Tag: beautifulheartedparenting

Noonday Necklace Giveaway Next Week!

Linsey Driskill

IMG_1634Follow my Blog so you don’t miss the Giveaway! You can subscribe in the right sidebar and you’ll be automatically entered with a chance to win! (Your email will not be shared and you can unsubscribe any time).

Noonday empowers people living in impoverished areas by selling their artisan jewelry, and we’ll be giving away one of their necklaces next week! If you follow my Blog you’ll be automatically entered to win.

Since Mother Teresa spent so much of her life loving the poor in India, my friend, Emily, at Noonday is giving away one of the handcrafted necklaces that supports people in India next week!

This quote by Mother Teresa is both inspiring and challenging to me. It completely transforms the way I look at serving and why I do it. I don’t think any of us want our children to help someone because they have to, but rather because they see a need and want to meet it.

How do we teach our kids to do this? I think it starts with us as they mimic just about all we do. How does it change our day when we don’t grudgingly do daily tasks, but do them out of love? If we take a moment at a time to pray and shift our perspective, maybe it will change our outlook and rub off on our kiddos. Wouldn’t that be awesome.

For more information about Noonday, visit noondaycollection.com.

A Thanksgiving Craft & Story

Linsey Driskill

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Here’s a fun craft (and a story) to keep the hearts in our homes grateful!

1. Create a massive turkey together. We used “Art for Kids Hub” tutorial to draw it.

2. At the top, write, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:29). Then tape it to the wall.

3. When you walk past the turkey, write or draw something you’re thankful for.

Share this story from Luke 17 with your kiddos to show how giving thanks is close to the heart of Jesus:

On Jesus’ way to Jerusalem, there were ten really sick men who no one would come close to. They stood at a distance and loudly asked Jesus to heal them. Jesus walked right up to them and healed every one of them.

When ONE of the men saw he was healed, he praised God loudly, threw himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner? Then he said to the man, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Let’s be the one who also “comes back” to give thanks to the Lord. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Our three kids had what I think was the flu the last two weeks. Tylenol, thermometers, LOTS of movies, and little sleep defined our days.

In the nights of little sleep and kids’ moans, I thought of and prayed for those of you dealing with chronic sickness in your family, lack of sleep probably being typical for you.

When we struggle, what’s our go-to? How do we deal with a day, a week, a year, filled with distress and difficulty?

We can be refueled and find hope in how Jesus told us to pray: “Give us TODAY our DAILY bread.” (MT 6) Not tomorrow’s bread, but today’s.

There will always be troubles yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but there will also be hope in Jesus. Today, he will bring us our daily bread when we ask him for it.

Today, Jesus will walk with us in it.

In John 11, when Jesus saw Mary and her friend weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Even though Jesus knew he would raise Lazarus, he wept with them. He was in it with them.

Jesus sees your heartache and is in it with you. Jesus has great news for each of us: “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world!” And, Psalm 30: “Weeping may remain for the night; but joy comes in the morning!” Amen to that!

And, for all those affected by the devastating California wildfires and other tragic events that have recently happened, we’re praying for you!

 

A Practical Way to Thank Veterans & Their Families ❤️

Linsey Driskill

IMG_1435A practical way to thank Veterans and their families is to make a meal with your kiddos for a family whose loved one is deployed. Write thank you notes for the family and send a care package to the one serving. Or, bring a meal to a veteran who’s close by and include a thank you note to show gratitude.

To the men and women who give so much to serve and protect us – Thank You. We are so grateful for you and are praying for you.

For those who remain at home while your loved ones serve – Thank You. Even though you might feel unnoticed, we see you too. We see the sacrifices you make, and we are so grateful.

Lord, may your perfect peace and protection cover veterans everywhere. Be with families of those deployed as they experience the daily chores, and ups and downs, while their loved ones serve. Remind them they are not alone. Give us eyes to see and encourage them. Fill veterans and their families with the power of your mighty hand, your love, and your joy. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Where’s your Treasure?

Linsey Driskill

analogue-art-box-366791 3When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to a mountainside, sat down, and taught his disciples: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” (Mathew 6). Right after these words, is when he said, “Do not worry” and “Seek first his kingdom.”

When our “treasure” is Jesus, our hearts will be there also, and our worry will lessen.

What is our treasure? Where are our eyes and hearts consumed? I don’t want my kids’ treasure to be in clothes, worry, or momentary things. I want it to be in things like relationships, loving God and others, in joy and thankfulness. If that’s where I want their treasure and hearts to be, that’s where my heart should be also. Every day is a new opportunity to aim for that: “His mercies are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:23)

“In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the LIFE THAT IS TRULY LIFE.” 1 Timothy 6:19:

Go to my blog page to find simple ways to encourage our kids’ treasure to be in things that last. Search “Freedom in Simplicity” and also “Women in the Bible” in the search box on the right sidebar (link in profile).

Lord, help us to release worry and a focus on temporal things. Give us wisdom to have our eyes set on things that matter. On our own, we can’t do this. We need you. Jesus, mold us, shape us, change us, make us more like you. As we hold on to the life that is truly life, I pray our kids would also. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

“Do not worry.” Jesus

Linsey Driskill

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Do you worry much? When I do this, I try to think of Jesus’ powerful words, “Do not worry.” This quote by Sissy Goff also encourages me to relax and not worry: “Fearful parents raise fearful kids.”

This idea was magnified at a playground. A boy stood at the top of a spider web climber and his mother told him multiple times, “Be careful!” (Isn’t it so easy to let those words roll off our tongues!). Then the boy fell between the ropes and cried. His mom comforted him. He bravely said, “I want to try again.” His mom said, “No, you just fell and got hurt.” The boy screamed and cried because he wanted to try again, but his mom wouldn’t let him. So they sat on the bench instead.

Maybe that was right for her son. I know all kids are different and have different needs. I do believe in trying something again if they fall so they’re not fearful, but I also know that can be hard as a parent. That scenario made me reflect on how often I say, “Be careful” or say it by my actions. It made me want to open my hands more so my kids aren’t afraid, but feel confident and capable. Most importantly, I want my kids to take to heart the powerful words of Jesus, “Do not worry” and to get their confidence from Him.

Lord, please replace our worries with your peace. I pray each person reading this would experience the power that comes from believing in you and going after your kingdom. Thank you, Lord, that you are far beyond the things of this world. Your love surpasses all. Your peace surpasses all. Your greatness surpasses all. Please lift up each person reading this now. You see them. You know them. You hear them. Lord, please come quickly to them and bless them immensely with the presence and power of your Spirit. Your Kingdom. Your Love. You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.