KARI KAMPAKIS
Life Actually: Happy 10th birthday, Camille!
They say God’s grace comes when you need it and not a moment sooner, and I think this explains how my heart began to thaw when I saw Camille, heard her cry and felt the doctor lay her 6-pound body on my chest. Read more
Life Actually: Is social media making us bitter?
On social media, however, we get to skip the real-life challenge of trying to work through differences and instead join tribes. Read more
Life Actually: 10 things athletes should know
I find it interesting (and somewhat crazy) that Americans will pack stadiums and pour money into a sport that revolves around one ball. Many people care more passionately about who dominates that one ball than they do eternal matters. Read more
Life Actually: 5 things to remember in hard times
God planted in us a desire to be with Him. Only in heaven will we feel perfect peace and happiness. Until we reach our final destination, we must learn to live with the inner voids that create a longing for eternity. Read more
Life Actually: In Parenting There are No Guarantees
For our children to know, love and understand God, it’s important that we take them to church, share Scripture, cultivate character and encourage healthy relationships. Read more
Life Actually: What makes a guy a keeper?
Unanimously we agreed that when it comes to a happy marriage, character far outweighs charisma. What makes a guy a “keeper” is not the charm or splashy gestures that might impress outsiders. Read more
Life Actually: Your choices matter to many people
It takes a thousand choices to get where you want to be in life. Read more
Life Actually: What will your recovery be?
A mom of five kids (all teenagers) once told me that something they discuss a lot in their home is recovery. Read more
Life Actually: As our kids grow up, we parents need a life
“My daughter told me I need to get a life,” my friend said, and we laughed because her daughter is in sixth grade. Read more
Life Actually: Trust yourself and your intuition
Of the many lessons I try to teach my children, one of the most essential lessons is to trust their gut instincts and funny feelings. Read more
Life Actually: Impact teenagers by speaking life
Right now, if you are raising or influencing teenagers, you have a window of opportunity that won’t always exist. Read more
Life Actually: Taking a genuine interest in people
Our world needs more people who take a genuine interest in others. Read more
Life Actually: Is affluence hurting today’s children?
We are raising kids in a competitive culture with more upper-middle class families who enjoy higher standards of living and more disposable income than previous generations. Read more
Life Actually: Boys compete, girls compare
Comparison is never helpful. It makes us feel inferior or superior, less-than someone else or better-than them. Read more
Life Actually: Being mean is not being funny
Humor is king in today’s society, and people can get away with voicing any remark as long as it’s funny. Read more
Life Actually: 5 thoughts on dealing with rejection
Oftentimes, what hurts most with rejection isn’t the event itself, but the emotions that are triggered. Read more
Life Actually: Helping your daughter find real friends
Your vibe attracts your tribe, and the way to attract real friends is to be a real friend first. Read more
Life Actually: Don’t discount the quiet guys
I’ve noticed when teenage girls discuss teenage boys, they tend to group them into three categories: Read more
Life Actually: Give friends room to have a bad day
My friend texted me at 5 a.m. — then followed up with an email. Read more
Life Actually: An encouraging word for new moms
Congratulations, momma. You did it. You’ve ushered a miracle into this world. That newborn baby in your arms is a game changer, a tiny slice of heaven and the purest thing you’ll ever know on this side of eternity. Read more
Life Actually: Don’t discount the quiet guys
I’ve noticed when teenage girls discuss teenage boys, they tend to group them into three categories: Read more
Life Actually: Give friends room to have a bad day
My friend texted me at 5 a.m. — then followed up with an email. Read more
Life Actually: An encouraging word for new moms
Congratulations, momma. You did it. You’ve ushered a miracle into this world. That newborn baby in your arms is a game changer, a tiny slice of heaven and the purest thing you’ll ever know on this side of eternity. Read more
Life Actually: The AA way, lessons we all need
I’m not a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but through random events I’ve met some amazing people who are. Read more
Life Actually: Raising a strong, kind child
I remember the incident clearly, doing cheer stunts in my family’s front yard with a baby sitter from my brother’s grade. Read more
Life Actually: Social filters - Think it or say it?
It’s a really exciting day when your child begins to speak. Read more
Life Actually: Would you rather be ‘liked’ online – or loved in person?
It was five months after my first book was released when the exhaustion hit me. I began waking up in the mornings feeling drained, burned out and lonely. Read more
Life Actually: Make the most of being their driver
The vehicle I drive is white, but it might as well be yellow because most days of the week, I am a taxi. Read more
Life Actually: From destruction, God makes art
When my daughter was 6 years old, she showed an interest in art. Because I’m not artsy person, I did what non-artsy moms do: I signed her up for art lessons. Read more
Life Actually: It’s never too late to say ‘I’m sorry’
While driving my kids to school one day, I told them it was almost time for an annual lake trip our family takes with friends we see once a year. Read more
Life Actually: Embracing humility and the unexpected
There are certain moments in parenting where you want to hang your head in disgrace and immediately disappear. Read more
2 words to enrich your school year
A friend of mine once had jury duty and didn’t know a soul. When it came time to choose her seat, she did what most of us do: She scanned the faces of potential jurors, saw a woman who reminded her of herself and sat down by her. Read more
Life Actually | Be real and know who’s good for you
I’ve never been a fan of pretense. Even as a little girl, if I sensed that a person was acting fake or a little hoity-toity for my taste, it made me want to run the other way. Read more
Life Actually | The gift of Christmas grace
"It was a simple task, really, and one that many families had successfully carried out before us." Read more
