A few years ago, one of my dearest friends in life, Leigh Anne, lost her battle with colon cancer. When she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, where many people would make up their bucket list, Leigh Anne’s words were much different. She declared her greatest hope to be that when the journey was over, however it would end, she would be able to say that she had no spiritual regrets. A very different narrative plays out in three of the four Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke all share the account of the Rich Young Ruler. If you recall he …
Being A Fully Present Woman
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and you are interacting and yet not fully present? You catch yourself nodding and even saying something in response every now and then. It’s generally more like an ‘uh huh’ instead of a real response. You are smiling and pretending to be engaged, but the whole time you are actually somewhere else. We’ve all done it, we make the grocery list, text our kids, husband or friends, maybe even check in on Facebook…all the while in the presence of someone right in front of us. It might be the kids, our …
You Don’t Have to Be An Irritable, Crabby or Snappy Wife
Whatever is true about my husband, whatever is noble about my husband, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable about him—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think only of these things. Philippians 4:8 (Tara Version:) Eight little bare feet scrambled in excitement with newfound energy to meet their dad dressed in suit and tie. “I’m home,” his low voice sang as I heard each child clamor for his attention. Steaming mad I hunkered down in the next room, arms crossed and jaw fixed. My mind erupted all the negative thoughts from the long day, “He is …
Even Moms Need More Sleep
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. Genesis 2:2 ESV She’s here, she’s there, she’s everywhere. You’re the mom, which means you are always on the go: groceries, diapers, and carlines are a part of your everyday world and somewhere in the chaos of it all we’ve bought into the lie that we’ve got to be some kind of supermom. You know, faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than…oh, who are we kidding, we’re not super mom, nor should …
Who Else Wants Clear Direction?
I blew it. Days of swimming through murky teenage “stuff” paired with this new stage of parenting resulted in my not-so-pretty meltdown. Late the same evening I found myself on the edge of my teen’s bed. His now huge 6 foot, 15 year-old frame had his back turned towards me as my quivering words spilled out, “I’m so sorry. I blew it. My words were awful. Will you forgive me?” Parenting is hard. We stumble through one developmental stage, look back on that point in time with confidence as we emerge, then find ourselves knee-deep in doubt …
Girlfriends, Curfews and Grades…Oh My! Parenting Today’s Teenager!
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 NLT Moms of teenagers, buckle up, all the bumps and bruises you went through in the baby, child, and adolescent stage start to prepare you for the adventure of parenting today’s teenager. I’m not trying to scare you at all, just speaking the truth in love from one mom to another. So, let’s put on our safety harness and walk through some of this together, shall we? As the mom of two teenage boys it …
When Siblings Become Friends
From the day she was born, I promised. “Your sister is tiny now, but she’ll grow fast. Soon, not too long from now, she’ll be able to play with you. She’ll run and jump and share your puzzles and dolls. You’ll see.” “Really?” My firstborn, then just a couple weeks past her third birthday, gazed in tender awe at her new baby sister, the long-awaited stranger. “Yes, sweetheart. Someday, she’ll be your best friend.” Someday. It seemed so far off in those early months when we juggled two different stages under one roof. This one needed macaroni and potty training …
Are You a Lonely Housewife?
“Marriages in this field rarely make it. The long hours and endless stress are known to chew families to pieces.” I didn’t need to hear this man’s thoughts about my husband’s demanding job. Daily…hour by hour… week by week…year by year…I’m living it. So many wives understand the drowning whirlpool of long hours spent with unending home demands while their husbands faithfully navigate upstream to provide for their family. Dreams of romantic hours with our husbands are often replaced by disappointment found in long lonely days. Do your dreams and expectations feel defeated due to the demands of life? …
Keep Calm and Swim On
Crystal clear water hems me in tighter than a warm blanket. Bubbles dance off my fingers as they glide through the singing water. All muscles are hard at work but I’m completely at rest. Some call swimming exercise. I prefer to call it the most relaxing part of my day. I am not a good swimmer. I survived lessons as a scared child… but never learned anything fancy. Instead of springing up when our rooster crows to head for the gym, most mornings I justify pulling the warm covers back over my sleepy head. Nevertheless, the days I grudgingly …
If we treat them like a treasure…
TODAY’s GIVEAWAYS… Mama Needs a Time Out by Heather Riggleman ENTER TO WIN by COMMENTING, SHARING this POST through Twitter or Facebook, and get EXTRA BROWNIE POINTS for sharing a BLOG ON YOUR SITE about the CONFERENCE (bloggers are added to our BLOG PARTNER LIST when you email us and let us know when and where to find the post!) *WINNERS will be announced in SUNDAY’s LIST OF WINNER of our WEEK OF LOVE! _______________________________________________________ Do I love you because you’re beautiful, Or are you beautiful because I love you? ~Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella …