The Forgiveness Lifestyle

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Heather Patenaude

By Kimberly Wagner

A precious young mom shared with me last week that she had to ask her son and the rest of his eleven year old soccer teammates for their forgiveness. She loves the Lord, loves His Word, but in a moment of frustration, she lost her cool in front of the team. The next week, she gathered them together so she could look each one in the eye and explain why she needed to ask their forgiveness. Many of these kids are from non-Christian homes and had probably never seen or heard a gospel demonstration like that!

Continue reading →

On Llamas and Baby Business

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

All week I’ve been writing about faith and family planning. It’s a big topic and one that cannot be adequately covered in a blog post (or even three blog posts!) but it’s an issue that has been so neatly brushed under the rug in the name of political correctness that very few seem to be discussing it. Those who do seem open to dialogue about faith’s role in family planning often have an agenda — either that all family planning is wrong or that many children is an irresponsible choice. I don’t pitch my tent in either of these camps. I simply want to know God’s desire for the size of my family and I want to be obedient to operate within His plan. Continue reading →

The Crime of Birthdays

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Jessica

By Shannon Popkin

“Mom, I need you to pray for me.” The serious look on Older’s face caused me to lean in with concern. “OK,” I said. “What is it?” Older took a deep breath and said, “Well, tomorrow is Younger’s birthday, and on my birthday, he tortured me all day long. I need the Lord to help me not to torture him back.” Continue reading →

Major Motherhood Burnout

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Jessica

By Heather Patenaude

In August, I wrote about ways to avoid motherhood burnout — during a time when I was experiencing some major burnout myself. I had been faithful in reading God’s Word, I was singing praise music all day long, I was trying to remember these seasons are short … but I was still struggling with burnout! I felt worn out to the core. I felt empty. Continue reading →

And Forgive Us Our Mom Sins

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

“And forgive us our sins” Luke 11:4.

Just about the time the epidural wears off the guilt kicks in. (You au natural mommas may get a pass on guilt for a few hours … you’ve earned it). Sometimes we get mom guilt over silly things. I’ve had to work through patches of guilt for giving my boys too many Pop Tarts, holding them too much, not holding them enough and not letting them have a dog. These are minor offenses. The best recourse is to simply let the guilt go. Continue reading →

Real Mom: Marriage

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

During the first seven years of my marriage, when other couples called marriage “work,” I secretly judged them. My marriage didn’t seem like a lot of work during that season. True, I was married to a boy, which inevitably comes with its fair share of communication and hygiene challenges, but overall it was pretty smooth sailing. Continue reading →

Real Mom: The Real Moms of Every County

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis and Heather Patenaude

In the world of Facebook, Pinterest, Pottery Barn catalogs and a zillion do-it-yourself shows, a mom can feel as if her life — her real, messy, not-always-tied-in-a-cute-bow life
isn’t normal. Continue reading →

Angry Mom

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Proverbs
25:28.

Before baby I was a pretty cool cucumber but motherhood has a strange way of bringing my claws out. Sometimes I want to yell. Sometimes I want to stomp out of the room. Sometimes I want to get all up in their faces. But then I remember that they are two and four. I am the adult and what they see, they will eventually do. No matter how my children behave the Bible doesn’t allow me to sin in my frustration, exhaustion or anger. Continue reading →

The Proverbs Project

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Jessica

By Carrie Ward

From www.truewoman.com (02.17.12)

A few years ago a friend of mine, (who shall not remain nameless) Nancy Leigh DeMoss, made a passing suggestion that I couldn’t seem to forget. I even remember where we were when she lobbed out this idea. Continue reading →

Motherly instinct

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Jessica

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

By Jessica Oliver

When turbulent twisters turned parts of Indiana upside down earlier this month, one story of a mother’s plight to protect her young children stood out among many stories of survival. Continue reading →

A momma after God’s own heart

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

From www.truewoman.com (05.07.10)

I distinctly remember listening to Author Janet Parshall speak at the first True Woman Conference. My firstborn, Eli, was barely eight months old and I left him home with his daddy for the very first time in order to attend. Maybe that’s why Janet’s message, rooted in the story of Hannah hit me so hard. Continue reading →

From the book: Go build your wall

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

(From the upcoming book, Beyond Bath Time. Look for it April 1! Mom bloggers, BeyondBathTime.com is looking for you! Want to review BBT? E-mail Jessica Oliver, web content manager, at jessica@erindavis.org.)

Proverbs 31 is typically our go-to chapter for finding the profile of the righteous woman and mother, but as I turn a few chapters past Proverbs into the book of Nehemiah, I find a story with the power to re-define motherhood. Continue reading →

Calling all mom bloggers!

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Jessica

Blogger moms, are you interested in reviewing Author Erin Davis’ upcoming book, Beyond Bath Time, for your website? Advance copies will be available soon, and BeyondBathTime.com wants to send you a copy. The book releases in April 2012.

Beyond Bath Time is a book created to help moms like you re-think your role. It’s a community of moms connected through this website and committed to re-claiming motherhood as a sacred role. It’s a call to mothers everywhere to live out their God-given design as life-givers with God’s glory in mind.

Please send an e-mail to Jessica Oliver, web content manager, at jessica@erindavis.org if you are interested!

From the book: He chose the womb

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

(Taken from the upcoming book, “Beyond Bath Time,” by Erin Davis. Look for it in April!)

Motherhood seems to be made up of a million small things. We hold our tiny babies. We fold their little clothes. We lose their tiny shoes in our mini vans and their teensy weensy socks in our dryers. We celebrate baby steps and small victories. And there are days when we can’t seem to think past the smallest increments of time — five more minutes of sleep, thirty-second showers, two-minute time outs. All of those small things have a tendency to narrow our focus, but in reality the big picture is much, well, bigger. Continue reading →

Tiny clothes

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Jessica

By Erin Davis

From www.truewoman.com (04.20.10)

I recently found myself surrounded by tiny clothes, bawling my eyes out. I was sorting through bags of my oldest son’s clothes looking for hand-me-downs that would fit my new baby. Eli just turned two, and his brother, Noble, is quickly outgrowing his newborn onesies. As I sorted through mountains of little boy clothes looking for items that would fit my little guy, I was suddenly struck by how quickly the time was passing. It seems like just a few weeks ago that Eli wore those clothes as I snuggled him close or rocked him to sleep. But now he’s too busy to do much cuddling and too big to rock to sleep. I know I will soon face the same reality with Noble. Continue reading →