We read to our kids out of books like Berenstain Bears, Dr. Seuss and Thomas the Tank Engine, but do we regularly open God’s Word to our children?

This common, all-time best seller—the Bible—isn’t just a book; it is a powerful tool for parents and children. Hebrews 4:12 declares this truth, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit…discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 

We may have multiple Bibles in our homes, but are we using them?

A well-known Christian psychologist and author was vulnerably sharing how he used to set up an overhead projector at home to do lengthy Bible studies with his young children. He stopped when he realized he was on the devil’s side! His academic approach was turning his boys off to God.

I think the best way to equip our families spiritually is to make the Bible and prayer a way of life. Be consistent, but don’t try so hard that it becomes mechanical and binding, bringing death instead of life.

Model a lifestyle of living the Biblical principles you’re reading about, and loving God above all else. Realize there are seasons in life. Every season brings change. The methods that have worked for me are many and varied and have been practiced in the appropriate season. They include:

1. Bible time around the breakfast table with Mom reading Proverbs aloud from The Living Bible and inviting input and practical application from two, three, and four-year olds.
2. Bible time using the One-Year Bible for Kids or the adult One-Year Bible, keeping sticker charts and celebrating the year’s grand achievement with a dinner party and special friends.
3. Bible time reading mountains of colorful and exciting Bible stories for children. Day after day after day of cozy time, snuggling with Mommy or Daddy before naptime, bedtime, or anytime.
4. Private Bible time one-on-one with Mom when one child just seemed to be in a season when he needed more personal direction and attention.

Find what fits your brood, your mood, and your season. Formal Bible studies with accompanying manuals weren’t my style, but they may be yours. Morning or after lunch have been our chunky Bible reading times, but you might be nocturnal. The vital ingredient is consistency.

Over the years our boys also enjoyed lots of supplemental Bible stuff at bedtime. I’ve found a variety of different, fun, and humorous tapes of Bible stories to play after tucking them in. I’ve added to this audios with the Word being read aloud, as well as sung in worship. Those minutes before your children drift into sleep are a great time for capturing their attention with God’s Word.

In every form and fashion, I have attempted to get the Word into my kids. Some methods have been seamless and alive; while others have been very dry. We can be confident that whether our Bible and prayer times have been “heavenly,” or “not-so-heavenly,” they are never wasted according to Isaiah 55:11 in which we are reminded, “My Word that goes out from my mouth . . . will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” 

Your Two-Minute Takeaway 

1. Ponder this: we can love and feed and clothe and nurture our children; we can do a lot, but we can’t humanely give them everything they need. The Message version of Matthew 4:4 reminds us that It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth. 
2. The seeds we plant and nurture in our gardens this spring will surely sprout and emerge as the mature plants the DNA in that seed determine. The exact same goes for the spiritual seeds we plant in our children! All the Bible reading and sharing and living builds strength of fiber in our children’s souls that will bear fruit for a lifetime. The scriptures that have been implanted will revisit them throughout their lifetimes, encouraging, warning, strengthening them.
3. You may feel ‘unqualified’ but there is no such thing in this department! Just humble yourself and begin! Reading children’s Bible books to your kids and grands is no different than reading a Mother Goose story book except that with the Bible, you get lasting dividends. I’ve been deeply impacted by the simple stories from these books and my faith has been strengthened as I’ve read to my own kids.

Want MORE? I’d love to be a voice of encouragement on your parenting journey! Grab my FREE gift: 7 Simple Steps to Raising Happy Kids Who Persevere (while building team spirit in YOUR home) by clicking HERE.

Christmas week I woke to this gorgeous view – a frosty winter morning here in Washington State.

Every season has so much beauty when we take time to notice; when we decide to be intentional about finding the gold hiding inside our current reality.

So instead of wishing you a vague, trite “Happy New Year!” I want to share a few of my favorite things to truly enhance your experience in 2021!

The BEST $3.99 you’ll spend in 2021!

I was soaking my tired bones in a lavender epsom salt bath recently, and found this movie sitting in my Amazon Prime account. Quite frankly, it took me back. ?

Let me explain.
I’m married to a giant; a man’s man who is naturally gifted at self-discipline, goal setting, taking charge, inspiring those around him and crushing it, whatever it is.

So… this wasn’t typically the kind of movie he tends to rent.?

Well, seeing it had a limited number of hours left on its rental, this girl pushed ‘play’ and for the next 97 minutes was nothing less than riveted.

Entertaining. Inspirational. Deeply moving. Transformational. Miraculous.

Just do it. You won’t look back.

Speaking of ‘tired bones’….in one single word: **THIS**

In a nutshell, I get the sense this guy cherry-picked his top EASY, passive stretches to address any of 650 achey, sore muscles that may be ailing you.

1. The stretching video is 40 minutes of Dr. Platt walking and talking you through each stretch carefully. I encourage you to commit to doing the entire routine of stretches ONCE to comprehend the breadth of his approach, unique philosophy and muscle magic!

2. Then, YOU can pick and choose your favs and quickly use them throughout your busy day – in the kitchen, the cubicle, your daily walk, wherever – to address what you need to address.

3. Relief! Dr. Platt’s style of stretching doesn’t feel like work and striving and one more to-do on my list.

It’s delightful therapy bringing forward growth and healing?.

You’re welcome!

Drugs don’t work. Try this instead…

Victory awaits YOU.

Click ‘play’ on this one little podcast, (skip the annoying ads) and in about 20 minutes EVERYTHING WILL LOOK DIFFERENT…

3 Mental Self-Care Habits of the Happiest People.

Dr. Caroline Leaf is my go-to for ‘all things mental.’ Whether anxiety, overthinking, depression, or confusion try to plague you, she has a gift wrapped in faith, based in science to FREE you!

Many of her podcasts are brief, however I can listen on 1.5 speed and get my daily dose of brain power in a few amazing minutes.

Empowering. Faith building. Transformational. Miraculous.

‘Seasons.’ The song I’m currently playing on repeat.

Sometimes a song is more than a song – it’s an anthem bridging the ‘now’ season to the future God is bringing, and it lifts our hearts and builds our faith and reminds us of the prophetic promises we cling to.

2020 was a doozy for all of us…but it’s not the end of the story, nope.

Give Seasons a listen. It may be the sweetest treat of the season for you!

Lobbing off the clutter in all its forms!

Earlier this year, I created a video about cleaning out the clutter. Then I took action, and moved mountains!

I’ve sold well over 70 miscellaneous items on cyber selling sites, hauled off multiple overflowing boxes to the Goodwill, handed off numerous former treasures to friends and family, shredded hundreds of sheets of unnecessary documents, and just chopped several inches off my golden locks.

Every single time something disappears, my heart is happier, and my spirit lighter.

Don Aslett, founder and president of one of the USA’s largest cleaning firms and author of Clutter’s Last Stand says this…

“I have found that every one of us is a junker – and that it is the SINGLE biggest reason for personal unhappiness.

Getting the clutter out of your life can and will rid you of more discouragement, tiredness and boredom than ANYTHING else you can do.”

Just DO IT! Need some inspiration? Check out my video on the topic!

I hope you find these favorites of mine helpful and inspiring in your 2021 journey!

May God bless you with His presence and guidance in this New Year, as you draw near to Him.

If you’re enjoying the blog, there’s more! I’d love to be a voice of encouragement along your parenting journey. 

Grab my FREE gift: 7 Simple Steps to Raising Happy Kids Who Persevere (while building team spirit in YOUR home) by clicking HERE. 

A guest post by Heather Michelle*

F E V E R

That dirty little 5-letter word indicating our normal 98.6ish body temp is climbing, spikes our anxiety level as well. Particularly mothers of young children sense fear’s grip as they touch their child’s warm forehead, imagining what’s to come. Visions of crying, sleepless nights, puke, dehydration and potential doctor’s visits back us into a scary corner of panic..we’d do anything to make it go away, disappear – POOF! 

We head to the cupboard and dig out the dreaded thermometer. We eye it with uneasy suspicion, trying to get the most accurate reading.

It hovers at 100 degrees. 

BOOM. 

We sigh deeply.

Our first thought is, ‘make that number drop STAT, or chaos will ensue.’

But as the mother of a toddler myself, I would invite you to S T O P for a second and ask yourself “W H Y?”

Why is there a fever? 

Why are we so afraid? 

Why do we feel that number MUST go down immediately? 

What is triggering this reaction in our minds? 

Where did we learn our beliefs about fever?

I attribute much of this consternation to what I call, ‘fever phobia.’ I think parents tend to overreact and over-treat due to this phobia which, according to my informal but diligent studies, took root around the time anti-fever drugs like Motrin and Tylenol were released. I believe God created our bodies wonderfully* and maybe, just maybe, that fever is there for a beneficial reason.

Mom-Life. Keeping it Real.

The simplest analogy I can think of is our kid’s dirty, germy hands and belongings after time spent at the park, the zoo, the grocery store touching communal surfaces, picking their little noses, licking the shopping cart, dragging blankie across filthy floors of public places – you get me – if these scenarios don’t scream ‘mom-life’ right there LOL! How do we then proceed to erase the diabolical dirt and germs threatening? 

With heat. 

We wash our hands with the hottest water we can endure, draw a warm bath for Junior, march straight to the laundry room and toss blankie, teddy bear, and every stitch of clothing into the machine, selecting ‘hottest’ on the Maytag console to sterilize and obliterate the looming infectious microorganisms.

Heat disinfects, and this is what our bodies are trying to accomplish with a fever, yet we sabotage it from minute one by dropping that Tylenol/Motrin ‘ice cube’ into ‘the boiling water pot’ because we are afraid of the inconveniences that come with that word. 

Dr.Kathi J. Kemper, Director of the Center for Integrative Health and Wellness and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Ohio State University weighs in with, 

“Fever is often a good sign of a robust immune system,” and “a fever in and of itself is not dangerous.” She reminds us to, “treat the child, not the thermometer.”

Our Miraculous Physical Bodies

The human body is a self-regulating organism, which means it’s programmed to heal and correct itself when given the tools necessary. Due to our compromised diets and other lifestyle factors, sometimes we need to give it a boost toward healing and restoring; but let’s be careful not to sabotage it just to reduce a symptom. 

Fever is just one tangible indicator of a problem going on within. Removing the fever doesn’t remove the bacteria or the infection, its just removes the engine from the train on the track to healing. Not addressing the root issue just means it continues to live on or grow into something greater like an ear infection, or pneumonia, or a myriad of possibilities.

Dr. Suzanne Humphries says this about fevers,

“trying to smack down a fever when a child is sick, is like shooting your attack dog when someone is breaking into your house!” 

Here are some practical solutions I turn to first, rather than grabbing the Tylenol or calling the doctor when someone in our home comes down with a fever:

Ginger Bath & Detox Bath

The first thing we do is a detox or ginger bath.These natural ingredient baths actually help the body reach maximum temperature quickly, so it’s able to accomplish its duty – destroying bacteria – then the fever breaks and the body releases pent-up toxins through sweating. When ginger is added to a bath it turns up the heat, encouraging this process. Some people will sweat a lot in the bath and after. These baths also encourage sleep, a benefit toward healing.

Dr. Donna D’Alessandro from Pediatrics at Iowa University says, regarding fever,

“the body is basically trying to do the right thing. Bugs like to live at body temperature. So if you raise the temperature, you kill them off.”

She also points out that the body can function very effectively at temperatures as high as 100.5 degrees. 

Ginger baths can be used on children and adults. If using on littles just know that water temp needs to be more moderate and they can rest on your chest or lap in bath at all times. If you have sensitive skin, wearing bottoms in bath may be helpful. 

Ginger Bath:

Fill tub with hottest water tolerable

Add 2 TBS to ¼ C Organic ground ginger powder

Submerge in tub and stay at least 20 minutes

After bath, dress warmly, drink lots of water, avoid sugar, and rest.

Temperature may continue to rise, but fever should break shortly. May need an additional bath next day if fever persists.

Detox bath:

Fill tub with hottest water tolerable

Add ¼ C Baking Soda to water and let sit 5 minutes

(when detoxing you are opening pores to allow impurities out and you will absorb what’s in the water, so by adding the baking soda, the water is ‘shocked’ and will turn your local water alkaline) 

After 5 min, add:

½ C Epsom Salts

1 TBSP Coconut oil

2 TBSP Bentonite Clay

2 drops Orange Essential oil (optional)

Soak at least 20 minutes

After bath, dress warmly, drink lots of water, avoid sugar, and rest.

Temperature may continue to rise, but fever should break shortly. May need an additional bath the next day if fever persists.

These detox baths can be used for fevers, headaches, muscle aches, and any general ‘under the weather’ feelings. When detoxing, symptoms can increase before leaving just as fevers spike before breaking.

Stats tell us that only 43% of parents know that a fever below 100.4 can be beneficial in a child.

Pharmaceutical companies have masterfully used advertising to promote their products using ‘fever phobia’ as a brilliant marketing scheme to keep parents in the dark about what is actually best for children. Before you allow fear and doubt to creep in, running to the doctor for a prescription, trust your body’s ability to heal itself. Help it along by detoxing, hydration, a clean diet and taking quality vitamins/supplements and then if necessary, seek medical attention. 

When our little ones are learning a new skill, it’s so easy to swoop in to do it for them so they don’t have to struggle, but that doesn’t build confidence or muscle for their future success. The same is true with our immune systems! Rushing to erase symptoms with that ‘magical’ liquid will not allow the body to build it’s own defenses in the end. It actually keeps it weak, and dependent on the ‘help.’ 

It’s hard to stand back and watch the struggle of an immune system growing, but if you trust your body and are willing to let it build its muscle, the next time sickness comes calling you’ll be happy you did!

*Psalm 139:14 I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

For further reading on the topic of fevers in childhood, check out this article, The Fear of a Simple Fever.

Heather Michelle Mira is a wholehearted wife, mommy, daughter and friend. A lifelong learner with a passion for homeopathics and all types of natural remedies, she loves sharing her victories to empower others in their pursuit of greater health. I’m blessed to call her mine! {Disclaimer: Heather is not a medical doctor and encourages readers to do their own research, seek expert advice and find what works for them.}

Want MORE? Grab my FREE gift HERE: 7 Simple Steps to Raising Happy Kids Who Persevere (while building team spirit in YOUR home)

Hello friend,

This coming Wednesday, November 11th is a federal holiday here in the U.S. when we pause to thank our military veterans; those who have served or are serving in our armed forces in peace and in war.

In light of all we’re seeing play out before us regarding our recent bizarre, unprecedented election process, it’s a moment to reflect, talk to our children, and remind ourselves of our great Republic and the miracle of its ‘birth,’ our responsibility to protect it, and the necessity to demand truth in this pivotal moment in history.

Our privilege to vote legally in the greatest free nation on planet earth is a grace gift from God that’s been purchased and upheld by the service and sacrifice of generations of these awesome patriots.

This is our moment to stand up and speak up.

Don’t leave your responsibility to someone else.

Yes, shocking. I actually went to a theater this weekend!

I literally cannot remember the last movie I’ve seen in a theater, as much as I love a good flick.

I’ve had a Fandango credit since last summer when hubby and I planned to take our grandkids to see a new movie. We chose a different activity, and banked the credit.

Yesterday was rainy and cold and a reminder popped up to use my credit, so I randomly checked to see what was playing. There were some oldies sprinkled into the lineup and this one caught my eye.

Watching American Sniper from my cozy recliner in a first-rate, heated theater was odd, as you can imagine. The movie was brutal and heartwarming at the same time. Hats off to its production team – I think it’s worth your time.

I thought the lead characters did an outstanding job, but I didn’t leave the theater filled with lighthearted joy, to say the least. But it was a solid, healthy reminder of the price paid (and continuing to be paid) by so many men and women in our military.

Christopher Scott Kyle, the subject of the movie, was a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper who served 4 tours in the Iraq War, and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat.

May God bless our honorable vets and their families who sacrifice so much for our freedoms and the preservation of our legal, precious vote.

Quick, healthy chick food girls love…

Switching gears here, but I promised to share a little time-saving, healthy tip (and a story about hubby’s food preferences lol)

We raised 5 sons – eating machines. Wasting food wasn’t an option so I always found a way to stretch and repurpose pretty much any ingredients. ‘Goulash’ was a fallback for me. OK I’m laughing out loud right now.

My dear husband will eat just about anything and never complains, but goulash crossed a line for him. Still laughing. I would typically begin with ground beef, onion, garlic, seasonings, diced tomatoes…and throw in everything but the kitchen sink. He registered his critique asking if I could limit the parade of items I tossed into it. (leftover veggies, black olives, garbanzo beans, peas, macaroni – you get the picture…)

One day I switched it up and decided to use ground turkey, diced onion, seasonings and just one or two vegetables like diced zucchini and summer squash. Instead of calling it goulash, when he asked what we were having, I said…er, uh, turkey tumble! Now I am really laughing. He eyed it suspiciously and ate it, but it’s not his fav.

I literally crave it. Use the dark meat ground turkey for optimum flavor.

I make a pile of it, keep it in the fridge and eat it until it’s gone (4 days in fridge maximum for food safety) on top of prepared, bagged, washed and ready salad mixes, baby arugula, romaine lettuce leaves, grated carrot – whatever is prepped so I just have to open the bag and dump it on a plate.

Sometimes I drizzle dressing on top; yesterday I went all out and added diced avocado and cherry tomatoes. Here’s how it looked:

Sounds so simple, but it’s delish ?

I’d love to know if you give it a try!

Enjoying the blog? I’m so glad! Have you subscribed for my weekly inspirations, helpful resources and MORE? Just do it, I hate spam too! Find the link HERE

May we summon courage and wisdom and be guided and guarded by our loving Lord in the critical days ahead.

With so much love and constant prayers,

We hosted dinner guests from India tonight. Jordan and Nicole. Missionaries’ kids who met and married in India and are relocating to New Zealand. Early 20s and so precious. Jordan is a gifted musician/artist and Nicole is a photographer. It’s so cool to see your friends’ kids grow up and ‘adult.’ Kind of weird really, when all you remember is the little ‘rugrats’ they used to be and now – voila! They’re carrying the torch far and away! So this is what I made for dinner tonight. Comfort food, the kind of meal I’d serve my own kids if they were on the road and wanted home cooking. Chicken Schnitzel is a dish I learned while living in Australia – boneless chicken breasts pounded and dipped in egg/unsweetened coconut milk and breadcrumbs with spices then fried in butter and olive oil, mashed potatoes with sour cream and coconut milk (unsweetened), steamed carrots and corn and a green salad with Asian dressing. All organic. YUM. Here’s a pic of the schnitzel. So easy. Highly recommend! And…made the mashed potatoes in the instant pot – ohemgee I saved so much time and labor!

Below is the note I scrawled quickly when I was planning for our meal. It was a whirlwind day and I didn’t want to forget anything at the last minute so I made a list in the morning to revisit throughout the day – that’s how I roll. I always try to make a detailed list when I’m not stressed out because by the time guests are about to arrive, I’m sure to forget a detail. (One time we all finished dinner and a major dish I wanted to serve was still in the fridge ;(( that’s a drag. This never happens with a list.

So….drumroll please…here’s my Thanksgiving Checklist. Not a fake but the real deal I use every year to refer to for delegating, shopping and preparing. I tweak it along the way as needed.

Thanksgiving Checklist

Menu

Turkey

Cornbread Dressing (celery, onion, broth) 

Gravy (cornstarch/bouillion)

Mashed Potatoes (butter/milk)

Corn (frozen corn)

Whole berry cranberry sauce

Sweet Potatoes (marshmallows/brn sugar/butter)

Ambrosia Salad (mandarins, pineapple, coconut, sour cream, marshmallows)

Cranberry Jello Salad w whip cream

Rolls (frozen dough balls)

Ham (Costco spiral sliced)

Pies and whip cream (Costco)

Wine (Costco)

Sparkling cider, sparkling water, water, ice (Costco)

Egg nog

Decaf coffee/cream

Shopping List (helps to jog my memory so I don’t get ready to cook and find I’ve forgotten the celery, etc.)

Turkey

Boxed Cornbread Stuffing mix/or homemade cornbread stuffing

Onion for stuffing-Costco

Celery for stuffing-Costco

Turkey cooking bag/tin pan

Chicken bouillion-Costco

Cornstarch

Potatoes-Costco

Sweet potatoes-Costco

Brown sugar

Canned whole berry cranberry sauce

Mini marshmallows for ambrosia and sweet taters

Frozen corn-Costco 

Crushed pineapple for jello salad

Canned Mandarins for jello/ambrosia salads

Canned pineapple tidbits for ambrosia

Coconut for ambrosia

Mini marshmallows-ambrosia/sweet potatoes

Sour cream for ambrosia-Costco

Raspberry and lemon jello

Fresh cranberries for jello salad

Walnuts

Sugar for jello salad

Butter for both potatoes, stuffing, and rolls

Frozen rolls

Egg Nog

Ready Gravy

Decide on seating-nametags

Placemats/tablecloth/plates, utensils, napkins, wine cups, water cups

Food buffet arrangement

Music

I don’t just ‘wing it’ on where people will sit or where the buffet will be or what they’ll drink out of etc. etc. Planning ahead brings peace to the entire event. If I need to borrow tables, chairs or TV trays, I have time to consider that. We always serve buffet style to facilitate feeding a crowd – I honestly love buffet style for most meals when there are more than 4 people eating.

Here’s how I broke it down this year and how I delegated the bits and pieces:

Thanksgiving Checklist

Menu to feed 20 adults-planning enough food for second rounds and hang out time!

If there’s something missing, please bring it! xoxo

Young couple-Costco ham and 2 bottles white wine/ground coffee and creamer for large coffee tureen

Seasoned cook and family-one turkey/dressing/gravy (please bring coffee tureen and paper coffee cups)appetizer plate

Bachelors-ambrosia salad for a crowd

Gregory and Denise-One turkey, dressing and gravy, 2 bottles red wine, butter, hefty red cups, clear cups, dessert plates and EGG NOG

Young couple seasoned cook-5#mashed potatoes (Pioneer woman recipe can be prepared the day before and baked day of), Costco organic 5# sweet potatoes, 2 bags ice in cooler

Single busy businesswoman-2- 5# bags costco frozen corn and 6 bottles sparkling cider and 3 cans whip cream (all costco)

Young couple and family-2 bags of 36 Rhodes rolls baked and 6 cans whole cranberry sauce, 4 gallons water jugs, 3-2 litre bottles of flavored sparkling water 

Couple who don’t enjoy cooking-Costco 3 pumpkin and 2 fruit pies and 1 cheesecake and hefty  dinner plates, eating utensils for dinner and dessert, napkins for 40 people

Young couple and fam-5# mashed potatoes (Pioneer Woman recipe can be prepared a day ahead and baked day of) and 2 bottles rose wine and appetizer tray 

A couple days before I begin preparing I will make a list of to-dos complete with times of execution and ingredients involved. Something like this:

Sunday: begin thawing turkey in fridge. double check list to be sure I have all necessary food items and paper goods handled.

Tuesday: bake cornbread and set out with white stuffing bread to dry. Clean bathroom, dust and vacuum.

Wednesday: make Pioneer woman mashed potato recipe/dice onion and celery for stuffing. Make ambrosia. Pick out clothes to wear for tomorrow. Check to be sure turkey is completely thawed and if not, fill sink with water and begin emergency thaw process. LOL. #truth

Thursday: wake and simmer giblets, prepare stuffing by 10. Turkey stuffed and in oven by noon. Ice in cooler with wine and sparkling water to chill. Dress, makeup and hair done by 2. Music, essential oil diffuser and candles on by 3:45 (set alarm)

I truly hope these planning and preparation details help you to experience more peace and joy during the holidays, spilling over into all your relationships. May God bless you and yours this holiday season! For those of you who haven’t yet subscribed for my exclusive content, here’s the link to my video you missed on 4 Nuggets of Gold for Making Your Home Irresistible to Your Adult Kids (and everyone!) on Thanksgiving)

(PS you can subscribe on the link below so you don’t miss next weeks great stuff!)

So much love,

Denise

Thank you for reading, I’m truly honored. If you’d like to read more, subscribe for my exclusive content and grab my TRANSFORMATIVE freebie, 7 Steps to Cure an Unhappy Kid and Revolutionize Your Home Life by clicking HERE. 

How do I describe the emotion I feel when I look at this picture?

An innocent little angel girl living in the cocoon of her parents love and protection, being home educated, stimulated by everything that is good…engaged in social interaction with intelligent adults – the most important people in her life – all day, every day.

This is real life.

Hours spent in nature, literature, art, music, cooking, puppy training, and whatever creative pursuits tickle her fancy at the moment.

Time, precious carefree time to Just. Be. A. Kid.

No restrictive institutional boundaries.

The purity that shines from her eyes never tainted by the bullying of classmates who don’t know better.

Taught to believe there is a higher power, a living God, a perfect Father, a miracle maker who loves her unconditionally. Always believing there is a POSSIBILITY! as she reflects on the stories told of her mother’s healing, her little Sissy’s miraculous conception and birth and so many more answers to prayer.

Always supported by her uncles, aunts and two sets of grandparents who adore her, pray for her, have special dates with her and remind her of her Savior’s love and faithfulness.

A little girl who is taught to serve others first and care for the poor, the hurting, the handicapped and lost. A girl who doesn’t notice the color of someone’s skin as she relates to the humans around her.

How precious, how powerful, how priceless is her life’s organic journey?!

And to think that as parents we have the privilege to choose what path, what course, we set for our youngsters.

What will it be?

Thank you for reading, I’m truly honored. If you’d like to read more, subscribe for my updates and grab my TRANSFORMATIVE freebie, 7 Steps to Cure an Unhappy Kid and Revolutionize Your Home Life by clicking HERE.