Just A Mom from Ohio

I'm so glad I decided to keep the latest Britt Nicole cd just for me. It was on sale during the Black Friday event and I grabbed it thinking I may give it out as a gift. I love music and eventually, like January, I opened it as a gift to me. My 3yo daughter really loves this one song in particular, No Filter. I enjoy it too but its just so cute that she requests that I play the "picture nus" song. The lyrics speak to me about how its so easy to portray my life, particularly through social media, but even just with family or at church, that things are going great. We can get good on putting on an act, don't we. Part of it might be that I don't want to burden anyone or I don't even understand what the problem is. Some things are best to be private between a couple or family. I think it gets interesting when we deal with the pressure to be "ok" and "happy". Are people going to be able to come along side of you and offer support if they aren...

Finally making some real significant progress potty training the 3yo and the 18mo old is desperately trying to mimic his big sister. My blessing of a super happy baby cries and gets worked up til I help him onto the big potty. Its actually quite cute watching him get the stool, put on the princess training seat and then attempt to wipe. Its not cute watching the toilet paper flying off the roll. After he is done, he wants to flush, and wash his hands. He wants the full experience including the high five at the end. He is so proud and I am flattered that he knows the routine but he isn't actually going potty. Have you heard the song, The Motions, by Matthew West? This moment with my son brought that song to the forefront of my mind. It is so easy to fall into the routine and/or trying to impress people to blend in or to fit in. I've heard the phrase "fake it til you make it" and while I think that may be helpful in some situations, God knows the heart. We can't...

In the last few weeks, there have been some reoccurring topics on my radar, specifically sickness, politics, and refugees. I'm cautious to write much about any of these important and real life issues. I can speak to the sickness as I was one of the many, many people in my community that had a wave of the flu. I don't even remember the last time I had a stomach flu (thank you kids). My little family of four has been through two rounds of yucky viruses this season and yes we are all back to normal. Praise God we were born in a country that, regardless of your specific opinions, I believe has quality health care. We are truly blessed. Can you imagine what it would be like to be born in a country that did not have running water, a doctor's office down the street (or three), or a grocery store with ten types of infused cooking oils to sample (that's even new to me this week)?  What if you lived without 'essentials' like dishwashers, air conditioning, or heat? I...

Anxious. Excited. Confused. Fearful. Lonely. Angry. These are common feelings that I experience often and I'd bet most of you do too. So where am I going to go with this? Wondering? Keep reading. I've been acutely aware of how many "feelings" I've been having lately. I don't like it. It reminds me of a time when my life was dictated by feelings over anything else. I was so lost even though I knew where to look for the answers. I couldn't get past all the feelings. Feelings are not bad but they are not everything. We can feel lonely but that doesn't mean we are justified in seeking out some temporary fix that masquerades as a solution. Loneliness can lead to a bottomless pit. Fear. I've been told by counselors that fear is the opposite of faith and there is the acronym "false expectations appearing real". How often have we let fear affect our lives? My list could go on for pages. I'm also no stranger to being anxious. And ...

Are you popular? Do you make friends easily? Depending on how you respond to those questions may help you connect with what I'm attempting to communicate. I'm an observer. Perhaps it has something to do with the variety of people and situations I grew up around. That is one blessing about my parents divorce that I can acknowledge. I grew up interacting in families of different religious beliefs, ways of handling problems, socioeconomic status, and ways of expressing love. Each group of family had an impact on me whether I felt like I belonged or not. These people shaped my world view and I'm glad for it. It has provided me with the capacity to find good in people that don't look, speak, or feel the way I do about something. It helps me see the human in them. As an observer, I mostly felt disconnected, on the outside looking in. This was not their fault but just the way it was. As an adult, less consumed with my own grief, I notice the ones who might otherwise ge...