priorities

American Dreamers + a Free Tee for You!

June 10, 2016 by Erin

I received this tank for review from Cents of Style. This post contains affiliate links.

I’ve written a few times on here about the American dream. It is a concept which makes me both a little bit uncomfortable and a little bit hopeful all at the same time. I suppose it has to do with the perspective with which you view the phrase “American dream.”

It started out all hopeful so many years ago – people coming to the United States to freely pursue their dreams. Most of these people just dreamed of providing for their families. Some had bigger dreams. All associated the American dream with hope, joy, freedom.

Somewhere along the way, the American dream became something to chase. Instead of holding on to our own hopes or pursuing our own dreams, we started to compete and compare. This is the world we live in right now.

The American dream has drove many of us to despair, but I want to be a different kind of American dreamer.

Hope. Faith. Generosity. This is my dream.

I don’t want to earn more money to get ahead. I want to bless others out of God’s abundance.

I don’t want to cram my calendar full with things that make me look “good.” I want to leave time and space in my schedule to love others well.

I want to care more about people than stuff, more about service than recognition, more about Kingdom than earthly treasures.

The typical American dream floating around out there leaves me with anxiety and pressure, but the dream God has placed in my American heart fills me with joy and freedom. That’s what the American dream was all about in the first place, right?

This American Dreamer tee from Cents of Style has me all fired up about living out this dream again and I love getting to share a sale on it today! It is the perfect tee to wear for the Fourth of July and spark some discussion about living out a new American dream.

Today only, get this tee FREE when you make a $30 more purchase from Cents of Style! How fun! The Fashion Friday collection is FULL of great pieces to share your American pride, so buy $30 worth from that collection (or anywhere else on the site) and get your American Dreamer tee FREE! The tee comes in navy v-neck or white crewneck! Did I mention shipping is always free, too?!

Just place a Cents of Style order of $30 or more today and the American Dreamer tee is yours for free!

The FREE shirt will be offered with a pop-up upon checkout with any purchase that is $30 or more. This offer is not valid with any other coupon code or promotion. Limit one shirt per order/customer.

Now, please tell me about YOUR American dream!

Filed Under: deals, fashion, priorities, reviews, summer, what I wore Tagged With: american dream, dreamer, fourth of july, summer style, tee

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks eBook

Avoiding the Holiday Hangover

November 30, 2015 by Erin

I have included affiliate and referral links below. When you purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site and our sponsorship of our Compassion child, Samson!

We all know the holiday hustle and bustle well. The months of October, November, and December are full of reasons to celebrate, which makes them my very favorite time of year.

There is one problem with this being my favorite time of year: I want to do ALL THE THINGS. You should see my Pinterest boards for Fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Full to the brim. And having too many ideas, like I do thanks to the lovely internet, usually leads to doing too many things in an already busy time of year.

I became particularly over-zealous about holiday activities once kids entered the picture. This Advent calendar and that Christmas countdown and all the baking and crafty ideas just had to be done or my kids would be deprived of a meaningful Christmas. Yep, that’s the lie I believed. And Christmas time became stressful, not joyful.

Last year, I wanted the joy back. I didn’t want to come to the end of the holiday season and be glad it was all finally over. It is one thing to pack the season full of memories and another thing to become crazy-obsessed-stressed super Christmas mom who doesn’t take time to savor the season for herself. Memories get lost in the stress.

Avoiding the holiday hangover – where you feel like you’ve been put through the ringer instead of celebrating the birth of our Savior – starts with admitting you have a problem. No, this is not a self-help book, but I needed to wake up and see the stress I was experiencing and causing with all of my good Christmas ideas. Too much good is still too much.

The second step for me was being intentional, and more specifically, intentionally saying no. I adore all of the Advent calendars and devotions that have been created for kids and families. I will probably sharing lots of them with you. But we don’t do ALL of them every year and neither should you. Before the seasons starts, evaluate your options and pick a devotion or calendar that suits the ages and stages of your kids. Because we have two elementary-age boys and one preschooler, we may do two different devotions this year to fit their levels. That’s where I draw the line. Make your own line and stick to it!

Why do I feel the need to be so strict with myself? I’ve found that on my way to giving myself a holiday hangover, I leave no room for what God might bring our way during the Christmas season. I don’t savor the moments because I’m always trying to check something off the list. I want to breathe and notice and celebrate this magical time of year.

As I have been reading through Savor, a daily devotional by Shauna Niequist, I have been struck by the detail in which she can describe seemingly ordinary moments and, in doing so, makes them sound life-changing. All because she was really paying attention and living in that moment. These devotions have led me to see so much beauty in the daily things and I don’t want to lose that in the midst of Christmas hurry. I want these holiday moments to be more vivid, more full of life and joy. I want them to be moments that make me smile when all is said and done.

No holiday hangover for me this year. And you can choose the same. Join me in drawing a line, leaving room for joy, and savoring this Advent season!

What will you + your family do or NOT do in order to avoid the holiday stress hangover this year?

Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, faith, family, joy, priorities, simplify, winter

A Periscope Peek at My Morning!

August 10, 2015 by Erin

Last Friday, I went live on Periscope in the early morning while my kiddos were still sleeping to give you a little peek at how I handle my morning “quiet” time. Have you tried Periscope yet? It’s pretty fun – live videos from people you choose to follow and that you can interact with during the video! I’ve worked out with one and listened to worship on another. If you’re on Periscope already or going to join now, I’m “homewiththeboys” over there, just like everywhere else!

Here’s what I shared…

If you’re seeing this in your email inbox, click here to see the video!

Resources mentioned in the video:

First 5 App from Proverbs 31 Ministries
Savor by Shauna Niequist
She Reads Truth
ESV Study Bible
Pen + Paper – the journals and pens I love

If you’re new to the whole idea of morning quiet time or need some extra guidance in how to manage that time of day, I highly recommend you check out Hello Mornings! This community started by Kat Lee is the reason is started and stuck with a focused, productive morning routine in the first place. They have great challenges and accountability – so valuable!

Talk to me about your mornings and your Bible study time – how does it look for you? How do you want it to look?

Filed Under: bible study, maximize your mornings, motherhood, priorities, she reads truth

They’re Speaking a Different Language, But I’m Still Listening

August 20, 2014 by Erin

The Star Wars obsession in our house has reached full throttle. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like Star Wars, especially the original three episodes. Han Solo is my favorite. Who is with me?!

The boys, however, have taken liking Star Wars to a whole new level. They want to watch it all the time. They check out books about it at the library. They play Star Wars games and play with Star Wars Legos and have lightsaber fights with the pool noodle lightsabers I made for Little J’s Star Wars birthday party.

STAR WARS EVERYTHING.

So when we sat down to watch The Empire Strikes Back, I wasn’t just getting Luke + Leia + Han + all the droids. I was getting full commentary on every ship, weapon, planet, and character that came in to view on screen. My brain just about exploded. I know the boys get their ability to talk for hours from me, but OH MY GOSH.

I will fully admit here that I wanted to tune them out for much of the movie. I don’t really care whether Chewbacca is using a Bowcaster gun or the stormtrooper’s BlasTech E-11 blaster during the battle at Cloud City. Are you impressed with my knowledge there?! All from my boys. And I think I can recognize an X-Wing from a Tie Fighter, but I don’t mind if I don’t know all the names of the other ships.

My boys, however, care deeply. They love learning about Star Wars and they love telling me about it. Most of the time, they sound like they are speaking an entirely different language, but I’m still listening.

I’m still listening when they talk on and on about Star Wars because I want them to know THEY matter to me. Star Wars isn’t my whole world, but these boys are, and I can show them just how important they are to me by just listening. I can look them in the eye and ask questions when I don’t understand. Their handsome faces just light up when I ask them to explain the droids to me or on which planet everyone has now arrived.

I’m still listening because I want them to keep talking to me. I want to listen when they talk to me now about what matters so they know I will keep listening as they get older and the things that matter to them change. It may be Star Wars now, but some day it will be friendships and peer pressure and deep faith questions and even girls…so not ready for that.

On the nights where I think we’re just settling down for a relaxing family move night and I, instead, get an earful about jedis and padawans, I am committing to listening and letting them know they are heard.

Keep speaking that strange language to me, boys. I’m still listening and I always will.

What do your kids talk to you about that you just don’t “get?” How do you make them feel heard in these situations?

Filed Under: boys, motherhood, parenting, priorities

Choose {Five-Minute Friday}

February 28, 2014 by Erin

I have included affiliate links below. When you purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site and our sponsorship of our Compassion child, Samson!

It’s Five Minute Friday with lovely Lisa-Jo!

Set a timer and just write. Don’t worry about making it just right or not.

For me? An exercise in letting go and letting words flow. Five minutes only. {yes, I do set a timer and it quacks like a duck at 5 minutes, which totally makes me smile}

Today’s prompt: Choose.

*****

And go…

This morning I made two small, but defining choices.

I got out of bed before everyone else.
I embraced my “learner” strength during my God time.

What a difference those two choices have made already in my day! I grabbed my Bible, journal, and devotional and settled in for some quiet time with God and Spurgeon. I stumbled upon a word Spurgeon used in his “old” style and had to look it up because he used it right before the word grace…

munificent – larger or more generous than is usual or necessary

I learned a new word! And it means so much when used with the word grace. Grace more necessary than I deserve. How appropriate as we move into the Lenten season.

Then I looked up the verse Spurgeon referenced in today’s devotion – Psalm 62:5 – in my amazing new Study Bible for Women. In the margin I discovered this word:

hupotage – Greek, act of subjection, obedience, submission; suggests a necessary connection between the acknowledgment of God’s power and authority and the ability to “cease” restless independent activity

Wow. Not just acknowledging His power, but ceasing any activity independent of Him. If anyone needs that reminder, it is me.

The way the two choices of getting up early and digging deeper to learn something new have already changed my day are just a sign of the hand of God in everything I do.

A sign of His munificent grace.

Stop.

*****

What little choices could make a big difference in your day today?

Don’t forget to read lots of lovely thoughts from the Five Minute Friday gang over at Lisa-Jo’s today!

Filed Under: five minute friday, priorities

VITALITY in Self-Care + Personal Growth

January 31, 2014 by Erin

As I was exploring vitality as the my word for 2014, the areas for goal-setting were clear to me: faith, marriage, motherhood, ministry…

…and wasn’t there something else?

What about exercise? nutrition? rest? reading?

There were all these little but important leftover areas I wanted to see changes in for 2014, but they didn’t fit in anywhere.

Except…wait…they all had to do with ME. My personal growth, taking care of myself, my health and well-being, both physical and mental.

I’m at a place in my life where I’ve finally realized how much better I am all around – Christian, wife, mother, friend, writer – when I take care of myself. DUH!

So that’s where I’m wrapping up my vitality goals for 2014 today: self-care and personal growth…

food as fuel

I really like eating. I am not a dieter and I never will be because I LOVE food and I don’t like being told I can’t enjoy the yummy stuff. But I HAVE to take a different approach with food this year. Since becoming more active, I am much more aware of the effects food has on my body, both positive and negative. On a regular basis, each and every day, I need to think of food as fuel for my body. For me, this means more real food, more protein, vegetables, and fruits, more of what my body NEEDS not WANTS. You bet I will still thoroughly enjoy some of my favorite indulgences, but only in the context of a much healthier diet overall.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

~1 Corinthians 10:31

challenge myself

Last year, I tried several new things in the area of fitness, but I also had a few periods of time lacking motivation and gusto. Not this year. I’ve got a plan to attack my physical fitness and strength, and if I ever feel myself dying off, I’m coming back to this goal. As of now, I’m not planning on any new distances for races, but I would like to set a new PR for a 10K. A half PR? Maybe! I broke 2:00 last year and that was my ultimate goal! We’ll see about getting faster!

And I’m not just challenging myself with events, but with a few tougher or new workouts a week. It might sound crazy, but my Tuesday evening speed work runs at the gym are super hard but make me feel AWESOME. I want more of that this year.

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31

water, water, water

There isn’t much to say here: I just need to drink more water. The winter months have me reaching for coffee much more often, but I’m trying to down a whole Camelbak of water in betweens cups of coffee. I also grab a glass of water FIRST when I feel hungry to see if that satisfies me. Lots and lots of water this year, people. Bring it on.

motivate others

I have seen firsthand what taking better care of myself has done for every aspect of my life and I want to tell the world. Well, really I just want to come alongside other women, especially other moms, to say, “If I can do this, you can do this.” I was not an athlete growing up. I only started running less than two years ago. We have three kids, my husband is a resident, I homeschool and write and… I still find time to workout and my body thanks me for it!

I want to dedicate time this year to cheering on women who want to get started on this path or want to reach a new goal or need to get back on the treadmill or bike or whatever they were doing to improve their health before they stopped. {If you’re one of these women, please email me at homewiththeboys at gmail dot com and you will have yourself a health + fitness cheerleader!} This may not seem like a goal about personal growth, but I feel more alive and inspired myself when I’m connecting with and encouraging others, so there you go!

Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other. ~Romans 15:32

finish more books

I made this big long list of books I wanted to read last year, and I read many books, but not the whole list. I also started a lot of books that I never finished. I’ve started this month with finishing off a few books I didn’t quite finish in 2013. I’m fitting more reading in here and there, keeping books all over the place to grab for five minutes of reading here and there as suggested by Crystal Paine in her book Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. And my appetite for reading has definitely regained vitality. And I’m not putting a reading list out this year because new books keep popping up all the time and I don’t want to be tied down!

rest

Sleep. Analog weekends. Family cuddles. Feet up, deep breaths, stillness. I need more rest in 2014. Earlier bedtimes are in order. I take a “quiet time” in the afternoon while the boys do as well and all of me breathes easier for the rest of the day. I’m finding at least one day a week, usually the whole weekend to unplug and just be. Taking time to rest used to seem to me a hindrance to getting all the things done. Life has shown me differently.

And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. ~Romans 12:1

*****

Hmmm…turns out I had a lot to say about taking care of myself!

On the topic of self-care, can I share a few of my favorite reads for moms? Jessi from Naptime Diaries and Hayley from The Tiny Twig have been writing many encouraging things lately in this area. Please take some time to read and be inspired by these ladies.

How are you doing with taking care of YOU? What do you want to focus on for your personal growth this year?

Read more about my goals for vitality…

The VITALITY Series

Filed Under: fitness, healthy living, inspiration, priorities, reading, Vitality, women, word of the year

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode!

January 20, 2014 by Erin

I have included affiliate links below. When you purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting this site and our sponsorship of our Compassion child, Samson!

My focus this year is on vitality. In all areas of life. No longer just surviving, but rather living a full, energetic, passionate life. Choosing a word for the year is not just about having it there to motivate you – you have to do something. And while I was wanting to leave survival mode behind, I needed a plan to jump start my year of vitality.

That’s when Crystal Paine’s newest book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, came into my life.

I often love the concepts presented in non-fiction books like this one, but I have a hard time finishing them. I get overwhelmed by all of the things I should be doing and put the book away before applying any of the concepts.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is a totally different story. I felt like Crystal was telling my tale of being overwhelmed, easily distracted, and just plain tired. As a fellow mom of three little ones, reading about Crystal’s path out of survival mode provided me with a lot of hope!

And along with hope, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode serves up nine strategies for moving forward with intention and life! My favorite strategies are along the lines of time management because that is where I struggle most. A few of my favorite tips:

Record what you do every half hour for 2-3 days.

I actually did this and WOW. So much wasted time here are there! But even just the act of recording what I was doing with my time made me be more intentional. I wanted to make better use of each chunk of time and I stopped doing a few unnecessary things that were showing up too often on the list!

Use those five minutes here and there.

Crystal includes a great starter list of things you could get done in that extra five minutes you have here and there instead of mindlessly surfing Facebook. I’ve started my own list to hang on the fridge to remind me that I own my time and can make it work better for me if I don’t waste it!

Set focused work time.

As an easily-distracted person, I have a hard time using time wisely. I have too many open windows in my browser. Multi-tasking is often my enemy and the thief of some of my vitality. I’ve been scheduling my days better since reading this book, and my writing time has been a lot more productive. Focused work time also means my time with my family is more focused as well.

These were my biggest “aha” moments, but Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is so much more than this. You’ll also find Crystal’s help to:

feel healthier and more energetic by setting priorities and boundaries
eliminate stress with savvy management of your time, money, and home
get more done by setting realistic goals and embracing discipline
rediscover your passions—and the confidence to pursue them

I don’t know many women who WOULDN’T benefit from reading this book, trying Crystal’s strategies, and finding life beyond just surviving! I am grateful to Crystal for sharing her life in such an honest and inspiring way and I am thrilled about the direction Say Goodbye to Survival Mode has me moving in for 2014!

SPECIAL, LIMITED TIME OFFER:

To celebrate the release of her book this week, Crystal is offering a collection of amazing prizes for those who buy the book. Simply go to www.GoodbyeSurvivalModeBook.com now for details. And there are lots of special giveaways every day this week as well! You can also pick up the book anywhere books are sold, including Amazon.

Are you in survival mode? What area of your life could use a new strategy?

Filed Under: book review, home, motherhood, priorities, reading, reviews, simplify, Vitality, women, word of the year

Divine Service

December 12, 2013 by Erin

My focus has been off lately. My heart has not been in the right place.

Each time I sit down to have some time with the Lord, I feel it heavy in my heart. But each time I also hear specifically from Him about how to turn it all around.

And He did so again last night, after a morning of power struggles with a child and an afternoon of trying to clean up the full cup of coffee that spilled all over the presents and tree skirt and carpet…

For three days in a row, I had written in my journal something on the matter of focus.

Focus matters.

Where is your focus, Erin?

The focus of my heart is not on Him…

The day-to-day, the little disasters and pitfalls, the crazy of this season had narrowed my focus on to only me. And, if there is one thing I’ve learned, when I focus on ME ME ME, I am NEVER happy. Or at least, not for long.

This especially goes for my views on motherhood and homemaking. With my heart in the wrong place, the children and chores are annoyances and interruptions to my day. And as I threw a pity party over these very things yesterday, God interrupted ME with these words from Charles Spurgeon…

We’ve always had the verse before this in Colossians posted in our homeschool room:

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ~Colossians 3:23

I have not been modeling this well for our children, working more for what I want or to please other people, not wholeheartedly giving myself to the work God has give me to do.

And it feels horrible. And stressful. And not at all what He intended for me.

The Morning + Evening devotion I was reading concluded with this…

“Divine service” is not a thing of a few hours and a few places—but all of life becomes holiness unto the Lord; and every place and thing, becomes as consecrated as the tabernacle and its golden candlestick!

I found so much hope, so much beauty in these words. The laundry room is just as holy as the church sanctuary when I consider the work I am doing as unto the Lord. Changing diapers and washing dishes are acts of divine service, not to be met with disdain, but embraced with joy.

Each and every hour of my day is holy when approached as divine service. Each and every place I set my foot in the perspective of divine service in motherhood and homemaking and marriage and writing is holy. And to do each of these things to glorify and serve God is joy.

My heart wants more focus, but not just any kind. Jesus, joy, and divine service are the path He has set me on and I will keep my focus there.

Where is your focus right now? What divine service has He called you to?

Filed Under: faith, homemaking, joy, motherhood, priorities, service

Day 24: I Don’t HAVE to… Do Everything for My Children

October 27, 2013 by Erin

Moms, we have a problem…

A school administrator recently told a friend of mine that all the stuff that kids have these days isn’t what spoiling them; it’s their moms. Moms who hover. Mom who step in to fix problems. Moms who coddle. Moms who do not allow their children to suffer the natural consequences of their actions. No wonder a 25-year-old can be found still living at his parents’ home. ~Kay Willis Wyma, Cleaning House

It may or may not be hard for you to believe this, but I have already seen the beginnings of entitlement in our seven and five-year-old. It is my fault. I don’t really want to be one of the moms mentioned in the quote above, but I have underestimated over and over again what my boys are capable of, done it for them, and in the process, created boys who don’t think they can – or don’t want to – do the necessary things for themselves.

Does any of this sound familiar?

They know how to fold laundry…but it goes much faster if I do it myself.

They know how to clean the sinks…but I’ll probably just have to clean it myself again afterwards, so I’ll do it myself.

They know to make their beds…but they’re in such a hurry in the morning, so I’ll just do it myself after they leave.

Even at seven and five, my boys can actually do much more than I give them credit for, but I have to LET them do those things! In the past year, they’ve learned how to vacuum, fold laundry, dust, take out the trash, and do the dishes. They do these things quite well IF I don’t do the chores for them!

As moms, we need to recognize the value in teaching our children to do the things they should know how to do, around the house and in life. Yes, it takes a little more work right now, but it creates much less work for you and I in the long run!

And even though our kids ~~might~~ will complain at first, they will actually be empowered by this experience…

Our kids want us to challenge them to do more, particularly once they experience firsthand how much better it feels to be productive rather than to be catered to. – Kay Wills Wyma, Cleaning House

I’m fighting the grumbles of my kids and my own do-it-myself attitude this week to teach the kids some new skills around the house. I’m thinking big picture. I don’t want them to have life handed to them on a platter. I want them to know the value of hard work and the reward of a job well done, whether it be making their bed or putting together a big report for school on their own.

In Kay Wills Wyma’s book, Cleaning House, she goes through her 12-month journey to rid of her family of entitlement. In the second month, she teaches all of her children how to meal plan, shop, cook, and clean up from the meal. The month had major ups and some downs, but I love her observation at the end of that month…

I didn’t realize just how much I’ve shackled these kids by racing in and doing for them. On autopilot, I’ve shopped, cooked, and so much more, failing to see the countless opportunities to teach them about life and build self-esteem by helping them do what most of their friends have never considered doing.

Time to stop doing it all for them, moms. Myself included.

What could you teach your kids to do for themselves this week?

Filed Under: 31 Days, family, home, kiddos, NOT Having It All, priorities

Day 17: I Don’t HAVE to… Post on the Blog Every Day!

October 21, 2013 by Erin

My 31 Days of NOT Having It All series was well planned out, but I did not write all of the posts ahead. Bad blogger, I know.

When last week became very busy, I had to decide whether to cram in some hurried blog posts just to fill the 31 days OR be present in my “real life” and help diffuse some of the crazy. Real life won.

I stressed about messing up the whole 31 days things for about an hour. Then the guilt went away. And I had an AMAZING weekend.

I missed writing a little bit, but I knew, after living some great offline life over the weekend, I would have a much clearer mind, fuller heart, and the fresh motivation to continue where I left off.

Bloggers – you don’t HAVE to post every day. Take a break. Live life so you can write about it. And feel no guilt in the process. Your readers AND your family and friends will probably – or definitely – be grateful you did.

A few highlights of life while I was neglecting 31 Days…

Carb loading at HuHot…

Waiting in the cold with one of my bestest friends {of 25 years!} to run the Fargo Mini Marathon…

Janna, The Hubby, and I all PRed in the half, despite the COLD and WIND!

My goal was to break 2:00 and I NEVER would have made it in that wind without Janna pushing me the whole way. I sounded like I might die during those last few miles in the wind, but we finished strong, her at 1:59:29 and me at 1:59:32!

The Hubby was WELL ahead of us, finishing in 1:34:36, a new PR by 21 seconds. Yes. He is SUPER fast.

And the best part is he was waiting for me at the finish. Totally the best. I absolutely love running races with this guy.

We also got to celebrate my dad’s birthday and The Hubby’s dad’s birthday this weekend. They both turn 60 this week, just four days apart! It was so special to celebrate with each of them!

My dad…

And the fam…

And while we were off running, the boys had a blast at Grandpa and Grandma’s and made these adorable pumpkins!

Happy fall! And stay tuned as I play a little catch up with 31 Days this week!

Filed Under: 31 Days, Celebrate, family, fitness, NOT Having It All, priorities, running, word of the year

American Dreamers + a Free Tee for You!

Now, please tell me about YOUR American dream!

Avoiding the Holiday Hangover

What will you + your family do or NOT do in order to avoid the holiday stress hangover this year?

A Periscope Peek at My Morning!

Talk to me about your mornings and your Bible study time – how does it look for you? How do you want it to look?

They’re Speaking a Different Language, But I’m Still Listening

What do your kids talk to you about that you just don’t “get?” How do you make them feel heard in these situations?

Choose {Five-Minute Friday}

What little choices could make a big difference in your day today?

VITALITY in Self-Care + Personal Growth

food as fuel

challenge myself

water, water, water

motivate others

finish more books

rest

How are you doing with taking care of YOU? What do you want to focus on for your personal growth this year?

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode!

Record what you do every half hour for 2-3 days.

Use those five minutes here and there.

Set focused work time.

Are you in survival mode? What area of your life could use a new strategy?

Divine Service

Where is your focus right now? What divine service has He called you to?

Day 24: I Don’t HAVE to… Do Everything for My Children

What could you teach your kids to do for themselves this week?

Day 17: I Don’t HAVE to… Post on the Blog Every Day!

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