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I remember sitting in the butterfly pose on the gym floor of the elementary school. I was wearing a pink leotard with a floral diamond embellishment on the chest and a pink tutu circled my 4-year-old waist. It was my first ballet class. The ballet teacher towered over us as she walked in between us. She stopped at me and made a brusque corrective comment, pushed down on my legs to deepen my stretch, and with her hands she not only firmly pushed down my legs but my spirit, too. I felt scared and ashamed by what I felt to ...
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On Telling the Stories We’re Too Afraid to Share (And How It Can Deepen Friendships- and Hope)
We met in church nursery – or at least that’s where we reconnected after a nearly two-decade hiatus. Eliza* and I had known each other as acquaintances in childhood, but when our family moved back ...
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It’s Too Dangerous to Love Myself
My story is not unlike those of countless other postpartum moms: pregnancy changed my body in ways I didn’t expect, and even once I lost most of the “baby weight,” I struggled to accept that ...
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Choose the Unpopular Path
My son, Jackie, plays basketball and it’s no wonder. By eighth grade he was towering over his peers at six feet. He’s great at shooting the ball, but lacks the agility to move around his ...
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Relevé
I remember sitting in the butterfly pose on the gym floor of the elementary school. I was wearing a pink leotard with a floral diamond embellishment on the chest and a pink tutu circled my ...
» READ MORE
» READ MORE
On Telling the Stories We’re Too Afraid to Share (And How It Can Deepen Friendships- and Hope)
We met in church nursery – or at least that’s where we reconnected after a nearly two-decade hiatus. Eliza* and I had known each other as acquaintances in childhood, but when our family moved back ...
» READ MORE
» READ MORE
Choose the Unpopular Path
My son, Jackie, plays basketball and it’s no wonder. By eighth grade he was towering over his peers at six feet. He’s great at shooting the ball, but lacks the agility to move around his ...
» READ MORE
» READ MORE
It’s Too Dangerous to Love Myself
My story is not unlike those of countless other postpartum moms: pregnancy changed my body in ways I didn’t expect, and even once I lost most of the “baby weight,” I struggled to accept that
» READ MORE
» READ MORE
The Unbirthday
In Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Alice stumbles upon a rather strange tea party in which she encounters the Mad Hatter and the March Hare known by all as utterly nutty. These poor fellows find ...
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When I Feel I am Too Much
Guilt is my go-to emotion. It is like that perfect little black dress that goes with anything. I can dress it up, I can dress it down. It works for every occasion! Honestly, I don’t ...
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Messages of Hope
Share messages of hope and encouragement with all to see by writing them on this easy DIY felt message board. Materials ½ yard black felt Spray adhesive Frame with backing (any size) Iron on letters: ...
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Beauty in Simplicity
Another Monday arrives, I feel the weight of yet another week coming: how will I keep the children entertained this week, will my activities measure up and am I doing enough as a mom? Will ...
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Into the Small Places
The world tells us that what matters most is the grand, the visible, the powerful. But Jesus speaks of children, mustard seeds and yeast (an organism so small it’s invisible to the naked eye!). His ...
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The Power of Your Table
You don’t have to look far to see weight issues and degenerative diseases like Type 2 diabetes afflicting families everywhere. It’s no longer just adults who are suffering, but now, children are diagnosed with these ...
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With Love
Hello Mama, September is clicking along in the MOPS office. We have been knee-deep in MOMcon preparation, MOPS Leader Certifications, the fall issues of The MOPS Magazine and Connections, and adding some new faces and ...
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Call for Submissions: Winter 2018 The MOPS Magazine
Submission Deadline: September 25, 2017 (600-900 word count) Be Gutsy Sometimes we don’t take responsibility for our lives. We carry the weight of expectations, feeling out of control over the pace and trajectory of our ...
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Top “Airmom” Moving Tips
Are you moving soon? It doesn’t matter if you are moving across town or across the country, it is hard to move. And it is a lot of work. We are a military family and ...
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The Path of Most Beauty
For many years, I believed God’s calling on my life had to be something I didn’t want to do. I’d heard story after story of people who believed they had been called not just outside ...
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I change. You change. Let’s change together.
Have you ever yelled at a friend? Like actually raised your voice? If not, then you probably don’t want to be my friend. Because in my adult life, I've yelled at more friends than I’d ...
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Brave Collective: Nashville
Traveling south from Nashville, Tennessee, the green hills are lined with white fences. It brings to mind gatherings around farm tables with home-cooked meals. The mood was set as Dalley Galuzzi, Jackie Alvarez and Mandy ...
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Brave Collective: NYC
We gathered in a second floor Long Island City apartment. It was a couple blocks from the waterfront and the first subway stop in Queens outside of Manhattan. We maneuvered the table into the living ...
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Encouraging Your Brave Collective
My four-year-old daughter happens to be the biggest fan of me doing the Brave Collective. No, really. She found a shirt with a feather on it and wears it every time I have a Brave ...
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