By Sara Parker I know. I know. The rejoicing over Osama bin Laden’s death was over-the-top. Inappropriate, to be sure. I get it. But can I just be controversial for a moment and suggest we cut our fellow Americans some slack? When I woke up on Monday morning of this week and read the news, I was shocked to see the exhilaration on the faces of thousands of read more

By Sara Parker In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week I don’t remember many details from the day my husband and I met with a reproductive endocrinologist in 2005. I recall certain images: the doctor’s haphazard sketch of my uterus on a clean white sheet of paper, his reassuring smile as he described our 60% chance of success with in vitro-fertilization, the pale sheen on my read more

By Kristan Doerfler Easter Sunday is quickly approaching and most churches are preparing for the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday observances. For most churches, this includes plans to accommodate large crowds. Regular Sunday worshippers have a myriad of nicknames for this group of people who attend church on Christmas and Easter. Some other days apply (Mothers Day and read more

By Sara Parker Five Easter Family Challenges to Change the Focus This month we commemorate the death and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Your kids, like my own, may be a bit more interested in the upcoming Easter egg hunt than an abstract-sounding event that happened almost 2,000 years ago. I’m all about a good Easter egg hunt, but this year I challenge you to make read more

By Angela Bickford and Stacey Gliniewicz Aside from the work I do, there are also things I am pretty passionate about. One of them is my faith. And sharing it with others. That's why I'm so excited to tell you about something new taking hold of thousands of hearts across the nation, including mine. LeadHer is a new women's ministry launching soon - I'll let Stacey share with you more read more

By Sara Parker Our sweet but slightly stinky basset hound/border collie mix sheds a lot. So in an effort to keep our bed stink- and fur-free, I shut the door to our master bedroom every day before leaving the house. Otherwise, Abby will climb up on our bed when we’re not around and roll all over it. My efforts proved fruitless the other week, however, when I accidentally shut the read more

By Kristan Doerfler Every March 17, I am consistently entertained by the revelers of St. Patrick's Day. I still remember one St. Patrick's Day several years ago, walking out of my office and seeing a gentleman who did not appear to be Irish wearing a button that said "Kiss me, I'm Irish." I don't want to sound like I'm racially stereotyping... the Irish heritage just appeared to be quite a read more

By Sara Parker A half hour before football practice on Tuesday, I stood waiting exactly 30 seconds for my 6-year-old son’s mouth guard to soften in the boiled water. My son hopped from foot to foot, barely able to contain his excitement. I clenched my teeth and tried to let go of the tension that had been building ever since 2 p.m., when I arrived home to find that the problem I’d read more

By Kristan Doerfler My grandfather was checked into the hospital Thursday evening after he fell and hit his head pretty badly. I was supposed to spend Friday moving him from the nursing home back into his apartment, but the fall changed things drastically. After I arrived at the ER, I completed the paperwork as best I could and got updates from the doctors and nurses about his read more