THE AWKWARD MOM

because uncomfortable conversations are the ones worth having

Month: June 2018

On Raising Teenagers, and Other Frightening Impossibilities

June 29, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 5 minutes

So I have a teenager, and another just about. Most of me is tickled pink about all the real conversations we get to hold, all the fun we have as a maturing family, all the crazy jokes they tell me that leave all of us laughing.

And there’s this leeettle part of it that scares the bejeebies out of me.

Seemingly separate note: I have recently acquired an agent for a non-fiction book I’m writing, which makes my heart do little cartwheels of happiness. It was a moment I wasn’t sure would ever happen. read more

Caught Up in the Wonder: When You’re One Lucky Dog

June 26, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 4 minutes

This week, my daughter turned 11. She was, of course, giddy about her birthday–something I don’t take for granted, since a lot of parents can’t afford to celebrate birthdays where we came from in Uganda.

And she’s so easy to celebrate: a keen mind, a generous heart. People tend to adore her. I have witnessed for years as she’s made friends with kids in poverty because they’re just kids to her; as she’s put out a donation cup for the pregnancy center at her lemonade stand.

So someday in the future, I can see my eyebrows arched over some guy garnished with peach fuzz who wants to take her out. I see myself thinking, You have no clue what you’re getting. You think she’s a pretty face and a great dancer. You may come back to take her out when you understand what a lucky dog you are. read more

FREEBIE FRIDAY: Printable Scripture Art, Psalm 62:8

June 22, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: < 1 minute
=&0=&; “As a Bow to the Violin”,Elisabeth Elliot’s “The Secret is Christ in me” 10 Free Prayer Tools and Printables for Families 12 Ways to Pray for Your Child’s Teachers (free printable)

World Refugee Day 2018: Pawad’s Story

June 20, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 5 minutes

A late addition to this post: There’s another step you can take to stand with refugees. Consider signing the UN’s #withrefugees petition here! 

I want to introduce you to my friend Pawad. Pawad is South Sudanese, and he’s from the Dinka tribe. Physically, this means that when Pawad gives me a hug, the top of my head aligns with his armpits. It means that when he smiles with those white-white teeth against his 80% cacao skin, it’s as if someone flipped on a couple hundred watts of electricity. He’s built like a piece of black licorice, limbs long and loose.

Pawad is fully scholarshipped to African Renewal University in Uganda, after which he hopes to become a pastor to his people, many of whom have been traumatized by 35 years of war. Coincidentally, Pawad is also a refugee.

When Your Child’s Weaknesses Feel Overwhelming

June 19, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 4 minutes

When your child's weaknesses feel overwhelmingAllow me to sketch for you a brief (yet oh-so-vivid) moment from about eight years ago. You would have found me slumped against the wall in the hallway one afternoon. He was only a year and a half old–and the potential for catastrophe was spreading before me.

Funny thing is, I don’t even remember what my then-toddler did to cause me to groan in despair. I just remember a lot of the stories that give me a pretty good idea: like that time while I was in the bathroom, when he pulled a barstool up to the counter, snatched a packet of drink mix from the top of the toaster oven, wrenched it open, and sprinkled it around the house like fairy dust.

FREE PRINTABLE INFOGRAPHIC: On Unanswered Prayer–and 5 Memos to Myself When God Says “No”

June 15, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Do you remember the first time you wondered if God really was good?

I can’t say I remember the first. But I have to admit to you that it’s a constant decision of mine: to choose truth and trust. It was Eve’s issue too, right? Questioning the purity of God’s motives; her created brain and heart tossing around the idea that maybe he’s the one who’s lying.

This year you’ve read as I’ve wrestled with God here and there. Like Jacob, it’s left parts of me dislocated now and again. But there is too much evidence that he is who he says. And honestly, there are too many parts of me that are false and undeveloped and limited in sight: Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4). read more

Up in the Air: Thoughts from the Painful Middle

June 12, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 4 minutes

So I had a major triumph last week–one I hope to share with you soon. Because it was AWESOME. I talked with friends on the phone out in the sunshine, skipping a little. It’s kind of one of those Who am I, and what is my family? moments, I told them–because that’s what David said when he was over the moon with God’s kindness (2 Samuel 7:18). It was good news I’d been working toward for about 14 years.

And after about two years searching and clawing for joy and purpose, it felt goooooood.

Then, about 24 hours later, I hit one of the lowest moments in my parenting I’d experienced. Wednesday night was spent weeping, and I think we could be dealing with this for a long time. read more

Guest Post: There She Is: Miss America, Swimsuits, and #UsToo

June 8, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 2 minutes

I remember watching the pageant on my stomach on the carpet: One of my favorite television events of the year. There was the talent portion, the interview, the evening gown. Your ideal, they sang. And sure enough–girls around the nation wondered just like I did: Could I ever do that?

Four kids later, I no longer aspire to Miss America. Sometimes I just aspire to satisfy my clients, get my kids showered and all wearing underwear at the same time, keep the house from burning down.

But for other little girls? Things just got easier. read more

Shame–and the Words You (& Everyone Else) are Dying to Hear

June 5, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Shame and Acceptance: What will We Zoom In On?It’s an interesting dynamic for an Americans traveling to Asia or Africa when we first encounter the shame/honor thing in cultures. To my naked eye, it’s sometimes looked like them not telling the truth.

I’m probably going to botch this story–but I think of my sister and her husband in Asia looking for a pair of shoes. The shopkeeper says, Of course we have your size! but comes out repeatedly with pairs too small…and then actually hides. (Yes. Literally.)

But is there an element of truth to graciously covering someone’s weakness? What if they…don’t have what we want?

10 Fun Ideas for Kids this Summer!

June 1, 2018 / / 0 Comments
Reading Time: 4 minutes

kids summer ideasSo my kids are home for the summer after their first year in public school. Observations:

a. I’ve been looking forward to quality time with them. That said, if they fight like, one more time? I may be glancing at tickets for four children to, say, Abu Dhabi.

b. I am still working from home. So in contrast to what I wish summer looked like for moms, it’s more to the tune of “more bricks, less straw”. read more

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