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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 I prepare to move 2 girls back to college, I’m As I prepare to move 2 girls back to college, I’m remembering this move-in to KD Corner at Alabama from 2 summers ago. It was a hot yet also fun day!

I try to be intentional in finding items my girls can use in college - and many years beyond. 

I’m scrolling my own links to fill in last-minute gaps, and if you’re in this season too, my Amazon storefront + ShopMy storefront links are in my bio 👆🏻 

Comment below and I’ll message you my ShopMy link🤍
    A young man in his mid-20s called his father for a A young man in his mid-20s called his father for advice.
 
He was struggling to feel happy, despite his many blessings.
 
On the outside, he checked all the boxes—he was smart, successful, kind, loved by his family and friends, and rooted in his faith.

On the inside, however, he felt empty.
 
His dad told him:
 
“Son, until now your life has been all about you. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? What career do you want? But you won’t find real joy until you shift your thinking and focus more on other people. That’s where joy begins.”
 
His father was right, and his advice got me thinking how common it is to feel empty during that transition into adulthood.
 
The world constantly tells us that joy is found externally by chasing success, accomplishments, money, vacations, luxuries, fun friends, or a hot new romance.
 
But what happens when your dreams come true? When you make the team, win the prize, take the trip, earn the scholarship, land the job, gain a huge following, or find amazing relationships?
 
As you may already know, it’s thrilling to achieve your dream—but these highs don’t last forever. 

They can’t satisfy the deepest longings in your heart and soul.
 
What happens when your euphoria fades and you still yearn for something that you can’t grasp? What do you do then?

New on my Substack, temporarily free, is the full article “Want More Joy? Here’s the Secret: Focus on Others.” 

Comment JOY and I’ll message you the link❤️ This message can also be found in my teen/college girl devotional #yoursnothersdevo.
    One of the biggest mistakes girls often make is on One of the biggest mistakes girls often make is only being friendly to their friend group.

It’s okay to have your best friends. It’s crucial to wisely discern who deserves a place in your most trusted circle. 

But don’t let that keep you from being friendly beyond your friend group. Don’t paint yourself into a corner by only being kind to a select group of girls.

Instead, cast a wide net by being kind to everyone. Increase your odds of finding real friends by making connections wherever you go. Have your PE friends, your French class friends, your volleyball friends, your church friends, etc.

Besides being the right thing to do (and making life more interesting and fun) this gives you a place to go if drama blows up with your closest friends. Girls who act cliquey and exclusive feel the consequence of that choice when they’re suddenly on the outs with their posse, and nobody will take them in because of the way they’ve been treated. 

You can’t expect people to be there for you when you’ve ignored them, hurt them, or dismissed them in the past. Life just doesn’t work like that—and that is what helps us become the kind of people (and friends) we’re meant to be. 

On my Substack, for paid subscribers, is a deeper dive into this topic. Of all the advice I’ve given my 4 daughters, this has helped them more than anything in building a strong network of friends. It’s advice that I try to take to heart too. I’m a big believer in building lifelong friendships - while also allowing new friendships that could go the distance too.

Comment CAST and I’ll DM you a link to an article worth sharing with your daughter🤍
    Sometimes in parenting, “Mama Bear” gets a bad rap Sometimes in parenting, “Mama Bear” gets a bad rap.

But the fact is, God gives us protective instincts and intuition for a reason. And the kids I worry I worry about most aren’t ones who don’t have a watchful parent, but the ones whose parents are apathetic or checked out.

As we all know, however, Mama Bear can be triggered for all the wrong reasons. She can make us overact and do things we later regret because we acted on rash emotions. 

New on my Substack, for paid subscribers, are 6 tips to help you discern your Mama Bear instincts. When do you speak…and when do you hold back? When do you make that phone call…and when do you wait? Learning to navigate hard situations preserves relationships and credibility. It helps us save Mama Bear for big situations. Comment below and I’ll message you the link! 🐻
    I’ve seen a lot lately about young people today be I’ve seen a lot lately about young people today being paralyzed by PERFECTIONISM.

As a recovering perfectionist, I get it. I used to have the mentality, “If I can’t do this perfectly, then I don’t want to do it all” which is, obviously, no way to live.

What helped cure me was the 7 years of rejection I faced trying to get published. At the time, it felt like torture. Now I see it as God’s mercy in helping me overcome the fear of failure.

If you (or someone you love) have a dream in your heart but you’re scared to get started, I hope this encourages you. It comes from my first book, 10 ULTIMATE TRUTHS GIRLS SHOULD KNOW. Comment below and I’ll send you the link🤍
    Last year at Camp War Eagle, I met a mom in line a Last year at Camp War Eagle, I met a mom in line at Starbucks who told me that the mom of her daughter’s roommate had bought 4 copies of #yoursnothersdevo to give to the 4 suitemates when they moved into their dorm in August🧡💙

I loved hearing this. My oldest daughter (who is pictured here and graduated from Auburn in 2025) is still very close to her freshman suitemates, so I know how special these bonds are.

Comment DEVO and I’ll message you a link to this bestselling devotional for teen & college girls. 

As a fun fact, my inspiration to write it came after I dropped my oldest off at college and wanted a book to leave on her nightstand.

Whether your daughter is starting middle school or preparing for life beyond your home, this devo is packed with 40 essential messages that can help her (and her friends) embrace their life and stand strong in their identity in Christ 🕊️
    Having older kids makes it harder to get everyone Having older kids makes it harder to get everyone in the same place, at the same time, but for 3 days, we had all 10 Kampakis cousins together to celebrate KG and Banks in Corfu. It was a one-of-a-kind wedding experience we’ll never forget! 

Not everyone could stay longer (even the newlyweds had new jobs to get back to in Indianapolis), but we loved getting time with the ones who could. Traveling with big kids is so fun, and I will miss the late-night gelato trips and endless stream of family storytelling and banter. 

After the wedding we stayed near Porto Heli and did a boat day in Nafplio (shout-out to @nafplio4sail, who went above and beyond), day trips to Spetses and Hydra (my faves), a stop at the Corinth Canal, and a final night in Athens, where we ate dinner with YiaYia’s family as the perfect finale for this trip.

Greece, you are a beauty, and we love your people, your food, your culture, and your hospitality. Already dreaming of coming back!
    If you’ve been waiting to get dorm room essentials If you’ve been waiting to get dorm room essentials, now is the time to act. Amazon Prime Day is June 23-26, and many items are on sale. 

Comment DORM and I’ll message you the link to my Amazon recommendations. Link is also in my bio.

Also, the pink curtains, pillows, ottoman, and headboard here are from @dormdecor.inc, highly recommend visiting them online or in person - they are a huge help! The “Love You” painting was done by my friend @nellkoopmanart.
    “God chooses ordinary men for fatherhood to accomp “God chooses ordinary men for fatherhood to accomplish His extraordinary plan.” GK Chesterton

No father is perfect, but what the best ones all have in common is God’s spirit inside them and a faithful commitment to love, help, protect, lead, encourage, counsel, and provide for the people they love. 

I’ve witnessed God’s love in 1,000 different ways through 4 of the best men I know - my husband, my dad, my father-in-law and my brother - and I pray that anyone who doesn’t have a loving father will know the perfect love of their Heavenly Father that never ceases or fails.

Happy Father’s Day to all you wonderful dads. We love you, we need you, and we give extra thanks for you today!
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