Finding My Home Place By Sara Munday, mother of three

When I married, my husband and I moved away from home. I had always lived near family, but now I found myself in a place that felt so foreign. I became depressed as I felt more and more alone. I had no friends, no family, my husband worked late hours, and my neighbors all worked outside of the home.
This feeling of being alone increased when we had our first child and struggled to be good parents. My husband and I felt so lost and lonely that we were talking about giving up and moving to live with my husband's parents until he found a job near family.

"For the first time,
I was in a crowd
   in which I belonged."

When our son was six months old, I visited a MOPS group out of sheer desperation. Something changed that day. For the first time, I was in a crowd in which I belonged ... for no other reason than because I was a mom. I attended every meeting and every event the MOPS group offered that year. Through MOPS, my husband and I finally felt like we were at home in a state so far away from everything we knew.

When it was time to move again, the first thing I did was search for a MOPS group near our new home. Even though we moved in the summer time, I quickly found a group that I would attend in the fall. I called the group’s coordinator before we even finished unpacking, and she invited us to play dates throughout the summer. This is when I realized that no matter where I was, if I could find a group of MOPS moms, I’d be home.
    

Dear God, please help me to accept the moms around me and to make them feel welcomed into our lives. Please help me be a part of seeing No Mom Alone. Amen. 

Oh My Words! by Kim Peterson, mom of one

My husband has the largest vocabulary of anyone I know. Playing Boggle or Scrabble with him always ends up with me breaking out the dictionary to challenge at least three of his words. Whenever he uses the word “unguents” in everyday conversation, I know he is flirting with me. I relish the challenge of trying to out-wordsmith him.
It seems my 4-year-old daughter hasn’t fallen far from the tree. An early speaker, she memorizes songs and movie scripts easily, manages an impressive vocabulary and even invents words of her own. After our indoor Easter egg hunt this year, she asked me, “Mom, do you know why I preferred to have Dad get the egg on the table?” On any given day, it’s not unusual to hear her telling me, “Mom, that is not appropriate!” I always forget that her developmental level is not as sophisticated as her understanding of language.

"I delight in seeing parts
of my husband that I love
emerge in my precious daughter."

Besides a large vocabulary, my husband and daughter also share a very mischievous streak. Before bedtime, the family roughhousing usually reaches its peak. After reading books with our daughter in our bed, we trek to her room for prayers and hugs and kisses. While cuddling on the bed, Daddy usually accidentally “trips” on us. After the barrage of giggling dies down, our daughter will jump off the bed and then jump back on top of us. Next, comes the squeal, “Daddy, attackle Mommy!” Attackle--get it? Attack and tackle put together.

I delight in seeing parts of my husband that I love emerge in my precious daughter. Watching them play together and share little moments remains one of my greatest joys. True, with the two of them in my life, there’s never a dull moment. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.  

Dear Father, thank you for my family and their gifts. Help me to cherish them and the special things we share. Amen.