Becoming a mom has helped me understand things about God better than anything else. The relationship between a child and parent parallels the relationship between us and God in all sorts of ways. For example: Just like a baby or toddler doesn’t have the capability to grasp concepts the way adults do, I don’t have the capacity to grasp so much of God and His creation. Because I love my kids, sometimes I let them struggle through things that are hard for them. I see the bigger context of what’s going on than my kids are able to see, just
How many times do you hear your kids whine, “It’s not fair!” Despite all the advantages my kids have, life is still hard. They will still face challenges. As a parent, how can I prepare them for those tough situations right around the corner? In Chip Ingram’s series, Effective Parenting in a Defective World , he shares five things to teach your kids to prepare them for life’s biggest battles. Here are the takeaways that stood out to me from his main points. Suffering is normal This world isn’t perfect. There will be suffering. Jesus told us we can expect
You are not alone. We’ve all been there. We get it. Your baby has shown you a brand new level of love, but being Mom to this tiny, helpless person’s world is HARD. It’s exhausting in a way you never thought possible–physically and emotionally. I didn’t even realize how much I was struggling until years later. I didn’t have postpartum depression or any other type of diagnosed complication. I just had a brand new baby, and suddenly, while recovering from the most traumatic event my body had ever gone through (a very normal birth), I needed to shift my focus
Parenting Goals What are your goals as an effective parent ? I’d like my kids to pursue careers they’re interested in, have healthy relationships with friends and maybe a spouse someday, and eventually (in a long while) bless us with some grandchildren. But ultimately, no matter what they do, my husband and I hope they choose to follow God and the plans He has for their lives. I want them to obey their Creator. Why Obedience? In his Effective Parenting in a Defective World series, Chip Ingram says, “You must recognize your child’s primary responsibility is to learn obedience.” The
A Different Perspective on a Bad Day Imagine this: you’re driving down the road and get a flat tire. This means you’re late to pick up your kids from their grandparents’ house, so they need to bring them to their friends’ house for dinner. By the time you get there, they’re jumping off the walls from the ice cream they had for dessert. You’re frustrated, tired, and ready to be done with the day. By the time you get them loaded in the car, drive home, and get them to bed, it’s an hour past bedtime and they collapse. It’s
“New Year, new you!” I know I’ve heard that a lot in early January over the years. But the truth is, being made new is a much longer process than just the flip of a calendar, moving from one year to the next. I can see ways God has made me new, even in the past year. It’s been slow and steady progress, with setbacks and challenges. But it is nice to look back and see how I’ve grown into who I am right now. Saul Became Paul Thinking about being made into a new person makes me think of
I originally posted this on my last (very out-of-date) blog, My Life Commentary , on Wednesday, September 26, 2012. It was published about a month and a half before my first child was born. As I was lying in bed, I realized I’m kind of in my own personal season of advent. I grew up in a church that followed and celebrated seasons, one of them being advent. It’s a period of time where we’re waiting, anticipating the arrival of Christ. This morning, I realized how different that advent would have been for Mary than it was for me. Growing
When I have a busy, long day, sometimes the last thing I want to do is open my Bible. It’s not that I’m running away from God, but it takes more thought when I’m already tired. And it’s yet another thing getting in the way of just doing what I want to do. I spend all day doing everything for everyone else–by the time I have a few minutes to myself, I want to just do what I feel like doing. However, I’ve noticed a pattern: when I’m more consistent about turning my focus on God, rather than myself, I
I am incredibly blessed. On paper, I have more than I ever thought possible: A funny, wise, loving husband. Three wonderful children. A career I really enjoy. Supportive parents and siblings on both sides of our family. Friends near and far. And yet, life is hard. As amazing as my husband is, we’re both flawed people and marriage takes work. As wonderful as my children are, they’re also flawed and have years of maturing ahead of them. As much as I enjoy my career, it can be mentally exhausting; some days it completely drains my capacity for making decisions and
Like most busy moms, I feel like it’s hard to find peace. The kids are running around making messes, I have a million things to do, and the chaos exponentially increases. The more I try to do it all, the more I fail, and the more I need to remind myself I can’t do it all by myself. I think that’s why 2 Peter 1:2 resonated so much with me recently. “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” I really like how Priscilla Shirer presented it during the Going