Author: Laurel
Welcome! I am a wife, proud mama of two adult daughters, writer, teacher, and a follower of Jesus who finds joy in mentoring and encouraging others to live passionate lives full of hope and purpose. A graduate of Idaho State University, I currently teach music at a private elementary school. I also lead a bible study group for moms of all ages, in all seasons of life.
Come join me in simply embracing this amazing gift called life!
I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy. What is the legacy I want to leave for generations to come? What will my children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren tell others about me? Will they talk about my laugh? Or how much I love to read? Maybe they will discuss my educational philosophy. Or my deep, abiding love for Hallmark movies. They might talk about how much I love popcorn. And classical piano. And Pitbull. More than anything, I hope they talk about my heart. I hope they remember me as kind and generous. That I was a woman of great faith.
During chapel time at school today we talked about kindness. The fourth-grade class leading chapel gave each of the other classes a random acts of kindness activity board and challenged the students to complete everything on it. Some of the activities include: sharpen someone’s pencil, hold the door for others, sit by someone new at lunch, give a nice compliment, and push in someone’s chair. Such a great idea! It is so important to teach kids to be kind. Our job as adults is to help them move from being selfish and self-focused to selfless and able to focus on
Isn’t it great when someone else just wants to be with you? No agenda, no ulterior motives. They just want to be with you because you’re you. Maybe there will be constant conversation. Maybe you will just share some quiet space together. There is such freedom in knowing that you can just be. No expectations. Perhaps it’s time to change the way we approach other people. Set aside plans. Toss out hidden agendas. Talk less and listen more. Seek to understand and then to be understood. Stop commenting on everything and trying to fix everyone. Just be together with hearts
Worry and I have quite a history together. We go all the way back to my earliest memories of childhood. We have shared many long hours in a variety of situations. Here are some things I’ve learned about Worry: Worry never travels alone. Fear, Doubt, and Insecurity are frequent companions. Panic often comes along, too. Things get pretty crowded when they all show up. Worry can be subtle at first. A fleeting thought. Just a tiny concern. But it can grow and take complete control in a heartbeat. That’s when things really start to get interesting. The temptation to say