Live Only True Stories

In Part 2, learn three more steps in the nitty-gritty work of restoring relationships.

Whether in our relationship with God or others, these five steps are required for mature and healthy restoration. Last week we looked at:

1. Repentance requires words that align with actions
2. Acknowledging and owning the causes that led to the breakdown

Today we unpack:

1. Requesting mercy and forgiveness without manipulation or threats
2. Stating the current reality
3. Making commitments to change that are documented, specific, and measurable.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

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Is requiring kids to say, "I'm sorry" good or not?

Does it teach repentance or something else? What's the real point of repentance, anyway?

What's the big deal about getting all sides to a story?

We unpack considerations for deciding why and how to teach your children about repentance in Part 1 of this oh-so-important subject!

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

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Children's stories about relationships don't prepare us well for life. They tend to two extremes: 1) The Cinderella ending -- "happily ever after" or 2) The Humpty Dumpty ending -- "unrepairable."

Yet how does a person go about restoring, or being open to restoration, when there's been a serious relational breakdown?

The people in ancient Israel model this beautifully in the Old Testament story of Nehemiah, chapters 9-10.

Discover the first two of five steps necessary for relational restoration -- whether in our relationship with God or people.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

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Should you reward your child’s obedience?

Always? Sometimes? Never?

Why or why not?

Is the statement, “Delayed obedience is disobedience” true?

How do you walk the line between the following two truths?

1. Expecting obedience for obedience’s sake is a right expectation.

2. Obedience is worth rewarding.

See what Scripture shows us as God, the perfect Father, models how to parent our children by the way he parents us. See what Jesus said about “delayed obedience” and learn how you can apply not perfect-kid formulas but truth-based principles.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

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What difference, if any, do your choices make in God’s divine direction?

Can you influence His “perfect” timing?

Learn from ancient Jerusalem’s wall-rebuilders what positioned them for perfect timing to receive God’s blessing.

Gain insights into obedience, the power of looking back, the need to look forward, and the difference between acting out of duty and delight.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

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Given normal conditions, all children laugh and play. No one has to teach them these traits. Why? Perhaps joy is hard-wired into us because it's an empowering force.

Education and activities shape our children's development. Just as significantly is the environment they grow up in. If it's one of joy, this will make them stronger and more resilient. If joy is more of an exception than the norm (or non-existent), children will pay a cost not only as kids but as adults.

Intentionally cultivating an environment of joy is like supplying oxygen to your child -- and perhaps to them adopting your faith!

Discover the connection between joy, strength, and what your children will seek as adults in today's episode!

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

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What comes to mind when you hear the word, "Holy?"

If it's not "joy," it's understandable. But it should be!

Joy and holiness are mighty forces necessary to secure one's freedom.

See the parallels between the United States' celebration of the Declaration of Independence (July 4th) and the celebration of the Jews who had finished rebuilding Jerusalem's walls millennia ago under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

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Let's be honest. "Family Bible study" can provoke more guilt than enthusiasm. It's something we know we "should" do and keep meaning to "get around to." Yet another week (year?) can go by and all we've accomplished is adding more items to our "parenting failures" list.

Today I share five principles and six practical application ideas to help you move from "I should/want to/meant to" to "I am." No guilting here; just encouragement and insights to move from theory to practice.

Getting God's Word into your kids is not only an imperative, it's possible!

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

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We hear a lot about the need to “slow down,” “take a break,” and make time for “self-care.” That’s all good. But there are times when taking a break is the last thing we should do.

It may seem counterintuitive, but it may be when we're fatigued that we shouldn't take a break! Why?

Because it may make all the difference for us -- and others -- for our future.

Learn when following the example of the people who had just spent two months engaged in physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding work is the best course of action. As we unpack Nehemiah 8, we'll see:

• Prioritizing God's Word in spite of fatigue
• Men, women, and children are all able and called to learn and apply God's Word for themselves
• The role and need for Bible teachers
• Five principles for learning the Bible for ourselves and sharing our knowledge (however great or small) with others

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

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What if making kids strong is the best way to keep them safe -- for life?

Sounds good! But how?

Learn 10 ways in this two-part series. While the application varies by age, the principles apply from tots to teens.

Today we review:

• Struggle

• Speaking

• Perspective

• Unfamiliar

• Horizons

Then we dive into:

• Fences

• Laughter

• People

• Modeling

• Scripture

Building strong kids isn’t an event. It’s an ongoing process. Just like we need a variety of foods in our diet to build strong bodies, so our kids require multiple ways to become people of strength that leads to safety.

Empower yourself and your family to engage fully in God’s grand story. Subscribe to Hi(Impact) at Stephanie Presents for insights, encouragement, and practical resources!

Book Stephanie to speak to your women, parents, Christian educators, and students.

#spirituallystrong

#emotionalhealth

#relationships

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#lifeskey3