Our “With LOVE from MOM” week is here and we are kicking it off with a LIVE CHAT on Facebook tonight at 7pm EST… And we will have great giveaways every day just for you! TODAY’S GIVEAWAYS ARE… Searching for Sanity ebook by Lindsey Bell and The Making of a Mom by Stephanie Shott Searching for Sanity offers moms an opportunity to take a breath, dig into the Word, and learn from parents of the past. In short devotions designed for busy moms, this book explores the parents of the Bible, both the good and the bad. The Making of …
The Most Important Thing a Mom Can Do (at Christmas and Every Day)
Christmas is next week. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the things we have going on during the holiday season: Parties Family get-togethers Gifts Cookies and other goodies Local holiday events Church or school programs All of these things are wonderful, but if we’re not careful, we can easily get so wrapped up in these that we let the most important thing slip by. And what is that most important thing? It’s seeking after Jesus and teaching our children to do the same. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things …
5 Ways to Support the Grieving
October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Men and women all over the world light candles at 7 PM in memory of the babies they have lost to miscarriage, still birth, or infant death. In light of this special day’s approach next week, I wanted to share with you five ways to encourage someone who is grieving. Because my husband and I have lost four babies to miscarriage, people often come to me after a friend loses a baby and ask, “How can I help?” They want to do something, but don’t know what would be most helpful. …
The One Thing You MUST Do This Summer
I love a good to-do list. My husband can attest. Scratch that. Anyone who has seen my writing desk can attest to that. There are electronic lists on my computer and phone, as well as hand-written lists on notepads to prove it. The only problem with a good to-do list is that sometimes…especially with Type A people like me who LOVE getting things done…the items on a list can take precedence over the people in my home. Ugh, I’m cringing as I type. Nonetheless, it’s the truth, and my guess is, I’m not alone in this struggle. I’m guessing …
How to Vacation with Kids (and Enjoy Yourself)
It was right after our first vacation with kids that my husband and I decided to never again take a family vacation. Hear me out, though. We decided our vacations would be reserved for the two of us. Our trips would include our kids. Because any parent knows that a trip with kids (especially young kids) is not a vacation. It was a small thing (changing the name from vacation to trip), but it did wonders on our attitudes for future trips. Here’s why…it wasn’t just a name change…it was also an expectation change. And with those altered expectations came much …
How Moms Can Enjoy Their Days…Even the Hard Ones (Plus a Giveaway)
We have probably all been there. A sweet grandmother looks longingly at our children squeezed into the cart at the grocery store and utters words similar to these: “Enjoy these moments. Time goes by so fast.” And though we appreciate her sentiment, there’s another part of us that wonders…How can we enjoy these moments full of tantrums, middle-of-the-night feedings, hours of crying, and more diapers than we can count? How can we enjoy these moments that are just plain hard? I have been there (more times than I care to admit). I have been the mom wishing for the next …
Why Moms Matter
A few months ago, I read a funny post about why God made moms. When asked why God made mothers, one second grader said, “She’s the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is.” This is certainly true in my home, and I’m guessing it might be true in yours as well. (Why is it we are the only ones who remember where things are put away?) Unfortunately (and all jokes aside), we moms sometimes agree with this young girl. We feel like all we ever do is clean, cook, or run errands. It’s tempting at times to wonder …
A Resource for When Mom Feels Overwhelmed
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the chaos of motherhood? By the never-ending basket of dirty laundry or sink full of dishes? I certainly have…more times than I’d like to admit. That’s why I wrote the book, Searching for Sanity: 52 Insights from the Parents of the Bible. This devotional takes a look at the parents of the Bible: both the good and the bad and seeks to learn from the One who invented parenthood. Here is the book trailer. So today, moms, if you are feeling overwhelmed…if you’re wondering where to turn for parenting advice…I would be honored if you …
How to Start the New Year Right
Goodbye, 2013. Hello, 2014. For some people, today is a day of making new year resolutions. A time of promising to do better…to lose weight…to eat healthier…to read God’s word every day…to forgive that person you’ve struggled to forgive. For years, I have made these types of resolutions, only to find myself in exactly the same place one year later. Still not healthier. Still not in the Word daily. And still the exact same person I was one year prior. It’s not the resolutions that are the problem, of course, but the person who fails to keep them. This year, …