A Mother’s Work is Never Done

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Have you ever had one of those days when your “to do” list feels so daunting that you want to climb back in bed and hide under the covers? If so, you are not alone because, as the old saying goes, “a mother’s work is never done.”

This Easter season, I am contemplating the difference between "do" and "done." As in, the daily work that we DO to keep our families on a good footing in this world (errands, appointments, chores, etc.) and the work that Jesus has already DONE to assure our good standing in eternity.

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A Mother’s Day Gift That Changes Everything

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A Mother’s Day Gift That Changes Everything

A moment I will never forget. I had spoken at a women’s event where I knew no one. I was seated at an empty table (my thoughtful hosts had made sure I was first in line at the buffet), wondering who God might bring to sit next to me. And then I saw her, a lovely young mom who made her way slowly to my table, clearly having some mobility challenges.

She began to share with me what Mom to Mom had meant to her that year, how it had helped in parenting her daughter. Then she paused. “But the biggest thing I learned, Linda—by far the most important—was how much God loves me. Really loves me. Even me, with all my struggles and challenges.” She paused, and then continued. “And you know, Linda, when you get that—really get that—it changes everything.”

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The Marriage Mirror: Is That Really Me?

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The Marriage Mirror: Is That Really Me?

It was only day two of our honeymoon and we were already having an argument that brought me to tears. We had been poking around a jewelry shop in a picturesque town and I remarked that I didn’t see any jewelry that I liked because the pieces looked coarse and unrefined. Once we left the shop, my new husband informed me that I had been rude to the saleslady because I criticized her merchandise. I thought I was just expressing an opinion. I wailed, “You care more about the feelings of that shopkeeper than you do about mine!”

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When We Set Our Expectations Too Low

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When We Set Our Expectations Too Low

Expectations. That word feels heavy, doesn’t it? We often think of the word in a negative context when we tell ourselves to “reset expectations” or “let go of expectations.”

But God has been speaking to me about expectations lately and instead of lowering my expectations, the Spirit has been encouraging me to raise my expectations – about what He can do.

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Have We Forgotten How to Be Together?

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Have We Forgotten How to Be Together?

Oh, no! I realized that the in-person church service our family planned to attend this past Sunday morning would be starting in ten minutes and we were still in our pajamas, enjoying a leisurely family breakfast. I had forgotten that the church service meeting time was one hour earlier than the online church service that we had been accustomed to attending during the pandemic. My brain had not yet adjusted to our new in-person schedule.

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A Tale of Three Chairs

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A Tale of Three Chairs

When I think of my father, three chairs come to mind.

Rather ironic, because my father was one of the busiest, hardest working, most productive people I ever knew. A Bible scholar, college professor, and author who also served as interim pastor in many churches, loved to travel and teach internationally, and, even, for a few years, raised a vegetable garden on the side. Not a person who sat around a lot. But even so, there were three important chairs.

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Do You See the Potential in Your Children?

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Do You See the Potential in Your Children?

Spring and Easter. A time of growth… growth in nature and also growth in our spirits. It thrills me to notice the green shoots poking out of the thawed spring soil when I catch a glimpse outside my window.

I get really excited about spring because it is so full of potential. And I am reminded that one of our greatest privileges as moms is to help our kids grow into their potential. But how do we do that?

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Audacious Hope

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Audacious Hope

The scent of hope is in the air. We finally turned the calendar to March. More vaccines are coming. A few more kids are going back to school. A few more places are opening. And despite recent windchills here below zero, the weather forecasters keep talking of Spring.

And the season of Lent is upon us. A strange season, in some ways. Dark, but infused with glimmers of light. Painful, yet promising. Bleak, yet not without hints of joy.

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