Like becoming a widow, losing a job you love, or countless other heartaches, having a miscarriage grants you instant admission into a secret club. It is a club, of course, that no one wants to join and it’s one with a lifetime membership. I never expected to be in it. (Letting His Hands Mend My Heart). I was already in the club of secondary infertility. A strange place to be when I had two kids more than seven years apart and another through fertility treatments. I had dreams of four kids, homemade casseroles, and being barefooted all day long. We went through …
What is your SOUL Focus
My husband despises my mind. Well–its more like a love-loathe thing. That’s because I multi-task ALL THE TIME. We’ll go to the store and I tear the list in half, giving him half and I take the other half. My goal is to get it done as quickly as possible. But my husband’s goal is to relax, browse the lovely selection of grocery goods, and spend time together. I do that with everything. Doing one thing at a time is a luxury for birthdays and anniversaries…. Do women ever get to focus solely on one thing? NO–not when we have so much to …
When he walks out and you lose your ability to receive
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 Three B’s of a Brave Mom
The bravest thing I’ve ever done was let go of who I thought I was supposed to be and embraced who God purposed ME to be. It meant performing a 180 – a complete reversal in attitude and performance. Instead of living how I thought I should or by someone else’s standards, I began to live out each day through whispers from God. It took courage to say no to opportunities, time with friends, projects, and volunteer work so that I could carve out a daily routine reflecting the roles I was meant to partake in. And if you’re wondering …
When More Is NOT Enough: How to Stop Giving Your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need
I have a confession to make, I knew I would like Amy Sullivan’s book before I read it. This is because God sent me half way around the world in March to build houses in the Philippines. Before I even knew about the missions trip, my heart was already being plowed for the seeds of servitude. Like you, I had my handsome, hardworking husband, a cute little house with a hefty mortgage, two decent cars, three awesome kids, and a career in news casting–and did I mention two cute, albeit naughty little dogs? Life was bliss–or so I thought. Something …
Are you ready to dish? 18 freezer friendly recipes AND 20 lunch box ideas
I’m crazy. No–more like insane, better yet, a brick shy. After a ton of prayer and soul searching, I decided to re-enter the ranks of college peeps alongside my husband. Did I mention we have three kids in school too? Yeah–like I said, I must be nuts. But in order to do the school thing, I realized I needed to be somewhat organized which includes my biggest job as a mama (and yours too) nourishing my family. Today I’m sharing 18 freezer friendly recipes AND 20 lunch box ideas. If your family has allergies or is on a tight budget, …
20 Foundational Verses for Every Family to Grow
Not too long ago, I saw a photo on Facebook that read “If you don’t teach your children to believe in Jesus, then world will teach them not to.” As I sat staring at my screen, I realized their world revolved around me right now and then wondered what messages my words, actions, and lifestyle reflecting for my kids. The more I thought about it, the more I thought we’re like everyone else as a typical Christian family, we go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays. We pray at meal times and before bed. We say a prayer as we …
Let’s Talk About Prayer FREE Ebook
Motherhood has a way of bringing us to our knees. As a 40 something mom of 2 nearly grown kids about to launch from the nest, my prayer life has had a recent dose of motivation. Fellow MOM Initiative mom Heather Riggleman is a 30 something mom with 3 kids at home and lots of motivation to pray in her own season of mothering. Our shared passion for prayer brought us together to talk about making prayer work in the trenches of family life. From where we live in Nebraska and Tennessee, Heather and I hear moms of all ages and …
Detour – Teenage Motherhood – How to Survive (sneak peek of Better Together Session)
This wasn’t the part of the plan. You and your daughter were planning for high school graduation, but now you’re trying to get used to the idea that she is going to be a mother. You’re both trying to sync schedules around baby. How exactly will she do this mom thing and how do you help her? It happened to me. One day I was cheerleading for the football team and the next–I was fighting with my mom, feeling oh-so tired and scared as I held a positive pregnancy test in my hands. What did my future look …