Posts in Parenting
How to Fight Your Fear of Failure so God Can Take You Further
How to Fight Your Fear of Failure so God Can Take You Further

What keeps me stagnant in my faith is often not the fear of unknowns but the fear of failure. It has taken years of wrestling to understand that my hesitancy to say yes to where God is calling me lies in my propensity to trust in my own performance over his presence. But in his Word, God reminds us that we are called to go deeper on our journey of faith, and he promises to lead us himself.

So, if you feel stagnant today, stuck even, allow these encouraging reminders to help you fight your fear of failure so God can take you further.

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Faith, Education, Parenting, StewardshipShawna SullivanNew York, Faith, Parenting, Encouragement, Failure, ProgressComment
10 Strategies to Connect With Your Child Through the Art of Conversation
10 Strategies to Connect With Your Child Through the Art of Conversation

As parents who desire connection with our children at a deeper level, it’s helpful to remember that there are layers to a conversation, much like water. We have a choice: slowly wade into the shallow or dive headfirst into the deep. Since not all circumstances allow for diving into the deep, here are ten strategies to better connect with your child and foster the art of conversation.

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Education, Faith, Homeschool Tips, Parenting, Summer, Stewardship, Tips for ParentingShawna SullivanParenting, Faith, Conversation, Connection, EducationComment
3 Ways for Busy Moms to Consistently Flourish in Their Faith
3 Ways for Busy Moms to Consistently Flourish in Their Faith

Our calendar consistently needs more margin, especially this time of year. As spring activities and school events dominate, it’s easy to feel like a participant in a mad dash toward the finish line.

Solitude? Quiet? Prayer? We know we need them, but finding space for them remains pretty challenging. Yet it matters not only for the health of our souls but also for the health of our families. So, here are three ways for busy moms to consistently flourish in their faith, creating space for the seemingly impossible yet spiritually essential.

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Education, Faith, ParentingShawna SullivanFaith, Busy Moms, tips for a busy mom, Education, parentingComment
Five Prayers to Create Space for God to Move in the New Year
Five Prayers to Create Space for God to Move in the New Year

At the end of every year, expectations run high as to what the new year holds. We want to work out more, eat less, and finally focus on that dream we keep putting off. Before we know it, the calendar fills with plans and expectations, yet sometimes, we don’t stop to ask God what He desires for us. So, as we approach the new year, let us position our hearts with these five prayers, seek to hold plans loosely, and create space for God to move.

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Faith, Education, Parenting, New YearShawna SullivanNew Year, Prayer, Faith, Education, ParentingComment
What Potato Soup Has To Do with Gratitude
What Potato Soup Has To Do with Gratitude

After reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, I knew it was the perfect time to visit our local Holocaust Museum. I attempted to prepare my eighth grade students for the breadth and depth of tragedy they would encounter. In hindsight, I’m not sure that’s possible.

However, what I didn’t expect was how much a simple story of potato soup would teach me about gratitude.

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Education, Faith, ParentingShawna SullivanHolocaust, Faith, Gratitude, Encouragement, Parenting Comment
A Guide to Creating Your Own Family Mission Statement
A Guide to Creating Your Own Family Mission Statement

The parenting journey parallels the popular children’s book We’re Going On a Bear Hunt. Some seasons find us slowly trudging through thick mud, stuck in weight and worry, while others swish past in the blink of an eye. No matter what—we can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, we must find the courage to go through it. So, how can we maintain an eternal perspective along the way? Read the full featured article at www.familychristian.com and download your family mission statement here.

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Education, Faith, ParentingShawna Sullivanfamily, mission statement, parenting, faith, educationComment
Hope After Catastrophe: Regaining Perspective From Higher Ground
Hope After Catastrophe: Regaining Perspective From Higher Ground

Perched upon breathtaking cliffs, my eyes searched the surroundings in disbelief. Pure waves of blue rolled below, occasionally showing off a white cap from time to time as if to remind the spectators it is, in fact, real. Our 20th anniversary trip to Santorini, Greece was more than we could have imagined we needed. The entire week I couldn’t stop thinking about this one fact, and I wonder if we might gain some perspective from it as we pray and seek to help those walking through incomprehensible pain these days.

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Faith, Parenting, TravelShawna Sullivanfaith, Travel, marriage, pain, hope Comments
Three Prayers to Pray at the Start of Something New
Three Prayers to Pray at the Start of Something New

Whether a new month, a new school year, or a new opportunity—there are always “what if’s” circling through my mind.

Here are three prayers ushering my heart into the unknown, as new opportunities present themselves this coming month. Perhaps they are helpful to settle your anxious thoughts as well and draw your eyes upward toward your loving Father.

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Education, Faith, ParentingShawna SullivanFaith, Prayer, Encouragement Comments
Stewarding Our Gifts of Service With Endurance
Stewarding Our Gifts of Service With Endurance

My husband and daughter recently returned from a trip to Guatemala with our church for a week long mission trip. To hear them recount stories, full of inspiring God-glorifying conversations and scenery alike, produced in me a longing to serve on mission as well. At times, in fact, it most assuredly sounds better to visit another continent altogether to serve short-term, rather than continue in daily acts of service. Doesn’t it?

Yet God continually calls us to steward our service first within the walls of our homes. So, how can we press on with confidence and endurance? Read here.

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Faith, Education, Parenting, Stewardship, SummerShawna SullivanStewardship, Service, Mercy, Faith, Education, Mission Trip, EnduranceComment
An Invitation When You Feel Stuck in the Valleys of Life
An Invitation When You Feel Stuck in the Valleys of Life

Life’s journey has long been represented by seasons of mountains high and valleys low. Commonly, mountain tops represent the peaks of enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment, while valleys the deeper, darker, and difficult seasons. My age and experience attest to quite the opposite. So, I want to extend the invitation to you. Read why.

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Faith, ParentingShawna SullivanColorado, Mountains, Valleys, Nature, Faith, Encouragement Comments
Five Things to Try When Disappointment Clouds the Summer Sun
Five Things to Try When Disappointment Clouds the Summer Sun

Surely our family is not the only one to experience an unexpected sickness, a discouraging diagnosis, or a disappointing change of plans during summer. Right? As much as we love summertime for making memories, finding rest, and seeking adventure, we equally feel the sting of disappointment when things don't go as planned. 

So, I recorded my own thoughts to share with you in hopes that they bring you joy amidst your own disappointments this summer and always. 

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Education, Faith, Knowing God, ParentingShawna SullivanSummer, Family, Encouragement, Disappointment, SicknessComment