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Lessons from the Garden Can Make You A Better Parent

By livingabovethenoise

Lessons from the garden can make you a better parent

Do Kids and Gardens Have Anything In Common?

Raising kids is quite a bit like raising a garden. You care for them. You tend and watch. You train. And you wait. But how will they turn out? What kind of fruit will they bear? Let’s see what we can learn from the garden to become a better parent!

At the first sign of spring, I plant my vegetable seeds. I tend the seedlings and wait for them to sprout. But this year, after a month of watching them grow almost big enough to plant outdoors, some got tall and lanky while others shriveled up and died! After all that work!

My frustration got me thinking about all the time and effort of raising anything. It’s so easy to think things will be easy. And parenting isn’t any different!

We all make mistakes when we’re learning new things. I won’t even go into all the ways I’ve messed up! But you know what it’s like to hold that baby for the first time — everything is just. so. new. Fortunately, God gives us a whole world from which we can observe and learn! I’ve raised both children and vegetables for decades and believe it or not, they actually have a lot in common. Let’s see what we can learn!

I’m guessing you have kids — but even if you don’t have a garden — stick with me. Let’s see how the choices you make in your job as “mom” resemble the gardener and her crops. You can learn lessons from the garden to become a better parent. (When you finish this post, click here to join our community and get my God Values Your Family worksheets.)

Choices — and Consequences.

Choice 1: Use A Gardening Method Without Knowing Your Plant’s Needs

From the trouble I had raising my seedlings, I realized I must be doing something wrong. You see, I followed standard seed care: plant the seeds, put them under a grow light, painstakingly water them, and even offer a warming mat for their soil. So what happened?

Without the right lighting, nutrients, and moisture for each type of seedling, they become weak and pale. Their stems wither into thread-like strands, strangling those important first leaves. Some don’t even sprout. This can make gardening downright frustrating! But, with any new venture, this gardener has the opportunity to learn the dos and don’ts of plant care.


Our mistakes help us learn what not to do
the next time we try.


Let’s Relate This to Parenting — Your Method Affects Your Child

Parenting comes with some confusion about raising your kids, not much different from raising those seedlings. You don’t start out knowing that different children actually need different care. And so, we often follow the latest trend in parenting or our parents’ example, but we miss this important fact — children are created differently. Someone else’s method may not work for your child or your lifestyle.

Let me add this before we go on — it’s hugely important to remember that God loves you and, believe it or not, He loves your kids even more than you do. He gives enough grace and love to cover your mistakes. I’m sure you want to do the best you can while you have the opportunity! With His counsel and grace, you have hope on this parenting journey.

So, like plants with different requirements for light, nutrients, and moisture, children benefit from individual attention. Each child needs unique and thoughtful care.

• One child may need “flower” care using a different type of fertilizer — more hugs maybe?
• Another might need “veggie” care with lots of sunlight and warmth — more time to run and learn outdoors.
• And yet another, “succulent” care planted in a unique soil — more time to learn from books and research.

The point is — you’ll need to discover which type of child you have. This is the important work of parenting. And it’s hard work. But hang in there! Learn as you go. It’s a process. But with your best effort to give your kids individual “care and feeding”, they’ll grow strong and bear fruit!

Choice 2: Expect Abundant Produce Without Much Knowledge or Hard Work

If you’ve ventured into gardening, you know this scenario. It happens to the best of us.

Those juicy, sweet tomatoes keep coming to mind (or some fruit or flower tempts you). You don’t have extra time for a garden — but the nursery department catches your eye. And the hope of a lush garden, like _______ has, draws you in! There’s even that spot along the driveway that just might work. So you dig a hole in the hard, rocky soil and shove those babies into their beds. You might even say a prayer. (You’re gonna need it! 😊 )

One super important lesson from gardening — especially when growing veggies — is that they need lots of sunlight along with just the right soil, good drainage, and special nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. Without these, they probably won’t grow many flowers or fruit. They may develop spindly, pale leaves. Sometimes they grow huge, green leaves — but no tomatoes. You’re left wondering why people love to garden! Been there, done that, and often still do!

Soil, Sunlight, & Fertilizer. How Environment Affects Our Kids

Like plants struggling to grow in hard-packed soil with no nutrition, our kids can battle the culture that surrounds them. I remember too well my struggle to fit in, to say “no,” and my internal battle with my own identity. It’s hard for kids to be free to make wise choices when their environment is harsh and unforgiving. When it doesn’t equip them for life and learning.

Kids can be like those tomatoes struggling to grow along that driveway. With so much energy spent fighting to gain a foothold, they have less energy to produce fruit. Children can be stifled from discovering their unique talent and aptitude. Don’t forget — kids, like plants, soak up everything they’re around — both the toxins and the beneficial nutrients. If the “soil” is damaging or the “nutrients” lacking, your child will be affected. Hang in there — there’s hope!

Kids benefit from an environment where they can flourish rather than battle. Make the extra effort to offer them a strong foundation, spiritual nourishment, and lots of physical and emotional preparation. This enables them to develop their own unique personality and to stand strong and capable as they become adults. It gives them a “leg up” so to speak!

As parents, our job isn’t to make life perfect for our kids, but we can offer a healthy environment for them to develop. Now let’s see how to do that!

Choice 3: Be Like A Professional Gardener — Give the Best Foundation, Support, and Nourishment

I saved the best for last! When I was newly married, I wanted the same delicious tomatoes my mom grew. I researched and asked questions. I bought a huge plastic kettle and filled it with rich black soil and two tomato plants. Before long, those plants were three feet tall and producing a ton of delicious, red, juicy tomatoes for our dinner table. Well worth the time and effort!

If you’ve ever tasted them, you know there’s nothing like home-grown tomatoes! (If you and your kids enjoy a good folk song and you like John Denver, click that link!) Okay, I digress. 😉

For the best plants and produce, the gardener must know and understand the needs of each type of plant for a successful garden. You’ll definitely know when you get it right — your vases will be full, your arms overflowing with produce, or your home green with houseplants! Oh how I love my gardens! And my kids!

Simply put, our children benefit from the best environment and care for their needs, just like those plants. So what’s that looks like in the life of a parent?

Lessons from the Garden for Raising Your Kids

Lessons from the garden for raising your kids.

A farmer tends his crops because he knows his life depends on it. He knows his choices determine how well his crops do and how well he’ll eat that year.

It’s just as important to see your parenting job the same way. Your children’s future begins with YOU — and that includes the choices you make to care for them.

God’s design for the family is amazing! It’s such an awesome honor and responsibility to instruct and raise our kids.
Have you ever thought about this? >> Your babies don’t ask to be born? Yet they depend on you for everything — to love, nurture, and raise them well. And that’s all part of God’s plan! Let’s aim to serve Him well and be the best parents we can be!


Family is the “garden” that grows future adults —
our next generation!


Let’s see how these gardening lessons will help you do your parenting job well. (Use my Parenting Worksheets and encouragement from my newsletters to help get your “soil” right!)

  • Soil – Like the patio tomatoes with a healthy pot of rich soil — a place where roots grow strong and healthy — children need a nutrition-rich environment to grow, learn, and broaden their ever-expanding minds.
  • Roots – The healthier the roots, the healthier the plant. Roots provide the stems and leaves with much-needed nutrients. The foundation and nutrients you give your kids are equally important. Be sure they get lots of opportunities to learn and experiment with their unique interests and skills. These grow them into the individual they were created to be!
  • Leaves – Those tomato leaves — growing large, soft, and green — soak up the sunlight. This creates chlorophyll to provide the plant with just what it needs to produce delicious, nutrient-rich fruit. Exactly what it was intended to produce! I know you might not believe it now but your kids will grow up! Like plants, your child matures and grows stronger in character and skill. Their knowledge expands, and they use their talent and personality to add “fruit” to the culture around them making the world a much better place!

Each child is a whole person —
an adult in the making.


Now it’s your turn to be the master gardener!

Take time to assess your parenting style. See if you need to adjust anything — soil, nutrients, sunlight — and then make a plan to grow a great family!

We have so many fears:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of going against the flow.
• Fear of being inadequate.
• Fear of what others may think.
• Fear that this idea won’t work.
• Fear of what our relatives will say.
• Even fear of success and how our lives will change.

>>> By the way, I’m writing an ebook on parenting well. It will include a variety of tools to help you discover your best plan for your family — raised God’s way! (Subscribe to my newsletter to get notified — and you can get “7 Days to Discovering God’s Value for You” devotional here.)

Good things happen when you have a plan to parent better!

The Parenting Plan

Your child’s mind, like the plants we’ve been talking about, soaks up everything they come in contact with. Are any of these “soil” types somewhere you’d like to “plant” your kids? Be sure to add your own!

  • Surrounded by love and the knowledge of God?
  • Filled with imagination and freedom to play and learn?
  • Lots of opportunities to experience new things and learn from the skills and knowledge of others’?
  • Engaging relationships with others where they learn to accept differences and love unconditionally?

Now for the Big Question — How Will You Tend Your Garden?

You and your husband are the best people in the world to decide how life looks in your home — and the best qualified to raise your children. Take time to think about how your kids are doing, where you’re headed, and how you might get there.

I’m not here to tell you how to parent but to offer a perspective from my four decades of parenting. Like me, you’re hoping to get things right on your parenting journey. We all try methods or ideas because another family seems so “perfect” and we want that for our family. Or someone recommends some new “thing”. I know, I’ve grabbed at plenty of those choices along the way.

But remember — God is good and has His perfect plan for showing you His way. He gives us others as examples, but we too often rely on them instead of God. The best part is that He uses our mess-ups. Things you try and fail at can feel like mistakes — but they are truly lessons. They’re growing you along the way. We need to remember that children are resilient and have a loving Father, too!

If you’re worried you’re kids will turn out like my sickly plant examples, have HOPE. Your kids will survive your mistakes!** But with anything you do, give it your best for a better outcome!

**Other than the worst-case scenarios, of course — and please, if you struggle with a serious issue that could affect the safety of your children, reach out to someone for help.

You might be wondering how my kids turned out now that they’re adults. I’m amazed at what God has done with our big family! Each one of our kids is different from another, but they’re strong and capable, think independently, have curious minds, and are raising great families. Best of all, they all love and trust God. I love my kids! But to be “duly noted” — they aren’t perfect! 😉

But the goal isn’t perfection anyway, is it? It’s progress — being the best parents we can, using our life and faith and experience to help the next generation continue on that journey.


The key: Trust your
loving Father and cultivate your family — like a
master gardener!


So how about you? How are you doing in the parenting department? Have these lessons from the garden inspired you? Are you inspired to become a better parent? I’d love to help you get a plan for your parenting!

(In case you missed it, get your free God Values Your Family worksheets to help you gain perspective and get your foundation in place. By signing up, you’ll get notified in my newsletters when my parenting ebook comes out! >>> It will include inspiration, tips, and even more tools to help you!)

  • If you have a family — are you happy with the way things are going? Do you need to make adjustments to the soil, sunlight, or water? Do you need to learn more about parenting? Ask, read, pray, and reconsider your current plan. Then make the changes needed. God will bless every effort you make to raise the future generation for Him. Now begin cultivating!
  • If you’re not married yet — picture your future family and what you want for your children. What are your goals, hopes, and ideas for raising them? Write these goals down. Put thought into how you’ll get there. Take time to develop the “garden” you’ll raise your future children in. It will be worth your effort.

God’s word is filled with exhortations to parent well,
be responsible for your family,
and always to love well!

I want to encourage you to begin “living above the noise”.
Don’t be afraid to be different — to discover a style all your own.
Don’t worry about measuring up to what everyone else is doing (in your community, especially on social media, or even in your church.)
This is your life — you only get one! Use it well and for God’s glory!

Train up a child in the way he should go;
Even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

Finding Love in a Storm

By livingabovethenoise

As I sit here, watching the storm blow in, I can’t help but remember my childhood at the lake.  Sitting on the huge, padded porch swing tucked under the upper level of my grandparents’ cottage, my cousins and I would swing and talk and plan our next excursion for our summer vacation.   We’d gather there in storms just like the one today, feeling oh, so safe amidst the pounding rain and the thundering bellow of the clouds.  And I realize something.

There is nothing so wonderful and calming and peaceful as feeling safe.  Of knowing we are loved.

Those days at the cottage were some of my siblings’ favorite memories of childhood.  “Why?” I wonder.  I imagine it’s because we gathered as families, loved by parents who cared about giving us little gifts like this — our yearly family vacation.  Possibly it was because there, like the adults, we had no cares in the world.  They, like us, had left the hustle of work and chores to get away and breathe.

The Gift of a Storm

Then God gives the gift of a storm.  The quiet of the rain softly pattering on the roof.  The mist brushing our cheeks as we swing on the porch.  The slow rumble of the thunder echoing it’s way across the sky.  And we have peace  — peace amidst the storm.

As I pause and ponder, yes, for the first time in what feels like months, I realize how very important it is to give one another that sense of peace and love.  That feeling of being wrapped in a parent’s arms in the storm, knowing we are safe.  And loved.

Seek out your children or grandchildren today.  Let them know they are loved and safe with you.  Let them know you will be by their side.  No. Matter. What.

Of course, remember this doesn’t pertain only to children.  There are spouses who need that same affirmation.  And friends.  Even enemies.

If that makes you nervous, go to God, the source of all Love and Peace, and ask Him how to love like this.  He’s the expert!  His love never fails.

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Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13:8





Friendship — The Gift of Love

By livingabovethenoise

Be a Friend

During the early years of homeschooling, our children would read the Pathway Readers, written during a more simple era.  One lesson from them stood the test of time.  I must have quoted this a hundred times in my life as a parent!

“If you want to have a friend, you need to be a friend.”

Recently, we had a chance meeting with a man from our community.  (Actually, is anything really chance?)  He offered us his friendship — just because.  After spending a bit of time with him, we could easily see that he lives out what he teaches in a little book he wrote.  It’s called The Success Puzzle and in it, he explains simple, yet profound, truths on making the most of our opportunities.

One way Dick blesses others is to give his little book away to those he meets.  Needless to say, it has been relished as we read the wisdom contained therein.  The quotes below are a sampling of the truths found in his book:

“Friendships matter in life and in our journey of making a difference.”

A friend is “one who influences in the right direction.”

“Our major concern is that we be a friend to someone else.”

“Teach the lesson that you are not being a friend when you help someone do wrong.”

You know, there are always opportunities to re-learn things we thought we knew and practice things we thought we were good at.  This was one of them!

Let’s Do Things God’s Way

Life is entirely about being drawn to do things God’s ways and in His timing.  In living life on planet Earth, we spend most of our lives learning that our ways can’t be trusted because we so often act out of selfishness.  Then we learn that trusting God’s way is always best.  And guess what?  God promises we will certainly gain blessings when we follow a path of obedience and faith.  Seems simple, doesn’t it? 

Ah, but it’s not that simple!  And why?  Because we were born in sin and continue to follow our flesh.  It takes the “work” which Paul exhorts us to, to live and walk out our faith.  It takes work to go against our flesh, our way, our selfish path of getting what we want in life.  Not really simple at all.  But then again, could it be?

Could it actually be simple if we would just cultivate the strong faith spoken of in ages past?

Could we really do this obedience thing and live out the love of Christ?

Could we simply trust?

Let Go.  Let God.

I’m beginning to believe we can.  But in order to do it, we have to let go of all the extra stuff we have believed and learned and lived since we took our first breath!  You know, the greed, selfishness, fear, guilt, anger, pride…  Yikes, that sounds difficult.  Yet as each day passes, I’m seeing life wearing. me. down.  And I’m realizing God allows it for my good.  He allows it for all our good!

God wants our flesh and our will to be worn down so He can use us for His good.  As life takes its toll on us, we begin to see how pointless all our striving is.  Striving to get what we want, do what we think is best, and serve self above all.  Where has it gotten us really?

Oh, the peace and rest that comes from surrendering self to God and His purposes.

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Love God.  Serve Others.

So where am I headed here?  Simply to impress on us that loving and serving the God above must bring us to loving and serving those around us.  (Even when they aren’t lovely or perfect or the least bit like us.)

Here’s my point, and it’s one I’m trying to remember every day! —

Every one of us is trying to live here on earth the best we know how.

And believe it or not, God has offered us a reality and a direction for love and true success in life.  It isn’t by making tons of money, or gaining acclaim on the internet, or by having the most likes on Facebook.  It’s by loving and offering those around us a sense of value, just for being alive on this planet.

So let’s be a friend to others.  

Let’s offer a smile – a simple kindness – a word of encouragement.  

Let’s give them a sense of what Christ’s love feels like as they walk in our door.  

This, my friend, is what it’s all about!  Help others to do good and not evil.  Help them to see they are worth something in a world that makes us all feel very small.

It’s all too easy to follow what everyone else is doing.  To talk behind one another’s backs.  To add to the gossip.  To avoid those who don’t look like us.  To hang with only those who behave the way we think they should.  Instead….

Let’s love.

Let’s be kind.

Let’s see one another as God sees us….Beloved.  Child.  Rescued.

Today, let’s give the gift of Love & Life.  Our life in Christ can lift us higher than we imagined as we view others the way God views each of us.

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Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves;  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Philippians 2:1-4

 

 





Why I Took A Blogging Break

By livingabovethenoise

How LIttle I Really KnowTime…

Yup, it’s getting close to a year since I posted on this blog.   It’s hard to know how such a long span of time happened!  But then again, life is passing by at such a furious pace that it was almost too easy.

The word “furious” seems totally appropriate for how time passes.  It’s as if time is angry with us and that our enemy might just be stealing it from us.  Time with our spouse, time with our kids, time with our neighbors….and just who are those neighbors who moved in down the street?  You know what I mean!

So anyway, here I am, typing away again.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve typed, but not with the intention of posting, but just journaling my thoughts and lessons.  Life has had some crazy twists and turns for me and my family and the good Lord has been teaching me many lessons.  For those who’ve been following me for some time, you’ll know those lessons are why I named this blog A Mom’s Many Lessons years ago.  Life is packed full of lessons, each one seeking to bring us to the feet of our Father.  Each one attempting to draw us into a unique and amazingly peaceful existence with Him as our Master, Teacher, and Lord.  Each one pointing out our great need for a great Saviour.

So why didn’t I share with you along the way, right in the middle of those lessons?  I thought about that a lot this year and realized it’s pretty much summed up in the biblical admonition to not gossip – to not share with others until you know what the Lord might be up to – until you go to God first.  The verses below reveal where I got the strength needed to hold off writing and to seek God’s best during a difficult year.  They also remind us to seek God first and to not teach unless we are willing students ourselves!

Scripture Alert!  I’m giving lots of scripture references in this post.  Don’t ignore them!  Soak them up and you’ll know why I included them.  They will be health to your bones and nourishment to your soul.  And who knows, you never know when you might need the yourselves – isn’t that the beauty of Scripture anyway!
  • If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13
  • I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
  • A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. Eccl. 3:7
  • Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Col. 4:6
  • Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Prov. 13:3
  • Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Prov. 21:23
  • Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! …. James 3:1-12
  • Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Psalm 141:3
  • The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. Psalm 37:30

Who Are You Listening To Anyway?

When we share things before we’ve really dealt with them biblically, the lessons can be usurped and corrupted by another master, not one we should listen to.  Those lessons, our story, might be left unfinished due to using human reasoning rather than letting God’s wisdom and counsel do its perfect work.

As I’ve sat at the Father’s feet this last year (not perfectly, mind you – often I sought human methods – I’m not perfect and don’t want you to imagine for one minute that I am!) I could see my great need for time, counsel, listening to His still small voice, and letting those lessons sink in.  I’ve had so much to learn and I’m feeling more and more ready to share the lessons.  To help others who just might benefit from my hard-won lessons.  And they aren’t over yet!  Oh, no.

Reality check – our lessons continue until the day we die.  Each experience teaches us how vain, prideful, and just plain human we really are!  And they teach us how much we truly need God.  As you read the Old Testament, you will see a recurring theme.  God repeats dozens of time this phrase, “so they will know that I am God.”  That’s it!  It’s really quite simple.  It’s all about and all for God!

Simply trust.

Simply obey.

Simply rest.

It’s all about God and not us!  And there, my friend, you will find freedom.

Blessing as you walk the paths God has for you and learn to rest in Him.

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  • And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. … 1 Cor. 2:1-16
  • James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. … James 1:1-17
  • Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:6
  • Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.1 Tim. 4:16
  • Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray. Prov. 10:17
  • This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. … 1 Cor. 4:1-21
  • For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
  • He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, … Psalm 91: 1-16





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Hi, I’m Terry!

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I'm here to help you live above the noise in your life! You know that clamor of life and family and self.

I believe when you realize your unique value before God, you unleash the confidence to live above that noise!

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Make a plan to take back your year with this planner!!

Make a plan to take back your year with this planner!!

Start now with one of my favorite planners — The Living Well Planner. Learn how to make your planner work for you in my Planners/Planning section (under the House & Home tab).

My “other” Job…Creekside Candles & Scents!

My “other” Job…Creekside Candles & Scents!

If you love beautifully scented candles and wax melts for your warmer, check out my candle store!

On a Budget? ~ Try the Homemaker’s Friend Daily Planner.

On a Budget?  ~  Try the Homemaker’s Friend Daily Planner.

It's a flexible planner with lots of options to keep you on track!

What is Hope*Writers?
~ A place where writers (who want to share HOPE through writing) learn the art and skills they need.
~ A community of great people learning and growing together.
~ Teachers (lots of them!) who share about every aspect of writing — who challenge members to be their very best.

Featured Posts:

Lessons from the Garden Can Make You A Better Parent

Like plants, strong, capable kids don’t just “happen” without a healthy pot of rich soil. Where roots grow long and healthy. Parents need to give kids a safe place to grow and learn and broaden their ever-expanding minds.

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My Struggle to Find Focus — Biblical Truth for a Blogger

I’ll be honest with you — I’ve been struggling with my blog focus lately.  I’ve wondered if my content is relevant to your needs.  Am I only adding to all the noise on this crazy internet!  Should I write more? Less. Should I quit?! Times Change –  A lot has changed since I began blogging […]

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Finding Love in a Storm

As I sit here, watching the storm blow in, I can’t help but remember my childhood at the lake.  Sitting on the huge, padded porch swing tucked under the upper level of my grandparents’ cottage, my cousins and I would swing and talk and plan our next excursion for our summer vacation.   We’d gather there […]

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Fear Of Planning — It’s A Real Thing!

Guess what?!  There really is such a thing as the fear of planning!  You know that feeling — you want to fill out the next week in your planner but you’re gripped with panic from not knowing what to put on your to-do list.  You feel the apprehension of putting something on a wrong day and risking […]

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