One important but often missing piece when it comes to guarding our hearts is finding/creating relationships in which our hearts are not on guard. Hearts can get hardened when they never have a place to take off their armor.

What really matters is whether our kids feel our interest without feeling our agenda. Kids are good at sensing when connection is a strategy. When curiosity is a technique. When warmth has a goal attached to it. We all want our kids to be open to and with us. They don’t open up because we said the right thing. They open up because they felt genuinely seen. No correction waiting on the other side. No agenda. Just — I want to know you. It’s such a hard part of parenting. And also extremely important.

Only I can make myself afraid. My kids decisions can’t. The news can’t. Finances can’t. I have to allow them to have that place, which means only I can make myself afraid. Learning that is important. It empowers me. It means I can avoid living as a victim even if I’ve been victimized. Learning how fear works is even more important, otherwise I’ll continue to give people and situations power they don’t have. How I see things (no matter what I see) is one of the 2 factors that decides if my brain creates fear or not. Any place I feel fear I want to look at how I’m seeing it and question my perspective.

🚨 Parents — your kids don’t need a perfect superhero. They need to see you mess up… and fix it. This IG post is pure gold: When you openly handle a small failure, you’re teaching resilience, emotional regulation, and that mistakes = growth. Not lectures. Real-life modeling. Brain science proves it: Kids mirror how we navigate setbacks, not what we preach. We don’t want to be parents who hide their struggles. Who’s showing their kids the real you this week? https://www.instagram.com/p/DROPB6lCU_9/?igsh=MWs2cm16aWJ2Y2lteQ==

Too often we develop a hard heart when the only thing that should’ve grown thicker is our skin. If we can live with thick skin while maintaining a soft heart, everything would go better. Lord, show us the difference and help me keep my heart soft through everything that happens.