).
• Ants live in colonies.  They have one or more queens and female ants tend to the queen, the eggs, and the colony.  Male ants have wings and only breed.
• Ants have six legs and run fast.
• They leave scent trails to communicate with other ants.
• Ants love sweet foods.
• Ants do not have ears but feel vibrations instead.
• Ant’s bodies have three sections: the head, the thorax and the abdomen.  Add six legs and antennas and you have an ant.  Once you know their basic anatomy you can create all kinds of ants out of all kinds of things.

Ann Kirsten

On a recent hot day, I put my granddaughter to work and she made these ant crafts.  There is nothing like a craft to bring a lesson home.

ANT ROCKS

You’ll need: rocks and black paint or pens, brushes, and white paint if desired.  Paint ants onto rocks (using the basic anatomy guide above as an example).  Hide them in your garden.

Ann Kirsten

WATERMELON PAINTING

You’ll need: paper and paint or markers.  Paint a big slice of watermelon on your paper.  Use your pinky finger dipped in black paint to make a line of three circles for the ant’s body.  Add legs and antenna with a pen.  Remember that ants love sweet foods and watermelon is sweet!

Ann Kirsten

ANT TUNNELS

You’ll need paper, a sponge, paint and glue.  Crumple a piece of paper (we used brown packing paper).  Lightly sponge brown paint onto the crumpled paper.  Let it dry and rip it into pieces. Glue the pieces onto a plain piece of paper, leaving spaces for “tunnels”.  Draw or paint ants in the tunnels.  Add grass and flowers onto the top.

Ann Kirsten

EGG CARTON ANTS

You’ll need an egg carton, paint and brushes, a skewer or hole punch, wiggle eyes (you can use paint instead) and pipe cleaners.  Cut three sections of an egg carton and paint it black.  Let it dry.  Glue on your eyes or paint them on.  Poke holes and stick in pipe cleaner legs and antennas.

Ann Kirsten

ANTS ON A LOG

This has been a favorite snack for generations.   You’ll need: celery sticks, peanut butter or cream cheese, raisins or chocolate chips.  Spread your peanut butter or cream cheese onto a celery stick and sprinkle on raisins or chocolate chips.  Yum!

Ann Kirsten

ANT EXPERIMENT

Put something sweet on the ground where you have seen ants.  See how long it takes them to find it and how many of their friends show up.

ANTS IN YOUR PANTS

This will crack your kids up!  Draw a simple pair of pants and add ants.  Draw them, paint them or stamp them.  Tell your kids that because ants are always moving, the saying, “ants in your pants” refers to wiggly people.

Ann Kirsten

ANT CUPCAKES

Bake or buy your favorite cupcakes.  Frost them with green frosting.  Use any round candies to make the ant bodies such as Whoppers, Junior Mints, or brown M&M’s.  Use black licorice or chocolate jimmies to make the legs and antennas.  Add candy eyes with a bit of frosting.

Ann Kirsten

To finish off your ant study, this stuffed ant on Amazon is so cute!  Just do a search for “stuffed ant” and you will find it in lots of colors.

Or how about ant toothpicks?  Your kids will love to fake out family members with these food-carrying picks (Amazon).

So, there you have it.  An ant study for those lazy summer days.  Isn’t it amazing how much we have to learn from the Bible?  There is always something new to find in the pages.

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  1 Timothy 5:8

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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.

This content is syndicated from allmomdoes: https://purposely.com/podcasts/gospel-tech/how-do-we-raise-up-our-kids/ Find more content at Gospel Tech Archives - Purposely Podcasts and subscribe to the allmomdoes Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and more!

One day I’ll be thankful that my kid is strong willed but that will not be today, not in this grocery store.-Unknown

Does your child fight nearly everything you do and say? Bath time, naptime, mealtime, and all the times in-between? Is your patience constantly being tested and you feel like you’re always trying to figure out a more effective way to parent your little one? Oh boy, can I relate!

My four-year-old officially stopped napping this summer. Not because he was ready to move on from them, but because he knows his big brothers are home from school. When I asked why he wasn’t sleeping for the millionth time, he matter-of-factly informed me that he wouldn’t be able to nap while they were home. I tried explaining why naps were good and helped his brain and body calm down, I tried telling him that he had to sleep or else, I told him that his brothers took naps when they were four. Did any of this help to change his mind? Nope. Instead, my sweet but strong-willed child told me I couldn’t make him sleep and that he was never closing his eyes again. If you’ve got what they call a “spirited” child, this probably sounds very familiar.

This isn’t our first rodeo with a spirited child; our first son was/is very similar. With him, we were in complete shock that none of the classic parenting methods seemed to work. Kids with this temperament tend to be more persistent, sensitive, intense, curious, and perceptive (according to Dr. Mary Sheedy Kurcinka in Raising Your Spirited Child). With all the labels in today’s world, my husband and I often joke that “spirited” is just a nicer way of saying, difficult. It’s true, this personality type is often very difficult to parent. It can be exhausting in so many ways. They tend to require the bare minimum when it comes to sleep, for one. Their big emotions sometimes make it feel like you’re trapped in an insane asylum as you try to reason with them. Kiddos with this temperament pick up on everything, can become fixated on something and refuse to give up, and can sometimes have very strong reactions with seemingly no warning.

The reason it feels like a whole new (and even more exhausting) ball game this time around is that unlike with the oldest, our four-year-old is living in a much fuller home and has lots of big brothers to mimic and argue with.

By the time dinner rolls around, my older kids are usually asking, “Has he had his nap today?! Mom-he needs a nap!”.  One of them even asked a few weeks ago if we could send him to boarding school. After refusing to eat his dinner, I was frustrated and asked him how it felt to never eat to which he replied, “It feels good!”.

On another stressful day and after countless time-outs, I thought it would be a great reset to take a walk with just the two of us, through our neighborhood. He fought me while I held his hand to cross the road and when we reached the sidewalk, I asked him why he was trying to pull away. He didn’t even hesitate to give me an honest answer. “Because you’re trying to control me!” was his reply. Even though he usually loves holding my hand, he realized that was just one more thing he could fight for control on.  Below the defiant exterior, he eventually gets overwhelmed and sad just like everyone else. He’s just able to hide it for a really long time while he goes to war with all of his family members. Sure, all toddlers and preschoolers have their defiant moments. They’re learning, they’re pushing boundaries, they are trying to figure out their place in the world.

Yes, there are certain things you can try to do with kids this age to help things run more smoothly. Parenting books are full of ideas and from what I’ve seen, often suggest that kids struggling with control need more options. That can be true, definitely. However, even implementing more options for my more challenging kids rarely seems to change the outcome. For example, my four-year-old can brush his teeth with supervision, but I still help to make sure he got them clean enough. I tell him I’ll put the toothpaste on and then he can help brush. To which he often responds, “No, I want to do it. I know how.” I tell him that toothpaste is a parent’s job and that he can help brush, but instead of complying, he reacts by telling me he isn’t brushing and seals his lips together.

I say he should wear pajama pants to bed because he might get cold, he disagrees and wears shorts. We ask him to sit on the stairs to get his shoes on, so he sits just out of reach and says he likes the other step better. I say he can’t roll his window down in the car because it’s raining, he says he wants the rain on his face and likes to be wet and cold. I say he should wear a hat because it’s so sunny, he says he likes the sun in his eyes.

You get the picture. It can be really tough and wearing to navigate, especially when you mix in the sibling dynamics and bickering. Even when my little guy isn’t fighting me, he is usually fighting his brothers and everything can quickly descend into chaos. If your child is always early to rise, demands to do everything themselves, and makes it feel like you’re living with a teenager from the age they can walk-you more than likely have a spirited child.

Two of my kids have completely different personalities from my more spirited children. That doesn’t mean they’re better, it just means that our two with bigger emotions tend to need us differently. Every child is unique, but we can still be as consistent as possible. Hopefully, understanding the quirks and challenges that come with raising more persistent, intuitive, and sensitive children will help us react in ways that calm the situation rather than aggravate it. For what it’s worth, I have learned that children with spirited temperaments tend to thrive with more activity and steady routines. At the end of the day, my little guy loves even more fiercely than he fights. He can be thoughtful and empathetic, cares deeply for animals, helps others when they’re hurt, and is extremely protective of his family (even the brothers that he goes to war with). I have no doubt that the traits that sometimes make him difficult to parent, are the very same traits that will become strengths when he is an adult. His intense curiosity, strong-will, and perseverance are a gift, even if they feel like more of a curse sometimes in these younger years. The same little boy that fights me at every turn and makes steam come out of my ears is the same one who knew I had a headache the other day, put his head against mine, and said, “I’m trying to give it to me instead of you.”

A few things that absolutely help when it comes to raising not-so-easy little ones, are patience and choosing your battles. Both can be very difficult, especially when you’re at your wits-end with your child’s fighting spirit. Pray for peace in your heart and home, for patience and discernment in your parenting, and for strength in the stressful and exhausting moments. Ask them for forgiveness when you lose your temper no matter how young they are and trust God’s plan in giving you these children to raise. Hang in there, mom. Your spirited child loves you to infinity and beyond, and there is no one more qualified for the job.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. -Colossians 3:12

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Read more of Maria’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.

1.  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

2.  “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

3.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

4.  “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.” John 14:27

5.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

6.  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

7.  “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19

8.  “But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

9.  “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 12:25

10. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

11. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

12. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

13. “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.  Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

14. “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4

15. “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12:22-26

16. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

17. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

18. “Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” Mark 6:50

19. “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

20. “’For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:13-14

21. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

22. “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?  The Lord is with me; he is my helper.” Psalm 118:6-7

23. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25

24. “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:39-40

25. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalm 34:7

26. “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.” 1 Peter 3:14

27. “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4

28. “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 3:22

29. “Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.’” Revelation 1:17

30. “Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’” Mark 5:36

31. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38-39

32. “The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17

33. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you…For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways…“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him…” from Psalm 91:1-16

Do you need prayer? If you are struggling and need a community to surround you, I’d love to invite you to check out our prayer community. Post your prayer request and pray over others. It is a great faith builder!

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One of my favorite ways to tackle anxiety in my own life is through worship music! So, here is a list of 20 worship songs that have helped me turn my eyes to Jesus and brought me so much peace when I have been in my darkest moments. I hope you can use these as a tool to calm your anxiety and focus on Jesus.

Warrior – Hannah Kerr

“You’ll never stop me, I’m a warrior, when I fall down I’ll get stronger, faith is my shield, your love is the armor.”

Eye of the Storm – Ryan Stevenson

“In the eye of the storm, You remain in control, in the middle of the war, You guard my soul, You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn, Your love surrounds me, in the eye of the storm.”

Stand In Your Love – Josh Baldwin

“My fear doesn’t stand a chance when I stand in your love”

Love Has a Name – Jesus Culture feat. Kim Walker Smith

“We will fix our eyes on the one who overcame. We will stand in awe of the one who breaks the chains. Love has a name, Jesus!”

 Praise You Through the Storm – Casting Crowns

“And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in your hand, You never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm.”

Reckless Love – Cory Asbury

“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine, I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away, oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God”

Scars – I Am They

“So I’m thankful for the scars, cause without them I wouldn’t know your heart, and I know they’ll always tell of who you are, so forever I am thankful for the scars.”

The Father’s House – Cory Asbury

“Love is breaking through when the Father’s in the room! Lay your burdens down, here in the Father’s house. Check your shame at the door cause it ain’t welcome anymore!”

Anchor of Peace – North Point Worship

“Oh you don’t have to look no farther, He’s the hope that you need, oh if your sails are torn and tattered, and the storm just won’t cease, take hold of the hand of the Saviour, He’s the anchor of peace.”

Ceasefire – for KING & COUNTRY

“I will be the first to say I’m far from perfect, but grace was made for those who don’t deserve it”

Lord of My Life – Matt Maher

“Every step I take, always by my side, I am yours, you are mine, be the Lord of my life.”

Waymaker – Michael W. Smith

“Waymaker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who you are.”

Not Today- Hillsong United

“Let the Devil know not today!’”

 God Only Knows- For King & Country

“God only knows what you’ve been through, God only knows what they say about you, God only knows the real you, but there’s a kind of love that God only knows!”

Peace Be Still – Hope Darst

“Peace be still, you are here so it is well, even when my eyes can’t see, I will trust the voice that speaks!”

Control – For King & Country

“I give up control; body, mind, and soul. Can’t do this on my own, alone, no.”

I Will Fear No More – The Afters

“You’re my courage when I worry in the dead of night, You’re my strength ’cause I’m not strong enough to win this fight, You are greater than the battle raging in my mind, I will trust You, Lord, I will fear no more”

Rescue- Lauren Daigle

“I hear you whisper underneath your breath, I hear your SOS, your SOS. I will send out an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night, it’s true, I will rescue you.”

You’re Gonna Be Okay – Jenn Johnson

“Hold on, don’t let go, just take one step closer, put one foot in front of the other, you’ll get through this, just follow the light in the darkness, you’re gonna be ok”

No Longer Slaves – Jonathan David and Melissa Helser, Bethel Music

“I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God.”

BONUS! Choosing only 20 songs is impossible because there are SO many great songs out there that could easily make this list. However, I only have 20 spots to fill. BUT I’m breaking the rules and giving you ONE more. The last song on this list is… Cover the Earth by Kari Jobe and her husband, Cody Carnes. I promise this song will make you want to sing along at the top of your lungs.

Next time you feel consumed by anxiety and worry, use these songs as a tool. In Psalm 105:2 it says “Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” God wants us to come before Him in worship, no matter how we are feeling. When we come to Him in worship with our fears, He hears our cries and does work in our lives.

]]> https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/20-worship-songs-to-help-you-fight-fear-anxiety/feed/ 0 https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/talking-with-kids-about-tragedy-traumatic-events/ https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/talking-with-kids-about-tragedy-traumatic-events/#respond Sun, 26 Jul 2026 16:54:37 +0000 Rebecca Joy 2026-07-27T03:48:33+00:00 https://d955.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=42996 Getty | fizkes Recent events have me looking at my children wondering how to talk to them about tragedy and the difficulties of this world. I’m grateful for resources that can help us as we try to grapple with hard stuff. In order to equip you with your own children, we’ve compiled some resources from trusted professionals.

Questions to Help Guide Hard Conversations

• What are you worried or afraid about?
• What are your friends talking and thinking about?
• How have you been affected?
• Talk about your core values. We hold on to the hope of Christ.
• Allow children to express their emotions. Remind them that having a lot of emotions is normal.
• Remind your child that you are there if they want to talk at any time.
• It’s okay to not have the answers, but you can still share how you struggle with your child and where you look for that hope and security.
• Pray with your child.

Without factual information, children speculate to fill in the empty spaces so it is important that they know you are a safe place to have hard conversations. Reassure them. Encourage your child to share their feelings by sharing your feelings (in an age appropriate way!) Remember to look for the good. There is always heroism in the face of tragedy.

Strategies by Age Group

Ages Birth to 6

No media exposure to major traumatic events. Children at this age draw love and support from their parents so if they guardians feel safe, children will as well. Speak calmly about bad things. Parents should maintain a sense of calmness.

Ages 6-12

Children this age are more aware of the world around them, yet still need moms and dads to shield them from most of the bad news in our world. Very limited exposure to the media is recommended at this stage, with more open discussions about any fears or insecurities that the child is feeling. Talking is encouraged for this age group, or write letters to emergency workers to thank them for helping the victims. Drawing pictures allows for healthy emotional expression, and something everyone needs is just being held close. A hug can help bring security to a child. Also remember to have special times of prayer. These steps help children better deal with their fears about bad things that happen in the world.

Ages 12-18

Young students have their own impressions of traumatic events. The older they are, the more likely they will have strong opinions, and it is normal for them to process their feelings with friends. This should be balanced with family, teachers, clergy or counselors. They need time to verbally process how they feel about what happened ten years ago. Special emphasis should be placed on helping this age group talk through the issues and how it impacted them and not stay isolated. Silence is a warning sign that the crisis events of the past have been internalized. Strict limits on over exposure of media is essential to prevent anxiety or panic levels from rising.

How to Help Kids After a Tragedy

• Listen carefully and compassionately.
• Spend time with traumatized children. It’s always better to be together than alone after trauma.
• Offer assistance and a listening ear. Reach out to people you haven’t heard from.
• Reassure safety after danger has passed.
• Help with everyday tasks.
• Tragedy produces a lot of emotions. Crisis brings out the best and the worst. Don’t take these feelings personally.
• Never use phrases like “Lucky it wasn’t worse.” Seek to tell them you are sorry the event occurred.
• Connect with compassion and empathy. Avoid trying to ‘fix’ them.
• Utilize professional grief counselors.
• No one gets through a crisis alone. Talking through elevated stress after tragedy is essential.

Signs of Stress

Infants & Toddlers

• Regression in sleeping, toilet training, eating. Slowing down in certain skills.
• Difficulty with sleep.
• Clinginess
• Crankiness, temper tantrums, crying

3-5 Years of Age

• Regression. Returning to security items, lapses in toilet training and other age appropriate behavior.
• Bewildered. Making up fantasy stories.
• Blaming themselves and feeling guilty.
• Bedtime anxiety, fitful sleep, frequent waking.
• Fear of being abandoned. Clinginess. Feelings of not being safe.
• Greater irritability, aggression or temper tantrums

6-8 Years of Age

• Pervasive sadness, specifically if they perceive they will be abandoned or rejected.
• Crying and sobbing
• Afraid of their worst fears coming true. “Catastrophizing”
• Fantasies that the stressful event didn’t happen and that things will just ‘go back to normal.’
• Overactive or over-involved to avoid thinking about stressful issues.
• Feel ashamed of the crisis; or feel they are different from other children because of the crisis.

Adolescents

• Fear of being isolated, lonely
• Fear loss and stability and security from parents leaving them
• Feel hurried to achieve independence party to escape crisis
• Trying to over-achieve to forget the crisis
• Worry about their own future, preoccupied with the survival of stable situations.
• Chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating. Physical complaints may indicate stuffed emotions.
• Mourn the loss caused by the crisis or begin to understand that life can be a dangerous place.

Coping Skills to Reduce Traumatic Stress

Physical:

• Sleep, (7-9 hours)
• Sleep rituals- Same time to wake up and go to bed
• Predictable daily schedule
• Healthy Diet with Regular mealtimes
• Hydration throughout day
• Nutritional supplements
• Low impact exercise
• Deep breathing
• Relaxation routines/massage or energizing naps
• Regular physical checkups, including blood work
• Medication, (as prescribed by your physician)

Emotional:

• Esteem building exercises, especially with photos or images
• Laughter/Fun/Playtime
• Face anger, anxiety and apathy directly
• Journal out negative emotions
• Let go of painful past memories
• Say “NO” to bad habits
• Talk through issues to get through issues
• Identify and process hurtful emotions
• Write letters to vent out disappointment, (then tear them up)

Relational:

• Face relationship issues
• Voice your needs to others
• Confront conflict directly
• Connect with friends/family
• Share your burdens with others
• Join a support group
• Utilize counseling supports
• Join a hobby group which involves others
• Say “NO” to manipulative behavior
• Hugs/affection, (from pets or students)
• Learn the love language of those close to you

Behavioral

• Daily planning time
• Utilize organizational planners
• Short term goals
• Daily hobbies for enjoyment
• Creative activities for relaxation
• Develop victory list of accomplishments
• Create a bucket list of lifetime goals
• Reading for personal development
• “Pay it forward” to do good for others
• Learn something new everyday
• Take on new challenges
• Leave work stress at work
• Take a training course to gain a new skill

Spiritual:

• Prayer
• Volunteer to help others
• Reading for inspiration
• Forgive those who have wronged you and forgive yourself
• Listen to inspirational music
• Attend spiritual development classes
• Attend inspirational services
• Make prayer a regular part of your day
• Observe a day of rest
• Find a way to get in touch with nature by visiting a state park, lake or beach
• Memorize scripture to develop your soul
• Remember, “Things come to pass – not stay”
• Re-create spiritual peace in quiet places
• Build spiritual strength through meaningful experiences
• Attend prayer vigils to experience greater spiritual and community connection

Sources: Information gathered from resources by Kathleen O’Connell, Dwight Bain, The American Red Cross

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you’ve probably heard about the larger-than-life wooden trolls tucked away along trails and in parks. They’re whimsical, mysterious, and just magical enough to convince a seven-year-old that maybe—just maybe—they come alive after everyone leaves.

One afternoon, Penny and I decided to go for a walk to find one. The entire way there she buzzed with excitement. “What if it’s bigger than our house?” she asked. “What if it’s real? What if it moves?” I assured her that it wouldn’t move, although I secretly hoped it might blink just once so I could see the expression on her face.

After weaving through the trees, we finally found it.

It was enormous.

Its wooden hands stretched across the forest, its face peeked through the trees, and every carefully carved detail made it feel almost alive. Standing beside it made us feel wonderfully small.

Joanna Gott

Penny stared up at it for a long moment before turning to me and asking, “Mom… is God bigger than the troll?”

I smiled.

“Oh yes,” I replied. “Much bigger.”

She nodded thoughtfully, still looking up at the towering figure. Then she asked another question that stopped me in my tracks.

“How big is God?”

Those are the moments motherhood has given me—the questions no parenting book really prepares you for. Because how do you explain someone who can’t be measured? How do you describe someone who has no beginning or end, who created the universe, but whom you can’t physically point to?

It’s an especially interesting question in a world filled with imaginary characters and magical stories.

Children grow up hearing about Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny. They read stories about dragons, unicorns, talking animals, trolls hiding in forests, superheroes with incredible powers, and dinosaurs that once roamed the earth. Some of those things are real. Some are pretend. Some are based on history, while others exist only in imagination.

Then somewhere in the middle of all those stories, we tell them about God.

Only this time we say, “This One is real.”

If you stop and think about it, that’s actually a pretty big concept for a child to grasp. Unlike the troll standing in the woods, we can’t point to God with our finger. Unlike Santa, He doesn’t leave wrapped presents under the tree. Unlike the Tooth Fairy, He doesn’t tuck money beneath a pillow. We teach our children about Someone they can’t physically see but who is more real than anything else they’ll ever know.

We tell them He hears every prayer.

That He created the stars.

That He knows every hair on their head.

That He loves them more deeply than anyone ever could.

That He is always with them.

Those are beautiful truths. But they’re also invisible ones.

The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized that this isn’t just a challenge for children. It’s one we continue wrestling with as adults.

Our questions simply become more sophisticated.

Is God really here?

Can He hear me?

Is He paying attention?

Does He see what I’m walking through?

Has He forgotten me?

As children we wonder, “How big is God?” As adults, we often ask, “Is God big enough for this?”

Big enough for the diagnosis.

Big enough for the financial strain.

Big enough for the broken relationship.

Big enough for the uncertainty.

Big enough for the prayers that seem to echo back in silence.

Maybe that’s why I loved Penny’s question so much. Children have a way of asking the questions adults are quietly carrying in their hearts.

The Bible paints a picture of God’s greatness that stretches far beyond what our minds can fully comprehend. Isaiah writes, “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales.” (Isaiah 40:15). Just a few verses later we’re reminded that God measures the waters in the hollow of His hand and stretches out the heavens like a curtain. The oceans fit within His hand. The stars were spoken into existence by His voice. Mountains are measured by Him.

Suddenly that giant troll didn’t seem quite so giant anymore.

Neither did many of the things that tend to overwhelm me.

Sometimes I think we unintentionally shrink God down to the size of our own understanding. If we can’t see Him working, we assume He isn’t. If we can’t explain what He’s doing, we wonder if He has a plan at all. We measure His ability by our own limitations.

Children don’t do that.

Penny never questioned whether God could be bigger than the troll. She simply assumed He was. She just wanted to know how much bigger.

There’s something incredibly beautiful about that kind of faith.

Jesus understood it too. That’s why He said, “Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14). Children believe before they fully understand. They trust before they have all the answers. They don’t spend their energy trying to reduce God to something manageable. They simply believe He is who He says He is.

As we turned to leave, Penny looked back one last time at the towering troll.

“God is definitely bigger,” she said matter-of-factly.

I laughed.

“I think you’re right.”

As we walked back through the woods, I couldn’t stop thinking about that simple statement. So many things in life can feel like that giant troll—towering over us, intimidating us, making us feel incredibly small. A difficult diagnosis. A broken dream. Financial uncertainty. Waiting for an answered prayer. Parenting struggles. Grief. Fear of the future.

Maybe the goal isn’t to convince ourselves those things are small.

Maybe the invitation is simply to remember that God is so much bigger.

Bigger than our fears.

Bigger than our doubts.

Bigger than our unanswered questions.

Bigger than the mountains we face.

And yes…

Even bigger than the biggest troll in the Pacific Northwest.

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Last week, I tried having my Bible Devotion in the living room because I heard someone say the children should see you reading your Bible and it sounded like wise advice, so I gave it a try. Let’s just say I now understand why Peter went out all the way onto of the roof top to pray. Out of sight, out of reach and all alone.  Peter went up on the roof of the house to pray. Acts 10:9
I was literally interrupted every 3 minutes. This reminded me of a clip that a friend shared which said the average Mom is interrupted about every 3 minutes.

Finally, I gave up and took my Bible reading to a more secluded place, aka my bathroom. I guess only Daddy has the privilege of reading his Bible in the living room uninterrupted.

On the other hand, I love that the children know that they can come to me anytime for anything and they will have my ear.

However, as they grow and mature, I now need wisdom on how to train them on reading the room, learning how to wait for a more opportune time and how to show respect for what others are doing as well. Teaching them to think of others and not just themselves. To judge and know when it is an emergency and Mom can and should be be interrupted versus when what they have to say can wait until Mom has finished reading her Bible and spending time with God. They like to say if they wait, they will forget, so this training has the added bonus of them acquiring the much needed skill of memory retention.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Having a consistent personal time of Bible reading and prayer may mean getting up half an hour earlier to pray while the children are still sleep, utilizing naptimes and quiet times or the last hour of your day after everyone has gone to bed. What is important is that this vital time with God is consistent.

Just as a father loves his children, So the LORD loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence]. Psalm 103:13

[The LORD answered] “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15

Having children and families was never meant to draw us away from our consistent, intimate communion with our God in Bible reading, worship and prayer. Rather, it serves to give us a deeper understanding of God’s love, devotion and affection for us. The love a parent has for their child is fierce. Think about what you would do for your child, the lengths you would go, now multiply that by a gazillion because that is how fiercely God loves you.

So, if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

I noticed that once I give the children my complete, undivided attention at the start of the day, no phone, no quick chores while we talk but sitting down with them, making eye contact, hugging them and letting them connect with me deeply fills their tank up. It gives them a sense of grounding and security that we all crave as human beings because we were created for community and family. Once their tank is full, they are more content to go about their own activities like playing or reading a book for a more extended period of time.

May God give us wisdom as Moms and parents on how to strike that balance between holding our children close, which is vital for their sense of belonging and teaching them a grounded sense of independence which they will need to thrive out in the world as adults.

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There are the basic things, like how to dress themselves, how to tie their own shoes, how to ride their bikes, and how to change the toilet paper roll (good luck with that last one!).

And, then you add in the big things: teaching them about God and faith, teaching them empathy and compassion, and how to survive in this crazy world.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

It’s no wonder that moms often feel stressed out and hopelessly unqualified for their jobs.

I felt such a heavy weight of responsibility as a young mother as I attempted to teach my kids everything they needed to know.  What had I forgotten?  Were they absorbing the lessons?  Often as they were heading out the door I was still yelling instructions to them.  “Don’t forget to say please and thank you!”  “Share with your friends!”  “Be kind to others!”

My kids would yell back, “We know!”

But I wanted to make sure that my children didn’t fall through the cracks, that they didn’t have to learn things the hard way, and that I was doing my job of mothering well.

Of course I did miss teaching some things and of course they had to learn some things the hard way.  I felt so much self-induced stress as I watched them traipse through life.

What I failed to acknowledge back then was how much my kids learned on their own and how much THEY could teach ME.

When my son was little, I took him to see the play, “The Victor” (about Jesus’ death and resurrection).  As the soldiers marched Jesus down the center aisle of the church ridiculing him for saying he was the king of the Jews, my little son began yelling angrily, “He is!  He is the king of the Jews!”  It was very embarrassing.  But he didn’t care.  It was more important to him to get the truth out there.

He taught me about brave faith.

One of my children was mercilessly bullied in school for years.  I wanted to go to the school and beat up the bullies, their parents, and anyone else I could blame.  My child told me in no uncertain terms to stay out of it.  Watching this child march off day after day to a literal war zone taught me more about bravery than anyone else ever has.

I grew up in a gossipy house.  My mom loved to “discuss” people and their problems.  I used to fall into that same trap, until my daughter changed me with her kind nature.  Whenever I would begin to speak harshly about someone she would defend them: “Maybe they were just tired, mom.”  Or “They probably didn’t mean it that way.”

She taught me so much about grace.

I have a jewelry box full of weird costume jewelry.  None of it has any monetary value.  My granddaughter used to love to get the box down.  She would pull out each item, caress it gently and speak about its beauty.  “Oh, isn’t this lovely?” she’d ask me in a reverent whisper.  When she was done she would carefully lay the jewelry back in as though it were worth millions.

She taught me to appreciate the little things in life.

I wish I had taken away a big percentage of the stress I put on myself to teach my children everything I had ever learned and instead spent more time listening and learning from them.  Children have so much to teach us if we only take the time to listen.

My kids are adults now and they are still teaching me, maybe even more than I taught them.  And now I have grandchildren to learn life lessons from too.  I am better at slowing down and taking in the lessons now.  I love nothing more than to sit and watch them as they experience life and its teachings on their own.

Proverbs 17:6: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”

My grandkids know that they can teach Nana whatever they’ve learned.  They tell me about sports teams and the latest online games.  They teach me new slang words and what they mean.  They come to me with the latest things they’ve realized about life and I pause and am astounded by the learning they’ve acquired all on their own.

“And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

I am having more fun becoming like a little child than I ever did as the teacher.

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In fact, these have officially climbed to the top of mine and Penny’s favorite cookies to bake together. The dough is packed with gooey marshmallows, crunchy graham crackers, and plenty of chocolate, and watching the marshmallows puff up in the oven is almost as fun as eating the finished cookies. Almost.

If you’re looking for the perfect dessert to bring to a backyard barbecue, neighborhood gathering, or simply enjoy on the porch with a glass of cold milk, these cookies are it. They’re soft in the middle, slightly crisp around the edges, and loaded with everything that makes a s’more so irresistible.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups mini marshmallows, divided
• 2 cups broken graham crackers, divided
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 Hershey’s chocolate bars, broken into small pieces

Step 1: Prep Everything First

Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to keep cleanup simple and prevent sticking.

Gather all of your ingredients before you begin. You want the butter to be softened, but if it has become a little too soft sitting on the counter, pop it into the refrigerator for about five minutes so it isn’t overly melty. Having everything measured ahead of time also makes baking with kids so much easier. Penny loves being the official “ingredient helper,” and it keeps the process moving without searching through the pantry every few minutes.

Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for about 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.

This step is worth taking your time on because it creates that soft, chewy texture everyone loves in a homemade cookie.

Step 3: Add the Eggs and Vanilla

Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Beat until everything is fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

At this point the dough already smells amazing, and if you’re baking with little helpers, expect a few requests to lick the spoon.

Step 4: Mix the Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.

Mix on low speed until everything just comes together. Be careful not to overmix the dough. Once the flour disappears, stop mixing. Overworked cookie dough can become tough instead of soft and chewy.

Step 5: Fold in All the Good Stuff

Now comes everyone’s favorite part.

Using a spatula, gently fold in:

• 1½ cups broken graham crackers
• 1½ cups mini marshmallows
• Milk chocolate chips
• Semisweet chocolate chips

Every scoop of dough should have a little bit of everything. I always let Penny sprinkle these in because she gets so excited watching the cookie dough transform into something that already looks delicious before it’s even baked.

Step 6: Scoop the Dough

Using a large cookie scoop (about 2–3 tablespoons), portion the dough onto your prepared baking sheets.

Leave about 2 inches between each cookie because they’ll spread while baking.

For even more texture, gently press a few extra graham cracker pieces into the tops of the dough before baking. It gives the finished cookies that classic campfire look.

Step 7: Bake

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, just until the edges begin to set while the centers still look slightly underdone.

Immediately remove the baking sheets from the oven and gently press:

• 4–5 additional mini marshmallows
• A couple pieces of Hershey’s chocolate

onto the top of each cookie.

This is the secret that gives them that picture-perfect bakery appearance and ensures plenty of gooey marshmallow in every bite.

Step 8: Finish Baking

Return the cookies to the oven for another 2–3 minutes.

If you’d like your marshmallows to have that beautifully toasted campfire look, switch the oven to broil for the last minute. Just don’t walk away—they can brown very quickly!

Step 9: Cool Before Enjoying

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

This helps them finish setting while keeping the centers wonderfully soft.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days, or freeze them for up to two months. If you’re enjoying them later, pop one in the microwave for about 10 seconds and it’s almost like eating a freshly baked cookie.

A New Summer Favorite

There are recipes that you make once because they look fun, and then there are recipes that quietly become part of your family’s traditions. These cookies have definitely become the second kind for us.

There’s something special about baking them together. Penny loves adding the marshmallows, I love sneaking a few extra chocolate pieces on top, and together we wait impatiently by the oven, watching the marshmallows puff up and the chocolate melt. They bring all the nostalgia of roasting s’mores around a campfire but are simple enough to make any afternoon when you’re craving a little taste of summer.

So whether you’re planning a family movie night, hosting friends for a backyard barbecue, or simply looking for a cozy baking project with your kids, these S’mores Cookies are guaranteed to disappear quickly. They capture everything we love about summer—warm memories, sweet moments together, and just enough melted chocolate to make life a little more delicious. And if your kitchen ends up with marshmallows scattered across the counter like ours always does, I’d say that’s just part of the fun.

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I love planting seeds, watching the starts poke through the soil, and then seeing them grow into crop-producing plants.  If anyone wants to experience God’s miracles, all you have to do is plant some seeds.  Seriously, how is it that so much comes out of a tiny seed?

It brings me more joy to be able to feed my family from the things I have grown in my yard.  I feel like a homesteader when I wander outside with my basket to pick food to nourish my people.

Ann Kirsten

My berry hedges alone produce uncountable gallons of raspberries and blueberries each summer.  The berries are like little jewels.  Their colors are vibrant and they taste so sweet.  But picking all those berries takes time and energy.  Added to that, they have to be processed (flash-frozen in batches or turned into jam).  It’s a lot of work.

Ann Kirsten

Besides the berries, I grow tomatoes, peas, beans, beets, carrots, parsnips, and radishes (to name a few).  After processing the berries I have to harvest the rest of the vegetables and work on them too.

By the time summer ends I am tired and burnt out from gardening and I never want to see another home-grown vegetable again.

I have a short memory however and usually by the time the next spring arrives, I am ready to plant way too much once again.

But this year a funny thing happened.  The few flowers I planted last year flung seeds to all of my raised beds and this year the beds were filled with blooms.  There was no room to plant my usual variety of vegetables.

Ann Kirsten

My daughter urged me to pull up the flowers to make room for other things, but I couldn’t bear to do it.  For one thing, the blooms were so pretty (it was like a meadow in my backyard) and for another, I felt such a lifting of my spirit.

I felt like I had been given a sabbatical from work.  The flowers taking over meant that I didn’t have to spend weeks in the kitchen processing uncountable tomatoes and other vegetables.  I didn’t have to feel the constant guilt of unpicked food that was going to waste.

I suddenly felt free.

So, I did something I never thought I’d do.  I left the “meadows” alone.  I didn’t plant my usual produce-department-variety of seeds.  Instead, I picked bouquets and drank in their beauty.  I skipped my marathon sessions of food processing and just enjoyed the beautiful weather instead.  I read and embroidered.  And I truly enjoyed the summer without the constant guilt and back-breaking work.

Ann Kirsten

Other countries tell us that Americans don’t know how to stop and rest.  And that can be true.  Until the flowers arrived, it never occurred to me that I had a choice.  I thought I had to work hard just because I have dirt and I have seeds and I have a body that moves.

Taking a year off has been life changing.  I feel rested and peaceful.

My garden is starting to fade now.  The blooms are going to seed and seedpods are replacing petals.  They have a beauty of their own and the promise of flowers to come again next year.

If I wanted to, I could let all the seeds scatter and give myself another year of respite.  But, for now, this year was enough.  I will pull most of the seed pods and compost them instead.  There will still be enough flowers.

Next season I will go back to planting food once again.  The flowers and vegetables will mix together in a more symbiotic way.  Yes, that means that the garden will be a lot of work.

But, I have had my year of rest and I will be ready next year for the harvest once again.

When you read through the Bible you will see that even the God of all creation rested.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”  Genesis 2:1-3

This year God has taught me so many lessons about resting.  That it is indeed an option, how good it feels, how necessary it is for renewal of body and land, and how treasured it is by Him.

And, instead of a heavy yoke, He used flowers to teach me.

“The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘When you enter the land I will give you, let it have a special time of rest, to honor the Lord.” Leviticus 25:1-2

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Every child is created purposefully and intentionally by the Almighty God.

The pregnancy journey is more than a physical, it is a spiritual experience as well.

The Word of God reminds us that each child is deeply loved and cherished by God even before they are in the womb.

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” Jeremiah 1:5

For many, pregnancy is a time riddled with fear and anxiety. Below, I share Bible verses to pray over your pregnancy and child. Knowing the truth of God’s Word about us and every situation we experience builds up our faith. God’s Word empowers us and equips us to live victorious over fear as we walk in the plans and promises of God for us. And we know His plans are always good.

‘For I alone know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the LORD, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ Jeremiah 29:11

When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, He not only conquered death and the grave, but He stripped the devil of all His power. This includes power to rule over your mind.

The Bible says, “…through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear… were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14–15

You are free from fear! It’s just up to you to believe it and walk in that reality.

Bohdan Bevz

Say this prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You that through Jesus, I already have the victory. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that covers me and my baby. Thank You that fear has no authority over my mind, my pregnancy, or this baby’s birth. I declare that I am free from fear, anxiety, confusion, worry, uncertainty and mental torment. I receive the peace, clarity, strength, faith and a sound mind that Jesus purchased for me at the cross. Thank You, Father, that no weapon formed against me or my baby will prosper. Thank You that Your hand is upon this pregnancy and that my child and I are protected, loved, and called for Kingdom purposes. I will not be shaken because You are with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words. Proverbs 18:21.

God tells us life and death are in the power of the tongue. Our words have power and influence in shaping reality, whether we realize it or not. By speaking words that align with God’s truth, we can bring life, direction, and transformation.

Knowing that, I try to be really careful with what I speak over my children and regularly declare God’s Word over my life, husband, children and home.

God has proclaimed that His Word is powerful and it will all surely come to pass. So, open your mouth and boldly speak His Word over yourself, your children and your home in faith.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

 If you feel afraid

• ‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ Isaiah 41:10
• “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
• For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]. 2 Timothy 1:7

If giving birth feels intimidating or overwhelming

• Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the LORD. “Or will I who deliver close the womb?” says your God. Isaiah 66:9
• Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

When you need a reminder that Almighty God is always with you

• “I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not]!” Hebrews 13:5
• God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

If you feel anxious

• Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7.
• No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn. This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And this is their vindication from Me, says the LORD. Isaiah 54:17

To keep calm

• Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7.
• And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
• Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. John 14:27
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.  Colossians 3:15
• Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
• He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2
• You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Thee. Isaiah 26:3

To remember that pregnancy is God’s beautiful and divine plan

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. Psalm 139:13-14.

Download bookmarks as a daily reminder of God’s constant Presence:

Philippians 4:7    |    Isaiah 26:3

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5 Fun Firefly Facts:

Fireflies aren’t flies, they’re actually beetles!

They are also known by other names such as: lightening bugs, moon bugs, and blinkies.

Not all species of fireflies can glow.

Before they mature to fireflies, they are known as glowworms while in their larval stage.

As glowworms, they eat slugs, other worms, snails, and other larvae.

What you’ll need for the craft:

Maria Magee

• Scissors
• Yellow paint
• Glue stick or glue dots
• Construction paper (I used light blue for the jar and dark blue for the background)
• Black marker or sharpie
• Ribbon (optional)

First, draw and cut out your jar shape.

Next, glue it to your background color.

Glue the ribbon on for the jar lid (I used a dark blue ribbon that I already had, but any type of color works!)

Maria Magee

Pour some yellow paint onto a paper plate. Have your kids dip their thumbs into the paint and stamp onto the jar.

Maria Magee

Once it’s dry, draw the wings, head, and antennae onto each yellow thumbprint.

Maria Magee

Hang up your firefly art to enjoy all summer!

If you’re looking for more firefly fun, check out this book! My kids have all loved it and it goes perfectly with this craft. The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle is a colorful adventure that ends with fun, flashing lights!

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

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]]> https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/summer-firefly-craft-and-bible-verse-printable-bookmark/feed/ 0 https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/we-all-need-a-little-jesus/ https://www.allmomdoes.com/blog/we-all-need-a-little-jesus/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:00:49 +0000 Joanna Gott 2026-07-22T22:48:22+00:00 https://d955.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=60542 Joanna Gott Sometimes the most profound reminders don’t come from a sermon or a devotional. Sometimes they come from the back seat of your car, delivered by a seven-year-old with a pocket full of tiny plastic Jesus figurines.

A few weeks ago, Penny found a little box containing one hundred miniature Jesus figurines. Each one carried the simple message, “Jesus Loves You.” It didn’t take her long to decide exactly what she wanted to do with them. She wanted to give them away.

I loved her idea. There was something so sweet and genuine about her excitement. She wasn’t thinking about who deserved one or who needed one the most. She simply wanted people to know that Jesus loves them. Children have such a beautiful way of making faith feel uncomplicated.

On Sunday morning, as we were getting ready for church, Penny asked if she could bring a few figurines with us. Without thinking too much about it, I replied, “Well, you can, but people at church already know about Jesus. Shouldn’t we save them for people who don’t know about Jesus?”

She didn’t argue. She didn’t even respond. I could tell she was thinking about what I had said as she quietly slipped a few little Jesuses into her pocket before we headed out the door.

A few minutes later, while we were driving to church, she broke the silence.

“Mama,” she said, “even if they go to church, they still need to know Jesus loves them.”

Oof.

I don’t know if you’ve ever had one of those moments where your child says something so simple, yet so full of truth, that it stops you in your tracks. That was one of those moments for me. I realized that somewhere along the way, I had unintentionally divided people into categories—those who needed to hear about Jesus and those who already knew Him. But Penny reminded me of something I should have known all along.

Just because someone knows who Jesus is doesn’t mean they no longer need to be reminded of His love.

In fact, I would argue that we all need that reminder far more often than we realize.

Life has a way of making us forget. We know the truth in our minds, but our hearts can become weary. We carry burdens that no one else sees. We wrestle with disappointment, grief, anxiety, guilt, loneliness, and exhaustion. We wonder if God is listening to our prayers. We question whether we’re enough. We show up at church with smiles on our faces while quietly carrying things that feel impossibly heavy.

Church isn’t filled with people who have it all together. It’s filled with people who are desperately in need of Jesus—every single week.

That’s exactly why Scripture encourages believers to keep encouraging one another. Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds… encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We often think of encouragement as something reserved for those who don’t know Christ, but these words were written to people who already believed. They still needed reminders. They still needed community. They still needed someone to speak hope into their lives.

Paul echoes this same truth in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, where he writes, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Again, these weren’t instructions for reaching unbelievers—they were instructions for caring for fellow believers.

Isn’t that beautiful?

Sometimes we think the gospel is only for the moment someone first accepts Jesus. But the gospel isn’t just the starting line of our faith—it is what carries us every single day afterward. We never outgrow our need to hear that we are loved, forgiven, chosen, and held by our Savior.

Joanna Gott

As I watched Penny hand out those tiny figurines after church, I couldn’t help but smile. She wasn’t trying to decide who needed Jesus the most. She wasn’t evaluating someone’s faith or wondering whether they’d already heard the message enough times. She simply wanted people to be reminded that they are loved.

Maybe that’s what we’re called to do, too.

Not to decide who has heard enough.

Not to assume someone sitting in the pew next to us doesn’t need encouragement.

Not to believe that because someone has followed Jesus for decades, they’ve somehow graduated from needing reminders of His grace.

Instead, maybe we’re simply called to keep pointing one another back to Him.

As Penny continues to hand out the Jesus figurines, I think about that conversation in the car. I think about how easily I forget that the people around me—even the ones who faithfully attend church every Sunday—are carrying stories I know nothing about. They may desperately need someone to remind them of a truth they’ve heard a thousand times before.

Because the truth is, none of us ever outgrow our need to hear three simple words:

Jesus loves you.

And this mama is grateful that God chose to use a seven-year-old little girl to remind her of that.

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Ummm, what?

I couldn’t relate.

For one thing, my kitchen floors are never pristine and two, I loved summer break with my kids!

It seems that moms are divided into two camps when it comes to summer.

• Camp A is relieved that all the scheduling, paperwork and homework that comes with having kids in school is over for the year.
• Camp B can’t wait for the NEXT school year to start so they can get back into the rhythm they’ve created to keep their homes running smoothly.

You all know me well enough by now to guess which camp I belong to.  I celebrate letting go of schedules, time crunches, homework, and “have-to’s”.  I love lazy days and relaxed kids.

I should mention that there was a hard and fast rule in our house; if you say you’re bored, you will be assigned a chore.  No exceptions.  My kids learned that lesson quickly.  They became skilled at inventing things to do.  That doesn’t mean that mom won’t need to step in once in a while though.

Because here’s the thing, summer should mean being a kid again for moms too!

Here are some ideas to get started:

• Buy popsicles from the ice cream man.  They’re more expensive but it’s so much fun.
• Have a water gun or water balloon fight.  The kids love it when you join in!
• Eat pancakes for dinner.  Top them with summer berries.
• Pick berries at a farm and bake something with them together.
• Set up a campsite in the backyard.  Camp overnight or just use the tent for a summer fort.
• Search for four leaf clovers in the yard or at a park.
• Stay up late watching old movies.  Introduce your kids to your childhood favorites.
• Blow bubbles or play hide and seek in the dark.
• Ride bikes together.
• Make daisy or dandelion chains.
• Create silly hair-dos and then take pictures.
• Roll down a grassy hill.
• Run through the sprinkler.
• Order funny books from the library and read them together.
• Write and illustrate your own books and read them to each other.
• Bake cookies and then ding-dong-ditch them at your neighbor’s front door.
• Draw pictures and send them to your faraway relatives.
• Make funny movies with costumes.  Have a viewing party.

Your kids will always remember that mom got silly with them and they will love it.  There are times though when you will need a break, and moms do deserve one.

• Trade a few hours of babysitting with a friend.
• Meet another family at a restaurant with a play yard.
• Give your kids a list of “money jobs” to do.  Sit back while they do them.
• Have a coffee date with an understanding friend.
• Invest in a pool and sit in the shade lifeguarding with an iced tea.
• Put on a classic movie, spread a blanket on the floor and let your kids eat lunch and watch it.
• Make a quiet time rule.  Every afternoon kids need to lay on their beds and read for an hour.
• And if you just can’t let go of a clean house, enlist your kids and make it fun.

My kids and I used to time ourselves to see how fast we could put laundry away.  We had so much fun doing it.  Kids were running everywhere, yelling and bumping into each other.  It made a boring chore doable.  Lots of chores can be done this way.  My son still remembers me singing the jeopardy song while he raced to put underwear away.

Life is about balance, isn’t it?  And balance can be hard to find.  With a little effort though, even if you’re a pristine house mama, you can find joy in the summer. Get silly with your kids and they will remember it forever.  Spend your time stressing over clean floors and they will remember that forever.

I hope these ideas help to remind you that summer isn’t just for kids.  And no matter which camp you belong to, I pray for you to have the very best of summers!

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.

Psalm 127:3-5

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Sometimes they’re born from looking around the house and thinking, “Well…we already have these. Why not?”

That’s exactly how our painted paper lantern afternoon happened.

After a graduation party in June, I found myself with several round white paper lanterns that had done their decorating duty. I couldn’t quite bring myself to throw them away because they still had plenty of life left in them. They were simple, cheerful, and seemed to be asking for a second chance.

So one afternoon I spread out some paint, grabbed a few brushes, called Penny outside, and decided we’d see what happened.

We painted flowers, colorful patterns, dots, and all kinds of creative designs. Some lanterns looked like little works of art. Others looked exactly like what you’d expect when a 7 year old child is given unlimited paint and creative freedom—and honestly, I think those might be my favorites.

Now they’re hanging near the entrance of our garden, greeting us every time we walk outside with little pops of color and personality.

Every time I see them, they remind me that beauty doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Sometimes it just takes a little imagination.

What You’ll Need

Joanna Gott

The beauty of this project is how simple it is.

You can find everything you need at your local craft store or order it online.

Here’s what we used:

• Round white paper lanterns
• Acrylic craft paint
• Paint brushes in a variety of sizes
• Cups of water for rinsing brushes
• Paper towels
• A tablecloth or large piece of craft paper

That’s it!

No fancy supplies.
No complicated instructions.
Just a handful of inexpensive materials and an afternoon together.

Take the Project Outside

If the weather cooperates, I highly recommend doing this project outside. Not only is the lighting better, but you’ll spend a whole lot less time worrying about paint ending up somewhere it shouldn’t.

Joanna Gott

Let’s be honest—kids and paint have a way of expanding their creative reach far beyond the paper lantern.

Outside, you can simply relax and let them create.

Well…mostly relax.

If you happen to have a breezy afternoon like we did, you may want to come up with a plan for keeping your lanterns from taking flight. At one point, a gust of wind scooped up one of ours and sent it happily bouncing across the yard.

Then another.

Then another.

Before long we were all running after paper lanterns that seemed determined to begin their own adventure without us.

I’m fairly certain at least one neighbor’s Ring camera captured the whole event. Somewhere there’s probably footage of me chasing a giant painted lantern down the street while laughing and trying not to spill my paintbrush water.

If you can, tuck your painting station into a sheltered corner of the patio or use small containers to gently hold the lanterns in place while they dry.

Your future self—and perhaps your neighbors—will thank you.

Let Kids Create Their Own Masterpieces

One of my favorite things about this project is that there really isn’t a wrong way to do it.

Some kids may carefully paint tiny flowers. Others may decide the entire lantern should become one giant rainbow. Some might cover every inch with polka dots. Others might proudly announce that brown and neon green absolutely belong together.

Joanna Gott

They’re probably right.

This isn’t about making something Pinterest-perfect. It’s about giving your kids the freedom to create something that reflects them. Children are wonderfully uninhibited artists. They don’t spend much time worrying if something looks “right.”

There’s something beautiful about that.

As adults, we can learn a lot from watching our children create with confidence and joy.

Where to Hang Them

Once they’re dry, the fun really begins.

We chose to hang ours near the entrance of our garden because they make the space feel extra welcoming and cheerful.

But there are so many places they could brighten.

Try hanging them:

• From tree branches in your backyard
• Around a patio or porch
• In a playroom
• In a child’s bedroom
• Above a reading nook
• In a homeschool room
• For birthday parties or family celebrations

Really, anywhere you want to add a little color and whimsy.

Joanna Gott

One quick note: these paper lanterns are not weatherproof.

If they’re left outside during rain, the paper will soften, the paint may run, and your beautiful artwork could become a soggy mess.

We plan to bring ours inside if there’s rain in the forecast so we can enjoy them for as long as possible.

More Than Just a Craft

As I watched my daughter paint, I found myself thinking about how often God invites us to create. The very first thing we learn about Him in Scripture is that He is Creator. Made in His image, I don’t think it’s surprising that we find joy in making beautiful things too. Not because every project turns out perfectly or every craft deserves to be framed, but because creating has a way of slowing us down. It gives our hands something to do while our hearts begin to settle.

Some of our sweetest conversations happen side by side while we’re making something together. There isn’t any pressure to maintain eye contact or force a deep discussion. We simply paint, laugh, tell stories, and enjoy each other’s company. Somewhere between rinsing paint brushes and deciding whether the lantern needs “just one more flower,” the conversation naturally unfolds. Those ordinary afternoons often become the memories that stay with us the longest.

As parents, it’s easy to believe we need elaborate outings or expensive experiences to make childhood magical. Social media can make it seem like every memory has to be a grand adventure, but I’ve found that children rarely remember how much something cost. They remember that we sat beside them. They remember laughing until someone snorted. They remember chasing runaway paper lanterns across the yard while trying to catch them before they floated into the neighbor’s bushes. They remember that for one afternoon, the dishes waited, the laundry stayed unfolded, and we simply chose to be together.

I think those are the moments God delights in too.

He isn’t just present in the big milestones or perfectly planned family vacations. He’s there in the paint-covered fingertips, the giggles that echo across the backyard, and the quiet conversations that happen while little hands are busy creating. Those simple afternoons become gentle reminders that joy is often found in the ordinary, if we’re willing to slow down enough to notice it.

So if you happen to have a few paper lanterns tucked away after a party—or decide to pick some up on your next craft store run—I hope you’ll give this project a try. You might end up with colorful decorations for your garden, a playroom full of whimsy, or a backyard that feels just a little more magical. You might also end up with paint on your elbows and your own appearance on someone’s Ring camera as you chase a lantern down the street.

But more importantly, you’ll create something far more meaningful than painted paper. You’ll create space to laugh, connect, and make memories with your children. Years from now, they probably won’t remember every flower they painted or every color they used. But there’s a good chance they’ll remember that you were there beside them—and that is always the most beautiful thing we can create.

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