Who will be influenced by my life? Who will be influenced by your life? Who will be influenced by those you influence? Consider the roles that you play. Are you living as a strong influence in these roles? What might be preventing you from having the influence you desire? Woundedness? Fear? Insecurity? Habits? Selfishness? Jealousy? Need for apologies? Need for forgiveness? Explore the ways you might intentionally lean into your roles with influence!! Our conversation offers five ways to strengthen your influence.

Women are inundated by lies about God, about ourselves, our marriage and about children.What are some of these lies? What are the truths needed to combat these lies?My beliefs represent my worldview. It is critical that I renew my mind with the truths that God reveals in His Word. Initially, that means that I must know God’s Word. Continually, I must identify toxic thinking and pursue healthy, truthful thinking. Regularly, I must celebrate with a grateful spirit. It is the every day habits that make up my life.

The audible Word of God is available for you and for me anytime we desire to hear it. Truthfully, I read my Bible out loud even when I am with myself so that I can use more of my senses to fully take in His truths. So often when I read, I am overwhelmed by God’s love for me as well as His power as Creator of this physical world that I live in daily. Our Father God designed me and you for relationship with Him. The great void in our spirit when we are not intimately connected to Him is satisfied when we hear the audible Word of God.

Recently when I thought of the renewing season of the beginning of the year, it seemed appropriate to consider it a time of sweet intentions. Considering the areas of physical, spiritual and relational health are just three areas to reset. Live the life you dream.

How much of life is lived in the shallows? Suddenly, life becomes deep as a tragedy, a death or even a birth sharpen our awareness. When my interests only go as deep as myself, I am shallow. A deep soul empathizes and sees others. A deep soul lives in awareness of who others are in God’s image. A deep soul exists in an everyday sense of eternity and God’s presence in all things. Remember, the stream is your soul and you are the keeper.

As an enthusiastic gift giver, I have recently reevaluated my gift giving patterns. Gift giving should not be a burden. Push back from this response. Buying gifts should be an expression of friendship and love. This year has encouraged some radical rethinking of gift giving.

Nobody is immune to the virus of stress. All of us are vulnerable to the bacteria of stress. We all have to deal with three things that just come with life and they all cause stress. The boundaries between work and leisure, public and private, are dissolving so that we have no rest and we are forced to be time jugglers and multi-taskers. We’re all rats in the rat race. We’re all overwhelmed by all we have to do and we struggle with priorities to remember and agendas to keep under control.” Check out these ideas to get the stress out when you are stressed out!

Take charge of this Christmas by planning to enjoy it thoroughly. This Christmas checklist offers ideas for more choices encouraging you to create Christmas intentionally for your family. Consider this checklist to create new memories for your family.

While traditions certainly hold value, they can also involve stress. Holding too tightly to unreachable expectations can evaporate all of the joy out of the holidays. Letting go of expectations can eliminate stress and create room for happy memories.