Several years ago, the kids and I started eating our breakfast on the front steps of our house. I had just finished reading The Art of Neighboring, in which the authors encouraged Christians to look for simple ways to be “seen” in their neighborhoods.

One of the easiest ideas they shared was moving some activity from the backyard to the front yard. At first, I set up a blanket on the grass and read stories in the afternoon, but eventually, we settled into being morning “front steps people,” and it’s been a daily routine—regardless of the weather or season—for almost two years.

I love being a front steps person for primarily two reasons—it is sweet outside time and it establishes our presence in our neighborhood.

Obviously, there are other ways to be outside and to be visible in the neighborhood, so what do I love about this practice in particular?

So glad you asked. Let me tell you all about it.

Note: This practice definitely isn’t for everybody. But it is a sweet one for us. I hope hearing about what we do has inspired you to establish your own fun, special and unique daily routines. ❤️

Fall is a popular time to start thinking about thankfulness. Thankful, Grateful, Blessed is on every mug, pillow, and sweater. What’s not to love about gratefulness? Talk to a random person on the street and ask them if they think gratefulness matters and they will almost certainly say yes.

But what is thankfulness? How is Christian thankfulness distinct from secular thankfulness? Why is the object of our gratitude far more important than the expression of our gratitude?

With our own children, how do we help them think about gratitude in the context of being creatures made by a good and powerful creator? What are some ideas for helping kids to grow in gratitude practically?

Join for a conversation about gratitude with blogger, songwriter, author, and homeschool mama Allison Brost. Allison writes at her blog This Side of Perfect and recently published Grateful: 30 Days of Growing in Thankfulness with the Good Book Company.

Is passion in marriage something we ought to desire? Where do we see a basis for pursuing romantic love in Scripture?

How important is friendship to a marriage? If I am sacrificing myself for the needs of my spouse and putting him first, does it matter if he feels like my “best friend”? Why or why not?

In a two part conversation our guests Jason and Casey Cashell are going to help us think through how to cultivate and stimulate deep love and connection in a sustainable and lifegiving way regardless of our season of parenting.

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Jason and Casey Cashell are homeschooling parents of four and the owners of Mayhurst Estate – a stunning historic home in Orange, Virginia that functions as a bed and breakfast. They are passionate about encouraging and strengthening families in so many ways but in particular they run a number of online courses on marriage, parenting, and hospitality from a Christian perspective.

https://thecashells.com/

It’s very normal for couples to fall into patterns of living that feel more like roommates than lovers. The process of running a household –at any stage –can be very consuming.

• Did you take the trash out? Did we schedule the plane tickets? Have you noticed the door hanging at an angle?
• Everyday tasks can be even more consuming during the little years. Little kids require a lot of physical and mental energy and it can be common for spouses to feel disconnected from one another after dealing with the kids.

In a two part conversation our guests Jason and Casey Cashell are going to help us think through how to cultivate and stimulate deep love and connection in a sustainable and lifegiving way regardless of our season of parenting.

***

Jason and Casey Cashell are homeschooling parents of four and the owners of Mayhurst Estate – a stunning historic home in Orange, Virginia that functions as a bed and breakfast. They are passionate about encouraging and strengthening families in so many ways but in particular they run a number of online courses on marriage, parenting, and hospitality from a Christian perspective.

https://thecashells.com/

As moms, we often have a tendency to be “all in” for our kids but then feel used up when it comes to our husbands. How does our relationship with our husband affect our kids? And why should we make a conscious effort to put the health of our marriage above the needs of the kids?

Often we can get into cycles of frustration with our spouse and our words can have a tendency to spiral. What is at the root of our words? How can we begin to turn from speaking words that tear down to speaking words that build up?

Why are words so powerful? If we are caring for our spouse’s physical needs, do the things we say really matter? After all, don’t actions speak louder than words?

How is the gospel connected to what we say? How should we view our battle with the tongue in light of the cross?

Listen in to a life giving conversation with Heather Uhl, writer, teacher, speaker and homeschool mom to three (almost four!), about the importance of our speech.

Chocolate is yummy, parenting is hard. These things are self-evident.

Marriage is also hard. There may be seasons when we feel bitter and frustrated --particularly if we feel like we are carrying a double parenting load.

How should we respond when we feel ourselves becoming bitter and resentful toward our husbands?

How can we come alongside our husbands and support them in their role while still being honest about our struggles? How should we think about submission during seasons when a husband may not be physically present—such as during a military deployment?

Listen in as Ashley Keller, a prenatal and postnatal exercise specialist and the founder of GlowBodyPT, shares how she supports her husband in his role while resisting bitterness from a biblical perspective.

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Link to Ashley's resources (10/10 recommend!!)

https://www.glowbodypt.com/

Devoted by Tim Challies

And a beautiful article from John Piper describing his mom! <3

"And of course, the fact that she loved Daddy’s leadership had nothing to do with her incompetencies. As far as I knew, she didn’t have any. It had to do with a deep sense of fitness about the way God has choreographed the dance of manhood and womanhood in marriage. I was blessed with a front-row seat at the drama of marriage in which my mother took the Oscar for omnicompetent womanhood as a complementarian wife."

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-happiest-woman-i-have-ever-known

"1 Peter 3:15 says 'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect'

Do you see the overlap here? As we live our lives and people notice the hope we have, we should be excited to share with our friends the reason for our hope – because we want what is best for our friends. But to do it with respect! And this gets to the heart of what we’re doing. To be a friend you have to be vulnerable. We are sharing our lives, the deepest most beautiful part of our lives with someone who means something to us. Why? Because we want what is best for them."

Listen in to an encouraging conversation with Colleen Glisson about mom friend evangelism.

One of the most well-known stories in the Old Testament–God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac–is also one of the most infamous.

My husband says that this passage haunts him. During law school, his classmates would reference Genesis 22:1-19 as evidence of the destability of God. How could a good God possibly command something so vile? Atheist Richard Dawkins calls it a “disgraceful story.”

But when we look at this story in light of God’s plan to save his people through the death of his son, I think we will find that it isn’t a “disgraceful story” at all. Instead, it is a grace-filled one.

Genesis 22:1-19 is about fully trusting in the character, promises, and power of God even when we don’t understand what He is doing. It’s an account of faith and obedience, even when it requires belief in the miraculous.