Somewhere scattered in the spring of 2018 our family visited the Grand Canyon.  While the views were breathtaking and the experience was priceless, our unexperienced selves were not prepared for 3 important lessons we were about to learn that day.

1. The temperature drastically changes going up to the canyon ridge. We were all comfortable in the dry Arizona heat, but quickly turned ice cold when we stepped out of the van. By the time we left, all six of us were outfitted with brand new Grand Can
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 She is coming at you, erratically throwing every behavior and emotion bomb she has in her arsenal.

Sadness.
Anger.
Frustration.
Passive aggressiveness.
Maybe even a little deceit.

It looks like your daughter, but in the moment you’re not entirely sure.

Then you feel it.

That rush inside of you as your own army of frustration, sadness and anger begins to rise up and prepare for battle — and you still don’t even know why this is happening.

What do you do?

Do you let emotio...

No one applauds the mom who shows up for the 109th practice.

No one hands you a trophy for sitting in the carpool line again.

But heaven sees it.

Here is the truth: the most powerful leadership in a young woman’s life often happens behind closed doors.  It is unseen, unpaid, unrecognized work that is eternally significant.

I am starting a new series called The Leadership No One Applauds because it is easy to feel like your efforts are meaningless when you don’t see the fruits of your l...

A few summers ago, my family and I were hiking in the Appalachian mountains.  It was fun, beautiful, serene even… except for my one daughter who really didn’t want to be there and somehow was the only one to acquire legit stinging nettle wounds that only reinforced her anti-everything adolescent mindset of the afternoon.  After stopping for a bite to eat and catching our breathe from a steep, off trail, climb my husband challenged us to, we got underway again.

With dogs running zig zag patte...

 “When do I step in and help?”.

This is a very common question for any parent or leader of youth.  It is so hard to sit on the side lines of someone’s life that you care for and have sacrificed for and NOT help when you see a struggle, but should you?  Maybe aaaannnnd… maybe not.

Any parent who has been to a sports event their child is participating in knows exactly how this feels.  They have been to practice for months, maybe years, been led and taught and then when the time comes to do...