Well, here I sit at my desk like some wounded warrior, nursing the aftermath of what the doctor cheerfully called a “minor procedure.” Minor to him, maybe. He wasn’t the one who had to explain to this body that it needed to cooperate with his arbitrary schedule.

Used to be, I could bounce back from anything faster than a rubber ball on concrete. Sick? Just load up on coffee and keep moving. Injured? Walk it off, son. My body was like that reliable old pickup truck that started every morning no matter how much you abused it.

I took that loyalty for granted.

But somewhere along the way, my body decided it was tired of being the accommodating type. Now when I try to jump back into life at full throttle, it stages a rebellion that would make a teenager proud.

“Oh, you want to go back to work tomorrow? That’s cute. How about we extend this recovery another few days?”
I used to think pushing through sickness was heroic. There I’d be, making lunches with a 102-degree fever like some kind of parenting martyr.

“Look at me,” I’d think, “still answering emails from urgent care!” What I didn’t realize was that I was teaching my kids the worst possible lesson: that your worth is measured by how much you can endure, not how well you can take care of yourself.

Turns out, our children are taking notes on everything we do, especially the stuff we think they’re not paying attention to. When we drag ourselves around half-dead, we’re not showing them strength. We’re showing them that rest is for quitters and self-care is selfish.

New Goal: Let’s not let that be my legacy. I don’t want that to be what I leave behind.

I can’t count the times in my life where I’ve found myself struggling with my current situation. You know the kind of moments, praying hard, working hard, waiting on God to show up… and all you hear are crickets. Honestly, some of those seasons felt like staring at an empty cup and hoping it would magically refill.
In 1 Kings 17, Elijah knew that feeling. God led him to a brook at Cherith, provided for him there, and then one day the stream dried up. Just like that. Not because Elijah messed up, but because God was preparing him for what came next.
Sometimes we have to spend a little time beside a dried-up stream before we’re ready for the next thing God has for us. The dry place isn’t the end, it’s the transition.
Even the drought has a purpose.

We need to monitor what we carry! This insightful knowledge came to me as I was trudging around the track at the gym, carrying two kettlebells and trying to convince myself that the torture was somehow good for me. The reality is, we all carry weight.

Some of it we choose. Some of it we pick up without even realizing. A little pressure here, an expectation there. A regret. A grudge. A voice from years ago telling us we’re not enough. If we’re not careful, we find ourselves dragging things that were never meant to be ours.

And over time, it starts to show in our patience, in our energy, in the way we show up for the people we love. It’s the same for our kids. They carry things, too. Some of it heavy. Some of it hidden. That’s why it matters to check in.

To pause and ask, “Is this helping us grow or just holding us back?” The right weight will make us stronger. The wrong weight wears us down. Let’s take the time to teach our kids the difference. And let’s be brave enough to let them see us set some things down ourselves.

#CarryWhatMatters#ParentingWithPerspective#EmotionalWeight#GrowthTakesAwareness#CarryOn

Growing our Gifts….
Every child has a gift, but it’s not enough to simply have it. They need to use it.
Help your kids discover what they’re good at and what lights them up on the inside. Then teach them the critical steps of polishing, practicing, and protecting it.

Raw talent is just the starting point. Greatness comes from the daily decision to work hard, stay focused, and keep getting better. It happens step by step in the slow grind of progress.
Show them what it looks like to honor their gifting by giving it their very best.

One of the great memories I have of my late father-in-law is something he said regularly. “Carry On, Children.” He said it affectionately to people he cared about when he was getting ready to leave.

It has turned into a rallying call for me. This week, after a tough run, I took off my sweaty cap and wrote it on the inside of the bill where I could read it by looking up when times got tough!

In terms of resilience, “Carry on” means to keep moving forward, even when the path gets steep. Even when you want to quit! It’s the quiet strength to continue despite your brain and body trying to convince you to quit.

It’s not about ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine. It’s about choosing not to quit. To adjust, adapt, and press on.
To “Carry On” is to continue to tell yourself that what you’re doing really does matter, and that every step forward builds strength for the road ahead.

It’s one of the most powerful lessons we can teach our kids.

#CarryOn

#KeepMovingForward

#EveryStepCounts

Take the time to read everyday! It’s also one of the best things a child can do this summer is read every single day. It builds fluency, strengthens comprehension, andit builds a habit that keeps their mind engaged.

However, let’s not forget, our kids need to see it from us as well, not just hear it. Too often, we create expections for our kids to read, but they never see us pick up a book ourselves.
Make it a family habit. Taking twenty minutes a day can make all the difference.

ReadEveryDay #SummerLearning #ParentingByExample #FamilyReadingTime #ModelWhatMatters

Understanding what to do when the path gets hard is critical to long-term success. Please don’t turn back, that’s where the growth begins.
Struggle builds strength. Setbacks shape resilience. And the tough moments we face with our kids are often the ones that teach the most.

Talk to your children about pushing through. Let them see that effort matters most when things get difficult.
Just keep walking. The hard road leads somewhere worth going.

EmbraceTheStruggle #ResilienceInAction #ParentingThroughIt #EffortBuildsStrength #KeepGoing #CarryOn