From the outside my Chronological Bible looks worn. Green fabric is frayed around the edges revealing the thick cardboard underneath. The front and back covers are clinging to the spine by a thin piece of tape and the dust cover has long been lost. The letters on the spine are beginning to fade. “Looks pretty beat-up,” my hairdresser noted as I opened it while waiting for my color to set. I smiled and nodded, “I’ve been reading through it for over four years now.” For more than four years I have been reading chronologically through the Bible. That green raggedy …
Urgent vs Important…Knowing the Difference
I could hear her calling me from upstairs. I really wanted to finish the article I was writing. I only needed 100 more words and I would be done, but my daughter continued to call for me. I saved my document and grumbled to myself as I walked up the stairs to see what she needed. As I walked up the last step to our gameroom I could see what she wanted. My great grandmother’s little round table was set with plastic dishes and a chair was waiting for me. Gracie has invited me to join her and her dolls …
Refining Relations
Her words scraped a bloody line down the center of my soul – daughters do that to mothers. My eyes flashed with anger and pain. I swallowed hard, but the knot in my throat didn’t budge. My words flew hard and fast from my mouth and instantly I knew. My words left marks too. “I’m sorry,” I looked her in the eyes. “I should not have been so harsh. Please forgive me.” She nods tears pricking her eyes, but the fire was still burning there. She folds her arms. “I was wrong,” I nod. “But you cannot treat me like …
Giving Thanks A Challenge & The M.O.M. Initiative Monday Link Up!
“. . . give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 My heart felt raw and prickly – as if somehow the circumstances of my life had ripped a layer of skin off my soul and left a raw pulsating mass. It wasn’t one big event, but the bumps and hard knocks of a multitude of tiny things that resulted in one irritated mass in the center of my chest. My refrigerator was on the blink, coursework weighed heavy, and my house was a disaster. I sat in front of …
Talking to kids about the Storm
You could pull the curtains and claim it’s sunny, but more than 1/3 of the United States will experience Hurricane Sandy first-hand. Anxiety surfaces for some children, and questions arise for others, but all young minds do some mental filing and processing as this “Superstorm” strikes the East coast of the United States. Don’t be fooled; they’re thinking about more than lost Halloween candy. How do you talk to kids about a storm? What God says about the storm God’s word is not silent about storms. This opens the door for moms to use natural questions, to help children understand …
Time To Breathe
When the walls are closing in, what do you do? What a week. I was so tired! The days seem to be getting longer even though they were really getting shorter. The kids were not getting along. It seemed like no one would do their school work without being told a gazillion times. Breathe. My 18 year old daughter informed she had to babysit all day for someone so I wouldn’t have her around to help. Breathe I forgot the wet clothes were still in the washer and the dishwasher still had dirty dishes in it because I forgot to start …
A Generous Helping of Wisdom
Subscribe today for your FREE copy of… FACING YOUR FEARS – 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M. “Mom, what does e-n-o-u-g-h say?” asked my 7 year old daughter, Gracie. She occasionally gets stumped while reading and will come running to me, like the house is on fire, asking how to pronounce a word she can’t figure out. I love when she does this. She is a very independent little girl who rarely thinks she needs help. So, to have her come ask me for help is always encouraging. This means she is teachable. It means she …
One of Those Mornings
We had one of those mornings. . . The kind when emotions swing, tears flow, and reality crumbles your perfect family dream. Did I mention we had a guest too? I heard the lies start traipsing about my brain… “You can’t mother well.” “What would “they” think?” “You are a failure.” The toxic acid of these lies burned my already bruised heart. My eye began to twitch. Oh child, why is it so hard for you? I wonder. Her anger flashed again and I felt my anger rise, my eyes flash, and my body tremble. My words sounded strained – …
Blended Families & Day 7 Giveaways
Today’s Great Giveaways! #1 – THE SENSATIONAL SCENT OF PRAYER By: Rachel Wojnarowski One year of Bible study. One summer of Bible teaching. One ebook: “The Sensational Scent of Prayer.” #2 – ECCLESIASTES: UNDERSTANDING WHAT MATTERS MOST By: Stephanie Shott It’s time to stop just thinking about eternity and begin living for it. Sit at Solomon’s feet for 6 weeks and learn how to live for eternity even when the pile of laundry seems to be blocking your view. Understanding What Matters Most-Making here and now count for then and there. #3 – Magical Mouse Schoolhouse: Learn While You Play at Disney World Resort By: Jodi …
A Free New Book by The M.O.M. Initiative, 31 Giveaways and a $100 Gift Card
Today’s Great Giveaways! Got Teens? By: Pam Farrel & Jill Savage This books contains helpful information on how to: motivate teens; resources for helping them with decisions on education, guy- girl relationships, after high school options (college/career), growing with God, people and financial skills, with a special section on teens in pain or prodigals. Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World By: Joanna Weaver Weaver shows how all of us – Marys and Marthas alike – can draw closer to our Lord, deepening our devotion, strengthening our service, and doing both with less stress and greater joy. And Then I …