Category: Encouragement

I am an incredibly talented musician. Or not. You see, all I really know is that I pick up playing musical instruments more quickly than most, I can read music and my teachers said I had natural talent. The reality is, I have never put in enough practice or taken enough lessons to really know what the extent of my God-given musical talent is. I have been content to slide by and just enjoy using the little talent I have developed.

Did you know God gave you the potential to be an amazing parent? Probably not, because our world is filled with people telling us there are no perfect parents. They are right, but what they don’t understand is how important parenting is to God. If you don’t believe me, read Deuteronomy or Proverbs. Check out what happened because Eli, Samuel and others weren’t great parents. Parenting has enormous consequences for the future and it is very important to God.

Although there isn’t a specific scripture I can quote, I believe God gives every parent the potential to parent well. Notice I said potential. Just like I need lessons, practice and advice to reach my musical potential, you will need help reaching your parenting potential. So what kind of help can you use to reach that potential?

Continue reading Reaching Your Parenting Potential

This week my husband and I are moving our daughter into a college dorm room three thousand miles away from our home. As my older and wiser mom friends tried to help prepare me for this week, I noticed a lot of them told me the same thing. “Give yourself permission to cry.”

At first, I was a little puzzled by the repeated advice. Surely, I would cry if I felt the need to do so. I had heard many tales of moms crying as they pulled away from campus and was prepared to follow their well worn path. Then I realized something. Moms do often deny themselves the privilege of crying.

For some moms, crying stopped in their younger years. For whatever reason, at some point they had to step in an adult role as a child and often didn’t allow themselves the luxury of crying. Other moms stop crying when they realize it scares their own young children. Oh, they may promise themselves a good cry in the shower or in bed after everyone is asleep, but then reality hits.

Continue reading Why Mommy Needs to Cry

We are at the most bittersweet moment in parenting. In a few days, our daughter will be moved in to her first dorm room on a college campus 3000 miles from home. For the last several weeks, our days have been filled with doctor appointments, shopping trips and adventures with friends she won’t see for several months. Our family is starting a new stage of life.

I will be honest. Most of the people we know are sure our daughter will soar in her new environment. People who know me casually are taking bets on the date of my breakdown. Those who know me well, know my calendar is already packed with new adventures for me in my new empty nest life.

Actually, a part of me is a little sad. I always enjoy each stage of life to the fullest and am sad when it comes to an end. I loved being a full time, stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to our daughter. I actually liked our daughter and enjoyed spending time with her. I will miss having her around the house and in the car to share private jokes and adventures. On the other hand, I am also more than a little excited about the adventures she is about to have as a college student and the new ones I will have as well.

Continue reading No Regrets Parenting