As mothers, you are in a unique point of power and influence- in a good way. Your child views you as their hero, their friend, and their confidant. And, as such a position, I whole-heartedly feel that parents are in the prime position to teach and emulate health.

Arguing with my parenting decisions and questioning my methods are favorite hobbies among my children. With four sons ranging from age 5 to 19, there are plenty of opportunities for me to practice training kids to be wise adults.

I’ve never been one of those gals who has a “word” chosen for each new year. But one day several months after a new year had started, a word hit me out of the blue…

I don’t believe there is anything in this world that can bring so much joy to our lives like parenting. But, with this joy can also come great pain, discouragement and insecurities like never before.

As a friend sat crying in my arms, I was again reminded of the brokenness of this world, and how the Father wastes no hurt, no trial, no suffering, when we are committed to His glory.  I listened with my heart and responded with “I know. I’m sorry,” over and over again. Life threw her a curve and I happened to be someone who understood the pain.

One of the most painful times in my life was facing the reality that my “Barbie dream house family” was likely not going to stay together. The announcement of my husband wanting a divorce left me hemorrhaging all over!

God is so in love with you. Yes, YOU. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. It’s impossible to change the way He feels about you. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own drama and chaos, we find ourselves concentrating on the negative things in our lives and we forget one simple truth — He loves us!

The following list includes some of the first meaningful steps I took in my attempt to surrender my shame to God. It would be amazing if I could tell you something like, “Follow these three easy steps and you too will be free from shame!” As I’m sure you know, overcoming shame is not like that; it’s a journey.

One mom in particular asked me to write a blog about basic ‘Children Facts’ that new single moms needed to know. So I thought about my own initial days as a single mother.  And here’s what I wish someone would have told me.

“Leave everything better than you found it” remains a quote that has infiltrated my life for many years.  Most are familiar with this statement from the book that swept the nation in the 90’s called God’s Little Instruction Book.  But my first introduction to the concept came from my mother.

Have you ever tried to fix things on our own in this life?  It feels like we are strong enough to handle all life throws at us. However, some things we can’t do in our own strength.

Over the years I’ve had many friends come and go. Some departures were due to relocations and unavoidable life events. While others, I hate to admit, were due to misunderstandings or hurt feelings. But some friends, even the ones I hardly get to see anymore, are just friends for life.

“MEN RAISED BY WOMEN: What He Won’t Tell Mom… Humph! I wanna hear this!“ The defiance in her tone was spoken to someone else but meant for me. It was deliberately spoken loud and timed perfectly with my entry into the room. 

What is the cost to follow Jesus? The cost is everything. I don’t know what that looks like in your life, but I know what it looks like in mine.

Have you noticed women sometimes have a tendency to act out of insecurity, jealousy, pride, selfish ambition, or even fits of rage? I know because I have lived it, and I see it all too often on current TV shows where the scripts are positioned in such a way that makes this behavior not only acceptable but cool.

When you woke up this morning, did you have a smile on your face or did the stress of today’s activities instantly overwhelm you? It’s common for us, as people, to wake up with a million things running through our minds. Typically we are stressed before the sun rises, and with our to-do list growing longer by noon, we are even more stressed when the sun sets.

Have you ever just felt lousy as a single mom, like you’re not a candidate for God’s forgiveness or you’ve fallen outside the realm of deserving God’s favor? If so, you’ve swallowed the biggest lie of Satan EVER! 

I had been remarried for only three months when I went to my first Survive ‘N’ Thrive conference.  I attended, not as a single mom, but because someone invited me to sponsor a lunch table and I was curious to see how my donation was being used. Answering the call to support a single mothers’ conference was an easy YES for me.  I had just spent the last five years raising two little boys on my own and I couldn’t wait to give back in some way.

I was a single father for the first nine years of my daughter’s life. Her mom and I were never married and once she got pregnant, things went south very quickly. Almost a decade later not much has changed. Sure we have our seasons of peace, but they are few and far between.  

Against all odds, the little green weed had persevered and conquered what many would consider impenetrable. I pondered, how many times have I encountered difficult hindrances and obstacles and desired to surrender to defeat? When have I persevered like this little plant?