Remember that day? The moment in the bathroom with the pregnancy test, or at the doctor’s office for the confirming test. The moment the adoption papers were signed. The moment you found out you were going to become a parent. It was a rush of emotions, all those feelings of excitement and joy tangled up with a few random strands of anxiety. Occasionally you’d understand there might be hard times. But mostly you imagined the wonderful things. The smiling faces, cute clothes, tiny baby shoes, . . .

I believe it's important to be present with my kids. I believe in quality time, and in quantity time, and I believe that children deserved attention and love. These are ideals that I strive for as a parent, but sometimes I can't help thinking that in the pursuit of better parenting, we've swung the pendulum a bit too far. Let me explain what I mean . . . There is a woman at my church who has adult children, one of whom is a very public figure who is quite open about his faith. As such, many . . .

Forgiveness is a heavy thing. It's hard, and yet it's required. It's something we do constantly, in big and small ways. We forgive our spouse for hurt feelings. We forgive our kids for acting ungrateful, or lying, or eating our chocolate stash. We forgive our friends for small slights and misunderstandings. We forgive our parents when we are disappointed or feel judged. I'm pretty good at forgiving the small stuff, but there have definitely been instances where forgiveness has not come easy for . . .