Welcome to the Journey

Hello.

I decided to create this blog with the intentions of providing encouragement to my fellow moms out there.  In return, I hope blogging will help me keep my own focus on my faith in Jesus Christ as I continue my walk as a mother, learning new skills every day and experiencing more joy than I ever believed I deserved.

With my husband, I have five kids.  We have two girls and three boys.  In many ways they are like most other children I've met ... full of energy and funny ideas about the world.  The differences between them and others can be seen in the in-between places that only parents recognize and appreciate.

I've told our children over and over that we chose them, as opposed to giving birth to them.  You see, we adopted each of them through foster care.  Had we fully understood the challenges that come with raising children of neglectful and/or abusive pasts, we might have second-guessed our abilities to parent these ones. But we were graciously protected by new-parent naivete and our desire to have any kids at all -- and so we proceeded with an almost reckless abandon into the land of parenthood.

Regardless of how we met them, these are our children -- placed with us the way all kids are put into families, by God's divine plan.  So, we did actively choose them by signing adoption papers in a courtroom, but followers of Christ will understand that the plan for us to become united as a family occurred long before we were even born.

As a result of now seven years of parenting and loving these particular kids, watching our oldest reach her teens and our youngest finally step past his baby years, I feel a greater need than ever to pool resources with other mothers who have survived this season with their own children.  How did you do it?!  And for mothers with children younger than my own, I can now say what so many women said to me when mine were little, "This phase will not last forever."

It doesn't matter, Moms, if you gave birth to your children or adopted them; if you are raising these kids alone or with a spouse; if your kids are taking their first steps as toddlers or are walking out the door on their way to college ... we need one another.  God has gifted each of us differently.  As part of one Body, we can help one another. 

We can be a community of mothers with the ability to pray together or advise one another.  So reach out to each other.  Lift up one another.  We know each other's challenges and emotions -- if not specifically or exactly, well enough to understand that there are needs to be filled.

Motherhood is a journey and who wants to go on a journey without a guide map or a packing list in preparation for the kinds of weather we'll encounter along the way?  Well, maybe some people!  And I need to learn from those moms about how to better go with the flow; as well as those moms who have got it all together and know how to stay better organized. 

See the point?  Everyone has something to offer.  I'm not too proud to say it.  I need you.  And maybe, I can offer something for you, too.  That's what this blog is about.

Let the journey continue...