How many times have you been forced something to happen in your own strength? This past Sunday, as the Pastor touched on the Lord’s Prayer. He described a story of a little boy who wanted to help his Daddy move a desk across the room. The father began pushing and the little boy braced his shoulder against the desk, and told his father, “Move Dad, you’re in the way.” Daddy of course chuckled and obliged his son’s request.The four year old little boy, pushed with all his might, but the desk would not move. Have you been there? Maybe you’re a …
10 Ways to Make Mentor Mania Missional
There’s something stirring in the hearts of women around the world. Hearts are beating with the thrill of changing the world and young women are no longer satisfied with doing motherhood alone. Mentors are on the march and mentees are once again ready, willing and able to begin a journey that will encourage, challenge and change women’s lives on both side the mentor/mentee equation. No longer are young mothers wandering their way through life, struggling to figure things out on their own. The older generation is rising to the challenge and answering the call to be Titus 2 women in …
Breaking Out Of The Mundane
Shivering through goosebumps as I laid in my window seat–God had gotten my attention. The flashback to when Wade & Bea had prayed over me was suddenly loud and audible, instead of staying in the past. It sept forth into the present and mixed with the word, Eucharisteo— jarring another memory from reading the book 1000 gifts. “Heather, I can barely put it into words, but God wants you to know he is here; he is always there for you. It’s like that feeling of being watched and when you look over your shoulder, you won’t see anyone, but trust …
A Mother’s Heart…Unmet Needs
Harried from too many tasks on her day’s schedule, she stumbled into bed, falling asleep almost before her head hit the pillow. Rising in the morning, she had a strange feeling something wasn’t right, but she could not put her finger on it. Dismissing it, she hurriedly dressed and mumbled a few quick prayers. With four kids, one husband, a slew of pets, and a busy calendar, she had plenty to do each day. Throughout her day, thoughts of her weaknesses filled her head: I wish I could handle my time better. I wish I had more strength to meet …
How Do You Find God in the Mess?
We’ve been vacationing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with the grand girl, and it’s time to go home. But Grace saw a movie at school on the Soo Locks. She wants to see them up close and personal. And go through them. The scenery assaults me. We’ve come from peaceful and pristine to chaos and clutter. Sault Ste. Marie on the Michigan side is a place of barges and docks and seaplanes and cement. A sailboat tips horizontal to the water I try to imagine what what this gateway from Lake Superior to Lake Huron looked like when the rapids swirled and …
The 4-1-1 On Motherhood
Let’s face it, when it comes to motherhood, we’re clueless–but we THINK we know everything. The moment that stick turns up two lines to show a positive, we suddenly are knowledgeable about being pregnant, giving birth, and caring for an infant. Most of us inhale books, some sit back, relax and say, “Let the good times roll,” while others are on their knees praying for divine intuition about motherhood. But in most of these versions of mom’s I’ve seen, we act as if we know it all. If you ask me, giving birth (my youngest was over 10 pounds, so …
Perfect Counsel
By Featured Guest: Lisa Buffaloe “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV) Our college-aged son stopped by my study. Worry seemed to crease his forehead as he sat in the …
How to Mother in the Spirit
“Jesus I can’t do this,” my whisper barely reaches my own ears. “Help me. I need you.” “Mommy what are you saying?” “Now you listen,” I think to myself. “I’m just asking Jesus to help me,” I reply to her question. “Are you mad at us?” She looks at her siblings. “Is she intentionally trying to knock me off the edge?” I wonder as I formulate my answer. “No sweetie, but I am frustrated at how things have gone today. Mostly I am frustrated with myself and I need Jesus to help me.” Saying those words out loud knocked something …
When parenting means… having a gentle answer
Some days, parenting is hard. That was my exhausted thought as I drove my daughter home from swim team one night. The whole day had been a battle. I can’t even remember as I write this what the issues were, but it just seemed like everything was a challenge that day. Maybe it was because we had a busy schedule and I was being impatient. Or maybe it was because she’s a pre-teen and she’s becoming more independent. Whatever the reason, I was frustrated. She was mad. And it was one of those days. There we were, driving along on …
The Eyes of a Child
She’s covered in Spanish moss. So’s the carpet. I move a couple chairs in front of the silk ficus and brush off and pick up what I can. I direct her attention to the stacking rings. I stack them. She dismantles them. I stack again. She dismantles again. The cat distracts her. She squawks and grabs. Tries to suck tail. Cat scurries away, and she crawls after. But the laundry basket snags her attention. She pulls herself up on her knees and leans over the edge. She flings a white washcloth and a lavender glove and a blue sock and …