​I have long loved the book Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. But today, I am more in love with it than ever because of what Kristen, over at Joyfully Thriving, has done with it.

This past summer, my friend Joy introduced me to Kristen's site. I love what she's done with Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Guess How Much I Love You, and I Wish You More. She writes meaningful, thought-provoking Scripture in the pages of these books! ​Kristen has a free printable you can download here for Oh, the Places You’ll Go. You can buy the printable in her Etsy shop for Guess How Much I Love You. She also sells all three books—with Scripture writing in them—in her Etsy shop.

I downloaded Kristen's free printable for Oh, the Places You’ll Go. Then, I purchased the printable from her Etsy shop for Guess How Much I Love You. These guides helped me create Scripture books for our grandsons.

We don’t know a lot more than we do know. For this reason, we spend a large portion of our lives preparing for things that may never happen.

•  We have car insurance in case we crash.
• We have life insurance in case we die before our loved ones.
• We have smoke alarms in case there is a fire.
• We wear a life jacket in case we fall into the water.

 
We make these kinds of plans because it is responsible to prepare for the future the best way we know how. 

We don’t always just plan for the unknown, though. Often, we worry about it too. “The Big Unknown” becomes more worrisome to us than death and taxes because we don’t know what it is. 

I had the great opportunity to talk with Sue Donaldson on her podcast, Make It Count: Living a Legacy Life, about leaving a legacy for the next generation. 

How are we intentionally doing that?

Plus, I share my husband’s favorite breakfast recipe—Blueberry Banana Bread! YUM!

But what I love most about this experience and our talk is seeing Sue's vision for hospitality! When you get to know her, you'll see that vision in everything she does.

Sue inspires me to be a better host and just an all around better human being, and that's what we all should be doing, right? Inspiring others.

Hospitality can be seen all throughout the Bible. It's a platform for sharing the Gospel.

What if we spent a few quiet moments with God each morning? What if we were intentional about making time for it? What if we committed to doing that all year long and by the year’s end we found that we had read the entire Bible!?

How many times, on January 1, have you committed to reading the Bible from cover to cover in a year? I have made that commitment too many times to count, and I have failed too many times to admit.

​A few years ago though, I used a one-year, chronological order of book authorship, Bible Reading Itinerary.

Did you know that Genesis was not the first book of the Bible written? While plans like this vary somewhat, because it is simply impossible to put an exact date on some books of the Bible, the plan I used begins with the book of Job.

Even when I know the importance of praying for my children, I often become distracted from the task. Sometimes, I become discouraged when I don’t see answers to my prayers. Do you ever feel that way, friend? 

• I want to be a mama that prays with effectiveness.
• I want the next generation to be transformed by the power of prayer.
• I want to make a difference in the lives of my children by lifting them up in prayer.

You surely want those same things for your children. Whether they are still toddling around at home or adults out on their own, we can pray for them effectively. We can pray for them with the transforming power of prayer and make a difference in their lives!

One of the passions that my husband and I share is a love for books and reading. Additionally, we take great joy in sharing this love with those around us. My husband is constantly loaning out or simply giving away theology books from his seminary days to friends and family. While we tend to be more minimalistic when it comes to possessions or things, we make an exception when it comes to books! 
 
When we became parents to our daughter Emersyn we agreed we wanted not only to instill a love for books but especially for books that would deepen her understanding of the Bible and cultivate a desire to know God. Therefore, from the very beginning, we’ve been building her little library with books that reveal God’s character, who we are as His creation, and how we can know and love Him better. 

Recently, during a summer Bible study that I am currently participating in, the ladies and I began discussing the current culture and its very aggressive agenda in regards to absolute truth and biblical living. The group is a mix of ages ranging from young thirties to almost fifty. Our children’s ages range from twenty-somethings to infants.

We covered a few specifics in our time together that have still been running through my mind during my prayer and Bible study time. I'd love to know your thoughts, and how God is using these types of conversations in your motherhood journey.