The Saturday Six

One.

I've had a couple of people ask if there's any kind of fundraiser or donation site set up for my friend Michelle and her family. They actually do have a GoFundMe page that someone set up for them, so I'll give you that link in case you're interested.

Two.

One of my friends sent me this link because, as she so articulately stated it, she knows I sometimes have "ring separation anxiety." YES I DO! Do not make me take off my wedding ring! I get very cranky! I've seen these kinds of rings before, but I liked these styles in particular!!

Three.

I love these paper art projects. I feel like these are the sorts of things I have enough talent to accomplish. It's almost like quilting with paper.

Four.

This is a really cute little laundry cove. It's similar to ours (though we have front loaders) and has much more personality than ours does. I am trying to figure out what to do to make ours a little less sterile looking. Since it does my laundry, I do want it to be somewhat actually sterile. LOL!

Five.

One of my jobs at the school where I volunteer is to unpack preschoolers' lunches for them. I've learned that Lunchables are extremely popular options for busy moms to pack. Here are some ideas for making your own similarly styled (but homemade) lunches. Cute!


Six.

Source

I am excited to tell you about the latest book I've read, because I have a feeling several of you are in the target audience for this one! And even though I'm technically not, I have to buy the hard copy of this book and do proper underlining and note-taking, because I learned so much from it that can help me as a friend to others! (I read a digital pre-release copy. Can't properly mark that up!)

I met Brenda Yoder last summer when I attended the Speak Up Conference in Michigan. She was actually one of my roommates; I'd never met her before, but I left feeling like I had a new friend. I loved that! I knew she was working on a new book, and when she sent me a pre-release copy to read, I was excited to see the outcome of the work she'd been doing!

Wow.

This book is titled Fledge, and since you might not know what that means, allow me to tell you! The official definition refers to a young bird who has developed feathers large enough to support flight, and also to adding feathers to an arrow so it can fly. In the case of Brenda's book, she writes about equipping your children with the resources they need to fly the nest when they reach the appropriate age.

As an (ahem) almost forty-year old, I have a large number of friends who are now parenting teenagers. This is crazy to me. I still feel like a teenager myself. I watched all of them read a positive pregnancy test and rush out to buy a copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. I watched them begin to discover the personalities of these smaller versions of themselves and rush out to buy copies of whatever books could help them navigate the terrible twos and the school years and even the teen years. But where's the resource to help them finish well with the at-home years? These friends of mine who realize college and beyond is so much closer than they want to acknowledge need something to help them push through these final years with purpose and intention.

Enter Fledge.

Brenda's walked the road. A mom of four, she's fully fledged two of her children. The third is in college and the fourth in high school. Brenda and her husband have done their best, and tucked into their best, they've lived through mistakes, difficult moments, disappointments, and more. And bless her, Brenda is willing to share transparently for the good of other parents who are now in the throes themselves. 

She speaks candidly about the legitimate grief mothers feel as they watch their children grow up and consequently need them less and less. She talks about the importance of building a solid foundation on Jesus Christ to equip your children in the best way you possibly can for the life they will go forth to live. Regardless of how old or young of a parent you are, the world your children know is nothing like the world in which you grew up. Parenting requires intention, strategy, and hard work, and as not just a mom, but also a former teacher and licensed counselor, Brenda can offer sound advice on how to do that.

She encourages parents to create a strong home atmosphere, form family ties that last for years to come, and to wisely navigate the many changes that come with fledging children. (For example: as the first kids leave home, everything about the temperature of the home changes for the kids still living there just as much as it does for the parents. How can you make sure your younger kids handle those changes in a healthy way?)

Brenda addresses discipline, disappointment, and dilemmas that face families every day. She helps parents understand how to give up control and embrace the paths their kids desire to take. And she reminds everyone that life is not picture perfect. Parenting isn't always about making flawless memories. 

And the book isn't just about parenting. It also covers the importance of taking care of yourself in this season of major life change and remembering to cultivate yourself, your marriage, and your friendships.

The season of graduation is nearly upon us. Perhaps you have some mom-friends who need Fledge to face a fledging season of their own. Perhaps you know moms of younger kids who will be ready to fledge before they know it. Perhaps you know moms who have already fledged, but they seem to be floundering in its wake. Brenda's book is for all of them. It offers hope from Scripture, sound advice, and camaraderie from a mom who has been there. 

I've never seen a resource like this one, and I'm excited one now exists! Congratulations, Brenda, on a well-constructed, thought-provoking book that will help many to flourish in the fledging!

** I received an advance copy of this book at no charge, but all opinions are my own. **