Celebrating Spiritual Birthdays

BY SUSAN

One of the biggest days for parents of young children is their child’s birthday! All over the country, moms go to great lengths to celebrate in a fitting way. One mom rents a clown, another a horse and buggy, yet another a restaurant complete with games and food. Cupcakes or cakes are often spectacular and gift bags beautifully arranged. Even moms (often older, more exhausted, and wiser ones!) who do not go to great lengths still celebrate their child. It’s a rare parent who forgets or ignores this special day. And usually this day is shared with lots of friends and certainly remembered by relatives. It’s an important day. It’s a genuine celebration of one of God’s most precious gifts — our child.

But there’s an even more significant birthday celebration. It’s the day our child asks Jesus to come into his or her heart. Too often, this day is noticed and a parent rejoices, but rarely is this good news shared with others. Oh, how it needs to be!

8 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hot Mama

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel, Special to LifeScript

You had a baby. Congratulations! Now you’re somebody’s mom. But that doesn’t mean you have to turn into your mother. There’s no reason to surrender your playful, flirty, lusty side just because you’re pushing a stroller. Even if you’re a mom who gets drooled on, you can still be a woman men drool over. Here are 8 essentials that can help you become a smokin’ hot mama...

1. Get your body back.
Of course, no one expected you to sashay out of the hospital wearing skinny jeans, newborn in arms. It took 10 months to put that weight on; it’ll certainly take time to whittle it off.

But if it’s been a few years now, and your “baby” is starting kindergarten (or graduate school!), it’s time to stop pretending that’s pregnancy weight clinging to your hips. Real women do have curves, but you know if you’ve crossed over to frumpy dumpling.

Slim down slowly and take heart in knowing that you gained your weight creating another human being – not because of an uncontrollable urge for Twinkies.

Are Moms Supposed to Want to Be MILFs Now?

Tracy Moore

Has anyone ever actually taken the term MILF seriously as a desirable thing? Given that it has its origins in teenage boy lust (American Pie) and porn*, where every possible type of sexual appeal clearly needs a convenient shorthand for ease of boner, it seems most of us have simply begrudgingly acknowledged the term's existence in the porn store aisle of life with a quick side eye, then plowed on, eyes facing forward lest we linger too long on the unsavory implications therein.

At least, that's what I thought. I mean, sure, I've seen women wearing MILF T-shirts, and I've heard men and women alike use the term without a trace of sarcasm, and I'm sure they are nice, lovely people. But people who take their pop culture cues from horny dudes are not usually the people I look to for signs of a significant linguistic shift in the culture, proof that now we have embraced the term as one of our own. That would take a lobotomy more convincing argument. But lo and behold, someone has helmed the steam locomotive of Making the Term MILF Desirable, and has done so with (allegedly) the most feminist (if not entrepreneurial) of intentions: a diet book. Fine, I'll bite:

WHY MOMS DON’T ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW BEST

By Sheila

Each Friday my syndicated column appears in several newspapers. Here’s this week’s!

I’ve been giving advice to men about relationships lately, and I thought I’d continue the trend today, since I like telling men what to do.

Let’s start with a misconception men often have. Many men think that if they have mastered the sentence, “Whatever you want is fine with me, Honey,” they have hit the relationship bullseye.

Unfortunately, if that’s you, you’re likely in for a rude awakening. Imagine this: your wife asks you whether little Johnny should take soccer this year. You smile and utter those magic words, and then incomprehensibly she storms off! Something got lost in translation.

BEING A BLESSING

By Sheila

                                                                                                                           

There are some days when I’ve just about had it. Recently, when baby-sitting a friend’s two preschoolers for the day, I realized how much one can forget in the six short years since both of my girls have been out of diapers. On that day, the three-year-old got into the paints when I wasn’t looking. 

I discovered him sitting on top of the kitchen table, making interesting designs on his clothes, and took one look at him and decided he was too far gone to interfere with now. 

Sex drive fades as family grows

By Miriam Stoppard

Dear Miriam,

My fourth child is due in five months. I enjoy being a mum but as the eldest is only six it can be hard work.

My sex life with my husband isn’t at all like it was at the start of our marriage.

I loved having sex with him and all our babies were planned, except this one.

Invisible Moms

This is a story for all moms out there. And to the men reading this, it really shows what our mothers go through.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel" ( Jersey Shore now:() I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

Some days I'm a crystal ball; "Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?"

How soon after a c-section can I have sex again?

Submitted by American Baby Team

Intercourse will be off limits for the first six weeks after you deliver (trust us, it'll be the last thing on your mind, anyway!), which gives your incision time to heal and your cervix time to close and return to normal. Once your doctor gives you the green light, know that your first time back in the saddle will actually be much more comfortable than it would have been after having a vaginal delivery.

Having a c-section should not affect your sex drive, but many new moms don’t feel like making love again right away -- and that's totally normal. For one thing, you're probably exhausted from your newborn's round-the-clock schedule. And the hormones you release while breastfeeding have also been known to temporarily lower libido, too.—Stacey Stapleton

Answered by American Baby Team

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No Matter What, I Love You

Parents – and God – love their children unconditionally, no matter what they do.


by Rea Bochner

When I was young, I would occasionally ask my mother, "Would you still love me if…," filling in the blank with some outlandish situation that would probably never happen, like accidentally burning down the house with a renegade stick of incense.

Her response was always the same: "No matter what, I will always love you".

What Can We Learn From Mary, Jesus' Mom?

by Jeff Baxter

The Gospel of Matthew and Luke teach us many things about the Savior's mom.  Mary's life is worthy for us to look at this Christmas season.  What can we learn from her?

First, God found favor in Mary, not because Mary was perfect and sinless, but because God's grace was on her.  We might assume that she was close to God in her fellowship, but this was not the reason for her finding favor.  Verse 28 says, ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Although Mary played a special role in the redemptive plan of God, if you know God, you are highly favored too and you can have the same kind of relationship and fellowship with God that Mary must have had.  Ephesians 1:6 uses the same word here for “favored” when it says that “his glorious grace…which he has freely given.”  Mary was a recipient of the same grace that you have received!  That is why you are highly favored. Because of God’s great grace! 

20 Things I Love About Being a Mom

BY SUE

1. Hearing “I love you so much, Momma.”
2. Sweet hugs just because.
3. Little people fighting over my lap.  (It really can’t be that comfortable even with all the padding.)
4. Getting to read rhyming stories.
5. Bible stories every day – such a reminder of God’s faithfulness!
6. My little girls joyfully singing songs to me.

1st Corinthians 13... for Moms

BY GINA

If I live in a house that is spotless, perfectly in order, and people are not free to LIVE because my home is more important than my family, I have not love. I have kept a house. I have not made a home.

If I spend an exorbitant amount of money on decorations, and care more about the appearance of my house than the atmosphere of my home, I have not love. My children have learned materialism, not godliness.

If I try to control my husband, responding in irritation to him and finding only fault in him...and I do not seek to build him up, I have not love. My children have learned to disrespect their father, not to honor him.

Time cover shows mom breastfeeding 3-year-old

By BETH J. HARPAZ | Associated Press

On Nursing a Toddler: Why that TIME Magazine Mom Could Have Been Me

NEW YORK (AP) — Shocking or no big deal? A woman breastfeeding her 3-year-old son is the cover photo of this week's Time magazine for a story on "attachment parenting," and reactions ranged from applause to cringing to shrugs.

The photo showed Jamie Lynne Grumet, 26, a stay-at-home mom in Los Angeles who says her mother breastfed her until she was 6 years old. She told the magazine in an interview that she's given up reasoning with strangers who see her son nursing and threaten "to call social services on me or that it's child molestation."

Resurrection Power for Parents

Barbara Curtis, Crosswalk.com Contributor




As a writer/encourager of parents, I often hear from moms like me who not only suffered as children at the hands of others but are further burdened by the realization that as they struggled for emotional balance they caused suffering for their own children too.

Here’s just a sample excerpt from the heart-wrenching story of a mom who’d transcended much to finally become a good mom:

Can these things -- these insecurities and emotional damage/neglect, or feelings of loneliness and somehow feeling rejected -- can these things be healed? I know God can -- and is willing to -- do anything. And He works with and through our mistakes. And He loves our children more than we do. I still wish I knew, though, of ways to perhaps correct mistakes that were made, judgments that were made in haste, or excessive punishment for simple childish behaviors and mistakes, simply because Mommy's heart and mind were enduring more in life than she could handle. My heart still hurts over all of it.

My babies are so precious, such sweet, kind, loving children who are a joy to everyone who meets them. And my heart still breaks every time I think of years past when they needed a mommy and Mommy was too wrapped up in personal turmoil to really and truly see them and respond to them the way they needed. How do you get past all of that? How do you help to heal those hurts, outside of moving forward and just plain doing things differently? Is that all you can do? I am so thankful for a God of redemption and grace and mercy. Surely He will be that in my children's lives as well.

For those of us who came from shattered pasts, these words may sting. Even if we’ve recovered, we worry about the time before God got hold of us and wouldn’t let go.

And I can think of no better time to offer this for reflection than as we approach Easter. This week we will focus intensely on Jesus crucified for our sins, and through Lent we have asked God to show us – no matter how much it hurts – all the times we have made the wrong choices, all the hurt we have caused others and all the occasions on which we have grieved Him.

Each of us starts this journey of parenting wanting to be perfect – many of us determined to be better mothers than our own. But parenting has a way of breaking you. Inevitably something happens that brings us face to face with the reality of how far short we've fallen. And it seems that those who’ve tried the hardest often have farther to fall when God brings us to the realization that we’ve tried to do it on our own steam, not understanding our dependence on Him.

When Jesus healed, the blind could see, the lame could walk, the possessed found peace. We can do that too, trusting in Him to guide our sight, our steps and our sanity as we move forward with our lives. For mothers who need a fresh start, I just want to encourage you to focus on the path in front of you and not to be crippled by your past. Our children at some point will have to deal with the fact that their parents were not perfect. It will be a test by which God will help them grow – if they let Him.

My point is that God is bigger than any mistakes you have made.

Is something troubling you today? Are you feeling remorseful, guilty or unworthy? The celebration of Jesus's sacrifice for us – His death and Resurrection – is a wonderful opportunity to confess and lay these burdens at the foot of the cross, to apologize to anyone you have hurt, to mend broken relationships and to allow the Resurrection to shine in your own life beginning this moment.

Blessings to you all this Easter!

Barbara Curtis is an author and mother of 12 who blogs at MommyLife.net.

http://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/easter/resurrection-power-for-parents.html

Five Friends Every Mommy Needs Because friends are what keep mothers sane.

By Olivia Yao, Three Moons | Yahoo! SHE 


Have you noticed that ever since you became a mommy, almost everything about your life has changed? You’re probably rolling your eyes and saying “Well, duh, of course it has. Does that even have to be pointed out?” But I’m not talking about the obvious changes. I’m talking about the little ones that creep up on you and throw you for a loop because you never expected them to happen! One of those changes is your choice in friends. Because no matter what you say, your total revamp of lifestyle affects who you hang out with and who you turn to.

1. The Mommy Friend whose child is about the age of yours

She’s the friend who understands what you’re going through because she’s living the exact same thing you are. Your conversations range from potty training to overly competitive moms to whether today is a good eating day or not. You share tips, ideas, frustrations, and milestones, and are always ready for a play date or even just a chat over coffee to escape the madness of home. She’s on your speed dial or phone’s list of favorites because when you need to vent about how you’re about to lose your cool, you know she will talk you through it and tell you about the time you helped her calm down when it was her toddler throwing the tantrum.

2. The single or childless girlfriend

Remember how carefree you used to feel before you decided to turn your life over to an overly demanding preschooler? Hanging out with your single girlfriend will show you there is more to life than diapers and baby wipes. At first, you may envy her lifestyle and long for the days when you could just fly off to Boracay at a moment’s notice, but eventually, you’ll realize that just hanging out with her and hearing about a life totally different from your own can be loads of fun. She not only takes your mind off your nursery-rhyme singing existence but reassures you that there’s more to you than just being a mommy.

3. The friend who has known you forever

She’s probably the one you call your best friend. No matter where your life leads, you know she will be by your side, rooting for you, telling you like it is, and reminding you how it was. She’s the friend who knows you in and out and sometimes even better than you know yourself. She knew you even before you became a mom and will remind you that you have goals for yourself as well, not just your current goal of getting your toddler into the best preschool possible. She is the friend you turn to when you need someone to give you the perspective you need because she’s been there through every phase of your life—and will continue to be long after your kids move out and start having babies of their own.

4. The shopping or travel buddy

This is the friend who is always bugging you to get away and take a break, and is willing to go on that break with you. She will take you shopping (and not for baby clothes or groceries, please!), to the salon, or on a mini break to the beach. She will also badger you to go on a vacation with your family. She’ll bring her kids and you’ll bring yours, and you’ll remember that getting away—even if it causes even more madness—is always fun and creates wonderful memories you’ll be talking about for years.

5. Your mom

Yes, you read that right. Never have I appreciated my mother more than when I became a mom myself. The overpowering love I feel for my daughter made me realize that my mom probably feels that way for me too—something I never fully understood before. Plus, your mom is the best person to turn to when you don’t understand what’s going on with your body, your child, or your marriage. She most probably went through all of that and survived. Even when it comes to small things like what to give your child’s preschool classmates, she’s the person to call. Never before has your connection been stronger, and never before have you appreciated her so much.

Who are your top five friends?
Olivia has been writing ever since she can remember. She has written for health, teen, parenting, and children's magazines. Her latest endeavor is being a mom to her three-year-old daughter—her toughest assignment yet. Swap stories with her at threeolivias@yahoo.com.


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