Bread & Breakfast

I bring up this topic based on my belief that a mother's (and father's) beliefs and mindset are the foundation upon which a home is built! Family leadership has everything to do with where you are in your mind and heart, because that is where it all begins! I've heard...

It can be opening a can of worms: the expectations we have of ourselves, of others and of life during the holidays! So, I offer just a few thoughts that I hope will ease the pressure on your mind and bring peace to your heart. On regular days, life (and family...

In a discussion about creating home, I think it only right that we start by proverbially cleaning the kitchen! It's the lifeblood of the home, the place we gather, talk, teach, share and of course eat! But sometimes thoughts of the kitchen may bring resentment. Angst....

I am happy to announce that I'll be sending out a series of posts on the topic of intentionally creating home; a place where your people feel welcomed, loved, fed, challenged, held accountable, nourished and most of all, where they feel they belong. Time and loving...

Hello! I hope this finds you well. This last weekend we pressed the apples we harvested from my dad's yard across the street. So. Many. Apples! But, before we could press, we needed to straighten up our freezers so we could make more room for juice! In the process, I...

I'm very happy to share this little booklet with you! (Grab your FREE downloadable copy here.) There is no time to lose when it comes to learning the principles of unconditional love and then teaching them to your kids! And, not only will you find greater peace and...

How do you want to feel? Would you like greater ability to direct your mind and heart toward less drama and more peace? Like when you're experiencing intense frustration? Or power struggles or when you recognize that you've been snapping or yelling? Or just beginning...

 A few weeks ago push came to shove! I had been keenly aware that my pantry was disheveled and needing attention, but I just kept ignoring it feeling like it could wait while I focused on more timely things. But then, at the same time, the material covering the open...

I am crazy about helping women of faith who struggle with stress and pain, to find balance in their health and relationships. I have been the person with chronic pain and depression and have experienced a great deal of drama and unrest in family relationships. That is...

Kind of a sobering thought huh? To see over the span of a lifetime, the consequences of responding to your spouse in a protective or what's-in-it-for-me way, is to see chaos instead of progress, pain instead of learning, and so many, many missed opportunities for...

I wish I could share a piece of this with you! It is moist and the flavor is rich! I put pumpkin in quotes because most often I use butternut squash instead of pumpkin. I prefer the texture of the squash and the ease of cooking it and putting it in the freezer to use...

Oh boy. The change we are working on, that of coming to a place where we feel unconditionally loved enough to love our children unconditionally and teach them to be responsible, can feel overwhelming, taxing, exhausting, painful, shameful and unending! Hello my...

(I am reposting this after a few years, because it just needs to be said more often!) I’m excited to share an article with you that a dear friend recently shared with me. {Thank you Ann!} She reports that it was written at least 40 years ago and has no byline...

In the Healing With Love class last week, we talked a lot about the Law of Choice. Hello my friend, I hope this finds you well. Sometimes we think we want our spouse to do what we want them to do, when we want them to do it. Right? (Can you think of a recent example...

I remember when I learned to drive a stick shift. I was with my sister-in-law in the parking lot of the store on the northside of town. I was young and elated to be behind the wheel! But driving a vehicle with a manual transmission is harder than it looks! Paying...

Hello Sisters! I hope this finds you well today. I am hopeful you might be willing to read an excerpt from the Lioness Meditations book coming to you this fall! For a long time, I've wanted to create a tool that could be a daily reminder of the principles we practice...

Hello my friend! I hope this finds you well. Sometimes we don't get the "self" in self-care. You know? Sometimes I think I've been unconsciously waiting for someone to notice that I need something and do it for me. Have you ever done that too? Well, we've been talking...

In our Healing With Love class, we've been diving into what it means to connect with or commune with God. Hello my friend, I hope this finds you well today! To understand why we've been talking about connecting with God, you'd need to know that we've been reading Real...

This is a question we all have right? And we often have it kicking around in our heads when we are feeling overloaded, and taxed to our limit! Hello! And welcome to the Lioness at the Door blog. I hope you will find encouragement, strength and know-how every time you...

One of the greatest decisions we make in our lives, may seem like the most mundane, and possibly the most habitually unconscious. Yet, I think it's one of the greatest responsibilities we have and one on which our children's future is most dependent. That decision is...

Whether I am the coach or the coachee, I am in love with coaching! And I guess that's because I have experienced profound change as I have been coached by some great people over the years, and because I have the privilege of watching my clients make profound and...

Hello Ladies! I hope this post finds you well today! In our Healing With Love class this month we're learning about unconditional love and the Mindbody Syndrome, specifically in the realm of parenting. And there is so much to learn that it is challenging to take it...

In one of my favorite book series, The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis wrote, "Now you are a Lioness," said Aslan. "And now all Narnia will be renewed. But come. We have no time to lose." Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia Yes, I believe he is talking about you!...

Hello! I hope this finds you well today! Have you started thinking about Mother's Day coming up? (Or, have you had time to think about it?) There's been so much illness going around and end-of-the-school year busyness, that I marvel at all you are doing on any given...

Hello! How have you been? I hope this finds you well! I come to you with a question to consider today: is it worth the effort to learn more in order to lighten your load and create more peace and resilience in your life? When we're feeling challenged by family life,...

As a Christian woman, do you ever find it challenging to lead out in your family with humility, faith and kindness? Are you conflicted by not wanting to be a permissive parent, but when you correct or endeavor to teach, do you find yourself feeling the necessity to...

I remember my first year of college, getting completely overwhelmed fall semester during finals. I had never had so many things to do all at once in my young life. My dad came to see me and I was lamenting to him about my feelings and the resulting "overload...

lt is coming...that beautiful clean slate feeling of a new beginning. May I invite you to answer a few questions before you turn the calendar over to January? Looking back, what went well this year and or what would you change if you could? Are there complexities...

(This has been one of my mainstay declarations this year... "My boundaries keep me steady in my home, relationships, work and self-care." Often boundaries are simply those pre-made decisions we make when we PLAN! I hope you'll join us for the 5-Day Challenge:...

Hello my friend, I hope this finds you well! When my kids were small, I read Stephen Covey's book, First Things First. Have you read that one? I found it inspiring and helpful in practical ways. I remember one assignment he recommended was to write about your own...

Hello! I hope this post finds you well. I've been considering one of the hot-button words in our culture: obedience. I won't speak to the general distaste society has for the concept of obedience, but I want to say a few words about why I believe children desperately...

My friends; Today I am sharing a scripture and quote script I wrote out for myself some time ago. I needed something to bring my brain back from the abyss when discouragement was looming, when fear was encroaching or when I felt helpless and worried about everything...

A small and fanciful parable for you today my friend. There once was a woman who dreamed of living in a beautiful house. She thought about what it would feel like, where she would store things, how it would be decorated and what happy things would happen there. She...

What do we lose when we change from feeling empty and alone to feeling loved? irritabilityangerdramapseudo-love seeking exhaustionpainfear Photo by Benjamin Manley on Unsplash What do we gain when we learn to be charitable, beginning with realizing our need to say...

Mama, speak my name with love. Not with suspicion;Not in anger;Not with disgust;Not in condemnation;Not with malice;Not with resentment;Not with threats;Not in pain. Mama, speak my name with love,and I will hear you,Come to you,Learn from you and In your love, be...

I am listening; for HisVoice--Commanding me to Rise. I hear it in my children'sCries and standing, I over-Come myself, andAnoint them with myLove. Liberated; healed; Connected; our peace togetherMultiplies. I can feel that--Loving them, exceeds theJoyof being soLoved....

Hi! Just a few questions for you, hopefully to assist you (and me) in making some progress. Today! Recently I read this quote, and it's been kicking around in my head: "No problem can withstand the force of your concentrated, loving attention." So, I'm asking myself,...

This recipe has been a favorite for years! (I was inspired by a recipe I found that was the springboard for this one, but it's been so long ago, that I'm sorry I don't know who to give attribution for the original idea.) Mix:1 C. coconut oil1/2 C. cocoa or cacao1/4 C....

Ready for a new salad idea that will wake up your mouth!!?  I made this Thai salad for my mom and my daughter last week and they loved it... Dressing: Thai Peanut-Sesame Vinaigrette1/4 cup rice vinegar1/4 cup sesame oil3 Tbsp chunky peanut butter (Adam's-the...

(Have I used this lost boys Hook quote, before? No mind, it fits!) Because, I see you Offering love and grace to your spouse, Caring for your children-- (And neighbors & friends & parents), Working hard, taking on life! Exerting your faith (when you're tempted...

Glory be! God is good. Hello, and I hope you are well, this almost spring day! Sometimes, it is easy to give thanks, because it is a natural response to feeling loved and valued and having our needs met! But what about the times when we feel conflicted or wronged or...

Good day to you my friend, I hope this finds you well! Would you agree, that anything that helps us become truly more loving and responsible is empowering? One way to see empowerment, or to recognize principles that will help us retain more of our own power and...

Do you think you have failed? Do you feel fallen from grace? Were you wrong to dream? Did you shoot too high? Did you risk too much? Do you feel abandoned on the way and alone in raging fear? Sister, I know that road, it's signs of detour and danger ahead! So I can...

Hello my Friend! I hope you are well. This morning I woke up thinking about peace. About lifting off emotional weight; feeling lighter in our steps; being habitually more relaxed and having calmness in our interactions with others. Mostly, having a clear conscience,...

Hey there my friend! I hope you are turning the calendar this year with hope for better things to come. We had a Lioness planner class this evening and I was delighted to visit with some of you young mothers, and hear your desires to create goodness and order....

Hello! I hope you are well! In the realm of family life, why is it so important to see ourselves (our behavior, our facial expressions, our attitudes, our tone of voice, our loving-ness or our unloving-ness) in our interactions with our loved ones? The answer is...

God’s grace is sufficient, even for tired moms at Christmastime!

Good day my friend and bless you for all the amazing efforts you are making for your family's sake! As you are learning more about Real Love, do you ever look back with your new lens and see mistakes you have made and feel sad? Maybe even suffer a bit for the ways you...

Good morning, I hope you are well my friend! Since belief is an act of agency, I ask you, what are you choosing to believe today? Do you believe that you are loved beyond measure?That you are capable of learning new ways of being and of doing?That God is aware of you,...

Hello there friend! We've woken up to winter and it is beautiful. "Snow covers a mult-i-tude of sin," my Granny always said. And she was right. We've also woken up to more restrictions in the virus-fear-infested climate of this year. If you're feeling upset or lonely...

Hello! I hope you and yours are well today! I hope you are studying your Real Love books and practicing, practicing, practicing your skills at home! Since behavior follows thought, changing our thinking patterns is crucial in this game! Here are a few ideas for at...

Finding the truth about love and why we need it above all else; How truly limited we are without it; How to get it; And why it's so important to our family's success, is crucial! Now that we have an inkling about these principles, we have to do something about...

Hello my dear friends! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with some of you during our online Lioness seminar last weekend titled, Healing With Love. We dove into the principles of Real Love and then learned how those principles answer and solve the problem of lingering...

Children and pets deserve to be loved and taught! And when troubled behavior shows up, we know it's parents and owners who have a few things to learn. Which brings me to the fact that I met with a dog trainer today. (It is an understatement to say that we need help.)...

"We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal." A Wrinkle in TimeMadeleine L'Engle

Hello my friend, I hope you are well! I came across this quote and it has given me food for thought. "The love you withhold is the pain that you carry." What do you think? Is this true? It seems to me, that there very well may be. So I ask myself, and I ask you, what...

I hope this post finds you well! I am amazed at all you are doing and the ways you're figuring things out! Good for you! Do you believe that we are here to learn? That life was designed to be a continuous series of experiences that help us grow? That we gain strength...

Hello! Wouldn't it be wonderful if the majority of parents in the world today were bravely in agent mode and feeling like "victims no more?" And teaching their kids to be loving and responsible people? It's a great goal, but we have a way to go don't we? I would guess...

We've had a ride these last few months haven't we? While there have been uncertainties and strangeness, chaos and devastation in some cases throughout this year, there have also been many potential and effectual blessings. Photo by Hannah Coleman on Unsplash The...

Hello my friend, I hope this post finds you well! I recently had a conversation with an amazing client who used something like this title phrase, "creating the ideal home," to describe a profound realization she had. Her ah-ha moment was so important, I'd like to...

Hello my friend. I hope this post today finds you well, and breathing deeply! I am aware that many of you are spending a lot of mental and emotional energy on the question: what will happen with school this year? (Or on some equally compelling question you're working...

I heard a poem recently that touched me and got me thinking about doing what it takes to learn Real Love in parenting, and the principle of sacrifice: giving up something we want now, for something we want more later; or as Merriam Webster put it, "the destruction or...

A few generations back, kids were supposed to stay quiet and out of the way. Photo by ?? Janko Ferlič on Unsplash Later, they became more a part of the fabric of society, but if they got noisy or demanding, they were labeled irritating, troubled, bratty and difficult....

Do you sometimes feel like your marriage might be taking more effort than it should? Does it feel flawed and faulty and gimping along? That's ok! Great marriages take a great amount of work! Step back, rest, renew yourself and return to the privilege of learning from...

While visiting with a lovely client recently, we spent some time pulling apart the need we sometimes have for distraction. The kind that is always at our fingertips; blingy and bright and has moving pictures; is deliberately designed to engage our senses and keep us...

More than they need to get good grades; More than they need opportunities to develop their talents; More than they need stylish clothes; More than they need a new toy or phone or reward we can give them; Yes, more than anything else, our kids need to feel loved. Photo...

For all of you parents who are studying the Real Love books, particularly the book on parenting, how's it going? Are you getting clued-in like I am? Many of these pages smart! I see myself and my mistakes and I have had moments of shock and amazement and sadness too....

A seminar group client shared this picture with us when we were talking about thoughts and bows and arrows. (Do any of you Lionesses know who to attribute for this picture? Please share if you do!) I love it so much! It personifies power, beauty, grace and...

Hello my friend! I hope this finds you well. Today I'm passing on an idea I heard recently from a client. I took note of her thought because it fits so beautifully into our goal of becoming deliberate thinkers! And I might add, deliberate feelers! Instead of looking...

I hope you're having a great week! Today I got to spend time with my daughter and her daughters and it was a delight! Not to mention, all the help they gave me working on the fairy garden and weeding flower beds. Thank you lovies! Now, I'm ready for a bit of rest....

It's what we do in victim-mode. It's what we do when our thinking is on auto-pilot. It's what we do when we are avoiding our lives. Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash It's what we do when our brains think we need a distraction. It's what we do when we decide to hang in...

Hey Sista! I hope this finds you well and in good spirits! Here's a Real Love idea that I've been determined to understand and live. (It's amazing the process we go through as we're learning isn't it? We grasp a little here and a little there, we have the rude...

"Negativity is like a goldfish, the more space you give it, the larger it grows." Steven Ozanich And it leads to fear and pain and angst and ill health. Gratefully, the more space we hold for joy, the greater it grows as well. It just seems to take more...

Hello! I hope this finds you well! Photo by Diana Parkhouse on Unsplash We have talked a lot about finding Real Love; about praying to feel loved, about spending time with people who love us unconditionally so that we can feel safe, tell the truth about ourselves and...

I love the Real Love in Marriage book! (Granted, some days I love it because it clears up some confusion I've had and other days I love it because it slaps me awake!) Hiya, I hope you're well! Can I say that marriage and family life can be extremely challenging? If...

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 Photo by Irina Murza on Unsplash Hello, how are things? I hope you are well and getting things figured out with our temporarily adjusted life. It has been fun lately, is to see families doing more together!...

"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light." Helen Keller Photo by Mark Harpur on Unsplash I was visiting with a client recently about the stop sign we're learning to envision when we feel anything but peaceful. In...

Hello! We've been eating these lately and enjoying them a lot! Hope you might too. You'll need: 4 cups regular oatmeal1 cup slivered or chopped almonds1/4 cup pecans, chopped (or more if you'd like!)2/3 cup butter (could substitute coconut oil if dairy is an issue)3/4...

As Mothers Standing Strong, we understand that the muscle behind our strength is, love. Real, unconditional love. Hi! I hope your day has been good thus far. And if you are weary, I hope rest and renewal are on the way! In the final post of Mothers Standing Strong, it...

We all know what the opposite of an "agent mentality" is right? Yes, the victim! Hello my friend, I hope you are doing well today. We're doing our best to maintain our balance amid uncertainty, aren't we? I've spoken with several of you, and you are doing so well! I...

This part of the Mothers Standing Strong series is crucial! You might say that exerting faith can be the deciding factor in our ability to stand at all! Hello my friend, thank you for being here! Because we are constantly choosing between feeling faithful or fearful,...

Good day to you, I hope you are well! Today's Mothers Standing Strong topic is refocusing on what matters most; in fact, on our greatest purpose in life. Photo by Michael Beener on Unsplash Psalms 37:11 "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight...

Hello Friend! I hope this post finds you well. This is the first installment in a series of posts: Mothers Standing Strong. I feel to speak to this topic because this is a time when families need leadership! And that means that as mothers and fathers, we need to be...

Good morning my friend! I hope this finds you well. Please join me for a week of inspiration here on the Lioness blog! (And if you haven't gotten notifications lately, please backtrack to last week's posts for some timely ideas and a good recipe!) This week we will...

I just participated in a webinar created and hosted by personal branding specialist, Christina Frei, and her company, Marketing For Humans. (www.christinafrei.com) It was inspiring for me to learn more and talk through, her five Innate Marketing Genius types:...

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." Fred Rogers https://youtu.be/R7cSyBV6adI I loved Mr. Rogers when I was a child! Probably because I felt that he...

Good morning my friend. I hope this day, cold and rainy though it is in my neck-of-the-woods, will be happy and productive for you and yours! I have a very simple thought to share, one that you may already be implementing, but if not, I think it's worth a mention. It...