The words on Facebook glared back at her. “You are so ugly! You are fat, annoying and I hate you!” Lindsay just sat there, staring at the screen, baffled. “What did I say? What did I do?” Maybe this has happened to one of your children, or in some way they’ve faced this same type of painful rejection. Maybe you have felt it yourself. I recently spotted a t-shirt at the mall that read “You’re no one until someone talks about you.” What a sad state of affairs. Growing up in a world where “Mean Girls” and “Gossip Girl” are movie …
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 …
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 …
When Prayer Overcomes the World
Yesterday, I walked into my women’s Bible study group with thoughts consisting of my own problems and circumstances. There is a physically-handicapped woman in our group who greeted me with a huge grin and asked me how I was doing today. I lied and told her I was fine, thank you. We sat in our chairs and as our leader began with prayer requests, this precious woman asked if we could say a prayer for the crisis going on in Midland City, Alabama. Just down the road from my house, a school bus driver named Chuck Poland was shot last …
What Peter Rabbit’s Momma Can Teach Us About Parenting
My twin two year old girls love The Tale of Peter Rabbit. I’m sure they can relate to mischievous Peter, who doesn’t listen to his mother and goes to Mr. McGregor’s garden anyway to eat carrots. Our version has the pull tabs and it is almost torn to pieces we’ve read it so much. They love finding Peter’s lost shoes and pulling the gooseberry net up and down trying to release him. They explore the tool shed looking for Peter but only finding a ladybug, butterfly and bubble bee instead. Finally, Peter makes it out of Mr. McGregor’s garden and …
Can I Offer You My Fish?
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9) Hospitality is not my forte. I love to plan parties, decorate cakes and daydream about giving my mantel a trendy makeover—but when it comes to executing these crafty ambitions, my klutzy side takes over. I’ve always considered this a shortcoming. Until recently, when a children’s Bible story shifted my thinking. It was the well-loved tale of Jesus feeding five thousand people with one boy’s lunch. “What’s special about this story?” I asked my five-year-old daughter. “Ummm. …
Hidden Danger & Get OVERWHELMED & BEGIN A M.O.M. INITIATIVE MENTOR GROUP & MONDAY LINK UP
THIS IS THE WEEK! We’ve got some GREAT STUFF going on at The M.O.M. Initiative! Starting today…Get OVERWHELMED ~ 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M. FREE! It’s our gift to you! SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT or LINK UP to win one of today’s great giveaway… Prayers of My Heart prayer journal by Debbie Taylor Williams, so moms can start the year off journaling their prayers for their kids. AND The Christian Mama’s Guide to Having a Baby by Erin MacPherson And don’t forget to SIGN UP to begin a M.O.M. Initiative Mentor Group in your area! Now, here’s today’s post by Tara Dovenbarger: LOOKS SAFE Six legs …
Hula-Hooping Into 2013
Confession: I’m a multi-tasker who is tired of multi-tasking. (photo source: dailyhistory.net) Entering 2013, my eyes have barely focused on the future from the blur of 2012. It was the year of the multi-tasking mamma, aka me (was it for you too?). From planning a two year old tu-tu birthday party, putting our house up for sale, moving to our hometown, and leaving my stay-at-home job for church ministry, my days were filled juggling. To mark the end of our crazy year, my husband and I ventured to the salty air and crashing waves in Florida to clear our heads …
Where are the Continuing Education Credits for Motherhood?
Don’t you wish there were Continuing Education credits for motherhood? Back in college there were classes for just about everything: Music Appreciation, English 1101, Calculus, Religion, you name it and it was there. Unfortunately, I have yet to see a college level class on Motherhood. Sure, there are classes you can take while you are pregnant, and even some awesome mommy and me type classes, but where are the classes for: bandaging up boo-boo’s, pre-pubescent anxiety, peer pressure, broken hearts, and helping your child find their identity in Christ. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the …
Urgent vs Important…Knowing the Difference
I could hear her calling me from upstairs. I really wanted to finish the article I was writing. I only needed 100 more words and I would be done, but my daughter continued to call for me. I saved my document and grumbled to myself as I walked up the stairs to see what she needed. As I walked up the last step to our gameroom I could see what she wanted. My great grandmother’s little round table was set with plastic dishes and a chair was waiting for me. Gracie has invited me to join her and her dolls …