Consider Time Out

I don't know about you, but sometimes as a mom, I have to just walk away and get my head together. A few years ago, I was in the middle of just such a day. I was tired and pregnant and cranky, and my oh-so-sweet kids, then 4 and 2, were about to push me over the edge. I put the two-year-old in his crib and told my daughter, "You need to play in your room for a few minutes. I'm going into my room and closing the door. I need you to just give me some time."

And she looked at me with those sweet, not-so-innocent eyes and said, "Are you going to go pray about your attitude?"

It took me a full two seconds before I burst into laughter. I thought I had kept myself together in front of the kids, that I was going to my room to keep my ugliness to myself, but she had seen it. I needed to go pray about my attitude.

I needed a time out.

My kids are now 8, 6, and 3. To say that I love them very much is like saying that the ocean is kinda big. We are a fantastic family, and I thank God for them every day. But sometimes I still need a time out. I need a chance to catch my breath, to step back from the day-to-day and see the big picture. I need to be refreshed and encouraged.

Next week, Time Out (for moms) at The Chapel in Akron is starting up, and that is exactly what we are providing for you. A time out. A breath of fresh air. A community of moms. Encouragement and growth and friendship. And here's how we'll do it...

Meetings
From September to May, we'll be meeting 2-3 times per month (the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Tuesdays of each month, 9:30-11:30). During these meetings, free childcare is provided, so moms can grab a cup of coffee and relax. We will have yummy snacks and lots of time to chat and connect with each other.

But that's not all! We also will provide encouragement through teaching. Approximately once a month, I will be teaching on a virtue (following the Orange Parenting virtue plan) like courage or wisdom or joy--things that we as moms want to develop in ourselves and our children.

Our other meetings will bring in a variety of speakers to deal with topics that hit home for us as moms--things like simple living, marriage, depression, and so many more. The speakers are great, the topics are relevant, and have I mentioned the yummy snacks? How could you miss out on this?

And on the months that have 5 Tuesdays, we will have a special meeting, called "Moms Helping Moms." This will be our chance to do some outreach, to grow through serving each other. I am excited to see what it brings!

Want to see our complete schedule? We have a link for that!



Blog
Yep, this is it! Our new blog! We have lots of plans and visions for this little corner of the blogosphere. I'll be here to provide some tips and resources related to the virtue of the month. We'll share stories from our moms. We'll have recipes and craft ideas and all sorts of fun stuff. We want this to be a resource for you. And on the practical side, we'll be sure to update the blog with any important announcements for Time Out as well.



Community
"It takes a village to raise a baby." We aren't meant to live in isolation--come join our village! Time Out offers a place where you can say, "How on earth did you live through potty training?" or "Check out this cute thing my baby just did!" or "I'm going to lose my mind if my child throws a tantrum ONE MORE TIME!" We are in the trenches together, sharing ideas, supporting each other, growing together. We want to offer a place of respite and relationships, not just on Tuesday mornings, but whenever you need a friend. We want to see friendships grow--with phone calls and texts and play dates and maybe even (Can you imagine?) mommy-only coffee dates! We want to be a community, not just a group with meetings.



I don't know about you, but I think this is all sounding pretty darn fantastic. And you know what? It all starts this Tuesday, September 10 at The Chapel in Akron. Don't miss it--join us for a little Time Out.