by kathilipp | Oct 14, 2014 | Relationships |
So often, when money is tight, nerves are strained, and everyone is just so tired, it’s easy to wait for your husband to make the first move. But sometimes, we have to lay down our right to be right.
Sometimes, we need to look at not just the situation, but the relationship, and see what the right thing is to do. Usually, when one of us lays down our “right to be right” great things can happen in our relationships.
So pick one. I’m not asking you to lie. There is ONE on this list that you can say to your husband- fighting or now – and it will soften the hard lines that can develop between the two of you.
If you’re really in a tough spot, try texting it to him. It’s amazing what a well timed text can do for your relationship.
- “What do you need from me right now?”
- “How can I help you take some of the burden off today?”
- “I’m sorry.”
- “Thank you for_____________”
- “I’m proud of you because________________”
- “Our kids are lucky to have a dad like you.”
- “Please forgive me.”
- “I love you because___________”
- “I’m going to make more of an effort to____________”
- Thank you for being someone I can respect.
Tell me in the comments which one you said to your husband, or suggest one of your own. One random commenter will will a copy of Praying God’s Word for Your Husband.
Last week’s winner was Danielle!
by kathilipp | Oct 14, 2014 | Podcast |
Marriage is both messy and beautiful.
This week’s guest, Darlene Schacht, author of Messy Beautiful Love and the Time Warp Wife blog, shares with us her wise thoughts on marriage and how women in any messy beautiful marriage can:
• Handle the big stressors in marriage so she can grow stronger and closer to both, each other and God.
• Pray for her husband and her marriage in an intentional and meaningful way.
• Find her joy from God and not from her husband.
• Build a marriage that’s not 50-50. (Which, according to Darlene isn’t a good thing.)
Listen in, and then download Darlene’s free printable prayer cards. Plus, tell us the biggest stressor in your marriage in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Darlene’s new book, Messy Beautiful Love.
FREE DOWNLOAD
These colourful prayer cards are an ideal companion to the book, and a good reminder to pray over your marriage each day. This high resolution file is print ready, offering you 31 prayer cards in total.
For a handy little booklet, print them on glossy card stock, hole punch each one, and attach them to a binder ring.
Click here to download.
Darlene Schacht is the original founder of Christian Women Online Magazine and The Internet Café Devotions and writes the popular blog Time-Warp Wife. She is coauthor of Candace Cameron Bure’sNew York Time’s best-selling book, Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness. Darlene has been married to Michael Schacht for more than 25 years. They have four children.
by kathilipp | Oct 13, 2014 | Speaking, tips and ideas |
Free Webinar: Kick Start Your Speaking Career
Monday, October 13 at 7:00 PM CDT
Is it time to take your speaking to the next level?
Do you want to change the world, one message at a time?
In this free 60-minute webinar, marketing expert Thomas Umstattd and speaker and author Kathi Lipp share the secrets of successful speakers to not only getmore bookings, but better bookings.
What: Free webinar
When: Monday, October 13 at 7:00 PM CDT
Here is what you’ll learn:
- What your website is missing that can turn inquiries into bookings.
- The three fastest ways to get in front of audiences.
- Writing copy so that event planners will notice.
Not only will Kathi and Thomas share with you their secrets to successful bookings, but will be answering your speaking questions.
by kathilipp | Oct 7, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Over the past several months, I’ve had more than a dozen women contact me about their marriages and how they are just not working.
He’s done something stupid. She’s done something stupid.
Or it’s just the everyday stuff that is driving each of you crazy. So I thought I’d take the next several Wednesdays and address the four biggest reasons that women are coming to me about their marriage, and try to give you some practical take aways about what you can do about it.
Reason #1 Marriage is hard: Money
Earlier this year, Roger and I got the notice that Target had the tiniest of security breeches and sadly, his card was affected. (You know. The debit card that EVERYTHING is attached to…) To say it was inconvenient is an understatement.
But we dutifully changed all of our cards and got them hooked up with our accounts.
Well. Almost.
Turns out there was one account that didn’t get reconnected. Our homeowners dues.
We got a bill from them every month, which I promptly put in the recycling. (After all, we were paying it online right?) Each month they would send us a statement of how grossly past due we were, and each month I would toss it.
Until the postman rang twice.
With a registered letter.
This letter let us know that we were six months behind in homeowners fees, and in addition to that, the penalties, and now LAWYERS fees, well let’s just say that we were thousands and thousands of dollars behind.
Oh – and this came in May – right when my income goes to zero.
To say that this was a stressful summer financially would be a gross understatement. This is the summer that we will spend two years recovering from.
(And yes. I open ALL of the mail now.)
Here are a few things I learned from our summer of financial ruin:
- Accept that money is not one partner’s responsibility. I tended to leave the money stuff to Roger, but the burden needs to be both of ours. While Roger is the leader of our home, we run it like a partnership – that means the rights and the responsibilities.
- When money times are tense, do everything within your power to cut spending. This summer we had a lot of “Pantry Meals” (eating things we already had in our pantry and freezer.) I kept our grocery budget to a minimum, only ran the air conditioning when it was sweltering hot, got clothes altered instead of buying new things, redecorated with paint instead of trips to Home Goods, and looked for free or cheap entertainment. I couldn’t make our debt go away, but I could do my best to contribute in any way I could see fit.
- Get help. Dave Ramsey and Crystal Paine have saved many a marriage. Check out their websites, and get on the same page with your spouse. It is marriage-empowering to actually do things together to save money. Be a cord cutter and get rid of cable. (We did, and we’ve lived to tell about it.)
- Get on the same side in your marriage. Yep- it’s frustrating when bills go unpaid or you’re not making as much as you used to. But blaming each other is a surefire way to add more stress to your marriage. Have a weekly meeting to go over finances and get on the same page. (We have a weekly “Food and Finances” night where we go over bills and then eat something delicious. It’s our little reward for being responsible adults.
- Pray specifically. Get VERY specific with God about your financial needs. God is not offended by your needing money help. Jesus talks about money all the time in the Bible. When Roger and I were having severe money issues, we spent a lot of time praying, and rejoiced every time God answered our prayers. It was a great boon to our marriage seeing God be so active in our need.
So what advice would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments below, and one commenter will win a four book marriage set, including The Husband Project, Praying God’s Word for Your Husband and two copies of The Marriage Project.
by kathilipp | Oct 7, 2014 | Podcast |
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a real, live rock star?
The lights, the cameras, the music, the swarming fans… we got a little star struck just imagining it as we sat down with Rachel Hamar, one part of the top-rated country duo Cloverdayle. And while Rachel has shared a stage with music legends like Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Eric Church and Jason Aldean, Rachel was totally willing to get down-to-earth with us as she filled us in on:
- How she manages to keep her marriage strong when she lives and works with her adorable rock-star husband Chad.
- How she finds balance in a crazy schedule (and even finds time to go to the gym!)
- How she finds the creative space to write songs (and what she does when she comes up with a great song line in the middle of the grocery store).
- How we as women can pursue or own big dreams, even when life makes it seem impossible.
Listen in, and then download a free copy of Cloverdayle’s new song “Call Me Crazy” and get inspired to live your own crazy dream.
FREE DOWNLOAD
Get a free download of “Call Me Crazy” from the 2014 Cloverdayle EP release Worth the Fight.
Download Now!
Rachel Hamar is the Nashville-based, Oregon-grown lead singer of the duo Cloverdayle. Launched in 2008 with her husband of 15 years, Cloverdayle has shared the stage with many industry heavyweights including Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean. Rachel is also an avid songwriter and co-creator/teacher for Your Song Interactive Online Music School. When she’s not eating, breathing, dreaming music (which is almost never), Rachel loves road trips, creating recipes in the kitchen, making to-do lists and procrastinating on said to-do lists.
by kathilipp | Sep 30, 2014 | Podcast |
Have you ever taken a selfie? Of your butt?
That’s just what Leeana Tankersley, author of Breathing Room, did so of course, that’s the first thing that Kathi and Erin ask her about. Why did she take a picture of her butt and how did she live to tell about it?
Kathi and Erin fell in love with Leeana from the first moments of the interview. Leeana gets real. Fast. (And you know how we love that around here.) She talks about how to lovingly come alongside ourselves as a good friend would, and be compassionate when we need it the most.
Leeana talks about:
• How Pinterest is changing how we feel about ourselves, and others.
• How the 12-step program Emotions Anonymous changed her life.
• How as moms we can give ourselves permission to “begin again” with our kids.
Win a copy of Leeana’s book, Breathing Room! For your chance to win, leave a comment below about something in your life that you feel powerless in the face of- your anonymous.
For more info on 12 Step that Leeana talked about, check out Emotions Anonymous.
FREE DOWNLOAD
Take a sneak peek into Breathing Room: Letting Go so You Can Fully Live with this complimentary excerpt from Leeana. Click here.
Leeana Tankersley is the author of Breathing Room and Found Art. She and her Navy SEAL husband, Steve, are currently stationed in San Diego, California, with their three children: Luke (5), Lane (5), and Elle (2). Leeana writes about living from the spacious place on her blog, www.leeanatankersley.com.
by kathilipp | Sep 23, 2014 | Podcast |
Have you ever felt ashamed at the playground? Have you worried that your kids are the only ones playing Ninja Warrior while the others swing peacefully? Have you felt like you just can’t measure up as a mom? This week, Kathi and Erin discuss the reaction to Erin’s new blog post entitled “I’m Worried About Our Girls” and the ways that parents can help their kids build strong, healthy relationships with other kids.
Knowing that every mom has felt shame, worry and stress about playground behavior– and that every mom earnestly seeks what’s best for their children– we openly discuss:
* How little girls can respond to wild boys on a playground.
* The difference between a dangerous situation and a situation that a child can take care of on his or her own.
* How moms can get rid of the shame they feel when their children misbehave.
* How to communicate to our kids that God created both genders lovingly and intentionally– and that neither is inherently “good” or “bad.”
Listen in and then share your own playground experiences in the comments below. One winner will get his or her choice of one of Erin’s books! Plus, check out the “Download” section below to get Erin’s playground toolkit for girls.
FREE DOWNLOAD
There’s a better alternative than whining and tattling on the playground for our girls. This Toolkit is a great start in helping our girl’s use their own words in finding solutions to everyday problems on the playground.
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
by kathilipp | Sep 16, 2014 | Podcast |
Do you see yourself as God’s masterpiece? Do you live as a piece of art? Does the entire concept of living as a work of art totally intimidate you?
Emily Freeman, author of A Million Little Ways, joins us on the podcast and really makes the concept of living as a work of art real for all of us, even those of us that aren’t necessarily “artists” in the traditional sense. Whether your a mathematician or a painter, God is the creator and we were made in His image. Emily inspires us to show up and be ourselves wherever God has put us and in whatever stage we are living. In the podcast we discuss:
- the true definition of an artist
- why it’s important to see ourselves and the people around us as God’s masterpieces
- how to identify tiny little ways we can be artists in our day-to-day lives
To win a copy of Emily’s book for you and a friend, leave a comment below on how you are going to be present for the benefit of other’s and only for God’s glory this week.
* We also discussed Emily’s Art Course. Sign-up for Emily’s Art Course (or Life Course!) here.
FREE DOWNLOAD
When you sign up for Emily’s newsletter, you’ll receive her one week guide 7 Little Ways to Make Art.
Sign up here.
Emily P. Freeman is the author of three books, including her most recent release A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live. She is also the co-creator of Hope*ologie, a membership site that offers a monthly collection of hope in the areas we need it most – home, family, and soul. Emily extends a daily-ish invitation for women to create space for their soul to breathe on her blog, Chatting at the Sky. She and her husband John live in North Carolina with their three children.
by kathilipp | Sep 9, 2014 | Podcast |
All of the parenting books, the intentional planning, and the “I’m going to be a great parent” attitude meant nothing the minute Ellen had her firstborn, Erin. None of the discipline strategies worked the way they promised. So Ellen began the adventure of finding ways to understand the different hearts of her children. Only then, was she able to understand their needs so she could be the parent she really wanted to be.
Ellen Schuknecht (Erin’s mom!) joins us on So Here’s the Thing this week with amazing advice for every parent out there. Whether your child is compliant or strong-willed, you will want to have a pen and paper with you when listening! We cover topics such as:
- Getting to the root of disobedience
- Strategies to focus on the heart for a more positive long-term impact
- Letting go of the fear of parenting failure
- Why traditional parenting advice may not be working for you kids
We want to give away two copies of Ellen and Erin’s new book, Free to Parent (more info on the book below) to our listeners. Leave us a comment and tell us what was most freeing in what you heard on the podcast today.
FREE DOWNLOAD
In our book, we talk about “The Veritas Valient” — a long-term vision checklist of where we see our kids in twenty years. Download a free version of this list and tack it to your fridge so you can keep the long-term vision for your kids in mind.
Click here to download.
Ellen Schuknecht has been working as an educator for more than 35 years, with experience ranging from early childhood education, to high school advising to family ministries counseling. She currently serves as the Director of Family Ministries at Veritas Academy in Austin, Texas where she mentors parents, teachers, and students on a daily basis. She uses her blog, www.familywings.org as well as her many speaking engagements as a platform to help parents learn how to lead their children to Christ in a way that’s not only authentic, but that also builds the relationship between parent and child. Ellen has been married to her husband Glen for 39 years and lives in Austin, Texas near her three grown children, their spouses and– her pride and joy– her eleven precious grandchildren ranging in age from due-in-February to 8 years old.
by kathilipp | Sep 2, 2014 | Podcast |
Heartache. Searching. Loneliness. An overwhelming need to be exquisitely loved.
Can you relate? Our guest this week, Emily Wierenga, shares her journey in searching for “home”. She was raised in a Christian home but never felt truly loved. She longed to know she fit in with her own family, turned to an eating disorder and eventually felt healed just to turn back to the eating disorder years later.
Her story will touch your heart, inspire you and fill your heart with hope. Her heart for her family, her adopted family of Uganda and the way she lives out the love and home she has found is special and I am so excited to introduce her to you.
To find out more about Emily’s work and her non profit visit thelulutree.com
Would you like to win a copy of The Atlas Girl? Leave a comment below about what home feels like to you.
FREE DOWNLOAD
Emily would love to share with all of our listeners, the first two chapters from her book Atlas Girl. Just click on the image to the right to download it today.
Poignant and passionate, Atlas Girl is a very personal story of a universal yearning for home and the assurance that we are known, forgiven, and beloved. Readers will find in this memoir a true description of living faith as a two-way pursuit in a world fraught with distraction. Anyone who wrestles with the brokenness we find in the world will love this emotional journey into the arms of the God who heals all wounds.
Click to Download.
Emily T. Wierenga is an award-winning journalist, columnist, artist, author, and blogger at www.emilywierenga.com. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Prodigal Magazine, A Deeper Story, Christianity Today, Dayspring’s (in)courage, and Focus on the Family. She speaks regularly about her journey with anorexia. She lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband, Trenton, and their two sons.
