Girls To Grow - Page 4 of 182 - Nurturing moms in their walk with God

Three Good Things to Have in Your Home This Summer

June 8, 2018 by Tracey 3 Comments

We managed to fit a whole bunch of stuff into the first week of summer break!!

We packed up all the leftover notebook paper and locker shelving, had the first summer piano lesson, made homemade ice cream, spent an hour at a cat cafe downtown, swam in our neighborhood pool, stayed up late to watch a movie, ate snow cones, shopped for clothes and sunscreen for camp, visited friends, and stocked up on books from the library.

Now you know why there was no blog post earlier this week!

I attended high school graduation at our daughters’ school on June 1st. My prayer that night was that God would bless the coming 12 months, the next 364 days (my daughter and friends already started a countdown : ) until our oldest graduates from high school.

I’m a realist. I know that every moment won’t be sweet. There will likely be just as many – and probably more! – ups and downs as there were during her junior year. But, as much as possible, I want to savor the days. Life already looks so much different than it did just a few short years ago.

Our girls chose to bring their band instruments home from school for the summer. Which means that if you walk into our house right this minute, you’ll see two saxophone cases lined up by the wall in our living area. And there’s the music stand I just ordered them from Amazon. Along with a wicker basket full of music books and sheet music.

As I walked past this unplanned music corner, I realized that we show our families what’s important to us by the space we give things in our homes. While looking around, I thought of three things I hope we’ve provided – and continue to provide – for our daughters.

(And by the way, I think these are also important if it’s just you and a spouse, or even if you live alone!)

1. Good music.

Music can set the atmosphere in our homes. I’ve mentioned before that I like to play music in the mornings while everyone’s getting ready for work and school. (Sadly, this doesn’t come naturally for me! I’d gotten fairly bad at remembering to do this by the end of the school year.)

We also get to enjoy live music in our house. Both girls play the piano and saxophone, and one of them brought home a flute for the summer (because why not add another instrument???) Going to concerts, musicals, or band concerts can also be a fun family outing.

I’m not here to define what “good” music is for you. I know that just within our family, we like different styles of music. With any kind of entertainment, I try to consider Philippians 4:8.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

2. Good books.

We are a family who loves to read! It’s been a constant struggle to find age-appropriate books for our girls through the years since they go through books so fast!

Just like when I was a girl, fiction is their favorite, and I always want them to embrace the joy of getting lost in a good story. However, we make sure to include non-fiction in their assigned summer reading so that they can cultivate a taste for that as well.

Here are some of the books our daughters (ages 17 and 15) are reading this summer.

Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

A Young Woman’s Guide to Making Right Choices by Elizabeth George

Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott

Love Your Life, Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze

3. Good conversation.

Taking the time to sit down and talk with each other is a great way to stay connected. Many of our family’s conversations revolve around mealtimes. Sunday lunch, which we usually eat out at a restaurant, is a prime time for catching up on life or talking about plans for the week ahead.

We try to eat supper together as many weeknights as possible – though it doesn’t happen as often with both daughters involved in extracurricular activities, and one of them working a job as well. Conversation topics range from what happened during the day to news or sports (my older daughter’s currently interested in the NBA playoffs) or what I heard on a recent podcast.

When our daughter comes in from work at night, we try to be available to hear about her day. Occasionally I plan “mom-and daughter” conversations, and grab a few minutes with my girls to discuss a particular topic. I’ve found it much better to make those talks as informal as possible!

Whether your summer’s off to a slow or a fast start, I hope you’ve had a great week! Let me know what good things you’re keeping around your house this summer.

Saturday Salutes ~ Parenting Posts, a Darling House, and a Dessert Recipe

June 2, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

My daughters finished up final exams Wednesday morning, so we headed to the beach in the afternoon for a little relaxation!

Phylicia lists 10 Truths I Speak to Myself as a Mom of a Toddler and a Baby.

On the other end of the parenting spectrum, Kara shares about Personality, Patience, and Parenting Tweens and Teens.

Elizabeth writes Dear Daughters: 12 Things I Didn’t Know I Needed in a Husband.

I rarely share a home-decor-related post, but this house at Chatfield Court is just darling!

Per my husband’s request, I made this No-Bake Coconut Cream Lush Dessert last weekend. It. was. delicious!! My girls aren’t big fans of coconut, which left plenty for my husband and I to devour!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Can God Really Do That for Me?

May 30, 2018 by Tracey 8 Comments

Have you ever found that you believe something to be true in your mind, but it doesn’t translate to how you’re reacting in your circumstances?

Recently I was burdened about a certain situation. It came to mind often throughout the day. Whenever it did, I tried to take it to God. My prayer life became quite busy!

And while I’d like to say that I was a great woman of faith and trusted God to answer in His way and in His time, I wasn’t. Rather, I still found myself fretting and worrying about this situation that was mostly out of my control.

I knew God could answer. I prayed that His will would be done. In this instance, it was fairly clear what the right outcome should be.

After a whole lot of praying, and more time passing than I wanted to, God answered. And, as is often the case, I learned a lot through the hard days and in the waiting.

The Lord's hand is not waxed short. He is powerful to answer prayer and meet our every need.

As I look back on it now, I’m sure this thought hovered in the back of my mind, even though I didn’t vocalize it. “God, this one might be too hard for you.”

After all, there were people involved whose hearts needed to be changed. It was beyond my realm of control…but not His.

In Numbers 11, Moses doubts God. He’s in the wilderness with a multitude of griping Israelites. God just promised to provide meat for all of them to eat for a month. When Moses – who’s seen the ten plagues brought down on Egypt and walked through the Red Sea on dry land – questions God about how this can happen, God replies,

“Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.”

A quote about this verse from the Jamieson/Fausset/Brown commentary caught my attention.

“The great leader, struck with a promise so astonishing as that of suddenly furnishing, in the midst of the desert, more than two millions of people with flesh for a whole month, betrayed an incredulous spirit, surprising in one who had witnessed so many stupendous miracles.”

Actually, maybe it’s not that surprising. Moses was human. And I know how easy it is, in spite of all that God’s done for me in the past, to doubt that He’s able to do it again.

Slow to learn, that’s me.

But God did what Moses thought was impossible. Because there’s nothing that’s too hard for God. He “that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20) is still in the business of answering prayer.

His power isn’t diminished. The same God of the Old Testament patriarchs is the One we pray to today. He’s just as able to meet our needs and answer our prayers as He was back then.

What do you need the Lord to do for you? Is there something you’ve been praying for – as best you know in God’s will – yet you struggle to find the faith to believe that He can accomplish it?

The Lord’s hand is not waxed short. Whether we have a personal need, a heartbreaking family situation, or any other circumstance we feel is too difficult for God to impact, remember – God is powerful. The “Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead” (Romans 8:11) is alive and active.

May we be faithful to pray and to trust, then stand amazed as we see Him work.

Related posts:

What Sarah Teaches Me About Faith?

Just a Fancy Way to Say We Ned to Learn to Wait

How I Want God to Answer My Prayers

Saturday Salutes ~ a Concert Video and the Books I Read in May

May 26, 2018 by Tracey 6 Comments

Lisa talks about When Pain Becomes a Gift of Mercy.

Katie gives us 5 Ways to Create a Unique Family Culture.

Kathie lists 7 Ways to RUIN the Relationship with Your Child.

Samantha’s Letter to My Son (The Kindergarten Graduate) seemed especially appropriate for this time of year.

Here’s a video of my favorite song from our daughters’ last choir concert of the school year. [If you’re reading via e-mail, click this link to view the video.] Our daughters are in the second row of girls, third and fifth from the right. Interesting side note: the violinist is their piano teacher.

Here are the four books I read this month.

I really enjoyed reading Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff. He reminds us through many stories that love is so much more than words. It’s taking action, and reaching out to people, whether in very small ways or large ones. This “people-before-tasks” type love draws people to Jesus. It was an inspiring book!

I bought The Problem of Prayer: And the Promise that Changes Everything by Cherie Hill “accidentally” on my Kindle! I decided to read it anyway, and am so glad I did. I highlighted many quotes from this book. It was full of practical, helpful reminders about how God works in our lives through prayer.

Why I Hate Green Beans by Lincee Ray was a memoir, I suppose. She shares thoughts about and stories from her life, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

My fiction read this month was Desperate Measures by Sandra Orchard. This was the third book in the series, and it had been awhile since I read the first two. Because of that, I was lost in parts of the book, and there was too much going on at times for me to keep it all straight!

Looking for some interesting books to read this summer, so let me know if you’ve read anything good lately!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

10 Simple But Powerful Pieces of Life Advice for Teenagers (that work for their parents, too)

May 23, 2018 by Tracey 8 Comments

My teenagers aren’t always (if ever!) sitting around waiting to soak up any parental wisdom that comes out of my mouth. They’re more likely to be too involved in what’s going on in their own lives to let me “bless” them with my advice.

But on the off-chance that they want me to share a bit of knowledge with them, I decided to be ready. I rounded up some quotes that are short, sweet, and to the point, yet pack a powerful punch. It’s ten pieces of life advice to help them navigate the coming years with a healthy perspective on what’s truly important.

1. “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” ~Corrie Ten Boom

Here’s a great place to plug-in one of my favorite Scriptures, Proverbs 3:5, 6. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

The more we know about God – His goodness, love, and mercy – the easier it is to trust Him with our future. That future could be as close as tomorrow, and as far away as eternity.

2. “Wherever you are, be all there.” ~Jim Elliot

Don’t spend your time wishing you were somewhere else or with a different person. In other words, live in the moment. Instead of longing for the past or wishing for the future, embrace the exact circumstances God has placed you in today.

3. “Expect nothing and appreciate everything.” ~Unknown

This ties together contentment and gratitude, two of the most valuable traits a person can have. When we place too many expectations on a person or a particular circumstance, we’re often disappointed. And living with a grateful heart will keep us focused on how blessed we are.

4. “Wisdom makes decisions today that will still be good tomorrow.” ~Lysa TerKeurst

This is the quote that led me to write this post. Teenagers especially can make decisions that feel good in the moment. But if they will take the time to think about where the consequences of that decision might lead, they can determine if it’s a wise decision or not.

I find myself needing this advice, though I’m supposedly older and wiser! From the words I say to the things I do – if I’ll look back tomorrow and wish I hadn’t said or done it, I shouldn’t do it in the first place.

5. “Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.” ~Unknown

We’ve found that experiencing events together as a family is usually much better than giving physical gifts. We’ll always have great memories of outings and travels that we’ve had during these years of our children living at home. I hope we’re passing on to them a love for sharing adventures with those closest to them.

6. “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” ~Bill Nye

My dad exemplifies this one. He is just as interested in talking to and getting to know his car mechanic as he is the VIP of a Fortune 500 company. Strive to learn something from each person that you meet.

7. “Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded.” ~Wayne Dyer

Don’t try to get by with doing as little as possible to finish the job. Give your all in everything you do, and you’ll stand out. Follow the advice of Ecclesiastes 9:10. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might…”

8. “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.” ~Robby Novak

Humility and thoughtfulness are qualities that seem rarer than ever these days. Smile at people. Thank anyone who does the smallest thing for you. Just notice other people, and go out of your way to make them feel special.

9. “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” ~Dolly Parton

Prioritize people and relationships over work. Let the to-do list go at some point in the day, and just enjoy being with your people.

10. ”Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure.” ~Bob Bitchin

Or, as my dad often told us, attitude is everything. You can make the best of a situation, or you can bring yourself and everyone around you down. The choice is up to you. (I need this advice plastered on my wall!)

Hopefully I can continue to work these ideas into future conversations with my teenagers. If you have any bits of life advice you’ve found helpful, share them with us in the comments!

Saturday Salutes

May 19, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Our girls and I on our annual Mother’s Day beach walk last weekend.

Ayanna shares Secrets to Being Grateful No Matter Your Situation.

Casey reminds parents how their children can feel in I’m Just a Toddler and I’m Still Learning.

Jessica shows us how to create a Summer Bucket List Jar.

If you sign up for Jess Connolly’s e-mail newsletter, you get her Summer to Thrive Guide for free. I did, and have already used some of her prompts to start planning our summer.

Stacie has 10 Organization Apps to Simplify Your Life.

This No-Churn S’mores Ice Cream sounds like the perfect warm-weather treat!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

A Time and a Season for Every Thing

May 16, 2018 by Tracey 6 Comments

It’s clichéd, but true. Life is made up of seasons.

This is on my mind as we rush headlong toward the end of another school year.

Come fall, my oldest will be a senior in high school. One season, at least with her, will slowly be coming to an end. It will be a year of “lasts” – last first day of school, last high school basketball game, last choir competition, last band concert.

Sometimes you don’t see the change of seasons coming as clearly as this one is. Just like in nature, some seasons change gradually. You hardly recognize that one is over and another has begun until you look back.

I’ve always loved Ecclesiastes 3 where Solomon talks about the seasons. My husband’s been teaching out of this book of the Bible in our Sunday School class recently. It got me thinking about some lessons that might be helpful as we face different transitions in the future.

Most things in life – both blessings and trials – are given to us for a season.

Verse 1 ~ “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

Friendships, opportunities, the flexibility of our schedules, and our health change from season to season. What we enjoy in one stage of life may not be available to us in the next.

On the other hand, a trial we face currently may not be an issue in a few years. Recently, when we faced a parenting challenge, my husband reminded me that “this, too, shall pass.”

God uses seasons to change us into what He would have us to be.

Verse 11a ~ “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:”

If life always ran along smoothly and we knew just what to expect, our faith would never grow. God wants to make each of us into a beautiful masterpiece by weaving into our lives those trials that will refine us.

And, of course, it’s important to remember that He works in His timeline, not ours. I’d like to get through any of those painful growing stages really fast, but He knows just the pace at which I need to grow.

Only God knows how each season will play out.

Verse 11b ~ “…no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

Where is our daughter going to go to college? How different will we be as a family of 3? God has all the answers. He knows before I do how it’s all going to work out. We just need to ask for His wisdom, and allow Him to guide us.

God wants us to find and enjoy the best in every season.

Verse 13 ~ “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”

God has given us so many blessings to enjoy. From sweet friendships to glorious sunsets, good food to beautiful places to visit, we’re surrounded with things we can appreciate. No matter what season you’re in, look for small – and large – things to take pleasure in.

Each season has its “happy hello’s and sad goodbyes.”

Verse 4 ~ “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

That “happy hello’s and sad goodbye’s” is a quote from my mom. Since we live a couple of states away, she and my dad are always excited to see us come for a visit, and then a bit sad every time we leave.

In the same way, every season has its joys and sorrows. It’s that way with my daughter graduating from high school next year. It’s bittersweet. I’ll be sad over what’s ending, yet very excited at what God has ahead of her.

Surrender each season to God.

Verse 14 ~ “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”

Our God is sovereign. He is in control of every facet of our lives. As we begin to surrender to Him through the hard days as well as the easy ones, we’ll learn to trust Him even more.

So whatever season you find yourself in today, I hope you’ll embrace it for what it is. Enjoy the good parts, learn from the tough days, and remember that God has a purpose in all of it.

Saturday Salutes ~ Truths and Life Lessons for Moms

May 12, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

From last year’s Mother’s Day Eve walk on the beach

Kari lists 10 Truths Moms Should Know.

Elizabeth shares Life Lessons from the Sidelines.

Lauren has 30 Easy Summer Activities for Kids.

Dawn tells us How to Prepare Your Home for Guests.

Leslie encourages us in How to Love Your Home Just the Way It Is.

As I’ve mentioned in previous years, we typically celebrate Mother’s Day on Saturday night. It’s easier to find a restaurant without a long wait. Also, I really enjoy walking on the beach, so after supper, we drive to the beach and walk off some of those calories we just consumed!

This year, however, our older daughter’s scheduled to work tonight, so we celebrated last night! I’ll share pictures in next week’s Saturday post.

I’m blessed to have a wonderful, Godly mom in my life! I’m very thankful for her, and the love and encouragement she offers to me and our entire family.

To all the moms out there, I hope you feel loved and celebrated this weekend!!

Do You Have Fair-Weather Faith?

May 8, 2018 by Tracey 3 Comments

We’ve probably all heard the term “fair-weather friend.” Maybe you’ve even had one or two of these people in your life.

It’s a person who’s our friend when our lives are clicking along smoothly, and it’s convenient for them. However, they disappear at the first sign of trouble or when it’s no longer easy for them to be with us.

Sometimes as Christians we can have “fair-weather faith.” It’s a faith that loudly sings the words to “Trust and Obey” in a church service when we’re happy and circumstances are good. But when a trial comes along, it gets pretty quiet.

When we’re seeing prayers answered, we give a testimony about trusting God, and how He came through in our situation. Yet when we’ve prayed for relief from a hardship, and it hasn’t gone away, we may secretly doubt God’s faithfulness.

Is your faith only strong in the good times, or does it carry you through the hard days?

I see three men in the Old Testament who had genuine faith, not the fair-weather kind.

I’m sure you know the story found in Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar tells Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego that they’re going to be thrown into a fiery furnace. They’ve refused to obey the command to bow down and worship his idol. Death is imminent. I think this qualifies as a trial.

Yet their faith is not shaken.

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” ~Daniel 3:16-18

BUT IF NOT.

In other words, “God, we know you can deliver us. But even if you don’t, we’re going to keep on loving and obeying you.”

When a trial comes, we pray for deliverance. In our humanity, we pray to escape the trial as quickly as possible. And we have absolute faith that God can do that.

So, if you’re like me, we pray what we believe is best for us. I’ll take the shortest route through this difficulty, thank you very much. I think Cherie Hill says it well in her book, The Problem of Prayer and The Promise That Changes Everything.

“We want prayer to be our will that influences heaven, instead of praying that God’s will influences what happens on earth.”

And sometimes God answers that prayer, and we see a quick victory. But other times, our outcome may look like what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

You see, before their faith was realized, they had to go into the furnace. God didn’t rescue them from being thrown in. He only delivered them after He revealed Himself to them in the midst of it.

God may not deliver us out of our trial, but He will deliver us through it. He wants to show us how to endure it as a good soldier. These three men submitted to God’s will regardless if it meant deliverance or death. And it’s through those kinds of trials that we will come to a deeper, sweeter relationship with Jesus Christ.

Neither you nor I are facing a heathen king or a fiery furnace. But maybe today we don’t have enough money to pay the bills or we realize a child is making bad life choices. It could be a cancer diagnosis, a spouse who’s grown distant, or seeing the chance we had at a new and better job fall apart.

Here’s another thought-provoking quote from Cherie Hill. “Sometimes, just as in the Garden of Gethsemane, our prayers will be crying out to God for help, and we’ll suffer through it, instead of being delivered out of it.”

If that’s where you are, hold on to your faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It’s a faith that says, “I know You can…but you might not.” Ask God to give you a faith that walks into the fire, still trusting Him. Rest in His promise to never leave you nor forsake you. And you’ll grow a faith that keeps you strong, no matter what the weather.

Saturday Salutes ~ Struggling Moms, Bossy Kids, and Kitchen Organization

May 5, 2018 by Tracey 11 Comments

Saw this on one of my walks in our neighborhood this week. So cute!!

Elizabeth gives us 5 Things We Sometimes Have to Do Before We Feel.

Christ-Centered Mama say “Please Don’t Tell Struggling Moms to ‘Enjoy Every Moment.'”

Lisa gives tips for Parenting the Bossy Child.

Caring for aging parents is something we may all face as we get older. Michelle shares her experience in The New Mummy Guilt: Putting Your Parent in a Care Facility.

Joy has 12 Creative and Smart Kitchen Organization Ideas.

Wednesday’s Focus on the Family podcast Helping Your Children to Embrace Their Future dealt with guiding our children into God’s plan for their lives. I thought the advice given was actually helpful for me as an adult as well!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!