Live Only True Stories

Sometimes the mirror of self-awareness doesn't make us look beautiful. What it reveals is ugly. That's what I experienced recently when tiny sprouts of envy kept popping up in my heart.

The solution began by choosing curiosity over shame. Rather than trying to spray these weeds with a quick prayer of repentance and then zipping on, I stopped to ask why they were growing in the first place. The answer?

My imagination had become too small. Huh?

Yep, there's a correlation between the activity of a holy imagination and the presence of envy. This examination also revealed the connection between pain and cynicism and how to be attuned to the suffering in the world without being consumed by it.

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#lifeskey3

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#raisinggodlykids

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#christianity

#envy

#imagination

#suffering

#self-awareness

What's one element every relationship depends on for success?

Jesus told a story illustrating this with not just one but two plot twists. The first part of his story is as delightful for us today as it was for the original audience. The second and third parts? They take some swallowing!

Grace and forgiveness received but not given leads to God's judgment and will harm or destroy every relationship. It's not a matter of if, but only when and how much.

The parable of the unforgiving servant demonstrates with clarity that acquisition of knowledge is not equal to application of truth. We are not called to be information collectors but grace givers.

See why grace and forgiveness is a must-have in every happy and successful relationship.

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Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#forgiveness

#grace

#relationships

BFF's (Best Friends Forever) are awesome -- and rare. We can miss great friendships in pursuit of the elusive one BFF. Instead, a new mindset about friends will open the door to building a rich and diverse community of friends. Who knows? Maybe even a BFF will come out of these relationships!

Get practical help on how to move from acquaintances to situational friends towards the inner circle of friends who you entrust with your heart.

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#friendships

#buildingclosefriends

#bff

If a relationship doesn't have a higher purpose than itself, it won't be sustainable. If pleasure is the measurement of a successful relationship, by default that nurtures selfish people. Instead, when a relationship serves a higher purpose, fulfillment of duty becomes the measurement. Paradoxically, duty becomes a pleasure.

From King Solomon to Victor Frankl to John F. Kennedy, the importance of a mindset focused on responsibilities rather than pleasure is what sustains individuals and relationships.

Be strengthened to appreciate endurance is its form of achievement and understand why pleasure won't sustain a relationship but purpose will.

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#duty

#grit

#endurance

#relationalhealth

#relationshipsthatlast

One of the unintended consequences of the concepts of "boundaries" and "toxic people" becoming mainstream is it's reinforced our default tendency to focus on other people's behavior instead of our own. Yet owning our choices is the most fundamental of all relational principles.

Victor Frankl's sobering statement summarizes the truth: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

When we own our ability to choose how we're going to show up in every situation, regardless of how anyone else does, we will experience profound freedom.

Discover the most powerful key to being relationally smart as we unpack moving our focus from others onto ourselves.

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

What seems intuitive turns out to be wrong.

Successful long-term relationships have as many, perhaps even more, differences than those who fail or survive but never thrive. How can this be?

People who learn to de-personalize differences succeed. Those who don't, well, they don't succeed.

Differences are inevitable. Letting them destroy your relationships isn't. Learn how to navigate them successfully. In today's episode, we discuss:

• Identifying the difference between style and substance
• Getting curious about why a difference bugs you
• Treating differences like a photo rather than a magnet
• The danger of projecting
• Staying solution-oriented and refusing stereotypes
• Going back to relationship bedrock -- expectations

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#relationshipsthatsucceed

#longtermrelationships

#differences

What's one trait all children share naturally? It both delights parents and can wear them out. Ready?

Curiosity.

By cultivating this trait in adulthood, we can significantly minimize conflict.

As we continue the mini-series on being relationally smart, we see:

1. The difference between matters of trust and assumptions
2. The connection between assumptions and expectations
3. The power of investigating, not interrogating, your assumptions about yourself and others
4. How fewer assumptions leads to fewer conflicts

Becoming curious rather than defensive can make all the difference in your relationships, whether family, work, friends, or neighbors.

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#assumptions

#curiosity

The "nail in the head" video was quite popular -- unfortunately. While I understand the intent, sometimes good intentions aren't enough. We need to think through the entire message we're communicating.

In the 2nd part of my "Relationally Smart" miniseries, you will discover the three ways subtle (and not-so-subtle) stereotypes hinder growth and harm relationships.

You will be able to move forward and not stay stuck by developing a solutions mindset. I unpack:

1. How a solution mindset works from the level of expectations.
2. How a solution mindset focuses on shaping the future rather than replaying the past.
3. The energizing impact of a solutions mindset.

Remember to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence. Grow your confidence, effectiveness, and empathy while parenting, educating, or mentoring youth ages 12-24.

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#relationships

#solutionsmindset

#stereotypes

Communication may be the key that unlocks the door in a relationship, but it's what's behind the door that unites or divides. Too often we've been taught to focus on crafting a beautiful door rather than examining what's on the other side.

All relationships rest on expectations. The more aligned the expectations, the greater the unity. The more misaligned the expectations, the greater the conflict. While this seems like a "well, duh," statement, the reality is we often never identify or express our expectations.

In today's episode, we look at principles including:

1. God has been expressing expectations from the Beginning.

2. Identifying and expressing expectations requires courageous honesty and vulnerability.

3. Identifying and expressing expectations reveals priorities, values, and beliefs about what we owe others and what they owe us.

4. Eliminating all expectations is ridiculous and shouldn’t be a goal. Aligning expectations with what is right, just, and reasonable is our goal. Any other approach isn't sustainable for the long term.

Invite others as I begin this "Relationally Smart" mini-series.

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity

#expectations

Why are young people leaving the Christian faith?

In Part 4 of the mini-series addressing this issue, we focus on the impact of what happens at home. Specifically, we dive into:

1. What percentage of teens have a regular dialogue with their mom or dad about matters of faith and life? The answer might surprise you!
2. Is the cultural prioritization of self-esteem a pro, con, or neutral in the decision to adopt Christianity or not?
3. What roles do protective parenting and preparedness parenting have?
4. The danger of over-relying on theology
5. How relevant is the Bible to everyday life? No, really. Not the "right" answer, but the "lived" one.

Summarizing the major findings in this four-part mini-series, we see among many youth Christianity is irrelevant, intolerant, incompatible, and irrational. How can we use this information effectively? Get a free resource online at the website.

You, and the young people you impact, can't count on good intentions being enough. You need truth.

Share this episode with a friend and others in your circle who care about upcoming generations. Subscribe and leave a review!

Bring me to speak on this and other critical topics to your church, Christian school, homeschool organization, or other faith-based group.

Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact)!

Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon

#spirituallystrong

#emotionallyhealthy

#relationships

#lifeskey3

#smartrelationships

#parenting

#raisinggodlykids

#raisingadults

#bible

#faith

#truth

#biblestudy

#christianfaith

#christianwomen

#christianity