Resources
Korean Washcloths: Messengers of God’s Nearness and Love
For years when I was young, my mom took nightly baths, and I would join her. We would pile our thick, black hair on top of our heads, so strong and stiff it would shoot up like onion sprouts. We scrubbed each other’s backs with neon-colored, nylon washcloths, as if we were scrubbing potato skins…
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No Breaks in a Broken System: Common Horizon Excerpt
We sit in a small office off the main hallway. The insurance representative is pulling all the forms for me, the new hire at a medical records office. He spots the ring on my finger, my grandmother’s diamond newly set in the band. “Married?” he casually asks. “No. We are thinking of moving the date…
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Every Season Sacred: The Gift of Noticing
I’m pushing the stroller around the corner when the podcast I’m streaming cuts out. I frown and glance at my phone. Out of battery. I’ve just promised my older kids thirty more minutes of park time with friends while I walk the nearby sidewalks. What am I supposed to do with no podcasts, music, or…
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Our Lady of Hot Messes Excerpt
Life is so crazy. I used to think that I was doing it all wrong, that because I hadn’t figured out the secret code that every one else seemed to know, God was not interested in helping me with my life. I grew up going to a First Baptist Church in a small, rural south Texas town. I…
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The Beauty of Motherhood Excerpt: Nourished
Even before being discharged from the hospital following the birth of my second child, Isaac, I discovered my blood pressure increased. In the weeks leading to delivery at check-ups, the nurses had to double-check my pressure multiple times as the numbers kept getting higher and higher. I never needed additional medicine or a hospital stay,…
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Forgiving God Excerpt
This is how I ask the question of suffering now. I used to ask about theories, about how God’s goodness could square with God’s love, how different properties of God made sense in light of suffering. I used to read books about suffering and cry and wonder, in a safely academic way, how these stories…
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Everyday Sacrament Excerpt
This Is My Body, Given for You When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him…Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this…
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Blessing Our Children
Many of us pray with our kids before bed. But what does it mean to bless our children? Enjoy this excerpt from The Beauty of Motherhood along with a practice, prayer, and ritual you can use to pray for your children (and others) at night. While my kids sleep, I say a prayer for their…
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4 Scripture Stories for Mothers
Scripture offers tender images of God caring for us like a loving mother. But we don’t often get the chance to sit with these beautiful passages. Let yourself pray with a new image of God this week. God as comforting mother “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13) Jesus…
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Lentiest of Lents
Loving God, this trudge toward Easter has been long and the sustenance meager. I find myself coming to you with empty hands and aching arms, from the effort of carrying a cross I did not choose. You know all too well that choosing a sacrifice this year was a luxury. In the midst of it…
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What to Do After a School Shooting
Today’s parents in the United States are regularly confronted with the horror of yet another school shooting. Each time this happens, we feel angry and anguished, grieving the tragedy and overwhelmed by what this means for our own children. Our faith compels us to cry out against violence and evil. God promises to hear our…
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How To Behold Your Child
Behold. It’s a powerful word in Scripture. An invitation to stop and pay attention. To open our eyes because God is about to do something new. What if we tried to behold our life? To behold our children. To try to see them with God’s eyes. With love. And compassion. And hope. Let yourself try…
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Easy Advent Practices: Week 4 Surprise neighbors with Christmas cookies. Talk with your kids about what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Give your child one extra hug each day. With all the bustle and busyness of December, we can forget that the simplest practices bring the most joy. “If I have all…
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Easy Advent Practices: Week 3 This year we’re sharing easy (and free!) ways to deepen your prayer as a parent in Advent: an activity to share with your children and a Scripture verse for you to pray later. Pray before you buy for each person on your Christmas list. Or keep a prayer list of…
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Easy Advent Practices: Week 2 This year we’re sharing easy (and free!) ways to deepen your prayer as a parent in Advent: an activity to share with your children and a Scripture verse for you to pray later. Print religious images to pray with. Try Google Image to find artwork with Advent themes, or check…
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Easy Advent Practices: Week 1 This year we’re sharing simple (and free!) ways to deepen your prayer as a parent in Advent: an activity to share with your children and a Scripture verse for you to pray later. Light a candle when you get up in the morning, in the bathroom as you get ready…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Alissa’s essay reveals the power of discovering a new piece of your family’s past. Rachel’s prayer speaks to the creativity of all who will “bake and be blessed” in the holiday season. Resources to keep reflecting “The Way It Is” by William Stafford is a poem about the threads running through the…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Kimberly’s essay weaves together her pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago and the unfolding journey of motherhood, creativity, and prayer. Rachel’s prayer reassures every mother who’s longed for the creative callings of her past. Resources to keep reflecting Want to create in this season? Check out Rachel’s brand-new book Let There Be Art:…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Karianna’s essay invites us to consider how we forgive our families—our parents as well as our children. Rakhi’s prayer beckons us into the shadowlands of our own hearts, to ask for God’s mercy. Resources to keep reflecting A forever-favorite essay from Brian Doyle on forgiveness as a father: A Sin. From the Mothering Spirit…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Cameron’s essay invites us to ponder what it means to be neighbors, through the eyes of a child. Rakhi’s prayer asks where are our prophets and who are our neighbors? Resources to keep reflecting For more of Cameron’s writing, get her free Advent devotional on St. Óscar Romero from her Substack newsletter…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Gina’s essay shares how antidepressants deepened her relationship with God and her joy as a mother. Kimberly’s prayer (in Spanish and English) asks for God’s help to choose love even in our struggles. Resources to keep reflecting Gina mentions the prayer “Hail, Holy Queen” in her essay. Find the whole prayer here. Sarah…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Stina’s essay shares the experience of reading Micah as a mother while the world burns. Rakhi’s prayer asks for mercy, hope, and light in the darkness. Resources to keep reflecting Rakhi’s shop Rakstar Designs offers a print of Micah 6:8 to support the Equal Justice Initiative founded by Bryan Stevenson. For more of Stina’s…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Rakhi’s essay about grieving her parents gives voice to the mystery of love persisting. Rachel’s prayer reminds us there is space for our stories, for all that is breaking and becoming. Resources to keep reflecting To help grieving children in your life, visit the Dougy Center for resources: The National Grief Center…
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This Week on Mothering Spirit Jess’ essay speaks truth about the anger buried within motherhood. Kimberly’s prayer (in both English and Spanish) asks for the grace of forgiveness. Our big news: we’ve just announced our first virtual retreat! Sing A New Song: A Birth Story Retreat will come to you in the comfort of your home on…
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