Blog - Page 6 of 7 - LUTHERWOMAN

Let’s Take Our Babies To Church

Church in early motherhood is…

…taking the whole pew because your kids will end up taking it over anyway.

…snack crumbs and loud rustlings when opening the snack bag.

…crayons. Hot wheels. Books. More books. All the toys because their little bodies want to play.

…telling your kids to whisper just for them to shout back at you, “What did you say, mama?!”

Mama, can I be honest with you?

Single ≠ Invisible

Dear single gal sitting around a restaurant table with all of your coupled friends and feeling like a third wheel, I see you.

Dear single gal sitting in the church pew alone, I see you.

Dear single gal standing up in yet another wedding wondering when it will be your turn to wear the white dress, I see you.

Dear single gal going on amazing adventures while wishing you had someone to share the experience with, I see you.

Encouragement For The Tired Mama

Dear tired mama: You are not alone. I get you. I see you.

I am in the stage of life that is characterized by chaos, cleaning up messes, and refereeing sibling squabbles. My kids are seven and a half, six, four and two. I haven’t slept through the night in years except for the rare night away I get with my husband (make that happen, if at all possible, at least twice a year! Your marriage is worth it!).

My kids have had colds lately so that’s made for some rough and heavily interrupted nights. And my two year old is still nursing so she doesn’t sleep through the night yet. It is HARD.

Prayerfully Yours

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I struggle to pray. I am easily distracted, also known as a person with attention deficit disorder. I also have four children ranging between the ages of 4 to 11 who take up about 98% of my time.

I’m also a perfectionist. It helps control my ADD tendencies with lists, timelines, and order. All of this to say, prayer is hard for me.

The perfectionist in me says it has to be done properly. Properly to me is that of Matthew 6:6 ~ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Just A Little Thunder…

My middle daughter does not like thunderstorms. She begins to shiver at the first rumble, and no matter how many times we try to tell her that nothing is going to happen, she’s not convinced. Sure, they’re loud, they’re menacing, and they can sound pretty scary, but ultimately, as long as you’re inside, they can’t really do anything to you. They might make the lights go out, but they can’t actually hurt you directly.

While I might chuckle at my daughter’s reaction to thunderstorms, I realize that there are times I’m not that different. Cue the devil: ~You know, you’re not really appreciated around here… look how your husband takes you for granted… you deserve

When You Realize You Can’t Control Your Children–And That’s OK

If I’m honest, I think the most surprising thing about watching my five children grow up is how little resemblance they actually bear to me. They look like me, and have a few of my personality quirks, but at the end of the day they are completely different people.

One example: I love nature. Nature brings me joy. Science says nature is good for you. I want my children to grow up valuing nature. On the other hand, I have two sons who are homebodies and have no desire to ever leave the house. They love Minecraft, and reading, and drawing–none of which involve the Great Outdoors.

The Mundane Life: An Opportunity For Thanks And Praise

As a small child I thought I would grow up to be a princess and a mom. When I got older I thought I might teach piano lessons and high school English. At one point I thought I would be a doctor or surgeon, and wanted to be the next Dana Scully performing autopsies for the FBI. Then I thought I would become an author while also being a church worker. Everytime I imagined my life, I pictured it full of grand adventures; the idea of being a “grown up” with a job and money to travel and do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted was so alluring. Little did I know that “adulting” is nowhere near as glamorous as it seems when you’re young!

That’s not to say that adult life is “boring.”

Three Guiding Words During The Parenting Years

Raising another human is…overwhelming. When we brought our first child home from the hospital, we were both struck that everything was now on us. There was no nurse down the hall as a back up. “Why did they let us take her home? What were they thinking? We are not prepared for this!”

My favorite mug states it well: “Today’s goal: Keep the tiny humans alive.” It is a monumental task. It’s also the most important thing we’ll ever do. But hey, no pressure.
I’m on the other side of the parenting looking glass now. I moved from full-time to consultant status several years ago. We raised 2 daughters and now have 4 grandkids.

Let’s Just Talk About How Our Overweight Body Consumes Us

Because, first of all, we don’t talk about it with anyone. This is a lonely struggle.

Being overweight has been a thing for me since 7th grade. The girls all did a “what do you weigh” in the locker room before gym class and I was maybe 4 pounds higher than those of similar height. It was the beginning.

Do you remember the first moment you felt overweight?

My history with fitness started in the first grade. Any time we would be made to run, my side hurt badly. I gave up on running early on.

The Burden Of Shame

Have you ever been in a situation where you did something—or something was done to you—that made you feel ashamed? A time that you were so hurt, embarrassed, or humiliated that you could hardly stand to look in the mirror? A time that you even thought, “If they knew _____ about me, they would never look at me the same way again”? Have you ever thought terribly negative things about yourself? “I’m a failure. I’ve made too many mistakes in my life. Maybe I’m just a mistake. I’m not worthy of being loved.”

Dear sister, don’t live in shame! That’s a burden you weren’t meant to bear!