3986 Where Do I Run First?
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
When life gets messy — and let’s be honest, it always does — both parents and kids face the terrifying question: “Where do I run first?” It’s not just about geography; it’s about the who and what that can catch us when we’re falling apart under overwhelm and struggle. If parents don’t provide a safe fallback, kids often sprint toward friends, teachers, coaches, or romantic interests — places that might get them, or might just judge and reject them. This question strips parenting to its core responsibility: Are we raising kids who know our love...
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3985 Wear Your Smile
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
Life isn’t a constant stream of roses and rainbows. More often, it’s weeds choking the garden and storms darkening the sky. But from those weeds and storms come blooms and skies painted with the kind of beauty you cannot fake or force. It's no wonder it's hard to wear your smile. Maybe you're struggling to smile today? I get it. Sometimes smiling feels like a mask, like pretending everything’s okay when inside you’re falling apart. Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . But wearing a smile isn’t about life handing you perfect...
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3984 Set the Tempo of Your Life
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
You don’t have to like where you are. Maybe your life feels stuck in a loop you didn’t sign up for. Maybe your step feels heavy or your spirit’s been whispering for a shift you haven’t dared to make. Wait though! You’re not trapped. Not by your past, your mistakes, or the weight of what isn’t working. You get to decide how you show up each day. You get to set the tempo of your life—from what you hold onto to what you courageously let go. This is the wellspring of real well-being: the space inside where choice lives. It’s not about pretending you’re perfect or faking a smile....
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3983 Live Like It's Christmas!
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
It’s almost springtime, and right now, the last thing on your mind might be Christmas. But there’s a powerful kind of energy that Christmas brings, one that doesn’t just come from tinsel or twinkling lights. It’s that deep-down, can’t-keep-you-down spark of happiness and purpose that ignites even when you’re running on empty. Live like it's Christmas! Remember those Christmas nights? The ones where you stayed up late, exhausted but joyful, wrapping gifts, assembling toys, or setting up big surprises for your kids? Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women?...
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3982 The Walls of Comparison
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
We build walls around ourselves, thinking they’re shields—to keep others out, to guard our weaknesses and doubts. But what happens when walls don't protect you, the walls of comparison that keep you locked in? When a dream or goal demands stepping outside your comfort zone, you face more than fear or uncertainty. You face the trap of comparison. Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . We can peer at what everyone else is doing and forget what we alone bring to the table. Our gifts, talents, and unique value get left behind because we’re too...
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3981 Seek the Lord
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
Too much of our lives are spent running our own race—scaling mountains, crossing rugged terrains we've never faced before—chasing after answers and strength as if we must do it all alone. We push ourselves to find solutions, to prove our worth, to reach the other side on our own terms. But what if you were to seek the Lord? What if the breakthrough isn’t found in our striving or in the distant horizon? What if the source of hope and peace is much closer than we realize? Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . Isaiah 55:6 reminds...
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3980 Love with Tethered Hearts
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
Discomfort in a relationship is often seen as a warning sign or a problem to be avoided. But what if those uncomfortable moments, like disagreements, frustrations, and misunderstandings, are actually the very gateways to a deeper connection and more rewarding marriage? Strip away the noise and love with tethered hearts. When you strip away the noise of everyday life and the tiny irritations that pull you apart, what remains is an opportunity: a chance to grow side by side, tethered heart to heart. Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . Most...
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3979 How to Win Your Parenting Conversations
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
Parenting isn’t about having the loudest voice in the room or the last word every time. It’s about precision, strategy, and understanding how every move impacts the next. You may be the expert, but be careful how you share the wisdom. Whether you want to admit it or not, you can learn how to win your parenting conversations better. In honor of the Olympics, I want you to think of your parenting conversations like the sport of Curling—where every stone you throw changes the "game," and success isn’t guaranteed just because you have the advantage. Desire to be supported and encouraged by...
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3978 Gain a Heart of Wisdom
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
In the rush of modern life, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. So much of our energy flows toward chasing someone else’s dream, trying to fit into others’ expectations, or simply surviving the relentless pace of day-to-day routines. Consider the timeless words from Psalm 90:12 ~ “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” What does it mean to number our days? It’s not some grim countdown or morbid fixation. Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the . It’s an invitation to live each day with...
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3977 Plant Your Patience
Create Your Now with Kristianne Wargo
In the relentless rush of daily life, it’s easy to feel like we’re sprinting on a treadmill set to max speed, chasing the next goal, the next move, the next achievement—only to end up overwhelmed, exhausted, and stuck in a loop of what we didn’t get done. That constant hurry doesn’t just steal time; it steals clarity, joy, and the chance to grow something meaningful. What if, instead of rushing, you plant your patience? What if you slowed down, dug deep, and gave yourself the permission to nurture progress with care—not speed? Desire to be supported and encouraged by other...
info_outlineWhen life gets messy — and let’s be honest, it always does — both parents and kids face the terrifying question: “Where do I run first?” It’s not just about geography; it’s about the who and what that can catch us when we’re falling apart under overwhelm and struggle. If parents don’t provide a safe fallback, kids often sprint toward friends, teachers, coaches, or romantic interests — places that might get them, or might just judge and reject them.
This question strips parenting to its core responsibility: Are we raising kids who know our love is a rock, not a reward?
Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the Kairos FREE Online Community. https://createyournow.com
Because nothing kills trust faster than transactional love — the kind that whispers, “You have to earn my care.” Here’s the truth: No one, at any age, wants to unload their biggest fears and failures onto someone who’s counting points or judging through the lens of rigid morals and values. That’s a hard pill for parents, but the stakes are high.
The Mirror Effect: Kids See Through the Facade
Here’s the cold, clear reality — kids can sniff out if your love is real or just a performance. They notice when your affection depends on their grades, behavior, or achievements. That’s a deal-breaker. Because when the chips are down, what they really need is a refuge that says: “No matter what, I’m here. I’ve got you.” If they don’t find that first at home, they’ll get it somewhere else — and it might not be a place that helps them grow.
So if your kid’s “first run” isn’t to you, that’s your signal right there.
The question for every parent becomes: how do we build that “go-to” foundation of unconditional love — not just in word, but in practice?
The K.I.S.S. ~ Build a "go-to" foundation of unconditional love!
What does it look like to build that go-to foundation in real life?
Here Are 3 Non-Negotiable Moves to Show Real Unconditional Love
- Hold Space Without Judgment
When your kid comes with bad news, a mistake, or raw emotion — lock the judgment away. Listen first. Too often, parents’ knee-jerk reaction is to fix, scold, or lecture. But the first rule is this: their feelings matter, even if their choices don’t. Saying “I love you no matter what” loses power if your face and words say, “I’m disappointed.”
Action Step: Practice saying “Help me understand what happened” instead of “Why did you do that?”
- Be Consistently Present, Especially When It’s Hard
Unconditional love isn’t a fair-weather friend. It shows up during tantrums, failures, and arguments — not just when they’re hitting milestones or playing the “right” role. On tough days, your presence is the lifeline that says, “You can come home to me no matter how messy you are.”
Action Step: Schedule one-on-one “undistracted time” weekly. No phones, no judgments—just you and your kid.
- Model Vulnerability and Own Your Own Imperfections
When parents act like they’re perfect, it builds a wall. Kids need to see that the adults they run to are human—that they mess up, learn, and grow. This cracks open the door for authentic connection and reassures kids that mistakes don’t remove love.
Action Step: Share a “fail” or fear with your kid and how you navigated it. Show you’re not “above” them but beside them.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
The WHO kids run to first isn’t just about immediate comfort — it shapes their whole approach to life’s challenges. When parents embody unconditional love, kids learn where real refuge lives. They grow up confident to share pains, mistakes, and fears without fear of rejection or manipulation. They don’t seek validation on the playground or from a partner because they know they have a home base.
Parents, you must hold this responsibility tightly: your love must be a constant landing pad, not a roller coaster. That’s what builds resilient, healthy humans who will carry the legacy forward.
The answer to “Where do I run first?” starts at home — with you.
Show up as the safe harbor, the steady heart, the unshakable yes that doesn’t depend on conditions.
Because at the end of the day, that’s the kind of love every kid deserves — and it’s the kind of parent you can be.
"Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!"
#ConfessionsOfAnUpsetMama #CreateYourNow #TodaysParent
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Cover Art by Jenny Hamson
Photo by Canva.com
Music by Mandisa - Overcomer
http://www.mandisaofficial.com
Song ID: 68209
Song Title: Overcomer
Writer(s): Ben Glover, Chris Stevens, David Garcia
Copyright © 2013 Meaux Mercy (BMI) Moody Producer Music (BMI)
One Songs (ASCAP) Ariose Music (ASCAP) Universal Music -
Brentwood Benson Publ. (ASCAP) D Soul Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.