<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[A Cord of Three Strands blog]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you have ever wondered if you would survive raising children. especially sons, this is the blog for you.]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/com</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:55:47 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.valentinestephanie.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Carrying the load]]></title><description><![CDATA[A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/carrying-the-load</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f7fb3a13661d80017311309</guid><pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:12:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_072798ab70da499982de77dde438c85f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Shifting Sandbags of Time]]></title><description><![CDATA["Exercise should be regarded as a tribute to the heart." Gene Tunney]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/the-shifting-sandbags-of-time</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4ab2512951da00172cc450</guid><category><![CDATA[Mommy Challenges]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2020 03:19:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_bd0e34e000a24fa794616c364d8d540c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_960,h_720,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[If the truth be told]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was quiet, but I was not blind. - Jane Austen Nothing boosts your confidence like family research or “finding your people”. In this...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2020/06/23/if-the-truth-be-told</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb5c</guid><category><![CDATA[Adult Children Observations]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:13:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_aea951579ab247028be9bd0c4604c79f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Maternal Mentoring Part 2]]></title><description><![CDATA[“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2020/05/21/maternal-mentoring-part-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb5b</guid><category><![CDATA[Memories]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2020 22:02:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_09027329d45546bcb2bee195eb3178ec~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Maternal mentoring Part 1]]></title><description><![CDATA[The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves. -...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2020/04/08/maternal-mentoring-part-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb5a</guid><category><![CDATA[Memories]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2020 00:49:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_faabf70bf37f4caf975656ecc0634bb0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ready!]]></title><description><![CDATA[What gives me the most hope every day is God's grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face,...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2019/11/04/ready</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb59</guid><pubDate>Tue, 05 Nov 2019 02:58:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_cb66b8ccf3a04697b04a6a946971c546~mv2_d_3000_1757_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[And after her mother died]]></title><description><![CDATA[Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. -Lao Tzu Aretha Franklin died last year....]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2019/04/01/and-after-her-mother-died</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb58</guid><pubDate>Tue, 02 Apr 2019 01:00:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_46f9c473e3134a7bb36dd347be4431ae.jpg/v1/fit/w_491,h_398,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Owning my oddness]]></title><description><![CDATA[Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2019/02/18/owning-my-oddness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb57</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2019 18:12:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_f376174c694340339bb49a39a22ef8b9~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Time to go]]></title><description><![CDATA[You're not a dream,You're not an angel,You're a man I'm not a queen,I'm a woman,Take my hand We'll make a space In the lives That we'd...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2018/07/31/time-to-go</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb56</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Aug 2018 03:19:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_30a12e4e1c7646e08d44d490c83401cd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_629,h_449,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[We’re Moving Where? Or The Plight of a Young Bride]]></title><description><![CDATA[We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. - Joseph Campbell Have you ever known someone...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2018/06/30/we-re-moving-where-or-the-plight-of-a-young-bride</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb55</guid><pubDate>Sat, 30 Jun 2018 12:25:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_a4f466d1d41e4eeb9952049f8f4e9e71~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Blessing of Breeze]]></title><description><![CDATA[Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength. -Saint Francis de Sales Several harrowing stories have been told...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2018/05/24/the-blessing-of-breeze</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb54</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 May 2018 02:13:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_038b180dce25478f8d9aedbd969204d2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Bane of Their Existence]]></title><description><![CDATA[An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Benjamin Franklin Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2018/04/03/the-bane-of-their-existence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb53</guid><category><![CDATA[Memories]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2018 01:00:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_800132e9cdb24e45ada041ed22c98ae3~mv2_d_2248_3000_s_2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Say What?!?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Necessity dispenseth with decorum. -Thomas Carlyle No matter how old you are when your parents pass away, you feel like an orphan. My...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2018/02/28/say-what</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb52</guid><category><![CDATA[Mommy Challenges]]></category><category><![CDATA[Memories]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 2018 02:54:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_241c2fee741d42fab45b58183fb80060~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rebellion]]></title><description><![CDATA[I hold it that a little rebellion now and then, is a good thing… - Thomas Jefferson When you have children it is just a matter of time...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2018/01/31/rebellion</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb51</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2018 02:41:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_cacf4b3b815f44efa6a3558a4aff6dcc~mv2_d_2680_2011_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Run, Run, Run]]></title><description><![CDATA["We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline,...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2017/12/21/run-run-run</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb50</guid><pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2017 12:47:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_0bb2f66c3f6045dd97ec2380e60994a5.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_784,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Mommy-Meter]]></title><description><![CDATA[Creativity is intelligence having fun. – Albert Einstein Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye. – Dorothy Parker I am the proud...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2017/11/30/the-mommy-meter</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb4f</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:23:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_6dbe5383beb748d8998ec240662c5aee~mv2_d_1618_1349_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Number Our Days]]></title><description><![CDATA[So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 This has been a challenging few weeks for me and my...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2017/10/08/number-our-days</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb4e</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Oct 2017 03:08:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_9aed4bb527ff4f8c83bbac8ff4d847e2~mv2_d_2174_1635_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Center of the Universe]]></title><description><![CDATA[If people want to find things, they find them themselves. Jimmy Page In our house, the place where we put all of the important stuff,...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2017/08/27/the-center-of-the-universe</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb4d</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Aug 2017 01:27:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_9c48cd7342264c40b2b0e5a17e85825d~mv2_d_2464_1632_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Talcum Incident]]></title><description><![CDATA[The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. -Denis Waitley The year was...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2017/07/09/the-talcum-incident</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb4c</guid><category><![CDATA[Boys and their JOYS]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 10 Jul 2017 02:02:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_2d22141b1fd248d8a9346e0ba3e4ead9~mv2_d_2816_2112_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[An Adoring, Practical Dad]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mothers play an important role as the heart of the home, but this in no way lessens the equally important role fathers should play, as...]]></description><link>https://www.valentinestephanie.com/post/2017/06/19/an-adoring-practical-dad</link><guid isPermaLink="false">5f4a944935ddae001804bb4b</guid><category><![CDATA[Dad Memories]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jun 2017 04:15:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8ae9e5_ba417c7c564c4d909e1545bd587d9bd2~mv2_d_1483_1980_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephanie Valentine</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>