I’ll be honest, some mornings I wonder if all our efforts in ministry are even worth it. I can easily get distracted with selfish thoughts – Bedtime routines are so hard alone, why is John gone so many evenings a week? I poured my heart and soul into crafting a quality retreat to build up and bless the women at our campus, why did so … Continue reading We are Disciplemaker Moms: Remembering Why
By Linnette Bachman Sitting in a beginner yoga class at our local YMCA, I was shocked at how difficult a simple stretch was for me. The instructor said to us, “this is one of those stretches you will have to just show up in— you won’t really master it today or tomorrow or next week. But if you’ll just show up, day after day, it … Continue reading Just Show Up
Good morning! What a joy to join this community of Jesus-worshiping moms in prayer. It was powerful to praise God with you last week. He is at work!!! This week we get to pray for those that are suffering. Romans 12:15 encourages us to rejoice with those who rejoice as well as weep with those who weep. Anyone weeping over their children this week? A … Continue reading Prayers Offered in Faith – Suffering
By Melissa Teten I sat in a room full of veteran Navigator staff with adult children. As they shared their personal prayer requests, so many were centered on their children. Incarceration, mental illness, addiction, etc. Ugh. My heart sank as I considered how weary these friends were with sorrow over their children. And my heart sank further still as I realized that my need for Jesus … Continue reading Prayers Offered in Faith – Praises
Here’s a list of things my neighbors routinely see me doing… Carrying 10 bags of groceries into the house by myself in one trip, despite the fact that my husband and children are all home and happy to help. Racing in and out of the neighborhood to drive my kids to and from school, despite the fact that other families in my neighborhood also go … Continue reading I’ve Got It
Some years ago God closed the door to a new ministry opportunity leaving me (and my husband) in a season of waiting. It was a challenging transition, and I regret that I often responded more out of fear and impatience than faith. I wish I could say that my reaction was a fluke, and that generally, I’ve figured out how to manage change gracefully. Unfortunately, … Continue reading Rooted in Hope During Transition
I turned on the news recently and there was a story about a fourth grader who had just won the National Spelling Bee. The word he spelled for the win was “koinonia.” The newscasters had never heard the word and looked up the definition, which they read aloud, “Christian fellowship or communion, with God or, more commonly, with fellow Christians.” They went on to express … Continue reading Fellowship
Like many others last December we put up a tree in our family room and tortured our curious offspring with wrapped gifts under its branches. They obsessed over the pretty packages and counted down the hours, days, weeks, eternities until they could unwrap them. I wrestled with teaching my kids how to enjoy the blessings of Christmas without losing the meaning behind it all. And … Continue reading Who Am I: The Problem with Bearing Fruit
One of the biggest lies I confronted while raising our children was: “My child’s future and faith all depends on me.” Perhaps I felt this pressure because as a wife and mom in the ministry, I knew their were eyes on me, especially as I parented! And, to be honest, I just wanted to be the best mom ever for my kids! This … Continue reading Does My Child’s Faith Depend on Me?
As we were packing up to move to Nashville in 2009 to start a Nav ministry at Vanderbilt University, a friend counseled me to be prepared that moves can be hard. At the time I thought, we are going to be just fine. We did undergrad in Nashville, two of my bridesmaids are there, we’re familiar with it… this is going to be a FUN … Continue reading Clinging to God through a Difficult Move
