A friend of ours says that after she had children, she “lost her dare.” This is a woman who has previously chosen to skydive, water and snow ski, travel, ride roller coasters and who knows what else. Sbe still does most of those things (not skydiving!), but recognizing the responsibility involved in caring for young lives curbed her enthusiasm for risk taking. Some of us are born risk takers, others are more naturally risk averse, and some of us have changed as we have gotten older. Luke records that Jesus talked about risk taking.

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The 2022 World Aquatics Championships were held recently in Budapest. Along with other masters of aquatic sports, the world’s best swimmers gathered to compete. Sometimes a race is filled with amazing and talented swimmers, but still one stands out. For example, in the 2016 Olympics, Katie Ledecky broke the world record and won gold in the 800 freestyle event. The mind-blowing part is she won by 22 seconds, which is a huge margin in the swimming world. She was in a pool full of Olympians, in the finals no less, and won by that tremendous margin. If you have seen the clip, you know how separated she was from the rest of the women in the pool.

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A friend completed his Eagle Scout project this week, so scouting has been on the brain. The scout motto is “be prepared.” As a planner, this resonates! What did Jesus say about being prepared?

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We are so thankful for all of the fathers and father figures in our lives! What an important role fathers play in our families. We are so thankful for Dads who do things like:

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Anyone who has flown commercially has heard the mandate to “put the mask on yourself and then help the child in the seat beside you.” Daily prayer in parenting is similar to putting on an oxygen mask. It is an opportunity to fill up in the presence of God. A daily prayer time is recentering: it is the best re-set button. Cultivating a daily prayer time is one of the best things we can do for our children.

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This week we will continue to focus on the need to rest and refuel.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

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This month marks the true beginning of summer for many, and summer means a break from routine. It can deliver an opportunity for rest. Whether you choose a vacation or a stay-cation, we hope you have the chance to refuel because we all need it!

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Recently we were asked: why is the Bible–and what we believe about the Bible–important to parenting?

“[F]rom infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:15-17

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“Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.”

Luke 8:11-15 NASB2020

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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Our kids are asked this question so many times! Some, like my (Camilla’s) older brother, know their future profession from about age seven. Some do not. After such an interaction with an adult my mom would say to me, “You do not have to be anything! You just have to BE.” So freeing! And such a good reminder even today as a mother: identity is not in what we do, it’s in who we are.

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This month many of you will plan a class party, plan a prom, bake cookies for a birthday, celebrate the end of a sports season, celebrate the end of school, make a last minute trip to the store (again!), sign permission slips, make lunches out of nothing, throw together dinner in minutes because someone has practice, drive carpool, try to finish that last project in time, motivate your kids to hang in there, attend a class performance, attend a school play, attend a school conference, try to find an allergy safe treat to send in to snack, buy snacks for that last game, plan a service project, plan a graduation party, buy graduation gifts, try to find an appropriate bathing suit for a teenager, help your child with homework, buy teacher gifts, write thank you notes, encourage your kids to write thank you notes, buy groceries, make breakfast and do laundry more times than you can count.

Welcome to May!

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When the first Relay Exchange group started in 2007, both of the founders were both working outside (and inside!) the home. They wrote the first lesson, and met ahead of time to practice the bread making and go over all the details. They spent a lot of time making sure their friends, who trusted them with their time, were happy they had signed on for a year of the unknown! By the end of the first meeting, the moms were happily exhausted. You know the feeling: a collapse on the nearest chair and WHEW! The next thing they knew, all the girls were gathered around saying, “Can we do this AGAIN? Next week?”

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This week we are focused on the third element of the program: relationships. Relay Exchange mothers lead girls to Jesus in the context of relationships—mothers and daughters, mothers linking arms, and girls cultivating lifelong friendships. Relay Exchange small groups are designed to be an avenue for mothers to support and be supported by other mothers of girls. The groups foster friendships between girls and create long term, often lifelong, friendships that are centered on a shared and growing faith.

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Here at Relay Exchange we believe a game plan for passing along our faith to the next generation must be tangible, and not merely aspirational. Wanting to make time is not the same thing as setting aside time and making connection happen! Importantly, the game plan must be sustainable. In order to be sustainable, it must be doable for the mothers and it must be appealing and engaging to both generations.

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