by Shannon Popkin | Jan 25, 2013 | Humility, Leadership, Marriage, Sin
Five or six years ago, I began complaining about our kitchen to my husband. I said that it was too small. You could only fit a tiny round table in the eating area, and there wasn’t nearly enough room if we wanted to have a big group of people over for dinner....
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 12, 2013 | Discipline, Humility, Leadership, Mistakes
“You’re not going to be happy,” I heard my husband say into the cell phone.He was at home, checking whether our dryer had a three or four prong cord. I was at Best Buy, trying to buy the correct replacement. But it turns out we have no electric cord...
by Shannon Popkin | Nov 8, 2012 | Humility, Parenting, Problems, Wisdom
a retelling from October, 2010As I walked downstairs one Saturday morning, I saw Cade sitting at the breakfast bar. I told him that before he got busy playing, he needed to take a bath. As always, he tried to beg his way out of it, but I shook my head. “You stink,...
by Shannon Popkin | Oct 30, 2012 | Anxiety, Holidays, Humility, Jesus, Kids' Perspective, Mistakes
A repost from 2010–just because I love this story so much. :)Tonight, when I tucked Cade into bed, I could tell something was bothering him. It was his pumpkin. The one he made today, in first grade. “I tried to listen to the instructions, but I just...
by Shannon Popkin | Sep 24, 2012 | Compassion, Father, Humility, Kids' Perspective
When Lindsay was a toddler, she would often climb up in Ken’s lap while he was sitting in his recliner over in the corner. It didn’t matter if he was taking a nap or talking on the phone. She would bring her little Good Night, Moon book, climb into his...
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...