Live Out Loud - Adventures of a mom

Last weekend my husband and I spent our second overnight getaway ever since we had kids.  This time we just booked a chic hotel downtown with a deal I saw online several months ago. We were going to keep things simple - after all, all we wanted was to just relax and take things easy. So we thought. But in a matter of only 4 hours I started noticing how 'complicated' our 'simple' life have gotten.  It was interesting the things I 'noticed' once we left my comfortable, convenient and conventional suburban life and neighbourhood: Parking - once in the underground parking, you have to really know how the 'system' works.  Park by the machine, click on the button, take the ticket, the garage door opens and drive into it.  Then read all the signs of all the options as to where one direction will take you as opposed to the other, and try to figure out where is the closest spot by the hotel elevator.  Read your ticket to see if you leave it on your dash

I don't know about you but I hear "I don't know" from my 5 and 3 year olds ALL THE TIME.  Sometimes I feel as if that is the only phrase they know how to utter perfectly.  Perfect pitch, tone and intonation, accompanied by perfect body language.  It often ends with a few drops of tears too.  They have mastered how to communicate "I don't know" perfectly and I have mastered how to not push further in order to avoid a meltdown. My response to this phrase has always been frustration - I hate it when they answer my questions with "I don't know".  I want to know what my son's day at school was like, what his teachers said or didn't say today, what they learned in church on Sunday, what excited them during piano class, what surprised them during their time at a friend's home.  I want them to share their ups and downs with me.  I want to be part of their lives. But they don't seem to be interested. "How can you no

So the other night I was invited to be part of a panel of speakers at our church.  The event focused on how to share your faith at work, and the target audience were career and young adults. Suffice to say I felt honoured to be considered as someone who could still contribute within this realm as I have been a stay-at-home mom for almost 6 years now.  It felt affirming to be considered still 'relevant'. It felt so odd almost to share about my life before kids.  It now feels like ages ago.  Was that me?  Wow. Anyways, after the event one of the organizers shared her notes of the evening with everyone in her group.  As I read them, I realized not only had God prepared me for motherhood, unbeknownst to me back then, but that ALL THAT EXPERIENCE is RELEVANT RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW.   There is nothing in that list I could not apply to my mommy-world right now.  What a great encouragement!  I am learning the depth of the meaning of the Master's interwoven purpose for each on