Be intentional. Be relational. Be selfless.
In all of your relationships the effort you put into them, and your attitude, have a direct affect on you and those around you. My heart is to encourage through sharing my joys and challenges – the good, the bad and the ugly. Words served up with a bit of sweet, a dash of spicy and a healthy serving of random reality.

About Tracey

On a good day you’ll find me outdoors hiking and squeezing in some writing. I love my man and my children, [read more]

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I Cannot Birth This Baby!

Jun
18

Interesting that during my pregnancy over 20 years ago I constantly read the book What To Expect When You Are Expecting and now that I am talking into the lives of moms I was asked by them to write a post on child birth!

I really was connected to that book, I even mention it in Be The Mom!

They have a website, What To Expect, and they send me an email several months back and say, “Hey, will you write us a guest post?” And I answer back, “Yeah, right, I bet this is one of those blanket emails to zillions of mombloggers!”  To my surprise he wrote back telling me that no he was the real deal, real email and really wanted me to write a guest post!

My reaction? Think Elaine on Seinfeld – I wanted to push him in the chest, knock him backwards and scream “Get Out!”

How crazy is that??

I mean really!

I hope you will hop over to the What To Expect blog and read about my “I Cannot Do This” MOMent … and then please share with me if you had a panicked MOMent on the way to the hospital!

And hey – leave a comment over there on their site, become part of the conversation ON A LARGER SCALE!

I think God is showing off!

 

 

Filed Under: Be The Mom, Children Tagged With: , , , , Leave a Comment

Missing My Little Ones!

Jun
3

Heavy sigh.

Join me over at MomLife Today where I experienced a weekend of weepy as I thought of all the things I miss about being a mom of little ones!

I do think it will bless you to hear my heart and make you appreciate your little ones…or cry along with me if you miss yours!

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Busy Busy May

May
8

I am blessed.

I am busy, but I am blessed and I share all about that as a guest post contributor over at Family Matters today!

When my heart to speak into the lives of moms to encourage them allows me to share life regularly through the ministry of others I am in awe of how big God is! And truly amazed at how He opens doors that leave me humbled and grateful.

Today I am sharing over at Family Matters and I hope you join me there!

Family Matters is all about helping us be better parents! If you have never read a book by Tim Kimmel, the President of Family Matters – you really need to! He is the author of Grace Based Parenting and Raising Kids for True Greatness (one of my ALL TIME favorite books) and many others…his latest release is Connecting Church & Home.

I hope you will spend some time reading some of his and his wife Darcy’s posts – they have amazing wisdom – and they are big time fun! (You know I like big time fun!)

 

Filed Under: Children, Mom Traps (all 7 of them!) Tagged With: , , Leave a Comment

A Different Kind of Bully

Apr
29

No one wants their child to be a bully!

And when we think of a “bully” we all have a picture in our head of what that looks and sounds like.

But there is another, more quiet, subtle form of being a bully – and it may be something you have not yet thought of discussing with your children.

Join me over at MomLife Today and learn more about the “other” kind of bully that could be a part of your child’s life.

Filed Under: Children, Friendships Leave a Comment

Mom Lousy Day Turnaround Tip

Apr
19

As is my habit I spent time this morning praising my Father in Heaven. The beauty of modern technology…and spodify.

As I lingered in melodic truth I became overwhelmed with gratitude of who God is, who my Savior is and how I am blessed to approach each day with hope because of my relationship with the great I Am.

It is mind boggling really.

This morning I was being led in worship by Matt Redman. We sang great truths together that helped me approach my day with the right perspective!

“Scars and struggles on the way, but with joy our hearts can say, yes our hearts can say. Never once did we ever walk alone, never once did You leave us on our own, You are faithful God, You are faithful. Every step we are breathing in Your grace, ever more we’ll be breathing out Your praise. Carried by Your constant grace, held within Your perfect peace. You are faithful.”

Yes, it’s that easy mom. Each day, right there where you are, right now even, you can drown out the lies and troubles of this world and worship your Father in Heaven. Whether to gain a new perspective when approaching your day, or realigning your day with truth, right smack dab in the middle of a troublesome day.

Worship is an amazing attitude adjuster!

And if you get “caught” by your children…all the better. They learn by seeing what you do far more than they learn by you telling them what to do. If you want your children to turn to the Father – they need to see what that looks like.

After praise and worship I spend some time reading the Bible – there’s great wisdom there that you can easily speak to on your child’s level and share what you just learned. Too often we think we don’t have all the answers so we avoid sharing with children what God reveals. But God is able, a nugget a day is a great place to start.

Sweet mom, God wants you to model love more than anything else. The only way you, and your children, will ever be able to love fully is to love the Creator first.

Show them the way!

Filed Under: Be The Mom, Children, Faith Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment

Got Bullies? Got Answers!

Apr
9

My kids have dealt with their share of bullies, popular peeps, status jockeying that leads to drama, drama, drama.

On each occasion I have been adamant that status is not important, but people and relationships are what matters. I let my kids know they need to be far more interested in who in the room is alone and their need to reach out than to be concerned with where they land in the pecking order. I admit it – I have zero tolerance for bullies or jockeying for position that causes kids to be unkind to others.

I have been a substitute teacher – it is there and it is ugly. Real ugly – and it starts young.

Join me over at MomLife Today where I share a particularly hard time in my sons life – a time where he faced bullies. It set up a life lesson at a young age that I do believe taught him to care more fully for others.

If you have never had a discussion with your child about bullies or popularity “games” that are played amongst kids and teens you need to – you so do not want your child to be part of the problem simply because you failed to help them guard against it – in others and in themselves.

Filed Under: Children, Teen Children Tagged With: , , , , Leave a Comment

MOB’s, Listen Up!

Feb
6

That little boy of mine, the one that used to beat on the front the door with his tiny little palm and chant, “outside, outside, outside” – yeah that one, he is over six feet tall now.

The little dimples that have always winked at me when he smiles, still do. Somehow because he is headed towards manhood, they are even more adorable now than they used to be.  Perched up there above the scraggly beard.

One day last week, with his green eyes twinkling he asked, “Mom, how about we go out to dinner and a movie this weekend?  Just you and me!”

My mom heart swelled.

Then I asked, “Are you messin with me?” You see, over the years we have done many date nights, but they were pretty much always initiated by me.

“No…I’m serious, I really want to!”

Yet another sign the little boy is becoming a thoughtful young man.

On Saturday night as we walked out to the car, he opened my car door – a slight grin on his face, as I delighted in his gentlemanly gesture he rolled his eyes just a tinge and grinned – his dimples in all their glory.

The “treat her like a lady” remembrances (so well learned through the years) were practiced throughout the night.  Dinner conversation was easy, sweet and silly, as was the movie. The easy going flow of the night was delightful.

That rough and tumble, dirty, all things outdoors, big burly and manly boy of mine brings me such joy—and hope for his future.

As I sit here remembering my special date I am burdened anew with the desire to help younger mothers embrace the truth that it really does help navigate the teen years when you have made it your practice to be intentional, be relational and be selfless with your children.

I also am reflecting on the tears shared just yesterday with a precious friend who lost her son a few years ago – she mentioned to me she so wished moms would realize that the little stuff that can consume our every day doesn’t matter, our kids matter.

Sweet moms, set aside the “to do” list and embrace the “to be” MOMents – make the time to be the mom.

And you just might find yourself with an amazing dinner date that is sportin a scraggly beard… and trust me, that day will arrive much sooner than you might imagine!

Filed Under: Children, Mom Traps (all 7 of them!), Teen Children Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment

Mom Talk…Talk…Talk!

Jan
21

Guilty.

Sometimes in my efforts to “reach and teach” my children – I doth drone on far too lengthy. {british accent included}

So much so that recently I heard about it from my sweet son …My teen son and I had just gone to see a movie together and on the drive home, he suddenly giggled, shook his head and uttered, “Mom, you talk too much.”

Ouch.

Actually, double ouch because I distinctly remember my teen daughter saying the same thing to me a couple of years ago.

Heavy sigh.

Please know, my teens are very respectful so I do not see either’s declaration as disrespect. I see it as honesty and an opportunity for me to consider the truth spoken in love.

To get “the rest of the story” I hope you join me over at MomLife Today!

Filed Under: Children, Teen Children Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment

Lice Nightmare

Jan
11

Last night I was minding my own business, happily watching The Office with my son and husband when all of the sudden I broke out into a cold sweat and my heart started racing. I think I may have even been mumbling incoherently – eyes glazed over.

I was propelled back in time to a particularly stressful event as a mom, lean in close here – I am going to need to whisper, “it was that time, when my sweet little five year old girl, with the long, thick, beautiful brown hair was … ahem … infested with lice.”

I just winced…and my heart is beating fast again. Frown.

It was absolutely awful.

One of the girls in kindergarten who had a special fondness for Samara and loved to sit and play with her long hair was sent home with head lice. You got it, that night, I checked my sweet little girls hair bow clasped head and as I sat under a bright light and searched … I spotted one of the creepy, disgusting little critters and thought I might puke.

I had heard the stories, but you cannot really understand the awfulness of it, unless you have lived it.

Everything…and I do mean everything, is suspect and must be deloused cause their minuscule little eggs can be hidden just about anywhere my sweet little girls head had been. And if you don’t REALLY get rid of them, I mean every stinkin little one of those vile creatures and their eggs – they just keep coming back.

Think about all the places your child’s head touches…yeah!! Think about THAT!

Everything made of cloth, like everything, could potentially be a carrier of future relapse – stuffed animals, pillows, bedspreads, blankies, clothes, carpets, rugs, hair bows, towels, furniture, automobiles…

Is your heart beating fast now?!

On top of that you have to keep rechecking your kids head, because even if you think you have adequately shampooed you may have missed an egg…hatching leads to re-infestation and you start the whole process over.

One of her classmates, an adorable little boy with an awesome head of hair, was reduced to tears when his mother couldn’t take the chance and she shaved that boy bald.

Yeah…I thought about it, but that seemed a bit extreme for my little girl.

The Office handling of the lice episode was filled with laughter … but not for those moms out there like me who were having flashbacks.

However, if it does happen, don’t make your kid feel bad about it…go through your personal creep out misery with a smile on your face!

OK – I feel better now. Smiling again!

How about it…have you ever had a situation where you “wanted” to freak out, but you managed to hold it together so your kid wouldn’t freak out?

Filed Under: Children, Random Tagged With: , Leave a Comment

Driving At Age Ten! What?

Oct
8

I am absolutely at a loss for words {well, not really-since I am writing about it} that parents would allow their ten year old to drive!

Has the world gone mad?

I still cannot quite figure out how it happened. I mean heck, they can barely see over the steering wheel. I think some of them have got to be using booster seats while driving. They look so grown up sitting behind that wheel. It is so cute!

Their parents are so proud too, taking pictures and bragging to others about the cars they are purchasing for their kids so they can fit in and be just like sixteen year olds.

I can’t for the life of me figure out how so many parents can afford the cars or why they would want their ten year olds to have one. Seems to me they have a lot more growing up to do before they should be trusted behind the wheel of a car.

Which actually got me to thinking…are their kids really even safe with a car of their own? Isn’t it kind of dangerous to put a 2,500 pound weapon in the hands of a ten year old?

Join me over at FamilyMatters Blog to to read the rest of the words that I obviously was not at a loss for – I got plenty to say on the subject!
Filed Under: Children, Mom Traps (all 7 of them!) Tagged With: , , , , Leave a Comment