Category Archives: Discipline Issues

The Lure Of What I Don’t Have: A Confession

Posted on April 16, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

It’s been twenty months…twenty months…since I’ve really let myself trip, stumble, and generally get all out of sorts over stupid things. Well, let’s be honest: it’s been twenty months since I’ve decided to tell you about it. This Lent I gave up … Continue reading →

Posted in Decor/Organizing, Deep Thoughts, Discipline Issues, Faith, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Matters of the Heart, Seasons of Life | Tagged Christ, Costco, Crate & Barrel, Easter, Jesus, Lent, shopping, Target Corporation | 1 Comment

Leaving Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Posted on March 16, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

I’ve never been a big “shopper”…if by shopper you’re picturing a classy, well-manicured Breakfast at Tiffany’s 30-something clicking through the mall with a bouquet of bags bursting from the nook in her elbow. I prefer flip-flops and I’m not all that … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Prayer, Uncategorized | Tagged Audrey Hepburn, Banana Republic, breakfast at tiffany's, budget, Costco, Easter, Florida, God, Kohl's, Lent, sacrifice, snorkeling | 2 Comments

Family Friday: Math at Dinner

Posted on March 11, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

Do you remember memorizing your math facts in elementary school? I clearly recall my second grade teacher walking us up one-by-one to the front of the room to recite addition and subtraction facts. With breath suspended and heart pounding my … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Education, Family, Family Friday, Home, Kids, Kids in School, Uncategorized | Tagged conversation, Education, Elementary school, family dinner, homeschool, Homework Help, Math, math facts, Mathematics, Teaching Resources | 2 Comments

Counting the Cost at Lent

Posted on March 9, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

My school year has been transformative for several reasons, but the most notable has been joining BSF, Bible Study Fellowship. This international Bible study brings over 200,000 students together over 38 countries each week; it’s truly mind-boggling to think that … Continue reading →

Posted in Compassion, Discipline Issues, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Home, Matters of the Heart, Prayer, Seasons of Life | Tagged Africa, Bible Study Fellowship, God, Jesus, Lent, Pharisees, South America, West Michigan | 3 Comments

Building Trust in the Small Things

Posted on March 1, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

When the lights fall and I’m lying motionless in a smudge of darkness, my prayers become loose and frayed and worry sets in. While many contend that worrying is “normal,” I know that many more would suggest it reveals my … Continue reading →

Posted in CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Prayer, Seasons of Life, Uncategorized | Tagged aluminum in deodorant, Christian, computers, God, hyperactivity, Jesus, Luke 16:10, Parent, Playboy, red meat, Television program, Trust, Worry | 4 Comments

Your Baby Doesn’t Come With Instructions

Posted on February 23, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

Do you find it rather unbelievable that we are asked to fill out nearly every detail of our existence to rent a movie from Blockbuster, that we are legally bound to take hunting and boating safety classes if we wish … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Lists, Book Review, CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Faith, Following Jesus, God, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Uncategorized, writing/work | Tagged Baby Wise, Bible, Blockbuster, Bringing Up Boys, Bringing Up Girls, Child abuse, David Staal, Discipline, James Dobson, Parent, parenting, purposeful parenting, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Shepherding a Child's Heart, Tedd Tripp, United States, Words Kids Need to Hear | 15 Comments

Valentine’s Day Part 1: Spread Some Love

Posted on February 15, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

Don’t we all wish there was a fool-proof recipe or some sort of silicon mold that promised to shape our children into the caring, generous, love-filled humans we want them to be? Or perhaps some magic powder we could sprinkle … Continue reading →

Posted in Compassion, CRAZY kids, Decor/Organizing, Discipline Issues, Education, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, Food, God, gratitude, Holidays, Home, Kids, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Neighbors, Play, Random Fun, Recipe/Kitchen Success!, Seasons of Life, Things I Love! | Tagged Awana, character education, compassion, cookies, Family Fun, Family Time, generosity, Home, kindness, Love Wins, sharing love, Spreading Love, teaching your kids, Valentine's Day | 2 Comments

Peanuts in the Morning

Posted on February 9, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

Do you remember the sound of Charlie Brown‘s teacher on The Peanuts? She had that muffled “whaa-whaa-whaa” of an expertly muted trumpet combined with some sort of nasally resonance never before heard on earth–much less in a classroom. How Linus ever … Continue reading →

Posted in CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Family, Home, Kids, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Rants, Seasons of Life, Silly Lists, Uncategorized | Tagged Arts, Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown, Christmas, crazy mornings, Kids, miss the bus, Peanuts, Peppermint Patty, school, shopping, Snoopy | 4 Comments

What Women Tell Me: Finding Freedom From The Secrets We Keep, by Anita Lustrea

Posted on January 19, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

“As a girl and young woman, I memorized hundreds of Scripture verses in vacation Bible school and in Sunday school. I grew up memorizing the hymn book. I didn’t, however, grow up understanding much about God’s grace and freedom.” [pg. … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Discipline Issues, Discoveries, Faith, Family, Following Jesus, Food, Friends, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Holidays, Home, Kids, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Literature/Books, Marriage, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Music, Nature/Outdoors, Neighbors, Play, Prayer, Seasons of Life, Social Justice, Summer, Travel, Uncategorized, writing/work | Tagged Anita Lustrea, Bible, Christianity, Divine grace, God, Moody Bible Institute, Moody Radio, Religion and Spirituality, secrets, Sunday school, theology, United States | 3 Comments

Dare I Put It In Print??

Posted on January 2, 2011 by GirlMeetsPaper

Dear friends and marginally-invested visitors, It’s time to own up to the truth. I must remove the mask and costume and be honest: I am a blue-ribbon slacker. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I kick butt and … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Discipline Issues, Growing Pains, Kids, Music, Nature/Outdoors, Seasons of Life, Silly Lists, Uncategorized, writing/work | Tagged 10, 10 K Run, Fifth-Third River Bank Run, Gold Digger, Holidays, Home, John Mayer, Kanye West, Los Angeles, Mother's Day, new year, New Year's Eve | 6 Comments

Balance Beams at Summer’s End

Posted on August 24, 2010 by GirlMeetsPaper

A Confession: Lately I feel as though I’ve been walking a balance beam–clumsily and epically unsuccessfully. Locked between walls of my own architecture and construction, I find myself scurrying from thing 1 to thing 2, trying to fit it all … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Family, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Rants, Seasons of Life, Summer | 6 Comments

Practicing Silence

Posted on March 8, 2010 by GirlMeetsPaper

“Sometimes we need silence. Not always, but definitely sometimes. If we will comply, if we will receive the moments of quiet contemplation and rest, we might be surprised by what emerges. As much as I didn’t want to engage in … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Faith, Following Jesus, Gifts, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Nature/Outdoors, Seasons of Life | Tagged Found Art, Leeana Tankersley, quiet, silence, solitude, unplug, Zondervan Publishers | 10 Comments

Pure Pleasure, by Gary Thomas

Posted on February 1, 2010 by GirlMeetsPaper

Check back tomorrow to see how you can win a copy of this book, courtesy of Zondervan Publishers! Little did I know when I tore into the envelope that I was the lucky recipient of something I never knew I … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Discoveries, Faith, Fitness, Following Jesus, Friends, Gifts, God, gratitude, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Literature/Books, Marriage, Matters of the Heart, Thngs I Love!, Uncategorized | Tagged "Pure Pleasure", Gary Thomas, The Blog Tour Spot, theology, Zondervan Publishers | 3 Comments

Living with Prepositions

Posted on January 28, 2010 by GirlMeetsPaper

It seems this blog has become my own private confessional. Be warned: you are all priests and I expect absolution at the end of this post. I regret to inform you, as I’ve regretted admitting to myself, that I’m living … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Decor/Organizing, Discipline Issues, Faith, Family, Fitness, Following Jesus, Friends, God, Growing Pains, Home, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Rants, Seasons of Life | Tagged "Make It work!", 5K, absolution, bulletin board, cleaning toilets, confessional, goals, high thread count sheets, Nate Berkus, People Magazine, prayer, prepositions, priests, reading, Richard Simmons, Running, verbs | 4 Comments

An Apple At Dawn

Posted on January 26, 2010 by GirlMeetsPaper

It is before 5 am as I sit here with my apple. People who know me will realize that something is strangely amiss that I would be pulled from the warmth of the bed I love to descend to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Faith, Fitness, Following Jesus, Food, Gifts, God, gratitude, Home, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Literature/Books, Matters of the Heart, Seasons of Life, Social Justice | Tagged "Pure Pleasure", addiction, clean water, dawn, detox, diet, FREE BOOK, Gary Thomas, gluttony, Haiti, hungry, rice, sleeplessness, submission, sugar, world hunger | 7 Comments

“Amana” Bar Revolt

Posted on November 12, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

Every once in a while you have those special moments of realization as a mom. Glimpses of glory. Morning has broken, the sky is caught in the rapture of sunrise, and children sit singing happily over their Cheerios in a … Continue reading →

Posted in CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Family, Growing Pains, Home, Kids, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Marriage, Motherhood/Mommy Duties | Tagged Amana, Banana Bars, Battle of Little Bighorn, Cheerios, Jo Frost, Pasta Bolognese, sharks | 6 Comments

Two Joys

Posted on October 30, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

1. I found these adorable earrings right after I wrote “Little Sparrows” and fell in love with them immediately. Being a girl with short hair, earrings are an essential to getting dressed. Without them, I feel totally boyish and naked. … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Discipline Issues, Family, Food, Gifts, gratitude, Home, Kids, Kitchen/Culinary Woes, Motherhood/Mommy Duties | Tagged Cedar Point, county fair, dinner, Etsy, garlic, meatloaf, rosemary potatoes, sparrows | 4 Comments

Free “Mentoring” from Mary

Posted on October 17, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

Last spring I was blessed to meet author and speaker, Mary DeMuth at a Christian Writers Conference in Wheaton, IL and have since reviewed two of her books here: Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn. […can’t WAIT for #3 in … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Growing Pains, Literature/Books | Tagged A Slow Burn, CEO, Daisy Chain, Mary DeMuth, Master Writer, Michael Hyatt, Thomas Nelson Publishing | 1 Comment

Found Alter-Egos and Lost Kids

Posted on October 10, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

Strange things seem to be happening to my kids lately. Strange as in: 1. Possibly being possessed by ADD alter-egos 2. Morphing into a skeleton-free mass of squishy flesh and falling to the floor in front of perfect strangers [we’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, CRAZY kids, Discipline Issues, Family, Growing Pains, Kids, Motherhood/Mommy Duties | Tagged ADD, chai, chain smoking, Chubby Checker, Danny Boy, delinquent, diapers, dragons, fire-breathing, GPS, Helen Keller, Jo Frost, kidnapping, leper, Mexico, Miss Sullivan, Monarch Butterflies, People Magazine, Pharmacy, Pull-ups, skivvies, Supernanny, Target | 3 Comments

Vacation from my Vacation

Posted on October 9, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

If you’ve read any of my previous posts from this week [thank you, dear faithful 7: your checks are in the mail], you already know that I was blessed with a few days away with my husband. I tagged along … Continue reading →

Posted in Chores/Duties/Jobs, Discipline Issues, Family, Food, Growing Pains, Kids, Marriage, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Neighbors, Random Fun, Rants, Seasons of Life, Vacation | Tagged Aldi, Apollo 13, cavity, charades, chiropractic, Christmas, Dark side of the moon, Great White, Pacific Ocean, Shauna Niequist, Swanson's broth, Sweet Baby Ray's, Tom Colicchio | 3 Comments

Things I Don’t Understand Thursday: No-Shows

Posted on September 17, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

We’ve been trying to sell this sweet little kitten for a couple of weeks now. I would’ve thought that some eager high-schooler would’ve snatched her up like a Dutchman crossing a penny in the street, but alas, no. There have … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Family, Finances, Heartbreak, Home, Rants, Uncategorized, Vehicles | Tagged car shopping, Carpel Tunnel, carriage, Cash for Clunkers, Disappointment, Dutchman, Fellow Americans, high school, no-shows, Oldsmobile, OOPS!, Temper Tantrums, Tiger Woods | 2 Comments

Mall Wrestlers

Posted on August 26, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

I don’t know if I wish I would’ve had my camera or not. In the moment I might have gone a little Russell Crowe on the situation, so perhaps not having it was a good thing. Then again, right now, … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Family, Kids, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Seasons of Life | Tagged bikes, boys, Brokeback, camel, camera, changing room, chaos, jeans, L.A., Liz Claiborne, mall, movies, paparazzi, punishments, rewards, Russell Crowe, Sacajawea, shopping, Tim Gunn, wrestling | 4 Comments

Stupid, Childish Pity-Party

Posted on August 12, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

Today I’m throwing myself a pity party. I’m being a baby, and I know it. I hate that about myself: these feelings of entitlement, of ‘being deserving’ even when I have done nothing ‘deserving’ at all,… of wanting what I … Continue reading →

Posted in Decor/Organizing, Discipline Issues, Faith, Family, Finances, Friends, Home, Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, confession, designer sandals, Disappointment, Giving/Sharing/Generosity, gratitude, iPhone, materialism, Messy House, Paul, Phillipians, Spiritual Development, struggle, Tentmaker | 5 Comments

CA$H for Clunkers

Posted on August 12, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

My husband and I never know what to do about our cars. They’re both ten years old and run perfectly, but are beginning to show their age in small but annoying ways. For instance, Brandon’s car has a non-functioning seat … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Family, Finances, Random Fun, Vehicles | Tagged Air Conditioning, Cash for Clunkers, Dave Ramsey, gas guzzlers, Hansel and Gretel, New Cars, Old Cars | 3 Comments

“Things I Don’t Understand” Thursdays: Indoor Baseball?!

Posted on August 6, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

Well, this really got my goat. After withstanding numerous accidents in the house ranging from family photos being knocked off the wall [that was dad modeling great behavior] to lamps crashing to the floor, we have banned indoor throwing/pitching/catching/baseball/homerun derby. … Continue reading →

Posted in Decor/Organizing, Discipline Issues, Family, Home, Motherhood/Mommy Duties, Random Fun, Seasons of Life | Tagged baseball, Family, Fun!, household accidents, Kids, Messy House, wrestling | 2 Comments

Crazy Pants

Posted on May 27, 2009 by GirlMeetsPaper

Seriously. My kids are going bonkers. Straight up crazy pants with the possibility some kind of emotional disorder not completely ruled out. Two days in a row we’ve dealt with hard-core temper tantrums and general inappropriateness courtesy of our little … Continue reading →

Posted in Discipline Issues, Kids, Motherhood/Mommy Duties | Tagged Discipline, Kids, Temper Tantrums | 1 Comment