by Cindi McMenamin

It's happened way too fast. Your girl is grown and she's heading out on her own.

I imagine there are still things you want to tell her that you haven't. There are values you've taught her that you are hoping will stick. And there are hopes and prayers you have for her that you're not sure how to express.

Rather than remain silent and fear the worst or quietly hope that you've done your job thus far, here is something you can share with her. Or, better yet, find a way to say these things in your own way. These are 12 things I wanted my own daughter to know before she entered college – and 12 things she is still, by the grace of God, holding fast to today:

1. Life is fleeting; number your days.

Although you feel invincible, as if you'll live forever, life passes by quickly and it won't be long before you'll be saying these same words to your own son or daughter one day. Psalm 90:12 instructs us to "number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom," and that's the best way to live without regrets. Live as if each day is precious and you'll never get it back again.

2. People will come and go in your life but there is One who will never leave (Hebrews 13:5).

So, investing time in your relationship with God is an investment that you'll never regret. Don't forget Him – or blow Him off – if others around you have. At the end of the day – and at the end of your life – He is the One who has always loved you the most.

3. God's opinion matters more than anyone else's.

It's easy to fall into the trap of trying to impress others. But the bottom line is, God's opinion of you is the only one that really matters. And He already thinks the world of you. Therefore, set your heart on pleasing Him first. You'll find it simplifies life and makes you less of a people pleaser.

4. Think long-term, not short term.

You will often hear from others, and even professors, that you should seize the day and "live for the moment." But the things that seemed SO important to us in our 20s we can barely remember in our 40s. Living wisely and well today always pays off tomorrow.

5. Don't waste time worrying about what you can't control.

The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6: "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything...." Life is just too short to worry about things when God is more than able to carry those burdens for you.

6. God is the only One who satisfies, so don't ever look to a man to do for you what only God can.

There's a reason He tells us in Isaiah 54:5, "For your Husband is your Maker, the Lord God of hosts...." Too many women look for a husband to be god in their lives, instead of looking to God to be their spiritual husband.

7. Every man you date is a potential life partner.

So whether or not he's a mature follower of Christ, or doesn't know Christ IS a huge deal. Scripture commands us in 2 Corinthians 6:14 not to be "bound together" with unbelievers. That doesn't just apply to marriage. I know many a wife who wishes it was more important to her during her dating years that her boyfriend be a strong Christian.

8. Don't look for validation in anything or anyone but God.

You are loved immensely by your Creator and given the awesome privilege of serving the Savior. If you ever doubt who you are or what you've been given, read Ephesians 1. And take Ephesians 2:10 to heart: "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (NLT).

9. Choose carefully what you expose yourself to.

The things we allow our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our minds to process have a way of sticking with us far longer than we had imagined. Romans 12:2 tells us to "not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." That renewal of the mind happens when you clear it of the junk this world will bombard you with.

10. Develop wise financial habits now.

They will be a safeguard for you as you get older.

11. Purity is rare and priceless.

Guard it with your life. (And regardless of what the tabloids say, righteousness will never go out of style.)

12. Everyone fails, but your failures don't define you.

We are defined, instead, by God's words that include unforgettable" (Isaiah 49:15), "sought after" (Isaiah 62:12) and "chosen" (Ephesians 1:11). God specializes in giving us another chance. Take your failures, shortcomings, heartaches, and mistakes to Him and He can redeem them into something beautiful and meaningful in your life.

About The Author:

Cindi McMenamin is a national women's conference and retreat speaker and the author of 15 books, including When a Mom Inspires Her Daughter and her newest, 10 Secrets to Becoming a Worry-Free Mom. For more on her books and ministry, or to download free resources to strengthen your marriage, parenting, or individual walk with God, see her website: StrengthForTheSoul.com.

By Dr. Tim Clinton

From Dr. Tim Clinton's show Life, Love & Family – he speaks with Stephen Arterburn about the things to stop and start in order to have an enjoyable marriage.

The Most Important Things to Stop in Your Marriage:

1) Focusing on Your Own Interests - so many people get married and never move into the "we" dimension of relationship. Being a couple costs your selfishness.

2) Maintaining Unrealistic Expectations - we will always want something to "fix" us. For most, the treatment of choice is for God to take anything away that we don’t want in our lives. Similarly, people choose the treatment of marriage to fix what is going on in their soul. You cannot believe that your spouse will meet all of your needs - no one is capable of doing this for you but God.

3) Trying to Change Your Spouse - nagging and criticism has never changed anyone. A person cannot change their background, their heritage, or what they’ve been through. Everyone enters marriage with some type of emotional baggage. When you accept your spouse and focus on what is good and positive about him/her, your spouse will feel free to change.

4) Being Angry and Resentful - these emotions are used to control another. If your spouse is angry, look at your own behavior to see if there’s anything you’re doing to provoke his/her anger. Take time to connect with God and His truths - which are opposite of anger and bitterness.

5) Stop focusing on things of the past. You must not let the past control your present life. Allow forgiveness and grace to bring healing into your marriage.

The Most Important Things to Start in Your Marriage:

1) Take a minimum of seven minutes each day to look together at God’s work in your lives.

2) Spend time in God's Word. (Research shows that if you engage in Scripture at least four days each week, it will change your choices, your relationship with your spouse, and lowers the risk for infidelity by 60%.)

3) Have Fun and Romance Each Other - be spontaneous. Go on dates. Make time for one another. Look for the fun and the laughter.

4) Spend Money Responsibly - arguments in marriage occur most often over money. Consider developing a budget. Think about your purchases. Don’t simply react to your compulsion to spend.

5) Express Grace and Forgiveness - regardless of what you’ve been through together, you should daily express grace, forgiveness, and affirmation to one another. Avoid criticism. Acknowledge the good in your spouse.

Applicable quotes to inspire your marriage:

• "It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages." - Fredrich Nietzche

• "Outside of infidelity, disrespect is the most destructive behavior in any marriage." - Steve Arterburn

• "Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave." - Martin Luther

• "Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny thread which sew people together throughout the years." - Simone Signoret

• "Problems aren’t really the issue in marriage; it’s what you do with those problems that makes all the difference." - Tim Clinton

Related Bible Verses:

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." - Proverbs 18:22

"Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband." - Ephesians 5:33

"What therefore God has joined together let no man separate." - Mark 10:9

"And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." - Ecclesiastes 4:12

"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:32

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." - John 10:10

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." - Galatians 6:9

About Stephen Arterburn:

Stephen Arterburn is an award-winning author with over 8 million books in print, including the bestsellers Every Man’s Battle and Healing Is a Choice. He has also been editor of 10 Bible projects, including the Life Recovery Bible. Steve founded New Life Treatment Centers in 1988 and is currently host of the radio and television show "New Life Live." In 1996 he started the most successful traveling conference, Women of Faith – attended by over 4 million women.

by John O'Leary

"It's perseverance that's the key. It's persevering for long enough to achieve your potential." - Lynn Davies

Previously, I shared that the common denominators of those who model resiliency and achieve success are: having a clear goal; willingness to risk everything to become more; learning from failures; and choosing to stand up and step forward.

Today, I'll share a personal example showing how it worked for me – and will absolutely work for you, too.

My junior year at St. Louis University I met my wife. It took me all of 30 seconds to realize I was head over heals for this girl.

But, it took me another year to finally build up the courage to ask her out! When I finally did -- we had hung out dozens of times, obviously grown close and I was finally confident that she would say "yes."

So, when I asked, I was anything but ready for this response, "John, you are like a brother to me."

My friends, I don't know what you've heard about Missouri, but this was her way of saying "NO!" ... and letting me know, as sweetly as she could, that she wasn't interested and it wasn't likely to change.

In my mind, I failed. But: when you know your why, you can endure any how.

So, we remained "brother and sister" for another 12 months. With all that time passing and spending so much time together I felt that surely things had shifted for her! So I asked her again.

She looked at me sweetly, and told me nothing had changed. She still loved me…like a brother.

We all fail, my friends. What's important is not what leads up to it or how you feel in the midst of it, but how you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and continue to stand tall after it. We must "persevere long enough to achieve our potential."

Our friendship continued with casual dinners, movie nights and I even brought her to my REAL sister's wedding! We shared a wonderful friendship, even if not exactly the one I'd envisioned.

It was on one of our casual dinners that an inflection point occurred. We were at a wonderful Italian place (her favorite kind of food), sitting on the patio (my favorite place to sit).

Shortly after ordering she leaned over to me and said she had something to tell me.

She went on to say that the past six months, every time she'd spent time with me, she'd gotten butterflies in her stomach. She had fallen for me -- this was her way of asking me if I'd date her.

I was shocked. I didn't expect it and didn't know how to respond. So I told her I don't date sisters. KIDDING -- I said "Yes! Let's try this!"

Three years later, we were married. Today, we're blessed with four healthy kids, a strong marriage and great families.

I could have let fear of rejection lead me away from my friendship with Beth after she turned me down the first time (or the second time)! But in life we must risk failure and persevere in order for there to be a worthy reward.

Are there things in your life that you have allowed to pass you by because your fear of failure kept you from pursuing them? It could be a girl, like me, or a dream job, or a new adventure, or running for office. Are there areas of life that are stagnant that are in need of you recommitting to? Perhaps decisions in regards to your health, your faith, your work, your family. Share your answer in the comments on my blog!

Remember, once you get clear on your "why" -- your goal, your purpose in life, in your day in the activity at hand: then all you have to do is persevere long enough to achieve your potential.

The best is yet to come,

by Bob Proctor

A number of years ago I had a two-hour layover in the Los Angeles airport. I still had 14 or 15 hours of flying time ahead of me so I decided to pick up a good book. Fortunately, I selected a classic. It is a release published in hard cover by Pocket Books written by Shad Helmstetter, titled 'Choices'.

Helmstetter writes about choosing not complaining. I quote:

"Imagine the incredibly powerful, productive moments, minutes and hours of the days and weeks of our lives that we could complain or not - simply by our own choices. I doubt that we could accurately calculate the amount of additional productive time each of us would have in one year if, for that year, we turned every moment of complaint into a moment of choice to do something better instead.

Imagine what we could do in our homes, with our families and in our personal lives if we made the choice to replace complaining with positive belief. Imagine what you could do with those extra moments and hours of your life if you made the choice, right now, to never complain - and at every opportunity from here on out to replace even the most minor complaint with the positive energy of your own potential.

Imagine never again complaining. Could you still be a strong person, a person of conviction and opinion? Would you still do everything you need to do to make change in your life, or to deal in a clear and effective way with the obstacles and problems that come along? The answer is that you would be more effective, as you would be concentrating on positive actions to improve situations".