by Shannon Popkin | Feb 5, 2014 | Food, Grandparents, Serving
Every Monday, while I give piano lessons, my kids go to my parents’ house. And every Monday, when they arrive, there are freshly baked chocolate chip cookies waiting for them on Mom’s stove. All three of my kids have said that just knowing those cookies will be...
by Shannon Popkin | Sep 21, 2013 | Differences, Food, Humility, Marriage, Mistakes
Last Sunday morning, Ken and I made a spontaneous stop at a bagel shop. As we waited in line, we chatted cheerfully about our plans for the day–happy to be together. But when it was our turn… well, that’s when the happy-go-lucky turned to...
by Shannon Popkin | Jun 25, 2013 | Anxiety, Beauty, Discipline, Food, Parenting, Teens, Wisdom
Dear Seventeen-Year-Old Me,Let’s talk about the mirror. Sometimes when you look in it, you’re disgusted. You think you’re fat or ugly or covered in pimples. You’ve already started to experiment with your eating habits and your hair and makeup. You spend hours in your...
by Shannon Popkin | Jun 13, 2013 | Change, Communication, Faith, Food, Teens
Dear Seventeen-Year-Old Me,Let’s talk about boys. It’s going to be rough for a while. You’re going to crave the attention of boys, but mostly because you want to know that you’re OK. You want to know that you’re pretty enough, smart enough, and fun enough… And...
by Shannon Popkin | May 17, 2013 | Church, Food, Hospitality, Humility, Parenting, Serving
My friend recently told me about being part of the meals ministry at church.She would be tying polka dot ribbons around her tidy tinfoil packages of steaming hot, delicious food, and tucking her added gift of little kitchen towels strategically into the basket to keep...
by Shannon Popkin | Sep 17, 2012 | Compassion, Food, Funny, Kids' Perspective
Here’s a conversation I had one summer morning, with my nine-year-old son: Me: Honey, did you open the side door in the garage this morning? Him: Yeah, I went outside this morning while you guys were still sleeping. Me: What??! What were you doing outside? Him:...