I don't have to make everything all better. And neither do you. Everyone has their own challenges to work on and it is right for each one to strive for their own growth. Deep breath in.................................hold...

Hello my friend, how has your day been? I hope you are speaking kindly to yourself and to others, and apologizing and giving forgiveness when necessary! {Yes, that is daily!} In thinking about Christmas and the fact that the calendar is about to flip to a new year, I...

I hope you are having a good week. It seems that everything is magnified this time of year...the push and rush, the pressure to create a good Christmas for our families, the need to exercise amidst a crazy schedule, the need for rest and regular good meals, etc. But...

I was talking to a young mother the other day about a "homemaker uniform." Or at least what worked well for me! It seems to be a source of frustration to some to be conflicted about looking nice or in other words, not feeling "grungy" and yet wearing clothes that...

When my husband and I got married, I knew that when we had kids I wanted to be at home with them. I had the clarity of both, being a child with a mother at home and with being a teenager with a single, hard-working mother and I knew that I wanted to be at home, if at...

A little preaching to the choir today! I know, that you know, but just for clarity-sake, let's kick this around... "Neurotic: to be in conflict."  {Erica Komisar, Being There; Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters} I would add, to be confused...

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element.  It is my personal approach that creates the climate.  It is my daily mood that makes the weather.  I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an...

Some days, for some reason, when we begin to think about what needs to be done, a whole week or even a month of a mental to do list can hit us all at once! And then overwhelm hits, followed closely by paralyzation! Does that ever happen to you? Not since last...

You could take up a collection, sew 1000 quilts, start a company, fund a charity, open a shelter, give away your savings, or a million and one other good things in an effort to make a difference. But what about the sleepy child that just asked you for a story? Or the...

Part of the smoke and mirrors of this culture is the belief that you have to do something visible and big in order to count. That is not true. Consider this: think of someone who was a major player in your life. Someone who made you feel important and heard, someone...

Your presence is helping to regulate your children's emotions. And ladies, let us remember that our prisons and correctional facilities and detention centers are full of unregulated emotions and addictions born at least in part by broken connections! C'mon! Let's wake...

You are amazing. Anyone who has the grit to take on parenting and then who sticks with the demands and learning curve of family life is a hero as far as I'm concerned. How was your day today? Is everyone well or are you struggling with illness? Do you have some major...

It’s kind of mind boggling isn’t it, that we are the thinkers of our thoughts? That “we” are separate from our thoughts, and that we can actually choose what to think!? So a simple reminder: if you’re feeling down on yourself or on a situation or a relationship, you...

https://youtu.be/uwUw8UTbTm4

"There is energy in light," {I heard my husband say as he was giving our grandson a little physics lesson about the sun today...} Which made me stop and think. We get more energy as we are closer to seeing things as they really are; as we feed ourselves the positive...

We've had our grandkids staying with us this week and they are good little eaters! (Today I got a cheer for a pumpkin smoothie!) Which means a lot of peeling, juicing, slicing, washing and blending. It is amazing to me how little people are attuned to good, whole food...

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different..." C.S. Lewis Just don't you quit. And while you're in the struggling and striving part, keep a bit of a journal-- {even recording a few thoughts will make a big...

"Our society constantly sends us contradictory messages.  We want to eradicate mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and violence in children and young adults but don't really want to look too deeply at the root of the problem.  We say we value family, but we...

When you're talking about cooking nutritious, whole food, the words slow and low come in. Of course eating as much fresh food as possible is important, but also cooking food at low temperatures helps to preserve nutrients. Having a pot of beans soaking and then...

  What a treat! I'm so happy to get to share a recording with you of an interview aired this morning on KMTI radio. Larry Masco did a great job interviewing Erica Komisar, author of Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood In The First Three Years Matters. There...

It's another day living in contrasts; light and dark, (what a great place to be!) A day to practice choosing hope and growth, from the knowledge we have gained from Experiencing sadness and remorse; Maybe you had a day of challenge and pain, or Maybe you experienced a...

For all you do, for so many, I thank you! For doing the things that need to be done, when they need to be done, thanks! For doing hundreds of kind deeds daily, without the notice or praise of anyone but God, thank you so much. For being strong because the situation...

This is a little community announcement! I thought that some of you may be interested to know that Erica Komisar, author of, Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters, will be the guest on the Table Talk show on KMTI radio 650AM, Monday...

We finished our last group meeting for the 7 Steps to Family Wellness Seminar today and I was so happy with the experience! {Every year has been a delight with wonderful ladies coming together to support each other, and this year was no exception.} It never ceases to...

While you're preparing for your holiday festivities and beginning to think about 2018, I wanted you to know that I'm running a special on health coaching in time for holiday giving! Get off to a great start in the New Year with someone to walk beside you to better...

"Where has God gone? Why has He gone away? Why has He let this happen? Why won't He help? Why has He abandoned me?" "God hasn't abandoned us. We abandoned ourselves. He's there, and He cares. But He expects us to cooperate by caring for ourselves." Melodie Beattie,...

Time when we are young is simple and slow--remember the last five minutes before recess going by soooo slowly? Later in life, there doesn't seem to be nearly enough time to do all that we want to do! But, instead of lamenting over all of the things it seems we may...

I am amazed at how lazy our minds can be when we let them go! Lazy in the sense that if we haven't taught ourselves to dwell in positive places, places of clarity and light, we'll most likely be tolerating negative looping thought patterns. And let's face it, our...

Ever played the game where you're supposed to share something that no one would know about you and then sometimes the game morphs into taking turns telling the most embarrassing moments we can remember? I have. And it seems that over time {thank heaven!} those...

Old faded tires lean against railroad tie posts, dried gold and brown wisps of grasses softening the black, sunken rounding edges. Our garden tiller stands motionless, framed by crisp blue sky, in the shade of a yellow turning poplar; It's teeth stopped but still...

If you will aim to compliment, or balance your spouse as an opposite perspective on the same team, instead of feeling the need to compete with him, asserting that your perspective is the correct one, you and your family will win in a big way. That's all. Except I'd...

"Mother Teresa was considered a saint because she was seen to personify an idea: to love God and to love one's neighbor. And yet, what she did was so simple that each one of us can do it--in fact, must do it, if we are to obey the command of Christ: to feed the...

Do you ever draw a complete blank when it comes to thinking of meals to plan for the coming week? I do! If you're trying to pull menus out of your head, you'll most likely be eating the same 4-5 meals in some kind of rotation. And that gets pretty old doesn't it? So,...

I just read an article about a new book that has people excited and happy, and some excited and upset! The book's author discusses the neurological  importance of mothers being with their children, most critically,  for the first three years of life. (Thank you for...

Have you ever wished you could be more assertive or more thoughtful? Or maybe you’ve longed to be tidier or more organized in your thinking? Well, just like putting on a costume and stepping into a different character, sometimes “pretending” to be or do something we...

Enjoying relationships that are close and tender and trusting, or in other words, intimate, is the fruit of cultivating safe places. Consider your words: Do you laugh at or criticize other people’s ideas or opinions? Do you, in word or expression or even with body...

If a friend came to you and told you that she was feeling down and asked if you had any suggestions about how she could feel more happiness and hope in her life, what would you tell her? Would you possibly tell her that one surefire way to move out of a discouraged...

Do you ever find yourself envying someone who seems to be recognized by society as more “accomplished” than you feel you are? Or do you sometimes think that a “job” with pay would be more respected than the job of being a parent or a “domestic engineer?” And do you...

Do you consider yourself the creative type? As I may have mentioned before, I think creating is our birthright. It seems that we can get off on this important topic when we think that creativity has to look a certain way. For instance, if it needed to involve mod...

Ever wonder about the "how to" of meditation? Here's a little tip I was given and it is a good one! I am loving the ability I am gaining to reconnect with myself when I need to whether that is in the middle of the night when reality is tipped and worries creep in or...

No matter how you felt this morning, no matter how your household looked; No matter what conversations you had or what frustrations you may have dealt with throughout the day; No matter where you are in your relationships and where you are on your to-do list or what...

One of the biggest trouble spots for many young parents, is the balancing act between the attention we give our children and the people in our lives and the attention we give our devices. It's tricky because the software on our devices is designed to be addictive. No...

This week, as part of my self-care, I was grateful to get a massage from a talented therapist. Oooooh. How wonderful it is to be relaxed and have tight muscles give way to the effects of powerful, and delicious smelling essential oils. Self-care also included a hair...

FOCUS = deciding what you want to grow by giving it your attention, {then shifting your attention back every time it wanders away.} What do you want to grow? Your children's good behavior? Your new rhythm of exercising? The positive beliefs you are adopting? Your...

Sometimes we do things because we "know" they're good for us, right? But then, do you at times realize that just knowing isn't enough, but find you need to be reminded of the "why"? Me too! So, here's a little reminder of what you already know about exercise. {By...

I lost a friend recently. Well, he was someone I consider a friend even though I never met him in person because, even from a distance, he taught me a lot about courage and faith. During his lifetime, he dealt with heartache and disappointment. He had incredible...

I realize that this post won't say anything you don't already know, and know well! But here, as a thoughtful reminder, I write away, anyway. It never ceases to amaze me how instantaneously our outlook can change when we become aware of the needs of someone else and we...

Just a few kudos to you today! I'm amazed at your progress, your grit and determination to continue onward and upward! You are having "internal arguments" I know, but you are winning them. Ha! I mean, your best self is winning them! You are putting one foot in front...

Did you know that there is a target right over your weakest spot? Well, let's back up. Do you face any kick back when you are forging forward in your life? Some days do you hear and or feel a negative voice coming at you almost faster than you can recognize and deal...

"Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work." C.S. Lewis If you have the opportunity to have a few little people in your life, thank heaven! We are so blessed. Love, Jacque

Being at home. Taking a class. Reading stories together. Quiet time alone. Cooking dinner. Having breakfast...again. Volunteering for a good cause. Learning to say no. Time alone with your spouse. Time with the whole family. Developing a talent or pursuing an...

{Name that movie!} Very simply stated, if we begin to feel that life is too much and we couldn't possibly do all that is "required" of us, then it is time to take stock. I'm not referring to the requirements of the every day demands of caring for people, which can...

My dad has a saying, one of many, that he offers to me whenever I am wondering if a big job is ever going to be over or if I am just generally being impatient! He says, "It's just like a cat eating a grindstone." Kind of a good visual, huh? So much of what we do...

Can you choose your focus? For an hour? For a day? For a week? For a month? I mean, choose it and keep it!  Of all the accomplishments we can shoot for, that single one, of choosing where you are placing your focus and then sustaining that focus, is the great ...

Years ago a friend shared a strategy with me that has helped tremendously when it comes to dealing with the never-ending flow of paper we encounter in our home. It's a fairly simple system {else it wouldn't have stuck with me for so long!}...

What do you want most? I remember a friend who told me that as a couple, she and her husband had decided to take what money they usually spent on eating out, and put that amount toward a vacation fund instead. I think that is an amazing idea! Especially since their...

This month in seminar we're working on time-blocking, or time-management. And sometimes it ain't pretty! Just because it can be really difficult to shift our thinking! It may mean going from a completely open, "no have-to's" schedule, to, "here are some decisions I've...

I listened to a business pep talk the other day and the lovely girl who wrote it suggested four things to offer business clients:    1 is to provide a community of like minded people who can create friendships and support one another 2 is to provide sacred spaces...

Without speaking, what do you "say" to other people everyday? That you are kind? Observant of others and their needs? That you respect yourself and show it by how you care for yourself? That you listen, that you are interested in life and that you can be a team...

“Lucy,” [Aslan] said… “You have work in hand, and much time has been lost today.” “Yes, wasn’t it a shame?” said Lucy. “I saw you all right. They wouldn’t believe me. They’re all so—” From somewhere deep inside Aslan’s body there came the faintest suggestion of a...

As an addition to yesterday's post on validation skills, I offer a few more thoughts: Sometimes I think it is hard for us to determine what "loving" behavior is exactly. {Isn't that why we are tempted to enable others, when we are trying to be "loving" but we end up...

When you are tempted to "lay down the law" for someone who is under your stewardship, consider the rules of validation. {Everyone wants and needs to know that: they are of worth, their feelings matter and that someone really cares about them.} How can the person you...

Ever feel that you are in a constant state of searching? Of gathering information or recipes or books or how-to's or haircut ideas or the latest parenting tips? Gathering is great! And learning is wondrously unending! But what happens when you find that you have been...

Who do you love most in the world? Your spouse? Your children? Your parents and siblings? Your friends? Then be kind to them and care for the person they love most in the world!  {And the girl who, for a time, is their world!} Yes, I mean you. Care for yourself and...

When we were little, our parents taught us a funny game to play at parties. It was a way of playing hide and seek with gifts. The person who had hidden the gift would sing "Bula-bula" and the person who was doing the looking would listen for changes in the sound of...

When experiencing conflict, have the intention to learn. Not to protect a position, but to learn from the experience. (No doubt there will be plenty of opportunities to practice!) Be well! Jacque  

You keep doing it! Day after day and evening after evening. You keep facing the challenges of your life. You keep learning! You keep acting in love; sometimes it's the tough kind. You keep going back to the drawing board and working things out. You keep looking for...

I was reading a newspaper article today about drug addiction. The writer was highlighting a young mother who was getting her life back together after spending most of her 20's with a serious drug addiction that started after a painful surgery. He describes the place...

What things make up your life? What tasks do you have to do each day, each week, each month? Step 1 of time-blocking is just making a list! Simply, meaning don't over think it, dump on paper everything you can think of that requires your attention. Sometimes it is...

When I sense grounding hope swelling, rising,   flowing into spirit-quenching, soul-feeding, compelling, propelling motion; and When I am still and know, my plans are human, but His, vast and grand as star strewn heavens, are those I will follow. When I cast off...

I remember taking music theory in college and hearing something to the effect that you need to learn the rules before you can break them. I thought of that today as we discussed "time-blocking" in seminar! So many great observations were made and lessons learned from...

Do you ever feel like you don't have enough time to live? Ha! I know that sounds funny, but I was just having a conversation with myself about living at the speed of life, meaning, getting my mind to slow down so that I can take a minute to look through a cookbook or...

Part of self-care is taking care of yourself with other people. Sometimes a gut-wrenching experience....for me, maybe it's not for you. When you are honest with yourself, do you see that you being treated poorly on a regular basis? Maybe not being treated with the...

Oh my, I'm typing this on my phone because our computer is having technical difficulties and I can't access the post I wrote yesterday to share with you... But it's kind of ironic, because yesterday I wrote about the ways our brains go downhill when we let them, and I...

Do you remember what it was about you that your spouse first loved? Do you remember what you first loved about him? It might be fun (and instructive and maybe necessary) to have a conversation about your perspectives and bring to mind the ways you can brush up on the...

Do you think that title has truth in it? What does a confident person look like? Often, it is easier if we think of things from another perspective. Such as; think about the times that you are most attracted to your spouse. Is it when they may be feeling down on...

"Time blocking" is a Lioness term for time management. Does making a plan feel like trying to put your head in a box? It may, especially if you are used to just putting out proverbial fires all day! While putting out fires can keep you hopping and give you a feeling...

Easy does it Girl. Do you ever have the sense that everyone else knows something you don't? That you're the only one who didn't catch on to the joke or the make the accomplishment or get the style or whatever it may be? I think that everyone feels that from time to...

What have you learned lately? What are you interested in learning? What opportunities do you have to learn? Remember, it's not just formal education that counts! Family life is full of opportunities to gain skills and new knowledge, and in fact it is necessary to...

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the funeral of a great lady.   She was loved by many because she loved many. Funerals, which seem to show us the things that really matter when all is said and done, are so instructive to me, and Carol's was no...

When you recognize a negative thought running around in your mind, say stop! Don't let it finish itself, stop it now! If it starts up again, stop it again and again, until you get so good at it that it can't even really form into a sentence before you've shown it the...

Today, I had some help with my housekeeping and it was a dream! It's a trade I have going and I am loving it. It brings to mind a friend of mine who, on occasion, will say that with her own hard work and the help of her grown children, she's gotten on top of her yard...

It was brought home to me very powerfully this week, to hear a sweet young mother giving thanks for what she has and adjusting her outlook to the parameters that are her reality right now. Her gratitude, in the midst of what has been frustrating circumstances in her...