Tag: mother

Picture Of A Baby

I do not know why this one picture makes me so happy.  Christina took it. I’ve never done months or even year pictures – I tend to choose the favorites sent to me by my kiddos since Christina was 10 & other family who are better at picture taking. 

Picture of a Baby

September 19, 2023

I do not know why this one picture makes me so happy.  Christina took it.  A friend gave us a blanket with months on it for Laud.  I’ve never done months or even year pictures – I tend to choose the favorites sent to me by my kiddos since Christina was 10 & other family who are better at picture taking.  It is not my forte.  (Also, I always forget) 

Once Louis gave Becky the “picture phone” (in 2012 that’s all it really did was take pictures) and she discovered her love of photography.  I also heard my father say, “I was never really there, I have the pictures and videos for your mom so I can relive it” a few times.  I know he loves that he left us a legacy of thousands of hours of family videos and so many pictures it literally takes weeks to watch them all – all digitized too.  But I wanted to be there.  I wanted to be in the moment.  I guess I’ve grown some, now I understand the “need” for having time stamped pictures.  I still don’t take them much. 

Christina fell in love with her baby brother – I knew they all would once he was born.  They tote him around and play with him, change him and burp him, and argue over who gets him.  Christina was more excited than I was over the blanket.  She said, “and we put Pooka (Laud’s stuffy) here.  Mom you have to keep that stuffy for all twelve pictures, it’s the marker.”

Yes, I will keep Laud’s special stuffy from Grandma so that you can mark the months – but Laud likes his giraffe from Mrs. Heather better.  (My kiddos call the giraffe “Bestie” – well, one of the team sisters who rides the afterschool van I drive calls him “Bestie-Billy-Bob-Jo.”)

When I look at this picture I’m overloaded with emotion.  Laud is still (barely, but still) wearing the girls’ favorite of his preemie outfits from Mrs. Hannah.  He’s my smallest miracle!  He was just over seven pounds at the time of the picture.   He’s only just in newborn and 0-3 month clothes at 6 weeks!  All of them are such little miracles!  I’ve been so blessed to enjoy 8 of them!  I have amazing friends who have blessed us with clothes, diapers, food, love, conversation, and so many things!  My baby looking so peaceful and tiny on his blanket reminds me of all the blessings we have in our life.  I’m so thankful for everything God has given us – especially for friends!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

As Happy As your Least Happy Child

As Happy As your Least Happy Child

A time-warp story from June 21, 2023

At church I heard something that made me laugh and shake my head.  The laugh was total irony.  It was a stab of truth.  “You are only as happy as your least happy child, and if you have a quiver full, sometimes you may be both happy and sad at the same time.” 

I laughed inside because the three days before this Sunday and that particular morning, I had been feeling stabbed repeatedly by three teenagers.  Periodically the younger ones would take turns deciding to pretend to be just like them and that was not encouraging.  

I wondered about that saying.  When the girls wound my heart with unthinking words or “mean” things, I have to remind myself of something I learned a while back that helps: people tend to show their innermost feelings like aggression, anger, desperation, irritation in a place they feel safe because humans in their deepest parts fear rejection.  When they know you won’t reject them or stop loving them, they feel safe and as such, end up showing their “worst side” to you.  

I understand that their sharp words or actions are reflecting something hurting them.  I will often try to find that something; usually not at that time as experience has taught me that when I say, “are you okay?” or “what’s bothering you?” when they are upset, I usually get a snapped, “nothing!” or “you!” which doesn’t help.  I’ll often try to broach the “what is hurting you?” question in a less explosive time.  Sometimes, it’s something small that felt huge at the time.  Other times it’s something that needs more discussion.  

But always, when I they hurt my heart with words, I pray for theirs and now remember something else: it is true that my smile can be on for Thea and I’m happily talking about her make believe lego world while we build our respective houses but my heart is sad because I know the “snap” was really something hurting their heart.  So yes, there’s a part of my heart that is always feeling the hurt from my least happy child even though another part is engaging with smiles at another – sometimes there’s four or five of us in a game yet one’s hurting; I totally feel those “both feelings at the same time.”   

I wondered about God and how we hurt his heart yet He always loves us.  He knows when we are hurting but unlike mothers and fathers, who don’t always know what is in the heart of their child, God knows our heart and sees everything within us.  Thank you, God, for loving us!  Thank you for giving us a heart for our children!  

Thank you for reading.

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Floor Blocks and Imagination

#2023 #Family #Pictures #Encourage #Imagination #FloorBlocks #HouseBlocks #BuildingHousesOutOfFoamFloorMatSquares #ProblemSolving #Boys #WatchWithWonder #Children #TheFascinatingImaginationOfAChild

January 29, 2023

Floor Blocks and Imagination

Uncle Buddy was purging his apartment and there were two truck-loads of stuff he thought we could use.  (Yes, we could, not that we knew it before it came)  One such item was three packs of floor blocks, you know, those spongy warm mats that you cover hard floors with to have a softer play surface.  We already had six squares of it under our swing in the back yard to keep feet from digging a ditch under the swing and nine squares in the playroom to bring out when it was too cold for bare feet on the hard floor.  

Lucas has a fantastic imagination and turned said floor cushions into… A house.  The original one was 1×2 squares in a perfect rectangle with a “door” panel they sealed behind themselves and “busted” out of with a sharp kick from both feet. 

It started in the living room, but there is more space in the playroom!  The house became 2×3 squares with a “portal” doorway complete with blanket carpets and pillows so they could sleep in it!  

Louis shook his head, “I don’t think they were made for that.”  And I shrugged, “no, but they work fine, don’t they?”  (Until a rambunctious boy-who-will-remain-unnamed dropped on the ceiling and broke it aka caved in the roof, made Thea cry and Jillian mad, and they had to rebuild said house.) 

Soon packing boxes (also from Uncle Buddy) were added to make rooms inside the house and prop up the roof as going bigger than 2×3 meant less stability in the middle.  They were finding ways to overcome the structural weakness and still expand their play house!  I loved all the problem solving that was going on!  

These large blocks also store in their bags when not in use.  I don’t know how often this will happen, but what I was saving for play surfaces in our shed while moving and in our future house when we finally get one, is now a house-building toy.  Lucas is always building big complex structures in his mega blocks, duplos, and legos.  I’m hoping to get him interested in carpentry or construction because once his football career (now he wants to be a football player in high school and college and the NFL – he better pray he gets height from Great-Grandpa Jim and Boompa!) is done, he might enjoy building things.  I totally encourage any type of hands-on skill as even though yes, the foam block houses won’t last long, the building and problem solving will present itself in other forms.  

What neat things have your kids done with their imagination lately?  I love to watch with sonder as they explore new things!  Sit back, let them play, and watch a world of wonder explode from their untamed imaginations!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Conquistador Classic 2023

#2023 #Family #Gratitude #Gratefulness #WGVGymnastics #WeAreFamily #SilverTeam #PlatinumTeam #ConquistadorClassic2023 #Fun #Gymnastics #MeetSeason2023 #Pictures #Thankful #Volunteer #Volunteering #LocalMeet #StAugustine #Florida #ILoveMyGymFamily #Encourage

January 23, 2023

Conquistador Classic 2023

The Conquistador Classic is our annual local meet!  It happens in Saint Augustine less than ten minutes from our gymnastics facility and most of our team parents and siblings volunteer there.  The insanely long driveway from the welcoming “World Golf Village” stone marquees on either side of a beautiful bridge over a ditch across from the Costco/Bucees light is one of the most stunning natural tunnels to drive through.  Large oak trees with scattered spanish moss touch branches together over the well-kept roadway.  Yes, when this Florida writer pens, “tunnel,” it means treetops over the road.

Jillian is competing Xcel Silver this year.  Her WGVG team took 3rd place!  She loves her team sisters and gets super proud of what they do – I hear all about Olivia’s amazing floor or how straight Sera’s form was on bars.  She got to volunteer after her meet as mom was carless at work & Grandma had to start work before Jillian’s meet was complete.  (All Photos are thanks to my amazing fellow Silver Moms!)

Waiting…
Xcel Silver
Introduction Wave
Waiting…
3rd Place!
Salute!

Kimberly is competing Xcel Platinum this year.  Her team is much smaller than it’s been in previous years.  She loved volunteering at her home meet this year.

One of our observing grandpas said, “I couldn’t tell our girls apart out there with all the matching outfits and hair – they all look alike!”  I love that!  We have matching leotards and warmups and an absolutely stunning (and fun!) hairstyle that I think makes them all look so professional.  One of my favorite parts of watching a meet is when the team steps forward and waves at their introduction – the girls are all smiles and glowing faces! (see “Introduction wave” in photos above)

I can’t help but get excited for them when meet season is on.  They travel, enjoy their teammates’ company, show off what they’ve been learning, and encourage each other.  Competition brings challenges that my girls have different feelings about.  Jillian loves the spotlight.  Kimberly gets nervous when she sees me watching her in practice.  Jillian gets a little goofy in front of a crowd, she’s working on that.  Kimberly overthinks and freezes, she’s working on that.  Like everything in life, there are challenges to be faced: time management (like planning 15 minutes of traffic delay for every hour of travel), overcoming nervousness (no freezing and looking stern, and no goofy giggling and going limp like a noodle), encouraging others and finding joy even when you haven’t had the best day (keep smiling and no complaining or blaming), getting up and doing it again when you fall (I was so proud of Kimberly in the first meet – she got back up and finished the beam skill), always doing your best in that moment, always having fun with the breath you’ve been given!  

I get to see Kimberly’s third meet!  It’s a Sunday in the early morning – which means mom & Kimberly & tag-along car ride to Kissimmee.  I love hanging out with my kids!  Long car rides are perfect because we have nothing better to do than play road games, talk, or car karaoke along with favorite songs.  (I’ve learned some newer songs this way – long car rides and PNO are the only reason I know all the words to every Descendents song)

I get to see both of their fourth and fifth meets!  We’ll all be riding together for the fifth one because it’s on the same day for both of them.  I’m excited to do meet hair!  (Crazy, I know, but I love it!)  I choose to enjoy every breath I’ve been given, wonder in every moment I get with them, and encourage them to whatever they want.  

Lots of crazy off-road travel for this writer’s brain today… but back to the amazing local meet that Grandma got to watch (because, it’s local!)… 

I pray for their hearts to be edified and encouraged by their coach and teammates.  I pray they are the lights to encourage and edify others.  I pray they always smile and enjoy what they love.  Kimberly loves “being in the air” and Jillian loves anything fast and strong.  

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

First Meet of the 2023 Season

Meet Season 2023 here we come! Long car rides, friendship bonds, encouraging teammates, and even little brothers stinking up the car…

January 20, 2023

First Meet of the Season

On January 12th I was working, but Jillian was on a long car ride down to Tampa with her teammate (I love the bonds our team sisters get!) to rest up for a 7am arrival at her first meet of the season!  

First off, I was coaching so my ten-year-old actually left the gym without even telling me bye!  No wave, no nothing, just run out with Kate and load her stuff in her friend’s mom’s car and go.  (My mom-self wasn’t sure what to think of that – but, I do raise my kids to be independent.) 

Secondly, I’m so thankful for my other Silver Moms at WGV Gymnastics!  Our girls practically live together and they love each other like sisters!  They do so much together.  We moms help look out for each other – even if its texts like “I4 is a nightmare, take xyz exit and get off” or how to navigate the strange new parking garage.  

This meet, I wasn’t physically there.  So two of my friends were sending me videos, pictures, and scores!  Did I mention how blessed I am to have my Silver teammate moms?

Louis drove Kimberly down for her 1:30pm time.  They left at 9:30 with a very exuberant Lucas.  His choice was “go to gym, do open gym, then come home and hang out with Becky and play video games” or “7 or 8 hours stuck in the car.”  Lucas squealed with delight and said, “7 or 8 hours in the car with you, Daddy!”  (My Mom heart almost exploded on that one… although I do know he really just wanted to fart Kimberly out of the car and eat everything on any billboard he could talk Louis into stopping for.)

Jillian got to watch Kimberly (she got dropped back off at the meet for Louis to drive her home).  Louis was giving me a play-by-play.  

Pictures because why not?  (all photo credits are either Kate’s Mom or Saedi’s Mom)

Fun memories and challenges!  I love the start of Meet Season!   *Actually, today, Jillian and Kimberly are at the Conquistador Classic (our local meet, yippee!) one competing and the other volunteering.  Jillian will finish the day volunteering after she’s done showing everyone how much she loves gymnastics.  Can’t wait to see pictures from this one!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Mary Did Know, Do You?

Sometimes I may think too deep
#2022 #Family #HistoricalThoughts #DidMaryKnow #DidMarysMotherKnow #RaisingGodsKids #ChildrenAreAnHeritageFromTheLord #Psalm127_3 #SpeakLife #ChooseTruth #TheyAreWatchingYou #MotherhoodIsAnHonor #FatherhoodIsAnHonor #Reward #Gift #Blessing #Love #ShePonderedInHerHeart

December 31, 2022

Mary Did Know, Do You?

I read a post today that said “Mary may have known, but her mother did not.”  

That hit me.  We sing the song “Mary Did You Know” which I love, but always mentally I remind myself that the Bible tells us “Mary pondered these things in her heart” regarding the Angel’s visit, the visits of the shepherds, magi, the Angel’s message for them to flee, even the time when they lost Jesus in the temple.  She was constantly pondering.  Considering, probably praying, “God, direct me.”  She knew what responsibility God had given her.  

But her mother?  Mary was favored by God.  Her mother must have brought her up in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.  The whole post was about this – Mary did know, her mother did not.

Don’t we all know?  I mean, not that every one of us carries Jesus or looks as the Creator of the World in our arms and ponders it in our hearts… but each of us who are mothers have carried at least one little child – don’t they all belong to God?  

I remember looking at my firstborn: tiny, beautiful face and long eyelashes, strong little fingers with a tremendous grip, perfect tiny toes, I drank in every little detail of her sweet, fragile body.  We prayed over her because we knew she belonged to God.  Even her name was a promise from us; Christina Elizabeth means “Believer in Christ, Servant of God,” it was our promise that we would do our best with the few years God gave her to us.  

Each little one afterward I’ve felt the same utter joy and overwhelming responsibility.  They are God’s kids, not mine.  I get the honor of mothering them and we get to raise them; pointing them in the right direction.  Our prayer is that they take on the responsibility for their relationship themselves and continue to grow in grace and love.  

Mary did know what honor God had given her.  Mary’s mother knew only that she was raising a daughter of Israel, a girl who would become a woman.  I imagine that all mothers whispered in their hearts to their daughters before Christ’s birth, “live true, child, it may be you through whom the God of our Fathers chooses to bring the Saviour of the World.”  I imagine that Mary’s mother’s mother whispered the same thing to her.  They lived in the wonder of hope and faith.  They believed in the future reality and each prayed she would be the girl given the honor; each woman didn’t know if their daughter may be the one chosen by God, but they chose to raise their daughters to be wives and mothers to honor God.  

They heard or read as we still do, “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” ~Psalm 127:3  Children are a blessing, a reward, a gift God gives us to give back to Him. 

No, we do not know what plans God has for our children, but we can pray for their path and lead them to an understanding of God’s love.  We are all entrusted with raising our children for a time, but they all truly belong to God.  

Thank you, Jesus, for the honor of motherhood!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Shifting Time, Adapting Traditions

November 15, 2022

Shifting Time, Adapting Traditions


Yesterday a notification from my calendar app popped up on my phone.  It read, “Pearson Family Thanksgiving at Mom & Daddy’s.”  It was an old recurring appointment I’d just never deleted.  I guess I hoped we’d restart it someday.  The recurring day was always the 15th of November and time was set as 4pm to 7pm just because my app in 2010 with my first smartphone didn’t allow “all day” appointments to give me day-before notifications.

Why would our family Thanksgiving be on the 15th instead of the fourth Thursday of each November?

Good question: here’s the historical answer…

It started after the first year Louis and I got married.  We had just tried to do Thanksgiving at his family’s (Grandma Jeanette’s house) and then Thanksgiving at my family’s – and were exhausted and Louis complained he was too full from one place to eat half of what he wanted to taste at my parent’s house.  Same happened at Christmas!  At least the food part wasn’t a big issue at Christmas.  His family always did presents and stuff at the crack of dawn (not really, but early) and my family usually had a big breakfast, tried all the kids’ patience, setup everything, made sure all the service workers had gotten a good nights’ sleep so it was later and lasted longer.  Christmas was easy.  Morning with his family, afternoon with mine.  

Plus, as the second year holidays approached, we realized that three of us (Louis, Katy, and Becca) worked service industry and didn’t have the actual Thanksgiving Day off.  Hmm… That made the decision even easier!  I approached my Daddy with an idea: what if, we celebrated Thanksgiving on Mom’s birthday each year instead of actual Thanksgiving Day – of course, they could still do the actual Thanksgiving, but the Travel Thanksgiving Day celebration when we all got together would be Mom’s birthday.  Daddy said, “two feast days for Thanksgiving?  Great idea.”  (or something very similar to that, I don’t remember the exact words)

We started celebrating Thanksgiving with my family on November 15th, my Mother’s birthday!  It was perfect, service industry workers could easily ask and get a random day a week and a half before the start of the holiday rush (pre-Nights-of-Lights for us Saint Augustinians), and we’d always make or buy a cake for Mom!  It was perfect!  (Then we could go to our own thing or for us, go to Louis’ family celebration on Thanksgiving Day, if we were off – Louis usually tried to make an appearance; even it is was briefly.)

Lots of stuff has happened to my birth family and we’ve tried to keep that tradition alive, but it isn’t happening this year.  Instead, we are hosting Thanksgiving for anyone able from 11/23 to 11/27.  A few of our family will be in town and able to visit.  Maybe some friends might pop in over those off-days (we are off work and the girls on break from college, Louis is on call, but he’s always on call) – family and friends make for fun days full of memories!  

I smiled at the notification because it today would mark four full years since we’d gone over to Mom and Daddy’s for “Pearson Thanksgiving on Mom’s Birthday” and all my older girls remember “two Thanksgiving parties” every year!  Lucas attended some, but doesn’t remember them.  Thea hadn’t ever been.  

So many things shifted in our family that now, getting days off before Thanksgiving, when most of us are on vacation is like “really?” and two of our children are grown (okay, Becky’s not legally an adult yet, but I consider her one) so I want our home to be the gathering place.  I want to be like Grandma Jeanette, the “glue” that holds the family together.  I want everyone to feel welcome and this year we’ve officially started opening our home to anyone during holidays (it feels like we have more space even though we don’t).  Not that we didn’t say it before “oh, you can just come by” no, this year we sent out timelines to family and have offered verbal invitations to friends of our kids and their families.  I want to be the fun memory-making place – and it won’t matter that we won’t be in this house next year for any of the fall holidays, our new place will be the new gathering place.  I want to build memories so my younglings keep coming back – even if one day they show up and say, “Dad, Mom, can we do Thanksgiving at your house on your anniversary instead of actual Thanksgiving Day?” – and yes, we’ll shift with the time to accommodate what our youngsters and their growing families need… but that’s WAY in the future, right?  

(Who am I kidding?  It seems like yesterday I proposed the question to my Daddy…)

Thank you for Reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

God Knows You

This week in Sunday School, our children are focusing on “God Speaks.” One of the wonder truths in our curriculum is basically that God knows you! God knows every person, He knit them together (No one is an accident!), He knows everything about their hearts, minds, and souls (Every single hair is numbered!), and He loves each of us just as we are (All of God’s Creation is beautiful!). …and enter a favorite story that taught me about that truth…

November 7, 2022

God Knows You


This week in Sunday School, our children are focusing on “God Speaks.”  One of the wonder truths in our curriculum is basically that God knows you!  God knows every person, He knit them together (No one is an accident!), He knows everything about their hearts, minds, and souls (Every single hair is numbered!), and He loves each of us just as we are (All of God’s Creation is beautiful!).  

This love is perfect and unconditional.  

One of the stories that hit my heart as a child was that of a little Irish girl who prayed every day for blue eyes.  Her family had blue eyes and she wanted lovely blue eyes!  She considered her brown eyes dull and plain.  This story caught my 5-year-old heart because I had blue eyes and loved the way God made me, but I thought the most beautiful eyes in the world were those that looked like warm chocolate drops – honey brown.  Though I’d never prayed for different eyes, hair, or other features, I understood thinking that a feature of my body was plain and thinking someone else had the most beautiful.

Every night she would pray for blue eyes and when she looked in the mirror she would be sad because she still had brown eyes.  Her mother told her that God had a plan for her lovely brown eyes.  One day the girl grew up.  She decided to be a missionary and was sent to India.  

The people of India distrusted the white-skinned, blue-and-green eyed people who spoke of only one God who loved.  The unknowns often scare people.  The young woman’s missionary group wanted to enter a temple in India to find out if the horrible stories of little girls being sold to the temples was true.  But they were never allowed in; even when they tried to disguise themselves – always their bright blue or green eyes gave them away as strangers.  

But this young missionary had brown eyes!  She dyed her skin with coffee, dyed her hair to be dark brown, and dressed as the local people.  They let her into the temple!  Her brown eyes did the trick!  There she prayed “thank you, God, for making my beautiful brown eyes!” 

This young woman was Amy Carmichael, later known by the temple slave girls as “Amma” or Mother.  Her lifelong ministry, the rescue of thousands of young girls, would never have been possible had she had blue eyes!  God knew what plans he had for her.  

Just as God knew Amy and the plans He had for her, He knows the plans He has for you, for me.  

I am a planner; I always have a range of plans for the day, the week, the year, twenty years, etc, but I’ve learned that God knows me better than I know myself and though I may make and try to follow my plans, I always have to leave room for God to change them!  

Just a wonderful thought to think upon this week ~ God knows you.  God loves you!  What does it take from you?  You just have to choose to follow Him.  (My Daddy used to say, “and that’s the simple to confound the wise.”) 

Thank you for Reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

The Many Faces of Thea

#Theadora #TheManyFacesOfPreschoolers #PreschoolerMoods #Preschool #GymNLearn #WGVGymnastics #CanMyThreenagerListen #IndependentThreeYearOld #OnlyMineForASeason #ICanDOItMyself #Faces #Pictures #MomSometimesIsntReady #TheyAreReadyBeforeMe #ILoveBeingAMother

The Many Faces of Thea

November 1, 2022


This is Theadora. 

I said “let me get a picture of your cute hair!” 

Seriously?  This child cracks me up with her faces!

They are: “I’m Thea” (top left), “I’m Coach Heather” (top middle), “I’m sad” (top right), “I’m sassy” (bottom left), “I’m Becky” (bottom 2nd from left), “I’m really mad” (bottom 2nd from left, “I’m a listening baby” (bottom right).

She loves everything her way and her biggest challenge right now is learning that she must listen to the teacher, coach, big sister, grandmother, or parent who is doing the teaching!  

She absolutely loves gymnastics (she does only Fridays at Gym-N-Learn this season).  Supposedly, her coach says she’s doing better at listening.  I hope so.  The reason it’s Fridays only? So I can bribe her with open gym participation if she listens!  (Seriously, our open gym is immediately following Preschool Program – and that seems to work.) 

Thea is a very independent three.  I think “going on thirty” but then maybe she’s just “chasing Becky and Jillian” in the attitude department – and their determination has started to serve them well in practice and life.  Thea wants to do everything herself – always has.  That appears to be a huge thing for my children though, they always want to do whatever it is by themselves.  It leads to them doing tasks and jobs before I think they are ready.  (Taking the PERT or driving a motorized “big wheeler” at two or jumping into CAP leadership or raising animals or cutting potatoes.)  

I always have to remind myself that Thea is only mine for a season.  She is really Jesus’ daughter and I have the honor and blessing of being her mother.  I enjoy each of her various faces and moods.  I love to watch them grow.  I love to guide them toward the truth.  

That’s all what went through my brain while she posed with silly faces telling me what emotion or what person she was being.  

Thank you for reading, 

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Encouragers: The Lady Who Smiles

The Lady Who Smile. Never underestimate the power of your small gesture!

Encouragers: The Lady Who Smiles

October 3, 2022

Some days you just need to be encouraged.  Most often, you don’t realize how important this encouragement is to your mood until someone does encourage you.  As Christians we are admonished to be encouragers.  As iron sharpens iron, we are to help each other: build each other up, edify, support, and speak truth in love. 

There’s a sweet lady who serves as a greeter at our church.  Her smile is absolutely beautiful.  The power of truth in her joy radiates from this smile to warm your heart as soon as you notice her standing at the doorway.  She always says good morning and is far better with names that I am as she often greets people by their first names.  (I try to be good with names, it’s something I’m training myself to do, but I often mix up my own kids or call moms by their daughter’s names and quickly attempt correction by saying, so-and-so’s mom – who am I kidding?)

I was feeling rather low this particular Sunday morning.  A lot has been pressing down on my heart lately – mostly financial, but then, that is a constant mental fight for me.  It goes something like this: Look how poor you are; you can’t even go to xyz (one of the girls’ gymnastics meets, a sister-cousin’s party, a group trip to some amusement park, etc.).  You didn’t send them to Passion Camp this year.  You don’t even own a house.  Such a failure, your dream was stability for your children so they would have a home.  You left a good-paying job… twice.  You chose less and your children pay for it by having to work for the things other kids just get. You have to eat what the food bank gives you.  You pick up underwear from a giveaway group! How selfish can you be to work where you enjoy rather than in a career that would provide better for your children? 

I fight that with: I am so thankful for fellow gym moms allowing my girls to carpool and enjoy their friend-time. They enjoyed sister-time this summer.  God has provided a house for us where my dream of family being close is a reality!  I am chosen by God.  I chose family and integrity, respectively.  My children value the things they have to work for and as they understand the concept of having to work for a gift they give, they appreciate every gift they get more!  God supplies our needs each week.  I’m so thankful for my hand-me-down giving and receiving friends and the Buy-Nothing group!  I have my dream job and am so super thankful for it; A Christian boss who allows me to bring my children when needed, we work schoolwork at the front desk, we’ve relied on work internet for accessing schoolwork courses and even the renting of our home more than a few times, my girls all have had an awesome first job experience, I work for family!

At those times when my mind is a mental battlefield and I force myself to dig deep into thankfulness (I think or speak my “I’m thankful fors”), a little encouragement goes a long way.  Just the fact that the smiling lady at the church doorway remembers my name correctly and can connect me with my girls (who beat us there, again, even though we left first!) gives me such encouragement!  When she says something like “you are such a good mother!” and I can feel the truth in her compliment, it is all I can do to respond with “thank you” and not cry.  I’m so grateful to God for the currently uncountable times the sweet lady has lifted my mood and encouraged me – I end up thanking God for her and that He knows my mental battles.  He knows that small gesture means the world to me. 

I walk in, I worship, I walk out, and usually I feel invisible.  That’s okay to me on the surface because it is so challenging for me to approach someone because I’m so scared of messing up with social interaction with other adults.  It’s the walk to the church gym that makes my head rise – I’m so totally ready to serve children.  Put me in front of children and I’m super confident!  (mom, coach, kid’s ministry assistant, leader, etc.)

I know how much a small bit of encouragement helps me so when God touches my heart to say something to another adult, I have been listening lately.  A compliment, a congratulations, a mention of how well-behaved their child was, encouragement that they are doing a good job as so-and-so has accomplished xyz goal… That is so super hard for me as a human!  I can only encourage other adults because Jesus gives me strength! 

(If you ever reflect on my interactions with you and you have a child I know, notice I often talk to the child first?  Yes, I’m so much more comfortable starting with the little ones!)

My challenge to myself is always to listen to God’s nudge of a quiet voice and offer encouragement to whomever He leads into my path.  I make it my challenge to you.  Encourage.  Even a smile and “Good Morning!” goes a long way sometimes!  I’m speaking from my own personal experience.  What you are really saying to that person is “I see you.”

Thank you to those who serve as greeters at our Good News Church!  Thank you for those who know my name!  Thank you for making me feel seen.  Thank you for encouraging me and helping me pass that on and encourage others.  If you are an encourager; KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!

Thank you for reading,

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

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