“We did it.” I smiled giddy at my husband as I surveyed our newly cleaned and organized kitchen. I couldn’t contain myself and so I posted pictures on Facebook. I even tagged some friends who know what my kitchen normally looks like so they could see my hard work. I didn’t believe this was possible – to see my island and not have piles of papers, books, toys, etc hiding in the guest room. But it was possible. I thought I didn’t really care. I mean I know I am not organizationally gifted and so why try? But let me …
Be Careful Little Eyes What You See
Do movie reviews influence your decision about the movies you watch or whether you will go see them in the theater or wait until they are released on DVD? My husband and I do both. There are some movies we go see without reading the review because the movie’s trailer draws us is. And sometimes we don’t even bother with reviews because one of our favorite actors is in the movie, or it’s a superhero movie, in which case we never miss it. What about when it comes to taking the kids to movies? If my husband and I are …
True Love or a Fairy Tale?
This isn’t part of Cinderella’s happily ever after… …or in any other fairy tale I’ve read. The prince and princess who overcome every obstacle, finally swept together in rapturous “love”, then wham. Every force available in the kingdom seems to shove them apart. The prince works a stressful fifty-plus hour work week, travels, leaves before the sun goes up, comes home right in time to tuck the little ones in bed, nods off then speeds off again. His once stately shoulders sag under the burden of his workplace and striving to be a husband and father. Once surrounded in glass …
If Birthdays Make You Sentimental
I’ve discovered a crazy thing about kids. They just keep growing up. Today I’m baking brownies for my firstborn’s sixth birthday treat. Next week, baby sister turns three. I call this “birthday season” in our family, and every year it melts my heart to a nostalgic puddle. To me, birthdays aren’t just childhood milestones. They’re a chance to shout, “Yay, God!” for creating each daughter unique, beautiful, and according to his perfect plan. More than that, I celebrate my girls’ birthdays as a type of anniversary for me—(1) the day I entered motherhood, clueless, bidding a shocking farewell to my …
40 Years of Love! & Monday M.O.M. Link Up
“I’m sorry, but you’ll never have children.” Those were the doctor’s words to me at a post-op visit after surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst. “Your ovaries look like those of a 90 year-old woman.” I was a twenty year-old, newly engaged college student. My life was over. Or so I thought. After three years of marriage, I was thrilled to hear another doctor congratulate me: “You’re pregnant!” My mother called it a miracle, but I just wanted to be like any normal woman who could get pregnant and have a baby. The last week of pregnancy, when my baby …
Some Thoughts for Young Moms
I have the privilege of being around quite a few young moms. I will never forget one particular visit. We invited a family with 5 children to come for dinner.The ages of the children range from just a few months old to ten years old.The baby hung out and was happy watching all the activity. The one year old ran around from one person to the other melting all our hearts! She especially liked my son and kept plopping down in his lap! The two year old boy was constantly moving! I personally have a soft spot in my heart for …
The Antidote: No More Perfect Moms Study, Chapter 2
Michelle Duggar…. The woman with 19 kids has been called out on the red carpet in the name of sanity, birth control, child neglect and more. Michelle rarely addresses the accusations and comparisons. Instead, she does what she knows best. She plants herself, firmly rooted in God and raises her kids….all 19 of them. You may be asking, what does Michelle have to do with me or this study? I came here to feel encouraged about being a not so perfect mom and then you have to bring up Michelle, really? Work with me here, little mama. Tell me, what thoughts flashed through …
When It Isn’t Always Pretty
I’ve stepped away from a few opportunities to write about raising teen and young adult daughters because I felt that I wouldn’t be writing from a position of strength and victory. There are the privileged few that have the “insider track” on what goes on behind the scenes. The prayers from faithful friends that are being prayed over our every day life. We deal with heartache, a heart that is still mending, struggles with singleness, anger, indecisiveness, situations that could be life-threatening. This is what I want to show you…the realness of a MOM; a Mentor Mom. You see, it’s …
How to Teach Your Kids to Tithe
By Guest: Joanne Kraft Teach Your Kids to Tithe “Mom, is there any way I can NOT pay this much taxes? It sure takes a big chunk out of my weekly earnings.” I found it humorous that my teenage son was beginning to feel his first financial pinch. My baby was definitely growing up. A dear friend commented, “Wait till he realizes what tithing is.” Actually, he already knows. We began teaching our children about tithing as soon as they began earning money. For us, this usually begins around 5th or 6th grade, when babysitting jobs start rolling in. It …
Is More Always Better With Extra-Curricular Activities?
In high school, I was recognized as “Most Involved” in our Who’s Who of the senior class. I was proud of this title because I was indeed, the most involved. I was a varsity cheerleader, captain of the soccer team, SGA senior class secretary, honor student, Interact Club member, and an active member of a dozen more clubs. I never came home right after school; I always had a practice or a meeting. I was a busy girl then and now, as a working mother of twin girls, I am just as busy carting my children to their extra-curricular activities. …