Purposeful Living
Creative ideas for enjoying your family in all seasons of the year, including spending time in nature, creative ways to celebrate holidays, and ways to teach your children the art of hospitality.
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5 Meaningful Conversation Starters to Foster Hospitality
Do you want to be the kind of person with whom others feel safe sharing their hearts? If so, it can be helpful to have a handful of meaningful conversation starters ready and waiting! I’ve been mentoring younger women for many years. Some of these women open up easily, and I don’t have to use my memorized conversation starters. At other times, these five categories for starting conversations are invaluable. I pray they bless you today, too. 5 Categories of Meaningful Conversation Starters The following five categories for asking deeper questions are etched in my mind, and when I meet to talk with a new friend or to directly mentor…
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4 Practical Ways to Overcome Perfectionism
Life-sized murals of Sesame Street characters adorned the colorful walls of our pediatrician’s office. Seven-year-old Bekah sat beneath the vibrant cartoons as if she were a part of the show. Meanwhile, the nurse took her blood pressure and did all the routine screenings that come with an annual physical. I watched her little face from the doorway of the examining room. She was poised and serious about getting it right. Our girl is a rule-follower, and while this is nothing short of delightful from a parenting perspective, we realize that it does have its challenges in life. I contemplated these things as the nurse gently asked our sweet girl, “Honey,…
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6 Creative Ideas to Help You Show Hospitality This Fall
It’s a clear evening overlooking Granite Creek. The sun has slipped behind the canyon walls, and alpenglow paints the West Ridge salmon. I’m not thinking about how to show hospitality this evening – not in the least. The year is 2001, and I’ve just entered the identity-searching decade of my twenties. This will be the decade when I stumble blindly in the relentless search for the woman I want to become. I’ll begin my teaching career in the public high school. I have no way of knowing these things now, of course. For now, I’m content with my three-month job of washing dishes in the lodge where the teachers come…
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8 Life-Changing Prayers for Your Kids
I recently wrote my kids’ names on the front of my prayer journal as a reminder to pray for them every day. Much to my frustration, I often stare at their names and draw a blank. If you’re like me, you want to pray powerful prayers for your kids, but sometimes you get stuck. How to Pray Life-Changing Prayers for Your Kids When I feel stuck, I pull out this list of eight life-changing prayers and pray from it. I originally wrote these Bible-based prayers at the start of a new school year, but now I pray them all year long. My hope is that these prayers will help you…
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10 Biblical Affirmations for Kids of All Ages
Not long ago, our family shared a moment that reminded me of the importance of speaking biblical affirmations over our kids. Join us in the backyard, and we’ll talk about teaching our kids to stand on their identities in Christ. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for three devotional books to affirm your children’s identities in Christ. Biblical Affirmations for Your Kids I wasn’t thinking about developing our daughter’s identity in Christ when it happened. It was a balmy August evening, and rays of sinking sun shone white on the lawn as we finished dinner on the deck. My husband Darrell offered to take the kids…
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15 Scriptures on Controlling Anger: With Tips
Not long ago, I decided I was done yelling at my kids. Ten minutes after I made my commitment, someone dumped a whole box of Lucky Charms on the kitchen floor in an attempt to pick out the marshmallows. If you can relate—if you want to learn how to stop yelling at your kids and feel like you’re failing— you’re in the right place. We’ll explore 15 Scriptures on controlling anger. Then, we’ll apply these truths to our lives in practical ways. I also invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you surrender to God in angry moments. Scriptures on…
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14 Biblical Hospitality Verses About Welcoming Others
Biblical hospitality is a concept that emphasizes welcoming others into our homes, particularly strangers. However, this kind of hospitality extends far beyond the limits of space; we can offer biblical hospitality anywhere when we create spaces where others feel loved and accepted. Today, we’ll explore 14 biblical hospitality verses as we aim to apply this practice to our lives. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you extend God’s love more graciously to others. 14 Biblical Hospitality Verses Let’s see what God’s Word reveals as we look at this list of biblical hospitality verses. Biblical Hospitality Verses to Inspire 1.…
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7 Powerful Daily Prayers for Your Children
Every morning, I sit in front of my prayer list and ask God to show me how to pray for my kids. When we’re not sure how to pray, God’s Word enables us to stand in agreement with him and lift our children before his throne with confidence. Today, we’ll explore seven powerful daily prayers for your children or grandchildren. Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for three devotional books to read with your kids. Daily Prayers for Your Children Praying these prayers for my kids has centered my focus and blessed my prayer life. God wants to work in the lives of the children you…
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Opening Your Heart Is Just as Important as Opening Your Home
“Opening your heart is just as important as opening your home,” a friend reminds me as we chat on the phone. I stare out the window as stratus clouds linger low over the valley. This morning, I invited the neighbors to join our family for an evening of fishing at the creek. Now, as it threatens to rain, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake. I wanted our outing to be perfect. As I watch the clouds gather, my friend reminds me that hospitality isn’t about perfection. It’s about opening our hearts to others. I thank her, put down the phone, and begin packing for our evening at the creek.…
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How to be Hospitable With Less Stress: 10 Easy Ways
Snow still lingered in the spruce boughs when we went to her house for an Easter crafting party. Her idea was to help the kids make colorful bath bombs using a recipe from Pinterest and dozens of pastel plastic Easter eggs. She had no idea, but she was teaching me how to be hospitable on a very practical and imperfect level. We piled through the door in our winter boots, and she waved her arm in a welcoming gesture as the kids threw their coats in a pile on the floor. That afternoon, three moms began the patience-testing task of helping seven little ones measure perfect portions of corn starch,…
