Bite Your Tongue

  My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, James 1:19 NIV Sometimes it is better for everyone involved if you just bite your tongue. Oh, I know, it’s not easy to do and believe me, this is something that I struggle with as a mom, wife…and well, as a person, but hear me on this- there is strength in not saying everything that comes to your mind. There is strength in not saying everything that comes to your mind. Bite Your Tongue. Click To …

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Tools for Seeking God

Psalm 5:3 “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” Motherhood is not for the faint of heart! When young and inexperienced it is natural to have glorious dreams and plans of holding a precious baby to your breast, breathing in the sweet smell of soft skin, and teaching and raising your little cherub to be a good citizen and follower of God. It isn’t until you are in the midst of the experience that feelings of inadequacy start to slip into your dreams. So …

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Mama, Don’t Rush Your Babies Growing Up

Do you remember the old song by Willie Nelson called “Mama, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys?” In it the song says over and over why they shouldn’t let their babies grow up to be a cowboy. It gives lots of reasons why the cowboy life isn’t a good one and tells mamas to let them be “doctors and lawyers and such”. What I’ve always wanted to scream is mama, don’t let your babies grow up…and then reality hit me, and I realized that no matter what you do they are gonna grow up. So, instead of …

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Honey, the Kids Shrunk Me!

“Mom, I think you’re shrinking.” My firstborn stands beside me, the tip of his blonde head occupying the space above mine. He casts me one of his infectious grins as he puffs out his chest and holds his shoulders tall to prove the truth of his declaration. I stretch myself up on tiptoe so I can look my sixteen-year-old in the eye. Then, I return his goading with a playful punch and remind him that “sometimes the best things come in small packages…” But what I really want to say to that growing boy of mine is that it’s his fault. …

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Hold On Loosely, Don’t Give Up Hope

Moms of teenagers and adult children, oh how I would love to pull up a chair beside you, pour a cup of coffee and commiserate over this new season of parenting you’re in. It’s not an easy transition by any means but I’m hoping that as we sit and visit that you and I both will learn a little bit about how to hold on loosely in this season when you feel like giving up hope. Chances are if you are a child of the 80’s, you’ll remember a song from the band 38 special called, “Hold On Loosely.” In …

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Honoring Your Mom and Your Mother-In-Law This Mother’s Day

Guess what is right around the corner? This year instead of all the gifts, let’s do something a little different and take some time to honor your mom…and your mother in law this Mother’s Day. Listen, I’ll be the first to admit, I wanna claim Mother’s Day as “my day.” I work hard all year long and I need, scratch that, want a day for me–but I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, your mom and your mother in law want that too. I’m not saying you give up your title of “Queen for the day” or anything like …

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No Time for Hurry!

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4 NLT).  Hurry. Hurry! Hurry!! Life is so often a big hurry!  After our children are born we can’t wait for them to sleep through the night. Then we are anxious for them to sit up. Then to crawl. Then to walk. It is so exciting to watch for the next milestone in their development, but often we look too far into the future. It is easy to push our children along too quickly without waiting for God’s timing.  When my first son, Luke, was a …

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Letting Go is Hard to Do

  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:8 ESV) From the moment of giving birth, the hard process of letting go begins. Having a hard time letting go? Here’s help! #moms #motherhood Click To Tweet I remember when my son was first born not wanting to let him out of my sight. I would drag the car seat into the bathroom when I needed to take a shower, and constantly risk soaking the throw rug by peering around the curtain to make sure he was …

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Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!

Dear Mom, Have you ever had days in your life when the only prayer you could muster was that prayer of the desperate father in Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief?” When it seemed like my world was falling apart, and nothing made sense, this was my familiar prayer. If I had the opportunity to sit and have a heart to heart with John the Baptist, I’m sure he would wholeheartedly share how much he can relate to that. Because he too, had his moment of “Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.” Do you remember that moment …

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Let the Education Begin

Motherhood. We tend to think of this as a season for teaching. We bear the responsibility for a tiny life and for the next 18 years – or more accurately for the rest of our lives – it is our responsibility to guide, correct, and teach these God-given blessings. That’s what I thought anyway. It didn’t take me very long after giving birth to my first son to realize that the one who was going to do most of the learning was ME! One of my favorite sayings when coming upon a new challenge quickly became, “No one tells you …

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