September 9, 2012
September 9, 2012
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Not-Quite-Silent Motherhood: A Miracle in Our Midst

One of my favorite ways to engage the Gospel is to imagine that I am a peripheral character in the story. In this week’s Gospel, for example,  we encounter a man who is both deaf and has a speech impediment, who is brought to Jesus for healing. We read: He [Jesus] took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”– that is, “Be opened!” — And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he […]
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December 22, 2008
December 22, 2008
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Mighty Mom Monday: Lessons in Gratitude

Thanks to “Mighty Mom” for reprising this heartfelt post here at EMN. In this season of Advent, may we always be mindful of those for whom the “holidays” are a painful reminder of what they need … first and foremost, the preservation of dignity. OK, when I was a child we lived in what I now know was poverty. However, because my then step-father was going to SMU to seminary (he never finished) we lived for a year and a half in the richest part of Dallas. It was very hard to be “the poor kid.” Well, during the second of those Decembers we got an […]
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December 20, 2008
December 20, 2008
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“Weird Moms” – A Belated Tribute

Karen at “Odd Moms” invited me to check out her blog the other day …  “I know the ‘Weird Mom’ contest is over, but I wanted to pass this along,” she wrote.  I’m so glad she did.  I was especially touched by this tribute to her mother.  Neither Karen nor her mother have had an easy life. But they managed to impart to their children important lessons about self-reliance and courage — first and foremost, by their own example as courageous single moms. Karen’s blog is a good reminder that not all EMs are adoptive or foster moms. Some of them are moms who are simply doing the […]
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December 5, 2008
December 5, 2008
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An Adoptive Mother’s Story: Guest Post from Mighty Mom

Editor’s Note:  I was about ten when my mother led my Brownie troop on a trail-marking expedition in High Point State Park (NJ). Nearly twenty of us, along with three adults, divided into three groups: One to mark the trail, one to follow it, and one to clear away the markings as they followed the second group. My mother led the first group along the path, on what was supposed to be a two-hour hike; we were to wind up back at the parked cars that held our post-hike refreshments.  Instead, Mom took a wrong turn, and led our troop several miles up the Appalachian Trail (which […]
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November 17, 2008
November 17, 2008
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Amazing Mom Monday: Andrea Roberts at “Reeces Rainbow”

“Mighty Mom” Sarah is taking a break … and so, I’ve decided to use this space to tell you about some other Extraordinary Moms!  “Mighty Mom Monday” is now “Amazing Mom Monday.” “Atlanta mother Andrea Roberts has helped arrange more than 100 international adoptions in two years. Her Web site, http://reecesrainbow.com, focuses on children with Down syndrome, listing page after page of toddlers from Serbia, Ukraine and other countries where children with mental disabilities are often put in orphanages or mental hospitals. ” Thanks to Barb Curtis, who sent me a link to this story in “The Washington Post” about Andrea and other women who are working to make a difference in the […]
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November 6, 2008
November 6, 2008
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Outstanding International Adoption Websites

Today I found an international adoption website that I can’t refer specifically by name because they need to keep the blog private for the present due to the special circumstances related to their adoption. However, I wanted to share with my readers three sites that those who are seeking international adoption will find particularly helpful. I’ve saved them in the “International Adoption” blogroll. The first, “Informed Adoptions,” offers a wide variety of articles that are especially good for transracial adoption, particularly those from Guatemala. The second, “The Hague Convention Guide for Prospective Adoptive Parents” is a primer for those who want to better understand the changes […]
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November 3, 2008
November 3, 2008
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Mighty Mom Mondays: Lessons Grandma Taught Me

As is our custom here at EMN, Sarah has chimed in with her weekly post of wisdom and took this month’s EMN Carnival on extraordinary moms to a whole new level! To catch more of Mighty Mom, go to her blog “My Wonderful Life.” Thank you, Sarah!!!   My Grandma taught me … To speak softly and carry a big jar of cookies. The amount of time it takes to put on a pair of knee-highs and keds is exactly equal to the amount of time it takes to start a conversation that’ll last all day. There is never any reason to be jealous, for you will […]
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October 28, 2008
October 28, 2008
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Sweet-Smelling Tushies … and Other Small Miracles

I’d like to introduce you to Deborah Nicherson at Pipecleaner Dreams.  This single mother of four special needs kids became an overnight hero to one special needs family when she gave away a BidetSpa toilet seat on her contest at “Five Minutes for Special Needs.” Of course, in a very real way, Deborah was already a hero. At “Disaboom,” Karen Putz tells the story of Deborah’s battle with her daughter’s school  to give her daughter the year-round schooling she desperately needed. What I loved most about the toilet set story is that it reminds us all of an important principle of special needs parenting: You gotta stick together. In this case, one special mom was […]
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October 20, 2008
October 20, 2008
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Mighty Mom Monday: Just Say “No” to Mommy Guilt!

As is our custom here at EMN, today’s post is from the hilarious life experience of Sarah, A.K.A. “Mighty Mom.” Be sure to check out her blog at “My Wonderful Life.” The number-one toughest thing about being a Mom is the colossal amount of GUILT that we carry.  I’m not talking about simple regret, about things that I just wish I’d done different … I’m talking about true, haunt-your-dreams, cry in your pillow guilt. Now, friends.  Here’s my advice to you: Just Say NO to Mommy Guilt! To help you gain perspective and win the battle, I’m gonna share with you things that I’ve felt […]
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