Parenting is exhausting. What do you do when you have extreme fatigue and illness dragging at you?  It is easy to tell yourself, “just one more thing” or “I’ll figure a way to make it happen.”  Then you have the pressures from our loved ones. A child not understanding why mommy can’t come out to play.  A husband who just came home from work and doesn’t understand why dinner isn’t done.

Are we failing in some way? In many ways? I sometimes think that.  I always think “I should….”  or “I could..”, “If I was super mom I would”  I call it the ‘oulds. Those things that didn’t get done that leave you feeling guilty.   Are we super women? No,  sadly we are not and despite what the TV would have you believe neither is the next door neighbor.  So revel in your lack of a cape. Let go of the guilt. The Lord has no intention of you sitting  around crying for one of the ‘oulds!

So you have fatigue problems. I do too, and it can destroy a day. While sick this past winter I was able to get from my bed to the couch. That was it.  I slept for the day. Not well, with that type of fatigue sleep no matter how much you sleep it is never enough.  I was only able to rely on  my hubby to take over the kids. When I had to tell a child that I was too tired I always hugged them and asked them to pray for me. I told them the truth, that I wanted to get up but mommy’s body was too tired.

Children can better wrap their mind around a problem if you give them a solution. I told them to pray. My children love God and believe that the Lord will heal me. That was something they could trust in.  By hugging them and letting them know that I wasn’t happy too. The situation became mommy is not sleep because she wants to but because she is sick.

Be open with your husband and  tell him how you are feeling. Don’t expect his ESP to pick up on your slumped shoulder or cough to let him know. My hubby always tells me to talk to him and try to be precise. Like are your legs jittery? For him I believe it is because he is a fixer. Present a problem and he works out a solution. Most men are that problem oriented.

Even if you are left without the energy to help with the house or other normal “wife ” duties. Try to uphold your Biblical wife duties. That is to support your husband. Be of a mild, joyful manner so that he is uplifted by your very presence.  Together a wife and husband are incredibly strong even when one is sick. Think why else would Satan be trying so desperately to destroy that which God has put together. He knows that two in Christ are ten times stronger and will grow stronger as time passes.

Chronic fatigue is a limitation but it is not an end to a quality family life.  Take time to enjoy your children. Let them know how much you can do in advance, such as mommy can play cards with you but I can’t go to the park. Talk to your husband be clear and loving. Trust that he will protect and help you through you troubled times. Uphold him so that he knows you will support and encourage him at all times. Trust in the Lord.

Heather Laurie is a christian wife, and mother to 5 children and 2 angels. She suffered with an unknown illness most of her life recently finding out she had lupus and a genetic disorder. Her children also have that genetic disorder. The Lord has led Heather and her husband Chris through these experiences to create a ministry dedicated to serving those with special needs. You can find them at www.LaurieFamilyMinistries.org or www.SpecialNeedsHomeschooling.com

Laurie Family Ministries

By Manuel Cruz

It’s a true fact that if you send your kids out to school in the morning with a nutritional breakfast inside of them. They will have the energy that they need to get through the day as well as giving their brain the goodness that it needs to help with the process of learning.

Regardless of anything you may otherwise believe, all kids absolutely need breakfast. Without it, they stand the risk of drudging their way through a sluggish morning devoid of any nutrients and minerals that feed the body and mind with energy.

You don’t need to be super creative when planning breakfast for your children, but you should know that there are plenty of options and possibilities and shouldn’t lose sight of this fact. Let’s take a look at some of the things you may want to consider.

If you have waffles for breakfast, why not make extra sometimes? That way you could freeze some to use at a later date. This could come in handy if you are running late. Just pop a couple of them in the toaster and then add a topping of your choice.

The most important part about breakfast is making sure that you’re consuming foods that are good for the body. Don’t neglect this small point, as the energy the right foods give will be a great contributor to a great day.

A couple of slices of toast in the morning are a good alternative, topped off with a bit of jam, a glass of fruit juice and away you go. Or if you prefer the cereal in the morning, why not try a slice of fruit with it?

A glass of milk contains plenty of vitamins and goodness that your kids need. If you are running late, why not give them a breakfast bar to keep them going.

It will seem a long time from breakfast to lunchtime, so it is vital that you make sure that you send your kids off to school with a nice full tummy.

Book for Kids with Parents with Chronic Illness

We’ve recently come across a great little booklet you can print out and staple together to have a tool that is interesting to your kiddo to explain multiple sclerosis. We know that the people who have MS are just a percentage of our visitors here, but it may provide some helpful ideas to even create your own booklet or talking points about your disease. This is also a great resource if you are a church member or resource center and looking for more tools for helping children cope with a parent with chronic illness. This one is called “Someone You Know Has MS: A Book For Families” and is 38 pages long.

This booklet for kids with parents with chronic illness was obviously put together with great purpose and skill. It has fun cartoon-like photos that kids are naturally drawn to, easy language, and good content. For example, kids as, “Why did this happen in my family?” It helps kids answer the questions other kids may have such as “Will your mom die?” or “Will you catch it?”

The booklet also explains some things that are hard for mom now and how she may use some assistive devices like a cane or wheelchair that may be a bit embarrassing for kids.

And it concludes with feelings, how to do fun things together as a family, and how the family may even get involved in advocacy or fundraising and awareness events.

Regardless of your illness this free booklet is worth downloading and printing out and just replace some of the information on multiple sclerosis to your own disease and read it with your child. It’s a great tool to start conversation and validate what your kids may be feeling and are not verbally talking with you about. This is also an excellent resource for teachers and if you are a parent with an illness, pass along a copy to his or her teacher so s/he gets some refresher tips on handling kids’ questions.

Lisa and her daughter

The moment I gave birth to my daughter Elizabeth in December of 1989, I felt a stab of fear—her head was so small, so deformed. Within 12 hours, I was told she had been profoundly disabled by congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus). The neonatologist said, “If she lives, she will never roll over, sit up, or feed herself.”

He was right.

Writing (and Scripture) was how I dealt with my initial shock and grief–organizing my thoughts of despair by getting them down on paper stopped them from endlessly swirling around and overwhelming me. Getting my revelations and stories inspired by Elizabeth published made me feel less alone as I connected with others. Sharing my story with others not only healed my own soul, but according to the letters I received from readers, my candid thoughts were also bringing some healing to them. Eventually, even my sense of humor returned and I found that I was able to start writing about other things.

Many writers have asked me, “How can I get my story published?” In order to share what has (and has not) worked for me, I’ve written a FREE e-book, “How to Publish and Promote Your Work,” to help others find the same satisfaction I felt when publicly sharing my thoughts. To download it visit the web site post, Free “How to Get Published” E-Booklet and click on the “Get Published” button.

When trying to get a non-fiction book published, it is required to submit a book proposal. The publisher for my recently released book, “Anything But a Dog! The Perfect Pet for a Girl with Congenital CMV,” which is about a big, homeless dog’s devotion to my disabled daughter, gave their permission for me to include my book proposal in my free e-book. Readers can use it as a guide for their own proposals.

Share your soul!
Lisa Saunders

Note from Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries: I had the opportunity to read this ebook and it’s a gem. Lisa writes it from the heart, but also provides some special stories and examples that will help you piece together your own story for a book, an article or more. It’s a wonderful tool I recommend.

Regardless, this new book What the Bible Is All About for Moms is a wonderful book that will help you find a few precious moments to get into the Word and be encouraged. It’s far more fulfilling then a few inspirational parenting quotes you will find floating around in emails.

Here is an interview with the author I think you will enjoy!
Lisa

___________________________________________________

First, a little bit about you and how this book came to be…

So, let’s chat. I love chatting! And meeting new people, especially moms. I am a mom, I have a mom, and I have worked with moms for years as a childbirth educator. And my writing style is much like my teaching style, telling things like they are with truth, humor and transparency.

I hated it when the instructor told me in Lamaze class that the contractions wouldn’t hurt. That was simply not true. And I vowed then and there that everything I did in life had to be truthful, but that sometimes the truth hurts so humor tempers lots.

Anyway, I have four kids, two adult sons, 28 and 25 and two younger daughters, eleven and thirteen, and for those who wonder about the gap, our third child was actually the only one truly, truly planned for the time she arrived, as she was adopted and brought home from Vietnam at five months of age.

My husband and I have been married for almost thirty years and met in college and have hung in and on ever since. We live in a small town in Central PA where he is a physician and I spend most of my time after three pm in the car.

The opportunity to write this book came to be as a result of a totally divine happenstance conversation I had with editor extraordinaire and grace dispenser Kim Bangs who invited me to submit a concept sheet and then proposal for this book.

Well, what about that soft spot for moms?

Moms have a tough job, don’t you think? We do have the Bible, and not to minimize that as an instruction manual in right living by any stretch of the imagination, but it tends to come in after friends and family and all their free advice, that can be pretty costly…

So the question arose, how can we take Biblical wisdom and stories, role models and examples, and weave them into relevant (and funny) stories to encourage moms? I know I need encouragement! Everyone else’s kids may be perfect, but mine are NOT. And, shocker, neither am I. But guess what? Neither were many of the moms, ok, all of the moms in the Bible. Remember, Jesus has the corner on the market in the perfection department, so God has provided lots of examples of moms and how they dealt with different situations, similar to what current day moms deal with. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun. But, the story of the Bible is one of redemption, and moms need to remember that.

So, the opening story for Genesis, is titled, “E is for Eve and Epidurals.”

So, tell us a little bit about how the book is laid out, and who is Henrietta Mears?

The book is inspired by the writing of Henrietta Mears, renowned Bible Teacher from Hollywood Presbyterian Church in the 1940’s and on. She believed in making the Bible accessible to everyone, and wrote her hallmark publication, What the Bible is All About, and was the founder of Gospel Light Publishing, Regal’s (the publisher of this book) parent company. So Regal has now published two devotionals inspired by her writing.

The book is comprised of 66 chapters, one for each book of the Bible, each one bit sized for busy moms.

Each chapter starts off with a brief section entitled “Snapshot from Henrietta” which serves as a basic overview for that particular book of the Bible. It is then followed by selected Scriptures, also inspired by the writing of Miss Mears, with one specific Scripture from among her selections highlighted. This Scripture is one that has particular relevance to moms.

A short one sentence synopsis precedes each story under the heading, “Momento” and then is followed by the story under the heading, “Mama Mia” which focuses on a mom or mom theme.
Each story is followed by an encouragement, “Lightening the Mother Load” and then closes with questions for reflection under “Musings for Moms.”

Tell us a little about the stories!

Every mom who has gone through labor can relate to labor pain. Well, it says there right in the Bible, women will experience pain in childbirth, so E is for Eve (the grande dame mama) and epidurals…

Then there are others, like, “Bath”-Is That for Bathing or Bathsheba? (Being noticed and admired…); “White Teeth and Plastic Surgery” (paying attention to appearances); “Mean Girls 101” (raising great daughters); and “Too Much Idling Will Ruin Your Engine” (Gossiping).

But the stories are relevant, honest, and will result in many nods of recognition. I am simply the scribe (oh, and experiencer of most of the stories, which are all true, although some names have been changed….)

But aren’t Moms too busy to read?

I will be the first mom to admit that we are busy…and I often fall asleep at night, sometimes drooling, while trying to read. But these chapters are bite sized, uplifting and include lots of Scripture, and can be read on the go. They are great for the car or purse. Plus, with the Bible overview, if you have friends who don’t think the Bible is particularly relevant, or not for them, this is perfect to introduce them to the Bible as the real deal!
Is this for all moms, or just young moms?

The challenges that moms face are really universal throughout their lifetime. It may be a different story, but ultimately it is the same script. It may be sleepless nights with a colicky baby, but problems and not understanding what is wrong continues with your kids through a lifetime (sorry, if you have young kids you probably didn’t just want to read this…)
It includes single moms, young moms, older moms, and moms who aren’t yet moms. There are struggles in yearning to be a mom and God’s answers and timing that are also written about with bittersweet honesty.

Have you had experience with tough times in parenting?

Absolutely. But because God is in the grand business of redemption, while it doesn’t condone wrongs, He will use mistakes to help us reach out to others. I have experienced crisis pregnancy, pregnancy loss, infertility, adoption and motherhood as a young fool, and older fogie…remember, we have seventeen years between number one and four. Our adult sons have had struggles (one son’s struggle with substance abuse is what paved the way to my relationship with Christ) and just real life issues, which would make it into my annual Christmas letter, and is why I no longer write one (no, I write a book instead…)

What kind of feedback have you had so far?

You know, it’s been really encouraging. Moms are relieved that they are not alone, that there is someone else who will acknowledge that they don’t have it all together (and don’t drive a clean car, either…) I have had so many women remark that they felt like I was just chatting with them over coffee, that the stories are so real to life. And that’s what we need isn’t it? Encouragement from others that we journey through life together, God loves us, will redeem our mistakes, and then enable us to share with the next sojourner on the journey of life.

What else would you like to share?

I would love for people to join the conversation, come stop by for a visit at my web site:  www.kathypride.com, also known as The Mennonite Diva. Friend me on Facebook, although there I listed my “full” name for some unknown reason, Katherine Pride (so formal) follow my blog on the home page of my website, and just hang out.

Wait just one minute…did you say Mennonite Diva? Tell me about that.

Sure. First of all, my message of encouragement to women is that they all need to release their Inner Diva’s. They are Divinely Chosen, Inspiring, Valued and Amazing. I worship at a Mennonite Church where I also serve as the Outreach and Missions Director, and I love pink and having fun. So please drop by!

Please visit Christian Speaker Services for more information about blog tour management services.

HopeLab describes their purpose as:

Rigorous research with innovative solutions to improve the health and quality of life of young people with chronic illness. We work closely with young people with chronic illness to understand their needs and to incorporate their critical and ongoing input into product development. We are committed to the scientific study of our interventions through formative research and outcome studies to ensure that these products and/or approaches are effective. HopeLab works to address diseases in which there is significant unmet need among young people and where we believe there is potential for HopeLab to have great impact:

• Cancer
• Obesity
• Sickle cell disease
• Autism
• Major depressive disorder

Some of the things they are up to include:

• First randomized, controlled multi-center research trial of a video game
• Measuring the efficacy of new products designed to increase tween activity
• Fun new products that tap the appeal of technology to motivate physical activity
• Harnessing video game technology to motivate positive health behavior
• In-depth interviews with tweens to understand the drivers and barriers to physical activity in their everyday lives

Related articles by Zemanta

• Snaptic and HopeLab Announce the Android “Move Your App” Developer Challenge (prweb.com)
• Snaptic Rolls Out Healthy Apps Challenge (geardiary.com)