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
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
The Hope We Really Need to Brave Our Deepest Loss
As young women, many of us are still working through negative thoughts about our bodies, misunderstandings about God and His will, and have dewy-eyed expectations for our lives. We’re not prepared for loss and when it comes, even many years later, we’re left reeling. Several years ago, miscarriage and breast cancer were my twin losses—physical parts of me taken against my will, one right after the other, that left me hollow and disfigured. Then menopause, the surprise triplet, slammed shut the door on my hope of having more children. Miscarriage left me grieving for a life unseen. Cancer brought the fear of death up close and an ugly scar in its stead. And the finality of menopause left me sorrowful for what could no longer be. Oh, the pain of loss!—it weighs down the heart Continue Reading
Hope in the Savoring
I’m not sure if what I love most about the holidays are the lights, the smells or the tastes. sweet gingerbread fresh from the oven, the earthy scent of pine, serenades of Michael Buble and Bing Crosby, warm candles glowing, hot chocolate, peppermint, and marshmallows It's all a whirlwind for the senses and for the soul. And in this whirlwind, I tend to get lost in the excess. I plunge into overload, all for the sake of savoring the experience of Christmas instead of the hope of Christmas. Because I don't want to be reminded of how hard life is during the holidays. The truth is we can expend so much energy in trying to forget that we miss out on the true gift of hope lying unwrapped beneath the broken layers of our heart. a marriage hanging by a thinning Continue Reading