Encouraging Words Change Relationships

Since I had not been valedictorian, I avoided the class. Instead, I took the summer course at my hometown community college. Summer classes are intense—three hours a night, three nights a week—covering a full semester’s work in a few weeks. Then I missed three days—nine hours—the equivalent of three weeks work (Yes, youth camp was more fun than summer school).

Continue ReadingEncouraging Words Change Relationships

A Simply Beautiful Word

by Pam Farrel in Leading Hearts Magazine

WE ALL WANT A SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL LIFE, RIGHT?

In my book, 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman: Success in Keeping It All Together, I share about my “Word of the Year” process that I have been doing since I was a college student.

Every year — yes, 40 years of selecting a “Word of the Year” to focus my walk with God. And it is not just one word; it is the myriad of things God has laid upon my heart to weave the word through my life so its impact can be maximized throughout the year.

It is not just one word; it is the myriad of things God has laid upon my heart to weave the word through my life so its impact can be maximized throughout the year.

(more…)

Continue ReadingA Simply Beautiful Word

Why Your Marriage Needs a Mentor

Look around and see who holds hands, who acts kind to one another, who opens the door, who prays for one another or for other couples.

by PAM FARREL in Leading Hearts magazine

LIFE IS MUCH EASIER WHEN YOU HAVE SOME HELP FROM THOSE WHO ARE FURTHER ALONG THE
TRAIL.

Their wisdom and insight will prove to be invaluable in your own journey together. Mentoring is becoming even more important as much of the population today comes from homes that experienced some kind of fractured family.

You may have never lived with both a mother and a father. How are you supposed to know what an intact family looks like? Who is going to model for you how to work through conflict if your own parents decided to abandon their marriage?

How do you find a mentor?

Look for a couple who has the love that you’d like to have. We have experienced many mentors: Bill and Tina, who equipped us while we were dating and engaged; Tom and Barbara, a couple we lived with to save to go to seminary and who simply modeled the daily habits that build a long-lasting love; Jim and Sally Conway, professors and authors who equipped us to balance marriage and ministry.

(more…)

Continue ReadingWhy Your Marriage Needs a Mentor

A Word that Fills My Online Presence with God

by Edie Melson@EdieMelson  in Leading Hearts Magazine

SOMETIMES, ONLINE INTERACTIONS CAN SEEM LIKE AN ENDEAVOR WITHOUT BOUNDARIES. And I’m a person who appreciates boundaries. With them, I’m not hampered by limitations; instead, I find they give my life definition. Choosing a word of the year helps me let God define my year before it even begins.

(more…)

Continue ReadingA Word that Fills My Online Presence with God

New Issue Sneak Peek: God Will Restore!

by Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith @DrDaltonSmith in Leading Hearts magazine

Over the past month, I’ve witnessed devastation come into the lives of many around me. Tornados stormed through the south leaving a wake of pain and loss. Fire completely consumed the possession of a local family, leaving them clinging to the memories of the past and uncertain about the future. Flood waters swept through, carrying away hope in its path. 

What these situations have in common is a feeling of having portions of your life consumed by circumstances beyond your control. They leave you looking back at all those years invested in building and planning with a longing to get back what has been taken from you. I empathize with those walking through this pain because I have experienced it. The circumstances may not be the same, but the feeling of emptiness, grief, and hopelessness are understood. 

I have stared at areas of my life languishing from the attack of the “creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust” (Joel 2:25, NASB) and wondered how God could ever restore these years. How can He give back what appears to be forever lost?

(more…)

Continue ReadingNew Issue Sneak Peek: God Will Restore!

Congrats Edie Melson for Your 1st Place LH Article at Carolina Christian Writers Conference: Read “Top Leadership Resources For 2019”

By Edie Melson ediemelson.com  in Leading Hearts magazine 

TOP LEADERSHIP RESOURCES FOR 2019 won First Place for Article if the Year at the Carolina Christian Writers Conference

I WAS EXCITED TO BE ASKED TO WRITE THIS ARTICLE. In my life as an author and ministry leader, I come across hundreds of resources that I love to share. Fortunately, before I let my enthusiasm run away with me, I took time to pray and ask God to weigh in on the best ones to mention. I expected Him to give me some insight into how to narrow the list down to five, but His answer left me reeling:

(more…)

Continue ReadingCongrats Edie Melson for Your 1st Place LH Article at Carolina Christian Writers Conference: Read “Top Leadership Resources For 2019”

10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known 10 Years Ago

If you find you are taking yourself for granted, belittling your self-worth, devaluing your potential, neglecting self-care, or self-sabotaging your happiness, today’s a great day to start believing these truths.

by Saundra Dalton-Smith @DrDaltonSmith in Leading Hearts Magazine

Around this time every year, I start reflecting on how my life is progressing. I wish I could say I’m always pleased with my self-evaluation.

Too often, I find myself utterly amazed at my ability to doubt, fear and regret. Instead of seeing the fruit I desire, I notice too much precious time spent striving and not enough time spent thriving. Too many moments focused on fighting back negative thoughts and too little spent on cultivating the truth.

The truth is timeless, but the time we spend outside of it has a profound effect on how deep our roots grow and how high we can reach. It doesn’t change. The truth remains stable throughout our ups and downs.

(more…)

Continue Reading10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known 10 Years Ago