No Empty Chairs

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The podcast is moving to biweekly in September.

From a sacrament meeting talk on Grace:

• "Am I doing enough?" is probably not a useful question.
• We are always saved by grace.
• We can't make ourselves more--or less--valuable by doing things.
• Christ is the ideal for encouragement and inspiration.
• Our progress is measured from where we are now back to where we started.
• "Always Measure Backward" - Dan Sullivan
• God loves you and there is nothing you can do to change that.

References:

• 2 Nephi 25:23
• “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders Among You,” April 2016
• “You Are My Hands,” April 2010
•  The Broken Heart [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989], 155
• Romans 8 
• John 3:16
• Dan Sullivan’s excellent book The GAP and the GAIN: The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success 
• “What Does It Mean to Be Perfect?” devotional given on March 19, 2002, at the Provo Missionary Training Center
• John 15 
• John 1
• Ephesians 2
• D&C 93:17
• Samuel the Lamanite “‘striving with unwearied diligence”
• Adam Miller's excellent book Original Grace: An Experiment in Restoration Thinking
• Matthew 20:1-15

You found me! If what you heard on the No Empty Chairs podcast gives you hope for more help, please schedule a free Conversation with Candice. You can also visit candiceclarkcoaching.com for more information about how coaching tools can help you keep your relationship with your children and your faith. While you're there, be sure to pull up a chair and sign up with your email to be the first to know about news and events for moms whose kids don't come to church.

It's going to be okay, and even better!

Send a text

My friend Lacey Jones Coaching interviews me about emotional independence. I tell stories about my first solo international vacation and my recent international vacation with my daughter.

Coaching Tools:

• Making peace with worst-case scenario
• Deciding that nothing has gone wrong
• Self-acceptance and love vs. all-or-nothing thinking

Thoughts:

• What you want matters
• You have everything you need

Go find Lacey's podcast Elevate the Individual to hear more from her!

You found me! If what you heard on the No Empty Chairs podcast gives you hope for more help, please schedule a free Conversation with Candice. You can also visit candiceclarkcoaching.com for more information about how coaching tools can help you keep your relationship with your children and your faith. While you're there, be sure to pull up a chair and sign up with your email to be the first to know about news and events for moms whose kids don't come to church.

It's going to be okay, and even better!

Send a text

What do we learn if we consider that WE might be the lost sheep in the parable of the lost sheep?

“God’s Love: The Most Joyous to the Soul” by Susan Porter, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

“Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.” Elder Jeffrey Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

You found me! If what you heard on the No Empty Chairs podcast gives you hope for more help, please schedule a free Conversation with Candice. You can also visit candiceclarkcoaching.com for more information about how coaching tools can help you keep your relationship with your children and your faith. While you're there, be sure to pull up a chair and sign up with your email to be the first to know about news and events for moms whose kids don't come to church.

It's going to be okay, and even better!

Send a text

A former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared with Candice what was hurtful and what was helpful from family and friends as they navigated their faith journey.

NOT HELPFUL

• Setting minimum standards of belief such as "as long as you still believe in God"
• "Have you prayed about it?"
• Giving apologist books with answers that don't resonate
• Labeling as "not diligent" or "lazy"
• Ridiculing people who are not at church for their clothing choices or their intelligence, etc.
• Only talking about church
• Ignoring their experience as they leave the church
• Failing to consider the actual impact of well-intended offers

HELPFUL

• Talking about things that are not church-related
• Learning and honoring boundaries
• Sincerely saying things like, "Thank you for telling me," "I know this is hard for you," "I want to support you," etc.
• Asking follow-up questions - with consent
• Remember that, although someone else staying or leaving is outside of your control, you always get to decide how you behave
• Expressing pride and respect in them as a person
• Take a sincere interest. Don't just tolerate them; embrace them

ASK YOURSELF

1. Is there a difference between what I am trying to communicate and the actual effect it's having?
2. Is there a way for me to be more loving that would improve my experience and strengthen my relationship with my child so I can be a blessing in their life and not a painful burden?

You found me! If what you heard on the No Empty Chairs podcast gives you hope for more help, please schedule a free Conversation with Candice. You can also visit candiceclarkcoaching.com for more information about how coaching tools can help you keep your relationship with your children and your faith. While you're there, be sure to pull up a chair and sign up with your email to be the first to know about news and events for moms whose kids don't come to church.

It's going to be okay, and even better!

Send a text

How do you feel when you hear the words "covenant path?"

When you think about Pr. Nelson's direction to "keep on the covenant path," who do you think he's talking to: you or your children who don't come to church?

What is a covenant? Do you think about it transactionally or relationally?

What do you mean when you describe someone as "inactive," "less active," or "returning member?" Does thinking about your children in those terms help or hinder your relationship with them?

You found me! If what you heard on the No Empty Chairs podcast gives you hope for more help, please schedule a free Conversation with Candice. You can also visit candiceclarkcoaching.com for more information about how coaching tools can help you keep your relationship with your children and your faith. While you're there, be sure to pull up a chair and sign up with your email to be the first to know about news and events for moms whose kids don't come to church.

It's going to be okay, and even better!

Send a text

• Where the expression "no empty chairs" came from - President Ezra Taft Benson - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-ezra-taft-benson/chapter-14-marriage-and-family-ordained-of-god?lang=eng
• One woman's story of feeling like she was an empty chair and how that didn't help her - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2013/03/no-empty-chairs?lang=eng
• Shame is the “intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging" - Brené Brown -
  https://brenebrown.com/articles/2013/01/15/shame-v-guilt/
• "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" - 1 John 4:18-19 - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-jn/4?lang=eng
• "Then Jesus beholding him loved him" - Mark 10:17-22 - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/mark/10?lang=eng
• "You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the celestial kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine" - quoted by Pr. Henry B. Eyring - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2016/08/the-hope-of-eternal-family-love?lang=eng

You found me! If what you heard on the No Empty Chairs podcast gives you hope for more help, please schedule a free Conversation with Candice. You can also visit candiceclarkcoaching.com for more information about how coaching tools can help you keep your relationship with your children and your faith. While you're there, be sure to pull up a chair and sign up with your email to be the first to know about news and events for moms whose kids don't come to church.

It's going to be okay, and even better!