by Shannon Popkin | Sep 5, 2012 | Christian Growth, Communication, Family, Humility, Leadership, seasons
On Sunday afternoon in a shallow area of Lake Michigan, I called my family in for a huddle. I challenged them all to a contest. For the next day and a half–the last moments of our summer vacation–we would only speak positive words. Any negatively spoken...
by Shannon Popkin | Aug 30, 2012 | Parenting, seasons
It’s Yellow Ball Thursday (just ’cause I don’t have another Monday left in summer), and Michelle Loveless has the ball:I’ve loved the pace of this summer. Basically we check the weather in the morning and I say, “what are you in the mood...
by Shannon Popkin | Aug 28, 2012 | Anxiety, Church, Faith, God, Hardship, Leadership, Serving, Women
Last year, we left our church. Not the Church, mind you. But still, it was our church. And while we felt the Lord leading us to do so (despite our strong convictions against ‘church-hopping’), it was still really hard to leave. And hard to begin somewhere else.One of...
by Shannon Popkin | Aug 24, 2012 | Disagreement, Family, Fear, Goals, Mistakes, Parenting
Once when Cole was about three, we had him in a church service with us. He had to go to the bathroom, so Daddy (Ken) took him out. From my seat near the front, I watched as they re-entered the sanctuary a few minutes later. Ken started walking down the side aisle, and...
by Shannon Popkin | Aug 20, 2012 | Family, Father, Hospitality, Kids' Perspective, Writing
Yesterday, I had my arms loaded up with good deals, and was headed up to the check out when a hanger slipped off one of the shirts I was carrying. Before I could bend down to get it, a little girl–probably about four years old–skipped over to that spot and...