The ‘I Wills’ of Motherhood I can’t handle this job.” “I can’t do this.” “I’m never going to make it through this.” Have you have said those words? I know I have and at the time, I really meant them. And I will likely really mean them if/when I say those words again. It’s been a long time since I said those words, or felt those thoughts, if I didn’t actually say the words out loud. I pray I will never, no, not ever, say those words again and I pray I will never think them again – no, not…
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Those first two little teeth… those same little teeth that made their debut five years earlier mark a milestone in that little one’s life, when they begin to have a bit more space in that growing jaw and then become wiggly in delighted little fingers. With probably the same thrill and joy we felt upon first seeing them pop through, we pull them out. A surge of the bittersweet may wash over us as we observed this milestone. Those bittersweet moments only mothers know… the baby’s are growing… they’re learning to toddle across the floor, they fall and skin flawless…
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I just came in from receiving a package from the UPS man. He stops by every few days to bring packages for my husband. And it dawned on me today that he is always greeted by a little caravan of children on bicycles or skates or, on rainy days, leaning over the back of the sofa to watch him through the living room window. They watch for him and he watches for them. They see his big brown truck driving down the lane and instantly recognize him as the UPS man because of his brown uniform. He always looks neat…
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A Mother Worthy of Remembrance No matter who you are, where you live, what your age… the very mention of the word “mother” likely conjures up many emotions. Even when we mothers look at ourselves in the mirror, we undoubtedly have mixed emotions as to who we are, what we do, what we hoped we’d be and what we are becoming. We may think back on memories of our mothers with bittersweet emotion… loving them for who they were or tried to be, cringing with regret for taking them for granted, regretting things they did that hurt us or things…
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I’ve come to believe that having traditions or the “we always did_________” is probably one of the most important things a mother can do for her children and family. I can’t think of a better way to be remembered than by the children looking forward to or looking back on special traditions that mama keeps or the tradtitions she kept. As we look forward to special events in our lives, we are most often thinking of how *we* like them or how *we* see them but I think it’s important to remember how *others* will like them or others…
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Some of the best experiences or most meaningful moments have happened around our family breakfast table. It’s where we pray, where we eat, where we talk together, where we study the Word together and where we clarify and define what the Word is saying to us — what we should do, how we should live and what the LORD requires of us as believers and as a family. It’s also where we make our plans and share schedules and our stories. But, for me, in addition to all that, the breakfast table is where I see the past, the present…
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So, we were sitting at the breakfast table – the three additional chairs added to the coziness (I said, cozy-ness, not craziness) we experienced yesterday morning. After all the honey drizzled oatmeal was served and the glasses and sippy-cups were filled with milk, the clanking of spoons scooping around the sides of the bowls soon sounded like a sixth grade band class. I was looking around the table into the faces of each of the children and I was profoundly struck with the thought that we (my husband and I) were sitting in the midst of the most important work…
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The sobering fact of the “just get through it” advice many women hear and heed is that in the end it’s just a lie. And in the end, they know it. Today’s message may well be a downer. Take heart… there’s a method to this seeming madness… I know a lot of the time I’m sort of, as it were, singing to the choir. But I also know that, though I’m singing to the choir, I’m sometimes singing notes that are a bit “off” or a bit flat or aren’t in harmony with all the rest of the choir. I’m…
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When I first started blogging, I just wrote about stuff that was going on around me, sites I’d come across in my world-wide-web travels – cool stuff and helpful stuff… in addition, I wrote about what I thought of what was going on in “the church” today and the daily news stuff. And, for the most part, I suppose I still do all that… but with less pics and links (and that’s bcz of the limitations of this “WordPress” format). Anyway… I think For May’s blogs, I’ll just pick a theme to concentrate on… hmm… bling! The month of May……
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I needed to write an article for the next issue of Making It Home magazine. And I thought what shall I write? It’s the May/June issue and I wanted to write something appropriate – meaningful for mothers. And then I thought on the retreat I’ve just attended and the thoughts still swirling around in my mind. I thought on some of the questions also that I’ve received lately and was amazed (but never surprised!) at God’s weaving of different messages and themes. I’m often asked and often contemplate the question: Why home school? I’m asked, “Do you think everyone should…