I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

2024 Articles
July 
July 30 Dear Faithful and Loyal Readers
July 24 Life Falling Apart? Try Gratitude
Technology's Addiction
A Few Words about Marriage
When Suffering Gets Personal
June
What an Amazing God We Serve!
Response to "Healthy Gaming"
Freedom To Choose (reprint)
Help Is Here
May
Dinnertime Recipes
Memorial Day—A Day To Remember
How Miserable Are You? Are You Happy?
Lessons Learned from Strawberries
What's a Mom?
April
The Minimalist Mom: Simple Steps to Rescue Your Child from Digital Overload
The Need for Meaning Even in Pain
Reminders of What's Important
God's Unmeasurable Love
A Quarter of a Century Spent for Our Country
March
What Were You Thinking?
Luke's Findings, part 2
Who Are You Watching?
Boundaries for a Better Life
February
God's Boundaries
Memories of a Hero Mom
The Ripple Effect
A Life Knowing God 

January
They Galled Her Gammy
New Year's Reminders
Ever Cook a Frog?
Litany of a Waiting Woman
How Do You Think Like Jesus?

2023 Articles
December
The Year of the Sighs, 2023
Luke's Findings
When God Speaks
A Russian Christmas Story
November
Be Grateful
Be Thankful
Holiday Helps
Fall Colors
October
Are You Tired of the Same Old Thing? (reprint)
Laughter—Why Laugh?
Mom
Are You Disturbed? (reprint)
Unity of the Brothers
September
Encouragements To Declutter
Do You Have Too Much Stuff?
Too Much Stress?
Getting Past the Noise—The Value of Silence
The Sacrifice of Obedience
August
Are You Scatterbrained?
Why Boys Fight? And Is that Good?
How Good Are You?
Catering to the Child
Who's Responsible for the Children?
July
Is Your Family Different?
Created for Him reprint
Gender Differences Backed by Science
What Should a Man Do? reprint
June
Where Are the Men? reprint
What Is Man? reprint
Man VS Woman: Making Men Act Like Women
Man Vs Woman: Is It Equality We Seek? (reprint)
May
Looking for Something Good To Read?
A Cup of Cold Water
Encouragement—What Is It?
Being in God's Presence
"Einstein and the Professor"
April
When God Is Silent
The Battle for Our Children
What God Lost, part 2
How Much Does It Cost for Moms To Stay at Home?
March 
How Much Does It Cost for Moms to Work?
Do You Like Your Husband?
Is Your Husband a Pushover?
Did You Marry a Crazy Man?
February
Is Your Husband Crushing You?
Do You Crave Beauty?
Catch up on Recipes
Using Stories to Discipline
January
Reading: It's for Your Children (reprint)
What Kind of Library Are You Building? (reprint)
Why Read Fiction?
The Danger of the Wrong Story
Using Stories To Teach Lessons

2022 Articles
December
Need Cookies Fast?
God is in charge of the Future
What God Lost
Dec 2022 Life's Little Pleasures
November
November Dare Joy Challenge
Ungratefulness
Developing a Grateful Heart
Looking for Jesus
What Do Your Prayers Reflect?
October
Feeling Disorganized?
LIfe's Little Pleasures
Daniel—Greatly Loved by God
Dear Master of Hands
September
Cutting Costs with DIY Cleaners
Homeschooling Myths Debunked
    (Reprint from Jan 2019)
Take Every Thought
Jars of Clay
August
What Do Your Words Reveal about Your Heart?
The Value of Remembering
    (Reprint from Dec 2017)
How Do You Get Strong Faith?
Too Busy for God's Word?
Close to Home
July
How Do You Think Like Jesus?
Reflections from a Mom
What's in It for Me?
  (Re-print)
Pain—What's It Good For?
June
Another Wedding
Why Marry?
Helps—An App Worth Having
Consider the Robin
May
Memorial Day—A Day to Remember
              (Reprint.)
Ramblings of a Gardener
Gardening
One Life Who Made a Difference
What Day Are You Living In?
Interrupted by God
April
Other Easter Stories
Finding Peace
The Power of the Resurrection
Passover Symbols Explained
March
Is Jesus Really the Answer to Everything?
Are You Beat Up?
What's Your Hurry?
Are You a Manipulator?
Are You Salty?
February
Elderberries to the Rescue
Are You Condemned?
What to Eat When It's Cold? Soups
Just the Mother-In-Law
January
Trying to Understand?
Do You Expect Answers to Your Prayers?
Do You Eat Your Stress?
Need Focus?

2021 Articles
December
Going through Trouble?
Immanuel—God with Us
Looking for a Relationship?
Empty Hands
November
When God Says, "No."
What Do You Do with Left-Overs?
How Great Is Your God?
Are You Needy?
How Do You See Sin?
October
What Do Your Words Mean?
Slow Down and Smell the Dead Leaves
            (Re-do of past article)
Yearning for Another Place, 2021
Is Evil Overwhelming You?
September
Those Aha Moments
Is Your Soul Happy?
Are You Ignored?
Looking for the God Moment
August
Do You Know Truth from Almost Truth?
I Believe in Jesus—What Now?
Are You Being Challenged?
Do You Have Your Son-Glasses On?
Less Is More
July
Making Your Child Obey
Singing His Praise
Are You Trying To Do It All?
What Do You Do with All These Prayer Requests?
June
Have a Problem?
Do You Know How to Pray?
Looking for God in every Moment
Are You Receptive to God's Blessings?
The Test 
May
Do You Have Ugly Kids?
Is Your Life Complicated?
Motherhood in Danger
How Do We Fight Evil?
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
April
Give Up or Taking Away
the Bible  Is Simple
A Mom Who Knew Her Job
One Pot Miracles
March
From Fire and Thunder To Love and Submission
Embarrassed and Sorry
Settling In
Easter Short Stories
Are You a Dripping Faucet?
February
What's Your Testimony?
Are You Vaccinated?
The Final Move
Be Careful What You Wish For
January
Are Your Prayers Answered?
I Choose Joy
What Have You Learned from Your Hardship?
Who Are You Trying to Change?

2020 Articles
December
What's Your Five-Year Plan?
The Danger of "Aloneness"
The Coming One
My Colors
Christmas stories
November
Are You a Whiner?
Are Your Works Approved?
Reading Chair Worth Using
     More Breads to Make
God Is in the Details
What Moving Has Taught Me Part Two
October
Letting Go of My Fourth Son
Marriage Is a Covenant before God
Do You Think You're Stressed?
What Moving Has Taught Me Part One
September
Making a House a Home
How Do I Pray?
Picking up Acorns
Is Your Soul Feeling Ragged?
Changed by God
August
God Speaks to the Heart of the King
Do You See the Project or the People?
Last Times
What about the Details?
July
Have You Felt the Long-Suffering of God?
Elderberries to the Rescue
How Much Does It Cost for Moms to Stay at Home?
How Much Does It Cost for Moms To Work?
June
How Does God Lead You?
Do You Have Enough?
Prayer for our Families (no article)
What Have We Done Wrong?
Don't Carry More than You Need
May
Cast the Seed
Are You the Child or the Parent?
Mother's Day Sermon
God Is Faithful
April
Are You Deceived?
Are You Essential?
Party Time Recipes
Are You a Failure?
Forgiveness Made Possible
March
Are You Safe?
What To Do Now?
Are You Tired of the Same Old Thing?
Church Time and Quiet Time
Does the World Make Sense?
Are You a Helicopter Parent?
Controlling the Angry Child
February
What's in a Book, Anyway?
Have You Seen God's Majesty?
Do You Feel Judged?
If You Only Had One More Day To Live
January
Are You Understood?
Stuff that Helps
Do You Long for the Word of God?
What's a Mother-In-Law To Do?
Are You Precious?

2019 Articles
December
The Innkeeper's Wife: A Christmas Story
Hanging by a Thread
A Gift Worth Giving
November
Alone But Not Forsaken
Slow Down and Smell the Dead Leaves
Are You Hospitable?
Our Heritage Is Bought by Blood
October
Are You Disturbed?
Are You Depressed?
I Did It My Way
A Promise Is a Promise
Happily Ever After
September
Finding the Simple Life with Meaning
The Simple Life
Do You Have the Right Words?
Did Your Dream Die?
August
On the Other Side of the Fence
Making Your House Work for You
From Ugly to Something of Beauty
Seasons of Gardening from a Tired Mom
July
Canning
Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence
Confessions of a Desperate Mom
You Are Not Alone
Point Lobos, Monterrey
June
Saving for Tomorrow
Where You Go, I Will Go
A Wedding Remembered
Protecting Our Men
May
Who Will Stand in the Gap?
Are You a Protector or a Ruler?
Who Are You?
Are You an Image Bearer or Just a Wad of Cells?
April
Are You a Watchman?
Where Do You Find Meaning?
The Lamb of God as Told by a Scribe
What Love Is This?
Remember: The Symbols of Passover Explained
March
Tea and Rest
Sunday Morning Excuses—Is It Worth It?
Stages of Parental Control
What Do You Read When You Need Refueled?
February
Emergency Spending
Do You Have Peace?
What Makes a Marriage Work?
When Life Is Awful
And the Two Shall Be One
January
Do You Let Your Husband Love You?
An Added Resource for You
Are You Strong Enough?
Homeschooling Myths Debunked
Rules
Seasons

2018 Articles
DECEMBER
When Heaven Came Down
Stories for the Season
Danger 2018
Tips for the Holidays
Tips To Save Time Making Meals
Tips To Make Food Stretch
Soups
NOVEMBER
Be Faithful through Suffering
Do You Know the Word?
Wake Up! Strengthen What Remains
Are You Spit in God's Mouth?
OCTOBER
Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
Do You Stand against Satan Himself?
Are You Tired of Being a Mom?
What in the World Is Happening?
To Live Forever
SEPTEMBER
A Day in a Mom's Life
It's Not My Story
How Would Your Faith Compare?
Are You sinking?
AUGUST
Preparing My Sons for Marriage
Useful for Him
Are You a Rule Follower?
What Talents Are You Wasting As a Mom?
JULY
Living by Faith or Feelings
Can You Say, "No"?
Wings To Soar
Are You Losing Your Mind?
Expect Great Things from God
JUNE
What Have I Learned as a Mom?
What's in It for Me?
Adoption—The Heart of God
Something To Hang Onto
MAY
The Making of a Man part 4
The Making of a Man part 3
Breakfast Recipes for a Crowd
The Making of a Man part 2
The Making of a Man
What Do You Value? Time Will Tell
APR
What Do You Value? Your Money Tells
Worth Reading
Home Furnishings by Guest Speaker
The Home Library: A Source of Peace, Calm, and Security
MAR
What Love Is This?
The Snells--A Testimony of our God Who Cares
My Utmost for His Highest
Putting Your Words to Music
FEB
Do You Eat Your Words?
Living Better: Update
What Kind of a Crown Are You?
Expecting Jesus
Do You Believe?
The Whys of Life
JAN
Trust and Obey
Trust Me
Are Your Children Safe from Bullying?
Are Your Children Safe from Child-napping and Sexual Abuse?
Are Your Children Safe?

2017 Articles 
DEC
The Value of Remembering
When Hope Was Lost
What Is Trust?
Living Better
NOV
Are You Threatened?
Do You Like Your Husband?
Is Your Husband a Pushover?
Did You Marry a Crazy Man?
OCT
Is Your Husband Crushing You?
Are You Dependent?
Fall Colors
Marjorie Rutherford: A Testimony to God's Faithfulness
Marjorie Conrad: A Testimony to God's Trustworthiness
If You Could Live Forever
Male vs Female: Is It Equality We Seek?
SEP
The Dreaded Family Picture
Yosemite: A Visit to His Splendor
Let's Talk about Laundry
Are You Having Fun Yet?
Are You Controlled by Technology?
AUG
Are You Anxious, Fearful, Angry, Bitter...? 
Starting School Again
I Am with You
Camping with Children
Camping List
Camping Recipes
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
Are You a Nag?
JUL 
How's Your Reputation?
Preparing for Sunday Worship
Do You Have a Picky Eater?
Freedom
JUN
A Way to a Man's Heart Is through His Stomach 
Are You Challenged by Your Man's Challenges?
Happily Ever After
A Life Knowing God
Making Mustards
MAY
Do You Have Willpower? 
Scars
Are You Appreciated?
What Is in Your Hand?
Made To Work
APR
Holding Onto Truth
Letting Go of the Little Boy
No Fear
Do You Cling to Jesus?
MAR
Where's Your Harvest?
Are You Patient?
Teen Trials
Preteen Troubles
FEB
How Do You Love Your Children?
Do You Feel Loved?
Valentine's Day: Help Your Husband Out
Valentine's Day: A Day to Love?
JAN 
Premises for Child Training
Raising the Impossible Child
My Space, My Time, My Needs
A Place To Call Your Own: Instilling Ownership in Your Child
What's Your Passion?

2016 Articles
DEC
The Battle in the Heavens over the Redemption of God's Creation
Expecting Jesus
Who Has Control?
Our Story of His Lessons
Joy to the World
NOV
Stories Behind the Songs Part One
First Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
Family Recipes Index
Veteran's Day--A Day To Honor Our Men
Breast Milk Made Especially for Your Child
OCT     
Dependence or Independence? Dealing with the Cries of Your Baby
What is Essential for Babies?
Traveling with Children in the Airplane
Traveling with Children in the Car
SEP   
What Has Changed?
Who Controls the Money?
Is Someone's Attitude Stealing Your Joy?
Saving Time with School
AUG
Margaret Thatcher, She Changed the World, But What about Her Family?
How Much Does It Cost for Moms to Stay at Home?
How Much Does It Cost for Moms to Work?
How Do You Prepare for Worship?
Are You God's?
JUL      
I Have Called You by Name Chapter One
Freedom To Choose and 
What to do with Zuccinni
Treasure To Explore
Reading--It's for Your Children
JUN   
Shopping to Save Time and Money
Why De-clutter?
Hurting People
Memorial Day---A Day to Remember
MAY 
Why Care?
He Opened Their Minds To Understand
What's a Mom?
Do the Scriptures Burn You?
APR
Being in His Presence
Are You Listening?
I Am Marinus, the Centurian
I Am Simon, the Leper
MAR  
I Am Judas
I Am Elizabeth
Snacks and Appetizers
What Kind of Library Are You Building? 
Desserts
Are You Stressed? 
Party Time
I Am Micaiah's Wife
FEB
Made To Conquer
Do You Help Your Husband?
Created for Him
What Your Reactions Say About You
JAN
Just the Facts,  Ma'am
Time-Out or Restoration
Faith Like a Child
A Life Not Wasted

2015 Articles
DEC
I am James, Brother of Jesus
I am Salazar, Chief Magi of the Persian Empire
I Am Herod the Great
I Am Simeon
What Is Your Story?
Twelve Steps To Take the Hectic Out of the Holidays
NOV
The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
The Power of a Smile
Gifts to Make
Look What I Can Do
Cookies Recipes
Speaking to Him
Beverages
OCT
What Does Prayer Do
Rest
Remember the Sabbath Day, To Keep It Holy
Are You Sitting on the Fence?
SEP
Are You Weary?
Wrong Beliefs, Wrong Policy, Wrong Outcome
Control
Are You in a Rut?
What Do You Treasure?
AUG
The Bible with a Heart
Are You on Firm Ground?Being in the World, But Not of It: How Do You Do It?
Being in the World, But Not of It: Abraham’s Story
JUL
Being in the World, But Not of It: Lot’s Story
Fairness and Equality
Too Much To Handle
Father’s Away on a Mission, Part three
What Is an American Soldier?
JUN
Father’s Away on a Mission, Part two
Father’s Away on a Mission, Part one              
What Baseball Teaches Kids About Life
How Can You Help
Calling All Reviewers
MAY 
How Do You Respond to Stupid People?
Training for Truth
Lies We Believe, Part 2
Lies We Believe, Part 1
APR
Believing a Lie
It’s the Little Things That Matter                      
Legacy Remembered
The Power of Christ’s Resurrection
Passover: The Lamb of God
MAR 
The Passover Symbols Remembered
Passover: The Story Retold
Passover Remembered
Where’s the Box?
FEB
Sleep, It’s For Your Brain
What’s the Value of a Dollar? Part two
Time Management with Children?
What’s the Value of a Dollar? Part one
JAN
What Do Your Clothes Say About You?
Tips for Clutter Management
Tips to Save Time in Making Meals
Tips to Make Food Stretch