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Daily Prayer Life
By Pam Thompson Thirty years ago on my Confirmation day my now sainted Godmother Louise gave me my very own Bible. Inside the front cover in her flawless script she wrote, “When in need, pray. When you have received, give thanks.” And so, for thirty years, my prayer life has grown. I’m not a flowery or showy pray-er. If asked to pray in front of a group, I will almost always rely on The Lord’s Prayer or Luther’s Morning or Evening prayers. But this, by no means implies that I am a weak pray-er. I take very seriously Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks…
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Easing the Back to School Anxiety
By Pam Thompson Today is something like my 14th or 15th first day of school as a mom. It is hard to count, since we homeschooled our oldest for Kindergarten in a very laid back manner, so I’m not sure we even took a photo. Today my two youngest children are enjoying their very first day of kindergarten. For kids, the first day of school in generally an exciting time (even for the kids who pretend to hate that summer is ending.) For moms, this time can be wrought with anxiety and worry. I will share some of the things that have helped me ease into the transition of summer…
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The Wedding
By Pam Thompson It was a destination beach wedding. Our extended family was enjoying ourselves after our sister’s beach wedding, and we observed several more nuptials as the day went on. This one, the last one of the day, was so very similar to all of the others. . . . But then something was different. Something was off. After the requisite photos had been taken, the bride and groom were not returning to the wedding party. They were stalling, a lot. We observers on the beach commented on how “very rude” the couple was being. As we witnessed staff person after staff person walking back and forth between the…
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7 Simple Ways to Serve Your Sunday School Teacher
By Pam Thompson I’ve been teaching Sunday School off and on (more on than off) since I was in high school. You could probably say I am a professional Sunday School teacher. I’ve taught classes that had only my own children enrolled other classes with as many as 15 eager (and not-so-eager) students. Teaching Sunday School is a labor of love, but there are some things that would make my job even better. Insist on respectful behavior. A Sunday School teacher may or may not have a teaching degree, but they do have authority over their students. Most Sunday School periods are as short as 40 minutes, which is not a lot…
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When “Training Up” Ends and Moving Out Begins: Parenting College Aged Children
By Pam Thompson Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 ESV It is difficult to discern whether this Proverb is a command, or a comfort. But, for most parents, it is our prayer — our plea. Our children grow up and move out. We spend years worrying about and sweating the small stuff. We agonize over preschool choices and screen time limits. But, we have also spent much time in prayer and teaching of our children. We teach them the prayers of our faith. We read to them from the Bible. We teach them…
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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,…
