by Janel Breitenstein | Nov 19, 2018 | challenging, children, enduring love, guest post, kids, motherhood, Parenting, tweens and teens
So I got a call from the principal. I confess to even wishing her (rather brightly) a Happy Friday. She responded pretty kindly, considering my son was there in the office with her. (It was only 8:40. What could happen before 8:40?) So the details are a little...
by Janel Breitenstein | Nov 16, 2018 | faith, fear, humility
It’s been almost twenty years, but I thought about it again this morning. I was unloading the dishwasher. You need to know that if I tell you this, you may not like or respect me as much. So I guess I’m okay with that. (I’m trying to take this dead...
by Janel Breitenstein | Nov 15, 2018 | Family, Holidays; Occasions, motherhood
My husband and I sat at the empty dining-room table (um. Empty except for all the stuff my kids didn’t pick up), discussing Thanksgiving plans over a cobbled-together lunch. Him: leftover Mexican. Me: a bunch of stuff dumped in a bowl with tortilla chips. We...
by Janel Breitenstein | Nov 10, 2018 | difficulty, discouragement, faith, time alone with God
Her road has been long. A friend of mine has a husband whose cancer treatments were at last beginning to show signs of promise. Something about her question to me struck my heart: “Is it okay for me to hope in this? Is it okay for me to hope in something other...
by Janel Breitenstein | Nov 6, 2018 | anger, children, emotion, Family, fear, kids, Parenting, relationships, shame, stress
Stress is like wearing a flannel shirt when you’re washing dishes, you know? One minute, you’ve got your hands in the water, scrubbing, the edge of your cuffs kissing the water. Next minute, the water’s bled up to your armpits. (For this reason, my...
