For Crying Out Loud

Seven  by Jen Hatmaker, was in my stocking on Christmas morning and finished by the 27 th . To say I was excited is an understatement. Not only is Jen a phenomenal author, but also a dear friend. We met in college nearly  20 years ago and she is the real deal! She lives out what she believes.   In Seven , I was captivated by Jen’s transparency, passion and humor from the get-go.   In an effort to avoid being a spoiler, I’ll give enough scoop to dangle a carrot…then let you go get your own copy!  Jen was tired of the way she and her family were living and consuming, so she decided to do something about it.   They embarked on an experiment that took nearly a year, and involved 7 different fasts, pertaining to 7 different areas in which they felt out of control.   Food, clothes, cash, giving, green living and stress were just a few of the areas under attack. Her husband and a loyal group of girlfriends   jumped on-board, along with her kids f...

I just finished a "must read" for all moms, "Out of the Spin Cycle" by Jen Hatmaker. This book is a fresh, new devotional to help "Lighten the Mother Load". : ) And help, it did! The devo is both practical and hilarious. I found myself laughing and tearing up in the same reading. Topics covered in this 40-day devotional range from worry, priorities, marriage and the comparison trap. You will not be disappointed by this book! Each day's read, ends with a thought provoking, often painstaking question to ponder (or answer in your journal if you're into journaling). Jen also challenges you to take a step toward becoming a better mom, wife & woman by throwing out an idea as to how you can apply what you've just read. For instance, on the day where she taught on the importance of communicating in the language that each of our children speak (this will be different for each child in your home), she ended the reading with the challenge, "C...

There are some weeks in life that no parenting book can prepare you for. Last week was one of them. I'm sure you know the kind of week I'm talking about. More on your list of things to do than you could possibly get done + a natural disaster  (baseball-sized hail, anyone?) with the phone calls and insurance adjusters to chat with, and there seems to be no sign of daylight. On top of the daily mommy craziness, our children decided to add their own flavor of drama. You know what I mean... the one's who seemed to have gotten better at getting along, somehow managed to have forgotten how, coinciding with the baby showing new signs of...ummm...independence...all making for more noise and "teachable moments" than this mama had energy for. Add to that a speeding ticket (haven't gotten one in YEARS!), my 3 year old's birthday party to plan, a speaking engagement to prepare for and a a toddler throwing up Saturday morning (as we were on the way to a birthday pa...