“If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” so said Milton Berle. I love that. But as we all know, a mother can do ten things at once, right? She must do all and be all to her children: nurse, chauffeur, economist, counselor, laundress, chef. As the saying goes, she is chief cook and bottle washer! But a mother has a surpassing divine mission: to be a godly influence in raising her child. Sarah Josepha Hale said, “No influence is so powerful as that of the mother.” An unknown author wrote, “The formative period for building character …
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 …
Expecting Stretch Marks
During the 40 weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s body does things she never imagined it could do. It begs for us to use the word “miracle” to describe the whole, amazing process. When our skin stretches more than it’s happy to, reddish or purplish marks develop that remind me of childhood poison ivy moments, minus the scratching. Primarily due to heredity, stretch marks may appear on your stomach, chest, or behind, anywhere the body is doing the miraculous work of growing to accommodate carrying and bearing new life. They appear gradually, so you may not even notice them at first …
Uninvited Diagnosis
She was tiny, frail and unable to meet any of her developmental milestones. I knew her biological mom had used every drug imaginable during her pregnancy. Nevertheless, the neurologist’s diagnosis cut through me. Our adopted daughter would struggle through life with brain damage. Two years later, another uninvited diagnosis forced its way into my world. It came from a high-risk pregnancy doctor that rushed into the room after a longer than normal ultrasound. He dug the ultrasound wand into my swollen belly while still chewing his half eaten lunch, “Absent bladder…hernia…heart on the wrong side. Most likely Trisomy 18. The …
Love on Display
Yesterday was what my husband and I refer to as a “Hallmark holiday.” Don’t get me wrong, I applaud the efforts of the greeting card industry to help people communicate their feelings, but I believe expression of our love and affection for our loved ones should not be limited to one day on the calendar. Love doesn’t just happen. It needs to be nurtured if it is to grow into something beautiful and lasting. Marriage relationships especially require daily attention to develop and mature. Often that means you make an intentional choice to show your husband you care, a deliberate …
Happy Valentine’s Day Mom
Oftentimes, on a day when love is in the air, moms sometimes are so busy loving on others that they don’t necessarily ‘feel’ as loved as they are. So, here’s a reminder of just how much you are loved and a sweet little poem to reflect on all you do! “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’” Jeremiah 33:3 “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are …
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 …
Of Tempers and Toothpaste
We are running late. She’s still in the bathroom. Door closed. Dawdling, I’m sure. I knock gently and turn the knob. Not. I barge in just in time to catch tongue against tip of toothpaste tube. I smile sweetly. “What are you doing?” Not! I yell. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?” I take the tube from her hands and toss it into the wastebasket. Not. I snatch it and hurl it into the bathtub. I later retrieve it and toss it into the wastebasket. “What are you doing?” I ask again. Softer. Sort of. “Getting toothpaste to brush …
10 Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Kiddos
Do you remember what Valentine’s Day was like when you were a child? Handmade heart-shaped cards, Sweathearts conversation candies with phrases like, “Be Mine” and “LOVE” impressed on the front, and a hollow chocolate heart Momma placed on the dining room table that day. As moms, we love to make holidays fun and even educational for our children. So with Valentine’s Day looming largely over us, The M.O.M. Initiative is sharing 10 Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Kiddos. 1. Go old-school. Have them cut out heart-shaped cards from red construction paper and write a sweet note to their friends and family listing …
40 Weeks of Growing Trust
The test stick turns pink, and suddenly your whole world changes. Within days you may start to feel your body change, and new thoughts cross your mind that you never considered before. How will life change professionally, intimately, financially, and physically? With the passing of each day on the calendar, you may feel like time is running out to get a firm hold on the coming addition to your family and the changes to your world. Forty weeks will pass faster than you think, and the urge to be in control may grow right along with the size of your …