Embrace Your Everyday podcast

Join this conversation with Leslie Hollowell. Hear how intentional living and the pattern of discipleship has shaped her life. Only God could have known that Leslie's road of singleness of 37 years along with working as an elementary school teacher for 10 of these years, would be the building blocks He used in her life to allow her the privilege of ministering and living life with teenage and coll...

Thank you, to you our listener, for joining us in this journey of 150 podcast episodes with companion blogs. This celebration invites us to hear Tim's favorite five episodes, my favorite five episodes and most importantly, YOUR favorites! What is your personal favorite? What would you like to hear more of? Thank you for being the reason we spend time writing, recording, editing, posting and sharin...

Recently a friend shared this encouragement on communication that focuses on the inner qualities of a person instead of their outer appearance. This is so important when practicing social skills , emotional intelligence and friendship development. Consider memorizing a few of these compliments. Or use these as prompts to create authentic, winning compliments that demonstrate that the receiver is b...

While preparing for preschool seems optional for the summer or the school year, it is vitally important. Don't waste the preschool years by limiting your little one to entertainment options. Maximize the season of learning that those early years bring. Preschool years are ripe learning years. Secondly, if you don't have a plan to keep the little ones busy, they will be underfoot when you are worki...

Speaking as a parent of a strong-willed child (SWC), I can communicate as one has been in the trenches. The wonderful part of this is that I can confirm that this child is likely intelligent and full of potential. While parenting this personality can be altogether demanding, frustrating and intensely maddening. It also gives you a front row seat to a highly driven, strong individual. Consider your...

My hope is that you have a wonderful relationship with your parents. My hope is that you are visiting them as frequently as you hope your own children will visit you when they are grown. We can agree that relationships take work. Our interaction with our parents or our children is no exception. Open, honest conversations lead to better relationships. When you do go to your parent's home for a visi...

Today's thoughts center around what to do with the stuff that represents life that has been lived, but is no longer used daily or on a regular basis. Life is a series of transitions. One of the inevitable changes is moving out of the home where you lived with your parents. Consider how many parents continue to live with their children's things long after the children are gone. The trap is created...

Since I was a young woman, I have worked with children. As I dearly love these young hearts, I am particularly attuned to the anger evident in so many of them. Sometimes the anger comes from a wounded place or a response to bullying. Other times it is the response to neglect or even an head injury. This podcast explores practical helps for the prevention and cure of anger in children. Yes, there i...

Anger in a child is a real response. While God holds each of us, even a child, responsible for his or her sin, God does hold parents 100% responsible for their actions which provoke a child to anger. Check out these 25 ways that a parent might provoke their child to anger. Loving my children well means that communication on this topic must remain open to self examination on this topic as well as o...

How is loneliness as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? For the last few years the topic of a loneliness epidemic has dominated much of the chatter in interpersonal news. This conversation has focused on healthy friendships. In life we often have to walk through the exploration of meeting a number of aquaintances in order to find true friends. This growth mindset might even lead us to look in...

Emotional health is vital to our physical and spiritual health. If shame is a reoccuring theme in my thoughts, it might be identified as a bully. Sometimes shame is a response to guilt, but recycling this toxic emotion once the situation has been dealt with is like an insistent bully. The four steps to respond to guilt allow forgiveness and new thinking. Explore shame in contrast to guilt along wi...

Parenting is hard work. The stages of childhood change rapidly. Before you realize it, it will be time to talk about dating. Approaching this subject with your child can be downright intimidating. Before you begin, know that today's dating culture is radically different from when you were a teen and young adult. Sexual promiscuity is rampant. Sexual identity, date rape, binge drinking, emotional c...

As the mom of two beautiful daughters the topic of beauty materializes often. This conversation is intended to validate the beauty in your daughter and mine. It is imperative that we speak to the dehumanizing of our daughters by the culture that they live in daily. What are the messages that they hear about beauty? What do they hear about their beauty? Dehumanizing deprives a woman of dignity, res...

As a rough water lifeguard and an eager health enthusiast, I completely support physical exercise being part of raising a whole child. However, I struggle with the emphasis on sports in today's youth culture. While sports is about fun and exercise, it's benefit can be much greater. More importantly, I think that playing recreational sports offers a platform to talk about how to respond when winnin...

Due to the financial strain people feel in the current economy, discussions about food cost occur more frequently than ever. Many rising costs offer us little options for keeping our funds in line with our earnings. However, food is one of those more flexible categories. Discover easy-to-implement ideas on saving without scissors on food costs.  More on FOOD: Meal Planning for One 5 Easy Ideas to...

Need more time? Looking for ideas to boost efficiency in your daily routines? Scrutinizing your everyday with the goal of more play time, more learning time or just more rest? Would you like less housework? Less time in the kitchen? Consider a few of these 10 hacks to gain more time in your everyday. More time management ideas: Morning Habits That Might Sabotage Your Day Speedy Kitchen Cleanup in...

If you're looking to be restored, renewed or refreshed the Women's Refuge at Vero Beach is a place of hope and healing. This refuge offers solutions for those desparate with emotional, physical, mental and spiritual woundedness through Biblical counseling and a live-in environment where hurting women can find healing. For women who feel trapped or stuck, they learn freedom through Christ at the Re...

Psychiatric nurse Donna Robart responded to the overwhelming invitation to be God's daughter.  For over 25 years her experience as a registered psychiatric nurse exposed her to the great need for the spiritual component of mental health healing. As a co-founder of the Women's Refuge in Vero Beach, Florida, Donna has made a measurable impact over the last 23 years as a passionate advocate for those...

Let's be honest, keeping a clean living space is hard. It is just plain work. Some of us love the process of cleaning just as much as the results. Others struggle to create the routines and rhythms to maintain their space daily and weekly and seasonally. In order to live this life well, we must determine easy, workable patterns to maintain our space. If you are married with a teammate, here are so...

This book offers inspiration for intentional homebuilding and custom built education. Discover easy, practical hacks for saving time and money in domestic ways. Identify the uniqueness in your child and create a custom plan that maximizes his or her potential. If you are in the trenches of parenting, this resource infuses courage as well as encouragement. Embrace intentional living in your home. F...

Who will be influenced by my life? Who will be influenced by your life? Who will be influenced by those you influence? Consider the roles that you play. Are you living as a strong influence in these roles? What might be preventing you from having the influence you desire? Woundedness? Fear? Insecurity? Habits? Selfishness? Jealousy? Need for apologies? Need for forgiveness? Explore the ways you mi...

Women are inundated with lies about God, about ourselves, about our marriage and about children. What are some of these lies? What are the truths needed to combat some of these lies? My beliefs represent my worldview. It is critical that I renew my mind with the truths that God reveals in His Word. Continually, I must identify toxic thinking and pursue healthy, truthful thinking. It is the every d...

Because I know God as my Father, I am confident in who I am in Him. His fondness of me is unfathomable, reliable and true. On any day when the vortex of the world threatens to vomit fear, despondency and panic, I still. Grabbing a front row somewhere in nature allows me to breathe deeply and remember my identity as a deeply loved child of God. These three lies and four truths offer deep insight. ...

The audible word of God is available for you and me anytime we desire to hear it. Truthfully, I read my Bible out loud even when I am by myself so that I can use more of my senses to fully take in His truths. So often when I read I am overwhelmed by God's love for me as well as His power as creator of the physical world I live in daily. Our Father God designed you and me for relationship with Him....

As I thought of the renewing season at the beginning of the year, I thought it best to consider sweet intentions. Considering areas of physical, spiritual and relational health offered delightful ways to practice gratitude and motivate new habits. Live the life you dream. More on this topic in the companion blog at www.nurturingmynest.com  This material is taken from the book Hum of the Home: Rout...