by Janel Breitenstein | Feb 11, 2022 | Africa
When my husband and I tied the knot, I was pounds lighter–and not just because that was four kids ago. I was peering over the edge of anorexia. My carefully constructed salads for most meals and stringent rules for all things eating meant I was consuming around...
by Janel Breitenstein | Jan 29, 2022 | challenging, closeness; intimacy, discouragement, Discussion Questions, encouragement, faith, fear, prayer
It was a conversation in my cubicle more than a decade ago, but my friend’s words remain seared in my mind: “You know, I think God loves strugglers.” You know? I see it. Today I’m writing for those of you who identify with Thomas more than Peter. Who peer at the Bible...
by Janel Breitenstein | Jan 24, 2022 | Questions to take your relationships deeper, relationships, sharing your faith, spiritual life skills/spiritual disciplines
If you’ve followed this blog for awhile, you know I taught refugees for a handful of years, many of them Muslim–people and a task I adored. I was surprised to learn a difference between the Bible and the Qur’an: The Qur’an isn’t a narrative, like much of...
by Janel Breitenstein | Jan 15, 2022 | guest post, identity, Parenting, true success, tweens and teens
This week I had one of those shining parenting moments. I caught one of my kids deliberately subverting a punishment. This kid didn’t lie about what he was doing, which in light of the past, felt like a win. He also seemed to sincerely apologize. I told him I...
by Janel Breitenstein | Jan 3, 2022 | faith, fear, Holidays; Occasions, kids, Parenting, Questions to take your relationships deeper, relationships, time alone with God
Okay, yes, I am this big Enneagram 2, and I am frequently caught “two-ing” in my family—overfunctioning like a crazy person, sublimating any needs of my own, etc. But I also have this monstrous, flapping-larger-than-my-triceps 3-wing. Which means, for all of you...
