“Since it is so likely that [children] will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.”   C S Lewis

25  Phrases to Build Resilient Kids

1.   It’s okay to feel upset – let’s talk about it. 2.    What can we learn from this? 3.    You don’t have to be perfect to try again. 4.    Mistakes help our brain grow. 5.    This is hard, but you can do hard things. 6.    Even when it’s tough, I see you trying. 7.    Let’s take a deep breath and figure this out together. 8.    You’re not alone – I’m here for you. 9.    You’ve handled tricky things before. 10.  Your feelings are valid. 11.  Every time you try, you’re getting stronger. 12.  Can you think of another way to solve this? 13.  You are more than one moment or one mistake.

14.   Let’s focus on what we can do. 15.   It’s brave to ask for help. 16.   You bounced back – that’s resilience. 17.   What do you want to try differently next time? 18.   You are learning how to handle big emotions! 19.   I admire your persistence. 20.   Look how far you’ve come. 21.   Setbacks are part of growing. 22.   Keep going, even when it feels slow. 23.   It’s ok to rest, then try again. 24.   You’re building your own strength every day. 25.   I believe in your ability to figure things out.

Credit: Agnes Hsu, Posted on Facebook 3-31-25 by Soul Sisters Memorial Foundation, from hellowonderful.co, edit by LK

Personal Thoughts on Resilience 

Much has been said on the subject of resilience.  But from a Christian perspective, I believe there is more to be said. I believe it is vital that we leave room in our emotional response to challenging events for acknowledging God’s will, His compassion, tender mercies, and His plan in our lives.

Having a deep abiding faith in His character, His attributes help us to trust His plan for our lives.  Trust God, first and foremost, while we get back up, dust ourselves off, and move forward.  We don’t have to “fake it til we make it”.  We do not have to lean on our own understanding of how life works! We can have confidence in God, who created us, knows us intimately, and loves us unconditionally.  LK

Kayden’s Law

On June 2^nd, three little girls from Wenatchee were found murdered after a court-ordered visitation with their father. In a post by Washington State Representative Alicia Rule (42^nd Legislative District), Ms. Rule states that the man suspected of killing the three little girls had a documented history of violence. She states that their mother had begged the courts not to send the girls – but the court sent them.

Ms. Rule’s post further states:  “This is not the first time we’ve heard this story.  In 2018, 7 year old Kayden Mancuso was killed by her father during a court-ordered visit in Pennsylvania, despite clear warning from her mother.  That tragedy led to federal reforms – Kayden’s Law – in the 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.  Now it’s up to the states to act.  In this state, the Senate bill was not heard in 2024.  The House bill (HB2010) does not go before the legislature until 2026.  We must do everything in our power to get this bill passed, and save lives.   LK

“It’s estimated that one child is killed every six days due to custody disputes or family court lapses, though one could more specifically assess the cause of death is not the custody dispute itself, but the abusive parent” in the custody battle.
Amanda Kippert, domesticshelters.org, 7-4-25 / LK

Book Review

Statistics vary, but from 50% to 90% of homeless women with children have left a domestic violence situation.  As well, if one digs deep enough into their histories, a main factor in the lives of most homeless people, men, women, teens, and adults with children, is intimate partner/family violence.  Drug fueled, alcohol fueled, mental illness fueled, often combined with finance fueled, so many people then end up homeless.  We see them.  We walk by them.  Sometimes we wonder about them.  LK

When We Walk By, by Kevin Adler and Donald Burnes, takes an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose – in ourselves and as a society – when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets.  And it brilliantly shows what we stand to gain when we embrace our humanity and move toward evidence-based people-first, community-driven solutions, offering social analysis, economic and political histories, and the real stories of unhoused people.  Authors Adler, Burnes, with Amanda Banh and Adrijana Bilbija, recast chronic homelessness in the U.S. as a byproduct of twin crises: our social services systems are failing, and so is our humanity.  A necessary, deeply humanizing read that goes beyond theory and policy analysis to offer engaged solutions with compassion and heart, When We Walk By is a must-read for anyone who cares about homelessness, housing solutions, and their own humanity.  Amazon Review.

Editorial:  I recently attended an event where author Kevin Adler, founder of Miracle Messages, was the keynote speaker.  Mr. Adler reminded us about the human, relational side of the homeless population.  A side that is all too easy to forget when we see the reports and pictures of the homeless camps on the news. LK

Scripture Verse:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us …   Ephesians 3:20