How many times have you said to yourself or to someone else, "I'm just a mom?" How many times have you un-intentionally devalued your role in light of someone else's seemingly more important job? How many times have you disqualified yourself as a good mom when faced with another's apparent success? And how many times have you found yourself longing for something a bit more exciting and rewarding? It’s OK to be honest. Because the truth is always the best starting point. It's Ok to admit that "The World's Greatest Mom" banner might look better hanging above someone else's door. And it's Ok to confess that we really don't have it all figured out. But when these become labels which define us and hinder us from cherishing the gift of motherhood, it's time to do a little Continue Reading
Why Laughter Always Follows Tears & Grief Doesn’t Have to Get the Last Word
It's difficult to imagine in the midst of sorrow and tears that anything good can ever be waiting around the corner. When the tears run raw and hot and salty, and the sobs reach deep. It's hard to imagine a smile will ever part our lips again. But it does. When the grief twists and squeezes our heart and our breath can't find its steady rhythm between the pain. It's hard to fathom that laughter will find its place in our world again. But it does. I lost a dear friend this week. Her life wasn't nearly long enough and my heart aches at the cruelty and timing of death and how there's no easy way to say goodbye. And I wince at the shattering left behind, of the lives held together by this one. How death delivers such a blow, and the heart longs to wish it away. To sleep and awake to Continue Reading
The Truth About Imperfect Motherhood & The Hope it Brings
Do you remember those days when you were a new mom? When you had no idea what you were doing and every expectation was bursting with excitement and fear all at the same time. And you dreamed of being the perfect parent. I'm preparing to pick up one of my kids at the airport, all the way from Australia, and I'm about to bust with expectation and excitement. He proposed, and we held his secret safe for a few months now so the anticipation of the precious season we're entering into fills me in new ways I've not yet experienced in motherhood. Times like these usher in memories that wash over our hearts with such sweetness as we think about where time has gone and how much life has been lived...in the blink of an eye. Lately, my mind travels to one of the last times I enjoyed all of Continue Reading
3 Fantastic Ways to Pass the Hope of Easter to Our Children
Easter is all about HOPE! Beyond the plastic eggs, grass-filled baskets and sweet, sugary confections, there’s a message waiting to be stamped on the hearts of our children….a message of redeeming life and all prevailing hope. Hope that transcends our yesterdays, captivates our todays and leaves us anticipating our tomorrows. Yet this hope can often be difficult for our children to grasp, and sometimes we have to look for creative, intentional ways to bring hope to life so the gift can saturate their tiny, moldable hearts and carry them to the lap of God. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 So many times these intentional efforts become such a rich experience that before we Continue Reading