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Why Tragedy Makes us so Quick to Criticize Parents
WHY are we so quick to criticize parents in the wake of tragedy? What is it about alligators, gorillas and car seats that turn rational, compassionate people into cruel, armchair parenting quarterbacks moments after tragedy strikes? When I hear about a child’s death, I immediately imagine the pain of losing my sweet girl. Even in the middle of the night, I’ll go scoop her up, kiss her face, smell her hair, knowing it is only by the grace of God my girl is healthy and alive. It certainly isn’t due to perfect parenting. I fail daily. So why are people so quick to criticize parents? Because we’re afraid. In the…
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Do you know how to have an Abiding Love?
Can I just have a minute to speak into your soul today? I want to talk to you about the kind of love I hope you have today, the kind of love I hope you have everyday, an abiding love. Abiding love is safe, enduring, permanent, sacrificial love. Our worship pastor once read to us from John 15, verses about abiding love, the love of the Father that Christ demonstrated for us through his life of purity and sacrifice. And I just wanted to sit down in the middle of those verses and ABIDE. Like curve into an cozy chair by the fire, swathed in a rich blanket. Abide means…
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The Harsh Truth about being a People Pleaser
Are you a people pleaser? I have been. I struggle against striving to please people almost daily. But the struggle has gotten easier since I learned the truth. Know what you get when a ‘recovering’ control freak is mixed with a harmony desiring people pleaser? Me. And it was messy and hard. And made me completely crazy! Didn’t do much for my family either. (Heaven not Harvard is a participant in affiliate programs including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.) God’s been working on this area of my heart for…
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Go with the flow: My best tips for losing Control
Are you a bit of a control freak? Do you like to control every.single.thing? I am. Well, I was until I began losing control and life’s so much better. I’m in a control recovery program. It’s called Jesus. I’m learning that a lot of my control issues were really a type of temper tantrum about not wanting to trust God for my future. Go with the flow would never have been used to describe my personality. NEVER. I still need five minutes for deep breaths after a surprise change of plans. I’m learning to embrace changes, but I’ve had a lifetime of practice with my control habit. (Heaven not…
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Am I doing this right? Feels like Drowning
This week, life feels a bit like drowning. I’m fairly certain I’m not doing this stay-at-home-mom thing right. At the very least, other people are doing it better. I look at the crusty kitchen counter, the dog hair infested floor, the math worksheet she doodled all over (the I LOVE YOU’s are sweet, but what is 5+2?!), the three other subjects we didn’t get to, exercise bike taunting me, the completely unhealthy frozen pizza that is probably going to be dinner (again), and when was my last shower?! Other moms text me like – wanna hang out? and I stare at the message feeling like a failure. Obviously, they have…
