Marriages that not only last a lifetime but get better have certain mindsets. One of those is confidence. Both are confident that God is at work in each other and will bring about better versions of themselves.
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What a great expectation! To think that the person we committed to for a lifetime will get even better is a bonus. And it’s reassuring when we start to realize that marriage brings challenges.
Mom, you are a very special person to your family. For the most part, you are the foundation, the stabilizing point, the one who keeps everyone and everything going in the right direction. You are the planner, the organizer, the executer, the cook, the housekeeper, the nurse, the chauffeur, the counselor, the tutor…the list goes on and on. Dads are a wonderful part of assisting with all these duties, but often the ultimate responsibility rests on mom.
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In the years that my children were all at home, I was busy to say the least. In order to keep everything going smoothly, I had to give my all every minute of every day. Yes, it was fulfilling—but there were many days I reached an unhealthy exhaustion.
What gets measured gets monitored. It’s important to have a desire to be healthy but unless you make your health goals specific and trackable, there’s seldom progress.
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Good health is mainly the result of good habits. But I do like to have hard evidence that confirms my efforts are truly making a difference. For me, it starts with five areas that I want to know my numbers. Numbers help me celebrate wins, tighten up my focus as necessary, and help me avoid big problems down the road by making course corrections now.
Recently I wrote on the importance of leading your kids by instilling core values in them. It’s something every parent has to be intentional about. The classroom for this is simply everyday situations—seizing opportunities that present themselves to teach kids valuable life lessons.
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Leading your child is called training in the Bible. It is spoken of many times. One of my favorites comes from the book of Proverbs.
The idea of having one-on-one time with each of your children sounds like a great thing to do. But once you schedule such a time, what now? How do you determine what might be fun for both your child and you? It’s a question we are asked often.
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Early on in our parenting, I tended to plan an activity that might be fun for me, without taking the child into consideration. Or I would do something that had been fun for the child I spent time with last.
Thomas J. Stanley conducted a survey of 733 millionaires to uncover key characteristics and principles common to them. He wrote of his findings in his book, The Millionaire Mind. I highly recommend it.
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I get very excited when I read such books because their research validates what the Bible has taught for years. For example, I love it when modern medicine “discovers” a medical principle that is really an age-old Bible truth.
I recently wrote on the importance of continually growing in understanding of your spouse. Your commitment to that by building good communication skills is absolutely essential for a marriage than not only goes the distance, but just gets better.
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The next step beyond just gaining a clearer understanding of your spouse is this: choosing to elevate the needs/wants of your spouse above your own. Putting the needs of the other first.
Having a simple life is something I’ve aspired to for years. But actually figuring out how to simplify can be a daunting task.
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Life comes complete with responsibilities, commitments and just plain old “stuff.” How could it possibly be simple?
More of us are becoming more health-conscious every day. The indicators are everywhere and I’m glad for it. I suspect you’ve given more thought toward improving your health lately.
But many also find themselves overwhelmed by all the new information and health tips released everyday. It can become difficult to know where to start or focus.
Moms, have you ever wished you could hear advice from a seasoned mom on a regular basis? Or wish you had time to connect with someone regularly who has gone through what you’re going through as a mom?
Of course you have. For some time now, Gail and I have seen the need for a platform where moms can be mentored and encouraged in their roles as moms.
