Category - Encouragement

How We Made Our Family Vacation About A Little More

June 28, 2017

Last week our family went on a little getaway, the first with all three of our boys. Since we weren’t sure how well 6-month-old Isaiah would travel (he won’t take a bottle or pacifier at all, which has been fun), we knew we might have to make more frequent stops. That’s why we decided to vacation a little closer to home, picking an area within a 5- to 6-hour drive from us. We also decided to go for only 4 days.

In preparation for this grand adventure, I made an extensive packing list, stocked up on car-friendly snacks, printed out some drive-time scavenger hunt sheets and other traveling activities for kids, and created an on-my-visor behavior clip chart to help our older two boys stay on track.

(You can read more about how that worked and get additional tips and tricks for traveling with kids from me and other moms in this post on The Merry Momma.)

The on-visor behavior clip chart…on a string.

The night before our road trip started, Brad was praying with our boys at bedtime. Toward the end of the prayer, he asked that God would use our trip to bless not only us but others.

And God gave me an idea immediately of a very easy way to accomplish that and make our family vacation about more than just us.

The morning of our trip, we loaded the car, got the boys settled, and I hung the clip chart string on my visor. Then I put 3 large wire clothespins on the left corner of my visor. Even Brad looked at me in confusion.

“What are those for?” Elijah asked.

So I explained.

“These three clips are for the three big days of our vacation. Last night Daddy prayed that our trip would bless others, right? Well, each day our family will do a random act of kindness or find someone we can help. When we’ve completed our task for the day, we’ll take a clip down. Until we do, though, these clips will remind us to be on the lookout for ways to be kind, encouraging, or helpful to other people.”

My boys, especially Elijah, were excited about the plan, and they began coming up with ways we could bless someone.

Over the next few days, amid the excitement of hotel stays, daily adventures, and eating out, I was surprised by how often my boys (or my husband or I) would mention an idea for a random act of kindness. Their suggestions weren’t always feasible, but at least I knew they were busy thinking of others.

So what DID we do?

Enjoying our treats at Dairy Queen (note my surprised look as Isaiah tried to steal my shake)

Our first fun act of kindness was passing out ice cream bars to a group of construction workers staying at our hotel. They had been sitting outside when we took the boys out to the pool early in the evening, and they were still there later when we were headed out to get a treat at the nearby Dairy Queen. Before we left the restaurant, we grabbed a pack of ice cream bars, just in case they were still outside when we returned.

When they questioned us about the gift, we just told them that we wanted to do something nice for others as a family and show God’s love. I’m not sure who enjoyed the surprise more – our boys, who were very excited to share, or the men and ladies who were delighted with not only the ice cream, but seeing our boys’ excitement to share with them.

Dinner at the diner.

We earned our next day’s clip in a more subtle way. Since much of our day had been spent exploring a state park (and on a weekday), we didn’t interact with many other people until we went to dinner. Throughout our meal, I noticed that our waitress seemed a bit stressed, and while our boys weren’t behaving badly, they were energetic enough to add a little more chaos to the atmosphere.

We didn’t try to initiate much of a conversation with her or find out how her day had been going because, honestly, when you’re wrangling three little boys during mealtime, it’s much kinder sometimes to focus on keeping your children’s mess and noise to a minimum and just let people work. But I knew that she should be on the receiving end of a little kindness before we left. Even though I didn’t mention my observations to Brad, halfway through the meal, he quietly suggested to me that we leave her a substantial tip (far more than just 20%) as our kindness for the day. So we made sure to express our appreciation for her attentiveness and excellent service both verbally and monetarily.

Family selfie, blocking most of the view of the beautiful mountains behind us.

Our third clip…well, we actually didn’t get to do anything for our last clip, which really bothered our boys. The last day of our trip was spent mostly traveling home, and we didn’t even go through a drive-through, so the easy idea of paying for the person behind us couldn’t even be used. When we did stop for dinner, there weren’t any other people in the restaurant until we were leaving.

However, I don’t feel as though it was a failure because, again, my boys were looking hard for opportunities to help others (whenever we were around other people. Haha). And I know that the two clips that we used were definitely ones that God directed us to do.

So despite only accomplishing two out of the three things, getting my boys to think of others often during our family vacation and knowing that we were obedient in doing what God asked us to when the opportunities were there, to me means that we were successful in making our vacation about much more than ourselves.

And those three clips will be staying in the car so that we can continually be reminded to think of others and look for ways to be kind, helpful, and encouraging every day.

(Next vacation I plan to be much better prepared to continue this tradition, so check out the links and resources below that I’ve found with ideas we can use.)

Random Acts of Kindness

101 of the Best Random Acts of Kindness Ideas

30 Random Acts of Kindness to Do with Your Kids

Super Easy Act of Kindness for Kids (We are TOTALLY doing this soon!)

67 Awesome Random Acts of Kindness for Kids

HOW DOES YOUR FAMILY SPREAD KINDNESS?

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My First Blogiversary

August 6, 2016

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Life in Lape Haven: My First Blogiversary: Thoughts of My 1st Year of Blogging. As I celebrate the first anniversary of my blog, I'm sharing how much this unexpected path has blessed me.

Last year on August 7, I hit “Publish” on what would be my first official post of my blog. While I had been adding content for a few weeks, it was the first day that my blog would actually “go live,” the day that I would share it on Facebook and other social media, and the day that I officially became a blogger.

I remember my hands were actually shaking for a while after I hit that button and shared the post. My boys and I watched the “Real Time” stats on my WordPress Dashboard, so we could see how many people were clicking on the link and checking out my site. It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.

As I shared in my initial post, I never wanted to write a blog. Be an author, sure. Blogger, not so much. But as I look back over the past year, I’m glad that I stepped out and followed God’s leading. If nothing else, it’s been a test of faith and obedience.

But of course, God’s plans are always bigger than ours, so this blog has proven to be a blessing in many more ways than I expected.

First of all, it has given this stay-at-home mom a creative outlet, and a confirmation that God’s purpose never lets any of our talents or gifts go to waste when we trust Him with them. As someone who grew up scribbling stories and ideas into notebook after notebook, followed by high school classes in journalism and Honors English, and then having my first job be a position at the local newspaper, writing was just a part of who I was. Even once I moved into different jobs outside of newspaper, I still wrote often for work and at home, up until I got married and became a mommy. Children tend to require a good bit of time and attention, and writing fell by the wayside until God asked me to pick it up again.

But this type of writing is different and much more personal. I’m not reporting on events or typing emails and memos to other employees or company contacts. I’m sharing my heart with the world (Although, let’s be honest, it’s mostly a handful of people at a time.).

One of the biggest blessings, though, in writing this blog has been seeing how my vulnerability and sharing my life’s little moments and revelations have encouraged, challenged, and helped others. I suddenly have a reach far beyond my little staying-at-home-most-every-day cocoon. I can minister to people I will never meet in person, whether it’s sharing comfort that God has given me (For Such a Time as This), telling my stories of everyday life (Going “Naked” at the Water Park) or my experiences growing up (Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid), finding profound lessons in what my boys say and do (Out of the Mouth of Babes), or even trying out recipes and simple household solutions and letting you know what works (Grease stains? I know how to treat them!).

While there have been many frustrating and/or tiring days and nights as I found (and am still finding) fringe moments to write, set up, and share my posts, I’m looking back over this year with a deep sense of accomplishment and gratitude for God planning this for me and staying with me every step of the way.

Also along for the ride have been my two biggest helpers and fans – my husband and my mother. They have both believed in me from my first hesitant suggestions that this was something God might possibly, maybe, want me to do. Not only has Brad been my technical support (he built the server my blog is on), but he’s definitely my biggest cheerleader. He has stayed up with me countless nights to help me proof those last minute posts, simply because he didn’t want me to be alone, and he proudly shares every one of them on social media.

My mom is always quick to help me out, proofing and reading any post drafts that I email her and helping me with titles and providing a good sounding board so I know that I’m saying what I want to be saying. 🙂

I’m also overwhelmingly thankful for the support I’ve had on this journey so far from all of my readers, especially those of you who have followed me from the beginning, as well as the many blogging friends I have made along the way. Hopefully I have been able to bless or encourage you all in some way over the last 12 months.

When I started this adventure last August, I couldn’t’ have imagined how much I’d learn and how I’d grow in so many areas of my life just by sharing bits and pieces of it with others. (There’s a lesson there…)

Looking ahead to the next year, it’s hard to imagine what God will do through my writing on this blog, but He’s already proven Himself more than faithful to help me accomplish what He’s called me to do and to bless me abundantly in the process.

The Ministry of the Maintenance Man

June 6, 2016

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Life in Lape Haven: The Ministry of the Maintenance Man. While it takes a lot of people to make a wedding come together well, one of the most important people at our friends' recent wedding was the seemingly behind the scenes maintenance man who did represented his church and Jesus well.

This past weekend, our family had the joy of celebrating the wedding of some very dear friends who are really more like family.

Having known the groom, Jeremy, since he was a sophomore in high school and I was one of his youth leaders, he’s kind of like another little brother to me. When he and Brad met not long after Brad and I started dating, the two guys became close friends pretty quickly. In fact, Brad had the honor of serving as the Best Man this weekend, which meant we were involved with lots of the pre-wedding events leading up to the big day.

Knowing all the behind the scenes things that need to happen before a bride walks down the aisle, both from planning our own wedding and others that we’ve either been in or helped with, Brad and I were more than willing to do whatever they needed us to so that Jeremy and his beautiful bride, Rachel, could have a wonderful event on Saturday.

We made the over-two-hour trip to northeast Ohio on Thursday so that Brad and the other groomsmen could take Jeremy on his bachelor outing of rock climbing, shooting, and dinner that evening. Then on Friday, we joined others from the bridal party and the bride’s family in a day of decorating and rehearsal.

That was when we all met Mike, the maintenance man at Jeremy and Rachel’s church. He was an older man, about my parents’ age, and he was there to basically let us into the church and the student center (where the reception would be held) and show us where everything was that we might need. However, he did much more than that.

From the moment we stepped into the first building to decorate for the reception, he was a cheerful presence, quick to help out and gracious about any request or questions we had. Nothing was an inconvenience to him. He was great with my boys (which all moms know is the key to our hearts), allowing them to be little boys. He even gave them permission to run a few laps in the sanctuary later, which I had to veto not long after when they started trying to climb over the pews!

While talking about my boys, he shared with me about how he came to Jesus in his 30s and how he knew God’s timing was in that because his children got to witness firsthand how his life changed completely from who he was before Christ to the new man he became.

Mike found great joy in being able to help Jeremy & Rachel prepare for their special day, and he did his best to take on any task he could to help alleviate their stress or nervousness. Since that was my mission, too, when I wasn’t corralling my boys, he would tell me things that someone needed to know but ones that he didn’t want to bother the bride and groom with at the moment, such as where the candles were for the candelabras on the platform or asking to make sure that everything went well with the rehearsal and sound.

On the day of the wedding, he was there just as early as we were, keeping Jeremy informed about rearranged tables and such and, again, trying to do what he could to help.

While the bridal party, Brad included, were getting ready and Jeremy was in the lobby getting his pictures, I tried to keep my boys out of the way and busy with coloring in the sanctuary. They had been really good over the busy day before and were excited that it was “wedding day,” so they were having a hard time not wanting to be in on everything that was going on. That’s when Josiah decided to use his red crayon to draw a nice long line down the light-colored pew, right on the front of the seat back, so it was very obvious. As soon as I saw it, I cringed. I knew it was NOT the washable kind of crayon. Then I glanced up, and I could see Jeremy through the double doors, posing for the photographer, and I cringed again.

There was no way I was going to bother him with this, but I knew just who to find to help me out.

Not two minutes later, there was Mike, walking through the front doors, so I hurried over to him. Knowing how kind and patient he had been with my children the day before, I knew he would be understanding with this little disaster. Even still, I hated to have to tell him. (If your child has ever damaged or destroyed someone else’s property, even accidentally, I’m sure you know how I felt.) Quickly and quietly I explained that my 3-year-old had gotten a little carried away with his coloring, and I apologized. (I did try to clean it off as best I could without making it worse. Note: My old reliable, hand sanitizer, did help a little but not enough.)

His response was exactly what I’d come to expect from him, “That’s ok. We have children in here every Sunday, and we have this all the time. Show me which pew it is, and we’ll take care of it.”

I had Josiah apologize, and even though I could tell he didn’t want to do it, I could also tell that he wasn’t afraid of Mike’s reaction either. Mike simply said, “It’s ok. I’ll fix it. But now you know not to do that again, huh?” And that was it. He reassured me that it happened often and that he had a cleaner that would take it right out. He told me not to worry about it.

I know from my years of growing up in the church that some people would have reacted differently, berating my child or me for desecrating God’s house or being very put out with the situation. Thankfully, this man showed us compassion and grace.

Beyond telling Brad, Mike and I neither one mentioned it to anyone else, least of all Jeremy or Rachel. (I guess now they’ll know 🙂 …)

Of all the wonderful people we met this weekend (and there were many), Mike left the biggest impact on my heart simply by being a joyful, willing, humble servant who was eager to help beyond his job description to make my friends’ wedding goes as smoothly as possible and who shared God’s love with all of us. He not only represented his church well, but Christ well, too. He used his generally behind-the-scenes position to minister to everyone he came into contact with.

So even though the photographer was great, the pastor who officiated was wise and eloquent, and the caterers provided us with some delicious food, it was the maintenance man who contributed the most to a beautiful day for us all.

Thanks, Mike!

Trusting God through Kindergarten: A look back at my son’s first year of school

May 27, 2016

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Life in Lape Haven: Trusting God through Kindergarten: A look back at my son's first year of school. Sending my first child to school meant trusting God with my precious treasure. From the first day of school to the last day of class, God has proven to be more than faithful, and Elijah has been used to share the love of Jesus with everyone around him. God's plan is always better than we can imagine.

It seems like only yesterday that Elijah graduated from kindergarten.

Remembering how emotional I felt sending my little guy off to school for the very first time back in August, it was amazing to look back over the year, and see how much Elijah has grown and how God has been with him (and me) every step of the way.

Not only did Elijah flourish in a classroom environment, largely thanks to a wonderful teacher who encouraged his nonstop creativity and insatiable curiosity, but he continually shared the love of God to those around him. Many people have wondered at our decision to send our child to public school to begin with, but from early on, God showed Himself faithful in keeping Elijah, and Elijah’s young faith gave him a boldness to proclaim Jesus in numerous ways throughout the year.

From dealing with the class “bully” with prayer and compassion (he watched out for her, encouraged her, and prayed for her all year long) to inviting his teacher to church (she came), to spending a recess, on his own initiative, praying on the playground, to talking to his friends about Jesus, Elijah used his time in school to learn…and to teach, reminding me (and others) of the power of simply living out our faith daily.

One of the most fascinating ways I could see this is through one of the coolest things his kindergarten teacher did with the kids over the year: a daily journal. It’s amazing to journey through the pages, seeing how his handwriting and writing improved, how well his vocabulary grew, and how good he became at expressing himself, both with words and pictures. It also gave us a glimpse into what he was thinking about during his days. It is a precious treasure full of childlike randomness, humor, and sweetness.

A lot of his early entries are just random words he was learning, but he incorporated a lot about “Mom,” “Dad,” and “Josiah” from the get-go. Not long into the year, though, he has the sentence “Jesus loves me and Mom,” with a picture of one giant stick figure with a huge heart and two smaller stick people – Jesus, Mom, and Elijah (haha – sorry to my husband!).

It was nothing flashy or meant to get attention. It was just him sharing what he knew and what he was thinking about that day. Later he also shared “I am in the Bible” (as in the Prophet Elijah, his favorite Bible story for obvious reasons), and later, “Quiz: Who is the baddest in the world? Devil!” (Haha.)

Of course, he had less “spiritual” entries to balance it out. There was “I love Mom # (hashtag). I love Dad # (hashtag)” (too much watching Mommy post on social media), and “I see a squirrel eating my head” (complete with a picture of a giant squirrel with teeth, chomping on a stickman’s head), and lots of references to various video games, Charlie Brown, and Star Wars. So, yeah, he was still very much a 5-year-old boy, a 5-year-old boy who loves Jesus, but a 5-year-old boy.

As part of his end-of-the-year thank you gift for his teacher, Elijah decided to draw a picture of everyone in his kindergarten class for her on a piece of posterboard. Since Elijah is the creative type, he knew how he wanted to do it, and he only took a little direction from me when I helped him make sure he had a list of all the kids in his class and room to draw them, so that no one was left off accidentally. He spent three evenings working on his drawings, writing each person’s name with their stick person. He’d sprawl out on the kitchen floor with his pencil, markers, and list of names while I worked on dishes and dinner.

On the second night of work, I turned around to see him coloring a huge cross off to the side of the page, and I asked him,

“What’s that?”

He glanced up, then kept coloring, “That’s for God,” he answered as he wrote the letters G-O-D along the cross.

“I thought you were drawing the people in your class,” I questioned, thinking he was just getting bored with the huge task of drawing 24 different kids and getting a little off-task.

His answer was perfect: “Well, God IS in my class.”

I smiled at him and agreed, “Yeah, you’re right. He is. He’s the most important person in that classroom.”

Watching him draw out a picture of God and then Jesus on his classroom poster, I was overwhelmed, realizing that this little boy – he gets it. Deep down and boldly out loud, he knows that God is with him, that God loves him and everyone else, that God wants him to love everyone else, that God is his source and hope, and that God answers prayer.

And while some of his outspokenness and confidence comes from his personality, it is nice to see, over and over again, that what we’re teaching him at home through devotionals, Bible stories and songs, and trying to model for him through our every day lives, is solidifying his foundation in Christ. What he’s receiving every Sunday in Children’s Church from his Children’s Pastors and teachers and throughout the week from being around all of his grandparents and family is strengthening and growing his faith.

It makes me think of the scriptures in Ephesians 4,

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

I don’t know what calling God has for Elijah as he grows, but Elijah is already letting God use him. It’s a good thing we’ve all been working together to equip this little saint because he was doing the work of ministry in his own childlike way from his kindergarten classroom.

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On Our 8th Wedding Anniversary

May 24, 2016

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Life in Lape Haven: On Our 8th Wedding Anniversary. After eight years of marriage, I don't remember all the details from our wedding. But that's okay because we are focused on making our marriage unforgettable.

When it comes to their wedding, some people would say, “Oh, I remember it like it was yesterday.” Well, Brad and I are celebrating our 8^th wedding anniversary today, and I can honestly say that I remember….most of it and some of it. (Some days I don’t even know if I could remember YESTERDAY like it was yesterday…but that’s probably because of our children. Haha.)

Even though it was a beautiful day, I really only remember certain bits and pieces of my wedding day, such as not being 100-percent happy with my final hair and makeup, but knowing that I didn’t want to worry about it enough to be make us start the ceremony late. I remember hanging around in the back rooms of my grandparents’ church with all of our wedding party, parents, and grandparents while we waited for the moment we were all to take our places. I remember not being able to look up much as I walked down the aisle toward Brad because I was doing my best not to cry (happy tears). I remember prompting my dad with the order of the ceremony because he was a little emotional himself as he officiated his daughter’s wedding (He almost passed over the kiss! Haha.) I remember that even though things didn’t go flawlessly (our caterer was late to the reception, for one), it was still perfect enough to us.

While I know that we chose to use the traditional wedding vows, I don’t really remember that specific moment. Thankfully, being the romantic girl that I am, I pretty much had those words memorized long before the day I spoke them to Brad.

“I, Kishona, take you, Brad, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”

Over the past eight years, we have enjoyed more “better,” “richer,” and “in health” than the opposite, but we have had enough moments of “worse,” “poorer,” and “sickness” to test those promises. Because, let’s be honest, it’s easy to thrive in your marriage when things are easy, good, and happy. It’s what all the fairy tales are made of, right?

But real life is found in the struggle of the difficult moments, and growth in your relationship only comes through facing the challenges together.

Looking back, I can see that Brad and I have done rather well in working together rather than against each other, even when we didn’t agree on things. However, that’s not to say we are either one perfect or that we, as a couple, have it all together.

I think what we do have is a single focus: glorifying God through our life together. It’s not about me, and it’s not about Brad, and it’s not even about “us.” We believe that God brought us together because we can serve Him better together. Our marriage is about Him.

Even though so many weddings use 1 Corinthians 13 as one of their readings or sermon points, I really think that a different scripture sums up marriage even better:

“So He answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)

Loving God with all you are will make you the spouse you need to be, one capable of loving your spouse, the closest “neighbor” you’ll have, as yourself.

Not long before Brad and I got married, I read a quote that said something like this, “Marriage is your lifelong ministry to one person.”

Having seen that modeled in my parents’ marriage, it wasn’t a foreign concept, but it gave me the right perspective as Brad and I started on our adventure together.

My purpose as his wife is to encourage him in his walk in the Lord, love him sacrificially, consider him before myself, support him in his goals and dreams, speak the truth in love, pray for him, appreciate him, and respect him. And his purpose is to do the same for me. Oh, and to tell me that I’m pretty. 🙂 (It’s kind of funny because if you were to ask us who the most giving person was in our marriage, we would both say the other person, so that works out nicely.)

Over time, memories of our wedding day will probably grow a little dimmer still, but with our commitment to God and each other, we’ll make sure our marriage will be unforgettable.

I love you, Bradley! 🙂 Happy anniversary!

The Year Mother’s Day Changed for Me

May 5, 2016

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Life in Lape Haven: The Year Mother's Day Changed for Me. Few holidays can be as emotional as Mother's Day, with joy, heartache, and frustration all coming together as we celebrate the journey of motherhood. No matter her story, every mom deserves to be acknowledged, encouraged, and supported, especially on Mother's Day.

It was Mother’s Day Sunday in 2010, and I was about 4 weeks from Elijah’s due date (although he would be born in just 3 weeks). My little guy was doing ninja kicks and flips in my belly throughout the service at church, making it hard to concentrate on much besides him.

Then came the moment they acknowledged mothers throughout the congregation, and the usher passed out a small gift to each mommy present.

When I was bypassed, one of the older moms reminded him, “You forgot Kishona.”

His reply, “Well, she’s not really a mother yet.”

I was a little surprised, a little embarrassed, and yes, a little hurt. My child was right there, with me, pressing on my ribs as I glanced at my husband, unsure of what to say. I didn’t really care about the little trinket, but to be told that I didn’t qualify as a mother when I very much so felt like one already…

I didn’t have to say anything, though, because the other mothers around me immediately came to my defense. They understood that being a mother doesn’t just start when the baby is placed in your arms.

For me, in my heart, I was a mother the moment I saw those two pink lines on the pregnancy test. That was the moment everything I did became about that little one I was carrying – how I ate, what I did, even forcing myself to rest.

For eight months, I had put up with nausea, horrible dysgeusia (constant disgusting taste in my mouth), heartburn, restless nights, and more recently, random people wanting to touch my belly. I had prayed over this baby, sung to him, and talked to him all the time. He responded to my voice and touch. I already knew a bit of his personality and could tell he was going to be a stubborn one just by how he reacted with kicks whenever I would roll over to my left side at night.

So, to be told that I wasn’t “really” a mom yet was kind of upsetting.

I totally understood that I had not had all of the “mom” experiences yet, but you’re not a mom based on your experiences or how old your children are or how many you have. All that might make you a more prepared or wiser mom, but being a mother is based on the love you have for your child.

Sadly, I was not the only mama overlooked that day. And while I was defended by the older moms, this mama was not.

Because she didn’t have a pregnant belly or a toddler in the nursery or a child by her side. Few knew that she had miscarried a little boy the year before. She and her husband were newer in the church, and even so, some women never share that deeply personal and heartbreaking struggle and grief.

I didn’t realize it until after service when I overheard her husband comforting her.

And my heart broke.

Suddenly, I saw Mother’s Day as I hadn’t ever before. Not just as a joyful celebration of my wonderful mother and grandmothers and all my hopes of being a good mom, too, but as potentially the most difficult day of the year for those unacknowledged mothers and those longing to be mommies, quietly hurting in the background.

It made the day more precious to me because it was suddenly tinged with bittersweetness. When you have something so beautiful and cherished, you want that for everyone.

Now every Mother’s Day, as I celebrate with my husband, our families, and our little boys, I can’t help but think about and pray for those women who are grieving through infertility, miscarriages, and loss, acknowledging them and defending their place in the ranks of motherhood.

As moms and even those praying to be a mom, the hopes and love we have for our children bond us in a unique way and give us a unique opportunity to support and encourage each other in our mothering journey. We may not have the same experiences and struggles, and it might seem unfairly easy or difficult for some compared to others. However, who better to come alongside us than another woman who shares our central desire of being the mothers God wants us to be.

This Sunday, pray for mothers – all of them: the exhausted moms, the new moms who feel overwhelmed, the moms grieving the children they’ve never held or will never hold again, the moms missing their own mothers, the expectant moms, the single moms, the moms-still-waiting-to-be, and even the moms enjoying the day with their families. They all need your prayers, encouragement, and acknowledgement.

Happy Mother’s Day.

“Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing.” – Ricki Lake

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Category - Encouragement

How We Made Our Family Vacation About A Little More

HOW DOES YOUR FAMILY SPREAD KINDNESS?

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

My First Blogiversary

The Ministry of the Maintenance Man

On Our 8th Wedding Anniversary

The Year Mother’s Day Changed for Me

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: