THE AWKWARD MOM

because uncomfortable conversations are the ones worth having

Tag: sin

Christmas 2020 Needs a God Born in a Barn

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Christmas 2020

Thoughts from a Messy Christmas 2020

Note from Janel: This week I’m vacating with my family–or soon attempting to, after the errands are finished and we sink into full-on celebration mode. 

So I’m sliding in these thoughts, most originally published three years ago, which have followed me around like a pet pig. read more

Does the Idea of “Sin” Hurt Our Kids?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

sin kids harm

It was the kind of article that makes you mentally cover your face with your hands. And then, bite your nails with the grimace still on your face.

And her words still rattle me. (They should.) read more

The Day I Found a Friend’s Flaw

Reading Time: 2 minutes

It was in a passing conversation, see. Finally all the dots were connected, and I knew. I realized what her pet sin was. It was probably one she didn’t even see as I saw, considering just how conniving and blinding these tend to be.

But what’s telling is this: For at least 24 hours, I did not feel compassion for her. I didn’t pray for her. I didn’t use it to understand her more. I didn’t use it to examine my life for my own corrosive habits.

I Feel a Sin Comin’ On: Real Thoughts about Real Temptation

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Is there such a thing as a monthly sin?

Because I think I have one of those. read more

Born in a Barn: Christmas Thoughts from a Farm Girl

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I grew up amidst a small, tidy farm in central Illinois. The colors that primarily swirl in my memory are the rustling greenness that stretched in acres of corn or soybeans on every side, or the grass that could only be truly experienced through one’s toes. The affectionately flaking bright red of the barn stands tall in my mind, along with the mottled red of the apple trees, the streaked pink of rhubarb stems, the buttery yellow (and a peeping cacophony) of baby chicks. And there’s the white of our ancient farmhouse trimmed neatly with black shutters. Farms have their own simple beauty.

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