Hope When Waiting has you Weary and Worn Out
Hope When Waiting has you Weary and Worn Out

As a mom of four kids, 6 and under, I’m well acquainted with waiting, especially during the winter season when the 2 year old and 4 year old decide to exercise their independence.

I have a love/hate relationship with wintertime. Prior to having children, I loved winter. The coziness of a warm fire and a glass of cocoa set against the backdrop of a shimmering frost covered countryside was where it was at for me.

After having children, winter became a little less idyllic — a whole lot of time spent indoors, kids going crazy, momma trying desperately to keep small people healthy and sane, and a lot of waiting.

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Guest PostStephanie BeaulieuComment
Hope When Home for Christmas Isn't What it Was
Hope When Home for Christmas Isn't What it Was

Every morning on December 25th from 1983 until 2008, we paused Christmas to give full attention to celebrate birthdays. Wrapping a birthday gift in Christmas paper was highly frowned upon, punishable by shaming. For that one hour, we celebrated their birthdays.

Before returning to Christmas morning, there was the annual picture of the celebrants, my twin sisters sitting on each of my dad's knees. As you can imagine, they fit a little easier in the younger years, but tradition lived on. We have almost 25 pictures of them on my dad's knee, including when his face barely poked out from between his adult twins perched on his knee. 

And then came May 5, 2008— the day he realized he would see Jesus sooner than he thought, and August 17, 2009— the day he actually did.

Christmas wasn't the same. 

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Christmas, Tough StuffStephanie BeaulieuComment
Our Christmas Catastrophe [Longing for Home at Christmas]
Our Christmas Catastrophe [Longing for Home at Christmas]

Why I thought it was a good idea to purchase a real tree once we had small people to haul out in the freezing cold, and have the extra responsibility to keep the tree alive in addition to them, and clean up after a tree in addition to them, I'm not sure. But off we went. 

We headed out with our then 8 month old baby to buy our very first and very frozen real tree. 

I racked my brain to remember the steps for successful experience from lot to house. I remembered my dad always letting it thaw in the garage but I couldn't remember why so I figured it couldn't have been that important, plus I was impatient and eager to get the thing decorated.

My brilliant solution: let is thaw inside. It's warmer than the garage and will thaw faster.

To make a long story short, it did thaw faster with the added bonus of puddles of water and piles of wet, dead pine needles everywhere. It was. huge mess and my amnesia was cured.

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ChristmasStephanie BeaulieuComment
How the LifeWay Women's Forum is like Christmas Mornin'
How the LifeWay Women's Forum is like Christmas Mornin'

Who doesn't love Christmas morning? 

Though the theme of the LifeWay Women's Leadership Forum was Steadfast, the word permanently sown deep into my heart is ABUNDANCE — ample quantity; relative degree of plentifulness.

If Christmas morning were 3 days long, Forum would be it.

When going for an 11-course meal, one expects to be eased in with something on the lighter side — perhaps appetizers or soup. Not so at Forum. Every one of the 11 sessions (general and breakout alike) was a spiritual feast in the Word, with the Word. 

Bring stretchy pants for your soul. 

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EventsStephanie BeaulieuComment