This year, with the beginning of this blog and my book writing, I was on a steep learning curve. It was challenging but good! I certainly can't say I was bored in 2015. Most months, I participated in Emily P. Freeman's once a month link-up at Chatting at the Sky, called What I Learned. I'm happy that I have these posts to look back on, to see what I learned throughout the year.
Read moreA Christmas Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we celebrate this Christmas season, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for sending your Son, Jesus. Thank you for the gift of this precious baby who came to Bethlehem so long ago, for us, the Savior of this world, the One who brings joy, hope, and peace to all those who believe and place their trust in Him.
Read moreHoliday Etiquette for Gracious Kids
Christmas is a time of year that has an abundance of teachable moments for parents to guide their kids towards graciousness. Attending and hosting parties, formal dinners, gift giving and receiving...these are all occasions that present an opportunity for children to learn about etiquette. The heart of good etiquette is about making the other people around us feel comfortable. It's about putting others first and showing honor to them...out of love.
Read moreLook to Jesus: How to Let Go of Worry and Trust God
I have a new book coming out! The release date is set for January 26th, 2016. It's called Look to Jesus: How to Let Go of Worry and Trust God. It will be available in paperback and digital on Amazon.
Read moreWould God Still Love Me the Same?
“Locked Away”, by the brother duo, R. City, with Adam Levine, is a song that I’m sure many of you are familiar with. It was one of the biggest pop hits of the summer of 2015. The lyrics seem to hit on the most basic of human desires…to be loved unconditionally and to have someone who will never leave us. Being truly known is a scary thing. We can wonder, would that person still love us if they knew everything about us?
Read moreHow You Can Make More of Jesus at Christmas: with teens
Making much of Jesus over Christmas isn’t only about commemorating our Lord’s birth. Making much of Jesus is about following his example and living in a way that brings glory to God. As Christians, this what we are called to year-round, but the holidays are a special time of year, where people are often particularly sensitive to the things of God. We can use the holidays as an opportunity to be a light in the world for Jesus and we can lead our kids, through our example, in what this looks like.
Read moreThe Great Unknown, Where Feet May Fail
Unknowns make me uncomfortable, but they’re a part of life, and learning to accept that I can’t control and plan everything that happens to me or to those I love is how I'm learning to trust in Jesus. I rest in the knowledge of Romans 8:28, which says,
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Read moreNotes From The Shawshank Redemption
I was thinking about the word, redemption, which is what brought this story to mind. The story is about a man named Andy Dufresne who's sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover- a crime he didn't commit. Life in prison is brutal and isolating, but Andy forges a friendship with a man named Red, a man who's been behind prison walls for most of his life.
Read more20 Best Posts on How To Encourage Your Child
Words of affirmation, encouragement, and affection: our children need us to be generous with these gifts. I recently wrote a post called 10 Ways to Encourage Your Spouse. I intended to follow that up with 10 Ways to Encourage Your Children- but when I noticed that what I wrote for spouses, overlapped with what I wanted to write about encouraging our kids, I decided that rather than be repetitive, that, instead, I would share some favorite posts that I’ve found on other blogs, on the topic of encouragement for our children.
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