Lisa Jacobson's Blog, page 13

How You Can Communicate Value to Your Family

When I told my husband, I had no idea the reaction I would get. I had done something thoughtless toward someone that day (not on purpose), and I was afraid the other person was going to be upset at me.

You know how in the old cartoons when someone got upset you would see their face turn red, steam coming out of their ears, and eyes bulging? That was my husband steaming up toward this person.

“Wow,” I said.

He was in my corner, and he wanted me to know it.

The next day, I apologized to the person, and it turned out not to be a big deal.

“Stand down,” I texted to my husband.

He is For Me

He made me feel like a million bucks. I mean, do you know how awesome it is to have someone get their dukes up on your behalf? To know someone will fight in your defense if they need to?

Super romantic.

I’ve been reading in the Psalms for a few weeks, and can I be honest that I’ve found David’s situation depressing?

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The Secret To Finding Joy When Things Don’t Turn Out Like You Hope

My world was upside down. After 36 long hours of labor, I finally delivered our first baby who died half-way to term. I left the hospital with post-partum hormones raging, milk flowing, and enough grief to sink a ship.

Wiping away streaming tears and snot, I couldn’t help it. God got an earful. Why God?! We prayed for this baby!  We loved our baby!

The truth is, the more you love the more you hurt. The greater the bond, the greater the pain.

It’s part of being human.

Why Do We Suffer?

I like the fact that Jesus ‘gets real’ about suffering. He doesn’t sugar coat the truth.  He validates our pain, and shares secrets to finding joy in the midst of it.

One of those secrets rolled off his lips when He and his friends encountered a blind man. Puzzled by the man’s plight, the friends ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

It was an honest question. They were trying to make sense out of it like we do. Sudden loss.

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How Your Daughter Can Grow into Your Good Friend {Real Life with Lisa}

Most of you know I’m blessed to be the mom of four daughters.

And that I love these girls all to pieces.

They are my dear friends and the ones I go to when I need prayer or encouragement. Or help. Or even advice, now that they’re getting older.

And coffee. I definitely go to them for coffee.

And they come to me for chocolate.

So you can see that we’re very close, these girls and me.

Even though each one is so different with her own unique personality. With her own individual strengths and weaknesses. And me with mine.

And we talk together and laugh and sometimes cry. Then talk some more and hopefully laugh again.

Because . . . well, because we’re girls, I guess.

And we’re growing up together.  These girls and me.

Maybe you’ve got a girl too?

If so, then I’m sharing today on how to become friends – close friends – with your daughter as she (and you) grow up together.

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How to Be Anything—Anything, But A Controlling Wife

Aggressively helpful.

That’s how she described herself.

I stared at her for a minute when I first heard her say it. Somewhat incredulous that there was a “term” for this kind of thing.

Neither of us spoke as I tried to decide if she was joking or serious.

This is from our daughter who – among many things – is highly competent. She instinctively knows where things go and what to do next. She’s naturally very efficient and makes sure things are done right as they should be.

Aggressively helpful is how she put it.

I’d not heard it expressed like that before, but it sure made sense to me. Even as we both laughed over it.

One of those funny-but-some-truth-there laughs.

Obviously, helpfulness is a wonderful quality. I mean what could be better than a woman who understands what needs to be done and how to do it?

It could be considered as a gift.

But as fascinating as this revelation was, it’s what my still-quite-single daughter said next that really caught my attention.

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One Simple Way to Cure the Crabbiness in Your Home

Are you overwhelmed with your fall schedule?

Do you feel like you are racing from one carpool to the next, dashing to pick up one child before another needs to be taken to a different place?

Do you find yourself rushing home to fix a supper that has become a “grab it and zap it (in the microwave) event” before someone has another commitment?

Does it seem like everyone in your household is crabby and stress is at a premium? If you do, you are not alone!

Today’s culture is full of challenges. Many are obvious, but some are so subtle we can fail to recognize them. One of the subtle ones is the proliferation of too many good choices. There are so many great opportunities for our kids to take advantage of and we are apt to think If I am going to be a good parent my child needs to take advantage of these opportunities.

But let’s get honest. Sometimes we are merely falling prey to parental peer pressure. This is the pressure that says “whoever’s child is involved in the most activities is the best parent.”

And the activities are usually so good – the extra language class, select sports team, orchestra, youth group, community service, dance, choir, etc.

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A Collection of Hymns To Bring Cheer to Your Home

In the midst of the long, busy days of motherhood and homemaking, it can often be a struggle to keep a smile on my face and a song in my heart. But I know that the state of my heart sets the tone of my home.

There’s more truth than I want to admit to the old saying, “When mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” But by the same token, when mommy has a song of praise on her lips, it’s like the “spoonful of sugar helps makes the medicine go down”: everyone gets a delightful dose of “cheerful heart medicine” (Proverbs 17:22).

I’ve found that one of the best ways to make sure that “in my heart there rings a melody” is to keep hymns of praise playing in my home. It may be no more than background “noise” much of the time, but it helps set the tone. And, often just the right lyrics prick my heart at the very moment they are needed.

While I love many of the songs and choruses of praise and worship, I’m also endeavoring to teach my children the timeless hymns of our faith.

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Apple Crumble Sundae

I could hear him a couple of feet away in his bed in our hotel room snoring away…loudly! I gathered myself up out of my own bed and crawled up next to him, watching the rise and fall of his little chest with each rumble. My three-year-old son, Christian, was laying on his back with one arm carelessly stretched out to the side and his other arm protectively holding his stuffed bear, Blue (who is actually blue, hence the name).

I gazed at this tiny person who was sleeping in complete peace. There was no worry furrowing his eyebrows and no shuttering of his body indicating a bad dream. Just the simple rise and fall of his chest and the constant sound of his sleepy snores.

Kids Pick Up What They See

As a mom, doesn’t it just fill you with contentment and gratitude when you see your child sleeping soundly and safely in their bed? Isn’t that the way it feels like it should be for them? As an adult there are so many things for us to concern ourselves with and worry about. We don’t want that for our kids, even though it seems to happen before we’re ready.

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How to Keep A Calm Spirit When You’re Bursting with Anger {Real Life with Lisa}

People always seem surprised when they learn that I struggle with anger.

It’s like they can’t even imagine me getting mad.

Or yelling.

Or slamming doors.

The funny thing is that I can’t imagine it either. And yet . . . it’s true.

That can be me.

What’s more, that HAS been me.

So maybe you’re the calm type. Nothing ever ruffles you or gets under your skin.

Not your husband. 

Not your children.

Not your mother-in-law.

If so, then this week’s chat is probably not for you.

But for the rest who find ourselves wrestling with the occasional outrage (okay, maybe even more than occasional?), this is for us . . .

Join me in our home to talk about how to keep a quiet heart when you feel so angry!

Further articles mentioned in this video: 

Confessions of a Yelling Mom {Now Reformed} & How to Overcome


How to Restore Your Soul….When You Feel Like You’re Losing Your Mind


10 Sane Steps for When He Makes You Crazy

Download Printable HERE: Verses to Help You Keep Calm

*All Scripture verses are from the ESV Bible

If you have troubles downloading, please wait and try again in a few minutes.

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How to Create Unity in Your Marriage

I think it’s pretty sweet.

What? What’s sweet?

Oh, you know the way you always check in with your husband before committing to do anything.

“Sweet.” Hmm . . . .

Not necessarily the word I would have used.

But, yeah, I guess I do “always check in” with him.

And he with me.

Because we’ve made it our practice to think and act as one.

Some people think this is sweet, like my friend.

For other people? It makes them shudder. Like we’re somehow just too “into” each other.

Do I ever feel stifled? Hindered? Slowed down by this whole “oneness” thing?

Admittedly, it was a new way for me to look at life – this life we’re now sharing together – but the Bible states we are no longer two people like we were before.

We are now one flesh.

So what exactly does that mean?

Surely, not simply that we sleep together.

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When the Hard and Mundane Feels Endless

As I bend down to scoop yet another load out of the hamper, a fleeting yet desperate thought crosses my mind.  It’s unending, so very unending.

I sort and gather.  Wash and dry.  Fold and put it all away.  Yet there is never really time to celebrate because there is always more.  More soiled clothes, damp towels, dirty everything.  Without end.

I much prefer to conquer things, to sit back and smile at my achievements, to rest and bask in the glory of doneness. 

But there are six of us in this house.  Laundry reproduces without ceasing.  Unless we reform to nudists (don’t think I haven’t momentarily considered it on the longest days), the laundry will never really be done.

As I stuffed another load into the wash the words began to ring in my mind a little bit.  Unending.  It feels familiar and yet uncommon as so few things are truly without end.  Everything seems to be in limited supply – our time, our energy, our money, our moments with the people we hold dear.  Our growing children are slowly letting go, our aging parents are gradually saying goodbye. 

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