When the Creator of the Universe made us in His image He gave us all of us the ability to create. No matter what it is you do with the gifts and talents you have been given creativity takes inspiration, as well as time and intention. Today Kimberly will share with us what she has learned about the art and discipline of writing, plus the five steps she takes to live more creatively.
Back in episode 40 we started the discussion on values. We talked about what they are and why they’re important. We also gave you a simple framework for discovering yours. However, values are meaningless unless they are translated into simple, practical behaviors or steps that you can take every day.
Many of us struggle with body image issues. It doesn't help that our society puts a lot of pressure on how we should look, how we should feel, what we should eat… We tend to concentrate more on what others think than on what really matters for us. Then, if life gets busy we go with the flow, forget ourselves, and disconnect from our bodies altogether.
We can break out of that cycle when we begin to explore what activities make us come alive and place value on them.
I absolutely love the summer. And as the days get warmer, I start to build lists and create expectations for what it will bring. In my mind, I have endless time and resources to do what I want to do. However, my reality is slightly different than what I have conjured up in my head. But that doesn't mean I have to let the next few months be a disappointment. Building on the conversation we have last June on the podcast we have gathered today to talk about what we have learned in summers past and how to make the most of the summer this year.
Join us and special guest, Elisa Pulliam, as we talk about social media, why it’s contributing to miscommunication and misunderstanding among generations. and how we can overcome it. She believes It’s time to be #socialFREE for our own emotional and spiritual sanity, and so we can model healthy usage in our families and relationships. Let’s use it a tool to manage life instead of it managing us.
Around this time last year, Kimberly Coyle wrote a post called One Small Way to Steward Your Life Well. In it, she talks about how easy it is to fall into the trap of now and encourages her readers to dream, plan, and read their ideas into being. All the while reminding us to live in the present... but also to plan well for the future. Her post challenged us to consider what it actually means to steward my ideas, desires, and talents and consider what it takes to start something well.
If you are anything like us, you’ve been a victim of comparison. As women, we have a tendency to size ourselves up, measure someone else by your own standards only to conclude after observation and the collection of just a few facts that we’re inferior or superior to them.
Whether we feel better or worse about ourselves after the comparison, it rarely leads to humility, which pleases God. Comparison robs us of joy and wastes precious energy focusing on ourselves rather than the people who have been put in our lives to serve.
We are tackling the ugly game of comparison and sharing some of the ways we have overcome it.
If you been around the podcast for a while you know we love to talk about relationships and how crucial it is to be intentional in them. For relationships to flourish it’s important to connect. We do that by listening and being heard, giving and receiving love, being concerned for one another, and coming alongside each other in the journey of life. In this episode we will be exploring the Connect Before You Correct concept and how it can be helpful in parenting our children. This applies to all relationships.
Back in episode 34 we talked about Why You Should Celebrate Your Friends. Noelle our friendship expert, Elise, our self professed party girl, and me talked about the benefits of celebrating those that matter in our life. Since each of us love a good celebration we thought it would be fun to get together and do a deep dive into what we think makes a good party. We’ll be talking our favorite parties and what we do to get ready for one.
Back in Episode 36, we talked about Non-negotiables and why there are important in your every day. Naming your non-negotiables is a great start to living an intentional life However in this week's episode we are going to take it a step further and talk about core values.
Many of life's decisions are determined by what we value most. Knowing your values and intentionally honoring them in your life will give you a sense of purpose. When you identify your values and intentionally make them a part of your life you will feel confident that your life is not a result of “going with the flow”.
You heard us say time and time again on the podcast that relationships thrive with intentionality. In previous episodes we’ve talked about making time for our friends, our spouse, now we're talking about how to make time for our kids. We're not talking about the kind of time where you drive your kids where have to be, or time spent watch their sporting events, or band concerts, or even volunteering at their school. We're talking about real relationship and connection.
Have you ever been so burned by a childhood friend that it left you scarred and wounded, and now it is affecting your present friendships? Many of us have. What has happened to us in our childhood friendships can affect our current friendships. It can make us fearful of getting close to others and it can cause us to become distrusting and anxious about their approval.
But we don’t have to stay hurt or bound by our past experiences. There is healing available in God’s Word and His truth that He wants to speak to our hearts. Noelle is here today to walk us through what childhood friendship trauma is and what we can do about it.
In Episode 014 we talked about the many things It’s Never Too Late to do. Some of them included starting a new career, giving your finances a makeover, and going back to school. Kimberly has experience with the last one. In August of 2015, she decided to get a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. As a wife and mother, there were many things she had to consider before making such a big decision. She’s here to share with us what those were and how she managed her family’s new normal over the last 2 years.
Last week we talked on the show with Kimberly Coyle about Practical Tips for Coming Back to Center. Knowing and participating a handful of actions that ground us works wonders when life feels like it is spinning out of control. Another thing that I have found helpful over the last few years is knowing and applying my non-negotiables to my everyday.
My co-hosts and I have gathered today to talk about what non-negotiables are, our experience with them as well as get some wisdom from our resident life coach Elise Daly Parker on why they are so important.
Do you ever feel like life is spinning out of control? It’s easy to lose focus and get overwhelmed. However, it’s not hopeless, I promise you. The key to making to the other side is understanding what centers you when navigating through a busy life. Kimberly Coyle is here to share with us a few touch points she uses throughout her day to help her remember that she is a human being, not a human doing.
Making time for friends is important! The most rewarding friendships are the ones we are intentional about nurturing. as we mentioned in Episode 32, we can do this by participating in a book club, collaborating on a project or volunteering together, or even connecting with each other with technology such as FaceTime, Skype, or Voxer. That’s great but don’t neglect celebrations! They are important too!
Deep friendships are often marked by common interests and sometimes common passions, such as faith or politics. But what happens when you and that friend you adore just don’t see eye to eye? As Christians, we are called to live in peace, unity, and love. But in this political climate, it feels like that is getting harder and harder to do. Whether inside the church or out, people are passionate about their differing beliefs. There seem to be no gray areas anymore just black or white, your way or my way, holy or unholy. We are here today talk about how you can navigate friendships and politics, especially when you disagree.
In episode 29 we talked about making time for our spouse and now in today's episode we are talking about making time for your friends. I used to think that friendships should form organically and would grow if they were meant to, but I was wrong. While a handful of relationships do form naturally, longevity and depth are marked by intention. But what does that really mean? We are here today to discuss ways to incorporate intentional friendship into your everyday.
In Episode 7 Life Transitions, our In Your words question was, What surprised you the most about motherhood? Today we are diving deeper into the topic of motherhood and talk about what surprised us about the mothers we have become. We are not just talking about motherhood, but about the expectations of we have of ourselves that get shattered as we try to be someone we weren’t meant to be.
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get organized, you're in the right place. In Episode 28 my co-hosts and I talked about what worked and what didn’t work for us in 2016. We found out that one of the things that worked for was Bullet Journaling. Elise has an interest in giving a try so we thought it would be fun to have a tutorial with her right here on the podcast.
