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Motherhood is a Ministry
Recently, while visiting with a college student, listening to her explore her thoughts, hopes, and questions regarding career, ministry, and motherhood; I could tell that her aim was to get it right. When I pitched the idea that motherhood is a ministry she responded by saying that she had never thought of it that way. So here we are. Perhaps you too can be encouraged to know motherhood is in fact, a ministry. You can call it a job if you’d like, it certainly isn’t an idle pastime. In my own journey as Mom, I have organized my time in various ways. I have homeschooled, never left the house, worked…
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Parenting inclusive kids in a cancel culture
I distinctly remember a birthday party in elementary school that I didn’t get invited to. I’m sure there were many I wasn’t invited to, this just happened to be one I knew about. It was one of the cool ones that involved a limo, in elementary school! And, we lived in the country. So, the limo was extra impressive. It was one of those moments in life where the event was special so the guest list was particularly slim. It was a small school, and I’m pretty sure my personality made me believe I was friends with everyone. At the time, some of my closest friends got to ride in…
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Kids, Critical Thinking and Christianity
My five-year-old rushed into my room after finishing up a bible study with my husband to proclaim, “Mommy… you are breaking the law of God!” My first inclination was, What in the world is my husband teaching the kids? My second gave away my pride. Who does this kid think he is? It would have been so easy to reprimand my son for calling into question my righteousness before the Lord. I could have sent him away and told him that he cannot disrespect mommy like that. Earlier that morning I disciplined him for making a wrong choice. In doing so, I hurt his feelings. My husband has been going…
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“Embracing God When You Want To Run”
Spring is a time for new flowers, budding trees, green grass, sunshine, insects, and yes, snakes. Snakes out already? You bet…as temperatures start to climb those dreadful reptiles come out of hibernation and begin to enjoy the greater outdoors. I realize that some snakes are considered good, but for me, I have never been one to stick around when I see one. Instead, I become the fastest sprint runner on the track, leaving everyone behind. A few weeks ago, I was walking in our pasture with our grandsons enjoying the warm sunny Kansas day. As we walked, our conversation centered around God’s creation marveling at the beauty He has given us. As we walked, we…
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Almighty God “Hear Our Prayer”
Has your prayer life increased these past few weeks? Perhaps you are praying for things you have never prayed for in the past. Maybe you have been praying for a hedge of protection, a spirit of hope, a heart filled with peace, a mind filled with God’s Word, an attitude of trust, the list goes on and on if you are like me. Our faith has been stretched and our lives have been turned upside down. Many of us have had circumstances in our own lives that have rocked us to the core, but most can say that they have never experienced a rocking quite like this during their lifetime. It is during…
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Why Pushing Hard Isn’t Always Worth It
“Push.” We hear it everywhere. This simple word has become a mantra for how to get more out of life. Push yourself at the office until you get the promotion. Push yourself to create a Pinterest-worthy home. Push yourself to do one more load of laundry, send one more email, do one more thing before bed. Push. Push. Push. It’s the drumbeat that drives our lives as we put one more thing on our already packed to-do list. And it seems to work.After all, isn’t it the pushy entrepreneur who lands the big deal? Isn’t it the pushy mom who has the more accomplished kids with the prettier birthday…
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Getting Over Mommy Guilt
It’s real. That pain in your gut feeling that you don’t teach enough, bake enough, snuggle enough, read enough, pray enough — and generally aren’t enough. Mommy guilt plagues us as we do our daily chores and celebrate milestones. The pressure to do more than we can, be more than we are, to give more than we have wells up from within. It leaves us feeling hollowed out, empty from trying to meet expectations that we can never quite achieve. Whether you’re a seasoned mom or just starting out, the daily challenges of raising kids wear on us. We’re tempted to absorb every stumble and struggle—telling ourselves that if only…
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How mentoring can save your child from walking away from the faith
One of my greatest fears as a parent was that our children would turn their backs on Jesus when they left our home. A mocking faith-buster professor or sexy siren would steal their hearts and draw them away from their roots. It's a legitimate fear in our post-Christian culture. A 2013 study entitled Five Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church found that 6 in 10 young people who grow up in church drop out in the first decade of adult life–but there's hope. They also found that these stats held true UNLESS the young person enjoyed a close personal friendship with a mentor. God often uses mentoring to keep kids…
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Clear Summer Days
Ah, the first weeks of summer vacation—a blissful time in the life of a mother and her children. Kids have finally finished the school year and moms have hung their chauffeur hats for a while. The Monday morning rush has come to a halt, the emails from school have completely ceased and at the end of the day, mothers across the country can finally stop asking, “Did you finish your homework? Did you study for your test?” The beginning of summer brings such sweet hopes. It gives mothers and children an opportunity to commit their time to each other. Mothers make endless promises of fun and the kids—especially teens—realize they…
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What Does The Bible SAY…..
By now, you may have heard the song, “What Does the Fox Say.” Yes, the words were written about a fox and the sound that it makes, or doesn’t make. According to the lyrics no one knows the sound of a fox and if you have watched the hilarious video, the vocalists make odd noises to portray the possible sounds of a fox. Two Norwegian brothers put the lyrics to a catchy beat, dressed up in fox costumes, and made one of the funniest videos ever. According to some sources this video has gained such popularity that they have over 360,000,000 people who have watched and laughed to their humor online. Old MacDonald, move…
