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The collective disposition around our family dinner table that night was one of deflated defeat. For hours, the kids had struggled with finishing their daily homework. My husband was recovering from a day filled with complications at the office, and I was exhausted from teaching all day. No one spoke much as we ate.

When a pair of hand-me-down flip-flops recently arrived in the mail, my 4-year-old son gleefully announced they had Spider-Man, Superman, Iron Man, and Captain America on them. I looked at him quizzically. How did he know the names of these characters—some I didn’t even know? We haven’t watched their movies, read their books, or purchased their toys. When I asked him where he learned about these superheroes, he shrugged and said, “Everybody knows about these guys, Mama!”

During the holiday season, we’re tempted to spend too much time on our iPhones, on the computer, or watching television. Following our example, our kids isolate themselves too.

A survey finds that while two in three Americans say they want more Christ in Christmas, most cannot give all the details of Jesus’s birth story.

Thanksgiving can easily get lost in the flurry of family, food and football. Here are some ideas for infusing thanks into your Thanksgiving festivities.

We just finished October and already I’m starting to think about Thanksgiving. My mom’s stuffing uses two sticks of butter, so it’s worth looking forward to for an entire month (and then there’s also her mashed potatoes and dessert!) But it’s not just the food and time with family that I’m thinking about. I’m hoping to spend the month preparing my heart for a feast of thanksgiving...