My Mommy Is A Super Writer

According to my son Jadon, I'm a super writer!

Here's the video to prove it:

I can't wait until the rest of the world comes to the same conclusion.

http://youareawriter.com

Am I Mom Enough?

I just read the following article by Kara Baskin - Am I Mom Enough? And it blew me away!

With her permission, I'm reposting it here.

Here's the link: http://www.boston.com/community/moms/blogs/24_hour_workday/2012/05/motherhood-mom-enough-advice.html

It’s so tempting to get riled up by the Mommy Wars, isn’t it? The Time magazine cover story about extreme parenting, Are You Mom Enough?, featuring a beautiful mother in skinny jeans nursing her preschool-aged son, is infamous by now. It made me, along with the rest of the Internet, explode with righteous indignation. Mom enough? How dare they! This isn't a contest! But, wait ... what if it is? And I don't even own skinny jeans!

The story also made me think about what I wanted to teach Andrew—I mean really teach him. I’m not talking about the trendy must-dos that crop up each year about feeding and sleeping and discipline, insecurity porn concocted just in time to fill a fresh generation of parents with self-doubt. No, I’m talking about the things that I want to impart in average, totally inextreme moments, when my breasts are covered and my skinny jeans are in the wash.

Here’s my wish list.

I hope I raise a child who says “thank you” to the bus driver when he gets off the bus, “please” to the waiter taking his order at the restaurant, and holds the elevator doors when someone’s rushing to get in.

I hope I raise a child who loses graciously and wins without bragging. I hope he learns that disappointments are fleeting and so are triumphs, and if he comes home at night to people who love him, neither one matter. Nobody is keeping score, except sometimes on Facebook.

I hope I raise a child who is kind to old people.

I hope I raise a child who realizes that life is unfair: Some people are born rich or gorgeous. Some people really are handed things that they don’t deserve. Some people luck into jobs or wealth that they don’t earn. Tough.

I hope I raise a child who gets what he wants just often enough to keep him optimistic but not enough to make him spoiled.

I hope I raise a child who knows that he’s loved and special but that he’s not the center of the universe and never, ever will be.

I hope I raise a child who will stick up for a kid who’s being bullied on the playground. I also hope I raise a child who, if he’s the one being bullied, fights back. Hard. Oh, and if he’s the bully? I hope he realizes that his mother, who once wore brown plastic glasses and read the phonebook on the school bus, will cause him more pain than a bully ever could.

I hope I raise a child who relishes life’s tiny pleasures—whether it’s a piece of music, or the color of a gorgeous flower, or Chinese takeout on a rainy Sunday night.

I hope I raise a child who is open-minded and curious about the world without being reckless.

I hope I raise a child who doesn’t need to affirm his self-worth through bigotry, snobbery, materialism, or violence.

I hope I raise a child who likes to read.

I hope I raise a child who is courageous when sick and grateful when healthy.

I hope I raise a child who begins and ends all relationships straightforwardly and honorably.

I hope I raise a child who can spot superficiality and artifice from a mile away and spends his time with people and things that feel authentic to him.

I hope I raise a child who makes quality friends and keeps them.

I hope I raise a child who realizes that his parents are flawed but loves them anyway.

And I hope that if my child turns out to be a colossal screw-up, I take it in stride. I hope I remember that he’s his own person, and there’s only so much I can do. He is not an appendage to be dangled from my breasts on the cover of a magazine, his success is not my ego’s accessory, and I am not Super Mom.

I hope for all of these things, but I know this: None of these wishes has a thing to do with how I feed him or sleep-train him or god-knows-what-else him. Which is how I know that these fabricated “wars” are phony every step of the way. I do not need the expensive stroller. I do not need to go into mourning if my "sleep-training method" is actually a "prayer ritual" that involves tiptoeing around the house in the dark. This is not a test. It’s a game called Extreme Parenting, and you can’t lose if you don’t play. And, really, why would you play? You have children to raise.

This blog is not written or edited by Boston.com or the Boston Globe.

The author is solely responsible for the content.

The Gospel of Yes

I believe lots of Christians grow up being afraid of God... really fearful of Him. Yes, we should have a fear of God, but a healthy fear, a reverence for Him. Not the kind of fear that makes you believe He's against you. God wants to say yes to us. He loves us. He has a plan for us. In The Gospel of Yes, Mike Glenn reveals details of his journey of discovering how God says yes to us. It's an insightful book. It's a book I couldn't put down.

I've had the honor and privilege of hearing Mike speak. He's the real deal. He is a true man of God. He shares from his heart and to read this book is liberating. I believe many will be set free from the bondage of "fear" upon reading this book.

God Loves Broken People

Sheila Walsh is a great writer. She is inspiring, especially to those of us who struggle with depression.

In this particular book, Sheila uses real-life stories and experiences from her self and other to demonstrate how God does love the broken. One of my favorite quotes from the book says, "Nothing that happens surprises God, so trust Him in the midst of your pain. God loves you, and nothing can separate you from His love. God will be with you always, and whatever you have to face, He will go through it with you."

Those are some powerful words. I'm a single mom to a 2 1/2 year old toddler. I'm 43. I work for a nonprofit. It's hard to make ends meet. I struggle. Some days are easy. Some days are hard. I'm broken. Reading this book encouraged me.

I received a free copy of this book from BookSneezeThomas Nelson Publishing for my honest review on my blog.

Healing Is A Choice - Book Review

Healing is a Choice written by Stephen Arterburn, while quite lengthy, does give some great insight as to the choices we make that will allow a person to heal.

The books's subtitle, "Ten Decisions That Will Transform Your Life & Ten Lies That Can Prever You From Making Them," definitely sums up the book. The book is broken into 10 chapters that describe a choice that will help you move your life forward and a lie that will fight against that choice.

is a book that will help you look into your life to make better choices that will allow you to heal. If there is something in your life that you feel you need to work on, this could be the book to help you do it.

The author speaks about his own brokenness in the book. He talks of his divorce and how it has affected his life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in starting the journey towards healing.

I received this book free through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program, but the thoughts/ideas expressed here are my own.

God Gave Us Love

God Gave Us Love is one of the sweetest books ever. I have so enjoyed reading this book to my 2 year old son. He loves it. The illustrations are adorable. The message is timeless. It's such a great reminder of how much God loves us. This is a treasured book in our library.

I received a free copy of God Gave Us Love as a blogger who reviews books for Waterbrook/Multnomah.

Not Always As It Seems

I read this devotion this morning and was just really convicted... I know I'm a soooo guilty of reacting without knowing the entire situation. Read it and let me know if it resonates with you too.

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you… —Matthew 7:12

A Different Type of Prayer  (author unknown):

"Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry, and spend a few precious moments with her children. Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester. Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking fellow, begging for money in the same spot every day is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares. Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together."

It’s been said, “You never know enough about a situation to truly be angry.” So often we jump to conclusions, instead of looking beyond the situation at the heart of the matter. As children, the Golden Rule was said in our classrooms, teaching us to be fair and nice. As adults, we now teach the next generation this same phrase. Treat others the way you want to be treated. But do you truly act this way? Or is the Golden Rule just a looming phrase and a nice ideal?

The words of Matthew 7:12 are the words of Jesus. These words are building blocks of compassion and kindness. God shows us this kind of love every day. What can you do today to show an act of mercy or goodness? As Christians, it is important to treat others the way Jesus would treat them…you may be the only Jesus someone ever sees.

Here's the link to the devotion on Crosswalk.com - http://bit.ly/zob1Nq

Did you know you have a black smudge on your forehead?

I'm sure some of you have been asked this question... either yesterday or today...

For those of us who commemorate Ash Wednesday and the 40 days of Lent leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the marking of ashes on the forehead can represent a variety of things.

I came across the following explanations and thought these might be helpful today.

The Biblical Response

Over forty passages in the Bible associate ashes with mourning and grief. In Old Testament times people used ashes as a sign of repentance. They would sit in ashes, roll around in them, sprinkle them upon their heads, or even mingle them with their food and drink. They did this as an outward sign of their inward posture of repentance. Check out Daniel 9:3-6, for an example.

Ash Wednesday begins Lent, a time when we stop and assess how we’re doing in our walk with God. Lent helps us identify spiritual areas in which we can grow and sinful areas that we need to avoid. To repent, put simply, means to turn away from sin and turn toward God. We use ashes as an outward expression of our need to begin again.

A Traditional Response

Ashes are a sign of physical death, as in “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” We began as dust (a joyless and lifeless existence), and our bodies will return to dust until we are raised up by Christ. By receiving ashes and keeping them on, we publicly proclaim our intent to die to our worldly desires and live even more in Christ’s image, which we focus on during the season of “rebirth” that is Lent (a Latin term for “Spring”).

The Historical Response

For over twelve hundred years on the dies cinerum (day of ashes) faithful followers have approached the altar and received ashes upon their foreheads. These ashes are made from the burnt palm fronds that were blessed on the Palm Sunday of the previous year. The ashes are sprinkled with holy water, usually fragranced with incense and blessed using four prayers that are thousands of years old.

The use of ashes for repentance and penance can be traced even further back and is practiced throughout the world. On Ash Wednesday ashes are applied to believers’ foreheads in the shape of the cross.

The Symbolic Response

God formed Adam out of the “dust” of the earth, which we read about in Genesis 2:7. In addition, Jesus healed the blind man with clay (earth and spit) in John 9:6. We mark ourselves with ashes as a “new beginning” at the onset of Lent, allowing the life of Jesus Christ to make us whole and new again.

The Most Basic Response

I’m a sinner. I don’t always love God as strongly as I could or as directly as I should. Ash Wednesday reminds me that it is only through God that I have life; He gave it to me.

Ash Wednesday also begins my preparation for Holy Week and the Passion and Resurrection of my Lord, Jesus, without Whom I have no life here and no chance at eternal life in Heaven. This is just a great opportunity for me to get better. Thanks for asking.

God forgives. He loves. And He gives this sinner a second chance.

Source: http://lifeteen.com/why-do-catholics-put-ashes-on-our-heads-on-ash-wednesday/

Enemies of the Heart

I'll start by saying I'm a huge fan of Andy Stanley. Love his dad too... although they are very different in their styles of preaching and writing. I was super excited to receive a copy of this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program. With that being said, I'm still giving my personal opinion and it has no basis on receiving a copy of this book for free.

Andy Stanley is very insightful. He takes complicated ideas and thoughts and breaks them down into simple language that is easy to understand. This book couldn't have come at a better time for me. I struggle with these emotions constantly. This will definitely be a book I will read again and again.

What Are You Exchanging?

Read this great devotion and wanted to share it with you...

Do You Have Anything That Needs Exchanging?
This devotional was written by Jim Burns

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. —Matthew 11:28-30

Today, stores are busy processing exchanges. It happens every year right after Christmas. But have you ever thought about spiritual exchanges? They are always in season.

Do you have anything that you need to exchange with God today? I know I do. Is there anything going on that is particularly burdensome? Then God wants to take your burden and exchange it with His presence. Here is a prayer that I pray that often gives me great perspective.

Away from the world and hidden from public view,

I exchange my weariness for His strength,
I exchange my weakness for His power,
I exchange my darkness for His light,
I exchange my problems for His solutions,
I exchange my burdens for His freedom,
I exchange my frustrations for His peace,
I exchange my turmoil for His calm,
I exchange my hopes for His promises,
I exchange my afflictions for His balm of comfort,
I exchange my questions for His answers,
I exchange my confusion for His knowledge,
I exchange my doubt for His assurance,
I exchange my nothingness for His awesomeness,
I exchange the temporal for the eternal,
I exchange the impossible for the possible,
I exchange my fear for His love.

GOING DEEPER:
Today, take a moment to relinquish your will to the will of God. After all, He can take whatever you give him and lighten your load with His peace and presence.

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7