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  • Girls, you were designed for this moment – to embrace your unique life story.

    Yours, Not Hers: 40 Devotions to Stop Comparisons and Love Your Life

  • Moms, let’s raise daughters for such a time as this.

    Is Your Daughter Ready? 10 Ways to Empower Your Girl in an Age of New Challenges

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    As a mom of four daughters, I can’t tell you how o As a mom of four daughters, I can’t tell you how often I hear these words:

“I’m so glad that I have boys, boys are so much easier than girls!”

In some ways, I agree. Raising girls is more emotionally complex. It also feels scarier because they’re more at risk for traumatic events and being hurt or taken advantage of.

Yet one thing I’ve pondered a lot this past year is how our boys don’t get enough attention. They also need mentoring, encouragement, and guidance. They need more people beyond their parents preparing them for life in a broken world.

I feel like everyone has a heart for girls, and I know lots of people doing work similar to what I do—but what about our guys? Why don’t we see the same level of passion of people wanting to invest in them? Just like girls, they need our love and advice. They need protection and intentional reminders on how to stay safe.

We drill these lessons into our daughters, but with boys we tend to think, “He can take care of himself.” The truth, however, is that our world is full of bad actors who will prey on anyone, male or female. It all depends on who presents an opportunity.

This came to light last week through the heartbreaking story of Jimmy Gracey, the University of Alabama student who died in Barcelona while visiting a friend on Spring Break.

I suspect his drink was spiked, but even if we learn that it wasn’t, this tragedy is a reminder that our boys need vigilance too. Just because you’re physically strong doesn’t mean you’re always safe.

New on my Substack is a conversation starter to share with your daughter or son. Comment below and I’ll message it to you, or find the article in my bio link.
    A fun weekend in Auburn with our college girl and A fun weekend in Auburn with our college girl and her sweet friends for ADPi spring parent’s weekend!! A sorority brunch, dinner at Lucy’s and The Hound, shopping, and Sunday Mass at St. Michael’s. Marie Claire, time with you is good for the soul. We love you!
    “Even the spiritual giants wrestled with doubt, di “Even the spiritual giants wrestled with doubt, disillusionment, and feeling deserted at times.
 
Mother Teresa, for instance, felt a deep sense of God’s absence for most of her life.
 
Through letters published after her death, we learned that her dark night of the soul lasted 50 years.
 
Only once did light pierce this darkness, and never again did she feel God’s presence as clearly as she did while riding a train and hearing Jesus tell her to serve the poorest of the poor.
 
Mother Teresa obeyed her mission until her death. And rather than go big, she kept things simple.
 
She did small things with great love, giving her full attention to the person directly in front of her – treating that person like the most important person on earth.
 
Over time, she deeply impacted lives and widely impacted the world. She became a saint, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and one of Time magazine’s 25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century.

Mother Teresa never aimed to be a worldwide sensation, yet that’s what happened as she obeyed God.”

If you’ve ever walked through a spiritual desert, or felt a dark night of soul, here’s some encouragement to keep trusting God until you feel His presence again 🕊️
    Recently, we all choked back tears when my friend Recently, we all choked back tears when my friend Jill in Gadsden texted me a video of my husband’s childhood home.

Once again, it’s full of life, laughter, and vibrancy. The owners are Young Life leaders, Kristy and Bret Ellis, who host the Gadsden high schoolers.

This house has the best memories tucked inside it, even for the Kampakis grandkids, who visited when they were young. When Harry was growing up, his mom cooked for everyone. She hosted all the after-dance parties and was the ultimate Greek hostess, a master of hospitality and making everyone feel welcomed.

And because she and Papou always opened up their home and showed up, they knew their kids’ classmates well. They were second parents to many, and when my father-in-law died 10 years ago, several people said they felt closer to him than their own fathers. Papou wasn’t shy about giving fatherly advice or direction, but he did it from a place of love, and that love was felt. 

Jill’s text said:

“Hi Kari! I hope y’all are doing well:) I wanted to send this video for you to show Harry. 

Our Young Life Area Director just bought the “Gadsden Kampakis home” and has it packed out tonight with Gadsden City High School kids watching the Super Bowl❤️ 

We serve on the Young Life board so they had just posted the video on our thread…it made my heart happy to hear all of the chatter of kids again in a home we all spent so much time in growing up! I can still see Becky in that kitchen cooking breakfast for dozens of kids after our dances.”

I’m a huge fan of Young Life (Ella was an Auburn leader), and that makes this video even more special. Thank you, sweet Jill, for this trip down memory lane. Sharing this video for our Gadsden friends who know this house well!
    “We can’t predict every tricky situation our child “We can’t predict every tricky situation our children will face. We won’t always have the perfect words. But we can control the narrative as the most trusted adult in their lives. We can address the realities we know they’ll face.

Let your child hear the truth from you. Establish yourself as the authority. Even if you’re nervous….even if your voice shakes…even if you feel sick to your stomach…an imperfect conversation is always better than no conversation at all.”

New on my Substack, for paid subscribers, are 25 hard conversations our children need before they leave home.

Comment TALK and I’ll message you the  link🤍
    Recently I heard it said, “When you see a beautifu Recently I heard it said, “When you see a beautiful woman in a beautiful gown, you stare in awe of her beauty. You notice her face and the overall person. And when you see a beautiful woman in a revealing gown, all you notice is the body part she’s showing.” There’s a lot of truth to this, and the Oscar’s presents a great opportunity to talk to our daughters about fashion and timeless beauty as we see a wide range of choices on the red carpet. Classic looks like these will always be my favorite❤️ Photos by @gettyimages.
    Happy mama having all my babies home this weekend Happy mama having all my babies home this weekend to celebrate KG + Banks and their upcoming wedding. Let the countdown begin! 🥂
    One thing that most girls don’t realize about boys One thing that most girls don’t realize about boys is how much courage it takes to ask someone out. 

And one thing that most boys don’t realize about girls is how they need consistency in a relationship - not someone who starts off strong and then quits making effort once they’re dating. 

Last fall I recorded some podcasts with my hilarious friend Cynthia Yanoff that she recently shared on her podcast, MESSmerized, and now I’m sharing them on my podcast too. 

Find “Dating Advice from a Girl Mom + Boy Mom Perspective” wherever you listen or comment DATE and I’ll message you the link🤍
    Watching your kids face trials can be heartbreakin Watching your kids face trials can be heartbreaking – but watching them bounce back can lead to some of your proudest parenting moments. 

With every heartache they survive, they grow a little stronger and more resilient.

My newest book for moms #isyourdaughterreadybook has an entire chapter on resilience. Comment READY and I’ll message you the link 🤍
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