Author Archives: Ann Kirsten

It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that (because of many circumstances) I had missed out on a lot of the silliness and laughter of childhood. That made me sad and more than a little resent...

Lately, I've noticed a common thread when I talk to young mothers ... they are tired! Juggling jobs, housework, other commitments, plus KIDS, means that by the time dinner rolls around, they're too ti...

To those of you who grew up in a kind, Christian home, you are truly blessed.  What a gift your parents gave to you (it’s a gift I tried to give to my children).  To those of us who di...

Last week’s blog laid the vital foundation for raising teenagers.  Now, the fun can begin! Teens can be challenging and emotionally draining.  So, how do you survive the con...

Congratulations, you’ve made it through the sleepless nights of raising babies.  You survived the toddler years and you have successfully navigated your children through grade school. ...

By all accounts, I was a very serious child.  I viewed the world with a glass-half-empty mentality and some of my teachers were even worried because I took things so much to heart that I wasn&rsq...

When my son was eighteen, he worked at a job that required heavy lifting.  He arrived home one night complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath.  His face was ashen and I could tell t...

We Americans are a mixed-up bunch. With heritages too varied to count, often the only thing we have in common is that our ancestors came from somewhere else!   My mom's family settled here when t...

I grew up in a family that didn’t attend church.  My mom had every good excuses as to why we didn’t go.  Scraping to make ends meet, we didn’t have money for Sunday clothes...

Last weekend, my son was the Best Man at a friend’s wedding.  The thing is, my son had never met this “friend” before.  He didn’t even know his name until after he wa...