I share many thoughts this week about my eye accident, why I am having surgery, and what I have learned over many years of how to become a dependable and wise warrior in this broken world.
When a child grows up developing graciousness as they go, they will have it as a treasure the rest of their lives.
Today, I'll share all about my trip to London, some tasty food, and what I have been pondering lately about cultivating patience and flexibility.
Character is the pool from which our children will live and make all of their life decisions. Virtue takes a lifetime to build, yet is it one of the best gifts we can give or our children.
When we feel someone knows us and still loves us and understands us and our deepest thoughts and dreams, we are so very grateful. I pray you will feel seen, loved and affirmed in our time together for Tea Time Tuesday.
To give our children a virtuous heart, to teach them to value hard work, patience, relationship skills, truth-telling, keeping their word and so much more is to bless them for their whole life.
How I wish I could have each of you over for tea to my little home today. I would pick your brain, hear your thoughts and dreams, share with you mine. To have the opportunity to share in real friendship is one of the treasures of my life. So join me today for another Tea Time Tuesday podcast!
Our children will adopt a “putting others first” heart only if we first help them have God’s mind about selflessness. Instructing our children in what it truly means to put the needs of others first will enable them to be great friends and have great friends.
Just the other day, I was looking at old photos and found a favorite from some friends I used to spend a weekend a year with at the beach before or after our California conference—I could never have made it through all the years without my sweet friends.
Ely has for many years been one of my very favorite towns in the UK. What a gift it was that a sweet friend of mine invited me to go on a little 2 day explore together to have fun once again in the Magical Medieval town.
While every family has its own story and each puzzle of life is different, there are some practical ways we can make the life of faith tangible to our children and those are the focus of the second half of this chapter!
I have a family of tea cups that sit together on my shelf wherever I live. Stay tuned — you will be seeing my adventures with tea cup in hand. I have some adventures planned this very week. As mom of 4, I learned to see life as an adventure and to create a sense of joyful adventures along the way, even in mundane days.
In the weeks ahead, I will be hosting a podcast series from my book, 10 Gifts of Heart, a book Clay and I wrote to focus on the habits we wanted our children to have before they left our home and entered the world as adults. Today, I talk with my friend, Dr. Michael Ward, about his book, After Humanity, and we discuss the role virtue plays in the shaping of character. Be inspired.
We cannot pass on civility, beauty, intelligence, excellence of mind and heart, if we do not ourselves make these virtues a goal of our lives. Whatever we pursue and cultivate will determine what we are also able to pass on to all who we encounter.
On today’s podcast, I talk about making your life whole in mind, body, character, and actions so that those who listen to you have a virtuous, good, right model to follow. Jesus said, “The student when fully trained will be like his teacher.” And so, our children who look to us as teachers, call us to become our best selves.
We all get so caught up with making one more meal, getting one more chore done, but it is truly our personal relationships that will see us through hard times. We must make time to say, “I am so grateful to be with you today. How are you?”
While it is incredibly wonderful to set our standards high and live within these great ideals, we must hold ourselves to a standard of grace, not perfection.
There is a life and hope and energy in this celebrating. It brings all earthly struggles into perspective, a baby bringing life that would conquer all ills, calm all storms, wrest all evil powers, heal all wounds.
There are so many ways to feel guilty or less than, but when we seek Him and His priorities and free ourselves from the burdens we are not meant to carry, we will find strength and purpose for each day. I pray you have a wonderful New Year and a light soul.
For today's Tea Time Tuesday, I share all about our family's music, food, life, Christmas plans, inspiration. Let me know if you enjoy my ramblings. Hoping you have a wonderful week!
There was something so special about that first Shepherds’ Meal that we couldn’t wait to “do it again next year.” And so we have. In the thirty-plus years since then, our family has enjoyed a Shepherds’ Meal every Christmas Eve, no matter where we lived. Even the preparation has become a tradition—a family affair.
One of my biggest challenges in this very fraught and emotional storm was that as a young, naive believer, I didn’t know some of the worst hurts in my life would come from others who called themselves Christians.