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I'm not a stay-at-home mom

2/27/2015

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I'm not at Stay at Home Mom.
I'm not a Working Mom.
I'm a stay at home mom, who works for The Navigators.
But I don't have childcare. I don't have regular hours. And my work revolves around the schedule of college students. I stay home most of the time (except for when I'm on campus) and I have people in my home a LOT of the time.

So what does this mean? How does it work?

I was prepared that it would feel weird to be in this place. I talked with many Navs Moms who went before me and said you don't feel like you fit in either camp. You don't relate with SAHM and you don't relate with working moms (because you do almost all your work with your kiddos). You're raising babies on a college student schedule. You don't have day care. You have a lot of work. You don't stay at home but you also don't leave your home (but you have a lot of people IN your home). And you bring your toddlers to campus - It is weird!

This last week seems to be a good example of what my life looks like. On Fridays, I've been hiring a student to babysit my kiddos so I can go meet and train our staff woman, and another student.  Then I get home at lunch time, tuck my kids in for naps and meet with the student who just finished babysitting my kiddos. What a day!

This last Friday it was Krista (the student who babysits) birthday and I didn't think it was fair to have her babysit on her birthday. So instead- I took my girls with to bring her and a few Navs friends out for breakfast.  It seems simple enough. But let me share how this works and some details..

Breakfast for a 2 and 3 year old falls at quite a different time than the average student who has no class on Fridays.
By the time I had cut my kids pancakes, put on syrup and butter, gotten their juice and straws ready, unwrapped silverware, given napkins and looked at my plate. The students were over half way done with their breakfast.
And when you take your kids to the bathroom quick before bringing the students home- and find yourself in a stall with two toddlers, poop, and no toilet paper left- let's just say it gets interesting.

So there's one morning in my campus/home life.

Then there is Staff Meeting. I invited our staff for lunch this week as a way to catch up with them (it's easier to catch up while your kids are eating, amen?) before our meeting. Hoping that would help us all to feel connected before getting down to business. So I have normal morning with kids, do a craft (where glue explodes ALL over our clean dining room) I play store with kids. I pick up house.  I make lunch, I get table ready, staff shows up, we eat, staff goes downstairs for staff meeting, I clean up, I put kids down for naps, I take a minute to like go to the bathroom and look in the mirror (cleaning up the glue that exploded at morning craft time) and casually walk down to staff meeting as if all I have thought about all day is our staff meeting agenda... or not. Did I tell you I can only stay at the meeting for a few minutes because I need to take a nap? And I need to get ready to watch our neighbor kids who come to our house after school.  Yeah I'm not a SAHM, I'm not a working mom, I have no childcare. But I have kids. I work. And I stay home almost all of the time (inviting others in to our home most of the time).

And then yesterday- our Navs Banquet. I invited a student to help Ellie, Josie and I make trifles. I figured if there were two adults and two kids, we might actually accomplish something? So we bake, we make a big mess. Student is very helpful. But then she goes home, I clean up kitchen, feed children lunch, clean up kitchen some more. We all nap. I watch neighbor kids after school, I finish trifles. I send neighbor kids home. I send Noah with kids to pick up babysitter so I can have approximately 7 minutes to dress up, do my hair, put on makeup and pretend I can go "hang out" with college students at a fancy banquet. I print outlines. I grab nametags. I write instructions for babysitter. I set out PJ's and supper. I set out clothes for Noah so he can run upstairs and change so we can go pick up students on our way to the banquet. And when I get there I sit next to someone who tells me, "This was stressful getting ready for the banquet. I tried on so many outfits, I couldn't figure out what to wear. I think I went through NINE outfits."

Yes, yes stressful to get ready for this banquet (Good thing my shoes are matched and I took off that shirt that was covered in glue, oh that was yesterday. I mean covered in trifle.) I am not a SAHM, I'm not a working mom. I have no childcare, but I have kids and I work, and I stay home most of the time- except for when I'm on campus with the college students, and often my toddlers.

And when we don't get to bed until midnight, you know what? My husband is gracious enough to let me sleep in a bit- so he takes my 3 year old to campus with him this morning at 7:30 am to put up signs and prepare a room for National Collegiate Day of Prayer (which is today!)  He calls it a "campus date" and my 3 year old is THRILLED to get this time with her daddy. Because her daddy spends lots of time on campus, has to schedule his life around college students, stays up late speaking at NN and taking home babysitters. And cleaning up trifle bowls. And still gets up the wee hours of the morning to get ready for work, to read the Word, to care for our girls, and to help this mama. Who isn't a SAHM, but isn't a working mom, who has no childcare, and who LOVEs ministering to college students. Even though it's messy, and at times very inconvenient, and definitely tiring. But so so worth it.

So would you take a minute to pray for us and for our students and for our work on campus? Today is the National Collegiate Day of Prayer- and we are realizing more and more each day how much we are relying on HIM who gets it- who gets us- who knows just what we need.


He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.


When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.  
--Annie Johnston Flint
[Ok, so the Nat'l Collegiate Day of Prayer was yesterday, and we didn't get this post up til today.  I am not a SAHM.... well, you get the picture :) ]
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Curly girl!

2/10/2015

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If you are reading this to read about our ministry, or what God is teaching us or shaping us as parents, just move on from this post. It's one of my most trivial posts ever... but leads to my best birthday gift.. ever!

Well, I've always had a special bond with curly-haired friends, because they just GET IT! But I feel like I've had quite the hair journey...

At age 12 my parents had just bought a beautiful newer home and our family was, well, living on a VERY tight budget. We were pinching pennies everywhere. And so my mom decided to cut our hair rather than taking us to the cheapo salon we had gone to.

<<< BAD IDEA>>>

When you're already at the awkward stage of life, don't really have the money to do things your peers are doing (or wear anything remotely fashionable) just give your kid a decent hair cut ;) But for real, my poor mom felt awful and learned then and there how DIFFERENT curly hair is.

Enter the years of triangle hair, frizz, not knowing how to care for my hair, etc. And I started straightening it. And when I say straightening I mean washing at night, blow drying for a LONG time, sleeping on it, getting up and straightening it with a flat iron for A LONG time. My hair was not meant to be straight. It was a lot of work. I have a vivid memory of spending over an hour straightening it--- before going on a youth group trip to ... THE LAKE! I was crazy and had no idea how to care for my hair.

Even my mom realized what a problem we had that she started paying to get my hair chemically relaxed (like what African American's do with their super textured hair). My hair was high maintenance I guess! So I had straight hair for a few years, and then got to high school, and my frizz had lessened a bit and I started just wearing it curly and being like any busy high schooler- just wash and go.

And that brings me to college- where I washed my hair EVERY SINGLE DAY! I remember living in the dorms and getting up at 6 am to go for pre-student teaching and dunking my hair in the nasty sink just to get it wet so I could go with "curly" hair... And it was fine. But looking back, I needed some help!

And that brings me to Champaign- where my dear friend introduced me to Deva Curl- a  method of cutting and caring for curly hair that has rocked my world. I got a book- "Curly Girl" and started LOVING my curls. I went from saying I would NEVER buy expensive shampoo... to buying expensive shampoo, conditioner and gel! (AHH!) It's a major splurge- but trust me, a priority I budget for and so worth it! And then I found myself paying for REAL haircuts! But when your grandma even says, "YOu need to keep going to that salon- your hair just looks so nice" you listen, and keep going.  {I miss this salon sooo much and my stylist takes MONTHS to book with, so I long for the day to get back to my favorite stylist in Champaign.. someday!) But anyway..

This leads me to my birthday... and how I can't believe I asked for (and got) the best birthday gift ever....

a hair dryer. Like the one you sit under at the salon.  It seems insane, but in thinking about it I realized I had lived 15 years of my life with WET HAIR all of the time!!! It takes 6-8 hours to dry and I wash it every day... so that means LOTS OF WET HAIR!!! I feel like it's a day at the spa every time I wash my hair and care for my curls and sit under my hair dryer while reading my Bible and dry my hair!

And I only have to wash my hair every other day or even less. And I finally have found a way to care for these curls God gave me so many years ago... just in time to start teaching my kiddos how to be curly girls :-)  So if you're out there with curly hair that you are keeping hidden, don't do that! Put away the straightener and let me introduce you to DEVA CURL! I have gotten SO many friends on board - I don't know if I should ffee bad (since it's expensive) or ask for a commission (since they LOVE their curls finally!)

All I can say is, it's AWESOME to be a curly girl :)
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Noah's Monday update: 2/9/15

2/9/2015

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Hey friends,

We're in the thick of the semester and exciting things are happening.  This evening, we'll be hosting the Nav Men at our house for our weekly Discipleship Group (small group Bible study).  Katie provides the treats and snacks, and the guys love it!  This semester we're examining the book of 1 Peter, using a study I put together.  You can check it out below if you'd like to see what we're doing or join us in the studying the book yourself.  I'd be happy to send you a copy!

Last week, we discussed study #1, an overview of the book.  Part of this involved giving the book our own title.  One student, who has just become a Christian in recent months titled it:  "Suffering:  God's gift to us."  Wow!  Profound insight from a new believer!  Paul taught this in Philippians 1:27-30 (ESV)...
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
This young man is learning first-hand in his life that following Jesus will entail suffering.  But back in 1 Peter, he's anticipating a message of hope in the midst of suffering as well.  And that gives him the courage to move forward!

Please pray for our men (and women!):  that they'll dive wholeheartedly into this study (despite the many distractions they face).  We're anxious to see the Lord transform them as they study and apply His word!

Thanks for praying!

-Noah
spring_2015_uww_navs_1_peter_study.pdf
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