Responding to Disasters

Every vacation has the potential for disaster. As a mom, every DAY has the potential for disaster!  Instead of being paralyzed or panicking, we can focus on what matters most in such moments and chalk it up as a “victory” for motherhood!  Here’s how to respond in a moment of mayhem. Half chewed blue gummy sharks flashed before my eyes and pooled into my lap, as my husband swerved to stop and get the van door open. Our four year old sat limp in his car seat. With all my planning for our mountain vacation, I wasn’t fast enough for …

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5 Myths About Mentors – Myth #1-Mentors Are Perfect Parents

Recently, I’ve talked to women who really desire to  be mentors and others who desire to have a mentor and have found that there are several factors that have prevented them from stepping into the Titus 2 model. Today, I’m starting a 5 part series entitled 5 Myths About Mentors to help debunk any notions that might hinder women from taking the life-changing Titus 2 journey together. Today, I’m going to examine the myth that mentors are perfect people. So, here we go… Have you ever been intimidated by another mother because you thought she had the perfect kids, the …

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Making “Taking Care of Mom” a Top Priority

If we were sitting at my kitchen table enjoying cups of tea together, while passing fresh banana bread I’d say, “Repeat after me: I am the only mother my child has!” You’d probably look at me like I’m nuts and quickly set down your tea, wondering if you should even take a bite of my banana bread–who knows what I put in it? Normally, I try not to be overly pushy.  I like to listen and ask questions. But not today. Today, I’d turn bossy.  Here’s why: I have a naturally chaotic personality.  We’ve paid vast late fees because “staying …

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In my weakness…

I was a new mom trying to nurse my daughter and she wasn’t latching on. On the verge of tears, I wasn’t helping the situation by getting discouraged. My husband Mike tried to encourage me, while I tried to remember what the nurse told us… It wasn’t supposed to be this complicated, was it? God, please help, I prayed. Pleeease help this to work… How could something so natural be so hard? Worry started to set in and I wondered how things would turn out. What if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t do this? Here I’d been a mom …

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It’s Not Often We’re Missed

Awhile back Facebook, in its infinite wisdom, recommended I reconnect with a friend I hadn’t heard from in quite some time. It turned out my friend’s family had experienced some tough times. When she thanked me for my prayers, her comment caught me off guard. She said, “It’s not often we’re missed.” My heart broke for my friend, not just because of her difficult circumstances, but because she seemed alone in her struggles. I was reminded of Philippians 2:4, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” How important that …

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U-Turn Parenting: It’s Okay to Turn Around

Guest Post By: Linda Tang   Have you ever had to make a U-turn as a parent? Maybe you had a moment where you wished you had hit the verbal brakes on your words harder than you did or needed to downshift a gear or two in your tone of voice. Perhaps you over-corrected on a turn by nagging or missed the off-ramp because you didn’t exit a conversation sooner than you should have. As moms, we have countless moments of regret and “would, coulda, shouldas” in our thinking. Even though a moment may have passed and it seems too …

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Changing Your Point Of View

Do know you moms who are currently avoiding their children? There’s no shame in it, because sometimes, I feel that way too.  Most tell me, “I don’t understand how you can stay home, you have a college education, loans up the wazoo and there are plenty of good daycares in town.” I smile while biting my tongue. Only because I used to be one of them, actually I was hungry to prove to the world that I could do it all. After going back and forth about staying home, God planted my rear within the confines of my home, telling me this …

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Flying with Mom – Airline Travel with Kids

It’s dark and quiet as hundreds around me sleep, now that the small passenger in row 35 has given in. His mother looks relieved, but cautious, slumped under a blanket beside him. Airline travel with small children is not easy, but it can be done well. Before the flight attendant closed the overhead bins, the elderly lady in row 35 found a way to move far from the little wiggling person making demands before we even pulled away from the gate. Early indications showed it would be a long overnight flight with this half sized, yet powerful, passenger. His mom, …

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Raising Godly Kids

Hi sweet moms! Stephanie Shott here. I’m popping in to introduce you to my friend, Carey Scott. I met her a couple years ago at She Speaks and instantly was drawn to her heart for God and her heart for God’s girls. Carey is the real deal. And I’m so excited to have her as a guest today! Here at The M.O.M. Initiative, we want to provide a list of M.O.M. approved resources that we know will minister to moms in every area of their lives. Today, we are blessed to have our friend, Carey Scott, share about her book, …

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Creating Problems in Your Mind

Being a quiet person doesn’t always have the best benefits. The absence of sound coming out of my mouth means that there is sometimes a lot of chatter going on in my head. I had to apologize to my oldest daughter for passing that ugly trait on! She told me, “NOW I see where I get it from! I over-think situations and start to become worried or doubtful.” Its sad to say that I’ve probably done her so much more damage than either one of us ever thought would happen! There is a tendency to over-process EVERYTHING. The next thing …

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