“But I’m Not Feeling Very Thankful”

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“But I’m Not Feeling Very Thankful”

Even our children feel it. Watching his dad turn the calendar into November, our six-year-old grandson sighed: “Oh, November. There’s so much to do in November . . . like getting ready for December!” 

The frenzy has begun. At our mall, Christmas carols are playing, stores are frantically replacing Halloween stuff with Christmas glitz, and even Santa himself has arrived. Our mailbox fills with catalogues, and Black Friday sales are already beginning online. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving (what was that, again?) is still over 3 weeks away.

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“Raising Teens? I’m Just Trying to Raise Toddlers!"

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“Raising Teens? I’m Just Trying to Raise Toddlers!"

Parents may laugh and joke about the “terrible twos,” but many are actually much more terrified about what they see as the “tumultuous teens.”

There certainly are no guarantees about how our kids will fare during their teen years, but there are principles that lead to a greater probability that those “terrible twos” night actually turn into “terrific teens.”

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Glorious Fall!  A Season of New Beginnings

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Glorious Fall!  A Season of New Beginnings

“Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” 

I love this line from the classic movie You’ve Got Mail by Nora Ephron. Why? Because I love fall, too! Here in New England, we are experiencing the first few days of cool, crisp air that ushers in the most glorious of seasons. Nora Ephron may think fall in New York is lovely, but it certainly can’t compare to the beauty of the autumn foliage we experience here in New England each year.

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Ishy's Home!

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Ishy's Home!

We at Mom to Mom Ministries are super-excited these days. Soon (tomorrow!) our new curriculum, Real Mom Life, will launch. We can’t wait!

One of the lessons (#11) in this series is the most personal and deeply emotional I’ve ever taught. It’s on “Hidden Losses of Mom Life,” and focuses on infertility issues and miscarriage—two profoundly affecting experiences of my own mom-life. But there is also a third topic in this lesson that is very dear to my heart: adoption. Though Woody and I have not had the privilege of adopting, we have been walking through it very closely alongside our son Bjorn and his wife, Abby. When we recorded Lesson #11 for Real Mom Life, I was not free to share the whole story. Now I am, so here it is!

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School’s Out For Summer

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School’s Out For Summer

It’s that time of year again. The weather is getting warm and students are counting down the days until the end of the school session. For us moms, the thought of summer vacation typically inspires two different responses. Some moms look forward to summer vacation with joyful anticipation. “I can’t wait! We are going to have so much fun.” Some moms think about summer vacation in a fearful panic. “How am I going to entertain these kids all summer long without school, sports and other scheduled activities?!” And there are many moms who vacillate between these two reactions, depending on the day!

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Slaying Giants

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Slaying Giants

I have been thinking about David and Goliath a lot lately. As Linda and I have been working with the video production company to edit the video lessons for the new Mom to Mom curriculum series “Real Mom Life,” I recall the daunting process of videotaping those lessons on a very tight production schedule. The video editing is proceeding nicely (and we are so excited to offer the new curriculum to Mom to Mom groups very soon!) but I remember the deep feeling of unworthiness that I experienced as I stepped in front of the cameras. I felt like little David going up to face a giant. “How on earth am I going to do this?!” Though I love speaking to moms’ groups, I had never given thirteen lessons in a handful of days . . . in front of scary-looking cameras and lights and microphones!  

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Four Mother’s Day Gifts

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Four Mother’s Day Gifts

I’ve been thinking a lot about moms lately. Big surprise there—right? Of course I think about moms all year round. Quite continually, actually. But especially at this time of year. Our local Mom to Mom group just said our summer goodbyes. Mother’s Day is coming up. I marvel regularly at the heroic love the moms in our family (Erika, Kelly, and Abby) give their husbands and children. 

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Introducing "Real Mom Life"

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Introducing "Real Mom Life"

Mom to Mom friends, we have exciting news to share with you! We have recently finished taping sixteen new lessons for our next Mom to Mom curriculum series, Real Mom Life. The series includes a number of new topics (we’ve been hearing from you over the years!) as well as fresh perspectives on the ongoing challenges of mom life—such as ages and stages with children, parenting children with special needs, nurturing your marriage, and spiritual growth. 

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I’ve Got a Lot of Questions . . .

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I’ve Got a Lot of Questions . . .

I live in a world of questions. Mostly unanswered—or unanswerable, this side of Heaven—questions. I’m betting you do, too.

Young moms I dearly love are asking tough ones. Why did my 13-year-old have to die? Why does one young family have so many children with major medical problems and special needs?

Why does a pregnant mom with three young children have cancer? Big questions are circling around my neighborhood, too, as one of our own—an incredibly resilient, positive, fun-loving friend who has struggled gracefully with unimaginable challenges for years—now grapples with yet another seemingly insurmountable battle. To name only a few recent questions. Come to think of it, I have a lot of my own right now, too.

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