I don’t know what it’s like for every parent, but for me, after Spring Break finishes, my head moves toward summer planning. I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one who is tempted to forget the moment we are in. For our kids who are in … Read More
What I Learned at Disney (this time round)
Well, we did it again. We took four of the kids to Disney World over Spring Break. Here is a rundown of my top ten lessons from this year’s road trip. 33 hours is still a LONG time. That’s how long it takes to drive … Read More
A Woman after God’s Own Heart
Guest Author: Kim Neufeld 1 Samuel 13:14 …the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart… I’d like to share with you something the Lord has been doing in my heart recently. It’s about my desire to become a woman after God’s own … Read More
A Fostering Testimony
Guest Author – Julie Warkentin Southland’s impact on our decision to foster was huge! No one there ever told us we should foster or adopt, though sometimes people wonder if they do because of the high percentage of families who do. What we are taught … Read More
How to approach Halloween as a Christian
This article was first published 2 years ago. Seeing as it is Halloween tomorrow, I thought it might be time to bring it up again! – Thom Dick As kids we were always allowed to participate in Halloween activities both at school and at home. … Read More
Surviving Family Roadtrips
Our family likes to road trip. Over the past few years we’ve taken a bunch and, I believe, have gained a lot of wisdom in the art of long-haul survival. (Bear Grylls should shoot an episode from inside our van!) A few years ago, we drove … Read More
4 Ways to Help Lonely Kids
Our second son is currently in grade 4, going into grade 5, and he is experiencing some of the same challenges with friends that his older brother had at that age. What is it about those grades? Maybe it’s because kids at that age are … Read More
Porn-free parenting
This week, 1350 men at Southland will wrap up the Conquer Series on sexual purity and I am so excited to see what the result will be as men walk into sexual freedom over the next months and years. The series has caused me to … Read More
Month of prayer and fasting check-in
January is Southland’s month of prayer and fasting! I thought it would be a good idea to have a quick-check in that you can talk to your kids about. Remember the month of prayer and fasting goes for a month! It is easy to start strong … Read More
How to explain salvation to your children (part 2)
Previously I said that we need to start talking about salvation from the earliest age, if only to make it a part of our family vocabulary and that helping our children to accept Jesus at a young age is wonderful provided we continue to help … Read More
Warm Winter Memories
Farming is an art. Part of the art of farming has to do with timing. For example in spring you need to gauge when you think it is warm enough to plant without that last killing frost taking out any young shoots. Then you have … Read More
Christmas in Glenlea
Christmas is full of traditions. In a previous post I wrote about the anticipation of that day with the season of Advent and our silly little tradition of giving small gifts in baskets before Advent Sunday breakfast, but that barely scratches the surface of Christmas … Read More
The Need To BE STILL during the holiday rush
If ever there was a season where your relational circuits could shut off it would be this one. Relational circuits are the part of your brain that help you see people as more important that tasks. Christmas is filled with so much good stuff, but … Read More
Thriving at Christmas
One thing I have learnt as a mom is the need to be intentional otherwise life and our culture just sweeps me along and then I look back and have regrets. I feel like I missed something. Have you ever felt that about Christmas? That … Read More
Advent in Glenlea
If it’s a secret – then it’s a poorly kept one; I love presents (getting them… although giving them is fun too.) I’m so grateful for Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages, which I have never read but understand validates my desire to receive gifts (it’s how … Read More
The dog who wouldn’t die
Life and death are all part of the farm life. Even Jesus used farming illustrations to explain the spiritual cost of being His disciple (John 12:24-25). I have very warm memories from when I was very little of Grandpa lopping the heads off of chickens and watching … Read More
Why dads should not potty train (and how mom’s do it!)
Occasionally I see the need to raise an issue and then silently walk away to let the better qualified experts take over. I’m willing to bet even though this may be among the shortest blogs I have written it will be one of the most read … Read More
How to crash everything and survive
There are moments in life when everything moves into slow motion. For example, when I was 15 my dad sold a couple of our dirt bikes and got a much more utilitarian mode of farm transportation, an ATV. The quad wasn’t as fast as the … Read More
WHO IS MISSING IN YOUR FAMILY?
Who is missing in your family? A Baby? A Dad? A Prodigal? “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor… Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of … Read More
Teaching our children about war
Remembrance Day is a holiday that has held increasing significance in my life as I’ve grown older. The challenge with a day like today is that it forces us to confront our beliefs about war and at every age because every kid in school comes … Read More