Parents
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…
Social Media Tragedy
It would surprise us if it weren’t so common. But every time it happens it still breaks our hearts. This past week a famous relationship therapist revealed her 16 year old son, bored from the many months of quarantine, had been approached by a drug dealer on Snapchat. The teen thought he was buying Xanax, but it was actually Xanax laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid similar to morphine, but 50 to 100 times more potent. The teen was a…
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…
I Don’t Know How You Do It
Encouragement for Single Parents Guest Contributor: Kyla Free “I don’t know how you do it.” If you’re a single parent, you’ve probably heard these words once, twice, or a hundred times. It’s probably not a phrase that triggers a strong emotional response like some do. It’s more likely to elicit a smiling shrug, the vague but polite response that someone wants to hear to their well intentioned comment. You probably didn’t choose single parenting–or if you did, it was likely…
Let’s Talk About School
It feels very different, but schools will be reopening. By now, you have probably made the decision to either send your student to school or keep them home. Whatever decision you have made, know that there isn’t a wrong one. There’s no perfect decision here. That’s why I think it’s so important to get some tips in your hands to help you with the upcoming school year no matter if you are sending your students back in person or virtually.…
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…