motherhood

Mothers Have an Expiration Date

Being a mother is wonderful and terrible at the same time.

This task is wrapped up in experiences and expectations not only passed down from her own mother, but from her ideals, friends, and mentors. Even in the Church, we have highlighted the vocation of mother, that this office is necessary and an important service to God and neighbor. There are plenty of blogs, books, and podcasts to guide one in the ways of being a great mother, secular, Christian and otherwise, but there is something critical they may not tell you about mothering. Because, if you considered this little piece of advice, the parenting paradigm may crumble.

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Not A Mom

By Cindy Koch–

For some of us, the day came and went. Flowers, family, breakfast, phone calls, homemade cards, maybe even a glass of champagne if you were lucky. Mothers all over the country were honored in some little way due to a brilliant campaign on behalf of Hallmark. It was a lovely little day set aside to give thanks for the mother in our lives.

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Pain in Childbearing

By Paul Koch –

Now today is a great day. It’s Mother’s Day! And if there was ever a cause worthy to observe, I think that motherhood is a great one. Now, truth be told, sermons on Mother’s Day can be a bit dicey. See, while we all may want to honor our mothers on Mother’s Day, it sometimes goes awry in practice. So, on Mother’s Day you will have those who will be consumed with guilt for how they have treated or mistreated their own mothers, and a sermon highlighting how mothers ought to be honored will only drive them further into despair. Then there are the mothers who will hear the glowing praise of motherhood in a sermon only to receive it as some impossible standard that they have not kept.

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The Evil Mother Inside

By Cindy Koch –

When it comes to her child, a mother isn’t afraid of much. Without thinking, she will run into disaster to save her little one. She will seek out the answer and remedy when her baby is sick. She will go to great lengths to make sure her child is safe and well cared for, unafraid of the consequences. It is in her nature to shield and love the creatures that God has given her. But there is an evil enemy that a mother doesn’t talk about. It is a terrifying force that lies just as close as her protection. A mother’s greatest fear is not the evil that threatens to harm her child from the outside. Rather, for the sake of her child, she is deathly afraid of her own evil that rages within.

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Just A Mother

By Cindy Koch –

Ever since I became a mom, I have struggled with these words. I was at home with my little ones 24 hours a day. Morning breakfast, afternoon naps, after-dinner cleanup, evening bath time, and midnight feedings. As much as I loved my children, as much as I loved being a mother, I discovered a repressed adventurous longing for something more. I would watch my husband open and close the door, venturing off into an interesting wide world just beyond the front walkway. And I would wash, rinse, repeat, one more day, one more time. I’m just a mother.

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Woman: The Forgotten Story

By Cindy Koch –

Have you ever wondered if one little event could change your whole life story? I have. What if I invested my teenage savings into a skateboard instead of a surfboard? Had I taken a different class in college, would I have cultivated the same passions and career today? If I would have said yes (or no) to this or that, how much different would my story be? For years and years, I’ve wondered. And at first, I thought I was the only one. The nagging little questions, unspoken fears, and short-lived victories played their part in the secret narrative in my head. But soon enough, I heard your unsure tale as well. Sister, you trusted me enough to reveal your hopes and fears, advice and disappointments. You also wonder about your story.

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Solving the Struggle of Mom

By Cindy Koch –

She took a deep breath and took hold of the aged shopping cart handle. One arm struggled to bend her daughter’s leg, while the other arm hoisted the baby awkwardly above the metal basket. Anchoring one foot behind the closest wheel to keep the cart from rolling away, she wiggled the uncooperative little girl into the standard retail prison chair, complete with plastic shackles. Realizing that all tools of bribery were missing from her purse, mom gripped the cart, focused down the first aisle, and prepared for the mad dash through the grocery store to beat a toddler’s ticking patience.

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