Recently, I posted one of those "Throwback Thursday" photos on Facebook. 7 years ago, while I was in the thick of parenting a toddler and a colicky infant, we somehow found time for family portraits. I'm smiling in the picture, but beneath the surface I was a ticking time bomb. Quite often, I'd lose my temper with my son, saying unkind words and making threats I had no intention of following through on. I reacted badly to disobedience and became easily frustrated with what I perceived as slowness to complete tasks. I was an angry mom. As I look back on that photo now, I wish I hadn't been ruled by my emotions, and overlooked the special moments right in front of me. Anger towards our children can have serious consequences, not just ... Read More...
3 Ways To Enjoy Staying Home With Your Kids
As a homeschool mom, I get asked frequently if there are ever days when I feel like I need a break. Other moms ask how I do it, staying home with my elementary aged kids all day. They could never deal with the constant noise and little people all needing something at the same time. They tell me they just don't have the personality for it. Quite honestly, I don't either. There really are some women out there who initially start homeschooling because they truly enjoy being with their kids all the time. That wasn't me. Not very long ago, I felt like I needed a break all the time. The thought of spending practically all of my waking hours with both my children was overwhelming. Even on good days, it was difficult to ... Read More...
When Mothering Becomes Idolatry
It doesn't seem like that long ago when I was playing dolls with my sister and swinging carefree on our swing set in the backyard. Now I am not merely playing house anymore; I am trying to find a way to manage my own real life household. Sometimes when the kids are getting out of control, there are messes to clean up and dinner needs to be made, I look around and wonder "now who's going to take care of this?" Then it dawns on me and I realize, oh that would be me! While I am comfortably past the phase where I stumbled around in that new mom sleep deprived stupor, I still long for the days when I was someone else's responsibility instead of the other way around. I took it all for granted: the trips to the playground, library and pool; the ... Read More...
Why It’s Okay That You’re Not Enough For Your Kids
I have always been a perfectionist. I guess it comes with being the oldest child, especially growing up in a family that tried to maintain a wonderful outward appearance while crumbling apart on the inside. I've carried that legacy, or should I say bondage, right into my own family. I have never felt so inadequate as the day a nurse handed me my newborn son, and I looked at him and literally thought "Now what am I supposed to do with this?" You would think that ten years later and with another child under my belt, I'd feel equal to the task of mothering. But I still struggle with my mommy alter-ego. You know, the one who shows up to point out everything you're doing wrong. She keeps me down and focused on how NOTHING I do measures ... Read More...
7 Things Every Good Christian Mom Does
What makes a good mom? If you ask 100 people this question, you'll probably get 100 different answers. We often imagine someone who is always patient, available, and bakes cookies from scratch. Someone who never has emotional outbursts or gets irritated with her kids for making messes. The ideal standard is hard to live up to. And Christian moms face this pressure even more. In our quest to elevate the role of motherhood and encourage one another that it is a worthy calling, we've gone to the opposite extreme of equating mothering with sainthood. I can think of no mother I know who would even remotely qualify for this status. Because we're all human. We're imperfect, saved sinners just trying to do our best to raise children for ... Read More...
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