Hi sweet moms. I love coming here, to the Mom Initiative, everyday for encouragement. In fact, we all need it, which is why I wrote the book, Mama Needs A Time Out. As a new christian learning to walk with Christ and not having an example or strong foundation; I felt like I was floundering being a mom and woman of God. One afternoon, my daughter spiked a fever that lasted for 12 days. She cried nonstop and during this time, God used it to break me of my self reliance and independence. He taught me about his character to …
Mentoring Decoded
She came to my house to pray. I longed for the time and loathed it too. My kitchen was a mess. Dirty dishes lined the sink and crumbs littered my table. My living room looked like a toy store threw-up in it and I didn’t have time to get my house tidy before she came. I planned to pick-up, wipe-down, and clean-up, but time eluded me. I couldn’t rescind the invitation. It was too late. When she arrived, I opened my door and apologized for the mess. She said, “Angela, I wish I played more and cleaned less when my …
How Parents Support (and Sabotage) Student Success (Part II)
As parents, we want to help our children succeed in school. In my twenty-two years as a classroom teacher (twenty-one as a parent), I’ve seen parent strategies that pay big dividends. I’ve also seen well-intentioned efforts that actually cost the kids. Today is Part 2 of a series in which we explore one support strategy and one form of sabotage. (You can find Part 1 here.) Support 2: Expand your child’s listening vocabulary. A child who starts school with an enriched listening vocabulary has a huge advantage over a child who does not. Sure, when they’re both learning basic …
When You Struggle With Infertility and Loss
A Post From My Blog Last Fall *I was going in for a routine ultrasound, only to learn the unexpected, my baby had died during the week. No heartbeat. “My prayer this morning as I waited for the doctor, was somehow, there would be a heartbeat. I requested she try again for my sake and sadly as I knew, there was none. Even though I didn’t hear one, I was comforted as I laid my heart in God’s hands. Fresh tears well up with each passing moment as I continue to grieve the loss of my child. I grieve the dreams that were attached …
10 Summertime Safety Tips
I’ve always loved the fun in the sun that defines summer. But it’s also a time when children experience more injuries and make more visits to the emergency room than any other time of year. Before the last bell of the 2011-2012 school year ushers in the approaching summer season and before a momma starts filling her days with a plethora of plans for the kiddos, it’s wise to consider safety first. The M.O.M. Initiative wants to help your summertime be filled with fun and accident free, so we’re offering 10 summertime safety tips to help you have the best …
To be Normal—or Not
The older I get, the more firmly I believe normal to be nonsense. It’s just plain Jabberwocky! You know, “’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; / All mimsy were the borogoves, / And the mome raths outgrabe,” from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. What society deems normal makes about as much sense as the words of that famous poem; yet we strive so hard to fit the standard. I have a confession. It’s one that does not fall easily from my lips. In fact, it kind of makes me a little nauseous …
Avoiding The Summer Meltdowns, 8 Tips How!
Tis the season for whining, crying, complaining and more. It’s summer time! Usually that means fun in the sun, but if you and you’re kids are like mine, meaning they strive on downtime, structure, and routine; I’ve got some timely tips to help you and your kids ease into summer! In fact, you could be the next ‘child whisperer’ among your peers! STOP and HALT No I’m not talking about stop signs, I’m talking about listening to the instincts that God has graciously instilled in us as mothers. Okay, so you’re trying to get stuff checked off on that fabulous to-do list …
Happy Mother’s Day
This weekend we are reminded of the vital role a mother has in the life of the generations to come. She molds and mends hearts with gentle whispers of love that echo in her children’s minds. She challenges her children to be the best they can be and she teaches them that failure is never final. She sees in them what they can’t see in themselves and speaks life into their dreams. She encourages their giftedness and not only challenges them to follow their dreams, but gives them the courage to try. She cries when they cry and laughs when …
Breath of Life
Set guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3 If you know that hurtful words spoken to your husband, child(ren), friends, family…or anyone, for that matter, negatively affect them… Guess what… YOUR OWN HURTFUL, NEGATIVE WORDS TO/ABOUT YOURSELF AFFECT YOU TOO! I hear too many of my sisters talk down about themselves. Speaking too lightly about God’s anointing on their lives. Thinking that what they do on a daily basis is too small for anyone to notice. God has placed so much value on your life. He wants you to value what …
Mommy Guilt
I am not the perfect mom. I love my husband and my kids, but I mess-up–often. Some days I make lots of mistakes–other days I do better. However I will never be perfect–not this side of heaven. Sometimes I pick-up every mistake I make, but my burden is heavy. It whispers to my heart. You will never do this right. You are messing up your children. You are a bad mother. You will never be enough. My heart convulses as I lose myself in the lies my burden feeds me. I lose my joy in fear. My strength evaporates in …