Double Portion Inspiration

My teenager! It’s hard to believe that in just a few short months, my oldest child will enter into her 20’s. When she was a toddler, I remembered hearing horror stories about raising teenagers. I’m thankful that I always rejected that notion. I never came into agreement with it. I do agree that parenting is never easy and raising teens is no different. Despite its challenges, I’m thankful for the experience of being a mother. Here’s a few things I’ve learned over the years: ·                      Surrender to the process . We have an obligation to raise our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. Even with that foundational training, parenting is full of ups and downs. Don’t have any expectations that you will be a perfect parent or that your kids will be perfect. There’s NO such thing. You will make mistakes and so will your teenagers. It’s all part of the process...

This summer I spent time with my daughter and Goddaughter. They've both successfully made it through their freshman year of college. During our time together, I asked for their top pieces of advice for high school Juniors and Seniors. Here's what they shared: Continue to build relationships in your Junior year . They stressed the importance of building relationships with teachers, counselors, and coaches in your Junior year. They will be important in your Senior year when asking for letters of reference and recommendations.  Apply for as many scholarships as possible.  There are so many scholarships available. Provide yourself time to apply for as many as possible. Use a calendar system to help remind you of scholarship deadlines.  Apply for college early in your Senior year of high school. Most colleges will open up registration for college admissions the summer before the fall semester begins. Take time to apply early so that you're not stressed by any deadlines.  ...

I know this is shocking news especially since my oldest son is already 20 years old. If I had to do it all over again I would want a sweet newborn that would sleep through the night, not have allergies and not have to deal with asthma or multiple ear infections. CLEARLY - not possible!!  Babies are full of life and innocence. We don't get to choose their temperament. We are designed to parent and love our children NO matter what. As parents, we learn life lessons of being adaptable and vulnerable. Having a newborn in the house is humbling and complex. Everyday we learn about them and also about ourselves. Most likely this year we've wished for a more perfect world. A world that wouldn't have a global pandemic. A world with more employed workers. A world without poverty or social and political unrest. Unfortunately, that's NOT our reality now. How will we RESPOND when our situation isn't changing? Our RESPONSE is the one thing we can control. We can always choose h...

Kelly and I are different. She's Canadian and I'm American. We have worked together and we refuse to focus on our differences. Kelly is a #1 best selling international children's author. You can find her book on Amazon. I read her book OFTEN . I am honored to have her as our guest blogger today.  Kelly discusses strength she's discovered while raising a daughter with facial differences. You never know where inspiration will strike; for me, it was a train ride into the city of Toronto. I was sitting there drinking my morning tea when it came to me; all the situations that we've encountered had one thing in common. We taught her to introduce herself when someone was staring. When my daughter was born, we didn't know that she had Treacher-Collins Syndrome or had ever heard of it. The moment I met my little girl, it changed my life for the better. I took one look and said this little girl is going to change the world. I realized I wanted to be a part of changing it...

Mother's Day isn't always a joyous occasion. Especially if you've lost your mother. The pain is intense. It is heartbreaking and Mother's Day is just another reminder that she's gone and no longer here with you in the physical. Wouldn't you know that the Bible shares a beautiful story of loss, grief, and the steps that follow. In the first chapter of Joshua, he is also grieving. Joshua is a young man that walked side by side with Moses up until he passed away at the age of 110. He's experiencing grief and pain because Moses is now dead. During the time that Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage, Joshua was right there. Even though this story isn't about a mom and child, it's about a relationship between two people from different generations. It's believed that Joshua was about 50-60 years younger than Moses. In the midst of grieving, God shares the following with Joshua:   After the death of Moses, the Lord’s disciple,...

During a recent family meal, we each went around the table and shared one thing we loved about each other. Typically my 16 and 10 year old are on each other's nerves, so it warmed my heart to hear them being pleasant to each other. They were also surprised to hear each other's response. Do you ever ask similar questions around your dinner table? If not, try it. My youngest during vacation  As much as it was a blessing to hear them talk about each other, their answer to me was beyond words. My 10 year old started out first. I was pretty sure he was going to compliment my cooking. I've always felt like I take "rock star" status in his mind because I enjoy cooking his favorites on a regular basis. His world revolves around sports, video games, sleep, reading books, and eating. Typical kid stuff. Instead of him listing my participation in any of those activities, he quickly let me know that he loves how I teach him God's word. ...

Parenting is probably one of the biggest challenges in my life. There are days that I win as a parent and days that I fail big time. Every day it's a different twist and turn. I have a teenage daughter and an 8 year old son. They have different personalities, likes and dislikes. Most days they don't agree but on the days that they do, it's a wonderful blessing to see them together. My kids when they were younger! Photo credit: Delana Brooks When I share with some people that I'm absolutely loving the teenage years, most look at me like I'm crazy. Especially raising a teenage girl that's full of emotion and attitude. It's not easy BUT I'm just resolved to enjoy every phase and stage of my children's lives . Those were words of wisdom given to me by a colleague years ago and I've never forgotten it.  Before I know it, she will be an adult and living on her own. If I CHOOSE not to enjoy these years, I WILL MISS OUT ! I recogni...

Confession…….relaxing is hard for me.   That’s why the message at church today was just for me.   My pastor talked about the necessity and benefits of relaxing.   He pointed out that even God rested from creating the heavens and earth.   Genesis 2:1-3 (TLB) Now at last the heavens and earth were successfully completed, with all that they contained. So on the seventh day, having finished his task, God ceased from this work he had been doing, and God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he ceased this work of creation. I've come to realize that I can be a workaholic .  Gosh, I can’t even believe I’m saying that out loud.  It’s amazing how much we can deny certain truths about ourselves.  Between being a wife, mommy, career woman, blogger, involved community member, church volunteer and runner, there’s not room for much more.  My days normally begin at 6:00 am and end around 1:00 am.  If ...

It's hard to believe that in just a few short months, I will have a teenager in my house.  People always tell you to treasure every moment with your child because time flies.  I now realize....they were right.  It seems like just yesterday I was holding her in my arms for the very first time.  Where does the time go? At a tender age of 13, she's only five years away from adulthood.  I only have a few short years to teach her all about life and the challenges it can bring.  We've surrounded her with positive friends, taught her God's word, taken her to church, and engaged her in extra-curricular activities.  Out of all the experiences we've provided her with, my sincerest desire is that at the end of it all, she has her OWN relationship with Christ . As parents, we must encourage our children to nurture their  OWN relationships with Christ.  Their faith can't only come through us.  They have to learn how to stan...

Let's admit it. We all lead busy lives. We can often find it hard to spend quality time with family, especially our children. If we allow it, our community responsibilities, careers, and church activities can take away a large amount of our time. I thought it would be great to share some cool ideas to spend quality time with your children while navigating life. Games . Have them available close to your family room or kitchen area to make it quickly accessible. I keep Scrabble, Uno , and Puzzles in the family room because my youngest always wants to play a game right when I'm trying to cook. So that he feels momma's love, I play a quick game with him first and then return to cooking. Park . Being outdoors with your children is exhilarating. It also provides a great opportunity to get in some physical exercise so that you can skip the gym and make memories with your babies. Movies . There's nothing better than a great...

Parenting has the ability to make you laugh and cry all at the same time.  I don't profess to be a perfect parent but I know I'm a determined and dedicated parent.  This weekend I had a chance to show my "tween" aged daughter my dedication to our relationship.  We visited SeaWorld and before we could even make it through the gate, my daughter knew the roller coasters she wanted to ride. Manta at SeaWorld I knew she would want one of us to ride with her.  Alton nor myself was eager to step up and ride along.  I was even willing to let her go on the ride by herself.  I would just walk with her to the top and then stand on the other side and wait for her.  While we were walking through the line, she said, "Come on mom, this is a great bonding moment for us."  Did she really just say that?  Bonding?  On a roller coaster that travels up to 56 miles per hour?   The face I wanted to give my daughter when she wa...

MOST WANTED - MY KID'S ATTENTION If you have in any way raised kids, then you know exactly what I mean by the above statement.  That cute little bundle of joy that counts on you for everything, doesn't want you to leave him at daycare and stares at you with wild eyed amazement soon sees you as a money and feeding machine.  The number one question in my house is, "Mom what are we going to eat" followed by "Mom I need a new pair of something." The tables have turned as the boys get older.  You see them physically drawing away from you, thinking that friends, girls, food and video games are more fun than being with parents. In no way do I doubt the LOVE my boys have for me (looking forward to Mother's day).   The love is just expressed differently these days. I stayed home for seven years as the boys were growing up and spent so much time at play dates and museums.  This day and age there is so much more to capture their attention .  You see kid...

Mommy/Daughter love! Recently at my daughter's school they invited the mother's in for a "Muffins with Mom" event.  I didn't know what to expect outside of eating muffins and fruit.  It was a beautiful, French themed affair that each mother shared with their sons and daughters. The teacher had each student share their favorite memories of their mom.  I was touched by my daughter's words.  They were few in number, but mighty in their power to convey her love and appreciation in good and bad times.  I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share her thoughts about our relationship.           Dear Mom,   There is a path.  It can be smooth at times, or it can be rocky and rough.  This path is called, life.  It is very long and has many twists and turns.  Through this path, I have a person by my side.    My mom .    She makes the rough path smooth.  I'm...

For the first time in my life, I'm the mother of a middle schooler.  For the parents that have walked this road, I'm sure you understand how challenging this time in a child's life can be.  Although I've taken several parenting classes and even  blogged about the parenting book that changed my entire thought process toward parenting, I failed as a parent this week.  Let me be clear, I'm not a bad mom, but if I were given a grade for my actions during a heated moment with my daughter, it would would've been an "F". I have an amazing daughter who's in the "tween" age range.  Anyone who meets her will immediately picks up on her nurturing spirit.  I'm trying to adjust to the fact that in one moment she can be sweet as pie and the next she's, let's just say, different.  She can be reserved then quick and sarcastic with her mouth.  She wants to hold your hand and give you kisses one minute then race up the stairs to get away ...

Roslyn and I post each week based on inspiration.  Whatever inspires us, we share it with each of you.  I was ready to share some great news from last week but God directed me differently.  Today is Labor Day.  Twenty-four hours that most Americans have off from work to celebrate, rest and share with family and friends.  Nearly five years ago I found myself laboring on Labor Day.  It turned out to be false labor pains but I was nearing the point of giving birth to my son.  Each day grew more challenging.  I became impatient and tried to take matters into my own hands.  I tried every "old wives tale" known to man to try and induce labor.  None of it worked.  At the end of the day, I had to wait patiently on God . I am so blessed to be able to reflect on my birthing story because not every woman has one to share.  Some women find themselves having to wait patiently just to conceive.  With all their best efforts,...

The red velvet birthday cake was delicious! I love posting about my kids.  I reviewed some previous posts and realized that most of them were about our youngest.  With him being 4 years old, it's easy to write about his adventures.  Well today, I'm writing all about my daughter.  The past seven days have been amazing for her.  She turned 11 this week and it's hard to believe how rapidly time flew.  Even though people always tell you to enjoy each moment because they fly by quickly, time still seems to evaporate when raising kids. Not only did she turn 11, she also: Finished her track season by reaching personal goals in the long jump & 400 events Completed her 8th year of dance with a beautiful recital performance Promoted to 6th grade (middle school-YIKES!) The activities of this week allowed me to reflect on her beautiful life.  It hit me that in only seven years, she will be an official adult and leaving th...

Life is a journey.  From the moment you enter into this world, they are events taking place that are shaping your very existence.  You are the sum total of your experiences .  When you were a newborn, your fragile body could only handle milk.  Anything more and it would wreak havoc on your digestive system.  Whether you were breast fed or received formula, the diet for every newborn is pretty much the same.  As your body's system grows and develops, your parents slowly introduce solid foods.  It's normally an exciting time for parents when they are able to introduce something new to a diet that's been the same for about 4-6 months.  Fruits and vegetables are mashed and served so that the young recipient doesn't choke on food bits because their teeth are still emerging and their ability to chew is still evolving.  Before you know it,  the newborn who could only handle milk, is now a mature adult who can...

Renee's 2011 Family photo shoot Photo credits: Delana Brooks Roslyn and I are both mothers.  Between the two of us we have four beautiful children.  One thing we know for sure, parenting is the most rewarding privilege but it doesn't come without challenges.  Holding your baby in your arms while they are infants and toddlers provides security not only for the baby, but also for us as parents.  While they are young we have complete control over their little lives.  We select their foods, plan their play dates and choose their friends.  We have a big part in determining who they will be in relationship with.  Once they start to mature into their tween and teen years, they begin to establish their own bonds with youngsters their age.  We only have a short window of time to be influential regarding their relationships .  As parents, we are the greatest influence in our children's lives .  Good or bad. It is importa...