Desserts & Snacks

Last call for this week's 7-Day event!  You are invited to join in our second, FREE 7-Day Challenge, for creating and or maintaining our most important self-care habits!  We'll be focusing on our daily love gathering routine. Do you have one already? Great! We're...

Hello, I hope this post finds you well! I've been thinking the last few months about the difference it makes when we know what our greatest, ultimate goal is, and from there, what our smaller, daily goals are. I'm not talking about accomplishing or succeeding or...

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,...

Some years ago, I was moved by this short video, showing a young child's reaction to her mother's flat affect, or blank unresponsive face. Isn't it amazing to see how quickly the child started acting differently, during this short experiment? It is astonishing to...

Have you ever been mystified by the instruction given in this scripture passage? "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the...

This morning, I read a passage by C.S. Lewis' mentor George MacDonald that captures the essence of love gathering so beautifully, I couldn't wait to share it with you! "Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other need:" "But if God is so good as...

One of the ways we fail to use our agency for our own good and blessing is neglecting to make a conscious decision to connect with God, and fill our own hearts with love, every, single day. (Preferably first thing!) Connecting with Heaven is the ultimate "self-care,"...

Several years ago during a self-care challenge, I wrote this post to share a product/recipe that I love with my clients. Seems like time to share it again. Hope it's helpful! Photo by Uby Yanes on Unsplash Today, I want to give you a recipe that has...

Ever wonder why your kids ask for things they already know they can't have or do, with your blessing? "Mom, can I have more candy?" "Mom, can I stay longer at my friend's house?" "Mom, can I stay up later tonight?" "Mom, can I wear this (immodest thing)?" These...

Do you want to be more confident in your leadership as a parent? Here are three steps that were reinforced to me recently as an answer to a pleading, parenting prayer! I hope they will help you know you're solidly on the right path so you can confidently move forward!...

Happy New Year to you! I hope you're feeling well and have enjoyed being with your people. Over the holidays, our dance class had a mini-party, and this is the apple dip we ate that was carmel deliciousness! It's always nice to have a healthy version of a family...

Well! Here we are at the top of a new year! I hope you are doing well, recovering from all the holiday craziness (I really hope you've gotten at least one good nap!) and anticipating good things to come! While studying one early morning last week, long before our kids...

Hello, I hope this will be a joyful season for you! And in preparation, I've decided to share some of the perplexing problems I've experienced at Christmastime as a wife and mother. Many of my mothering years, I have felt overwhelmed by the "season of joy!" I often...

"When Lehi clung to the rod of iron, which represented the word of God, he was eventually led to the tree of life, which represented the love of God, and once tasting it, he exclaimed that it was "sweet above all that [he] ever before tasted" (1 Nephi 8:11). There is...

In order to be loving daughters, sisters, wives and mothers, we need to know and feel that we are loved. This is priority number one. Gathering that love into our lives by communing with God through prayer, scripture study, consuming conference talks and good music is...

Sisters, I hope this finds you well. I am aware of the many challenges you are facing. I hear some of the growing aches and pains you are experiencing in your marriages and families . Some of you may be feeling despondent, hopeless and wondering why you should try...

Hello my friend, I hope this post finds you well! I've had some thoughts in my love gathering this week that I want to offer for your consideration. (I'm sure you have also been finding real strength and comfort through your study and prayer, and I would love to hear...

Through a full day of joyful coaching, this wonderful theme appeared: agents repent. The victim minded complain. The victim minded compare. The victim minded defend, excuse, justify, are dissatisfied, irritated, place blame, find fault, doubt, are self-pitteous and...

Today I noticed that a basket of plants on my living room window seat were needing water. They were beginning to wilt and some leaves are looking a bit washed out, more yellow than green. Then I noticed that the sprinklers, just outside the window were spraying,...

Hello my Sister! I hope this finds you well....but if it doesn't, and you're hurting in some way today, I hope you'll be able to take a few minutes to watch this little video. We're beginning the next Healing With Love, beginning and advanced courses, this Thursday at...

I see you. I know you're working hard at doing the right things at the right time with the right motivations. I know you're fighting through doubts about your ability to handle all you have on your plate. I know you sometimes worry that your children have been wounded...

  Have you studied the principles of unconditional love but wonder how they can help you with stress and pain today? First, my heart goes out to you! Family life can be an enormous challenge and we generally don't have the tools and preparation we need before we...

Hello! Something I've been noticing as I practice, is what happens when I take a deep breath. Do you know what happens in your body and mind when you pause and take a few deep breaths and let them out through your mouth? If you don't, I challenge you to try it! (You...

(Literally! It is possible! I am living proof!) Hello Sister, I hope this finds you well. Just want you to know that a lifetime of feeling the need to prove oneself; Of working overtime to "earn value;" Of being in fight or flight mode; Of worrying about whether...

https://lionessatthedoor.com/take-survey/ How are you feeling these days? Take our short survey and find out! Hello my friend, I hope this finds you well. What would be the point of taking a survey about your feelings? Well, a couple of possibilities I can see. One...

I hope you've had a good day! Check out another special Mother's Day post here to be reminded of a healthy perspective for the mothers in your family tree! Besides sharing what I hope are timely thoughts, I'm also excited to share new news! My delightful team and I...

All her life, she wanted a garden. One that would grow a beautiful variety of flowers that could adorn her home and at times be cut and arranged in vases for the kitchen table or for friends on their special days. She imagined the way the garden would smell. The...

Hello Sister, I hope this finds you well. Just writing to remind you that there is great hope for overcoming pain of all shapes and sizes! Pain from addiction; pain from watching a loved one in addiction; pain from betrayal; pain from allergies; back pain; nerve pain;...

I understand very well the feeling of powerlessness. For weeks, months and years I struggled with chronic pain and the ever-present temptation toward discouragement that accompanies being side-lined. During that time, I also was in the habit of criticizing,...

Hello, I hope this finds you well. I've had this post on my mind and heart for awhile, and I've not wanted to write it! Which is why I'm so glad that I can share a website with you (though maybe you've already gone there, learned from it, made a plan and talked to...

Hello! Today I was reading Doctrine and Covenants 121, which was written while the Prophet Joseph was in Liberty jail. I marvel at the insights and instruction that were received during such a painful and intense experience! A reminder to us that extremity, like...

Hello my friend. I hope this post finds you well today. I have a little parable to share, one that I witnessed recently that feels like a prime way to clarify an unconditional love principle. A few weeks ago, a dear friend of mine made an innocent mistake. I happened...

I leave my phone charging on the bathroom counter at night. I don't want to hear it, unless one of our kids or parents need us, so I want it close, but not too close. Last week, when I unplugged the phone from the charger in the morning, I was surprised to see that...

Hello my friend!  I hope this finds you well today. I got to interview Misty Springer, an incredible coach and I wanted to share our conversation  with you! I hope you will hear something that gives your heart a boost! If you'd like to hear more on this topic, please...

Hi! Have you ever grown your hair out from a super short cut? I'm in the middle of that experience now, and it seems to make time stand still! So as I was wondering how long this process is going to take, I remembered a gift I once received. When I was about seven...

Hello my Sister, I hope this finds you well. Today I'm writing a reminder (or a novel dot connector!) about the futility of those unloving behaviors we use (mostly unconsciously) to get something we feel we are lacking or to protect ourselves from a perceived threat....

Having clarity around the reason you're teaching children unconditional love principles, changes everything! Everything from the look on your face to the tone of your voice to your body language, even the ease or stress you may feel when gearing up to say something...

The Dr. Baer quote I think of the most, and has corrected me most often is this: "...she discovered the miracle that we can't tell the truth about ourselves and act like victims simultaneously." (Real Love and Freedom For the Soul, Dr. Greg Baer) Does this mean...

C. S, Lewis wrote, "The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only--and that is to support the ultimate career." How do you feel about this statement? As a homemaker and lover of all things family, it makes a lot of sense to me!...

Hey, I have a few questions for you today. Are your kids driving you crazy? Really! Are they testing your patience? Do they fight with each other and are you exhausted and wonder when this stage is going to end? And how is your marriage? Is your husband happy or is he...

One of our main jobs as moms is to gather love. (Are you seriously pursuing that goal already? Good for you!) As Sister Holland said in a recent worldwide devotional with Elder Holland: "Receive the charity that enables Him to work through you to accomplish what only...

How are your declarations coming for the New Year? I've just crafted, based on my current challenges and goals, 70 new, positive, present tense statements that I'll be rehearsing to myself, either from the declaration pages in my planner or reading from the copy of...

Note: I just came across this old post and had to share again! I haven't made this dessert in awhile and I thought it might be just what we need on a cold winter day!--- Oh my sisters! I'm excited to share my new recipe with you. If you like sticky rice desserts, I...

I hope you are thinking kindly about yourself, taking breaks, dancing in the kitchen, feeling the love all around you and enjoying the celebration of Christ's birth! Me? I'm working on breaking a lifelong habit of pushing too hard! I'm praying for the vision and...

Hello my friend, I hope this finds you well. I've been considering the goal faithful women have of creating a house of peace. But sometimes I don't know if it's clear what that means. We know what it's not: a peaceful home is not a place of anger and contention. It is...

Of all things! The best way to create a place where people are loved and feel they belong, is to become unconditionally loving ourselves! And that is not a simple walk in the park. It requires dedicated time, effort, learning & study, becoming brutally honest,...

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...

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...