It’s OK to Stop Trying To Fix “Those” Kids

by Lisa-Jo | Oct 17, 2014 | Faith, Family, Motherhood

My friend Lori is raising six kids, a church and a safe place for hard questions in the ‘hood. I can’t get enough of her stories. By Lori Harris: At the end of the day, we pump our bruised and battered legs from the porch swing and watch the sky pull...

10 Things To Do Differently *Before* You Lose Your Temper

by Lisa-Jo | Oct 9, 2014 | Just plain hard, Motherhood, When your temper scares you

The one thing I’ve struggled with more than anything else in the last nine years of parenting has been temper. My own. Nothing and no one has caused in me the kind of rage that my own children can elicit. It shocks me. It shocks me to find myself nose-to-nose with a...

When We Are All So Much More Than The Cliche of Motherhood

by Lisa-Jo | Oct 7, 2014 | Motherhood, No such thing as just a mom, Ordinary Glory

At 17 I swore I wouldn’t grow up to be all barefoot and cliché in the kitchen. The pastor’s son laughed and told me I was destined for babies – my salvation depended on it. I grit my teeth and disagreed even when two elders sought me out after service one day to try...

Why Moms Matter (Especially When They Don’t Feel Like They Do)

by Lisa-Jo | Sep 19, 2014 | Book Club, Cheering for you, Motherhood, No such thing as just a mom, surprised by motherhood

My kid came and hugged me good night last night and put his nose up close to mine and peered at me through his glasses – “You’re a great mom,” he grinned up at me. A great mom. It’s funny how easy it is to believe the opposite. My...

On Breaking Up with Yourself and Growing Up into the Motherless Mother: Surprised by Motherhood Book Club, Week 2: Chps 3-5

by Lisa-Jo | Sep 15, 2014 | Book Club, Motherhood, motherless daughter, surprised by motherhood

“Losing a mother doesn’t happen in a moment. It takes years to appreciate the impact of what’s gone.”~ Surprised by Motherhood. Welcome to week 2 of the Book Club. Here’s how it works each week: Every Monday: Discussion video posted on the blog – feel free...

If Parenting is 99% What Kids Learn by Watching Us – Then This is What I Want Them To See

by Lisa-Jo | Sep 12, 2014 | Book Club, Motherhood, surprised by motherhood

Daughter I want you to inherit freedom from me. The freedom to stretch your long, awkward limbs, your mind, your appetite, your wonder at the world and the gift of being a woman. So when you sit across from me you know I am comfortable feeling full – of life and...