103 Making Family Memories with Jessica Smartt

103. Making Family Memories with Jessica Smartt

 

**Transcription Below**

 

Mark 10:45 (NIV) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

 

Jessica Smartt is a former English teacher turned homeschooling mom of three. ESTJ. iPhone addict (in recovery). Anxiety overcomer. Allergy mom (only slightly neurotic). Loved by God, and wife to Mr. Fix Anything. She runs a mean 12-minute mile and can make just about anything dairy free. She is a passionate Christ-follower and has been published on The Huffington Post and has written an ebook on How To Introduce Your Child To Jesus. Jessica is passionate about helping moms to detach from the ever-present lure of technology (which can feel way more fun than parenting), about helping women recover from worry (been there, done that!) and about how to be a confident, purposeful homeschooling mom.

 

At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

 

Memory Making Mom

Let Them Be Kids

Smartter Each Day Blog by Jessica Smartt

Connect with Jessica Smartt on Instagram: @jessica.smartt

What is a Family? by Edith Schaefer

Read Aloud Revival Podcast with Sarah Mackenzie

 

Thank You to Our Sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka

 

Just for Fun and Highly Recommended by Laura

Lara Casey's Product: The Kid's Bundle (Write the Word for kids - have you seen this yet? It is awesome!!!)

Lara Casey's 2020 6-months Powersheets...Not exaggerating: these are changing my life!!! 

 

Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website

 

Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!

 

Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and freebies!

 

Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)

 

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

 

Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

 

Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” 

 

Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” 

 

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” 

 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 

Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

 

Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 

Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

 

Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession- to the praise of his glory.”

 

Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

 

Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“

 

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“

 

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

**Transcription**

 

[00:00:00] <music>

 

Laura Dugger: Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. 

 

[00:00:18] <music>

 

Laura Dugger: The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today, over 55 years later, at Sam Leman Chevrolet Buick in Eureka. Owned and operated by the Bertschi family, Sam Leman in Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over Central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at LemanGM.com. 

 

If you're like me, you may appreciate inspiration for more memory-making with your family. Jessica Smartt is my guest today, and she's the author of Memory Making Mom. Her newest book is actually going to be released early on June 9th, and it's titled Let Them Be Kids, which is so perfect for this season.

 

Today, we're going to discuss both books, and Jessica is going to share more details about how we can incorporate meaning into our family's lives by creating memories with the people in life who mean the most to us. [00:01:20] 

 

Here's our chat. 

 

Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Jessica.

 

Jessica Smartt: Thank you so much for having me. 

 

Laura Dugger: Will you just start us off by sharing more about yourself? 

 

Jessica Smartt: Yes. So I am a homeschooling mom of three and married to my husband Todd. We met in college leading Young Life, and we live in North Carolina. I guess something kind of unique about us is that we are about to move to a family farm. My parents bought a big plot of land, and so I will live there with my parents and my two sisters and ten cousins on this farm, which is kind of fun. 

 

I also write. I have Memory Making Mom, which came out a year ago, or so, and coming out very soon is Let Them Be Kids: Adventure, Boredom, Innocence, and Other Gifts Children Need. That's about all I have time for. 

 

Laura Dugger: That would take a lot of time, but I just want to gush for a moment. [00:02:20] I absolutely loved your book. I originally read Memory Making Mom over a year ago, and then as soon as everything happened with this COVID-19 situation, I pulled it back out. I just think that your book can be so helpful during all the stages of parenting. So thank you for creating that first inspiring resource. 

 

Jessica Smartt: Well, that's so wonderful to hear. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. 

 

Laura Dugger: I know that you and I share the same Christian faith, and so I would just love to hear what you learned from Jesus and the Bible as it applies to memory-making. 

 

Jessica Smartt: I think that for me, I realized that the things that I want to do and long to do, I struggle to do in my own strength. And so I think where Jesus meets me is He helps me to be the mom that I want to be. 

 

The whole point is we're not perfect, and that's why He came. [00:03:20] So we'll never do it perfectly. And I wouldn't want someone to read the book and feel like they're behind, or they just can't do it, or, you know, that's great for you, but I can't kind of thing. 

 

Because I really believe that He calls us to do things, and then through His strength, He gives us the ability to do it. And if we fall flat, which I do all the time, He forgives us and helps us. So that's, I think, where He comes to me in that message.

 

Laura Dugger: I love hearing the background. I do remember from your book when you were speaking about memory-making, you said Jesus knew it. On His last evening with His disciples, He didn't take them to the temple to squeeze in one last reading of the Torah. He didn't do one final whirlwind miracle healing tour. No.  On Jesus' last evening with His friends, they ate dinner, a reclining, savoring sort of dinner. 

 

I think that was the foundation for your book that was so impressive. [00:04:20] You taught us that we could just be intentional with things that we're already doing and create these unbelievable memories. 

 

So before we dive into all the ways that we can practically create memories, can you first teach us how we can accept that the effort required for memory-making is more valuable in the long run than the time we could have been doing something else?

 

Jessica Smartt: Well, I think our own consciences tell us that. I think I referenced something about this, but when we lay our heads on the pillow at night, like, we intrinsically know what we were proud that we did, the things we feel good about in life. So I kind of feel like it's obvious to us. 

 

But I think also if we look back and think about who made an impact on us and what was most meaningful in our own childhoods, it wasn't somebody sitting on the corner watching TV, right? It was the people who got down on our level and played a game with us or taught us how to sew or took the time to make our favorite meal. [00:05:28] 

 

So we know that is meaningful. I think there's just so many distractions, even more than our parents and grandparents had.

 

Laura Dugger: Definitely. And we are in such a unique time right now. So hopefully with our conversation today, we can kind of just weave in both books. Because I can't wait to get my hand on your newest resource, which hasn't been released yet.

 

But can you just share how we could incorporate all these things that you've been studying from both books during this coronavirus season?

 

Jessica Smartt: Yeah. It is really crazy. Honestly, God's timing, because I'll just tell you this. I had a two-book deal, and the topic of the second book was not determined and it was kind of a real struggle to land on it. I would go back and forth, you know, with the publisher, and we just couldn't quite get it right. 

 

Then when we finally... it was more like came back to Let Them Be Kids, which is what I had wanted to write all along. [00:06:29] We were running out of time, and it was a very quick turnaround. There was a lot of moments where I asked them, "Can we please push up the timing? Can you please give me more time? Let's sit in 2022 or, you know, whatever." And that didn't happen.

 

But now going through it and realizing that this book is coming out during this time, it is such a wonderful confirmation to me that the Lord knew all along that this message would need to be in the world right now. 

 

I had no concept that there would be a global pandemic and we would be stuck in our houses, but I just felt really strongly that kids are being pushed in a lot of directions, and there's a lot of busyness and technology and push to be more mature than they are, and that we can just enjoy letting them be kids like we did when we were young and have that kind of childhood where we can just play and run. 

 

So the irony is now we have so much time, more time than we want to a) make memories, and b) let them be kids. [00:07:33] But if you're like me, you know, I'm chomping at the bit to kind of get back to normal, quote-unquote, but I think what I've realized is that this is a horrible thing.

 

I feel terrible for the families who have been impacted, but for many of us who are just kind of in hold right now, we've been given an incredible gift, and that gift is time. And we have time, and our children have time. And so we can invest in them and make memories together, even though it will look different than we thought it would prior to 2020.

 

But we also have time to let them just be their little beautiful selves and make mud soup and go pretend fishing and learn to whittle. I could go on and on. And I know these things have happened in homes all over. So I guess it's just a matter of parents realizing that this is the beauty of this time.

 

So it's not fun, it's not maybe the Disney vacation we had planned, but we can still be intentional and make memories that our kids may look back, honestly, and really treasure this time because of all of the memories that they've made in the family time, basically. [00:08:40] 

 

Laura Dugger: Well, I couldn't agree more with what you're sharing. One memory that most of us can do right now is share a meal together. So will you explain your perspective on how sharing a meal bonds us?

 

Jessica Smartt: Well, it's experiencing beauty together. I think before I really invested a lot of time into memory making, because there really was a large chunk of time that I was just kind of surviving, and I was just making normal boring meals and not really trying very hard, that's not really an experience that you're having together. It's just kind of sufficing.

 

But when I started exploring with... and I'm still not like the best chef ever, but trying to make new things and really investing into things that people like and making the table look pretty, I mean it's almost like you can't even explain it, but it's just this whole sense in the room that like we're having something special together. [00:09:39] 

 

So during this time, I think food can be even more meaningful, which is probably why people are making all those jokes about gaining weight during the quarantine, because it's like one of the pleasures that we can still enjoy. So it is more meaningful, I think, to our kids than during real crazy busy seasons.

 

I've tried to just make some special desserts, and we sit down a little bit longer and we have a couple meals that are like our staple, we enjoy every week, such as our Saturday morning pancakes. And so for sure those are not going anywhere. That becomes even more special because it's like one of the small things we can do each week together that's really fun.

 

Laura Dugger: I'll probably just sprinkle some of your quotes throughout this talk, just ones that I had jotted down that were meaningful or inspiring. But you had said, "As we sip, savor, sample, and are satisfied, the mood changes. Food makes people happy, and happy people bond." [00:10:41] 

 

And now a brief message from our sponsor. 

 

Sponsor: Sam Leman Chevrolet Buick in Eureka has been owned and operated by the Bertschi family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.

 

If you visit their dealership today, though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. 

 

Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car-buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. 

 

They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple, welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different.

 

I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life, and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. [00:11:40] 

 

Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet Buick in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you, and they appreciate your business.

 

Learn more at their website, LemanEureka.com, or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them at (309) 467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.

 

Laura Dugger: You also say in your book a quote from someone else that says, "What we learn with pleasure we never forget." And so regardless of our choice for schooling our children, right now most of us are homeschooling. Even outside of this season, there's plenty of education that happens in the home. So what are some ways that we can inspire lifelong learning that does begin in our homes?

 

Jessica Smartt: Well, I think of my neighbor when I answer this. [00:12:39] Her kids go to the local public school, and so they're not home during the day like ours are, but their home is so rich and full of curiosity and creativity. And I think there's two steps to that.

 

Number one is like what you're putting in. You want to have access to good and beautiful things. Books that are great to read, you know, not cartoony, just easy. I mean we read some of those too, but you want to have wonderful books around. That can be audiobooks. I always thought that was kind of cheating, but then I heard Sarah McKenzie of the Read-Aloud Revival say that it was not cheating, and so I will remember that forever.

 

Now during the quarantine especially, there's so many resources of free Hoopla and you know Books Everywhere. So just having a lot of availability to good literature and then supplies to learn and create all sorts of crafty things. We have the ability to give our children more of these things than any generation before us. [00:13:41] 

 

So those things should be in the home. There should be supplies and time for kids to experiment and learn and create together. But then I think the second part, and this is a little harder to hear I think sometimes, but I do think that if you have overabundance of screens in the home, they're not going to be as likely to pick up some of those other options. And I'm totally including myself in this as well. 

 

If my phone is sitting next to me and I'm just, you know, allowing myself to get on the phone, so to speak, I'm not going to pick up the book. I'm not going to play the piano, which is something I like to do every once in a while. I'm not going to create something. 

 

So I think making a priority as a family to put screens in their place and say there are times that they're not available and we're just going to go do other things is also really important in making that learning atmosphere.

 

Laura Dugger: Oh, that's so well said. [00:14:40] With your new book, you do talk about some gifts that we can give our children. I think it's even in the subtitle. So do you mind just sharing some of those gifts?

 

Jessica Smartt: Yes. I knew right away that one thing I wanted to list was boredom, which a lot of times today is not spoken of as a gift. You'll see articles about boredom busters and ways to fight boredom and never hear "I'm bored" again and that kind of stuff. 

 

But I think boredom can be the start of something really beautiful, whether it's people on their own saying, Okay, I don't have anything else to do, I'll... Well, here's an example. My 10-year-old has taught himself how to play guitar over the last couple of months, you know, because he had time. So it's a gift to have time where you're on your own.

 

But also I think boredom in friendships sparks something really beautiful. I like to think about all of those years in college in a time when we didn't have phones and internet and all that. [00:15:41] And I think about all the quality time that I spent with my friends or even like on a car trip. We didn't have our phones. We were just together.

 

And so I think when you allow kids or adults to be bored together and not to gravitate to technology, a lot of really beautiful, rich bonding happens during that time. So I think we need to strive to create that white space where we're not picking up our phone or rushing to the next thing because some really beautiful things happen, for kids and adults, during that time.

 

Laura Dugger: Again, so much of this applies to this season right now, but definitely beyond this global pandemic. So, in general, why do you believe some of the best traditions include serving others?

 

Jessica Smartt: Because as Christians, we know that's our point to being here. We know that we're not on Earth just to make ourselves happy 24-7. [00:16:40] And I think that this time under the coronavirus has brought to light for a lot of us that we really just like to make ourselves happy because a lot of those creature comforts have been stripped away.

 

But that's not the point of our life. The point of our life is to love God and be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people around us. So I think it's awesome to have adventures and family bonding times, but I think ultimately, we were put here on earth to serve others.

 

That's also going to be the most impactful for our children is the time that we spend serving others. Because when I look back, so many of my closest friendships developed out of times of serving together, working towards a common goal.

 

Laura Dugger: So what are some ways that we can serve together as a family?

 

Jessica Smartt: We do blessing bags. We passed somebody just today and I thought, "Shoot, we don't have our blessing bags. We put together some things that people that we might see out in the community would need—water and Band-Aids. [00:17:44] A lot of times the people that you see that appear to be homeless, I keep them in my car, so we'll do that. 

 

Another way that we can serve one another, the primary people that God has put in our lives to serve is our family. When our kids are sick or we have a member of our family who's sick, I think the way that we can pour into them can be so meaningful.

 

And you don't think of sickness times as being memories, right? We think of the good things. But when they're at their weakest and their most vulnerable, there is a real potential there to love them and impact them. So whether I'm talking about how I care for my own kids, sitting with them and scratching their back and reading them a book and taking a little bit of extra time.

 

I got a lot of this actually from Edith Schaeffer's book, What is a Family?, which is a fantastic, really old book, which has so many things along this line. She talks about how, you know, making a little tray for someone who's sick and trying to make it beautiful, putting a little flower when you bring it up to their room. [00:18:45] 

 

It just opened my eyes to the ways that... you know, I tend to view sickness as an inconvenience, like hurry up and get better so we can resume our life. But really those are opportunities to invest in our families and to show them that we really love them and that they matter.

 

Laura Dugger: Such an opportunity for impact. I even think to times when we were the most needy, if someone was recovering from surgery in our family or right after having a baby, you just don't forget the things that your community does for you in those tender times. 

 

Jessica Smartt: Exactly. I agree. 

 

Laura Dugger: In addition to serving, in your book, Memory Making Mom, you highlight how even the littlest people also need work. So how can work become a way to make memories?

 

Jessica Smartt: Yes, absolutely. I've been thinking about this a lot with this upcoming summer because I feel like this is... I joked with someone the other day, there was Memory Making Mom and this summer is going to be Character Building Mom in the ways that we're all just going to learn it. [00:19:52] But I think this summer is going to offer us a lot of opportunities to grow work ethic in our kids. And that is really important. It is not as fun, but it is really important. 

 

I think it was a couple of weeks ago that I realized my kids need to do the dishes. They're totally capable. They can be doing the dishes. And so it was the most amazing feeling in the world when my husband and I sat down on the couch and watched them wash dishes.

 

And don't get me wrong, it was a colossal mess, but it's so rewarding to everybody. I thought, why did I wait so long to do this? So I'm excited to kind of sit down over the next couple weeks and brainstorm how I can start implementing some new jobs, like the next level for them, looking through the summer. Because it is so important. Life is not all about us and just having fun. You know, as parents, we're not just constantly entertaining them.

 

Laura Dugger: Just remind us, what ages are each of your kids right now?

 

Jessica Smartt: 10, 9, and 5. [00:20:52] So they really should have probably been washing dishes for a while before this.

 

Laura Dugger: But you've taught them so much. I know you emphasize that it's important for us as parents to expect much. So will you just elaborate on that idea?

 

Jessica Smartt: Just that they are capable of more than we think that they are. So I always say, whatever jobs you think you're going to give them, if you're going to set up a chore chart, then double it. Because when you think about past generations of children and what they did and how they helped the home, it's tremendous.

 

Laura Dugger: For families with more than one child, I'm sure they already know that it's very challenging to carve out one-on-one time with each of the children. However, you encourage that individual bonding is essential and may even be some of our kids' most treasured memories. So how can we actually ensure this happens? [00:21:52] 

 

Jessica Smartt: We don't do it probably as well as a lot of other people. This is an area we're still working in. But one person that I love watching on Instagram, and a couple people I've seen do this, once a week everyone has a night.

 

Which you could do, for example, every Thursday night you alternate through the kids. Like Thursday night is one-on-one night. So for your family, they may have one time a month where they get to stay up late and play a game. Everyone else has to go to bed at the normal time and they get to have like a special treat or dessert.

 

So I feel like that's a really good way to do it. We've done a lot of breakfast out with Dad and they just adore that.

 

Laura Dugger: Those are really good ideas. I like that. We have pretty low standards. The way that we do it, once our kids turn three, we want to at least have a special one-on-one date with mom and a special one-on-one date with dad, just for the year, was our goal.

 

Jessica Smartt: I think that's great, too. [00:22:52] Honestly, one little time that they can build up to, that's better than nothing. I think that's great.

 

Laura Dugger: And yet it's still encouraging to hear it doesn't have to be a big production. It could just be 30 minutes late on bedtime. So that's something that's applicable right now.

 

Some of you have asked how to find specific books or resources we've mentioned in one of our previous episodes. That's why I'm excited to let you know about our "Resources" tab. When you visit TheSavvySauce.com, you can click on our tab called "Resources". There you will find all of the resources mentioned from every episode. And when you purchase a resource from that list, you're actually supporting our work at The Savvy Sauce. 

 

We also spend a lot of time preparing show notes for every individual episode, so you can access websites, scripture, and the recommended resources when you click on any episode after you visit thesavvysauce.com. We hope you take advantage of these features so you can apply all that you've learned. [00:23:54] 

 

I appreciate how you have this balance of, we're already having meals, or we're already doing work, so we can be intentional with memory making. And also, you continue to remind us that this is costly. It takes intentionality, and it takes time. But the return on these investments far outweighs the cost of our effort or time. So with that in mind, what part does prayer play in all of this memory-making?

 

Jessica Smartt: I think just that we need the Lord's strength to be able to be the kind of parent that we want to be. So quite often, I just pray that God would step in and give me His Spirit to do these things, and I think He honors that.

 

Laura Dugger: Now, assuming that we are implementing some of these ideas with our families, how do we maximize the enjoyment by both reminiscing on past memories, and then also looking forward to future experiences? [00:24:55] 

 

Jessica Smartt: I think that's a great way to just build it up and talk it up. I think we all have that child that starts planning their next birthday like a month after their birthday. But that's a part of enjoying and looking forward to.

 

I think that's been part of the thing that has been sad for some people about the coronavirus. But we can treasure the past vacations we've had and memories that we've had, and then we can look forward to the ones we will have when this is over, because it just makes it last so much longer to be able to look forward and back.

 

Laura Dugger: Jessica, I'd also like to kind of pivot now and hear a little bit more about this upcoming book. What are some of the parts that you're most excited about sharing?

 

Jessica Smartt: I have told most people, if you liked Memory Making Mom, you will absolutely love Let Them Be Kids. It's more well-written, and I almost feel like the message is even more needed. 

 

I was a little nervous writing the first book to be authoritative, I guess, or even take risks as I was writing. [00:25:59] With the second one, I just thought, you know what? No, I'm just going to... if I want to make a funny joke, I'm going to make a funny joke, even more than in the first one. 

 

But I think the message of it, things are getting so crazy and I'm really passionate. It's in an essay form, so instead of really long chapters, they're like little edible chunks that you can read here or there. There's one on letting kids have stuffed animals that I think is really funny and cute. There's one on letting kids be awkward and uncool.

 

There's a lot about technology. There's teaching your kids about sex, how to porn-proof your home, imagination, how to get your kids to read more. There's a part that says a list of things to have your kid do instead of handing them a screen when they're grumpy.

 

There's 50 books to read before your kids leave home and 50 movies to watch before your kids leave home. It's just a labor of love and I can't wait to get it out there into the world.

 

Laura Dugger: And we can't wait to read it as well. So what are some of those ideas? [00:26:59] What did it actually look like and what was the fruit that you saw produced from those experiences?

 

Jessica Smartt: I think I've realized that my kids don't need to be as busy as the world says. I think I've realized that it's good for them to fail. And so I should care more about character than how they do in a baseball game.

 

I think I've definitely realized another big theme is that we need to be authentic as parents. If we're saying adventure is important and screens are not as important as people and reading is good, all of those things, then we need to be living that message because they see right through it. 

 

There's a chapter on the gift of family and why kids need a family unit now that's loving and supportive more than ever before in history. I think it's just encouraged and affirmed a lot of the things that I was doing anyway. [00:27:59] But I hope that it's a good reminder to parents to just let them be kids and let them grow up slowly and enjoy a lot of the fun, crazy, down-to-earth, carefree days that we enjoyed when we were younger. That's my hope.

 

Laura Dugger: And then also I'm just curious about your process and development as a writer, because it sounds like there was even a maturation process between the two books. So will you take us back? How did you know that you even wanted to publish your first book?

 

Jessica Smartt: I've always wanted to write a book forever and ever. It just felt like I never would. I was introduced to an agent through a friend and he said, "We're going to wait until we have the best idea that we can possibly have for your first book. We are going to start strong."

 

So we spent months talking, just talking about life and talking about things until we landed on Traditions and Memory Making Mom. [00:28:59] It was something that I had just recently started implementing. So it was an easy thing for me to write about because I had spent a lot of time already talking to so many people about, well, hey, what traditions do you have? And, you know, Googling and Pinteresting and all those things. 

 

So it was just an overflow of what I had been learning. But I have loved every single step of writing a book. The beginning part is the most overwhelming. But yes, I would love to write more.

 

Laura Dugger: You mentioned that you were just getting interested in memory-making a few years ago. So what changed in your parenting or why did you decide to go on that trajectory?

 

Jessica Smartt: I think one of the nudging points was being in the hospital with my son after he had had an allergic reaction. It was just a wake-up call moment, which I know a lot of us have had, where I felt like if that's all we had had with him, I would have regretted some of the time we spent. [00:30:00]  So it just was a kick in the pants to be more intentional.

 

Laura Dugger: Wow. God has such an incredible way of taking hard times and making something beautiful from it. Looking at your current life, what are some of your favorite current traditions?

 

Jessica Smartt: We love doing a Smartt Family Day, you know, for our last name, Smartt Family Day, which I copied from a friend. We try to do something new we've never done before, just spend the whole day together as a family. So I'm not sure how that will look this year. We usually do it in the summer. But I love that one. 

 

We do love our Saturday morning pancakes. I know our kids would say that. 

 

Then traditions are also just things that you share together. We really love weather watching because I'm obsessed with the weather and have this thing for tornadoes. Storms are something that we always build up.

 

We like to watch my boys watch Dude Perfect with their dad, which is just... and then they'll play some of the silly games. [00:31:01] I don't know if anyone has watched that, but it's hilarious. 

 

Just even little shared jokes and hobbies. The kids always play a basketball game with my husband before they go to bed. Those are just some low-key ones for now, I think.

 

Laura Dugger: That's helpful because the less big and fancy it is, the more replicable it can be. So with your Smartt Family days, we don't know what the summer will hold. But what have some of your previous ones looked like in years past?

 

Jessica Smartt: We rented a boat and went on the lake. We rented an RV camper and went camping and then we went kayaking. So we actually did buy a camper a year ago. And so I think we may just go to a new place, I think, and do something... maybe do a different kind of a hike or something for ours this year.

 

Laura Dugger: I love these ideas because you're kind of sparking creativity and novelty. It's something that the Lord's been teaching me lately. [00:32:02] There's a proverb that talks about someone who refreshes others will then themselves be refreshed. And I was just thinking, I want to refresh my family. What does that look like? 

 

And novelty came to mind in addition to warm and kind and encouraging attention. I think both of those things are encapsulated in what you're saying with those family days. So we might have to give that a try. 

 

Jessica Smartt: There you go.

 

Laura Dugger: Well, Jessica, how do you think that the good news of Jesus applies to what we've been discussing today?

 

Jessica Smartt: Just that He is the giver of all good things and we don't deserve it, but He allows us to enjoy family and nature and beauty and quality time and all good gifts come from him. So I'm just so grateful that he puts the lonely in families.

 

Laura Dugger: Amen to that. Are there any practical tips that you have for us? [00:33:01] If we want to get started with some of this today, are there any certain books that you recommend we read with our kids or ideas that we could grab on to?

 

Jessica Smartt: Well, my new book, Let Them Be Kids, at the end, I have a huge list of books to read segregated by age and character-building movies. I also have a list of things that kids should have on hand at all times. I mean, it's just kind of a funny list, but that would be a great place to start just for a next step.

 

Laura Dugger: Wonderful. In case it's anyone's first time listening, we always will put all of these links in both our show notes and on our resources tab. So it's all easily accessible at thesavvysauce.com.

 

But Jessica, where can listeners find these resources and maybe preorder your newest book?

 

Jessica Smartt: They can go to Amazon. Let Them Be Kids and Memory Making Mom are both on there. I'm on Instagram @Jessica.smartt with two Ts, and my blog is smarttereachday.com. And "Smartter" has two Ts. [00:34:08] 

 

Laura Dugger: Well, you know that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so as my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce?

 

Jessica Smartt: I would say two things. My nightly tradition with my husband of watching a show together, which sounds really superficial, but it's just our time together. We've done it for 10 to 15 years. We pray and then we always have something that we're working through. And it's just the most favorite part of the day for both of us to just connect. And everything is done that we didn't want to do in the day. So that's really huge for us. 

 

Then my prayer triad. A couple of years ago, I started meeting with two ladies from church every other week. We've been doing it virtually and that's kind of sad. But it's just been such a wonderful way for me to have people encouraging me and holding me accountable in things, and, you know, just knowing that I have a place to go. [00:35:10] 

 

If I'm overwhelmed and worried or struggling with something, to know these are my people and I can go talk to them about what's wrong and they've got my back. So I would really recommend that if somebody doesn't have it and they're looking for community.

 

Laura Dugger: That's such a great idea. Jessica, this has just been such a helpful time. I know that you've sparked so many ideas for how we can creatively and intentionally make these memories, regardless of what the season looks like. So thank you for being my guest today.

 

Jessica Smartt: Thank you so much for having me. I've really enjoyed it.

 

Laura Dugger: One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term "gospel" before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners and God is perfect and holy, so He cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, we're separated from Him.

 

This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. [00:36:12] So for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a savior. But God loved us so much, He made a way for His only Son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute.

 

This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with Him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. 

 

We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

 

So would you pray with me now? [00:37:12] Heavenly, Father, thank You for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to You. Will You clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare You as Lord of their life? We trust You to work and change their lives now for eternity. In Jesus name, we pray, amen. 

 

If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring Him for me, so me for Him, you get the opportunity to live your life for Him. 

 

At this podcast, we are called Savvy for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So you're ready to get started?

 

First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision my parents took me to Barnes and Noble to get the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. Start by reading the book of John. 

 

Get connected locally, which basically means just tell someone who is part of the church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. [00:38:16] I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. 

 

We want to celebrate with you too. So feel free to leave a comment for us if you made a decision for Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read Scripture that describes this process. 

 

Finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. 

 

If you've already received this good news, I pray that you have someone else to share it with today. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.