-
For Tired Mothers of Small Children
When my first baby was new and small and I was deep in sleep deprivation there was a piece of advice that made me cringe every time I heard it. I could almost feel it coming based on the sweet facial expression of the person and my recoil was strong before all the words were even out. This feeling strongly carried through toddlerhood and the babyhood of my next baby. Can you guess what the words were? It was a variation of the, “You’ll miss these days! They go too fast!” It was not helpful or encouraging when I was exhausted and dealing with a child tantrumming over something neither…
-
Special Needs Parenting
One of the most difficult tasks of parenting any child is discipline. This difficulty is magnified when parenting a child with special needs. How do you strike the proper balance between correction and mercy, especially with a child who may not understand their actions or the need for correction? In church we refer to this as the proper distinction between Law and Gospel, even though as parents, on a day to day basis, we don’t always think about it in those terms. The Law, of course, shows us our sin, while the Gospel shows us Jesus. We deal with this constantly in our homes, from the littlest matters to the…
-
Every Life is Worth Celebrating
Shock. Disbelief. Denial. Anger. Shame. Worry. Loneliness. These may be common feelings at the news of an unplanned pregnancy, especially one that comes from less than ideal circumstances. For the pregnant woman who finds herself unmarried, in the middle of a divorce, still in school, younger, older, unemployed, or any number of other scenarios, it can feel incredibly lonely and bring a great deal of stress and worry. How do you tell the father, your friends, your family? How do you face a world that tells you the best option is to kill the unplanned baby rather than bring it into a less-than-perfect situation? How do you face the church…
-
To my online sisters
The internet has allowed us to connect, often deeply and personally, even if we will never meet face to face. The internet allows us to knit together family built not on blood or kinship but on shared doctrine and desire for families that resemble ours. It can be hard to find that in our local communities so having distance fade away when you sign on is a wonderful boon we’ve received from technology. The internet also allows the exchange of ideas. I don’t need to wait months for the delivery of a series of letters on a new book. News travels fast and gossip travels faster. I have personally opened…
-
Welcoming Adopted Kids into Our Churches
Psalm 127 tells us, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.” Welcoming a new child into our church family is often an exciting and much anticipated event. While most families are blessed with biological children, other families are created through adoption, or a combination of biological and adopted children. Unfortunately, there is often confusion about how best to welcome adoptive families into our midst and support them through the adoption process. With a little thoughtfulness and preparation, however, your congregation can be a source of love, comfort and strength to an adoptive family. First of all, supporting the adoptive family begins before the child is ever placed in their…
-
On Being Friends With Pastors’ Wives
by Vanessa Rasanen My two best friends at church happen to be the wives of our pastors. I’m not sure how it happened exactly — perhaps it’s that we’re all around the same age. Or maybe that our kids are around the same age. Or maybe it’s that as a military spouse, I can relate a bit to the frequent solo parenting we each endure due to our husbands’ schedules. Beyond that, they’re just really awesome women who I get along with, so friendship just developed naturally. And that’s not a bad thing. Because our pastors’ wives need friends, too. Sure, they have a built in support system with the other…
-
The Lutheran Working Mother
by Pam Thompson I always imagined that I would be a stay at home mom. My mom worked outside the home, in a community filled with housewives. There were times I thought I was missing out, not having my mom be a room mother, or hosting fun swim parties in the summer. I attended college, earned a degree, and hoped for a good job to hold me over until I had children “someday”. Someday came quickly. Our first son was born a few weeks after our first anniversary. He was followed by three brothers and set of twin sisters. I enjoyed my time as a stay at home mom. But,…
