Girls To Grow - Page 2 of 179 - Nurturing moms in their walk with God

From Sea to Shining Sea

June 14, 2017 by Tracey 4 Comments

While it’s been quiet here on the blog over the last week and a half, it’s been busy in real life!

Last week our family enjoyed a wonderful trip out west. We spent time at the Grand Canyon, toured the red rocks of Sedona, and ended up in San Diego, where our daughters got their first look at the Pacific Ocean. (We also took an unintended detour. Thanks to Google Maps, we ended up right at the Mexican border, which our girls thought was really cool!)

I took more pictures than I thought possible! Just know that I restrained myself by only including these below as a sample.

I know it sounds cliche, but you truly can’t capture the Grand Canyon in photos. It is vast, beautiful, and an amazing testament to a creative God.

We hiked about a mile down, then back up. That was definitely enough of a hike for me!

We took a Pink Jeep tour at the Grand Canyon and in Sedona.

Sedona had a beauty all its own.

The picture above was one of my favorites from the whole trip.

San Diego was a beautiful city. We took a boat tour of the harbor, spent a day at the zoo, enjoyed the seals and sea lions at La Jolla, and hiked in Torrey Pines.

I’m so thankful for safe travels, good health while we were away, and the special memories we made as a family.

We’ve pretty much caught up on our sleep after taking the red-eye home Friday night. My 16-year-old started work this week, and I think (hope!) we’re getting used to a summer routine.

I should be back later this week with a new blog post. I’ve been studying humility, reading about Abraham’s faith, thinking on verses 2 and 3 of the hymn Wherever He Leads I’ll Go, and considering what it means to have two daughters in high school… Not sure yet which of those (if any) will turn into a post!!

Hope your week is going well! I’d love to know if you’ve visited the Grand Canyon – and whether you prefer the dry heat of summer out there or the humid conditions here in the South!

Saturday Salutes

June 3, 2017 by Tracey 3 Comments

Kristen shares What My Kids Don’t Need This Summer.

Joy lists 25 Screen-Free Summer Activities.

Nancy tells us The Right Way to Praise Your Daughter.

Tiffany has 13 Reasons Why You Will Survive Parenting a Tween Girl.

Sarah’s Laundry Basket Skee Ball would work as a great indoor or outdoor activity. This Sidewalk Squirt Paint might be another fun project!

These Almond Butter Protein Bites look like a perfect summer treat (though I’d substitute peanut butter and use whole milk instead of almond).

I’ve got a busy week ahead, so it will be pretty quiet here on the blog for the next several days. Hope your summer gets off to a great start!!

A Different Kind of Summer; or, When Kiddie Pools and Sand Boxes Don’t Cut It Anymore

May 31, 2017 by Tracey 3 Comments

Another school year is winding down. My daughters’ last day is Friday, then we’ll enter the summertime zone.

Summer used to mean a kiddie pool in the back yard, bottles of bubbles to blow, and a sand box to dig in. It meant trips to the park to swing and slide, and Popsicle juice running down your arm.

Now summer looks like my 16-year-old getting her first real job – one she can actually drive to all by herself. It means a week away at camp. It’s starting to plan college visits and looking ahead to ACT testing. Needless to say, we’ve moved into the realm of serious, grown-up-like stuff.

The summers of then and the summers of now are both fun in totally different ways. Yes, there are some sweet memories associated with the bubbles and sidewalk chalk and kids running through the sprinkler. And these days, I appreciate how my girls can entertain themselves quietly with a book or another project for hours on end.

Back then, it was me pushing the swing and blowing the bubbles in the 90+ degree heat and humidity, wishing I could be inside in the air conditioning. Now I get to sit in the air conditioning while I’m praying that she makes it safely to work or looking around an empty bedroom and missing her while she’s at camp.

Every summer has a different rhythm. Some have been loud and busy and long. Others passed quietly and all too quickly. The older I get, the more of a blur they are.

Yet there’s still the pull of that slightly slower schedule. There’s time to savor sitting side-by-side on the couch reading books, staying up late watching a movie, and sleeping in until the sun’s already been up for awhile.

How to plan your summer when your kids are too old for kiddie pools and sand boxes

I previously mentioned Katy’s post The Schedule that Saved Our Summer. Now I’ve decided to put her ideas into practice with my 14-year-old. (My 16-year-old may participate in some of this, depending on her work schedule.) I took the days of the week Katy designated (making a minor switch for Friday), and listed at least five ideas under each category that will work for us. We’ll likely add a couple more as the summer goes along.

Make-it Monday

bake a sweet treat
sewing project (she’s currently sewing a dress for her American girl doll)
puzzles (she’s still working on a 1000 piece puzzle she got for her birthday…back in December)
craft project (she has a large tub of craft materials)
make fruit smoothies or milkshakes
I might pull some ideas from 8 Creative Skills You Can Learn in a Weekend

Trip Tuesday

bowling
park
museum
library
picnic downtown

Working Wednesday

clean baseboards
organize a space
clean out closet/drawers
dust blinds
go through books/papers/music books and give away what we no longer need/use

Thoughtful Thursday

card for a church member who’s sick
meal for a neighbor or friend
thank-you note to someone
collect items to donate
write to pen pal

Fun Friday

at-home movie marathon
get together with a friend
swim at our neighborhood pool
board games
make a meal of all our favorite foods

Between vacation and camps, we have less than ten weeks of summer. Therefore, we won’t quite make it through each round of ideas twice.

In case you’re like my daughter, and a little stressed that too much planning equals too little down time, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to build in days with no expectations and just pure summer relaxation!

My goal is to send out an e-mail newsletter on Friday with a list of the books my girls will be reading this summer. If you’re not signed up to receive my newsletter, you can do that here. (Each summer we assign our girls a list of non-fiction books to read. After they finish the book, we pay them to write a brief report about it.)

For further reading on how I’ve planned out our previous summers, visit these posts.
How to Plan a Summer Learning Program for Your Kids
Summer Learning Program for 2016
3 Keys to a More Peaceful Summer with Your Kids

Are your children done with school yet? Have any plans for the summer?

Saturday Salutes

May 27, 2017 by Tracey 6 Comments

In this season of school-year endings and graduations, these Ten Things I Want to Say to My Son Before He Graduates are very appropriate.

Marci writes about Our Hearts as Mothers.

If you’re looking for a fun activity to do with your kids this summer, try making Jamielyn’s Best Play Dough Recipe.

Another post for homeschooling moms…Caroline shares Resources for Planning a New School Year.

My husband sent me the recipe for No-Bake PB Chocolate Coconut Bars. I made them, and realized that I definitely shouldn’t be left alone in the house with them. They tend to disappear…

May we take some time this weekend to remember those who have died to preserve the freedoms we enjoy in America.

Source

Lessons on Humility from a Person Who Battles Pride

May 26, 2017 by Tracey 3 Comments

Yes, I’ve admitted it here before, and now I’ll do it again.

I have to fight against pride.

Once in a while, we may run across people who openly brag or boast about themselves or their accomplishments. In those cases, pride is pretty obvious.

But I don’t think that’s usually how it works for me. (Or at least no one’s ever told me so!) Mine is typically an inward thing. It’s the thoughts that run through my mind, the silent judging of others as I compare myself favorably to them. Having a much higher opinion of myself than I should gets me in trouble way too often.

Pride also comes through when I decide to rely on myself to get through whatever I’m facing. I don’t see my need for God, either because I don’t take the time to think about asking for His help, or because I think, “I’ve got this.”

So what do I need to be portraying instead of pride? One simple word. Humility.

Wise words about humility from the Bible and from Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst

The definition of humility from dictionary.com is “a modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance.” Well, that’s a lot to chew on. It’s also a perfect segue to Romans 12:3. “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…”

If I’m going to be like Christ, humility is an important character trait to have. Let’s look at Philippians 2:5-8.

“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.”

In Lysa Terkeurst’s book, Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely, she shares a story about an event she attended. The short version is, everyone there seemed to already know each other. So she ended up sitting at a table alone. As she reviewed the situation later, she wrote the following:

“Anything that infuses us with humility is good. Even if it feels a bit like humiliation in the moment, the workings of humility within are a gift.”

We’ve probably all been in a similar situation. But I’ve certainly never thought of being alone in a crowd as a chance to be “infused with humility.” I haven’t seen it as a gift. Yet God can use times like that to work humility into me.

I like how she follows that up with this thought.

“The only difference between humility and humiliation is that one chose to bow low while the other tripped and fell there.”

We’ve probably all experienced humiliation as well, but most likely we didn’t choose it! I want to choose humility over pride, as hard as it may be. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” If ever there was motivation to rid my life of pride, that’s it. I want to avoid destruction for sure!

Finally, when we’re willing to live in humility, to let go of our self-importance and our pride, we can learn this lesson.

“…on the other side of the stripping of pride are some of the best gifts God gives us.”

The Bible reminds us that on the other side of humility we find wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 tells us this. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” If I think I know it all, I’m not searching for true wisdom. When I realize how much I need wisdom – for marriage, parenting, service – then I am brought low and am actually able to receive wisdom.

As counter cultural as it may sound, I want to live in humility. This is definitely not a battle I can win on my own. But, to quote 2 Corinthians 2:14, “…thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ…” As I yield to the Holy Spirit and allow him to work in my life, humility can get the victory over pride, and I can take another step toward becoming more like my Savior.

Finding Our Ministry Right Where We Are

May 23, 2017 by Tracey 5 Comments

At some time or another, I believe most of us get to a place where making a difference in others’ lives becomes a priority. For some of us, that might come earlier in our journey than for others. For me, it’s more acute now than it ever has been. Maybe that’s because I’m finally admitting to myself that I’m middle-aged. (Yikes!)

No matter how old we are, where we live, or what our day-to-day job is, we can have a ministry. I like this definition of ministry I found on Bible.org – “The faithful service of God’s people rendered unto God and others on His behalf to bring Him glory, build up His church, and reach out to His world.”

So what is my ministry? And who am I supposed to serve?

Our ministry is right in front of us.

In her book, Loving my Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What’s Right in Front of Me, Alexandra Kuykendall shared this “Philosophy of Ministry.”

“Ministry is whoever is at the door or on the phone.”

Really? Is that it? I thought ministry needed to be big and important, like going on a missions trip or heading up the children’s program at church or volunteering at a homeless shelter. Those are all great things to do and wonderful ways to serve. But ministry is often “smaller” (in our minds), less grand, and just a part of our every-day activities.

So there’s actually a somewhat simple answer to my question, “What is my ministry?”

I can choose to minister to whoever God puts in my life today. It’s one person at a time. It’s my husband, my children, the receptionist at the doctor’s office, the school secretary. Who’s right in front of me that needs a word of encouragement? Who needs to hear the words “I’m praying for you?” Who am I talking to on the phone that just appreciates a listening ear or would accept my offer to bring over a meal?

Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” I want God to be able to trust me to be faithful in my ministry. As He places people in my path, I want to be responsible to see the need, and to help and uplift where I can.

And let’s not forget why we’re ministering. I might want it to be so that I feel good about myself or can get a pat on the back. Yet that would be the wrong motive. Ministry and service are to point others to God, to bring glory to Him.

When we open our door and answer our phone, let’s look for our ministry opportunities today!

Saturday Salutes

May 20, 2017 by Tracey 10 Comments

A couple of life highlights from the past week…

Nikki and I have been commenting on each other’s blogs for years. Didn’t think I’d ever get to meet her in person since she’s in Texas and I’m in South Carolina. However, a trip to visit family brought her close enough for us to meet in a central location. We got to have lunch together on Wednesday, and it was so neat to meet someone for the first time whom I felt like I already knew!

Our daughters had their last concert of the school year on Thursday night. We got to hear them in the choir, band, and handbell choirs. Yes, the school year is totally winding down!!

[The next two links are videos. If you’re reading in e-mail, click over to the blog to see the videos.]

This is a fun song the senior high handbell choir played. My older daughter is on the left side, the fourth one from the left.

Since you know I like traditions…every year at the end of the concert, the whole choir sings Always By Our Side. The seniors in the choir stand in the front row, and any alumni who are there come forward and join in the song. (The video above is actually from a couple of years ago, since it includes the lyrics, which I love. You can see the video from this year here.)

And now, some favorite blog posts from the past week.

I’ll be putting into practice some of the ideas from Katy in The Schedule That Saved Our Summer.

I’m not here yet, but I will be soon – For the Graduate: How to Make Each Day Count.

While I’m not homeschooling any more, I still enjoy reading about curriculums and what does/doesn’t work for other homeschoolers. I appreciated Caroline’s honest reviews in A Look at How Our 2016-2017 Homeschool Year Went.

Enjoyed re-visiting this gem from Elizabeth – Chocolate-Covered Popcorn…and 5 Other Habits of a (Mostly) Happy Family.

I’m officially hooked on these Honey Sweetened Peanut Butter Cups. My girls said they’re not sweet enough, but that’s fine – leaves more for me! (wink, wink)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Trusting His Grace When I Can’t See His Face

May 16, 2017 by Tracey 2 Comments

My “worst-case-scenario” self made an appearance last week.

My older daughter mentioned on Monday evening that her eye was hurting a little bit. When she got up on Tuesday morning, she said it was really bothering her. She willingly took a couple of ibuprofen, which was a for-sure sign that she was in pain. I started a search for an eye doctor, and got her an appointment for the next afternoon.

However, when I picked her up from school that day, she said it was feeling better. After hearing other symptoms she experienced, I’ve decided it was probably a migraine. Thankfully, she was still feeling better the following morning. I was able to cancel the doctor’s appointment, thus putting my fears about this being the initial symptom of some terrible disease to rest.

We all have days when we’re not feeling well. We get run down, and struggle to find enough energy to get through the day. And just like in our physical lives, we often experience ups and downs in our spiritual lives.

Sometimes I feel like things are going so well. I’m experiencing victory over sin (as in I kept my temper when a certain teenager didn’t respond the way I would have liked). Or maybe I stepped out of my comfort zone and spoke to someone about Christ. Maybe I’ve seen a specific answer to prayer, or have been consistent with my morning devotional time all week.

Then there are the days when it feels like nothing is going right. I’ve given in to that same old familiar sin, I’m discouraged about a situation, or I’ve neglected my Bible again.

I try taking it all to God, but I don’t seem to get any relief, or find an answer for my problem. It can feel like I’m just stumbling along on my own. The words of Edward Mote’s hymn, “The Solid Rock,” comfort me in those times.

“When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.”

When I can’t feel God’s presence or I’m overwhelmed by circumstances or grief seems to have a permanent grip on my heart, I know that God is still there. He is present in my life. No matter my feelings in the moment, they don’t change the fact that God is good and is always with me. I trust in His faithfulness, because I’ve read about it in His Word and seen it evidenced in my life in the past.

I can ask God to reveal any sin in my life that might be hindering my fellowship with Him. Then I can rest in His grace, waiting and hoping through those dark seasons, knowing that He is there for me.

[Click over to the blog to listen to the video if you’re reading in e-mail.]

Saturday Salutes

May 13, 2017 by Tracey 5 Comments

There’s a host of wisdom in Randy Alcorn’s post The Cumulative Effect of Our Little Choices.

Kristen writes about Motherhood: In Which We Give Up a Lot of Pie.

If your children want to make a last-minute Mother’s Day craft, these Handprint Flowers are really cute!

Forest Rose lists 7 Fun Ways to Keep Kids Busy on Rainy Days.

Not sure if my girls would go for these Apple Cheddar Bites as a snack, but I sure would!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Surrounded by Change, Anchored in Him

May 12, 2017 by Tracey 2 Comments

Surrounded by change, yet God remains the same.

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine who works in a bank. Since I rarely walk into a bank these days, I asked her if they still had steady foot traffic. We talked about how debit cards, ATM’s, and internet banking have all developed in the years since we were young adults. (Makes me sound ancient, doesn’t it?!!)

No matter what area of life we discuss, it seems like change happens frequently. Maybe that’s why I found these lines from “Abide with Me” by Henry Francis Lyte so reassuring.

“Change and decay in all around I see,
O Thou Who changest not, abide with me.”

Things around us are constantly changing. My girls are growing up. I’m getting older. Culture changes. What’s popular today won’t even be on our radar next year at this time. Jobs change, friends change, relationships go through ups and downs. And while right and wrong don’t change, people’s views of them do.

Yet God never changes.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” ~James 1:17

He’s not going to change His mind about me. He loves me always and forever. What’s good for me today is what will still be good for me tomorrow.

^“For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” ~Malachi 3:6

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” ~Hebrews 13:8

Often people disappoint us, let us down, even when they don’t mean to. Jesus never does.

Rest today in the unchanging goodness of God. Whether you need grace, peace, comfort, or forgiveness, He will always provide just what is required for every hour.

[If you’re reading in e-mail, click over to the blog to see the video.]