Girls To Grow

Nurturing moms in their walk with God

Past, Present, and Future: God’s Faithfulness to Us

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I’m on a bit of a blogging break, but wanted to share a few highlights from the last week and a truth about God that never fails to encourage me.

Our oldest daughter graduated from high school last Friday night.

It was a wonderful ceremony! On Saturday, we had a combined graduation party with several of her friends and enjoyed spending time with those who came to celebrate with us.

[And because we needed a little more excitement, our younger daughter took her driving test on Monday and got her driver’s license. I find that hard to believe, too. My “baby” can now drive a car by herself!!]

I was actually less emotional during graduation than I thought I’d be. Although my purse was packed with extra tissues, I didn’t really need them. My teariest moment actually came Friday morning.

Every day when she drove to school, she would text me to let me know they’d arrived safely. It was usually just the word “here.” (She can be a woman of few words.)

On Friday, the last day of school, she texted “here” but added a red heart emoji afterward. At that point, I realized that it was the last time I’d get that particular text from her. Her days of driving to high school were over. That was my saddest moment of the whole weekend!!

As Valedictorian of the class, she gave a speech at graduation. She included the following Bible verse.

She related it to God’s faithfulness as He guides and directs each one of her classmates into His next step for their lives. But I was blessed as I considered God’s faithfulness to me.

He’s been faithful in the past.

God has brought me through every trial. Not only has He brought me through, but I’ve grown stronger in my Christian walk and been drawn closer to Him.

Whether at 18 months or 16-years-old, He was faithful to guide us in parenting that sweet graduate you see pictured above through some tough times. We didn’t do it perfectly and often totally failed, but God was faithful to give grace and wisdom – and to work in her heart as well.

He is faithful in the present.

We can step into today knowing God’s faithfulness has not changed. Whatever the current challenge is, His promises are still true. His grace is sufficient [2 Corinthians 12:9] and His thoughts toward us are precious. [Psalm 139:17]

He will be faithful in the future.

This is a whole new season of life I’m about to enter. And I can be tempted to think I’m going to have to get through this big change by myself.

But I would be wrong. God will never leave me nor forsake me. [Hebrews 13:5] He never changes. [Malachi 3:6]

And it doesn’t depend on us.

“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

The ultimate fulfillment of His faithfulness will be our home in heaven one day. How we can look forward to that!!

Now our family is off on a celebratory vacation. Time to enjoy reading new books, eating good food, and soaking up lots of (unplugged!!) family time.

5 Ways to Make the Most of This Summer

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*I originally published this post three years ago.  We no longer have an official summer learning program (although our rising high school junior will be working on algebra/geometry and Spanish on her own this summer).

And while I’m working on a reading list for her as well, it definitely looks different for her at 16.

However, I need to keep these five things top of mind this summer just as much as I did back then!*

The countdown is on!

We are wholeheartedly looking forward to the end of the school year.  Just a few more days to go!

I’ve created a summer learning program and written out reading lists for my girls.  But I know that within the first week, things can take a turn for the worse!  Settling into a different routine and figuring out how best to spend our less-regulated days can take a little getting used to.

As the summer progresses, I’m hoping to remind myself often of these five ways to make the most of these few months.  When school starts again in late August, I want us to look back over a summer in which we’ll have created new memories and enjoyed the time we had together.

1.  Realize that our children will never be this age again.  This is the only summer ever that I’ll have a 13-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old daughter living in our house.  We’ll be spending a lot more hours of our day together than we have over the past nine months, so I want to enjoy what they’re enjoying in this season.  I also want to seize opportunities to teach them things they need to learn at these ages.  I can encourage and appreciate their individuality and try to help them develop the strengths God has given them.

2.  Understand that our days will not all unfold exactly as we planned.  We all know I’m a planner; I love a schedule!  But summer has a way of throwing a wrench in my well-thought-out plans.  It might involve bad weather, someone getting sick, or friends canceling a get-together.  I’m hoping that I’ll see these disruptions as God’s hand at work and move on to plan B without too many issues!

3.  Consciously choose our attitude each day. This especially comes into play when #2 happens! I can be grumpy about having to drive the girls somewhere on days I want to stay home.  I can go off like a firecracker when they start arguing.  I can wish that we’d made different plans for the summer.  Or, I can choose joy and gratitude, and try to pass those feelings on to them.

4.  Include what works for our family, not anyone else’s.  Maybe friends are doing crafts every day or going to really cool camps or having family campouts out in the backyard.  (I’m allergic to tents 😉 Those are all good, fun things, but they may not be what our family enjoys or what fits into our lifestyle.  We like backyard badminton and cornhole; homemade ice cream in our simple Cuisinart ice cream maker; a family game night; an after-supper trip to Dairy Queen; or watching reruns of old TV shows.  You do what works for your family without comparing it to what others are doing.

5.  Know that God has something He wants to teach us each and every day.  Whether it’s patience or forgiveness or grace, I want to be more like Him when this summer is over.  Sometimes I struggle with being faithful in my Bible study and prayer time when our regular schedule is disrupted.  I don’t want that to be the case this summer.  In fact, I’m hoping that doing a devotional with our daughters will keep us accountable to each other!

Whenever you begin your summer break, I hope that this season will be a wonderful time for you and your family!  Let me know if you have other ideas I should include to help make the most of our summers.

Saturday Salutes ~ Prayer, Road Trip Hacks, and May Reading

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Kathryn writes about How to Talk to God in Prayer.

Lisa shares 7 Signs Your Little Girl is Becoming a Teen.

Dan lists 13 Rules for My Teenager.

Ayren has 23 Family Road Trip Hacks That Will Save Your Sanity This Summer.

And while I’m not planning a trip to Europe at this point, I still enjoyed Shruti’s post on Top 10 Cheapest Countries to Visit in Europe in 2019.

On to the books I read in May.

My one short non-fiction read this month was The Latte Factor: Why You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Live Rich by David Bach and John David Mann. It’s a neat little parable about how to achieve financial freedom.

I finished three fiction books in May.

The Memory House by Rachel Hauck was an excellent read. That led me to read another book of Hauck’s, The Wedding Chapel, which was also very good. Both were sweet and moving stories, with a touch of romance and a satisfying ending.

Justified Means by Chautona Havig was more of a mystery/suspense read, but I enjoyed it as well – and have plans to read the next book in the series.

Can you relate to this??

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

5 Daily Practices for the Christian Woman

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Are you someone who enjoys a routine and mostly does the same things every day? Or are you a go-with-the-flow, spontaneous type?

I am the first, which is probably not surprising. Breakfast is yogurt with granola every morning. I like a plan to follow with no surprises. This is why summer always sends me into a bit of a panic mode since our regular schedule goes out the window!

It’s good for us to build healthy, daily habits into our lives. Recently I was thinking about spiritual habits that are good to practice daily.

As I was looking at Bible passages that include the words “day” and “daily,” I came upon the Israelites. When they were wandering in the wilderness, how often did they have to collect manna? According to Exodus 16:5, daily (with the exception of gathering one day ahead for the Sabbath).

Why daily? Why did they have to get up every morning, go outside, and pick up off the ground what their family needed to eat for the day?

Because every time they bent over, they could be reminded to be thankful. They had to recognize that God was the one who met their need every. single. day. They couldn’t make that manna appear the next morning, but God could.

He knows how forgetful we are. I, as they, need to reminded each day that I am me and He is God.

So I continued in my research, and found several Bible verses that used the word “daily.” I put together five ways that we can apply them in our own lives.

1. Give praise to God.

“…and daily shall he be praised.” ~Psalm 72:15

In what appears to be a description of the future kingdom of the Messiah, this verse tells us that Jesus will be praised daily. If this is a practice we will be partaking in then, wouldn’t it be great to start it now?

Psalm 68:19 reminds us, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Every day we are given so many blessings. God is truly worthy of our praise.

2. Pray.

“Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.” ~Psalm 86:3

I’ve mentioned before that prayer truly is a discipline. It’s hard work! Yet talking to God every day is vital to our Christian life.

If we’re going to follow the example Jesus gave in the Lord’s prayer and ask for our daily bread, we’ll have to be communicating with Him on a regular basis.

3. Surrender to God’s will.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” ~Luke 9:23

Die to self. That doesn’t sound very fun. But being a disciple of Christ often means sacrifice.

It seems counter-intuitive, yet God knows that this is how we will find joy. We only have room for one master in our lives. Will it be us or Him?

4. Study God’s Word.

“…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” ~Acts 17:11

These new Christians were looking through what they had of the Bible – likely just the Old Testament at that time – and searching for truth. As I was thinking about this, I realized that they put me to shame. How often do I search the Scriptures? Yes, I read it, but am I actively looking for God’s truth and how I can apply it to my life today?

5. Encourage one another.

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” ~Hebrews 3:13

This encouraging of our fellow believers can be to warn them against sin or to lift one another up when we’re down. As often as possible, let’s pray for one another and not miss opportunities to be an encouragement. Send that text or handwritten note, make that phone call or visit, and support those around you in their faith.

Related posts:

Saturday Salutes ~ Bible Study Methods and History Book Series for Kids

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Our annual Mother’s Day walk on the beach

Anna gives encouragement for When It Doesn’t Feel Like You’re Making Progress.

LeeAnn talks about Digging Deeper: 5 Effective Bible Study Methods.

Elise shares 8 Essential Traits of a Good Friend.

Emily lists 20 Book Series to Get Your Kids Hooked on History. Our girls read several of these series when they were younger.

Planning a garage sale any time soon? Crystal has 10 Tips for Having a Successful Garage Sale.

Headed to a graduation party for a friend’s son this afternoon, then taking my younger daughter shopping. Missing our oldest who’s on her Senior trip.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

12 Things I’m Glad I Did as a Mom

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With our oldest daughter graduating from high school this month, I’ve been a bit reflective. Going through hundreds of her childhood photos and choosing our favorite ones to display on her graduation table will do that to you!

I started reminiscing about what we’ve done as we parented our girls that I’m so glad – standing on this side and looking back – that we did. I came up with this list of twelve in hopes that they’ll be helpful and encouraging to anyone who might be parenting an 8-year-old instead of an 18-year-old.

The list of things I didn’t get right is much longer than twelve. I lost my temper, nagged, and talked when I should have listened much more often than I’d like to admit.

I don’t tend, however, to dwell on regrets, so there’s no post on “24 Things I Wish I’d Done in Parenting” in the works at this point! Today’s focus is on the positive.

1. Established family traditions.

Every Christmas Eve, we go to a restaurant downtown for dessert. On Mother’s Day, we walk on the beach after dinner. We have specific meals on certain holidays. I love the continuity of celebrating in the same way year after year.

And while I enjoy traditions as much as anyone, I’ve also realized that families outgrow traditions. When the girls were younger, we’d go to a baseball game on the 4th of July. The girls would get their faces painted, and we’d stay for the fireworks after the game was over. But a couple of years ago, we let that tradition go. No one was that interested anymore.

One of the things I look forward to about a change of life seasons is establishing new traditions around the times when we’re together!

2. Attended our daughters’ ball games, concerts, and recitals.

Okay, some of the piano recitals were looong, especially when our girls were young. The order of the program was typically from beginner students to the most advanced. That meant they were done in the first ten minutes, but there was still another hour and a half to sit through!

However, watching the girls participate in their chosen activities has given us so much to talk about with them. We have rehashed many a basketball game while sitting in our living room! They also learned some great life lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship, and fairness (or lack thereof).

3. Took them on trips.

The older our girls have gotten, the more we value experiences with them over physical gifts. Some of our best memories have been made as we visited other cities and parts of the country as a family.

4. Read aloud to them.

This one started when our girls were little. I read aloud at bedtime for many years. During the preschool years, we’d read aloud at naptime, and during our homeschooling years, I’d read aloud after lunch. Both of our girls continue to love reading, and now that they’re older, we sometimes read the same books. It’s fun to talk about the stories we enjoy, and to share book recommendations.

5. Made them take piano lessons.

I know there are people who would disagree with this one, and I’m not saying it’s for every family. However, there are very few activities we’ve insisted that our girls participate in, but this was one of them. Before they were even old enough to take lessons, my husband and I agreed that we would make this a priority.

It definitely wasn’t always easy!! There’s been plenty of moaning and groaning about having to practice. But not only do they both now play the piano well, it also allowed them to join the school handbell choir and learn to play the saxophone since they could already read music. Beyond that, they have a gift they can use in ministry for the rest of their lives.

6. Ate meals together as a family.

This one is rather cliche, but I do think it’s important. We have had some wonderful conversations over the years around the supper table. And the point comes – sooner than I thought it would – that you don’t have the opportunity to do this. Sports practices, ball games, and teens working a job mean the family meals don’t happen as often as they used to – which makes me appreciate it all the more now when they do!

7. Put fruit in their lunch every day.

So this one might sound silly, but I am not the best at serving vegetables to my family. Our girls’ tastes have matured a little bit over the years, but we’re still not a family of veggie lovers. However, from kindergarten on, I put some type of fruit in their lunch daily, most often apple slices. Now they actually choose fruit as a snack and at other meals besides lunch.

8. Was available when they got out of school.

For years, I drove them home from school, and would get to hear all the stories from the day. Now that they drive themselves home from school, I make it a point to be at the house to greet them.

I know it’s not feasible for everyone, but being available when our girls get out of school has been a blessing. They usually unload all the excitements and disappointments right after they walk in the door, and I’m thankful that I’m usually able to hear all those stories.

9. Taught them how to handle money.

We started them at a young age with the give, save, and spend envelopes to use when they got paid for chores around the house. After their freshman year of high school (about 15 1/2 years old), they got a student checking account with a debit card.

Each month, we deposit into their account the amount of money we’d be spending on them anyway (clothing, money for school/youth group activities, etc.) They’re responsible for budgeting that money. They also understand that if they want more money, they can get a job and work for it.

Hopefully (fingers crossed!) they’ll continue into adulthood with good money habits!

10. Prayed for wisdom.

The truth is that I didn’t do this as much as I should have. But when I did, I know that God answered that prayer. This is one of the things I’m glad I did that will continue to be so important as we transition into our girls’ young adult years.

11. Loved their dad.

Our marriage isn’t perfect, but our children have seen us enjoying each other and prioritizing our time together. And this is even more important now that the empty nest season is getting closer every year!

12. Encouraged them in their personal walk with God.

From regular church attendance to Awana clubs, praying together to reading Bible stories aloud, we’ve sought to teach our children about God and His Word. Some of our after dinner, around-the-table conversations became teachable moments for spiritual truths.

Both of our girls asked Jesus to be their Savior at an early age. It’s one of the greatest blessings as a parent to see your children growing in their faith and making it their own.

While I’ll continue to be a mom for as long as I live, the hands on, daily work of mothering will definitely be less than it used to be. I’m challenging myself to use the time I have left with them in our home to invest in these precious souls. Let’s be intentional in doing the things we’ll be glad we did another ten years from now!

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Saturday Salutes ~ Scripture Prayers, Bible Apps, and Slow Cooker Chicken

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Happy early Mother’s Day to all the moms who read here!! I’m so thankful for my own mom, and for the two girls God gave us to parent.

There were several years when Mother’s Day was hard for me. I wanted to be a mom, but that hadn’t happened for me yet. If you’re in that place, I’ll be praying for you this weekend.

Here are some good posts I read this past week.

Alisa has 4 Things to Remember When You’re Stepping Out in Faith.

Lyli lists 10 Powerful Scriptures to Post on Your Prayer Room Wall.

Arabah Joy shares 12 Must-Have Bible Apps for Every Christian Woman. Many of these were new to me! I use the You Version Bible app for my daily audio Bible reading.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought we should revisit Kari’s 10 Truths Moms Should Know.

This Sweet Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken Recipe sounds so easy, but delicious. I’ll be trying it soon!

And while Easter is behind us for this year, Sarah has a compilation of Best Easter Side Dishes that I think would be great for any family meal.

We had the last choir/band concert of the school year on Tuesday, and the school’s sports banquet on Friday. (Here’s a link to one of my favorite pieces from the concert by the handbell choir. Our girls are third and fourth from the left.)

All of the official school functions are over for us until high school graduation on the 31st. May is a full, fun month!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

5 Ways to Walk Like Jesus

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When it comes to finishing up the school year (which happens for us on May 31st), there tends to be a lot of testing going on. Whether it’s final exams or other end-of-the-school-year testing, it’s time to see how much our kids have learned over the past nine months.

Testing is basically just an evaluation of how you measure up to a certain standard. That must have been on my mind this week as I was reading in 1 John. I came to the verse below and realized that it gives us the basis for a spiritual test.

“He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” ~1 John 2:6

If we claim to abide in Christ, we have a way to examine whether or not that’s true. How do we know if we pass that test? By asking ourselves, are we walking (i.e. living our life) like Jesus did?

That naturally leads us to ask ourselves, how did Jesus walk? What characterized His life that should also be a part of ours?

Here’s what came to my mind.

1. He had compassion.

“And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” ~Matthew 14:14

“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” ~Luke 7:13

Jesus had compassion on the multitudes as well as individuals. His heart was easily moved to concern for the sufferings of others.

Then Jesus went beyond just the feeling of sympathy. He did what He could for them by His actions and His words. Obviously, we can’t heal someone’s physical illness. But we can take them a meal, run an errand, or do their laundry. We can pray for them and speak or write words of encouragement.

2. He sought to do the Father’s will.

“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” ~John 6:38

“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” ~Luke 22:42

There are certain things we know to be God’s will. To give thanks in everything [1 Thessalonians 5:18], submit to authority [1 Peter 2:13-15], and keep our bodies pure [1 Thessalonians 4:3-6] are clearly presented in the Bible as being the will of God for us.

And as we read His Word, He will reveal to us how He would have us to live. Through prayer and the leading and power of the Holy Spirit, we can also seek to do God’s will like Jesus did.

3. He interacted with people that others avoided.

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” ~Luke 15:1-2

“And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more…So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.” ~Matthew 20:30-34

Jesus didn’t run from the sinners, the outcasts, the diseased, or the disgraced. He ministered to them. So God calls us to have grace and offer help to anyone He puts in our path.

4. He was humble and served others.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” ~Philippians 2:5-8

“After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” ~John 13:5

The ultimate act of humility was Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth, live as a man, then submit Himself to death on the cross to accomplish our salvation.

In the passage above, Paul instructs us to have a humble mind like Christ did. That will then lead us to serve others through our actions. Jesus, son of God and Creator of all, took on the lowly task of washing the disciples’ feet, setting an example for us to follow.

5. He prayed often.

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” ~Mark 1:35

“And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” ~Matthew 14:23

Y’all, prayer is hard work. It takes a focused mind. I honestly find it easier to read my Bible and do my journaling than to pray. I have the desire to pray, but not always the self-discipline. But if I’m going to walk as He walked, I must make prayer a priority in my life.

We are not perfect like Jesus was. That means we won’t follow through on these things one hundred percent of the time. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, our lives can be characterized by them. We can continually grow in walking as Jesus did.

Can you think of other ways in which we can walk as He walked?

Related posts:

Saturday Salutes ~ Kids’ Screen Time, Farmhouse Decor, and April Reading

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I’m in the process of sending out graduation party invitations for our oldest daughter. This is the picture we chose for the front of the invitations. A very talented and sweet friend took some great photos for us!

Phylicia shares marriage advice in Helping Your Gentle Man: Three Tips for Wives of Quiet Husbands.

BJ gives some tips on screen time in Mommy, Can I Watch a Show?

Corilynn shows us 30 Affordable Farmhouse Pieces from Walmart.

Kay discusses How to Build an Appropriate Wardrobe.

Eric writes about Boundaries with the Opposite Sex in Marriage from a Husband’s View.

This quote I found on the iMom website is so accurate!

“iMOM director, Susan Merrill, says having teenagers is like riding a fast, furious fun rollercoaster every day. You’re either thrilled or throwing up.”

I finished three books in April.

Both of the fiction books I read were excellent!! Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron was the sequel to The Lost Castle. Then I read Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson. It was such a sweet story!

My non-fiction book was a biography about John and Abigail Adams titled Abigail and John: Portrait of a Marriage by Edith Belle Gelles. It had been awhile since I read a biography, and this one reminded me how much I enjoy them!

My younger daughter has her first paying piano gig today (!) (she’s playing for a ladies’ tea – basically live background music), but otherwise our weekend is fairly open. Hope yours is a good one!!

Will You Notice Someone Today?

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Back in the day when I had to drive my daughters to and from school (yay for a teenager with a driver’s license!), I got the chance to learn a very important lesson from a little boy I didn’t know.

While sitting in the car, waiting for my girls to be dismissed from school, a class of four-year-olds walked by headed to the playground.  They got to the designated posts where they could hang up their lunch boxes and book bags. Ready to release some pent-up energy, they all hung up their things as quickly as they could and took off.

One little boy caught my attention. He tried several times to hoist the handle of his lunch box over the top of the post.  He finally succeeded, then slipped the book bag off his back, and began to maneuver it into place. 

With his first attempt, he knocked his lunch box off the post and it fell to the ground.  To his credit, he didn’t show any frustration. He just started the whole process over again.

Just down from him another boy, who’d already hung up his own stuff, noticed his classmate’s trouble.  While the other children dashed off to the playground, this boy moved in, took the lunch box and quickly put it back in place.  He then took the book bag, slid it over the post, and, without a word, both boys turned and continued down the sidewalk.

There wasn’t a lot of fanfare. In fact, I don’t think anyone other than myself saw what happened. But one little guy sweetly helping another little guy really touched my heart.

I have to ask, which character would you and I be in this story?  Would we be one of those other kids, wrapped up in the excitement of the moment, unaware that someone needed help? 

The other kids weren’t doing anything wrong. I’m sure their hearts were likely just as kind, and most of them would have helped out, too. If, that is, they’d noticed.

But they just didn’t notice. They were involved in their own pursuits, and didn’t take the time to look at what was happening around them.

That four-year-old didn’t know it, but he reminded me of the good Samaritan. [Luke 10:25-37] He saw a need and stopped to help, not expecting thanks or repayment, but just doing what he could in the situation. It was only a small thing, but I’m sure it meant a lot to the boy who needed help.

So let’s ask ourselves what small thing we can do today to let someone know they’re noticed. Let’s live out Colossians 3:12.

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

As Christians, we want to be the ones offering kindness and mercy, putting others ahead of ourselves.

And when we help someone out, we don’t want to do it expecting something in return. That little helper wasn’t looking to get a reward from his teacher or a big pat on the back from the rest of the class. Yet we can rest assured that God sees and knows our heart.

May the example set by this tender-hearted preschooler cause us to notice those in our path who could use a simple act of kindness.

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