Mom To Mom Newsletters

Mom To Mom gave me a lifeline at a critical point in my parenting.  I had a 6 month old baby, a husband who traveled for work, no family within 1000 miles, and we had just moved to Boston.  Mom To Mom began in September.  The day was crisp and clear blue in a way that New Englanders relish.  There was little hint of the gray days of knee-deep snow ahead, and I felt optimistic about what I would learn at M2M.  Once inside the church I wrestled my first born out of his car seat.  Before I had his socks pulled up and his perfectly-coordinated outfit back in place a greeter met me and directed me to my son's room.  There, his teacher welcomed him by name after referencing a carefully printed list.  There was a high ratio of workers to children and the children seemed happy and well-cared-for.  Once inside the lecture I felt at home immediately.  The other moms, like me, seemed relaxed and happy, many of us enjoying our first time in days without children grafted to us

The first week was similar in structure to all the weeks to come, with only the content varying. That first day Linda Anderson made some warm up jokes and assured us that we would always be welcomed-- even if we were late, even if we needed to catch up with much–needed sleep in the chairs of the auditorium.  Linda said that she and the Titus 2 moms were thankful that we were there and they knew that many of us desperately needed a place to lay our burdens down.   As Jesus welcomed people to come and lay their burdens down in Matthew 11:28, Linda and the Titus 2 leaders who had been through parenting and survived, welcomed us to rest and be rejuvenated at M2M meetings. After the lecture we enjoyed a coffee and snack.  After coffee we went to our small group meeting (10-12 women), led by a Titus 2 mom. These leaders truly served us at each meeting and through phone calls during the week.  (My Mom To Mom leader, Polly, had a deal with our group that she and her husband, Jack, would babysit for each of us at least once free-of-charge during the year. We had 25 children under 9 among us, by the way!).

Through Mom To Mom that first week and in the weeks to follow I learned so much about being a mom!  Mothering is a God-given, complicated role that is a challenge and delight. As Linda says, mothers do not get their report cards for 18 years or so, but in the meantime they need support.  The job is a big one and moms need resources beyond themselves.  In lectures and small group discussions I realized that I was not alone.  God was with me.  And, I was a part of a parenting community in M2M.  Mom To Mom provided practical advice, wisdom and humor, all filtered through the bible as the ultimate authority.  M2M struck the perfect balance between groups that are strictly secular (almost social clubs), and those that are completely spiritualized (accessible only to believers and disdainful of any research/learning outside the bible).  nbsp;

I felt comfortable over the next 3 years inviting non-Christian friends to Mom To Mom.  My husband felt Mom To Mom strengthened his parenting, too, as he reviewed the lessons with me on the take-home reflections cards provided in my workbook.  Through Mom To Mom I became a happier, more confident mom. In those years I grew closer to the God who had gifted me with a child.  Eventually, my husband and I moved to Texas.  We had 2 more boys along the way.  I was so sad that Mom To Mom was not yet in my new home town.  I am delighted to say that M2M is now in Austin in 3 locations!  I have signed up and have encouraged my friends to do the same.  Several have done so and we now sit front and center for a new dose of Linda (jokes and all!) and some special times with other moms learning about the God-given job of parenting.                                                     ~  Jill Sayre