Six Pearls

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Six Pearls

I’ve been feeling a bit reflective lately. Partly because we are approaching the end of this calendar year, which brought a pandemic and so many other changes in our world. And partly because I celebrated one of those “milestone” birthdays this year . . . I turned fifty, y’all!

As I looked back on photographs taken during the year, I paused over the photo taken at my 50th birthday dinner. The necklace I wore was one that I received on my sixth birthday. My mom had taken six pearls from the strand she wore on her wedding day and had it made into a six-pearl necklace for me.

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The Darkness Cannot Put It Out

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The Darkness Cannot Put It Out

Sometimes our kids say it best. Recently our 5-year-old grandson Lachteen was asked at family prayers how his family could pray for him. His reply: “Just pray that this year will get over really fast.” In actual fact, Lachteen is having a pretty good year; the context of his answer was the immediate weather in Ireland, i.e., rain inhibiting his outdoor play. But yes, Lachteen, we know the feeling.

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Autumn Joy

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Autumn Joy

Ladies, you know how much I love the fall season here in New England. I love the crisp, cool air and the colorful foliage and the promise of a new school year. But, obviously, this year feels so different. Thankfully, the pandemic can’t steal the beauty of the fall foliage from us, but I fear that it may steal some of our joy about this season of new beginnings.

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Don't Go It Alone

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Don't Go It Alone

At Mom to Mom we often talk about the need to get other people “on your team” when parenting children. Kids just do better when they have other adults investing in their lives, whether it’s grandparents, youth group leaders, teachers, or coaches, etc. The global pandemic has forced many of us to isolate ourselves in our homes and it feels even more important to involve other trusted adults in the lives of our children. It is just too exhausting for parents to be all things to their children. However, the isolation in our homes makes it more challenging to connect with those other adults.

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Mom to Mom: "Social Distancing" Style

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Mom to Mom: "Social Distancing" Style

I snuggled up in my favorite “prayer chair” with my “prayer shawl” blanket that a dear Mom to Mom sister had crocheted for me. Then I gasped in delight as I saw the sweet faces appear on my laptop screen, one by one. These were the precious women in my Mom to Mom small group who I had been missing during these days of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is Mom to Mom, “social distancing” style!

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So Where Is God in All of This?

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So Where Is God in All of This?

This was the exact question a neighbor asked me yesterday as Woody and I were out walking.

Two responses came to my head, though I am not exactly sure what came out of my mouth at the time.

First, He is where He always is—in control, powerful, loving, and sovereign. Of course, that one statement raises all kinds of questions. Lots of “But why does He/doesn’t He . . . ?” So what I think I said to my friend was, “He is totally in control, the God He has always been. Even though I do not know—cannot know—what He is doing.”

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“Extra Grace Required” People

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“Extra Grace Required” People

Let’s face it, sometimes in life we have to deal with difficult people—at work, in our neighborhoods, in our churches, and even in our own families. Sometimes we find ourselves dealing with a difficult person in our Mom to Mom small groups. But in church circles, we don’t say “difficult people” because that could sound unkind. Instead, we sometimes refer to these individuals as “extra grace required” people.

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Like Elsa, This Year I Will “Let It Go”

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Like Elsa, This Year I Will “Let It Go”

I have never been the type of person to make New Year’s resolutions. I guess I feel that any time of year is a good time to focus on self-improvement, so I haven’t made a habit of setting new goals at the beginning of a calendar year. However, I have a friend who chooses a theme word at the beginning of each calendar year and I have been intrigued by the concept. I like the idea of focusing on a particular word during each year —so this year, I have decided to focus on the word “surrender.”

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