September GUM Flyer

*Introducing the mentor moms & leadership team*

Patti Anderson

 

I have been married to Norm for 40 years.  We have four sons, Doug, Dan, David and Michael and have three daughter in laws. Nancy, Francina, and Susan.  We have 6 ½ grandchildren; Jack, Ryley, Matt, Morgan, Cameron, Lea & the next one due is in February. GUM is so so dear to my heart.  25 years ago I was visiting friends in Boston & their church had a mom to mom program. I loved it.  It was so biblical as in Titus.  When Lindsey brought it up to me, I was thrilled.  I was involved for several years then had to drop out for personal reasons.  Now I am back & love love love it! I love the Lord, Norm, the boys & the little short guys so much.  I laugh easily & cry even easier.  I love to entertain, cook, the beach & our Oregon home.  Children make me laugh. My husband is very funny though he does not mean to be.  Dirty jokes make me laugh.  They should not but they do.

Paula Johnson

I have two children.  Daniel is 18 and leaving for college (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo) on September 12^th.  Carolyn is 16 (almost 17) and a senior at Charter Oak High School.  GUM is a lifeline to our moms of young children.  I remember being at home alone with young kids, most of my friends were working and our families didn’t live close.  The bible study I was involved in at that time saved my sanity.  It was my spiritual and mental lifeline.  This is what I see GUM being.  A safe place for moms to come, to be loved, supported, prayed for and to not be alone.  I’ve been married 21 years (in November) and my husband is my best friend.  I love camping, music, playing hearts with my family at the Awanee, and watching my kids sporting events.  I work part time at Charter Oak High School in the high-functioning autism class.  My kids make me laugh, also British humor. 

 Aileen Jones

I have two kids; a daughter 29 & a son 25.  GUM is quite frankly my favorite ministry! I love everything about it & receive a lot of satisfaction & pleasure from serving the mamas! I am an outgoing middle-aged woman who loves God & my family! I really enjoy getting to know people, Bible Study, gardening, baking & reading.  My husband makes me laugh (often!).  It really doesn’t take much to crack me up.

Sherry Spradley

Steve and I have 3 children.  Brenda, who is married to Charlie. They have Elliot, Libby, and Ollie.  Daryl who is married to Becky and they have Natania and Claire.  Daniel who is married to Allison.  GUM has been a wonderful chance for me to be able to be with young moms and hopefully share some of my successes and failures as a mother.  I love the prayer time together.  I am an introvert, loyal and dependable person who loves the Lord.  I love to organize things and rearrange my furniture.  I now have arthritis and fibromyalgia that affects my life more than I would like but God is helping me through the hard times.  Things my grandchildren say and do make me laugh and so can my husband. 

Elizabeth Gregorich

I have two boys.  Levi is 3 years, Silas is 9 months.  GUM is a place I can be real about being a not so perfect mom, laugh about the funny things and pray about the tough things. I am encouraged in the role God has given me and blessed to share with other moms too.  I love being a wife and mom. I stay home with my boys.  I love this church and learning more about the Lord from His Word and fellowship with others.  Sometimes I have to force myself to talk, because I’d much rather listen.  My husband makes me laugh.  He can be a gooft sometimes. My children make me laugh.  Especially Levi, now that he can talk.  He says things like: “There’s Spiderwebman!” (Spide Man).  Also, when other people laugh really hard, it’s hard not to laugh with them. 

Amie Wagenbrenner

I have two girls.  Mya is 3 years and Winter is 1 ½ years.  GUM keeps me sane.  When I get home from a morning with other moms, I feel refreshed and recharged.  It also helps me remember that I cannot do it on my own. I need Jesus.  I love to be around people. I hate staying at home which doesn’t make me a very good stay at home mom J I adore my girls and I feel so blessed to have married such an amazing man. I’m pretty easy going unless I’m driving or my house is a mess.  I love to sing and dance and I’m into health and fitness.  I’m a bit of a perfectionist.  I’m fairly neat and I don’t like knick knacks or chotchkies that clutter my house probably because I grew up in a super messy small home.  I tend to like sarcastic humor and burps and farts have always amused me.

Manda Robinson

I have one child, Ezra, who is 21 months old.  GUM (for me) is a place that I can vent my insecurities about motherhood and get prayer and encouragement for them.  I love working part time as a Physician Assistant and balancing that with being a mom/wife.  I enjoy art (other people’s, not my own), organizing, baking cupcakes, and trying new things. Things that make me laugh are puns and my son’s dancing. 

                                                                              Stacy Thompson

I have two boys.  Jordan is 3 ½ years and Lucas is 9 ½ months.  GUM is where I am able to share the good, the bad & the ugly, and to know that I am not alone in this journey of motherhood.  It is a place of safety, honesty, advice, laughter, love, encouragement, and prayer.  I am thankful that we have mentor moms who have traveled this path before us & can guide us, listen to us and tell us “it may not seem like it now, but you’ll make it through the hard times”.  I am easy going and laugh easily. I love to read, get together with friends and family, go for walks, and bake.  My husband makes me laugh every day.  Jordan is at the age where his imagination has really kicked into gear & he cracks me up with his antics.  Lucas is now babbling away and when he laughs, I cannot help but laugh with him.  

This is not the blog post I had in mind for my 'debut' post, but it's something that God has been pressing on my heart today.  So here I sit, listening to what God's saying and willing myself to follow through on what He's telling me to do.  This means ignoring the dirty dishes in the sink, the crumbs underneath the kitchen table, the piles of laundry that need to be folded, the toys that are begging to be put away (only to be pulled out again fifteen minutes later), and letting the little one hang out in his crib *he's supposed to be napping*.  Is it just me or do you struggle with the moments of "slow it down, listen to what God's saying, and just focus on that.  Follow His instructions NOW - not later, not after the dishes are done, the laundry is folded.  Because by then, you'll be distracted and realized that you brushed Him off yet again, only to do something that could have waited".  

This morning was rough. Both my boys were overtired which resulted in tantrums & crying over every. single. thing. I was rushing to get the big one ready for school and found myself barking orders at him in short clipped sentences.  Things were going downhill & all I wanted was to get him to school, put the little one down for a nap, and get to the above mentioned to-do list.  After I dropped the big one off at school (tears and all), I came home, put the little one down for a nap, logged onto FB (for just a quick moment) and there God met me.  In the moment of quietness (only a moment, for the little one is letting me know he's unhappy that he's supposed be napping), I read a link my sister in law posted.  After reading that blog post, I clicked onto another blog post, and then someone posted in the GUM page. Between those three things I read, I had tears in my eyes & my heart was convicted.  The first blog post I read was titled "Dear Mom On Hard Days", the second "Dear Sweet Mom Who Feels LIke She Is Failing", and a wall photo about this day being a gift. I felt like all three summed up how I was feeling.  This line especially, made the tears spill over & my heart feel hope.   

"This is your life - and you - you are the perfect mother for those children. God knew when he blessed those kids to you."

The dishes will wait, the laundry will wait, the crumbs on the floor will wait (or be picked up by the crawling baby).  God will meet you where you are & give your soul what it needs.  Reassurance, on those tough days, that you are the perfect mother for your children & God knew that when he blessed those kids to you.  While I am still tired & weepy, my spirit is renewed.  I pray dear mamas, that this post & the others that I am linking below, will renew you as well.  This needs to be said again, read again, and held onto tightly.  

"This is your life - and you - you are the perfect mother for those children. God knew when he blessed those kids to you."

Dear Mom On Hard Days

Dear Sweet Mom Who Feels Like She Is Failing

Now, I'm off to pick up my baby boy & snuggle him tight.  He needs his mama more than he needs a nap.  (Let's face it, I wanted him to take a nap so I could get the chores done!)