Mom Reflections

            This time of year begs for some humor in the midst of trying to juggle all the balls, the classroom parties, the teacher gifts, the music recitals, and finding the perfect Christmas outfits. A few of our funniest moments as a family have happened during the Christmas season.  When our oldest two were about three and four years old, our son was a sheep in the church Christmas pageant. The songs and stories in the pageant made reference to the restless sheep. Our son heard the word as wrestling and decided to tackle his buddy, also a sheep, rolling down the front steps of the altar in my husband’s first church. We were able to get them settled down, only to see that the sheep were at it again. I was mortified as the young, new pastor’s wife who could not "control" her children.  The rest of the congregation, however, enjoyed the laugh of a lifetime! Maybe we brought a little grace that Christmas, illustrating that we all have our moments and no one is “perfect.” Th

 It’s 3am, our infant is beginning to stir and wake. She is hungry again after only two hours since she nursed last. I have to will my eyes open, suffer the pain of staying awake while truly exhausted. I think how nice it will be when she sleeps through the night and yet, these sweet little fingers holding mine. Her soft breaths of contentment reveal her trust in me. It’s 4 am, I can’t sleep. I walk by my toddler’s room, see her sweet curls, finger wrapped around them. It has been a rough day, temper tantrums in the middle of the store, refusal to nap. How sweet now, as she lays on her pastel butterfly sheets clutching her “Lambie.” It’s 12:30am, she’s still not home. I will my eyes to stay open, waiting for her to come through the door. I start to worry, I shouldn’t. She’s always been responsible, she has a good group of friends. But what if...? What about...? My prayer in these moments is that God would protect my children, wrap his loving arms around them. They are His

                     In the quiet hours of Advent-the waiting and remembering, our children see and know the love God offers through the birth of the Christ-child. Surrounded by still hours of darkness, warmth of  wood burning fire, lights of the tree glowing; little ones curl up and listen for the magic, the wonder of the virgin birth. Reading the passages of the story, often heard only once a year brings wide eyed awe and gasps of breath to grasp the magnitude of God becoming an infant. Seeing Christmas is gathering unwanted toys to share with those in need. Choosing just the right thing to put in the boxes to be sent across the world-sending Christmas joy for the hurting, hungry, barely clothed. Lighting the candles Sunday service  to remember the hope, love, joy, and peace. Gifting a goat, chickens, sheep to provide for a family like ours, yet so different. Wearing the wooly sheep costume, the angel wings to embody those who praised him saying “Glory to God in the

Back to School Musings I am a mom of four-4th Grade, 6th, 8th, and 10th. I am also a teacher. When my kids were little, they loved to read. My 1st grader read all of the Harry Potter books and understood everything he read.  My 5 year old’s favorite thing to have in his bed at night were 20 of his most prized books. My kids created outfits out of newspaper. They spent an entire snow day making butter beer and role-playing Harry Potter scenes. It has been one of my primary focuses as a mom to foster their creativity and love  of reading, love of learning. Unfortunately, as they hit the middle school years and even earlier, reading has become a chore. They often hate going to school-and this is not for lack of friends as they all thrive socially. Our schools are becoming  assembly lines. Don’t get me wrong, we have had some amazing teachers who bucked the system and fostered excitement and inquisitiveness. However, the testing, testing, testing. Singular focus on computer skills at the