Let Go of All Anger

²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold.

— Ephesians 4:26-27 

Everyone has anger from time to time, and understanding it and knowing how to handle it properly is important. Anger begins as a feeling and then manifests itself in words and actions.

You feel something, and it causes you to do or say something. Anger is not necessarily always sin; however, what you choose to do with anger directly determines your quality of life.

All anger has the same effect on your life. It upsets you, causing you to feel pressure. Keeping anger locked inside can even be dangerous to your health. So, you must take responsibility for your anger and learn to deal with it. 

If you struggle with anger, ask God to help you process it and bring it to closure. You can be bitter or better—the choice is yours!

Prayer Starter: Father, You know everything about me. I ask for Your help to recognize and deal with any unresolved anger in my life. Help me to get to the root of the issues and learn to deal with my emotions in a godly way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Habit of Prayer

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

— Acts 3:1

Many people feel vaguely guilty about their prayer life because they compare themselves to others. God is a creative God and wants each person to have his or her own individual prayer life. Your prayer life doesn’t have to be just like anyone else’s.

Yes, there are proven principles of prayer that you can follow. As we see in  Acts 3:1, the early disciples set aside certain hours of the day when they would go to a designated place to pray. That is good self-discipline, but that should be the start of learning to pray and not the finish.

We can discipline ourselves to establish a prayer schedule that is individually suited to us, but we can also learn to pray without ceasing. That means to pray at all times, in all places, with all kinds of prayer. I like to say, “Pray your way through the day.” Let prayer become like breathing, something you do with ease and without effort.

We never have to “wait” to pray. Each time you see a need or think of anything you need help with, pray right away! Prayer is talking to God, and since He is everywhere, we can talk to Him all the time.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of prayer! Help me to be mindful of You throughout the day and form the habit of talking to you about everything, any time. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Separation Anxiety – How to Cope

When it comes to separation anxiety, it’s not a question of IF your child will experience it, but WHEN they will experience it. Once this stage comes around, it can be very difficult to deal with because your child feels like they will never see mom again and you develop overwhelming feelings of guilt.

Separation anxiety can happen whether your child is an infant or a toddler. Even though this is a natural part of childhood, there are some tips to help you cope with leaving your child in the care of someone else. Whether you leave them with the grandparents while you do some shopping, or leave them with a babysitter while you work, these tips will help you get past this stage without too many hard feelings.

It’s very important to keep a positive attitude about everything. Children can sense things easily, so by staying calm, your child will also feel calm and reassured.

Going back to work

If you plan on going back to work, it might be a good idea to have someone come over and stay with your child for small periods of time before your first day of work. This will help your child become used to being in someone else’s care while you’re away. If you leave for an hour or two each time, they’ll soon realize that you’ll always be returning. They’ll also start to feel safe and secure with the person who will be caring for them while you’re working.

You may have to do this even if it’s a member of your own family who will be looking after your child. When you’ve spent every waking hour with your child since the minute they were born, it’s easy to imagine how you’ll both feel when you’re separated.

How I dealt with separation anxiety

In my own experience, it was much easier on us both if I left the house quickly. The more I hung around and watched my daughter cry and tried to console her, the worse it was. Some days I would even sneak out. For the really bad days, we would distract her with a video or a snack while I left.
No matter how I left, I came to realize that it was important that I didn’t cry in front of her. The first few weeks of going to work were very hard on us both, and I would cry easily. This made her even more upset, so I found that when I kept a big smile on my face and sounded very positive, her attitude changed as well.

After a short while, we were going through a routine and I would say to her every time that I would be back soon. Even though she was too young to understand exactly what I was saying, my tone would reassure her and eventually she stopped crying when I left.

If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your child while they’re crying, there is nothing wrong with consoling them. Do keep in mind however, that you may have some late mornings if you do this. And I personally believe that this is harder on the child in the long run. A quick kiss and a hug every morning will give them the comfort they need and they’ll soon come to expect it as part of their routine.

Tips to help your child cope with separation anxiety

In summary, here are the few tips you can try to help ease separation anxiety in your child and yourself:

• Leave your child with their caregiver for short periods of time to help them get used to it.
• Don’t let your child see you cry when you leave. This can send them negative signals.
• Stay calm and always use a positive tone when you talk to your child. Getting angry or yelling will just make things worse.
• Get out the door as quick as you can. Lingering may give your child more opportunity to feel anxious.
• Start a morning routine so that your child will soon come to expect it.

How to Deal with a Screaming Toddler

A screaming toddler can be a nightmare for parents, especially when you’re at the grocery store or a restaurant. Most toddlers go through this stage – in fact, some toddlers go through this stage more than once.

Sometimes it may seem like your toddler is screaming just to frustrate you, but this isn’t the case. It’s usually a cry for attention, or it may be simply that they just feel like it. Screaming in a big building like a mall can generate a pretty cool echo, so it’s only natural that they’ll want to experience it.


In a lot of cases, screaming means they want something which is normally something they can’t or shouldn’t have. My son threw a hissy fit in a store the other week because he wanted out of the cart. I had to cut my shopping trip short and take him out to the car.

Dealing with a screaming toddler

Don’t retaliate – Sometimes you may want to scream right back at your child, but believe me, this doesn’t work. In the end, it turns out to be a competition to see who is louder and the outcome is nothing but some sore throats and maybe a few tears.

Distraction – A better bet is to use distraction as your weapon against a screaming child. For example, if your child spots some candy in the grocery store and starts screaming, try pointing out some healthy snack options instead. Or you can try playing a game like Eye Spy. This works well in my case, although a lot of times I have to try a few different things before I’m successful. For my little guy who is almost 2, I point things out that are new to him and get him to repeat what I’m saying. I say it with as much enthusiasm as possible so that he gets excited too.

Prepare – Planning ahead is a great idea when you have errands to run. I always have snacks in my purse along with a sippy cup. If it’s going to be a long day, I’ll also throw in a few toys. I try and keep separate toys just for our outings so that they’re always interested in them because they’re special.

Schedule – Before you head out, make sure your toddler is well-rested. A good time to go out is right after nap time or right after she wakes up in the morning. You’ll also want to make sure she’s got a full stomach. Toddlers can get pretty cranky when they start to get hungry.

Get them involved – Involving the kids as much as possible is also a great way to avoid screaming. My daughter loves to press the OK button on the ATM machine when I run to the bank. She also loves to help pick out grocery items. This keeps her mind occupied on the task at hand, and not on something else that she can’t have.

Choose family friendly places – If you’re planning on eating at a restaurant with your toddler, opt for the more family friendly places rather than a quiet or more formal setting. I always choose one particular restaurant in town when I take my kids out. It’s always packed and noisy. That way, if my kids start screaming it won’t be as noticeable. I also order a baby plate as soon as we sit so the kids can eat right away.

Indoor voice – Something as simple as asking your toddler to use their indoor voice may just do the trick. I’m always surprised at how well it works. I learned that from watching Barney! That funny purple dragon or whatever he is sure comes in handy sometimes. Or is he a dinosaur? I can never remember.

Stay calm – Keeping your voice and your tone quiet and gentle will help set a good example for your child. As much as you might want to raise your voice, maintaining a neutral tone will keep from making the situation worse. This can be extremely hard to achieve, but it’s worth it in the end. It will also take a lot of practice, but I’m sure that by the time your toddler has grown up you will have plenty of it!

Bail – If you’re out in public and nothing you’re trying seems to be working, it might be best to just leave with your toddler, even if it means leaving a grocery cart full of food in the middle of aisle 12.

Acknowledge, but don’t give in – If your child is screaming because they’re upset about something, acknowledge their feelings and help them work through it. If they’re screaming because they want something they can’t have, don’t give in just to have some peace and quiet. That’s only going to make things worse in the long run.

One thing to remember is that this stage will pass. It may be hard to think about that when you’re in the middle of a crowded place and you feel like everyone is staring at you because your child is screaming at the top of their lungs.


Chances are however, that none of those people will remember you the next day. What matters is your family, and how you deal with them at difficult times. Don’t sacrifice an opportunity to encourage good behavior for the sake of a few strangers’ opinions.