Summer is officially here. Now that school is out, it is a constant battle to keep the kids entertained. To all the hardworking, selfless, tired youth ministry servants…

First, the bad news . . . our teen girls are in crisis. I'm worried about them, and you should be too. My oldest daughter, Catie, is in high school and my younger daughter, Elisabeth, is in middle school. We’re living the teen girl life around here, and I see what’s happening to these young women. These girls believe they have to be perfect, and they are so hard on themselves when they don’t live up to impossibly high standards that they see on the internet.

I opened the refrigerator and there it sat. On the top shelf quivered a large maroon cow’s liver—inside a bright aqua bowl.

Congratulations and welcome to the oldest club in history. Many have traveled this road of parenthood before you, but your experience will be your very own, unique and wonderful, just as you and your child are unique and wonderful gifts of God. Being a parent is an exciting, joyful, fun, exhausting, twenty-four-hour-a-day, bewildering, delightful, incredibly awesome responsibility.

Our kids, like most kids, enjoy a healthy dose of competition in their everyday life. Races to be the first one finished with dinner or the first one in pajamas occur often, followed by our four-year-old son saying something to the effect of “Actually, the last one in pajamas wins,” grasping for some sort of victory.

Today I was asked a series of questions about my seminary journey. Questions about the greatest joys and challenges, questions about transitioning with children, and even my best tip for moving (a task at which we have become quite proficient). 

April showers have brought a big muddy mess to our backyard. Every time a child or the dog goes out to play, a ritual of foot washing commences with each re-entry to the house.

Just a few weeks ago, stories of Nebraska flooded headlines around the United States. The combination of melting snow, heavy rain, and flat farmland resulted in catastrophic flooding across hundreds of miles of the state.

It’s during the spring when things seem to get really busy. With the end of school approaching, spring activities starting, and Easter right around the corner, it can be a fast-paced time. Time in a youth group or at church in general can be just the break youth need. Chances are, your youth will want to give you their ideas for what to do during your time together. Being able to give feedback allows youth to have agency and ownership of the time they spend together while still allowing you to have structure. But how do you get the most helpful feedback from youth?

Bible journaling is a pretty popular activity—but the perception seems to be that it’s only for women. And while it might seem like a female-only practice, all Christians can benefit from Bible journaling!