God Has Answered

When Matt and I were dating, I casually made the comment one evening that if he wanted a big family like his own (he's the oldest of five), then we probably weren't the right match. I have one sister, and at the time, I considered two to be the perfect number of children for any family. Since I knew everything in my twenties, no one would have been able to convince me otherwise. Matt sweetly responded that two kids sounded good to him. Today, as five precious little girls get into my mini-van in the school car line, I wonder what God thought then. Did He laugh at my small dreams or just shake His head at my ignorance?  Fifteen years ago, if you had told us that God would take us on a roller coaster adventure of infertility, ministry, and parenthood that would ultimately lead to a home filled with five little ladies between the ages of five and nine, I don't know if we would have laughed or cried. However, here we sit, a year into our foster parenting adventure the bi

 Receiving helpful criticism from Mrs. Ditty I am by nature a critical person. Add to that being an all-knowing, confident oldest child and studying to be a therapist in college where I honed my observation and analytical skills, and you have a world class critic. I can tell you what's wrong with any person, situation, or system. In this society where everyone has an opinion and thanks to social media platforms everyone has a voice, we have come to believe that everyone has a right to criticize. Now, the truth is that everyone can criticize openly and freely, but the question is, should we. Criticism is a tricky thing. I have benefited from helpful criticism that was intended for my good and growth, that was delivered carefully and deliberately by people who had earned a place of respect in my life, people who had spent infinitely more time delivering encouragement and affirmation. This kind of criticism when given and received well can be invaluable, and I am grateful for th

If you give a preschooler a small group leader, she might start crying for her mom until she realizes that she is safe and loved. Then she will probably ask for a hug and a baby doll to hold.  If you give her a baby doll, she will probably start playing and practicing the love and nurturing she is receiving. She will see generosity and learn about sharing. Then she will probably ask her small group leader to sit and play with her.  If her small group leader sits and plays with her, she will learn that she is valuable and welcome in her church family. She will learn to love the Church. All that playing and fun will make her hungry, and then she will probably ask for a snack.  If you give her a snack of goldfish, she will ask for water to wash them down, and if you give her water to go with her snack, she will learn that her needs will be met when she goes to her small group. Her hands and mouth will be busy, so she will probably ask for a story to pass the time.  If her smal

Moms all over the nation love WinShape Camps for Communities. I am one of those moms. Five years ago as the mom of two preschoolers, I began volunteering at the Madison, AL WinShape Camp. My oldest daughter spent the next four years waiting anxiously to participate in camp herself. Last summer her chance finally arrived. My little “jellyfish” (her Team Time name) truly did have the summer of a lifetime, and I went from being a community leader who loved WinShape to a mom who loves this opportunity for my daughter. Here are the top five reasons I think moms love WinShape. #5 Say “No” to Boredom By the end of the summer, the kids are wrinkly from all the time spent at the pool, their Netflix ques are exhausted, and you are weary from all those trips to the park. The kids need to change things up a bit and so does Mom! There is no time for boredom at WinShape. Each moment of your child’s day is thoughtfully designed to give them new, fun, and exciting experiences. “I’m bor