Archive for the ‘Marriage and Family’ Category
Posted on July 14, 2011 - by Megan
Why Traveling with Your Husband Should Be On Your To-Do List
Earlier this week, I seized the opportunity to jump in the car, drive down to Atlanta, and meet up with my husband who was on a short business trip there. This was the first time in our marriage I have accompanied him on a work-related trip, even though he travels to major cities for business on a regular basis.
In the past, traveling seemed like too much work, so I’ve declined his invitations to come along. This time, I reasoned, my days would soon be filled with naptimes and diapers that need to be changed, so it was a “now or never” moment.
I was only in Atlanta for about 24 hours, but I found myself wishing I had traveled with Joel more often. Here’s why traveling with your husband should be at the top of your to-do list: (more…)
Posted on July 5, 2011 - by Megan
A Very American Girl Birthday
On Saturday, my sister Mindy and I headed down to Atlanta with a minivan full of little girls, bound for the American Girl Store. We were supposed to travel last weekend to celebrate her oldest daughter Ellie’s birthday, but the poor girl woke up with the stomach flu, then promptly infected her entire family. So, this weekend was her birthday re-do.
The girls were giddy with excitement as they approached the [very] pink storefront. It did not disappoint. The American Girl Store is a little girl’s paradise, igniting the imagination at every turn. Museum-style display boxes presented vignettes of each doll and her accessories. A doll salon transformed tired locks into manes of princess-worthy dos. This was more than a store. It was an experience. (more…)
Posted on June 24, 2011 - by Megan
The Joys of a Slow Summer
I started the summer with a long list of things I wanted to accomplish. I had activities planned for the kids—art exhibits to see, day trips to take and projects to craft. I envisioned day after day spent with friends at the pool punctuated by the completion of numerous household projects like painting the upstairs bathroom and refinishing my dresser. We were going to “make the most of our time.”
After nearly a month of summer, my perspective has shifted. Almost by default, we have done very little. A few days in, I found I didn’t have the energy for anymore busyness. I was tired.
The school year is like being on a treadmill that never stops. Homework, special events, class projects and sports pack our calendars until the seams are ready to burst. Summer is our chance to slow-down rediscover the joy of just being home. (more…)
Posted on June 22, 2011 - by Megan
How to Make Marriage Last
I’ve been pondering lately what it takes to to make a marriage last and avoid the pitfalls of adultery, apathy, or complacency. Whether in the news or down the street, it seems like marriages are dropping like flies all around us. It’s easy to feel hopeless and wonder if a couple has a fighting chance to make it anymore.
At first, I wondered if the answer was to just be intentional about your marriage—date your spouse forever and that kind of thing.
As I dreamt about date nights, ways to nurture shared hobbies, or special trips Joel and I could take together, I realized those things weren’t enough, though certainly helpful in their own ways.
The successful, lasting marriages I knew of all had one thing in common: both spouses were sold out to following Jesus Christ, committed to sacrificing for one another, dying to their own selfish wants and needs and purposefully learning how to love and serve as Christ does.
Posted on June 10, 2011 - by Megan
Visiting Our CSA Farm
If you ask a kid where food comes from, they are likely to answer, “From the grocery store.” And, why would the answer any differently?
Most kids have never seen beyond final stage in the life-cycle of say, a bag of carrots. In fact, they have no idea that there is a life cycle, only that a big bag of carrots is readily available in the produce section of the local Publix for a few dollars.
Farmer Trish Lingo explains what kohlrabi is to the kids.
Posted on May 25, 2011 - by Megan
Everybody Needs a Grammy
Grammy came to visit this week. She hails from Waco, Texas, the place of my birth, the place I learned to appreciate real BBQ, catch fish with hot dog pieces, and always have a cast iron skillet at the ready.
Truth be told, most of my memories of Grammy and Pappy center around food. Both accomplished cooks in their own right, they favored recipes out of the lexicon of great American classics. Their food was never pretentious or fancy, but every bite was delicious, warming your heart as much as your belly.
I remember sitting in their kitchen as a little girl, mesmerized by the dance between my mom and my Pappy frying zucchini fresh from the garden or chicken dipped in buttermilk.
Grammy is famous for taking a pot of beans, a bag of potatoes or a chocolate cake and transforming it into something magical—the alchemy of a few simple ingredients mixed with love, experience and unapologetic amounts of butter.
Yesterday, Grammy came to my house on Fionn’s tenth birthday to teach the kids to make baklava, Fionn’s favorite dessert. As he says, “I love baklava more than anything….except Jesus.” Glad we have that straight. (more…)
Posted on March 24, 2011 - by Megan
Marriage is not what I expected
I used to think marriage itself was super-glue for the heart. I imagined that it would fix all my broken places as I stood at the altar reciting my vows.
Like most expectations, this was an unconscious one, not to mention totally unrealistic. What I have learned since my wedding day is this: we are not so much healed by marriage as healed in marriage.
Marriage itself isn’t magic, at least not magic as usually we think of it. It certainly doesn’t not produce a miraculous result instantaneously, if that is what we envision. What marriage does is place us atop a surgery table, our covenant acting as a sort of medical restraint for our hearts. We are bound. We cannot run from healing. Under this great illumination of Love, our wounds come to light, and the Great Physician can go about the work of mending our broken hearts. (more…)
Posted on February 3, 2011 - by Megan
Punishment or Discipline: What’s the Difference Anyway?
When a child is disobedient, do we respond with punishment or discipline? What’s the difference? Often, these words are used interchangeably, but there is an important distinction.
Recently, a mom from Alaska created a media firestorm on Dr. Phil when she admitted to “hot-saucing” her son as a method of so-called discipline. This entailed making him drink a small amount of hot sauce as a consequence for his disobedience. I was appalled.
I am far from a perfect parent, and I certainly do not claim to have all the answers. However, I think there are a few things we can learn from this story. (more…)
Posted on February 2, 2011 - by Megan
Is Sex Appropriate Entertainment for Christians?
In the last year, Joel and I have stopped going to most movies and quit watching a lot of TV and DVDs. Truthfully, we have become increasingly disturbed by the sexual themes and images laced through so much “entertainment.” Is this move in the best interest of our marriage and wellbeing of our souls, or are we just two more fundamentalists who take it all a little too seriously?
It happened rather innocently. I remember watching a certain TV show with Joel, and an intimate scene flashed on the screen. I felt squeamish, awkward, and even a little dirty. My conscience was speaking to me. In the months that followed, we began to think and talk about how and what we allow our eyes to see.
Posted on January 19, 2011 - by Megan
Beyond I’m Sorry: Teaching Kids Reconciliation
Teaching kids how to reconcile with others is a critical life skill, but how do we teach it? Saying “I’m sorry” only scratches the surface. My dad recently wrote a post entitled, Ten Difficult Words about the language of reconciliation. He asserts that reconciliation only happens when three key phrases are used, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Will you please forgive me?”
If your kids are anything like mine, their tendency is to offer a half-hearted apology in order to avoid a larger conflict or consequence. Hardly true reconciliation.
True repentance and reconciliation do not come naturally, they are learned behaviors. As parents we want the process of reconciliation to result in our children turning away from their sin and back to a healed relationship with God and those they have offended.
As we teach our children to ask forgiveness from one another and from us, there are three principles to remember. (more…)
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About Me
My name is Megan Hyatt Miller. I'm a little Emmilou Harris, a little Bonnie Rait, and a dash of Paula Dean—mostly because I identify with her unbridled use of butter and ample hips. I am passionate about living and telling a good story. I'm a wife, a stepmom and and an adoptive mom. I am passionate about adoption, racial reconciliation, and creating beauty and a sense belonging for those I love. To learn more, click here. Thanks for stopping by.
