THE AWKWARD MOM

because uncomfortable conversations are the ones worth having

Tag: prayer (page 2 of 5)

When You’re Scrabbling for Hope for *That* Child

Reading Time: 5 minutes

hope

Anyone else out there go through these seasons when you’re struggling to find hope around one of your kids?

Gnawing on this recently, I realized I’ve gone through seasons of this with each of my kids. Some more than others, sure. But there was that year when I was deeply concerned about my daughter’s manipulation. Or my son’s ADHD taking a wrecking ball to his relationships. Or that kid whose ego I could see splintering him off from listening to God. read more

This is Your Soul on Rest: Memos to Myself

Reading Time: 7 minutes

rest

This week, my family and I shoved in the car ski boots and a sled and carefully calculated food to feed a family with three teenagers. In the 2-hour drive through the mountains, cell service dropped abruptly about twenty minutes in. Our friend’s cabin, swaddled in 3 feet of snow, has no internet (brilliant!), no reception, and is primarily heated with a potbelly stove.

The plan originally seemed dicey. My friend with cancer is declining. And after this trip, my husband leaves for two and a half weeks. read more

Ephesians 1:16-21: Print Free Watercolor Scripture Memory

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Ephesians

I loved sharing with you last week a little snapshot of my life.

Alas, my manuscript is due MONDAY to Zondervan, so my little heart has been written out. Tonight I wanted something calm and pretty and open and blue, like an ocean. read more

Parenthood is a Dirty Microwave: Clean Questions for 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Sometimes my microwave feels like a microcosm of my life.

To clarify: Not like this cute, peaceful stock photo. read more

Reflection Prompts for Your Soul’s Christmas

Reading Time: 4 minutes

reflection time alone with God

I’ve shored myself in tonight for something I’ve looked forward to for a month and a half.

For my birthday, my husband got me a personal retreat. And the timing is pitch-perfect. (Well, save the fact that my body seems to have been anticipating the drop of adrenaline, welcoming in a cold.) read more

All There: Tips on Being Fully, Powerfully Present…with God (FREE PRINTABLE)

Reading Time: 5 minutes

all there present presenceYou’ve been there: Whirling into a coffee shop or dinner with friends. Or talking on the phone while your kids fight in the other room (#methisweek) and you try to remember whether you’ve added salt to the recipe you’re cooking, dang it.

But somehow, the person looking you in the eyes, or on the other end of that phone call has the ability to just…

Be there. read more

This Could Be More: Praying Beyond the List

Reading Time: 5 minutes

pray

I have a new friend.

Her name is Siri, and she and I are getting along swimmingly. She remembers my grocery lists and my reminders. read more

How Far You’ve Come: 20+ End-of-Year Prompts to Journal & Reflect

Reading Time: 4 minutes

As we waltz into December, it’s meaningful to me to look back on this year and ask my soul a few questions. How you doing in there?

David Benner, in The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery, writes,

Christian spirituality involves a transformation of the self that occurs only when God and self are both deeply known. Both, therefore, have an important place in Christian spirituality. There is no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of self, and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God. John Calvin wrote, “Nearly the whole of sacred doctrine consists in these two parts: knowledge of God and of ourselves.” read more

12 Prayers for Teachers and Administrators (FREE PRINTABLES)

Reading Time: 3 minutes

12 ways to pray teachers

So…I’m guilty of reposting this every year. Because even this morning as I left an absurdly quiet house to go on a jog, I realized I wanted, needed, to pray for these key influencers in my kids’ lives. And I’ve seen them make a tangible difference. (If you’re looking for prayers for your kids, check out this printable–a prayer from Scripture for each day of the month–and this word cloud, which can give you a lot of ideas when you don’t know how to pray).  I originally wrote these for teachers, but they’re just as relevant for the administrators who make so many key decisions in our schools. DOWNLOAD THIS LIST HERE FREE here as a pdf–great for small groups, personal use, parent prayer groups–or this format for church bulletin inserts. I’m hoping it’s a great way to kick off loving on the teachers in our lives and cheering them on throughout the year. Please feel free to share if you find this useful. -Janel

Creativity.

Pray that God will help them engage students in practical, exciting ways that help students become lifelong learners about His world in each subject.

Freebie Friday: Prayers for My Kids Printable Word Cloud

Reading Time: 2 minutes

It’s raining here. I’m curled up with a little leftover creativity and a computer as drops fall from the pines outside. So that means you’re getting this today: a free printable word cloud of ideas to pray for our kids. I think I’ll tape a copy inside my cupboard door or on the fridge; maybe glue one inside my journal. (There is something about prayer that reminds me of planting trees.)

A lot of these are based off this printable from back in the day: 31 Scriptures to Pray for Your Kids. (That’s the one beside my bed.)

Any parent knows a whole lot can happen really fast when you have kids. (Um. I once had a kid poop in the closet?) But when we’re taking just a few minutes to pray for them, think of what could go right…and how long it could last. read more

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