Families With Grace

Helping Christian moms create homes filled with grace, love & faith

50 Conversation starters for your family

Improve your bond with these family conversation starters!

Finding time and ways to connect with our family and improve our bond is important. Whether you’re sitting at the dinner table, in the car or lounging on the couch, sometimes you need conversation starters for your family to get everyone talking.

50 Conversation Starters for Families Pinterest image 5

We do a monthly check-in night with each of our children about what is going on in their lives. My kids tease me that I always have questions for them, and they end up talking when they didn’t think they had anything to say! That’s the power of good questions. As a journalist, I know the importance of asking good questions. I’ve carried that over into my family life.

For our family, we’ve found that once the conversation gets going, we usually have follow-up questions and keep chatting away. Having some conversation starters for your family to kick off with can get the flow started.

Fun family conversation starters

One of the easiest ways to kick off family conversation is with fun topics and questions. These questions are fun to answer. I am often surprised at my family’s responses to questions like these. And they usually spark some friendly debate as well!

  1. What superhero power would you choose and why? (Bonus: what is your superhero name?)
  2. Share one of your most embarrassing moments.
  3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
  4. Which historical figure would you most like to have dinner with? What would you talk about with them?
  5. What three items would you take with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?
  6. If you created your own ice cream flavor, what would it be and what ingredients would you use? (Bonus: name the flavor!)
  7. Which animal would you choose to be for a day? Why?
  8. Share your favorite family vacation memory.
  9. What kind of robot would you create to help you? Why?
  10. Tell a silly joke you’ve heard recently that made you laugh.

Daily dinner table conversation starters

Though any of these conversation starters for your family can be used at the dinner table, these questions in particular are great for connecting with each other daily. Work them into your regular dinner table conversation to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in each other’s lives.

  1. What was your favorite part of the day today?
  2. What was the most challenging part of your day? How did you handle it?
  3. Share something that made you laugh or smile today.
  4. Did you learn anything new today or recently that surprised you? What was it?
  5. How are you feeling emotionally today? Do you have anything you’d like to talk about?
  6. What upcoming activity or event are you looking forward to? Why?
  7. Who made your life easier today? How?
  8. Name three things you’re grateful for today.
  9. What did you accomplish today that makes you feel proud?
  10. Is there something you’re struggling with today? How can we help you?

Family conversation starters with young children

Family conversations don’t have to wait until your kids are tweens and teens. These conversation starters for your family work for even the youngest family members who can talk!

  1. What is your favorite toy right now?
  2. If you could have any animal as a pet, which one would you pick? Why?
  3. Sing a song you know. (Bonus: add in dance moves!)
  4. What’s your favorite food? What’s your least favorite food?
  5. If you could make up a new holiday, what would it be? How would you celebrate it?
  6. What do you like to do when you have free time?
  7. Come up with an idea for a new toy and how it would work.
  8. Which book character would you want to hang out with in real life?
  9. Share about someone who was nice to you recently and how they were nice.
  10. What is something that always makes you feel happy?

Deep questions about family

Of course, there are some times that you want to go deeper with your conversations. These deeper questions work well during one-on-one time with your children or serious talks. You can make them part of a family meeting once a month or whatever works best for you.

While I always want to have fun with my children, I also want us to be able to talk about deeper emotions and challenges together. In order to make that happen, we have to be intentional.

  1. How do you feel our family cares for each other during challenging times? What can we do to improve that even more?
  2. What is your favorite family ritual or tradition we have? Why do you enjoy it?
  3. In what ways do you think our family communicates well? How can we improve our communication?
  4. Are there any unresolved conflicts or issues within our family that you think we need to address?
  5. How do you feel about the roles and responsibilities within our family? Are there any adjustments or changes you would suggest?
  6. What can our family do together to make an impact on the world?
  7. If you were the parents in our family, what would you do the same? What would you do differently?
  8. Share your hopes for our family for the next year.
  9. Tell each family member one character trait you most admire or appreciate about them.
  10. Are there any routines or activities that aren’t working so well right now and we need to address? If not, what is working well that you enjoy?

Faith conversation starters

Finally, as a Christian family, you want to connect about your faith. I have been surprised at the depth of faith conversations our family has had with our children. They have great insights and questions. Use these faith conversation starters any time or work them into your regular family devotional time.

  1. Who is one of your favorite people in the Bible? Why?
  2. How do you spend time with God regularly?
  3. What are some ways our family can share our faith with those around us?
  4. What Bible story do you enjoy most?
  5. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, share it and why it’s your favorite. If not, share a Bible verse you remember and what it says to you.
  6. How does your relationship with God impact your daily life?
  7. What three questions would you ask God right now if you could?
  8. How can we worship God together as a family?
  9. What’s one of your favorite hymns or worship songs? What do you like about it?
  10. In what ways can we show God’s love and compassion to those who believe differently than we do?

Download a free PDF with a list of all these questions!

Download a free PDF of the 50 conversation starters for families

Summer fun ideas for families

70 Summer family activities to do at home

Ah, summertime. The warmer temperatures. Children happily playing outside while adults sip lemonade in the shade. Wait. What?! That’s not how it goes. If your family is anything like mine, it’s a precarious balance between planned activities, downtime and pesky things like work and chores. And that’s not even including the mom guilt that kicks in during summer break.

70 Summer Family Fun Activities to Do At Home Pinterest Image

But you don’t have to make every moment of summer break Instagram fabulous to make good family memories. Lots of summer fun ideas for families are easy to pull off and create fabulous memories for your entire family.

Whether you’re looking for rainy day activities for families, outdoor family fun activities or a mix of both, we’ve got you covered!

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support my blog. Thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

Outdoor summer fun ideas for families

One of the great things about summer is beautiful weather. For those of us here in the Midwest, we enjoy the warmer days that aren’t too humid and hot to be outside. Check your local weather forecast and figure out when these outdoor summer fun ideas will work best for your family. Don’t forget that mornings and evenings can be great for being outside, even on blazing summer days.

Launch rockets

From rockets you stomp on for smaller kiddos to building rockets for older kiddos, this can be a great summer family activity that works in some science to boot!

Stomp rocket for younger children
Set of two rockets, Estes Tandem-X Launch set
Dinosaur rocket launcher
National Geographic Light-Up Sky Rockets

Water toys

Nothing says summer family fun more than cooling down outside with water. You can have a blast as a family with water toys. Be sure to leave some towels by your door for when you go back inside all wet! We usually follow up water play outside with showers, PJs and a movie.

Twister Splash game
350 rapid-fill water balloons from Zuru Bunch O Balloon
Nerf Super Soaker Toss 'N Splash Cornhole set
Extra large splash pad at 90.5 inches or 7.5 feet
Octopus sprinkler
3-pack water guns

Family yard games

Playing games as a family is always fun. We love tabletop games year-round, but summertime is the perfect time to get outside for some fun. Whether your looking for traditional field day activities or a classic croquet set, these yard games are terrific summer fun ideas for families!

Giant Sorry! game to play outside
Find and seek scavenger hunt card game to play outside (or inside)
Glow in the dark outdoor lawn darts with soft tips
Outdoor ring toss game
Beanbag toss game
237 Minute Challenges

Sporty summer family fun activities

If there’s one way to encourage kiddos (and adults!) to be more active, it’s by playing a game. These sporty games and activities are a great way for your family to have fun this summer as well as get in some cardio!

Obstacle course in a box
Light-up capture the flag game
Laser tag is a great summer fun idea for families
Pop, pass, catch ball game for families

Indoor summer fun ideas for families

These family fun indoor activities will keep your family entertained and having fun inside when it’s too hot to be outside. They’re also perfect rainy day activities for families and really can work any time of year. Who said you have to be outside all the time to have fun?

Educational and fun STEAM toys

Learning doesn’t sound super fun over summer break, but these STEAM toys are actually fun for the family. And they help your kiddos hone things like problem-solving skills, physics concepts and more.

60-piece set of magnet building tiles are great indoor family fun
Snap Circuits' Junior electronics exploration kit
National Geographic Earth Science kit
National Geographic mega magic set with more than 75 magic tricks
National Geographic Stunning Science chemistry set
Lego City Express Passenger Train Set, remote-controlled toy
K'Nex 3-in-1 classic amusement park building set
ThinkFun Freefall marble maze game
Bio Chem Creatures STEAM Lab Kit from Klutz
Circuit Blox Glowing LED FM Radio building kit
Melissa and Doug cardboard building blocks
Magna-Tiles Builder Magnetic Construction Set

Imaginative play toys

Most family have a decent amount of toys around for imaginative play, but adding some new ones to the mix can turn into a great family fun indoor activity. Imaginative play is not only good for our kiddos’ brains, but it also gives your family a chance to interact together in new and different ways. Take time to play!

Melissa and Doug Super Smile Dentist Kit Play Set
StikBots posable action figures set of 6
Coastal Living building blocks miniature house kit
Supermarket cash register toy with scanner, play money, pretend credit card and play food
Dinosaur play mat with dinosaurs and trees
A set of dinosaurs, farm animals and ocean animals
Teacher role play set from Ben Franklin Toys
Vet clinic and doctor kit with pet carrier and pets

Care for living things

Without springing for a new puppy, you can still have a great time this summer taking care of living things with your kiddos. From plants to easy pets, these ideas are perfect family fun indoor activities!

National Geographic light-up terrarium dinosaur habitat
Insect Lore Ladybug growing kit
Giant Butterfly garden
National Geographic flower growing kit

Crafts for your family

I am pretty inept at crafts and art, but with the right craft kit, I can hold my own. These craft kits and ideas are perfect rainy day activities to keep your family entertained. Work on them together and see what kind of masterpieces you can make!

National Geographic paint marbling craft kit
Pixicade Pets virtual pet creator
Magnetic mini tiles art kit is a great rainy day family activity
Monster hand puppet craft kit
Make your own clay handprint bowls kit
Mix and mold your own stepping stones kit with paint and more to decorate
4-pack DIY birdhouse assembly and painting kit
DIY Magi Bouncy Balls kit
Make your own felt succulents 61-piece set is a great summer fun idea for families!
Create your own window art kit
Make your own gem keychains kit
Sew your own felt animals craft kit: woodland animals for kids 7 to 12
National Geographic pottery wheel for kids with 2 pounds of air dry clay
Make a wind chime kit

Puzzles and games

Puzzles and games are perhaps the most quintessential rainy day family activities. And there’s a good reason: they’re fun! Make some snacks and prepare for a good time with these puzzles and games!

Melissa and Doug Pattern blocks and boards
United States map 500-piece puzzle
Glow in the dark space 500-piece puzzle
Spider-man 400-piece puzzle
Kids vs. parents game: How well do you know your family?
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza game
What do you meme? Family edition
Charades for kids card game (no reading required)
Trivial Pursuit: Family Edition
Left Center Right Dice Game
Family Faceoff
Hasbro Trouble Game

Summer fun ideas for families

With so many outdoor and indoor options, you family can have lots of fun this summer. Make memories whether it’s a rainy day, hot day or gorgeous day with any of these 70 ideas!

Find more great family fun ideas in these posts:

Bible verses about gratitude

24 Bible verses about being thankful

Most years, I have a word or phrase that represents my focus for the year. I don’t come up with these at the beginning of the year, but develop them as I go based on what lessons God is teaching me. For example, a few years ago my word was “Grace” — and that’s turned into this site!

This year, my word is “Gratitude.” God has continued to remind me this year about the importance of being thankful and grateful even during difficult times. It came more into focus with the release of “The Christian Woman’s Gratitude Journal.” Since then, I have not only benefitted from working through the journal myself but also discussing it in the private Facebook group, Moms with Grace.

All of this has prompted me to put together a list of Bible verses about gratitude. These are verses to remind us what God’s Word says about the importance of gratitude in our own lives. They encourage us to maintain a grateful heart for all God does for us.

What gratitude is and isn’t

Before we get into the Bible verses about gratitude, we need to talk about what gratitude is and isn’t. It’s important to note that we don’t have to be thankful for difficult circumstances. Instead, we are to be thankful even in difficult circumstances.

I’ve spent decades managing chronic pain. In fact, I’m typing this right now with a heating pad on my back, and it’s one of three heating pads I keep in my house in various locations. Never once in my journey have I felt thankful for my pain. It just isn’t natural or normal. However, I have felt thankful even in my pain. I’ve bene grateful for friends, support, love and encouragement. Sometimes I think dealing with ongoing pain has helped me be even more grateful in appreciating everyday things that others often take for granted.

So, gratitude isn’t being thankful for the hard stuff. Don’t beat yourself up or think you have lesser faith because you don’t feel thankful for a challenge. Use God’s Holy Spirit to lead you to find how to be gratitude even in the challenge.

Bible verses about gratitude

These 24 Bible verses about gratitude will help you stay focused on giving thanks to God even during difficult times. When we focus our gratitude on the One who takes care of us, we stop focusing on the things that are troubling us.

(All Bible verses are taken from the NIV Bible unless otherwise noted.)

  1. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
  2. Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
  3. Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
  4. Psalm 100:4, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
  5. Ephesians 5:30, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
  6. Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
  7. Psalm 95:2,”Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 16:34, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
  9. Psalm 118:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
  10. Psalm 136:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
  11. Psalm 105:1, “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 16:8, “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.”
  13. Jonah 2:9, “But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”
  14. Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
  15. Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”
  16. Psalm 30:12, “That I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”
  17. 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!”
  18. Revelation 4:9, “Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever.”
  19. Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
  20. Psalm 30:4, “Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.”
  21. Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
  22. 1 Timothy 4:4-5, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”
  23. Hebrews 12:28, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
  24. James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

You can get all 24 verses as FREE Scripture cards to help you focus on them. Sign up and download them today!

Image of the 24 Free Scripture Cards about Gratitude

Looking for a resource to help you keep track of your gratitude and prayers? Check out “The Christian Woman’s Gratitude Journal.”

"The Christian Woman's Gratitude Journal" cover image

Other posts of Bible verses you don’t want to miss:

Beef enchiladas with salsa recipe

Salsa is an easy way to add flavor to these beef enchiladas!

One cuisine my entire family agrees on is Mexican food. Even my most particular eaters in the house have lots of Mexican favorites. While the guys would be happy with tacos or nachos all the time, my daughter and I like to shake things up a bit more. I tried making beef enchiladas first with a meal kit, and now I’ve made the recipe my own.

These beef enchiladas are super easy to put together and have a delectable Mexican flavor your whole family will like. You can make them as spicy as you like. My kiddos and I aren’t big on spicy food at all, so I got mild with ours, but there are easy ways to increase the spice like by using medium or hot salsa.

You can also make other variations on this enchilada recipe as well. I use ground beef, because that’s what the majority of my family prefers. But you can also use chicken or ground pork. I actually made a couple of the batch I photographed with cheese and onion, because I’d been craving a cheese enchilada.

On the stovetop

This recipe starts on the stovetop. Put about 1 tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil into a large skillet. Add 2/3 cup of diced onion and sauté the onion over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.

Onion cooking in a skillet

Next add in 1/2 to 1 pound of your meat. You can use chicken or ground turkey. I use ground beef. I usually use about 1/2 pound, because my family isn’t big on eating meat. But you can do up to a pound to make enough enchiladas for four people. Crumble the meat into small pieces and cook it completely through.

Browned ground beef in a skillet with onion

Once the meat is cooked, then you need to season it. I use 1/4 cup (or one packet) of taco seasoning. Mix the seasoning in with the meat without adding water.

Cooked ground beef and onion with taco seasoning added on top

Stir in the taco seasoning and then add 1 cup of salsa to the meat mixture. I use mild salsa, but you can go for whatever heat level your family prefers. (If your family doesn’t like chunks of veggies in their salsa, use a food processor or blender to puree the salsa before adding it in.) Feel free to also add salt and pepper to taste.

Salsa added to the meat mixture

Let the meat mixture simmer on the stovetop for 2 to 3 minutes. Then remove the meat mixture from the heat.

Build your beef enchiladas

Now you’re ready to build your beef enchiladas. I usually get out a paper plate to build mine on. Dollop 1 to 2 tablespoons of the meat filling into taco-sized flour tortillas.

A beef enchilada on a paper plate ready to be rolled

(Honestly, if I were making these for just me, I’d add a sprinkle of cheese to the inside of each enchilada as well, but my crazy family doesn’t like melted cheese as much as I do. So I refrain. Sigh.)

Roll the tortilla and place it seam-side down into the 9×13-inch baking dish that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Put them right next to each other to keep them from opening up.

(You’ll notice in the photo below that the enchiladas on the far right have cheese already. This is because I made a couple of cheese and onion enchiladas as well and wanted to “mark” them.)

Rolled beef enchiladas in the baking dish

Pour about 1 cup of salsa over the top of the enchiladas.

Enchiladas topped with salsa

Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas with shredded cheese. You’ll notice that mine increases in cheese amounts as you go to the right, because I can’t give up all melty cheese just because my family doesn’t like it as much as I do!

Prepared beef enchiladas covered in salsa and shredded cheese

Place the baking dish in the oven and turn the broil on low. Broil the beef enchiladas for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is melted, lightly browned and bubbly.

The beef enchiladas fresh from the oven with melted cheese

Serve immediately. We love to put sour cream on ours. Mexican rice from a box goes well with these beef enchiladas as do tortilla chips.

A beef enchilada on a plate topped with sour cream

Beef enchiladas with salsa

The use of jarred salsa makes this beef enchilada recipe an easy one to pull of for any weeknight. Even picky eaters like it!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil vegetable or olive
  • 2/3 cup onion diced
  • 1 pound ground beef chicken or ground pork also work
  • 1/4 cup taco seasoning
  • 2 cups salsa divided
  • 8-10 flour tortillas taco sized
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • Put 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, and sauté for 3 minutes.
  • Crumble and add the ground beef, cooking it with the onion until it is cooked through and no longer pink.
  • Add 1/4 cup (one packet) of taco seasoning. Mix it well.
  • Add 1 cup of salsa. Mix it well, and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Remove the meat mixture from the heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to a flour tortilla.
  • Roll up the tortilla, and place it seam-side down in a 9×13-inch backing dish that's been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Repeat until all the meat is gone.
  • Pour 1 cup of salsa over the top of the rolled tortilla shells.
  • Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the top of the salsa.
  • Place the pan in the oven and broil on low for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Serve with sour cream, if desired.
Keyword enchilada, family cooking, family dinner, family friendly, kid friendly, salsa

Don’t miss these easy weeknight family dinner options as well!

Find other family friendly recipes like this one in the FREE “Favorite Recipes from Families with Grace” cookbook!

Favorite Recipes from Families with Grace cookbook

Moms with Grace: Rachael Belle

Tips for Christian moms with a good dose of encouragement

The “Moms with Grace” series takes a look at modern Christian moms and how they handle daily life with raising children. You’ll find monthly posts from moms with older kids, younger kids and all those in between. Let real-life moms encourage and uplift you!

Sometimes when you get introduced to someone, you realize you are on the same page right away. That’s how it was for me with Rachael Belle. Rachael publishes a quarterly magazine called “Healing Home” that focuses on Biblical homemaking. She also maintains a related blog and a second site, Healing Home Recipes, where she posts healthy recipes for families.

Along with her online ministry, Rachael is a wife of nine years to Danny and a mom to three boys: Wyatt (5), West (3) and Wylder (8 months). Needless to say, she’s one busy mama! She and her family live on 40 acres in Minnesota where they homestead with gardens, bees, pigs, chickens and turkeys.

Recently she took time out of her jam-packed schedule to answer a few questions for the Moms with Grace series.

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support my blog. Thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

Can you share a little bit about your marriage?

It’s hard to talk about our marriage without mentioning a turning point that happened for Dan in 2005. At the time Dan was living a very different life. In God’s true sovereignty, He issued Dan a wake-up call in the form of a tree. The only problem with this tree is that it met Dan’s head as he was going 60 MPH on a brand-new Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Dan was found dead on scene. He died again in the ambulance and again on the operating table.

But God is gracious, and he saved my future husband’s life.

Dan’s life changed that night. He woke up with virtually no memory and had to relearn how to walk, talk, write, eat and everything else. Although I was not there during this tumultuous time, I have heard many of the stories. And to this day I marvel at God’s goodness in saving Dan’s life.

I met Dan in 2013 at our church, and we were married the next year.

How have you changed from the beginning of your mom journey until now?

The change in me could be summarized in one word: sanctification.

By no means, do I claim that I have arrived at any ending point of development, but again God is gracious. Motherhood and marriage reveal the sin nature in us in ways that nothing else has for me.

After I had my second child, I found myself seething in anger over the smallest of things. I never would have considered myself an angry person, but those little sinful boys triggered my own sin battle with bitterness, angry and resentment.

The beauty of the gift of motherhood is that God does not leave us helpless as we stand there wondering where all this sin is stemming from. He gave us His Word, other sisters in Christ, community and the church.

The biggest change in me from the beginning of my mom journey until now is God’s grace in my life revealing sin in me and His work in me as I learn to lean into His will for my life.

What are some challenges you’ve faced as a mother? How have you worked to overcome them?

The biggest challenge I have faced in motherhood is learning how to be a wife and a mother.

When Dan suffered his brain injury in 2005 it left his brain with certain damages. The section of our brain that allows us to feel empathy was greatly impacted. Our children need our empathy. When they are crying on the floor in frustration, our empathy is in part what allows us to offer them grace when it is needed.

When I married Dan, I thought I fully understood his brain injury, but I didn’t. I didn’t understand how his brain injury would impact our parenting. In our marriage vows I said, “I love you for you were, who you are and who you will become.” To this day that is the only section of our marriage vows that I remember, and it’s because God has brought them to my mind time and time again. He knew I would need that vow consistently in my head as I learned the balance of being Danny’s wife and my boy’s mother.

Your marriage is a covenant between you, your spouse and God. Your motherhood is a gift.

Out of the deepest of respect for my husband, I will be vague concerning this, but I have shed many tears of frustration and cried out to God in desperation as I have tried to learn the balance of parenting my children with grace when my husband’s brain significantly struggles to connect with empathy.

Yet at the end of the day, God is sovereign. He knew we would face this struggle before the beginning of time. I truly believe that if Danny is pursuing Jesus, I am pursuing Jesus and we are united in our love for our boys, we can conquer anything. If you are struggling in your marriage and parenting, do a deep dive into God’s sovereignty. I believe you will be blessed by the study.

In what ways have you and do you share your faith with your children? (I’d love examples!)

This past year we have started something that has been our number one discipleship tool! We make breakfast together and sit down as a family to enjoy a hearty breakfast and have family devotional time.

My husband can be home on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays, so on those days we sit down as a family of five. Most days we cook farm fresh eggs, bacon and some sort of sourdough bread or roll.

We eat and do a Bible reading or devotional. Our three favorites right now are: The Laugh & Grow Bible for Kids by Phil Vischer, How Great is our God by Louie Giglio and The Really Radical Book for Kids by Champ Thornton.

Sharing our faith comes in seasons, but in all the seasons we should be intentional. I have also used our drive time to listen to kids’ Christian podcasts and have discussions afterward. Our bookshelves are filled to the brim with books by Godly authors like R.C Sproul. His book The Priest with Dirty Clothes recently sparked some truly delightful conversations about our faith! Our faith is woven throughout our day and conversations. We are intentional about showing our kids that our affections should be for Jesus.

What are some of your favorite parts of motherhood?

I have endless favorite parts of motherhood, but truthfully my absolutely favorite part is simply watching them have fun.

Last night we were able to sit on our deck finally after such a long winter. My oldest son was in our field with a toy sword, and he was chopping down the tall grass and pretending to fight a dragon. My youngest was playing by a water table on our deck, and he looked over at me with such a big smile it melted my heart. Finally, I looked over at our middle while who was oblivious to the world. His hind end was sticking up in the air as he was trying to look inside a gopher hole.

It was absolutely perfect. Those are my favorite moments. It’s the moments I just get to enjoy watching them.

How does grace play a role in your daily life? Do you have any tips or advice for how moms can show more grace to their families?

I’m not perfect. Far from it. However, one of my prayers with my mothering is that in the moments where my weakness shows through that God’s strength would be evident.

Grace is a necessity in parenting. I need God’s grace to sustain me throughout the day, and my children need to see grace in my parenting. Grace is not the absence of discipline, but the evidence of it.

I often tell my children when I’m extending grace. It might sound something like this:

Wyatt, mommy messed up today and God extended me grace and forgave me. Right now, you directly disobeyed me, but I want to give you grace like Jesus did for me. Can we both repent and move on with our day?

What are you most proud of as a mom?

Right now, I’m just proud that my children seem receptive to what we have taught them about the Bible and Jesus.

Do you have any resources that help you be a mom with grace? (Music, books, websites, etc.)

I love podcasts and right now one of my favorites is The Art of Home: A Podcast for Homemakers by Allison L Weeks. She has great wisdom as a seasoned homemaker and mother.

Speaking of homemaking, I would love for you to join me in the most important step of my day, Bible reading! Inside my Homemaker Binder Planner (updated monthly) there is a Bible reading section. It has been a JOY to read my Bible with other mothers and homemakers. (P.S. You can still call yourself a homemaker even if you work another job!)

It would be a delight if you decided to join the monthly homemaker planner and joined me in the Bible reading challenge. During the month of May we have worked on reading a Proverb a day.

Do you have anything else to add that we haven’t talked about?

Your home can be a healing place! Allow Jesus to be the builder of your home and abide in him.

Connect with other Christian moms for support and encouragement in the private Facebook group, Moms with Grace!

Read more in the series:

Linda Mendible

Mandy Farmer

Greek yogurt egg salad recipe

A low calorie, high protein egg salad recipe

When it comes to “salads” for sandwiches, egg salad is one of my favorites. I love a good chicken salad, too. I’m more than glad to pass on tuna salad. But, a good egg salad sandwich can’t be beat.

However, like so many good foods, egg salad isn’t necessarily the healthiest food. Then I learned about using plain Greek yogurt as the base for the egg salad and knew I had to give it a try. Now I’m hooked on not only how healthy this Greek yogurt egg salad recipe is but also on how easy it is to make!

For those tracking points for WW, this egg salad recipe is only 1 point per serving (as of May 2023). Not too shabby!

How to boil eggs

One of the first things I had to learn in making good deviled eggs was to boil them correctly. I didn’t want them to be over-boiled and get that dark tint to the yolk. Having them be soft boiled also wouldn’t work. Like Goldilocks, I want boiled eggs that are just right. So, here’s what I’ve found that works best.

First, start with older eggs. I’m not saying expired eggs, but the fresher your eggs are, the more difficult they are to peel so they’re smooth. Next, fill a pot about 2/3 full with warm water and add a dash or two of salt. (The salt will help the shells come off a bit easier.)

Put the pot on your cold stovetop. Carefully place four eggs into the pot. Put a lid on the pot, and turn the stove on high heat. Leave them be. When the water begins boiling, turn off the heat. Leave the eggs on the warm stovetop for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl and fill it with cool water. Add in ice cubes and let the eggs sit until they are completely cool.

Prep the eggs

Once your eggs are cooled, you’re ready to start prepping them. I usually tap them on the countertop to crack the shells and then peel them over a paper towel. When I’m finished, I rinse the egg to be sure I have gotten off all bits of shell, and then I place them onto a clean paper towel to dry.

Four boiled eggs on a cutting board with a knife

Next you can either chop the eggs into small pieces or put them in your bowl to mash. I’ve done it both ways. I like it better chopping them first just because then the egg pieces are a bit smaller in the egg salad, but either way works.

Chopped boiled eggs ready to be turned into egg salad

Make the egg salad

Place the boiled eggs — chopped or whole — into a mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon Ranch dressing and 1/2 teaspoon honey mustard. (If you don’t have honey mustard, add some extra yellow mustard.) Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.

All of the egg salad ingredients together in a mixing bowl before being mixed

Using a fork or your potato masher, mash all the ingredients together.

A potato masher being used to mash all the egg salad ingredients together
The egg salad after being "mashed" together

Once everything is mashed to the size you like, use a spoon to stir a few times and make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Serve it immediately or store the egg salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator for five to seven days.

A spoonful of the completed egg salad
Greek yogurt egg salad Pinterest image 6

Greek Yogurt Egg Salad

This Greek yogurt egg salad recipe is tasty, low calorie and packed with protein. Plus it's only 1 point using the 2023 WW point system!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Ranch salad dressing
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Fill a pot about 2/3 full with warm water and add a dash or two of salt. Put the pot on your cold stovetop. Carefully place 4 eggs into the pot. Put a lid on the pot, and turn the stove on high heat. Leave them be.
  • When the water begins boiling, turn off the heat. Leave the eggs on the warm stovetop for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl and fill it with cool water. Add in ice cubes and let the eggs sit until they are completely cool.
  • Once the eggs are completely cool, you can either chop them into pieces or leave them whole. (I prefer chopping for smaller egg pieces.) Place them into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Ranch salad dressing and honey mustard. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
  • Use a potato masher and mash the ingredients together well. Once the egg salad is the desired consistency, use a spoon to stir a couple of times.
  • Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for five to seven days.
Keyword 1 point, deviled eggs, egg salad, eggs, lunch, lunch ideas, sandwich, sandwiches, ww, ww recipe

Looking for more egg recipes? Don’t miss these!

Find other family friendly recipes like this one in the FREE “Favorite Recipes from Families with Grace” cookbook!

Favorite Recipes from Families with Grace cookbook

10 Family bonding ideas

How Christian families can grow closer family relationships

Since before we had children, my husband and I had a team mentality. It was us against the world. Once we had our children, we incorporated them into our team and have developed an attitude of family teamwork. Along with that, though, we also try to be intentional about family bonding and finding ways to make that happen — even when life is busy.

When it comes to family bonding, quality trumps quantity. Even during the pandemic and a year and a half of virtual school, my family had to be intentional about spending quality time together. We were together all the time, but we weren’t always growing closer as a result.

Of the various ways we spend quality time together, these are 10 of our favorite ways for family bonding.

Affiliate links are used in this post. If you make a qualifying purchase via my link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support my blog. Thank you for your support! Read my full disclosure here.

1. Play games.

Gaming is one of my family’s favorite past-times. My husband and I enjoyed games before had children and then were happy to play games with them once they were old enough. (Be sure to check out five of our favorite family games for small children.) Playing games together can be a great way to bond with the right attitude.

Another bonus to playing games together is it gives you a chance to teach lessons about how you can’t always win, and how to be happy for someone else we love when things go well for them. We’ve worked our way through some of these challenges and still do with one of our kiddos from time to time.

To keep competitiveness at bay, we also really enjoy playing cooperative games where the whole family works together toward one common goal. Role-playing games are often this way. One of our favorites with our kids now that they’re a bit older is HeroQuest.

A neat board game option to keep your family working together and strengthen family bonds is a mystery jigsaw puzzle.

2. Try new things.

Experiencing something new together can be great for family bonding. Whether you’re eating something new, doing a new activity or going somewhere new, doing something brand-new draws you closer as a family.

Recently, for instance, my daughter and I were alone for dinner while my husband and son went to a movie. We decided to try an Indian restaurant in our city that we had never been to. Neither of us had eaten Indian food before, so along with it being a new restaurant, it was also new cuisine. We learned together, which is a really neat thing to be able to do as a parent and child.

Our whole family tried geocaching together for the first time a couple of years ago. It was a fun way to connect as we searched for the hidden items in sometimes very common areas.

3. Travel.

Any adventure you can go on together is going to draw you closer. You can do this by traveling far from home or just going a city over. It doesn’t have to be complicated or pricey. This year, we spent spring break spelunking in various caves in Kentucky. We also got to feed kangaroos and eat good food. Our trip resulted in good memories and a chance to draw closer.

Traveling together as a family helps you stay focused on each other because there are not nearly as many distractions as daily life. And it also helps your family learn to be more flexible. We’ve navigated feeding a picky eater, finding our way around a new city and surviving tent camping failures as a family.

4. Eat meals.

While some family bonding activities are more out of the ordinary, others are more commonplace. Eating dinner (or whatever mealtime works best for your family) together is great for bonding. Family mealtime allows us to talk about what’s going on in our lives. We talk with the kids about what happened at school. Sometimes we make plans for the week. Other times we have random conversations that spring up like what our most embarrassing moments are. We’ve even had deeper discussions about religion and politics at the dinner table.

If you can’t have dinner together every night, set a goal of however many nights are feasible for your family and do what it takes to make it happen. If dinnertime doesn’t work, then have breakfast or lunch together a couple of times a week. And don’t think it has to be fancy or elaborate. Serve up cold cereal for any of those meals and enjoy the time together!

Be sure to grab the “Favorite Recipes from Families with Grace” cookbook to help you come up with some tasty dinner ideas!

5. Go to church.

There’s something special about being at church together as a family. These days, my 10-year-old prefers to stay in service with us instead of going with the kids. Sitting together with my husband and children listening to them praising God together is awesome. It makes my heart swell with gratitude for my blessings.

If your children go to children’s church, then be sure to talk together about what they did and what they learned. We usually talk about the sermon together after church now that we are all hearing the same one. In fact, Sunday after church is our one regular time to eat out. So we both have a meal together and talk about church. It works well!

6. Have devotion time.

Growing in our relationships with God together as a family brings us closer. Whether you’re doing family devotions at Christmas or throughout the year, make time in your schedule to do some sort of devotional as a family. It doesn’t have to be every day. If once a week is what works for your family, then do that!

Right now, we are reading through “The Action Bible” a couple of nights of the week. After we finish reading a section (or two or three!), we just a bit about what happened and how to apply that to our own lives. For instance, my children were scoffing at how quickly the Israelites turned to worship idols and forgot what God did by getting them out of Egypt. Then we talked about how easy it is for us to get distracted from God even now. We may not being making golden calves to worship, but we do have to make sure we are prioritizing our relationship with God.

Get started today with the FREE family devotion book, “Finding Grace at Home: 7 Days of 5-Minute Devotions for Families.”

"Finding Grace at Home" is a FREE family devotion book to help your family draw closer to God and each other in just five minutes a day.

7. Read for fun.

Reading out loud together is a great way to encourage family bonding. We started reading to our 13-year-old when she was about 3 months old, and we haven’t stopped since. We’ve read through a variety of picture books and chapter books together. Our family has particularly enjoyed the Harry Potter books and The Mapmaker Chronicles books. My son and I are reading the Wings of Fire series together and really enjoy it as special one-on-one bonding time.

The fun with reading fiction together is your family has a chance to enjoy the story, root for characters, loathe villains and more together. My son and I even come up with our own role play of sorts for many of the books we read.

(For ideas on what to read, don’t miss more than 100 children’s books worth reading and family read aloud chapter books for kindergarten through 5th graders.)

8. Pray.

Along with reading, we also started praying together with our children before bedtime when they were babies. That has continued to this day, and our kids are 10 and 13. Even though our daughter gets to stay up later than her younger brother, we have family prayer time every night. It isn’t elaborate and doesn’t have to be. Most of the time, our kids each say prayers out loud. Sometimes we do also.

Praying together helps our family draw closer. When we pray for each other, it helps strengthen our relationships as well. If one of us is sick or struggling and the others pray for that person, it’s encouraging. We also join together in prayer for friends and family.

9. Reminisce.

Doing things together creates memories. Talking about those memories together can draw your family closer to each other and strengthen your relationships. There is something special about a shared memory or inside joke.

And, here’s the thing, you don’t even have to reminisce solely about the big things like vacations. Talk and laugh about the small everyday moments that nobody will forget. My family, for instance, laughs together about the time I came across mice in our garage and started yelling and ran back into the house faster than they thought I could even move. It was certainly a memorable moment!

Just be careful that in your reminiscing you aren’t putting down each other or hurting each others’ feelings.

10. Cheer for each other.

When you have a team mentality about your family, it’s even easier to cheer for each other. Cheering for each other can look like listening when a family member is talking about something he or she is passionate about. It can look like your whole family showing up for concerts, performances or games and cheering loudly.

Feeling happy for and/or proud of each other only increasing your bond as a family. We want to celebrate life’s wins together so that whenever something good happens to one of us, we all are excited. This encourages our kiddos (as well as my husband and me) to share our good news with our family. And that’s a good thing!

Honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese

A decadent chicken dinner idea

I love a good chicken dinner. A lot. As I’m making more and more chicken at home for my daughter and me (my husband and son don’t eat chicken), I’m branching out into different flavors. This honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese is completely inspired by a favorite dish I’ve had a chain restaurant from down under.

The mix of honey mustard, cheese, chicken and bacon is so good. I decided to try making it myself. You could also make this into a quesadilla by cutting up the chicken pieces and piling them into a tortilla with honey mustard, bacon and cheese. I haven’t yet done that, but I am definitely going to try it! (You can easily bake quesadillas to get them nice and crispy without being greasy.)

I’m telling you, this is one chicken dinner idea you’re going to add into your line-up. It’s easy and tasty!

Preparing the chicken

When I made this honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese to take photos, I had four small pieces of chicken. So, that’s what I went with. Next time when I haven’t totally messed up the chicken breasts I previously bought, I’d make it with larger pieces of chicken.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Then pat your chicken dry and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Spritz your skillet well with non-stick cooking spray and place the chicken into the pan. Cook it for 4 to 6 minutes per side, depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. I always temperature check mine in the middle to be sure it’s at least 165-degrees (F).

Chicken breasts cooking on the stove in a skillet for this easy chicken dinner idea

While the chicken is cooking, make your precooked bacon. I used three slices between these four small pieces of chicken. You can definitely use regularly cooked bacon as well. The precooked just saves time by making it in the microwave. We like bacon crispy around here, so I cooked it until it was crispy.

Three slices of cooked bacon for this easy chicken dinner idea

Baking the honey mustard chicken

When the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, non-stick aluminum foil or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spread about 1 tablespoon of honey mustard on top of each medium chicken breast.

Cooked chicken on a baking sheet and spread with honey mustard

Next, take your cooked pieces of bacon and break them apart to fit in slices on top of each piece of honey mustard chicken.

Cooked honey mustard chicken topped with slices of bacon

Then, for two servings, divide 1/2 cup shredded cheese between the chicken breasts. I use Colby jack cheese, but cheddar would also be great for this. You might notice half the chicken has more cheese than the other. That’s because my daughter isn’t big on melted cheese, but I am!

Honey mustard chicken topped with bacon and shredded cheese ready to go into the oven

Put the prepared honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese into your oven and turn the broiler on low. Broil the chicken for 2 to 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese hot from the oven

Remove the chicken and serve it with a yummy sides like oven-roasted vegetables and garlic cheddar biscuits.

Honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese all ready to eat

Honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese

This honey mustard chicken with bacon and cheese is an easy chicken dinner idea your whole family will love!
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium chicken breasts
  • 6 slice of precooked bacon
  • 4 tablespoons honey mustard
  • 1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Instructions
 

  • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat on your stovetop.
  • Pat the chicken breasts dry and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Spray the skillet well with non-stick cooking spray, then add the chicken. Cook each side for 3 to 5 minutes until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the chicken read 165-degrees (F) and all pink is gone.
  • While the chicken is cooking, cook the bacon in the microwave until it is at your desired crispness.
  • Once the chicken is finished cooking, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil or sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Top the chicken with 1 tablespoon each of honey mustard. Distribute the bacon slices and shredded cheese between the two chicken breasts.
  • Place the chicken in the oven and broil on low for 2 to 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. (Keep a close eye on it to keep it from burning!) Serve immediately.
Keyword chicken, chicken dinner idea, chicken dinner ideas, family dinner, honey mustard chicken, weeknight dinner

Find other family friendly recipes like this one in the FREE “Favorite Recipes from Families with Grace” cookbook!

Favorite Recipes from Families with Grace cookbook

5 Characteristics of good mothering for Christian moms

Encouragement for your motherhood journey

As moms, we can be hard on ourselves. This is true for us Christian moms as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wondered if I even have a clue what I’m doing. I question whether God should have blessed me with two such awesome kiddos. Am I honoring Him? Am I being a good mother to them?

I do know I’m doing my best, and I’m showing up every single day. Having been raised by a good, Christian mom, I have some insight as to what it looks like. And through the 13 years I’ve been a mom myself, I’ve learned a bit of what good mothering looks like.

None of us get it right all the time. We fall short. But those times give us a chance to model grace to our children, including what giving ourselves grace looks like. (Ouch! That’s a challenge for us when we are so good at giving ourselves a hard time!) And we keep at it. Motherhood never stops.

Check out these five characteristics of good mothering as a Christian mom. Give yourself some credit where it’s due and challenge yourself to improve where you need to. Through it all, love your kids and love God. You’ve got this, mama!

Be present.

We can spend a lot of time with our children and still not be present with them. Our kiddos need our love and attention. Good mothering means finding ways to focus on your children and nothing else. We need to be intentional about disconnecting from other things (hello, electronics!) and focusing on our children. They don’t always need our focus, but they do need to know we are truly listening to them.

One strategy that’s worked well for our family is giving each of our two kiddos two nights a week dedicated to them. After our family prayer and reading time, one child gets to hang with my husband and me solo for about 30 minutes. We focus completely on that child. It’s been a great way to intentionally be present and connect with our children.

Set boundaries.

Most Christian moms have heard the verse from Proverbs 22:6 that says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (NIV) We want to start our children off well both in their faith and in life in general. Raising our children to love God, respect themselves and respect others is important.

In order to do that, our kiddos need boundaries. Boundaries actually help our children feel safe and allow them to grow in a healthy way. Set rules and boundaries — and enforce them. My husband and I made a pact when we first had children to not use empty threats. If we are going to tell our kids they’ll have a consequence for a misbehavior, it’s one we must be willing to follow through on.

And, honestly, sometimes good mothering means we have to say “no,” even when we don’t really want to because it’s the best decision for our child. I have this trouble sometimes even in small ways like when my son begs to read another chapter in the “Wings of Fire” series we’re reading together. I want to find out what happens, too, but I also know he needs enough sleep to have a good following day. So, I say “no.”

Be patient.

Ah, patience. Good mothering means being patient, which can be easier said than done! Whether our children are being challenging or we are just out of sorts, patience can be hard to come by. But, we want to be patient and grace-filled parents. So, we need strategies in place to help us during the difficult times.

One of the things I often do is take a deep breath and repeat the first part of 1 Corinthians 13:4 to myself: “Love is patient. Love is kind.” (NIV) Seriously. It helps me refocus and get outside of myself. There are other times when I get old school rapper with it based on a meme I once saw that said, “Love is patient. Love is kind. Ya’ll gonna make me lose my mind. Up in here! Up in here!”

5 Characteristics of Good Mothering for Christian Moms Pinterest quote image 2

Listening to Christian worship music throughout the day also helps me. It’s easier to be patient when I have Jesus music playing. Find a strategy that works for you. Our children need us to be patient with them because they are learning and growing. They’re going to mess up — just like we do! Our patience and understanding will go a long way in helping them feel loved and valued.

Be flexible.

I’m a planner through and through. However, I’ve learned a lot about flexibility in motherhood. A lot. I’m a decade out from newborn days, but I still remember how out of control life feels with a baby. Just when you think you can predict the baby’s schedule, it changes. Or right as everyone is ready to leave the house, you end up having to change a dirty diaper.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is let go of our plans and expectations. Living with chronic illnesses taught me this lesson, but motherhood has driven it home. Being flexible when plans change also allows our kids to see what it looks like to keep moving forward.

Over spring break this year, for instance, we had plans to go to a national park. A big storm went through the area two days prior, and the park was closed for the day our first tour was scheduled. The second choice we made also ended up being closed. But, our third choice option ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip that we wouldn’t have even done without being flexible. (We got to feed kangaroos!)

(Check out more family travel woes in this post about our tent camping failures!)

Model good behavior.

Our kids are watching and learning from everything we do and say. They learn how to act and react based on how our actions and reactions. Good mothering involves modeling good behavior and values. If we don’t want our children to call each other names, then we shouldn’t call anyone names either. If we want our children to encourage each other, then we should encourage those around us. We want our children to have the tools they need to live productive, faith-filled lives as adults. One of the best ways we can help teach them is by modeling that to them.

Choosing our words wisely is also incredibly important. Proverbs 31:26 says this about how a virtuous woman should talk, “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” (NIV) I try to choose my words wisely. As an introvert who tends to think before she speaks, I am pretty decent at this. But, I’m not perfect. And those times are ideal for me to model what apologizing looks like.

Good mothering requires grace.

None of us are perfect moms. We all fall short. However, knowing what good mothering looks like and striving to achieve it is exactly what we should be doing. One bad moment doesn’t make you a bad mom. It doesn’t define you. Pray about and learn from your mistakes, then move forward. Give yourself grace, because God gives it freely to you.

Just keep going, mama. You are the perfect mom for your kiddos!

Graduation Bible verses and Scripture prayers

7 Bible verses and prayers that work well for graduations

Graduation is a time when new grads and their families look forward to the future and what comes next. For Christian moms, dads and grads, seeking out Bible verses for guidance and encouragement is important.

These seven Bible verses are ideal for graduation. You can use them in a graduation card, at a graduation celebration, in a graduation speech or wherever you can think of. The verses are all from the NIV Bible unless otherwise noted.

Find a set of seven Bible verses and related graduation party printables in various styles in the Families with Grace Etsy store.

Each graduation Bible verse also includes two prayers: one to pray about the graduate and one for the graduate to pray. You can pray these prayers or use them as inspiration for a graduation card message.

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” – Proverbs 16:3

Prayer about the graduate: Heavenly Father, I ask that you be with my graduate. Help them to stay committed to you in whatever they do. Lord, establish their plans and guide them as they embark on this new phase of life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer for the graduate: Heavenly Father, please be with me as I enter into this new phase of life. Help me to stay committed to you in all that I do. Lord, establish my plans, guide me and direct me in all that I’m doing. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23

Prayer about the graduate: Lord, help my graduate to stay focused on you. As they work in their education and career going forward, keep them motivated to work hard as though they are working for you. Encourage them and bless the work you have for them to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for the graduate: Lord, help me to stay focused on you. As I move forward with my education and career, I ask that you motivate me to work hard as though I’m working for you and nobody else. God, help me to stay encouraged, and bless the work you have for me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 20:4 (NIV)

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” – Psalm 20:4

Prayer about the graduate: Heavenly Father, thank you for my graduate. Thank you for the blessing of their life. I ask that you give them the desires of their heart that glorify you. Open the right doors so their plans succeed. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer for the graduate: Heavenly Father, thank you for this phase of my life as I get to change and grow from here. Please help me to desire the things that glorify you and give me those desires of my heart. Lord, open the right doors so my plans succeed. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Psalm 110:105 (NIV)

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” – Psalm 110:105

Prayer about the graduate: Lord, I praise you for your word and its guidance. I ask that you place your word on the heart of my graduate to light their way moving forward. Give them just the right verse they need at just the right time as they enter this new stage. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer for the graduate: Lord, I praise you for giving me your word and the guidance I find in it. I ask that you place your word on my heart to light my way moving forward. Father, lead me to the right verse at the right time as I enter into this new stage. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” – Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer about the graduate: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving my graduate enough that you have plans for them to prosper. Continue to protect them from harm. Lord, help them to live in your hope and trust in the future you have for their lives. Guide them on every step. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer for the graduate: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me so much that you have plans for me to prosper. Continue to protect me from harm. Lord, help me to live in your hope and trust the future you have for my life, even when the way seems difficult or unclear. Please guide me on every step. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

Prayer about the graduate: Lord, thank you for the good work that you have begun in my graduate’s life. Continue that work in their life so that it’s carried on to completion. Reassure my graduate that you are always there and have good work for them to do in this new stage of life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer for the graduate: Lord, thank you for the good work you’ve started in my life. I ask that you continue to carry on that good work until it’s completed. Please be there every step of the way as I move forward in life. Guide me and direct me to the good work that you have for me to do. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Proverbs 3:6 (NIV)

“In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:6

Prayer about the graduate: Heavenly Father, soften the heart of my graduate to submit to you and your will. Lord, make their paths straight and keep them from harm and bad choices. Protect them in every way and watch over them. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer for the graduate: Heavenly Father, help me to submit to you and your will. Keep me in your will and out of the way. Make my paths straight and protect me. Lord, help me to make good choices that honor you and honor myself. Protect me in every way, everywhere that I am. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Find prints of these verses in the Graduation Section of the Families with Grace Etsy store!