While many women dream of being the perfect mom who has all the right answers, never raises her voice and never has to count to three, we all know it’s not always easy being a mom. Those sweet little bundles of joy don’t come packaged with instruction manuals or warning labels and moms are often left to figure it out on their own. But we weren’t meant to meander through motherhood alone. It’s admittedly a bit more difficult to have someone join your journey as a mom, but it certainly will give you a broader scope of reference, a well of …
Gathering Treasures Together
Guest Post by Cheryl Ludwig Proverbs 24:3-4: By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. We all long to know the deep treasures and riches found in God’s Word so that we can share these beautiful jewels with our children. We desire to see their hearts and minds filled with wisdom so that as they mature they know how to filter every day through the lens of God’s Word. This will give our children pure and right thinking in the face …
Growing Up Different
Another crazy afternoon, a day in the life of me. Except this time, we had just picked up my oldest from school and she is still struggling to keep herself together. I juggle her assignments, Elijah’s off the wall energy and Tori’s victorious antics. We settle in for the evening, supper, showers, stories, and bedtime. After I get the little ones to bed, I hustle Chy into the shower. She takes longer than usual, forty five minutes later, she is out, dripping wet and her eyes hold a brokenness in them. She asks me quietly if I would …
Teamwork – Lessons from a Toddler
While learning to walk, Jonathon had clung happily to our fingers, leaning on us for support. We had held him safely between us. Now that he could walk on his own, however, he wanted nothing to do with either parent. If I carried him, he squirmed to get “down.” Once on terra firma, he scurried away as fast as his wobbly legs would carry him. Terrified for his safety, I dashed after him, clamping my hand around his chubby fist. Then I endured ear-splitting screams of protest as he tried to free himself from my restrictive vice grip. (Oh, and …
What’s For Supper? Don’t Panic Mom, We’ve Got It Covered!
It’s 3:00 in the afternoon….do you know what you’re having for dinner? If fast food restaurants are currently flashing in your mind, let me introduce to you a new way of cooking. Freeze ahead meals. The Betty Crocker or June Clever era is over, gone are the days of spending hours over cook books, planning meals, and creating gourmet suppers that you have on your nicely dressed table, with neatly dressed and quiet little kids. Instead my days are filled with the frenzy of shuffling kids from one appointment, to the next activity, while stuffing laundry into some convenient closet, …
A Tough Kind of Love
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. –Galatians 6:7 One of the most difficult facets of parenting is found in moments of having to demonstrate tough love. One such form of tough love is in allowing our children to take full responsibility for their actions, including any consequences that ensue. As a mom, it is often much easier to jump in and run interference or make excuses for our child’s behavior than it is to allow him or her to go through the pain of the consequences. It starts …
Show Me Your Friends, I’ll Show You Your Future
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 NKJV In our home, when faced with making a decision or setting rules for our children, we tend to measure them by two categories: negotiable and non-negotiable. Here is an example of a negotiable: My middle son Jake, at thirteen, was a drummer in a worship band. As a band member the only garments he wanted to wear were hideous skinny jeans, a t-shirt and an equally hideous headband. As a mom who, in some ways, took pride in how our family presented ourselves, this was a hard …
There is No One Right Way
My belly bulged and my heart swelled. Excitement tingled in my every pore. I had everything mapped out in my head. Excitedly I typed out a birth plan – full of my ideals of natural birth and no needles in my back. My husband and I took a natural child-birthing class. I read parenting books and listened to seasoned friends. I knew what I would and wouldn’t do. I thought I was a prepared mommy. Then my stubborn first-born chose not to come. A week after my due date my doctor induced my labor and my labor did not follow …
10 Scripture Memory Tips
Have you’ve ever wanted to memorize Scripture but didn’t think you had the time? Have you ever wished you could come up with an easy way to help your kids memorize Scripture. Memorizing the Word doesn’t have to be hard. Using the ideas below, you and your family can make Scripture memory fun as hide God’s Word in your hearts together! 1. Take your weekly memory verse with you wherever you go. Review it at every stoplight. You’ll be surprised how much you retain! If the family is in the car together, take turns saying your memory verse at each …
No Rescue Needed: Necessary Pain and Disappointment
“But, Mom, this means I can’t go! It’s impossible!” wails Annemarie, tears coursing down her cheeks. Five minutes ago, she was all smiles as we sat at the kitchen table to “crunch numbers” for the school-sponsored 10-day trip to Italy. As we calculated the number of hours she’d have to work to earn enough money to pay for the trip, though, her face fell, her eyes reddened, and she reached for the Kleenex. Pain and disappointment can be effective teachers, I remind myself. Don’t cave. No matter how badly you want to bail her out–for your sake as well as …