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You know those people who have gone through what you’re going through and take time to talk, to encourage, to offer wisdom, to offer hope? I sure am grateful for them.

When two of our triplets contracted an intestinal infection in the NICU after being born at 29 weeks and 2.5 pounds, it was a God-send to be able to talk to a mom who had just been through it with her twins, and to be able to walk the road of challenges and recovery together.

When we were moving to a new city and had to learn about the area and the schools, it was so helpful that countless people took time to talk with me about the area. 

When my dad, even though he’s been an avid runner, got covid and had to get a tracheostomy, it was and has been a lifeline to talk to a friend whose mom went through the same thing, got it removed, and is now home and doing well. He has encouraged us and helped us navigate the path of healing and recovery for my dad. We will forever be grateful to him. 

It can be easy to become too busy to be there for people going through things, good and bad. But, I never want to be. I always want to make time for them, just as so many people have made time for me.

I think about Jesus visiting the woman at the well and how the people in her town asked Jesus to stay two more days, and he did. 

I think about how Priscilla took time to teach Apollos more about Jesus because she had wisdom.

I think about how Peter got word that Tabitha, a follower of Jesus, was sick, and he traveled to the town where she was to pray for healing for her. 

I think about how Jesus went to heal the twelve-year-old girl, and on the way, he stopped to heal the bleeding woman who was desperate. He could have kept going, but he didn’t.

I think about how Lydia went out of her way to be hospitable to Paul and Silas after they were freed from prison for preaching about Jesus.

I think about the great gift God has given us in one another.

And, how it honors the Lord when we slow down and take time for each other.

Lord, 

Let us never take the gift of one another for granted. Let us not be so consumed with looking inward that we lose sight of the kingdom of God and loving those around us. Let us never get too busy to offer hope, wisdom, and encouragement to people who are going through what we’ve been through. Please use what we’ve gone through to bring others closer to you and to glorify you. Show us people we can encourage and be there for, and please bless the people who have been there for us. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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You can now Pre-order my Mother-Daughter Devotional! Some of the places you can pre-order it are Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com, and Books-A-Million. 

I was convicted of something as I read the Scriptures this morning. 

Oftentimes we can try to tame our kids, control them, quiet them down, and some sweet moments we get glimpses of our kids need to be free, to be themselves, to be kids. 

In Matthew 21, Jesus was in the temple. The chief priests were very annoyed as they saw “the children shouting in the temple courts: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David.’”

The children were shouting praise. In the temple. Isn’t that a beautiful picture? 

I can see us shushing our kids to be quieter, yet these children were “shouting” and making a raucous for the Lord. The leaders were annoyed, but Jesus wasn’t. And, he didn’t try to quiet them.

The leaders asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of CHILDREN and INFANTS you, Lord, have called forth praise?’”

The Lord has ordained praise from infants and children – isn’t that just beautiful. 

He loved their worship, their praise, their uninhibited love for Him.

Sometimes instead of shushing our kids, we should stand back and watch and learn from the very ones Jesus told us to be like. 

“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus (Matthew 18)

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My devotional is now available for preorder!!! Some of the places you can find it are Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com, and Books-A-Million. 

Several years ago as my daughters were curled up in bed reading Disney princess books, I had a vision to create a book about beautiful hearted women of the Bible who my girls could look up to and imitate…Women who loved the Lord and loved others and wanted to make a difference for Jesus. 

I wanted them to be encouraged to focus on inner-beauty and to get their confidence from the Lord, not the world.

I wanted to not be overcome by busyness, but instead, to be intentional about connecting with my girls and the Lord together, and to have fun doing it, through engaging stories and creative activities. 

So I wrote this devotional for me and for you and for all the mamas out there who long to connect with their daughters and the Lord.

My writing dream has finally come true. You can pre-order my Mother-Daughter devotional on Amazon! 

It’d be awesome if you’d share this post and let people know about it who would be interested.

Thank you so much! You can find my Devotional on Amazon.

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My daughter knocked her whole smoothie over on the kitchen counter. We just looked at each other and laughed. Because of the number of things that had happened that day, it was comical at this point. 

My daughter couldn’t decide what choice to make. It was a simple choice I gave her. I wanted to make her help, but I knew it would be better to give her the opportunity to make the better choice on her own.

Don’t we all struggle internally at times with knowing the right and selfless choice, but wanting to make the selfish one instead?

One of the greatest things our kids can learn in these growing up years is choosing to help others out of love and not because they have to do something. 

Gathered around the table eating lunch, I told my kids I thought it would be great to clean up the house for when dad came home. I told them they didn’t have to help, but it would be a great help if they did. 

One of my daughters was in. My son took a second and then said he’d help. My other daughter, not so much. 

Isn’t it hard not to step in and try to convince our kids to make the better choice? 

But, what I am seeing more and more is that that approach backfires. Our kids need to have the freedom to make certain choices at times and then to experience the results of them. 

That’s the only way for them to grow.

As we were finishing lunch, she said she had some things she had been wanting to do. I said that was fine. My other daughter piped in and said she didn’t want to help either, but knew it was the right thing to do so she was helping.

I saw my daughter’s internal struggle with what choice to make.

I know this is such a “small” choice,  but these “small” choices set the stage for bigger choices later on. 

Many times, I do tell everyone I need their help with different things, or chores, and don’t give them a choice. But, as they’re getting older, I’m trying to teach them the value of making the better choice of helping others out of love. 

My daughter said, “Do I have to?” I said, “Nope,” and “I won’t make you feel bad about your choice. It’s up to you.” 

And, she asked, “But is it the selfish thing to not help?”

I wasn’t going to lie, so I told her like it was. “Yes, it would be a selfish choice for all of us to help clean the house for an hour while you go to your room to do other things.”

It would have been SO easy to just make her help. But, my goal is that my kids would choose to help because it’s the loving thing to do. 

When my kids get older, they’ll be making all of their own choices, so I want them to know what it looks like to make choices out of love for the Lord and others right now.

I told her that I can relate to how hard it is to try to make the better choice. That we all struggle with choosing to love the Lord and others first because we’re human. And, I’ve failed in that area plenty of times. But, as we choose more often to love God others first, our hearts will become more like His, and the easier it is to make the better choice.

She thought and thought and thought about what to do.

Then my daughter, said, “Okay, I’ll help,” in a moaning voice. I told her if she had a bad attitude not to help. “Help because you’re glad to help or don’t help.” 

So, I gave her some space and she got a better attitude and was a tremendous help. She exuded joy afterward. I asked her if she was glad about the choice she made. 

And, with a massive smile she said, “I feel so much better that I helped. What an awesome feeling.”  

She doesn’t always make that choice. I don’t always make that choice. 

But in that moment, she discovered the joy that comes from selflessness and loving others as Jesus calls us to – something that is learned better through experience than just hearing about it.

As our kids get older, if we can create more and more opportunities for them to have the option to make the better choice to love the Lord and love others, we should. 

And, if they choose not to, that’s okay. It’s a learning experience. 

We just need to keep sharing about Jesus and his selfless love, praying with our kids, showing them what it looks like to love others by our example, and sharing stories of what God has done and is doing, and they will be pulled closer and closer to the way of love.

Lord, help us show our kids what the better way is. Change our hearts, Lord. Give us selfless hearts like You. Forgive us for our selfishness. Help our kids to always want to follow you and to choose to love You and others first. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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