“I hate Mother’s Day!” said my dear friend who is longing for a baby. “You know that women struggling with infertility don’t go to church on Mother’s Day.” Kris agrees, “I was that mom-in-waiting for 16 years; I stayed away from baby showers, church, and friends who would get pregnant. I didn’t stop praying, but it WAS the worse pain.” Lisa concurs, “I am guilty of having skipped church a few years before we adopted my son.” In my book, Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby? A Companion Guide for Couples on the Infertility Journey, my own daughter …
Why Moms Should Keep Their Promises
“The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them,” (Proverbs 20:7, NLT). I spent fifteen dollars on a snow cone. Crazy, right? Of course this wasn’t just any snow cone. This was a super-sized, rainbow flavored, tantalizing treat scooped into a commemorative Tinkerbell mug. Yes, my husband and I took our girls to the Disney on Ice show, and one glance around the arena told us we weren’t the only parents forking over ridiculous cash for souvenirs. Why? What kind of mother buys a fifteen-dollar snow cone? A good one, I think. Not because good mothers pay …
Heightened Awareness: Living Life in the Midst of the Unknown
© Angela Farley | Dreamstime Stock Photos RF-LL Most of my life is lived in a constant state of heightened awareness. At any given moment I am painfully aware that I could have to drop everything and be in the middle of a medical crisis. Truth be told, that is pretty much true for any of us, especially moms. Our kids are in a state of constant movement and yes, at any given time, they could get hurt. For me, it is the same, except that I have also experienced this medical crisis too many times. In 2005 my oldest …
Did She Just Say That?
“Satisfy us with your faithful love every morning. Then we can sing with joy and be glad all of our days.” Psalm 90:14 (NIV) When my daughter made a statement one day that didn’t line up to God’s truth, I knew the day had come where outside influences were pressing on her heart and mind and she didn’t know what was true to combat what was false. Instead she was operating on what others were telling her. This generation (those born between 1982 and 2002) has been called the Mosaic generation. Taking bits and pieces from friends, media and their own …
5 Lessons Learned in the Emergency Room
Last week was the 3rd time we had to take our baby to the ER since January 1st. Never have we been to the ER so many times with one child. Poor little Charlie, he has had a very sick winter with RSV, stomach bug, respiratory infection and whatever else a baby can catch this time of year. Last week, he dislocated his elbow. HOW? I have no clue, but he did. Actually I did it, but don’t know how. So, needless to say I am learning some new things thanks to all of these trips to the ER. Always take …
You Might Have a Strong Willed Child IF…
Do you have a strong willed child? When I was writing, The Plan A MOM in a Plan B World, I asked moms to share some of their experiences with their “strong willed” children. Can you “feel their pain”? You Might Have A Strong Willed Child IF: It’s not your child but you who’s crying when your husband comes home from work. You threaten to throw away all his toys, and he tells you he doesn’t want them anyway. Your child insists on having the last word, even after being warned not to say another word. She weighs the consequences …
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 …
Mean Girls
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 …
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. …