You may become an adult who knows how to draw wayward teenagers back toward love. You may become the kind-hearted grandma at church who asks to rock a colicky baby for his frazzled new mom. You may become the sort of person who walks toward difficult children instead of away from them.
More of what you stand to gain Read More »
You will gain the ability to predict pain, misunderstanding, and offense. You will know when the people you love are about to get hurt, and you will be able to move the earth to prevent it. You will sense it coming. You will become the Great Defender, the diffuser of dangerous situations.
What you stand to gain from raising an impossible child Read More »
They will place you on red alert for years without a break. They will put the rest of your life on hold, and your marriage first on autopilot and then on dangerous ground as you and your husband disagree about methods and priorities. They will fail to predict consequences and rearrange their behaviors accordingly; they will not learn what you teach them…
In which we introduce the topic of impossible children Read More »
But when I really start tensing up is cashing out with multiple checks: an ordeal that takes twenty minutes, at minimum, depending…
This is a continuation of my last post, In Defense of Bio Parents. Confession: Everybody says that foster care is “all about the child,” but the truth is that in my county it is all about the bio family. That means every reasonable effort will be made to a) avoid removing the child from his
Practical ways to teamplay with bio parents Read More »
If we dare to meet your eyes at this moment, it would help so much if we could see in them that you respect us – not because of what we’ve done or left undone, but because we are fellow humans going through the worst days of our lives.
In defense of bio parents Read More »
Once upon a time, when I was twelve or thirteen years old, my father took me with him on a week-long speaking engagement to central Pennsylvania. The church was warmly welcoming, and I made some good friends, including an eighteen-year-old named Gloria who took me under her wing. She was so pretty and stylish, and
1. On the first day of vacation, My child said to me Mom, there’s cat poop all over the porch. 2. On the first day of vacation, My child said to me I thought it was just leaves and There’s cat poop all over the porch. 3. On the first day of vacation, My
On the first day of vacation Read More »
Sheila J. Petre is one of my favorite Anabaptist writers. She has a delightful way with words, she’s human and fallible, and she’s shockingly funny. Sheila lives in Pennsylvania with her husband Michael and their seven children ages ten and under. In addition to nurturing these favorite people, she gardens, writes, laughs, hosts foreign exchange
A plain and joyful face: in which we meet Sheila Petre Read More »
Most years at Christmastime, I enjoy putting together an Advent calendar for my family. The calendar varies from year to year – sometimes I focus on quiet reflection and sometimes on lively activity; sometimes I hang the activities in a long paper chain, or make a poster with flaps that open. I try to create a
Advent activities 2017 Read More »
