Whether you are winding down at bedtime, embarking on a road trip, or seeking reassurance during a hard time, it’s important to spend time with God as a family. Check out the following list of recommended devotionals for all age groups.

In the 1970s and ’80s, I went to public schools from kindergarten through my first year of college. . . . It wasn’t a Christian environment by any means, but it was a decent education. There were leftist teachers, but there were also
conservatives. Ideology did not dominate the curriculum.

Those with similar experiences tend to begin with a basic trust in the public education system. Parents assume their children will receive roughly the same education they did, albeit with the added complications of technology and social media. If that isn’t enough reason to send your children to public schools, finances usually seal the deal. Why should parents spend large sums of money on a private or Christian school when their children will receive a good
education for free, in addition to access to all of the extracurricular programs such as sports, music, and drama? It’s simply not affordable, the thinking goes.

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.