The living room twinkled in hues of blue from our eight foot tall white Christmas tree, decked out in blue lights peppered with homemade ornaments. Tori Grace sat at its feet, tucked in between the tree and fireplace. In all her silly brilliance, I laughed over her funny story when I said, “Baby girl you are so beautiful,” but her response caught my eye. Ever so quickly, she set her jaw and froze over the compliment before smiling and saying, “I don’t like that.” “You don’t like it when mommy says you’re beautiful? What about when I tell you …
The Unique Struggles of a Special Sibling
“He gets mad at the smallest things and always causes a scene. I’m embarrassed to be seen with him.” ” I feel ignored and resent how much time he demands from my parents.” Click To Tweet “Why can’t I just have a NORMAL family like everyone else?!” “As much as I am embarrassed to be around my brother, I worry about if he is OK without me.” “It hurts when people are rude to him… but I feel guilty and ashamed because I am the rudest to him of all.” “Who will take care of her if something happens to …
We Can Train Them Up But–
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 NKJV Chances are if you’ve been around any mom of faith then you’ve probably rubbed up against this verse a few times. It’s sort of like the parenting “go-to” verse. It’s a great truth that I’ve clung to many times while raising my boys…but, there’s one part of it that I never fully was able to grasp until now. Here’s what I’ve been learning on my twenty first year as a mama bear, we can train up …
Motherhood Is Hard Work
Without a doubt being a mom is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had in my life. Never would I have imagined the sheer number of emotions and the intensity each one brings with it. It’s true, motherhood is hard work, and it’s time for moms to stick together. It’s my heart that by coming to you as a “seasoned” (that’s a nicer way of saying “older”) mom and sharing a little bit of what I’ve learned on the journey of being a mom. Here’s what I can tell you…it doesn’t get easier. Yeah, not the answer you expected, …
Clearing Out The Clutter
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace… 1 Corinthians 14:33a NLT If you are like me there are some cabinets or closets in your house that are shoved, jammed, and packed full of “stuff”. So full, in fact, that when you open them you have to be on guard and ready for anything to happen. My tupperware cabinet is like that, you pretty much take your life into your own hands if you want to get in or out of that cabinet. Right now you’ve already started to think about that cabinet or closet in your …
Comfort In Spite of ISIS
BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH TODAY’S VERY IMPORTANT POST, WE WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF CINDY BULTEMA’S NEW BOOK, RED HOT FAITH! IT’S HILDRED CHERRY! CONGRATULATION HILDRED! YOU WILL BE RECEIVING AN EMAIL FROM THE M.O.M. INITIATIVE TODAY! 🙂 ————————————————————– Hey mom, I just read Isis is the name of an ancient Egyptian goddess from the time of Moses. She was an ancient powerful mother goddess who was extremely popular from the time of the Pharos all the way to the age of the Romans. Her name meant “Throne” and she was crowned with a throne representing her power*. Our …
How To Find The Peace Of God In The Midst Of Your Stress
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NIV Oh sweet mom, is it me or does it seem that there are things pulling at us from just about every angle of life these days. is it me or does it seem that there are things pulling at us from just about every angle of life these days. Click To Tweet It’s either the kids, our spouse, the job, our ministry, our friends, our finances, or even our health, sometimes all at the same time. It’s enough …
What God Wants for Moms in Ministry
Are you a mom in ministry? Moms in ministry come in all forms, from leading your child’s Sunday School class, baking brownies for the Easter Carnival, to volunteering for Vacation Bible School, a mom in ministry is a woman who gives back to her children, church, and community. While all this volunteering sounds so noble and just, it’s also really hard work. Because on top of your “good deeds” in ministry, you still have to juggle all the other needs of your family like finding the baseball jersey in the pile of dirty laundry for the All-Star game this evening …
Let It Go!
Oh how that song from Frozen both inspires and challenges me. You know the song, chances are your kids sing it just about every day, as a matter of fact, some of you are probably singing to it right now in your heads. I actually adore the song, but truth be told it also strikes a very tender nerve for me when I first heard it. You see, my One Word 365 for 2014 (you can find out more here) is “Release”. I prayed over this word and knew that only God would pick this word for me because …
Help, my child won’t worship!
Every mom who worships Jesus prays her kids will worship Him too. But sometimes it doesn’t work like that. Sanctuaries are often places where a mom begs God to draw her kids close, while she stands next to one who won’t sing, clap, or engage. What’s a worshipful mom to do? Do what you’re already doing: worship You are worshiping Jesus. Nothing a mom does impacts her child’s heart like her own example. We definitely can’t pass on something to our kids that we do not possess ourselves. During mom-seasons when our kids present their greatest challenges, we desperately need …