How to Influence Your Children Beyond the Nest

February 5, 2025February 4, 2025 RefreshHerLeave a comment

You can listen to this post here on Refresh Her podcast.

Being a mother is filled with emotions. There’s joy when the baby is born! Joy at their first coos and words. Weariness at their crying and fussiness. Excitement at their understanding of new things like reading and numbers, and Who made them and the world they live in. No one could deny the feeling of anxiety when their child goes through hard things – whether it be just learning to obey or enduring the pain of a bully at school.

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The Most Valuable Gift – You!

November 8, 2024November 6, 2024 RefreshHer2 Comments

With our grandson’s birthdays approaching, the question in our minds was,

“What can we give them that will be meaningful?”

If we had asked them, their answer would have been another leggo set or some other favorite toy that is on their list, which would have been fun, of course! However, as we considered our choices, we decided we would rather spend time with them. Also, being a twin myself, I also decided that we would have them one at a time, rather than together so we could focus on each boy.

As I prayed about it, I asked the Lord what we could do that each of them would enjoy. The results were a passel full of memories made and such sweet times together!

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Parenting

Responding to Our “Wild Child”

May 17, 2024May 16, 2024 RefreshHer4 Comments

We know that children are a gift from God – especially when they first come into our family. Whether it’s a natural birth, fostering or adoption, they were leant to us from the Lord, and we recognize this.

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

They are squishy, funny, curious and precious. But they can also be messy, sassy, and willful. They act out in public and we blush and say, “This is my ‘Wild Child’.” A parent can be at their wit’s end to know how to deal with them, and if they were honest, they might even admit that they’re afraid to try to deal with them because of the backlash they would encounter from the child. Does this sound like you and your son or daughter? How can we deal with these difficult things and keep pointing them to Christ so that they will live out their days for His glory?

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Parenting · Speech

My Dad Always Said…

June 19, 2023June 19, 2023 RefreshHer8 Comments

On this day after Father’s Day, I’m thinking much about my precious dad. If you’ve been following me for very long, you know that my 90 year-old father went to heaven on March 11 of this year. I’m so happy for him to be with Christ his Savior. He was ready to die, and spoke many times about being ready to go to heaven. I miss him so much, but I wouldn’t bring him back here. I simply long for the day when we will be together again in heaven.

In these three months since he’s been gone, I have found myself saying, You know what Dad always said…” That’s kind of strange because my dad was a very quiet man, but though he didn’t talk often, when he did say something, it was worth hearing. As for all of us, his words showed his heart which was one of love, godliness, and care. Proverbs 20:7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. Here’s a short video I took of him last year speaking from his heart…

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Celebrations · Marriage · Parenting

The Two Greatest Men In My Life

June 17, 2022June 17, 2022 RefreshHer2 Comments

Father’s Day and my wedding anniversary come close together in June, giving me the blessing of celebrating the two greatest men in my life – my dad and my husband. They are both imperfect, of course, but let me tell you why I delight in celebrating them this weekend.

Even at 89, my dad enjoys working on tasks he’s able to do.

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