Lies have a really sneaky way of disguising themselves as truth. Once we hear a lie in our head enough times, it begins to convince us that it is right! Then we unknowingly accrue a list of lies we live by. Don’t believe me? Think about a few of these lies we live by, or at least I live by and I am fighting not to live by! Lie #1: “No one notices what I do” Truth: “You are LOVED” As…
Proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” As my children have grown up, we have had many discussions about doing the right thing. Many times they were asked by a teacher or coach to do something that was wrong. They had to really think and apply their training to the situation so that they did not depart from what they knew was right. Even…
Early on in our marriage, our biggest issue was criticism. Mark thought it would be very helpful of him to point out all of the ways I could do things better, more like him. He is now quick to admit that he tends to have a bit of a critical attitude, but he didn’t realize it at the time. He honestly thought he was just helping me! But as someone who needs affirmation and thrives on compliments, I interpreted his…
When my kids were young, it was so easy to know what was going on in their heart because it usually came out of their mouth nonstop. The constant stream of random questions along with verbal observations about life provided a wide open window into their heart. I loved it. I just love to help people figure things out—especially little people. But as my little ones grew older, they naturally grew a little more guarded making it difficult to know…
When was the last time you said something you didn’t mean? Spoke before thinking? Hurt someone with your words? Let a careless comment slip? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done all of those things! And I know I’m not the only one who struggles with my words. Why is it so easy to say things we regret? The book of James has an answer for that. James 3:2-6 tells us, “For we all stumble in many…
Nowadays it seems like teenagers are born with an extra appendage attached to their fingertips. You know what I mean. That iPhone they just can’t seem to look up from may as well be a part of their bodies! Spending too much time using social media may be detrimental to your child’s mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Parents need to be aware of their child’s social media habits, especially if it’s a big part of their life. Asking these five…
In our family, we discouraged our children from being quitters from a very young age. If they started a game, they needed to finish it. If they wanted to do an activity, they couldn’t just leave halfway through. Because quitting should only be allowed or encouraged in rare circumstances, we wanted to raise our children to persevere! Earlier this year, one of my daughters faced a difficult decision. She had recently started a good job that utilized her skills and…