Chris Martin wrote a book on social media, not to scare us—okay, scare us a little—but to make us ask this question: "Do we use social media or are we being used by it?" His book, Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media out in February asks this question and many more that we need to ask and answer.

Chris, husband and father of a two-year-old Magnolia, formally with Lifeway marketing, now works as content editor of Moody Publishing. He wrote Terms of Service to educate us as to how we can continue to use it for good without begin trapped in its manipulative clutches, while enjoying the benefits of something in our culture that is not going away.

His legacy is delightful--listen to the end. You will be encouraged, I guarantee.

• Am I finding my worth in the number of my Facebook likes?

Chris mentions a great resource--ask your questions about faith here: BibletoLife.com You may not have a question, but a friend or family member does so pass it along!

Find Chris Martin here:

• Book

Chris Martin is a content marketing editor at Moody Publishers and a social media, marketing, and communications consultant. He writes regularly in his newsletter, Terms of Service and is the author of his new book, Terms of Service, published by B&H Publishing.

With our backs up against the doorframe, our shoulders arched, we stood tall while Dad placed a ruler across the top of our heads, scraped the pencil back and forth, and added the date. “Look at that,” he’d say, “You are officially taller than your sister (or brother or mom.) Clapping each other on the back, we congratulated ourselves for something we had nothing to do with, and asked for another piece of cake.

 “Who’s tallest?” had more to do with DNA than if we took our vitamins (or ate more cake.) Growing happened to us, not because of us.

Pencil marks and dates faded with time and new paint. No longer did we measure. No longer did it matter. What does matter is my spiritual growth. It’s a goal worth pursuing.

God invites me to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). He had maturity in mind when He created us. God loves us as we are, but too much to let us stay there.

Can a ‘worthy’ life be measured with a pencil and a list? Not really. Some days the mark on the wall shows one thing but my life shows another. I wish all it took was a list. I know how to check things off. But I get discouraged when the same things end up back on the list

I still like to make lists but this is a different kind of list—a short list of three things to keep me on track for growth. I don’t mind that I never get to cross them off til Glory.

I don’t expect to reach a plateau and think: “I am now all grown up.”  But keeping these three things in mind keeps me on the right track: 

KEEP SHORT ACCOUNTS

KEEP A LONG MEMORY

KEEP A QUIET HABIT

Hear more on the podcast on how to keep on a spiritual growth track.

I refer to the God is Faithful party where we remember how God's been faithful in the past. Click HERE to get a list of all 25 Theme Gathering Ideas

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Amy is a speaker and writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries, the author of Exhale and Breaking Up with Perfect, and co-host of the Grit ‘n’ Grace podcast. She also serves other women who are called to speak through Next Step Coaching Services. She's been married to Barry for over 30 years and they have two grown sons and one daughter-in-love. 

She wrote her first book out of a deep conviction that her perfectionism was ruining her relationships and God needed to do a work in her heart and the book did that for her. Perfectionism is a sin and a burden, and Amy is incredibly grateful for God's great love that covers all our sin and gently invites us to grow more like His son, Jesus. 

Follow and find Amy's resources at amycarroll.org.

Amy's latest book is about one my favorite Bible characters, Esther:

Today we talk loneliness vs solitude—a topic as painful as it is shameful. No one wants to admit (out loud) they may have difficulty making friends, keeping friends, feeling loved with a full dance card every Friday and Saturday night, and lunch date on Wednesday. 

As one of the most extroverted people I know, I have still found myself lonely at times. I don’t like it. It’s a killing feeling. It’s different than solitude because it’s not by choice. And it sucks the joy out of life.

Look what Paul Tillich wrote:

"Language has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone."

We all need some solitude, some of you more than others. That’s the good, the positive part about being alone.

We need solitude so we can make our lists, to evaluate our accomplishments, to pray for our families, to read a good book, to get re-energized, to be still know that God loves us and to remember that God is in control. Yes, we do.

Jesus modeled that for us: stealing away from the crowds and even from his 12 best friends to be alone with His Father.

But solitude is not the same kind of aloneness as loneliness.

Loneliness is negative, solitude is necessary.

Loneliness can hit you in a crowded courtyard after church or surrounded by family or in a marriage, even a good marriage.

Listen today to hear what we can do when feeling isolated and alone. 

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When I host, it can be categorized as sanctified self-serving since sometimes I need company as much as the guests need to be my company. 

If you're wondering how to get started, here are 25 Theme Gathering Ideas to get your creative juices running. Email me if you have any questions. I believe I've done them all. 

Speaker, author, social media expert, Tonya Kubo, joins me today to talk about how we can choose to heal, get help and do life differently from how we're raised. Although Tonya's story may be different than ours—her mom was a hoarder til the day she died—we all have a past filled with mistakes, ours and others', and we all can choose to accept God's lavish grace to help us move forward, and do things differently for the kingdom and for our families. 

Tonya's business is marketing and social media, but it all comes down to connection. She says, "People are just people and human connection never goes out of style." She asks this great question in re: to how toxic social media can be: "How are to going to bring light to social media if you leave? You can't change things if you exit the conversation."

Tonya would love to share her "Family Blueprint" with you HERE. Learn how she and Brian have outlined what they want their family to be and how they use it as a guide to help them flourish as a couple as well as parents to their two young girls. 

You can connect with Tonya on all the socials. Join her free facebook group: The Secret to Thriving Facebook Communities To learn more about her services, go to tonyakubo.com.

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When asked, "What's the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied simply: "Love God, love your neighbor." I imagine He was thinking,"It's not rocket science" or "What's not to like?" or  "It's not complicated."

He was right, it's not complicated.

I make it complicated. I need to pray daily to uncomplicate what He says is best for me and best for others. So I wrote 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers, and once I pray them through, I start over again. 

You can too.

Sign up HERE to receive 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers to take the "complicated" out of the simple commands of Jesus. Love God. Love your neighbor. It's not complicated.

Lisa Lewis talks today about the need for growth and transformation and how using the Enneagram as a tool to help us change into a better likeness of Jesus. As the founder of Let Go, Lean In Podcast where Lisa focuses on women in leadership, she explains how knowing how God has wired us can help us get "un-stuck", get out from the comparison monster, and lean on Him to help us serve the many needs around us. 

We talk about what makes the Enneagram unique as a personality tool, how we can bless others by knowing ourselves better, and why that can be a great part of our legacy.

Lisa was one of my early guests on Living a Legacy and, you can listen to our first conversations here where she describes the legacy she is currently living:  Ep 24 "A Legacy of Connection and Ignoring the Naysayers in Your Head"

You may want to take advantage of a free first coaching opportunity, check it out here.

Lisa says:

• I’ve worked as a coach for 8 years.

Transformation takes investment of time and resources. You are worth it.

You can find Lisa and her resources here:

Letgoleaninpodcast

https://lisalewiscoaching.com

@lisa_lewis_coaching

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When asked, "What's the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied simply: "Love God, love your neighbor." I imagine He was thinking,"It's not rocket science" or "What's not to like?" or  "It's not complicated."

He was right, it's not complicated.

I make it complicated. I need to pray daily to uncomplicate what He says is best for me and best for others. So I wrote 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers, and once I pray them through, I start over again. 

You can too.

Sign up HERE to receive 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers to take the "complicated" out of the simple commands of Jesus. Love God. Love your neighbor. It's not complicated.

I first heard Cynthia Heald speak over 30 years ago and she made a difference in my relationship with God then and still and again, every time I go through one of her Bible Studies. She's wise, humble, and biblical and knows what it means to be "in process"—that's why she entitled her first book: "Becoming a Woman of Excellence" and went on to write many more in that series, "Becoming a Woman of Freedom...Prayer...Faith, and Whose God is Enough." We continue to "become" all who God wants us to be while earnestly seeking to stay connected to Him. 

Cynthia is still speaking to women today, and she wants to be known as a woman who loves God, loves His Word and keeps her hand in His. 

You can find Cynthia at: cynthiaheald.com

Her books are listed here and here.

Cynthia shares what she prayed at age 40, and how God showed her in the night that He was stretching our His hand for her to hold, and that has made all the difference. A life continuing to be well-lived, Cynthia continues to mentor and speak so that we can all become women of excellence.

She's holding a giveaway this week - comment to be entered to win a copy of her first book, Becoming a Woman of Excellence!

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At 18, Ruthie Kim took a risk: she left her quiet village in the UK for the noisy city of San Francisco because she heard God tell her to go show His love to people on the streets. She admits now she had a ton to learn and one thing she learned from personal experience is this: when we take a risk and step out of our comfort zone, that's when we unlock our God-given potential. She now teaches and coaches others to do the same. She doesn't want to leave anything on the table; to not live out all that God's given her to serve alongside of Him for His kingdom

I love that kind of surrender. I want to do the same: "Lord, show me what I'm missing. All great gifts are from You. I want to open them all, even the risky ones. Amen."

Ruthie Kim is an executive coach, an ordained minister, and a member of the teaching team at Reality SF church. She is a prophetically gifted and sought-after speaker and a relentless advocate for women and girls. 

Having grown up in the UK, Ruthie traded in the English countryside for the inner city of San Francisco, where she founded Because Justice Matters, an organization building pathways to brighter futures for women and girls in urban communities. Ruthie’s passion for unlocking potential led her into the world of executive coaching, where she now specializes in working with influential leaders at key moments of transition. 

Ruthie loves taking her rescue pup Callie for walks on the beach and hunting for travel deals to satisfy her desire to explore and experience new places. Ruthie’s life and work are greatly inspired and enriched by being a wife to Brian and mom to two boys.

Click here for information on GOLDEN, Ruthie's women's retreat in Maui in September, 2022. Register by July 4 for lower priced tickets.

Ruthie is offering her pdf of "Living in Pursuit of God: 20 Practices from 20 Years" for every listener. Click here for your copy.

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One way to love people is through food. You may not love cooking. This is for you: 

My Favorite Relaxing Recipes

They are simple. I only do simple. Enjoy and let me know if you make them. I like to say,

Make some, Eat some, Serve some, Freeze some

I also like to say,

Brownies are my love language.

Whatever the size and shape of my home, I want it to reflect Christ’s light and offer His peace. That can happen with dishes in the sink and laundry on the sofa.

If Jesus walked in my home today, I may caution, “Lord, mind Your step. I haven’t vacuumed recently.”  I hope I could add, “Jesus, come this way—see this treasure? You gave it to me. Peace, love, joy, contentment, all from and for You. All because you built my extraordinary home.”

Do you have a verse for your home? This one is a good one.

I miss out on God’s rare treasures of joy and delight, peace and daily wonders because of my clutter of:

• self-pity

I need time alone with my Master-Builder and Home-Designer on a daily basis—(so much better than Marie Kondo)—to help me clear the surfaces, repent again and again, and recover the joy and peace that comes with regular deep-cleaning.

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Do you need a Women's Event Speaker? Here's my information. Please pass it along and we will see what God does. Here you go.

Teacher, coach, podcaster and founder of Leading Better Together, Annie Perdue-Olson's mission is to help leaders get along. Sound simple? I don't think so. In fact, I think anyone could benefit from coaching from Annie Perdue-Olson—moms and dads, included. A fancy explanation is this: to equip ministry leaders to confidently address teh complex people dynamics that trip them up. 

Face it: when we get tripped up, it's usually because of people. Not everyone will admit that they are part of the problem. Annie comes from a place of compassion, intelligence and grace as she moves a tangled web of disagreements and conflict out into a place of freedom where groups and individuals use their God-given strengths to enlarge rather than diminish.

Based on her own experiences, she's felt God's calling to be the best friend she can be—to those closest to her as well as anyone she meets.

She's offering a free 27 minute clarification-call to see if she can be of service to you and your ministry. Sign up here: https://www.leadingbettertogether.com/about

Not everyone has close friends nor family but when we do get together with those we love or want to love better, I find it helps to ask questions.

Listening is a great part of hospitality. 

Summer is here and that means family reunions - sometimes with family you don't see often or know well.

A little gift for you this month:

Six questions you can ask to make your gathering the best ever!