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5 Tips to Set Your Husband Up for Success this Christmas

By Samantha Evans

I don’t know about you but if I don’t keep myself in check I can very easily fantasize about the perfect Hallmark Christmas, and I seem to forget that every guy in those movies is an actor following a script that was probably written by a woman. Neither one of those men had to personally come up with thoughtful gift ideas, go shopping, wrap presents, or create the dreamy ambiance for their Christmas extravaganza. No, they had the movie art directors and the prop team to thank for that. So keep that in mind and give your man a break!…

Marriage, Relationship Building

Releasing Your Teen’s Hand

By Samantha Evans

I was praying for my teens one morning asking God to protect them and to do His will for their lives, when I had a vision of myself walking with my two teens as we held hands, then I suddenly let go of their hands to grab God's. It was a powerful image in which God communicated to me that as long as I'm holding their hands, my hands are not free to hold His. And He reminded me how much more important it is that I hold His hand than my children's hands through my parenting journey. Then I…

Parenting, Relationship BuildingGod's Will, Parenting, Prayer

My Journey to Contentment

By Samantha Evans

I wish I knew then what I know now… I was raised by a single mom, my grandma, and the help of extended family. We lived in a modest home in Mexico without any of the amenities I have become accustomed to. We didn’t have air-conditioning (in a town with humid summer weather ten months out of the year), or a dishwasher, and for the longest time we didn’t have a washer or dryer either. I actually remember washing my clothes by hand and hanging them on a clothesline to dry when I was in elementary school. Because finances were…

Personal Development, Spiritual Growth

At His Table

By Samantha Evans

I was setting the table for dinner the other day (something I hadn’t done in a very long time), and my heart began to stir-up with excitement about intentionally preparing to share a meal with my family. Then out of nowhere, I started wondering if they were as excited to have an ordinary family dinner as I was. I think the bottom line is that I was wondering if they would even notice and appreciate my effort and excitement to spend time with them. Just as I was having that realization, I felt God smiling on me and telling me,…

Parenting, Relationship Building, Spiritual GrowthGod's table, Time with God

When Your Teens and Pre-Teens Question Their Faith

By Samantha Evans

My family and I recently attended an apologetics conference for High School students with both of my teens, and one of the topics discussed was the fact that teens will at times doubt their faith and question why they believe what they believe. I became a Christian when I was 15 years old, and my husband became a Christian in college. I had child-like faith and I never really questioned the validity of the Bible or the Gospel before I became a Christian. My husband, on the other hand, used to attend Bible studies in college as an antagonist. He…

Parenting, Relationship Building, Spiritual Growth

From Guilt to Gratitude

By Samantha Evans

A missionary friend recently sent a letter sharing the story of a woman she shared the gospel with. This woman believed she didn’t deserve God’s love and grace because of all the bad things she had done. She knew she had not lived a good moral life, and that she had made one bad choice after another. When my friend explained to her that the good news of the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins so we could receive His righteousness, and be able to have a relationship with God free from guilt and condemnation, she believed her. She…

Spiritual Growth

Time Management for Teens

By Samantha Evans

How would your teens school experience be different this year if they learned a few time-management skills? How many stressful moments could be avoided in your family dynamics if your teens consistently completed their assignments on time, and if they were adequately prepared for soccer practice, gymnastics, or piano class every time they need to head out the door? (Especially if you are still driving them!) Sit with that thought for a moment. Wouldn’t that be amazing? I’m always trying to teach my teens skills that will set them up for success and make their lives easier. Time management is…

Parenting, Relationship Building

Do Your Teens Have Mentors?

By Samantha Evans

As a mother of two teenagers, I see my kids and their friends and often think to myself, how can I share with them the important things I’ve learned that I wish I would have known when I was their age? How can I communicate to them the importance of the decisions they make now, and how these will impact their future? If I could only give them one piece of advice, what would it be? There are a lot of things I want to share with them, but one that stands out is the importance of finding mentors. The…

Parenting, Personal Development, Relationship Building

Accepting The Things We Cannot Change

By Samantha Evans

Accepting what I cannot change has been one of the most liberating and empowering things I’ve ever learned to do. It has also been one of the hardest. I am not going to suggest that anytime we face a difficult or disappointing situation we should just shrug our shoulders, accept it, and move on. Not at all. First, we must pray for “the wisdom to know the difference” between what we can change and what we can’t. If God is calling us to do something about it (i.e. ask for forgiveness, set a boundary, have a difficult conversation, forgive, stand…

Personal Development, Spiritual Growth

Love is Patient

By Samantha Evans

I tell my teens that I love them every day, and I mean it with all my heart. But I know the way I love my kids doesn’t always align with God’s love for them, and I wanted to take some time to realign my heart with His. So I opened up my Bible to the all-too-familiar passage about love in 1 Corinthians 13 with the intent of meditating on what God says about love. I had every intention of reading the full passage, but the first three words stopped me on my tracks, and I couldn’t get passed them:…

Parenting, Relationship Building