What Type of Culture Are you Creating? Our granddaughter, Selah just celebrated her 6th birthday. During Selah’s party, her friends and family affirmed her. Her brother said she was “sweet, fun, and precious.” Her cousins mentioned “kind” and “funny,” and others mentioned “compassionate, patient, creative, joyful and passionate.” As I was listening to Selah’s party…
4 Ways to Cultivate Joy in Your Home through the Holidays
“Hi, baby Jesus, I brought you gold, frankincense, and worms!” That was my favorite line this past weekend as my grandkids put on a play to act out the Christmas story in their “cousins production.” What a joy-filled weekend we had as a family! As we head into the thick of the Holiday season, and…
Creating Space To Dream
We live in a noisy world. My world, like yours, is filled with people I love, people I care about and minister to, and responsibilities and obligations. In the middle of all that, it can feel difficult to hear my own heart’s desires and the delicate whisper of God’s voice. In light of that, I’ve…
3 Ways to Offer the Gift of Empathy
As I think of Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida and the impact of Hurricane Harvey on Houston, I believe it’s a wonderful time to practice offering empathy. Simply put, empathy is the ability to walk in another’s shoes. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to…
5 Ways to Just Be Nice This Week
I remember a season in our home when our kids were little where two of our kids were getting into fairly regular fights. I – like any normal mother – wanted my kids to get along, and I wanted them to “be nice” to each other. I established the rule that if you got into…
3 Ways to Gently Shut Down Gossip
We’ve all be there. You’re in a Starbucks enjoying your latte with a friend. Without warning, the conversation shifts towards a mutual friend and shades that friend in a negative light. Relational wisdom from Proverbs teaches, “Whoever utters slander is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18 ESV). What do you do? Do you listen and validate? Do…