Monday, February 27, 2017

Will You Trust God in Your Trials? — By Guest Author Yvonne Ortega

My guest today is Author and Breast Cancer Survivor Yvonne Ortega who suffered the loss of her adult son.

If you’re on earth, you’ll face trials, transitions, and temptations. Will you trust God when they come? Seven years ago, I returned home from work, placed dinner in the oven to heat, and checked my email. A friend, who knew my son, wrote, “I got the news about Brian. I am at a loss. I want to be here to help you in any way I can. . . My prayers are with you.”

What could have happened to my son? Was it a car accident or a work injury? I called her and said, “Hi, this is Yvonne, Brian’s mother. I just read your email. What news about Brian?

There was silence for a second or two. Then she said, “Don’t you know?”

“Know what? . . . What are you talking about?”
“He passed away two days ago.”

My knees shook, and my stomach felt uneasy. No, it can’t be true. He’s strong. He’s a black belt in karate and an excellent swimmer. He can’t be dead. The parents are supposed to die first, not the child.

I don’t remember what happened the rest of the evening. I must have been in shock. I cried and vomited most of the next day.

At the time, I felt overwhelmed with grief and wondered if I would recover. Given a choice I would have said, “Lord, take me home to heaven now.” However, the Lord didn’t give me the choice to die.

Yvonne Ortega holding the Bible
her son gave her.
Instead, the Lord gave me the opportunity to trust him, and he gave me peace, purpose, and power to get through the loss of my only child. I didn’t think peace was a possibility. But Psalm 29:11 NIV says, “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” I repeated that verse over and over. I reminded God that if he didn’t give me strength and peace, I wouldn’t have any. God was faithful, and he showered me with both.  

Yet I struggled with the thoughts and emotions common to a grieving person. I was still a mother, but my son was in heaven. He died before he married, and I would never be a grandmother. I cried when I read Proverbs 17:6 NIV: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” I would never experience that Bible verse, much less carry a grandma’s brag book to show off my beautiful grandchildren.

The grief process is neither quick nor easy, and the holidays can be challenging. In the past, I stretched on the floor face down in tears and asked God to let good come from the loss of two aunts, my mother, and my only child. They had all passed away within weeks of one another. Other times, I curled up in a fetal position on the floor and cried. I prayed day and night, read the Bible daily, and journaled. I also played praise and worship music.

I wondered what purpose I would serve on earth. I had written my first book when my two aunts, my mother, and my son were alive. I never dreamed God would allow me to write a second and a third book, six and seven years consecutively after my losses. I never imagined that God would inspire me to write a fourth one, Moving from Broken to Beautiful® through Grief, which will come out in 2017. God is not stingy, and he also empowered me to become not only a multiple-book author but also a professional speaker and a speaking coach.

God heard every prayer of mine and comforted me. He will do the same for you. God loves you with an everlasting love. I don’t know what challenge or life transition you face, but God does. Your loving heavenly Father longs to hear from you, his dear child, and give you strength and peace. He will never leave you or forsake you. God will give you all you need to move forward in life.

You live in an imperfect world with imperfect people, but nothing is too difficult for God. Whatever the devil tries to use to discourage, distract, or defeat you, God can use for good in your life and the lives of others. Just give him a chance.

I encourage you to sit in a quiet spot today with your Bible, paper, and pen. Talk to God and allow time for him to talk to you. Do this daily and listen with all your heart and soul. God will uncover his plan for you in his perfect time.

God bless you richly as you trust him.

Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega January 25, 2017
About Author Yvonne Ortega

Yvonne Ortega is a bilingual speaker, author, speaking coach, Licensed Professional Counselor, and cancer survivor. Her books include Moving from Broken to Beautiful® through Forgiveness, Moving from Broken to Beautiful: 9 Life Lessons to Help You Move Forward, and Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer.

Purchase Links to Yvonne’s Books


Moving from Broken to Beautiful® through Forgiveness


Moving from Broken to Beautiful: 9 Life Lessons to Help You Move Forward


Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer


Yvonne Ortega’s Social Media Links


Website and Blog: www.yvonneortega.com






Friday, February 24, 2017

DEVELOPING A LOVE FOR DEVOTIONS IN YOUR KIDS – by Guest Author Karen Whiting

My guest today is friend and fellow author Karen Whiting, whose books are full of great advice in raising children. Welcome, Karen.

BEST THING WE DID FOR OUR KIDS--by Karen Whiting.

My five children are grown and now I enjoy 12 grandchildren, including two adopted as tweens and teens. Looking back I realize the best thing we did for our family was family devotions. We started when the children were tiny tots. We combined a variety of activities with scriptures for hands on fun, and to make scriptures more memorable.

My husband served in the Coast Guard for 22 years, and that often meant doing devotions while he spent time at sea. We
Author Karen Whiting
bought two copies of any devotional books so he could keep up with us and often recorded our devotions and sent them to him. These days it is possible for families to do devotions online, depending on time zone and whether a ship is able to communicate (sometimes they are on radio silence).


The benefits go beyond sharing faith and bonding with being together. It lays a Biblical worldview and helps them know Jesus and that’s fabulous. It also develops cognitive skills of a larger vocabulary and reading comprehension. It helped our children think critically as we discussed Bible stories and passages. It helped shape their character and decision making skills as we reflected on the people in the Bible and choices they made.

⇓⇚⇚⇐ Scroll down on left-hand bar for
link to purchase this book.Christine
⇓   Lindsay is an Amazon Affiliate, and
⇓         thanks you for your patronage.
We also made the time fun. We read about starry nights and Jesus talking about signs in the sky, and then as a family we’d watched the night sky. We read about yeast and then did experiments using yeast. We acted out some of the stories.



Christine asked me to share a little of what you’ll find to do in my new book, 52 Weekly Devotions for Busy Families. First, it’s full of choices and you can choose to do just one or two things in a busy week, or lots of activities in a week where the calendar is more open.


  • Each week focuses on a theme stated in a Family Beatitude, such as Happy is the Family who invests time in one another,  they will feel accepted.
  • That week the theme is T-I-M-E spells love. There is one story of real children and 3-4 activity choices, such as checking out optical illusions or investigating bugs to help overcome fears.
  • A Bible story connections section suggests a scripture passage to read and discuss related to the theme.
  • Four chat prompts provide scriptures with discussion ideas to help apply the theme in everyday life.
  • Then, there are some drawing prompts to fill in a scrapbook each week.
  • So, a week on fresh starts and forgiveness suggests drawing bubbles and writing about clean starts and drawing open hearts to rill with encouraging words. At the end of the year a family will have a spiritual memory book.
Make it family time. If you have a variety of ages like me (14 years from youngest to oldest), have the older ones help lead the study at times and make sure to pause and explain words a child may not understand. Enjoy the story and use it to think of similar stories from your own lives. End time together with a walk or a dessert or snack where you can continue talking. Use a wall map of Israel and the Middle East to show where events took place.

Bringing in an older adopted child can be challenging, especially if they don’t have a relationship with Christ already. Ease them in with a few simple activities and a verse. You might want to start with doing something a few times a month rather than weekly. Choose what will fit your family’s needs.

ABOUT AUTHOR Karen Whiting

Karen Whiting at Hershey's Event
www.karenwhiting.com is an international speaker, former television host, and author of 23 books. She heads to China soon to work with youth there. Two of her sons are rocket scientists who tot their start with devotions.

facebook.com/FamilyFaithandFood/
Twitter: @KarenHWhiting
pinterest.com/KarenWhiting/



Scroll down on the left-hand bar to find Kindle link to Karen's excellent parenting book on Family Devotions.
⇓ 

Monday, February 20, 2017

RETURN THE CHILD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE--by Guest Author Carol Graham

My guest today is author Carol Graham who shares her heartbreaking story of adopting a baby only to have the birth-parents take him back. As a birth-mother I find Carol's story as an adoptive mom so similar to what I felt. Losing a child in any way tears the soul out of a person. (Christine).

Our Beautiful Baby by Carol Graham
A year had passed since we adopted Seth at three days old.  When the phone rang that morning, I had no reason to suspect anything unusual.  My husband, Paul, answered; and as I watched the expression on his face change rapidly, I did not like what I was observing.  He called me over to him to share the receiver.

“I am getting pressure from my parents to raise my son and so I am going to have to get him back.  We are prepared to hire an attorney if we need to and you know you will not win.”  The words had been rehearsed and seemed so easy for her to say.  A couple sentences, that's all it was -- a couple sentences that tore our hearts out.

“I'm afraid you don't really have a choice,” our lawyer informed us.  The law was clear.  If we chose to fight it, there would only be more pain and great expense.  “I will set it up for you so that you can return the child as soon as possible”. 

RETURN THE CHILD as soon as possible.  I screamed on the inside.  I cried on the outside.  No, this just can't be happening.  We loved Seth.  He was ours.  Again, the bottom of my world dropped out from under me.  I loved him and cared for him. He was part of our family for a whole year.  I could not imagine life without him.  I was his mommy.  How could she do this to us?  How could she possibly love him like we did?  What about Seth?  He would be torn from his parents, his home.  Surely he would feel the rejection.

We considered all our options and realized we had no choice – short of running away to a foreign country and hiding.  He had to go back.  Paul reluctantly dialed her number and made the arrangements to meet us at the airport.  I methodically packed our son’s things; his favorite toys, his clothes, his blankie. Tears dripped on everything as I placed them gently into a small bag.  The hole in my heart was getting bigger by the second.  I didn’t know I could hurt this much.  Even past hurts had not prepared me for the pain of relinquishing my son to someone who had not wanted him!  But we had no choice.  Return the child.  Give him back.

I watched from a distance as Paul handed him to her.  It was in slow motion.  I watched his hands leave the child as he lifted our son into her arms.  He was handing my son to a stranger.  I wanted to run and grab him but I was glued to the floor.  I felt petrified.  I thought I was either going to faint or throw up.  My hand fluttered to my mouth for a moment fearing I might scream out.  How could I go on?  Where would I get the strength?  This just could not be happening.   It had to be a dream and tomorrow I would wake up and everything would be normal again.

I could only imagine how empty Paul felt.  He had loved his son deeply.  We didn't speak about this much over the years as it was just too painful.  To this day, Paul carries Seth's picture in his wallet even though we have never seen him since the day he placed our little boy in the mother's arms. 

It does not matter how you lose a child, the impact and grief are similar.  When someone says it feels like their heart was in their throat, that is accurate.  My heart became so heavy it felt like there wasn't room in my chest cavity to hold it.  The heaviness moved to my throat and even my extremities, weakening my entire body.  I was fearful that my heart would implode, exploding on the inside from pressure, and yet wondered if that would bring some relief to the overwhelming state of heartbreak. 

My loss consumed my thoughts.  Even when I was not thinking about it specifically, something would trigger a memory and the initial impact was felt once again.  In the months that followed, every time I saw a new baby or watched a child playing, I would cry.  I could not go down the aisle in the grocery store that sold baby food without breaking down.  Every time the telephone rang, I was hoping it was her saying she had changed her mind.  Days turned into weeks, then months, then years.  I’ll never forget our little boy. 
God knows the beginning and ending and gives us the strength to endure whatever comes our way.  Only God can heal the hurt and restore what has been stolen from us.  A few years later we adopted another baby who has since given us three grandchildren.

Carol Graham is an award-winning author of "Battered Hope," talk show host for her bi-weekly show “Never Ever Give Up Hope,” international keynote speaker, jewelry store owner and a certified health coach.  Carol has five grandchildren and has rescued over 30 dogs.  Her goal is to share hope and encouragement.


View Book Trailer for Battered Hope, Click HERE

CONNECT WITH AUTHOR CAROL GRAHAM


Here is the link to purchase Battered Hope on Amazon:

AMAZON:  MEMOIR - http://amzn.to/1wEwEsN

Friday, February 17, 2017

Help This Author Give Aid to Needy Women and Children


A father-less child in North Korea, one of the many children
receiving aid through Global Aid Network
The braided memoir Finding Sarah Finding Me on Adoption is the heart work of many individuals. Below, is the Introduction to this memoir by William Blaney, Executive Director of Global Aid Network. Following that is an excerpt from the memoir that shares the secret of why Christine Lindsay is giving ALL royalties from this book to this mission organization.

Introduction to Finding Sarah Finding Me by William Blaney, Executive Director of Global Aid Network.

I have been told that one in three people’s lives have been touched by adoption. That would certainly be true for our family. Our lives have been so blessed by our daughter-in-law Sarah, who was adopted and is part of the journey shared in Finding Sarah, Finding Me. Sarah and my son Mark are the parents of two of our grandchildren. You see, these precious grandchildren would not have been possible had Christine decided to abort Sarah. Sarah’s positive impact on so many lives through her love and devotion to God and people would have been lost, and that would have been a tragedy.

As Executive Director of Global Aid Network (GAiN) Canada, I greatly value Sarah and Mark’s passion to relieve suffering and to practically demonstrate God’s love, in word and deed, to hurting and needy people around the world. Their chosen profession as registered nurses allows them to touch the lives of so many people. As of the writing of this book, Sarah is on maternity leave from her job as Project Manager for GAiN’s Women’s and Children’s programs, which focus primarily on working with orphans and fatherless children.

My wife Susan and I have known about Sarah’s adoption story since shortly after she and Mark began dating as teenagers. We fell in love with Sarah. It was just before Sarah and Mark were married that Christine reached out to Hans and Anne, Sarah’s adoptive parents, to see if they would allow Sarah and Christine to meet. This book chronicles this journey. It is a journey with many peaks and valleys, of great joy and fulfilled hope. It is a complex journey, but one that has touched the lives of so many people. For life is God’s gift to us. Decisions we make will impact our life’s journey, and sometimes these outcomes appear to be all but hopeless. But joy awaits those who stay the course. Finding Sarah, Finding Me chronicles two lives and decisions made that resulted in incredible joy in this journey we call life.

Being adopted has not solely defined Sarah. Her adoption story, rather, is only one facet of her life. As you read Finding Sarah, Finding Me, you will see that adoption does not solely define Christine either, or Anne and Hans, Sarah’s adoptive parents. Their story is really about God’s ever-guiding hand on each of their lives to achieve His purposes. It is, in the truest sense, a love story. We serve an amazing God who actually uses you and me—who make poor decisions, are weak, broken, and hurting—to touch the lives of so many people. Our lives are a testimony to others walking the same journey, for God brings light in the midst of our darkness, hope in our hopelessness.

I feel privileged to be part of Sarah and Christine’s story, and to offer my thoughts on this work. Christine, having become aware of the work of GAiN through Sarah, has shared with me that she could not accept payment this story that is so precious to her. In the serendipitous manner that God worked in her story of finding her birth-daughter Sarah and thereby herself, Christine has arranged for 100% of author royalties to be donated to the Women and Children’s Initiative with GAiN. These royalties will be used to bring hope and joy to the women and children we are privileged to touch with Christ’s love, thus bringing these lives into God’s story for Sarah and Christine.
I know that you will be deeply touched by this love story. If you know someone who is on a similar journey, please share this book with them. For God uses each of our stories in His great redemptive story, to bring hope and a new day to those He has brought into our lives for that purpose.

Learn more about supporting Global Aid Network, HERE


And now, read the scene where God answers Christine’s prayer after 33 years, the secret in Finding Sarah Finding Me, and why Christine will give ALL her royalties to the Women and Children’s Initiative.

Excerpt from Finding Sarah Finding Me by Christine Lindsay

While in India I rode the same railways, walked in the footsteps of some of my favorite real-life missionaries from the turn of the twentieth century. Though I didn’t visit the part of India where Pandita Ramabai built her Mukti mission, I’ve written a portion of my book to feature the ministry begun by that vibrant Indian Christian so many years ago. In this novel the romance of India acts as a backdrop for another spiritual lesson that I’ve learned—dying to one’s own agenda.

One of my fictional Indian characters, Eshana, is the metaphor for this principle by portraying the same relinquishment (or death to my own agenda) that I’ve learned. It’s my prayer that when I go through any future sorrow that I will have the faith and courage of Eshana when she says in my novel, “I will sing your praises, Lord. Though you have dressed me in funeral clothes, I will sing your praises with joy.”

I’m in the midst of working on the final chapters of Captured by Moonlight when Sarah and Mark phone, happiness brimming in their voices. They’re planning to visit us and share some news.

A few days later I greet Sarah and Mark in our small front foyer and exchange hugs. The hugs from both of them are as warm and genuine as mine when I reach up to embrace them. I recognize the feel of their touch in the same way I recognize my favorite rose when it blooms each June in my garden. Though I only see it for a season, I know its fragrance well, and I know its needs. 

I lead them into the living room where a square dance of sorts begins with more hugging between them and David and Lana and James, and I note Mark and Sarah have hardly changed since their wedding thirteen years ago. Both are exceptional ER nurses in the States and remain tall and slender in their builds, and Sarah still looks every bit twenty-years-old rather than her thirty-three.

As the square dance of hugging ebbs, conversations erupt with the same noisy din that flavors all my children’s gatherings. James and Mark are yacking up a storm as they sit close together at the ends of two different sofas, and Lana and Sarah are chatting just as vigorously from the far ends of the room. David beams as he interjects jokes into the two different conversations. In the kitchen nearby, I listen as I put a tray of drinks together, not needing to add a word. I glow on the inside like the gentle June sunshine on my rose garden, though I hope none of my old maternal neediness for Sarah shows. Nice and easy does it, I remind myself.

Once I’m satisfied everyone’s comfortable and has a glass of something cold, I catch Sarah’s eye and smile. “Are you going to tell us about your plans?”

Sarah’s eyes smile as she sends me a brisk nod. The eruption of chatter in the room simmers down.

Together Mark and Sarah share their desire to work full time with Global Aid Network and present the mission as the rest of us listen intently. Their voices ring with energy as they explain how they’re not going out like traditional missionaries to live on the foreign field but will do the administrative work here in Canada and fly to various parts of the world frequently throughout the year. In a medical capacity they will maintain standards for the care of widows and orphans in developing countries. If they receive enough pledges for financial support, they’ll start with Sarah working for GAiN first, and Mark will follow.

A flash of that poor woman I used to identify with passes before my eyes. She, sitting in the dust, hungry, forgotten, and holding out her baby, fills me with sadness. But here, with God’s help, there is hope that poor woman will find the same joy and peace as I have found.

Sarah edges forward on the sofa, her eyes bright, as if she’s leaning as far into our family clutch as possible. My soul dances that she’s finally becoming the missionary nurse she’s always dreamed of being. Here too is God’s work in a relinquished life, when God is allowed to work through the DNA of the person he’s created.

I watch her excitement as she and Mark discuss which video to load on our TV so we can see the orphanages around the world that she’ll be working with. I sense her inability to remain static a moment longer as she leaves the polite constriction of the sofa and perches on her knees between the fireplace and TV. Her hands flutter through the presentation materials to choose which DVD is best. Her smile comes so readily, and a growing exhilaration sparks in me. She’s making herself at home…in my home, with not a hint of reserve as the short film begins.

Still on her knees, she rests back on her haunches but leans up and forward each time she points out something on the TV. She settles back with a smile to watch the slides of children and outlines how GAiN’s Women and Children’s ministry works in partnership with other organizations. And I catch a new understanding in her tone. She knows that we care about her service to God not just because this is such a worthy missionary undertaking but because we are family.

Whenever her open gaze connects with mine, something fizzes along my bloodstream. I know her. The pixels of that ghostly image of a girl I met at the reunion in 1999 have developed before my eyes. Just as it says in 1 Corinthians 13, for a long time we could see each other in a mirror dimly, but now we are seeing each other face-to-face. Right now, Sarah and I still only know each other in part, but one day I will know Sarah fully as I also will be fully known to her. The same for all of us when we get to heaven, to be known and loved by God, and by one another.

“I’ll be working with orphanages in Taiwan, Vietnam, and Haiti, to name a few,” Sarah adds with raised brows and a happy exhale. “And the Ramabai Mukti Mission in India.”

Pandita Ramabai and her daughter,
Ramabai is the founder of Mukti
mission in India, the same mission God
used to draw the hearts of Christine
and Sarah together.
That fizzing in my bloodstream rises up like a geyser in my chest. While she goes on to explain her goal to defend the rights of the fatherless and the weak and the poor, I push out a breath in a rush of adrenaline, and give one loud clap of my hands and laugh.

Sarah looks at me with a little grin, a half-knowing look in her eyes. “I think I remember now. You know about the Mukti, don’t you?”
“Yes.” My pulse leaps like a hysterical rabbit. “I’ve been interested in that mission for years. In fact, a portion of the book I’m currently writing features the Mukti.”

She gives me a wide, uninhibited smile, complete with the shared knowledge that God has entwined both of our callings—me as a writer and her as a nurse—for this one shining moment in time, upon this one mission in India…of all the missions in all the world.

That bond with Sarah I have wanted for so long is here at last. Not the bond of mother and babe that I lost and strove to get back. This bond is brand new for us, but it resembles to a smaller extent the bond I share with my other children, that shared interest in what God is growing in them. My maternal love for Sarah that I’ve never known what to do with now has an avenue to flow upon, just as it does for Lana, Kyle, and Robert.

Purchase links for Finding Sarah Finding Me

Sometimes it is only through giving up our hearts that we learn to trust the Lord.

Adoption. It’s something that touches one in three people today, a word that will conjure different emotions in those people touched by it. A word that might represent the greatest hope…the greatest question…the greatest sacrifice. 

But most of all, it’s a word that represents God’s immense love for his people.

Join birth mother Christine Lindsay as she shares the heartaches, hopes, and epiphanies of her journey to reunion with the daughter she gave up...and to understanding her true identity in Christ along the way. Through her story and glimpses into the lives of other families in the adoption triad, readers will see the beauty of our broken families, broken hearts, and broken dreams when we entrust them to our loving God.

Click HERE to read Chapter 1 of Finding Sarah Finding Me



Monday, February 13, 2017

TENDING HEARTS IN SINGLE MOTHERHOOD--by Guest Author Karen Jurgens


Guest Author Karen Jurgens
with her daughters after her divorce
Let's be honest—going through a divorce isn’t easy. But no matter how difficult, don’t forget that your children may be suffering. To minister as the parental caregiver, it's crucial to remember to first care for yourself. Just as on a flight where adults secure their oxygen masks before helping children, it’s the same after divorce.

Here are some points to help you along that journey.

Step One: Tend your spiritual life.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4, NASB).
Guest Author Karen Jurgens
When I catapulted into a new life of singlehood, a personal relationship with Jesus became my lifeline. He was more than my Redeemer and Friend—He became my spiritual husband. My car was a prayer chapel to and from work where I discussed everything with Him, just as though He were sitting next to me. When I fell into bed exhausted at the end of a long day, He talked to me out of His Word, speaking from passages wherever my bible fell open. I meditated on those scriptures and memorized them. He filled me with His strength, giving me hope for tomorrow. Each day brightened a shade, and I began to climb out of my deep well of grief.

Step Two: Surround yourself with adults who can offer support.


As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10, NASB).

Karen's daughters with Nana.
When my stay-at-home status changed overnight, I dusted off my teaching certificate after a nine-year absence. Securing a support system at home so I could handle a new job was a key ingredient, while keeping my children stable in their world. Fortunately, my parents lived nearby, so I was blessed to recruit them. I am forever grateful for their provision of stability and love for the girls, in addition to my peace of mind.

Step Three: Begin a new life.

A joyful heart is good medicine... (Proverbs 17:22a).
  • Playing school with Papa, Karen Jurgens's
    father.
    Looking back, I can see how having a job was a blessing in disguise. Although I felt overwhelmed at the time, God used it as part of my healing process. Teaching, grading papers, and learning computer software programs kept my mind busy from the moment I awoke until I fell asleep. Little time was left over to feel sorry for myself—no time left to attend pity parties at the Broken Hearts Club.
  • Making a new set of friends also provided comfort. Singles groups in my church supplied opportunities for meeting new people and attending social activities. Laughter and pleasant adult company helped heal my heart.
  • But what about the kids? In a single family, ministering to them is worth every bit of effort it takes. Providing a feeling of security and love is of paramount importance.

Step Four: Communication.

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6, NASB).

  • Karen Jurgens's daughters at church.
    Regular church attendance and bedtime prayers were the most important routines I established. Every night we would gather on my bed to read the bible. We prayed aloud for each other and memorized scriptures together. These activities formed the foundation of the girls’ relationship and walk with Jesus. Any time one of them started to wander during their teenage years, their training in the Word always brought them back on the path of righteousness.
  • Keep communication lines open by helping with homework, attending school and community activities, or playing a board or card game your child enjoys. Regular dinner time around the table is also a great opportunity for sharing about everyone’s day to celebrate the good things as well as to console any hurts.

Step Five:  Create a safe and secure environment.

My dad’s favorite saying: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
  • Karen Jurgens's daughters in 2017
    Encourage positive words for little ears. No criticizing the other parent! Just pleasant, wholesome words that will nurture love for both parents.
  • Create a safe bridge of custodial visitation your child can cross in both directions. It’s not easy to live in two homes with two different sets of rules and expectations. Reassure children by continuing familiar routines with comforting belongings at both places, thus minimizing confusion and upset.
  • Pet adoption is a good way to bring comfort to a child’s heart. Loving and caring for our poodle Babette filled our hearts with love, comforting our entire family, and it taught the girls responsibility.

A road with fresh adventures and new relationships await you with every sunrise. May you and your children be blessed on this journey with good health, peace, and the joy of the Lord.

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

ABOUT AUTHOR KAREN JURGENS

Karen Jurgens, a Cincinnati native, has been a Texan transplant for thirty years and counting. Since retiring from teaching, she has begun a new career as an author, blogger, and speaker within the context of Christian ministry. She blogs about scriptural answers to life’s trials at Touched by Him Ministries.
LINKS FOR KAREN JURGENS:
Blogs:
Touched by Him Ministries 
Writing Prompts blog
Heartwings Blog
Twitter
Facebook Author page
Amazon Author page
Desire’s Promise Link to Purchase