The Godmothers Club

Unconditional Acceptance is the Best Christmas Gift

Looking for a table at Panera's the other day during the frenzy of shopping, I passed an older woman sitting at a table looking around anxiously. A Muslim, dressed for modesty in a hijab, she looked overwhelmed by the boisterous Christmas crowd. She looked different than the throngs waiting to eat their 'half and half' lunches.

When Promises are Treats

 

How good are you at keeping promises to yourself?

I'm the worst.

You'd think that by now when we get invited for an early round of golf on a Sunday morning, I'd have an automatic response, "Gee thanks for asking but I promised myself we'd make the early service at church."

Do I say that? You betcha I don't.

I ignore my inner promise and let my husband decide, "Charlie, what do you want to do, church or golf?" 

Why is it so easy to break promises to myself...ones that I wouldn't dream of breaking for others?

Getting Egg on Your Face is a Good Thing

I just get so excited when I have a good idea! Whether it's an idea for a dinner party, a blog article or buying a gift for someone my creative juices start bubbling and it's all I can think about.

Sometimes my ideas or dreams work out and sometimes they don't. And when they don't...like the time I made a fancy dessert for some good friends that tasted like whipped soap instead of mousse...I have to wash the 'oops' egg off my face.

Here are a few important things that "getting egg on my face" has taught me:

The Backyard Fence Social Media Built

When my Grandma was a young woman she traded gossip with the tradesmen, socialized with the neighbors and chatted with her friends; all on a daily basis. Anyone who was important in her life knew exactly what was happening in her family.

And as hard as it may be to believe, she managed seven children, a home, her husband's business and rental income properties without the benefit of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

So how did Grandma network without social media?

How to be a Good Mother-in-Law

My former mother-in-law had a heart attack recently and the news about her collapse dug up some latent emotions. I was surprised at my reaction.

I haven't seen Lena in over 17 years and keep track of her only through my daughters' visits with her. The disintegration of our relationship was the result of divorce between her son and me in 1990; it was next to impossible for us to be friends anymore. Not only were we separated by 150 miles but by a generation that took sides; my mother with me and his mother with him. In the process and pain of divorce, I lost a wonderful mother-in-law and, now that I'm a mother-in-law and grandmother, maybe a woman who would have been a friend.

As a young bride I moved closer to my husband's family, leaving mine far behind for the first time in my life. And I'll tell you, trying to navigate and anchor into a new family is not easy. Young and immature, I compared his family to mine and his came up short!  Of course, my self-imposed obstacles made it harder for me to fit in at first. It was Lena's simple, innate goodness that helped me find a comfortable way to be part of her family.

A traditional, Italian mother who shared recipes, family stories and advice (but only when asked), she grew in my esteem as the years passed. Never critical when I did something wrong. Undemanding when sharing holiday time. Complimentary with the way I raised my daughters. Understanding when I put her family on the back burner for mine...she was a true role model.

I also try to extend grace-filled considerations to the delightful people my children love, and I can only hope they will have the same feelings about me. I think life's all about cultivating, maintaining and remembering relationships even when separated by unexpected circumstances.

What do you think about mother-in-laws?

 

 

If You Believe God's On Your Side, Spread the Word

Christians are known for praying while they're in a middle of a crisis and thanking God when things go their way, or after a hardship ends. But not everybody in the world understands why or even how God wants to be personally involved in everyone's life. Listen...

What Would It Take to Get You Interested in God?

Millions believe and millions don't. Some of us come to faith almost by osmosis, some by teaching. Others get pulled up by the shirt collar in a tough life situation and see him. Still others look the other way, choosing not to believe. What would it take to get them interested in God?

How to Meet God Outside of Church

If your Priest, Rabbi or Pastor is like mine, they're fond of standing in front of us on Sunday mornings saying that they us want to reach the lost and introduce them to God. But how do you do that in 2011?

Why Does God Let Strangers Affect Our Lives?

Your life story didn't start with a blank page the day you were born; it started with a page messy from the ink your ancestors spilled on it. Your arrival brought forward DNA, intelligence and personality from earlier generations; their fingerprints are all over you.

The same thing happens as we get older. There are people in our lives we may not know, don't like or haven't fully accepted who will influence our relationships, lives and decisions. Why does God let this happen?

Are You an Uncommon Friend? Beth Moore and Me #6

David and Jonathan were man friends.  Not because they fought the Philistines together, or because David married Jonathan's sister, or because the shared the same interests. Their uncommon friendship started, endured and ended because they were bonded together by a spiritual connection to God who cemented their relationship as part of his plan to crown David king. And Jonathan played a key in making sure God’s will was fulfilled. Some friendships are just really big, aren’t they?

The story of David and Jonathan (I Samuel 20: 1-42) shines a spotlight on the characteristics of uncommon friends. Here are three easy ways to determine whether you have an uncommon friend in your life...