Meet the Moderators:

Karen

GUM...I love gum...actually I'm kind of addicted to the kind you chew. Sometime during my last pregnancy I started chewing gum in the car. I think at first to help with motion sickness from the first trimester, and then somehow my body did this weird craving thing. I actually start salivating as I'm fastening my seat belt. I know, strange. But true. And since then, Orbit, has provided my taste buds with an ever expanding line of new products, with all sorts of fruity/minty blends which I love and my husband hates.

But that's not the GUM I'm actually describing here. I love GUM, which actually stands for Growing Up Mom and if you’re reading this I suspect you already knew.

What you might not know is how we or more specifically I got here. When my first was only months old, I was approached by Lindsay and some women at church and invited to join the moms group they attended at another church. Two years later, our COD church moms were slowly taking over their group - and we tossed around the idea that someone should start a similar group at COD.

So Lindsay did. With much prayer and counsel from staff and pastors and older moms, last year GUM was launched. We meet twice a month to fellowship, do biblestudy, and to pray with other moms in the throws of childrearing and also some Titus 2 moms whom have been there before. While we meet, our kids are in their own classes, with stories and crafts and playtime. As we're growing and engaging and fellowshipping, so are they. And throughout the month we get together to do crafts, adventures, mom's night out and park days. As we’re helping our children grow, we’re Growing Up Mom too.

GUM is better than I could ever have imagined, it meets so many of my needs as a mom with a preschooler and a toddler and it blesses my life immensely.

So I love GUM. And I can't wait to see how the Lord blesses and teaches and stretches me (and all of us) this year.


Lindsay

My journey into motherhood began almost exactly 6 years ago with the birth of my first daughter. I think the pose on the left came more naturally to me and more comfortably than motherhood did. It simply took some time for me to feel my way into motherhood, to discover who God desired for me to be as a mom (wife & friend). I trust God knew what He was doing when He made me a mom, and my growth and the growth of my family will be through His grace.

Growing Up Mom exists because of God's magnificent and timely will. I joined a fabulous mom's group soon after becoming a mom because I was feeling lonely & isolated and I needed the fellowship of other moms (not to mention the laughter from similar mommy "war" stories). After being a part of that group for four years, God moved in my heart to approach COD about starting a Mom's group. God has given me every idea and detail of this group and it truly belongs to Him.

I love this group. I love watching all the moms pull into the parking lot on Thursday mornings, kids in tow. I love the conversation over breakfast (not to mention the size of my breakfast plate). I love when I can, if I really try, hear all 4 of the Titus 2/mentor moms leading their table's in discussion. Oh! to know God is loving us so gracefully and tenderly through our Titus 2 moms-what joy and privilege that is for me! I love how God has given us women the gift of gab and how that gab leads us into great growth with one another and at times such beautiful and incredible vulnerability.

Moms are the best! I am blessed to have Karen on board-she is an incredible team player, has a great sense of humor, and is filled to the brim with talents God loves to use. On that note, I feel like striking the pose shown above in my picture!

Lord, we are yours...even in those moments when you are faced with a diaper blowout of gargantuan proportions and you are wipe-less without a spare onsie....remember you are His and He'll supply grace for the moment (maybe not a wipe), but dear grace.