My parents are two of the most supportive people in my life. When I told them I was moving to St. Louis for a job, they immediately helped me find a relative to live with temporarily, packed up my car, and gave me some gas money to drive all the way down. They check in on me weekly (if not daily) and have been incredibly supportive of my personal and professional endeavors.

“You matter.”

It’s a simple, three-syllable phrase loaded with meaning.

So meaningful, in fact, that Heather Ruesch, author of Sexuality Mentality, is touring the country talking about how much you matter.

Heather advocates for human life, marriage, family, and sexuality. These topics are the core of her first-ever national speaking tour, “You Matter,” which starts the first week of October 2019 in Seward, Nebraska. She will visit 11 states (and counting!) to talk with parents, pastors, teachers, and students of all ages. Her goal is to reach 100,000 students with the “You Matter” message.

Moment of truth: I asked my teenage son to help me write this. He’s an almost-sixteen-year-old, who is willing to give me input about initiating the "sex talk." I kind-of-most-definitely want to hear what he has to say. I wanted to know what he feels we've succeeded in and inevitably, what he feels we've failed at over the years. I asked him because, truth be told, it's hard for me to pinpoint exactly how to initiate this conversation with kids.

Dear Daughters,

More and more as I get older, I hear my parents coming out of my mouth and I see their idiosyncrasies in my actions. When I was a child, I would have rolled my eyes at their phrases or “dorky parenty” ways. But now I have to laugh and sometimes even send a quick text to my brothers when this happens.

A friend of mine was swimsuit shopping with her teenage girl. After her daughter had tried on a trendy new bikini, my friend said, “I’m sorry, honey, but I won’t buy that suit for you.”

For Mother's Day this year, I have one small request.

Please, fellow mamas, stop warning me that motherhood is passing me by too quickly.

Each evening after dinner, our whole family would clear the dishes and gather again at the table for family devotions.

Some parents may not realize the importance of teaching the faith at home. Here are some simple ways to support these families through prayer.

Thomas Edison reportedly tried to invent the light bulb 10,000 times before he found success. In reference to his long-awaited achievement, a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 10,000 times?”