Monday, May 14

The Crayon Masterpiece

I have never been a member of the perfect mom’s club. Never. But if I ever was, I’ll tell you about the day my membership would have surely been revoked.

It was Brooke’s big “Let’s Celebrate Mommy Day” at the church preschool. All the mommies waited excitedly in the hall for little hands to put last minute touches on the well-decorated room.

I was already feeling off as I stood with all the other moms who’d actually taken time to do their hair and wear outfits. My wet hair was slicked back haphazardly in a banana clip. My black yoga pants had some sort of smear across the thigh. And my tennis shoes looked clunky standing with all the other cute sandals and well pedicured toes.

Finally, the teacher came to the classroom door and welcomed us inside.

A room full of cupcakes, giggles, claps and sparkling preschool eyes greeted us.

The highlight of the room was the clothesline with pinned artistic treasures. Each child had been asked to draw a picture of their mommy’s favorite place. Then the teacher wrote below the crayon masterpiece what the child said when drawing the picture.

There were pictures of beaches and mountains and even a grocery store. The preciousness abounded. Until. I got to the picture featuring my favorite place.

“My mommy’s favorite place is in bed with Daddy.”

Oh have mercy on my soul that could die a thousand deaths right here in the preschool room.

Yes. I kid you not.

So, in a little effort to redeem myself all these years later, I offer you a little motherhood poem I wrote on twitter yesterday. And if you happened to be there on that preschool day when wore I wore my hair in the banana clip and sported the reddest face in the room…might you kindly replace that memory with this little poem? Oh thank you.

Mommy treasures

warm hugs. messy kisses. tangled hair and childhood wishes.

princess twirls. superman leaps.

and crayon masterpieces I will forever keep.

These are the treasures motherhood is made of.

Happy day after Mother’s Day.

Wednesday, May 9

The Boy Questions

A year ago, I posted the following thoughts in preparation to write Made to Crave for Young Women. But I wanted to repost this now that the book is out and give several copies away. Please leave a comment below to be entered.

I wrote this book with Shaunti Feldhahn, amazing friend, author and social researcher. In other words, moms, if you really want to know what your girls are thinking, you’ll want to read this. She has woven her amazing research with teens all throughout this book.

The focus of this book centers around ways Satan tries to distract us from God. He wants us to get legitimate needs met in an illegitimate way.

Oh how I wish I’d had this book in my teens years.

Satan comes after us in these three areas:

Physical Desires
Material Desires
Emotional Desires

It’s the same three ways he came after Eve in the Garden of Eden. It’s the same three ways he came after Jesus in the desert.

It’s the same three ways we’re told not to get lured away from God in 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Here are those same verses from The Message Bible:

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world — wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important — has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out — but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

So, how do we communicate these truths in an everyday way that will connect with a teens heart? One way to do that is by equipping them with the right questions to ask. For example, under the section on emotional desires, I tackle attention and affection from boys.

Whew… what a topic right?

As a mom of teen girls, there’s a big part of me that wants to say, “stay away from boys until you’re 30!” Okay, maybe 28. Ahem.

But, maybe a more realistic approach is to teach them the right questions to ask before spending time with a friend boy. (And yes, that wording is intentional.)

Worship — Who or what does he worship in the shrine of his heart?

Words — Do his words (spoken and written) build others up or tear them down?

Character — Who is he when no one else is looking?

Personality — Who is he around other people?

Interests — What kinds of things does he do to recharge?

Feelings — Do you feel better about yourself when he’s around?

Attraction — Is your attraction to him centered around something that will stay over time?

When asking these questions about a boy you are interested in, don’t ask based on what you hope will be in the future, ask these questions based on the reality of today.

What do you think about these questions? Are there others you would add? What speaks to your heart most from the verses shared from 1 John 2? Which young woman in your life do you want to share this message with?

Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win one of five signed copies we’re giving away.

Wednesday, March 21

Ridding Myself of Spiritual Mommy Guilt

Mommy guilt. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt it, but oh heavens I have. And it stinks.

There are several things that can trigger mommy guilt with me. But the Mack Daddy of them all is spiritual mommy guilt. Sometimes I get this sinking feeling that all other moms are awesome at doing regular devotions with their kids.

I hold up this shiny view of other moms against my less than stellar performance. And that’s just a recipe for defeat.

So, I’ve decided to combat those feelings of defeat by seeing my pangs of guilt as a call to action.

It doesn’t mean I’m a bad mom. It just means I need to get a little more intentional in this area.

Enter my friend Courtney and her ABC Scripture Cards. I heart them. They are simple and pretty and effective at helping moms and kids memorize key Scriptures together. And here’s the great thing, you can use these whether your kids are toddlers, teens or somewhere in between. Score!

Here’s what they look like…

Follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Courtney says, “In order for our children to absorb important life lessons, they need to experience them every day. Traditional teaching materials get put up and toys and books get put away. So, we tried to create products that can stay out in the home and become a regular part of a family’s day-to-day life.”

ABC Scripture Cards are comprised of 26 tastefully designed 5×7 cards that feature easy-to-remember Bible verses from the NIV translation. Each set comes with a 5″ easel that will allow for a simple, elegant presentation option and a magnet for display on a refrigerator.

Perfect.

Y’all know I don’t typically do any kind of product endorsement. But I really am excited about incorporating these cards and these Scriptures into my family’s everyday life. And I talked sweet Courtney into giving me a couple of sets of these Scripture cards to give away.

So, leave me a comment telling me why you’d like to win a set and you’ll be entered into this random drawing.

And if you’d like to order your own set, click here.