Just a Mom of Big Kids

I want to introduce you to a side of Caroline you may have never met. Others say.... She is kind. She is thoughtful. She is caring. She is intentional. She is forgiving. She tells herself.... I am judgemental. I am mean. I am at fault. I am to blame. I am unforgivable. You see, she struggles with self-doubt. She worries that SHE is the reason a friend is grouchy; SHE is the reason the text didn't get a response; SHE is the reason that person curtly acknowledged her.  Then she spends far too much time wondering what SHE had done to upset her friends and acquaintances. And no matter how much she apologizes for this, she feels unforgiven. So fast forward to spring break. Mission trip. New friends. New experiences.  And new fears-- meeting her group, she was struck by how KIND they were, how together they seemed, how filled with Jesus they were...all in sharp contrast to how she felt about herself. She was worried that she would come across as her mean self, a bu...

Today at lunch, I was home relaxing because we had an ice day (TEACHER PERK!) when my middle kiddo facetimed me from her college classroom hallway. It seems that God was hard at work in her day, and she wanted to share the God-incidence that happened when she went to lunch. I asked if I could write about it because sometimes, God is just so so good. ******************************************************************************* In between  college classes, Caroline ran into the cafeteria, with the full intention of grabbing food to go, and heading to the library to eat as she reviewed yet again for her lab class.  Way back at the beginning of the year, a dear older friend told her NEVER to be afraid to eat alone- college kids do it all the time, and usually you can find someone who wants some company. Remembering that, Caroline changed her mind and decided to find a table in the cafe and eat before class, because in her words, "it's just easier than juggling food in the li...

Yesterday was a very exciting day at our house. We had the opportunity to celebrate Caleb for being chosen for the all-league team for basketball. Now, knowing this kid, whose heart has always been bigger than his height, we were of course busting with pride for him. He has always been that kid who had a ball in his hands--never legos, never toys--just a basketball. From the time he could walk, he could dribble. And his hard work and dedication definitely played into his celebration yesterday. BUT.... This post isn't really about that. Mike and I were sitting DIRECTLY behind the bench of Catholic Central's bench as they played for league champion.  None of our kids were playing in this game, so it was super NON-STRESSFUL. I had a chance to get an up-close view at the emotions on the bench during a super close game.  CC was losing, but at each time-out, I was drawn to #5.  #5 sat at the very end of the bench. His shoes never touched the court. His hands nev...