Tuesday, January 31, 2017

EPISODE WINNERS!

Author Laura Sassi

I am delighted to report the two winners of the faith-building packages for children. I announced the giveaways on the recent episode of my parenting series, Chaos to Calm. Congratulations to K. McPherson of New Jersey, who took advantage of a bonus entry and won the teen package! Congratulations to O. Elochukwu of California, who won the package for young children! She is the first winner from California on the blog! We actually had several entrants register from that state and from across the country! In addition to New Jersey and now California, previous prize states have also included Connecticut, Maine, Texas, Indiana, Kansas, Illinois, South Carolina, and Arizona. 

I will reach out to both winners over email - be sure to get back to me as soon as possible to receive your package from the publisher. Thank you to Zonderkidz and their author Laura Sassi for making my recent episode and these giveaways possible!

Did you miss the show? Watch here. It's had almost 3,000 views!

On Thursday, I am taping February's episode with the NYT's best-selling author Jessica Lahey! It will air on February 21, so mark your calendars! Also, make sure you're subscribed via email to my blog to get episodes and posts delivered right to your inbox! (See the upper right hand corner of my blog to submit your email and follow the prompts.) 

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Watch "The Calm of Building Faith Foundations" and WIN!


Hear popular children's book author and educator Laura Sassi share her inspiring personal story, the insights behind her books, and tested faith-starters for children. Plus, discover over ten faith-building resources for young children and teens that you could win courtesy of Zonderkidz! You can watch this episode above or by clicking here.

To register for the giveaways, scroll to find the entry forms on my homepage or use the following links. Here is the entry form for young children. Here is the entry form for teens. The teen package requires that you specify the gender of your child so that the publisher knows which options to send!

The contest ends at NOON EST on Tuesday, January 31, 2017. You can register for one or both giveaways! Good luck!

Monday, January 23, 2017

A New Chaos to Calm Episode Airs TOMORROW night!

Laura and I on set!

Children's book author Laura Sassi is this month's guest on my parenting TV series, Chaos to Calm with Noelle Kirchner! The episode topic is "The Calm of Building Faith Foundations," and Laura will weigh in on that as an author, mother, and educator. The magic that makes her stories come alive will open new avenues for sharing faith in your own home! 

The episode airs tomorrow night at 9 PM EST on HomeTowne TV (Channel 33/Verizon and 36/Comcast in NJ). It will also be available for online streaming anywhere at 9 PM EST tomorrow by clicking here

BONUS: I'm so excited to announce that the Christian publisher Zonderkidz will be giving away over 10 free books - watch to find out how to win these recommended faith-building resources for your children! One bundle of books will be for young children and another for teens. 

I will share an on demand link for viewing after the initial air date of the show - be sure you are subscribed via email to this blog (in the upper righthand corner) to get the episode sent right to your inbox! A big thank you to Laura Sassi for sharing her heartfelt, amazing story with us. I can't wait for you to watch it!

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Family-Friendly Ways to Live MLK Day



I can honestly say that in my lifetime, I have never seen our country as divided as this past year. Racial and political tensions remain high.

For those of us who want to be the hope, I'm passing along two things. The first is an article that I wrote in the wake of MLK last year and shared with the Huff Post. I invite you to consider how it might apply to your family.

The second is a flyer of ways that families can serve on MLK Day in the NJ area. I encourage you to look for lists like this in your own community, or use it as a springboard to initiate a service activity that appeals to you.

I believe the greatest threat is not what is reported on the news, but when we lose our agency. The choices we make can indeed bring reconciliation to our world. Jesus promises hope can always come out of ashes when we believe - and take that step of faith.

Monday, January 2, 2017

3 Essential Tips to Raising Dreamers

New Year, new dreams...I hope you enjoy this post. Don't miss the important announcements below. Happy New Year, friends!

Parenthood often is consumed by minutia. We grocery shop, make meals, attempt to stay on top of unending piles of laundry, sign school forms, masterfully juggle schedules, and carpool  all while attending to our own responsibilities. We can live full yet exhausting lives, which sometimes leave little energy to cultivate a big picture.

I love this TODAY Show Parenting Team challenge because at heart, I am a dreamer. I don’t want to just subsist; I want to fully live. I want to wake up in the morning with purpose and passion. I’m quite sure it’s difficult to raise children who can do this if I don’t spend time doing it myself. Granting permission to dream and care for myself allows me to more fully give to those I love.  

Perhaps the best dream we can dream for ourselves is to discover our calling and live it. Calling can be a multifaceted thing, just as we are multifaceted people. For instance, many of us are workers, parents, friends, siblings, and children simultaneously. Our calling will ask us to hold these roles in tension while doing what we were put on earth to do. I’ve heard one author describe calling as doing that which makes our heart sing. Another has described it as the intersection between the world’s greatest need and our deepest joy.

It’s a privilege to discover and live our calling. Some never have that option. As parents, we’re in a unique position to enable our children to do so. Being intentional about that role has the potential to unlock richer fulfillment in our families. In the spirit of raising dreamers, here are three tips to consider as we go about our important work:

1.     Be an archeologist. It’s so easy as a parent, especially if you’re type A like me, to put an expertly crafted plan of our own into motion. While we can offer our children a myriad of experiences and opportunities to safely test the waters, our primary role should be that an observer. We can watch for clues about their own unique intellect and bent. I’ve noticed how quick my older son is to show compassion, or how mechanically minded my younger son is, for instance.

2.     “Lean in.” Mark and Jan Foreman give this advice. One day they heard their sons experimenting with music they didn’t like. Instead of insisting that they stop, however, Mark sat down and told them why. He used that moment as a springboard for more discussions and experimentation – together. Their sons went on to form the award-winning band Switchfoot. Mark and Jan stress the importance of engaging and supporting our children’s interests, while structuring them all the same.

3.     Let go. NYT’s best-selling author Jessica Lahey argues that allowing our children to take risks – and even fail – is a crucial element on their path to success. While it may fly in the face of our protective sensibilities, affording our children the right amount of autonomy enables them to develop a healthy and resilient self-confidence that will serve them well in future endeavors. I’ve never known a dream that didn’t involve risk; I don’t want to raise risk-averse children, but risk-smart ones.

One of my favorite quotes is by John A. Shedd: “A ship in harbor is safe  but that is not what ships are built for.” Discovering what we we’re built for and setting sail can take us to new places well worth the journey. I can’t wait to see where it takes these two!


I’m excited to announce that Jessica Lahey will be the February guest on my show, Chaos to Calm. Jessica is the author of The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed. Also, Mark and Jan Foreman talk more about parenting in their recent book, Never Say No; Raising Big-Picture Kids. 

This week, I'm shooting the January episode of Chaos to Calm with children's book author Laura Sassi, which will air later this month on the 24th! There will be TWO Zonderkidz giveaways in association with this episode - don't miss it!

And as always, I'd love your vote over on the TODAY Parenting Team page. Simply click "vote up" here to allow my post to reach more people!

TODAY Video Clip