The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. -Psalm 24:1
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My littlest mancub turns 9 months today. It has passed more quickly than any other. If only I had nothing to do each day but to oogle over his deliciousness. Today he is crawling…straight to the backdoor every chance he gets, climbing…all the way upstairs by himself, munching…chicken nuggets and bean and cheese burritos, giggling…hysterically at his brothers’ antics, fascinated…with the toilet and the dishwasher, growling…to show hearty approval and excitement, waiting…eagerly for bathtime, loving…his family. Happy 9 months, Precious. You are more than we ever hoped for, more than we deserve.
Welcome to Grace Laced Mondays! Grace is found in the everyday when you are intentional about taking note of it. It is found in the sink full of dishes awaiting you after a family meal, it shines in the faces of your imperfect children, it soothes from the pages of God’s Word, and it is tucked into the enjoyment of a fresh batch of cookies. Grace is in a beautiful moment and a heartbreaking one alike. Grace is blessing beyond what you and I deserve. ********************************* Motherhood is an unending opportunity for extending and receiving grace. I loved what Gina from Contemplating Beauty said about her relationship with her teenage daughter last week: “i have never been too proud as a parent to know that i need forgiveness, that i need grace from my child. i am human too and mess up and fall short, and i am desperate for […]
Motherhood is the most challenging job I’ve ever endeavored to do. The most rewarding…but the most difficult, indeed. I’m posting on the third chapter of Feminine Appeal today, the book I am studying with the ladies of my church. I hope you’ve chosen to read along with me month by month as we discuss one chapter at a time here at GraceLaced. When I was young and in school, I never aspired to being a mother, much less a mother of five…boys. I thought of children as “fun,” and little versions of us as parents. I thought of parenting and motherhood as being about ME, and not about Christ. I did not understand the high calling of motherhood when I was first initiated in 10 years ago. I have a much better understanding now, but continue to grow daily in the cultivation of a godly pursuit of my mission in motherhood. […]
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Sometimes you just need your mom. This past weekend, I needed… a superhero babysitter someone who’d find my baby as delicious as I do a helping hand in the kitchen empathy and sympathy unwavering support for my husband a listening ear someone to belly laugh with a shoulder to cry on girlie makeover partner a prayer warrior …a friend. And this past weekend…my mom traveled over 1,000 miles to provide, in all these ways and more. I needed her, but I think she needed me need her too. A mother-daughter relationship is often earned through strife, tears, forgiveness, and time. Ours is no different. A satisfying relationship with my mom is not the absence of conflict; it’s the presence of peace. It doesn’t rest upon what we don’t say, but what we learn to communicate. And, this weekend, our relationship did not recall how strong we convinced ourselves to be […]
When something’s amiss with one of your kids, life comes to a screeching halt in a mother’s heart. A long weekend and some time off usually brings the good stuff to the surface–even if the good stuff is hard stuff. The older boys are no longer thinking only on legos and trains…they are considering the world around them. They are processing what relationships are all about, inside the family and out. They are developing personal habits for how to respond to stress, fear, anxiety, and anger. They are starting to have thoughts that their own mother may not know about. I can see it on their faces, and in the questions they ask. They are boys becoming men. It occurred to me this past weekend, that I may be missing it…by assuming too much. I assume they know that Jesus loves them. I assume they know it’s okay to fail. […]
Our munching, sippy-cupping, army-crawling, giggling, continually moving, body-swiffering will-developing, cuddling, heart-melting, Number 5 is 6 1/2 months old…already.
For some time now I’ve been giving each boy at bedtime what I call, The Long Hug. I’m not sure when it started, but I know why it did. I was usually doing dishes or working on the computer at bedtime while The Preacher would put the kids to bed, and I found myself giving quick kisses and only semi-present acknowledgements goodnight. Usually, I would often say, “Just go to bed…!” But then, later, after the house was quiet, I’d look back on the day and regret not giving more hugs, not offering more kisses, not saying more “I love yous,” not lingering longer at bedtime, to close out the day. So, now…we have The Long Hug. They’ve come to expect it, wait for it, soak it up. It’s the hug that lasts a good 30 count…and sometimes a minute or two. It’s the hug that pushes past the rushing […]
Last night, the women of my church met to discuss the first of nine chapters in Carolyn Mahaney’s wonderful book, Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother. It’s the second time I’ve lead the study, but the encouragement is still as applicable for me now as it was the last time. There is nothing easy about the high calling of biblical womanhood. While happy marriages, obedient children, organized homes, and graciousness in character may be lovely and blessed byproducts of this high calling, it is not to this end that we grow and labor. The seven virtues expressed in Titus 2 are ultimately about the gospel working in us and displayed through us. It is for Christ! I’m so very thankful for Paul’s admonition in Titus 2 for older women to train up younger women to: love [our] husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive […]
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