The Proverbs Project: Head to Toe Devotionals for the Whole Family

By Ric... MAMFC LPC Schoonmaker Allison and Col... MAMFC LPC-S Varnado Christine

The Proverbs Project: Head to Toe Devotions for the Whole Family is a 30-day devotional that helps families engage in connection-based and biblical conversations about life. Written by two licensed professional counselors, this devotion draws equally on theology and t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Punchline Publishers
• Release date: May 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781955051163

Ric... MAMFC LPC Schoonmaker Allison

Allison Schoonmaker is a licensed professional counselor in Louisiana. She has almost 2 decades of counseling experience. She manages her private practice, Spring Life Counseling, where she provides therapy and coaching for adults, couples and families. Allison is trained in many of the leading therapy practices and uses evidence-based theories to facilitate change in her clients' lives. Her use of humor, insight, and wisdom fosters a uniquely strong partnership with her clients. She has an uncanny ability to peer past the surface and is able to discern the dynamics that contribute to her clients' difficulties. In her spare time, Allison gardens with her family and neighbors, cooks elaborate meals, practices yoga, travels with friends and family and is always learning something new. She is very intentional in her relationships and prioritizes making time for the people she loves. Allison and her husband Chad have one son and a poorly-behaved beagle. Allison has a witty comeback for most conversations and is gifted in sending the most appropriate meme at the most appropriate time.

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Copyright © 2023 Allison Richmond Schoonmaker, MAMFC, LPC

Christine Coleman Varnado, MAMFC, LPC-S

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.

First paperback and eBook edition May 2023

Illustrations copyright © 2023 by Kristin McNess Moran

Cover design by Sara Chialastri

Print ISBN: 978-1-955051-15-6

eBook ISBN: 978-1-955051-16-3

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. ™

Published by Punchline Publishers

www.punchlineagency.com

www.springlifecounseling.com

www.healingheartscounselingla.com

DEDICATION

To our parents: Your love and faith have given us such firm foundations for our lives.

To our husbands: Thank you for your unending support and encouragement as our little project stretched from months into years. Thanks for keeping us going in all the ways that only y’all can do.

To our boys: Every bit of life is more fun and exciting because of y’all, the Unsafe Nature Boys.

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

POEM

PREFACE

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

INTRODUCTION

• Letter to Parents

• Letter to Kids

EYES

1. Ask the Expert

2. Eye See What You Did There

3. Prepare to be Amazed!

4. Eye Want What’s Best for You

5. Eye Spy: You!

6. God Goggles

MOUTH

7. Sticks and Stones Say What?!

8. To Say the Least

9. There’s Something to be Said Here

10. When All is Said and Done

11. You Don’t Say?

12. Who Wants a Slice of Humble Pie?

HANDS

13. Work Hard, Play Hard

14. A Reward in Hand

15. Stay In Your Lane

16. Hand It Over

17. Gotta Hand It To Ya

18. The Best: Hands Down

HEART

19. I Like Your Necklace

20. Heart of the Matter

21. You Can Get with This, or You Can Get with That

22. What’s In Your Cup?

23. 1+1= BEAR!!!

24. 525,600 Minutes

FEET

25. #Influencer

26. Be Careful Little Feet Where You Go

27. It’s a Hard Knock Life

28. Do the Next Right Thing

29. I Get Knocked Down...but I Get Up Again!

30. No Crazy Messengers!

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX:

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

POEM

Christ Has No Body,

Teresa of Avila (1515—1582)

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world,

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,

Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

Compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

PREFACE

From a young age, both of us (Christine and Allison) independently started praying that God would give us wisdom. Our desire was that we would stay on the right path, honor God with our lives, and avoid pitfalls. This was all cultivated by our early appreciation of Scripture, by our parents who were invested in the things of God, and by the many other godly influences who poured into our lives. God grabbed hold of our lives early on, and we have never let Him go.

Our desire for the families who engage in this connection-centered devotional would be that they are motivated, encouraged, and equipped to seek and apply godly wisdom to their everyday lives. We also pray this devotional would help establish parents as healthy spiritual leaders in their child’s life, further pointing them to the perfect, loving, all-wise Father. As licensed professional counselors, we want to help bring connecting family principles and godly wisdom together in a fun way. Afterall, when you pair learning with healthy connection, awesome growth transpires!

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Step 1: Identify who you are going to team up with. This will be your Wisdom Partner or partners. Some examples of a Wisdom Partner might be a parent, older sibling, or caring adult in your life who can complete this book with a child. While this book focuses primarily on growing in wisdom, it’s also an opportunity to intentionally connect with someone you care about.

Step 2: Decide when you want to do it. There are 30 devotionals so you can decide how often and when you want to do it. Some families might do one devotional a night for