I don’t know what it’s like for you, but when I hang out with friends and acquaintances, I find it easy to begin comparing myself with them. I’ll take note of their talents and see how mine measure up, I’ll think about how my house compares to their houses, I’ll consider how our approaches to parenting are similar or different, etc. I … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Quell Comparison
friendship
Forming Genuine Friendships in the Age of Social Media
Because we have many friends or followers on social media and we interact with these folks (often by “liking,” commenting on, or sharing posts), it seems like we are connected. However, this sense of connection is often an illusion. In fact, I bet many individuals walk away from time spent on social media feeling just as alone as they did … [Read more...] about Forming Genuine Friendships in the Age of Social Media
Finding Time for Friendship
A couple of weeks ago I was visiting with some friends about how busy life seems. We all agreed that when we were single and first married, we thought we were busy (and, to be fair, we did have many important things that occupied our time). However, now that we’re in the trenches of parenthood, we can’t believe that we felt so busy back then! … [Read more...] about Finding Time for Friendship
Fostering Friendship with Your Spouse
One of the things I appreciate most about marriage is having a good friend who I see and speak with every day. Back when we first got married, my husband and I found it easy to cultivate our friendship. However, as the demands on our time and energy have increased—particularly since becoming parents—we’ve found it challenging to invest … [Read more...] about Fostering Friendship with Your Spouse
How to Have a Hospitality-Ready Heart
Last week we looked at some ways to have hospitality-ready homes. I mentioned several practical strategies, but one strategy—preparing to welcome guests with genuine enthusiasm—is not practical. Instead, it relates to the state of our hearts. In trying to prepare my heart for hospitality, I’ve found it useful to consider some things … [Read more...] about How to Have a Hospitality-Ready Heart
How to Have a Hospitality-Ready Home
This last summer, when I was 36 weeks pregnant, our AC stopped working. It was June and we live in southeast Texas, so you can imagine how hot it was in our house! I’ll never forget how two gracious friends invited us to stay with them until technicians were able to fix our AC. They had no warning, but these friends welcomed us into their … [Read more...] about How to Have a Hospitality-Ready Home
4 Ways to Remember Names
I have such a hard time remembering names. I’ll sometimes know a person for weeks and have asked his or her name several times and still not remember! Though this seems like an inconsequential quirk, it’s something I’ve been working to change because I believe it really means something to a person when you remember his or her name. When … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Remember Names
Printable Candy Heart Encouragement Notes
As I noted in my last post, husbands benefit greatly from words of encouragement. It is great to speak these to our husbands, but it’s also nice to put them in notes that we can stick in their lunchboxes, tape to their steering wheels, or leave on their pillows. Because Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to … [Read more...] about Printable Candy Heart Encouragement Notes
