by Shannon Popkin | Dec 20, 2013 | Gifts, Holidays, Wisdom
Some women are hard to shop for. They just are. You weave through the store, muttering, “Nope. She won’t like that. Probably not that, either. Or that.”Last Christmas, you spent far more than you budgeted on something that you had no idea whether...
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 9, 2013 | Holidays, Mistakes, Wisdom
I was a new wife. He was my new husband. And I returned his Christmas gift.It was a jewelry box–one of those big wooden ones–and he spent a fortune on it. But he encouraged me to take it back if I didn’t really like it.I thought I was being...
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 6, 2013 | Gifts, Holidays, Parenting
When I arrived at our elementary school’s Santa’s Secret Shop, my son had already been assigned to shop with another mom. So, I rushed over and said, “I’m here! Sorry I’m late…” After she handed him off to me, he confided,...
by Shannon Popkin | Nov 26, 2013 | Control Girl, Holidays, Women
Holidays have a way of bringing the ‘Control’ out in the ‘Girl’. It’s because we have visions of–not sugarplums–but Pinterest images, dancing in our heads. With each heightened expectation comes something new to control. But here’s the thing about Control...
by Shannon Popkin | Nov 1, 2013 | Holidays, Humility, Jesus, Wisdom, Witness
After a friendly email convo with a friend, who was challenging our reasons for trick-or-treating (posted here), I headed out to the neighborhood with my little morph man. As I chatted with old friends, met new neighbors, and smiled at cute little mice, princesses,...
by Shannon Popkin | Oct 29, 2013 | Differences, Holidays, Humility, Parenting
Halloween is the time of year my boys dress up like a Cowboy and Zorro and pose with their weapons pointed at each other, big smiles on their faces, so I can take pictures. Even my daughter, who is in high school still dresses up and goes out with her friends to...