Posts by Terry Dees
You Have A Purpose
Psalm 139:13 You[God] knit me together in my mother’s womb. Knit- to join together, put together. I am as unique as a snowflake. My fingerprints are unique to only me. God has a plan for me! God gave me purpose! God has a purpose for your life- unique to you as well! Comprehending this statement is important because life without direction and purpose is futile. Please do not confuse busyness or achievement or success with purpose. Some people think…
Offended Christians
This is a reprint from a 2019 post, but because I have been having conversations with a lot of “offended” brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s worth re-posting. They are living in an “upset state of mind” over conversations, issues, and flat out gossip, for which they have no context: re-living (daily) the venomous words these moments have created- with no healing in sight. Being an offended christian is neither healthy nor pretty. What’s the deal about Christians being offended?…
Parent Up! A Friend Indeed
Friends. Joy or drama? Tears or laughter? I know I’ve said it before, but I think it’s worth repeating; Our kids learn how to be friends based on what they hear and see from their peers and adults around them. What does being a friend mean? Have you given your child language to differentiate between the various spectrums of what it means to be friends (from having a friend to confide in, befriending the new kid on the block, or…
Big and Tiny
Y’all, Do you ever think about the fact that we’re living on a SPINNING PLANET and no one is flying or falling off? Come on now. All the things that have to be in order for this to be. God spoke. There was order – PERIOD. (brain exploding) AND THEN, I get to see Him up close and personal in my life…. Looking at my children, specifically my girl- born premature. A tiny, tiny, little thing. Every breath she took was a…
Study Habits
It’s Monday morning at 6:45. You’re calling out to the kids to hurry up so they can grab breakfast before the school bus comes. They come barrelling into the kitchen, backpacks are on their backs, but books, papers, and pencil pouch are in their hand. In your most calm voice you say “why are you carrying your things? Put them in your backpack, Sweetie. To which one or both of them respond, I forgot to Waaa, Waaa, Waah. In your…
Taking Inventory
We are all leaders in our home. We influence, instruct, empower and enable our kids everyday. The question we should ask ourselves is: Are we leading them well? Okay, you say, I’ll play along with this game. How do I know if I am leading well? To which I would respond with another question: How well do you know yourself? Psychologist call this taking a personal inventory –…
Lay A Word On Them
There were times when my children came to me for support or (as my girl child would say) to lay a word on them, and I just didn’t have it. I didn’t have anything in the tank to pull out for them, either because my mind was solving some other issue or I was simply tapped out mentally. Well of course being the “always prepared mom” that I am (Haha-nope, the idea came from my sister in law), I had…
Time To Think
Most of us are not intentionally mean spirited or hateful. We don’t look for opportunities to hurt others nor do we teach our children to do so. But I would have to argue that merely teaching them to NOT be hurtful IS NOT enough! We must show them what it looks like to BE loving, grace-filled and kind. My youngest revealed this truth to me when she decided not to share her toys with her cousin. When I spoke with…
Offended Christians
What’s the deal about Christians being offended? Let me start by saying we are all humans, which means we experience physical moments on our spiritual journey. So yes, we may be hurt by people. However, we should be distinguishable in how we deal with our “hurt” feelings. Christians are some of the most easily offended people in the world, when in reality we should be the least. If we are discerning, we ignore gossip, we address concerns directly with the…
A Good Listener
The art of being a good listener is becoming more and more of a lost art. Face to face and even phone conversations are no longer the primary way we communicate. Our interactions are primarily through the computer and cell phone where we email or text in terse, abbreviated, and frequently misunderstood modes. When we do have in-person conversations, these same devices turn us into one of Pavlov’s dogs, immediately turning our attention the minute we hear a ding. It’s nearly…
Planted or Buried
Have you noticed no one ever says they are burying seeds, but they say they are planting seeds in anticipation of harvesting later? We associate planting with life, newness and fruitfulness. But we bury to hide, leave, or end something. There is no expectation of future return. I have a question for you: Do you live like you’re Planted or Buried? God wants you to know that you’ve been planted, but satan wants you to think that you’ve been buried. So it’s…
One Thing
Sometimes you just need a laugh. You know those days when you wake up with a to-do list a mile long and you’re already stressing. So let’s hit the rewind button and start over. State in your mind FIRST what is most important. God is your rock and your refuge. Seek Him first. Secondly, learn to recognize when you start to drift away from what is most important. Repeat out loud what is most important to you. Thirdly, Reclaim your…