I grew up hating conflict until I got to college and found my voice. I blame my conflict avoidance as a kid on my status as an only...

There are certain people in my family (remaining nameless), who wouldn’t know how to do Christmas without gift cards. I have mixed...

I forced Erin to take piano lessons for a very good reason: because my mother forced me. In the course of her compulsory years at the...

This month, I’m searching out places and organizations that provide a different way to shop for Christmas. Many of us will have to trek...

When Alison was in her first Christmas pageant she was chosen to portray the mute and blessed Mary. I was so proud my daughter had landed...

Warning: I’m about to sound like an old woman. When I was young, we called “flip-flops” something that is now unacceptable. We called...

Three friends had birthdays last month and I pulled down the gifts bins because I hate to shop. In case you don’t have gift bins, let me...

A few days ago I read a post from a friend that went like this: “10 years ago I was an arrogant mom who thought parenting was easy. The...

Tomorrow is “Gotcha Day.” Honestly, I’ve never been wild about that title, which denotes the day when an adopted child was placed in the...

Days pass. Seasons change. The wardrobe must be updated. This has been my quiet and private mantra for years. The coming of fall (or...

I love journalism and the news media. There. I said it. As a kid, I published my own family newspapers, edited the high school newspaper,...

Last Friday, I spent an afternoon sitting on a bench in the Walmart Tire and Lube. This is not the place I would choose to spend two...

It’s been 27 years and the phrase still rolls off my tongue with ease: “Escribe Su Nombre Aqui.” “Write your name here.” A few days after...

Confession: I’m an “overthinker.” I even bought a book titled Women Who Think Too Much. Honestly, only someone who is an overthinker...

This is what a magazine looks like about 30 minutes before it goes to press. I’ve learned so many lessons about magazine publishing in...

I thought I was a dog person, but I’m rethinking this. In front of the patio door is a small pile of boards that has been ripped and torn...

I received an email from my friend Kalan the other day about a church home group she and her husband are leading. In an effort to get...

This is blog cheating, but I’m posting something I wrote years ago. And a few months ago I committed the worst kind of editorial license...

He and I had an interesting discussion in the parking lot after our meeting in the Dillon offices. Peter had spent the morning and part...

Our textbooks Well, I’ve officially lost my mind. Or I will at some point in the next nine months. Alison and I have enrolled in Chinese...