NEW SITE

The Mother Letters have moved to www.motherletters.com! Come visit us!

New Site Coming Soon

READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Don't forget to read about the Mother's Day Edition.

Please bear with me. We are moving the site as we speak. I hope to have it up and running in the next week or so. At that point, we begin the Big Push, part II. Won't you be a part of raising charitable donations this Mother's Day?

MLP Bites Back

READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Don't forget to read about the Mother's Day Edition.

MALARIA UPDATE

Recently, a compassionate heart sent me some information related to Compassion's Malaria Intervention Fund and the Bite Back campaign. Want to familiarize yourself with the materials? Get to know this work; it is the work in which we are trying to take part.



Keep the letters coming. All proceeds generated from the Mother's Day Edition will go directly to Compassion's Malaria Intervention fund. Help other mothers save their children.

The Mother Letters

Here is the good stuff. This is where the magic happens. Mothers, post your letters in the comment section, or email to motherletter@gmail.com.

UPDATE

We are still taking submissions for the Mother's Day Edition, 2009. Give us your best stuff!Thank you so much for your letters. We are eternally grateful.

The MLP on The Significance of Stories

READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Don't forget to read about the Mother's Day Edition.

Amber and I have been discussing the power of our stories. Our stories empower us. They are as distinct and complex as our fingerprints. And although distinct, the similarities we find within our’s and other’s can lend encouragement and hope. If we are dots, are stories are the connecting lines. I believe that it’s time to start drawing.

Amber has decided to share our love story on Tuesdays on her site. Similarly, I have decided to begin sharing some of the stories of the Mother Letter Project. Put the snowflake under the microscope. Examine the fine lines. Discuss what you see, both the beauty and deformity. It makes us who we are.

Today I am sharing a brief excerpt from a letter written by my friend Kari. Enjoy, and feel free to discuss:

Dear Mother,

When we found out our son would have challenges and would possibly see
God sooner than we would I hurt in a way that I didn't know was possible. I
would have done anything to make it better, but for the first time there was
absolutely nothing I could do, nothing I could say to change the situation. …
How helpless I felt, and yet how much strength I drew from knowing God was in
the middle of it. …

Special care became part of our lives and when those requirements became noticeable to those around and to those who passed, I found myself not resentful, but rather feeling love and compassion toward everyone who passed. I will never look at a mother of a child with additional care requirements the same - they do so much, give so much, love so deeply, endure so strongly, hurt so keenly, and appreciate life so much. …

My little one has entered the gates of heaven, but I will forever be his mother, and he a part of me. As much as I would give anything to hold my little one close, my life will be forever richer because of him. It is only through him that I have learned that the love of a mother is a love that knows no bounds….

If asked what lessons I have learned… I would say this taught me to trust that God, who made me a mother and who created my child, equipped me to meet the needs of my child. I would say listen, really listen to what your child is teaching you. As you would sit and listen to God, sit and listen to the silence, to the things they do not say and to the things they do say - actively listen to them. Make time to get to know them; not just who you think they are, but who they think they are. Strip yourself of what you want them to be and look deeply into what God has made them, who they dream of being, who they are.

… The handprints of our children will be captured on our hearts forever and
will shape our hearts into a work of art that only a child can create.

Love,
Kari

The MLP Mother's Day Edition Clarified

READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT.

As you now know, we have extended the Mother Letter Project and are trying to raise a bit of money for Compassion International's Malaria Intervention Fund (read here for more on Malaria). Why Malaria? As if it were not enough that Malaria kills 3,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa alone, that little village in Mozambique wages war with the parasite every rainy season. And they are not winning the battle. So, it is our hope that by supporting a charitable organization that is fighting malaria, we may in some small way “bite back” at the disease that is crippling the Yao people in Mozambique.

So what is the charity, you ask? We intend to raise money for Compassion International’s Malaria Intervention Fund. According to their website, the fund provides mosquito nets for thousands of women and children with malaria. In addition, they provide life saving medication to those trying to fight the disease.

Here is how it will work. For those of you who have not yet submitted a Mother Letter, you may do so before Mother’s Day. If you meet the deadline, you will get a complimentary copy of the letters to give to your mom, or your daughter, or your best friend for Mother’s Day. If you have already submitted your letter and would like a copy of the new round, or if you would like to purchase a copy for a friend or loved one for mother's day, you can pledge $0.10 per letter to Compassion's Malaria Intervention Fund and, upon doing so, I will send you a copy once it is compiled.

Will you get behind the effort? Will you help beat the bushes for more letters? Will you pledge to donate at least $0.10 per letter to fight malaria. We have this one lifetime to make a difference. Let’s do it.

The Mother Letter Project--Social Networking

READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT.

We have extended the project to Mother's Day. You can read about the extended project HERE. Submit your letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE.

UPDATE—Facebook Fans And Twitterings

In the very near future, the MLP will be using certain social networking media to give you updates on the MLP Mother's Day Edition. As of today's date, the MLP has a Facebook profile page, in addition to a fan page. Make sure to befriend "Ml Proj" to get important updates regarding the project.


In addition, the MLP joined Twitter some time ago. Although my Twitter musings have been somewhat limited in the past, I will begin to use Twitter to give you important information relating to our fight against Malaria, in addition to other updates on the project. Don't know what Twitter is? Read about it here. If you are already a member, feel free to follow me on Twitter.

Let's start building some momentum. I can't wait to see what happens.

The MLP--On Ice 'Till Next Week

I am in the middle of organizing a thousand person rally to help with the ice storm carnage of this week. Details are still sketchy, and perhaps it will never get off of the ground. However, that's what I thought about the MLP. So I am cautiously confident that I can round up 1,000 people to volunteer time and talent to help my beautiful home town of Fayetteville, Arkansas. In fact, I think I have already found one or two.

Are you are your church/civic club (preferably those within some proximity) looking for a service project? Well, do I have an idea for you. You could help me, and the rest of Fayetteville, clean up stuff like this:

Although a close friend of mine and I are just now starting the organizational efforts, we'd love to know whether you want to jump in. And if you do, we'll hang out some, and have a brief party at my place where we will revel in God's grace that covers a multitude of icicles.

The MLP post will come next Monday, don't worry. Get ready. We're about to make another big push!

THE MOTHER'S DAY EDITION--CHARITY POST

READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT.

UPDATE—The Charity

As you now know, we have extended the Mother Letter Project and are trying to raise a bit of money for Compassion International's Malaria Intervention Fund (read here for more on Malaria).

Why Malaria? As if it were not enough that Malaria kills 3,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa alone, that little village in Mozambique wages war with the parasite every rainy season. And they are not winning the battle. So, it is our hope that by supporting a charitable organization that is fighting malaria, we may in some small way “bite back” at the disease that is crippling the Yao people in Mozambique.

So what is the charity, you ask? We intend to raise money for Compassion International’s Malaria Intervention Fund. According to their website, the fund provides mosquito nets for thousands of women and children with malaria. In addition, they provide life saving medication to those trying to fight the disease.

Here is how it works. We have extended the project to include a Mother’s Day Edition. For those of you who have not yet submitted a Mother Letter, you may do so before Mother’s Day. If you meet the deadline, you will get a complimentary copy of the letters to give to your mom, or your daughter, or your best friend for Mother’s Day.

If you have already submitted your letter and would like a copy of the new round, or if you would like to purchase a copy for a friend or loved one for mother's day, you can pledge $0.10 per letter to Compassion's Malaria Intervention Fund and, upon doing so, I will send you a copy once it is compiled.

Will you get behind the effort? Will you help beat the bushes for more letters? Will you pledge to donate at least $0.10 per letter to fight malaria.

We have this one lifetime to make a difference. Let’s do it.

THE MLP-MOTHER'S DAY EDITION?

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Instead of purchasing Christmas this year, our family created it and donated the "difference" to a small African village. I collected a series of open letters-the Mother Letters-for my wife's Christmas present. You may still submit a letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE. Please refer to the FAQs in the side bar for more details.

THE MOTHER'S DAY EDITION

Did you think we were finished with the Mother Letter Project? Well, so did I.

Since the completion of the Project, many have written me requesting copies of the letters. The requests seem to be centered around generating a copy to give to their dearest mums for Mother's Day.  It is a difficult thing to say "I'm sorry." It is difficult to tell another mother, who might need her own set electronic encouragement, "no."  And the truth is, I don't want to say no. 

So, this week, Penny put me over the edge.  Penny was the request that begged the question, "should we do Round II?" A question that needs your help answering.

Amber and I have decided to give you another run at it.  Were you a late comer to the party?  Did you forget to bring your present and wrap it with a bow? Well, the party just moved into the wee hours of the morning, and Wal-Mart's still open. 

We are taking submissions again. If you submit your Mother Letter before Mother's Day, we'll compile the MLP Mother's Day Edition and distribute it. Will you get the original set of letters? Here is where I say, "I'm sorry, no." But you will get the Mother's Day Edition, which is sure to be chock-full of good submissions (I know someone named Jana who needs to write one).

I know that many of you who already submitted are asking, "will I receive a copy of the Mother's Day Edition?" Yes, and no. We are currently trying to locate a relief organization in Africa that deals with women's/mother's issues (suggestions in the comments). If you pledge to give $0.10 (10 cents!) per letter generated from the Mother's Day Edition to that charity, you'll get a copy of the Mother's Day Edition.

As always, you may email the project HERE, or COMMENT HERE.

Help me get the word out today? Twitter it? Email it? Let's get rollin'.

The Mother Letter Project--A Forum

First things first... I will post about her reaction in the coming days, but she says THANK YOU!

Also, know that you may still submit a letter via comments or email (motherletter@gmail.com). Although the deadline has passed for receiving a copy of the original MLP, I would still love to present your letter to Amber.

A FORUM
Now that many of you have received your copies of the letters, I am opening up this post as a forum for your comments--not to me, but to the other mothers. Did another letter touch your heart? Did another mother speak a timely word for you?

The pages are numbered. Give a reference and discuss!

Enjoy, and...

Merry Christmas, 2009?

A PLUG FOR WEARETHATFAMILY

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Instead of purchasing Christmas this year, our family created it and donated the "difference" to a small African village. I collected a series of open letters-the Mother Letters-for my wife's Christmas present. You may still submit a letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE. Please refer to the FAQs in the side bar for more details.

A SITE WORTH READING

Today, I am directing you to a post from a story-sharer. Perhaps my initial draw to this post was the fact that it hits so close to home-the similarities THATfamily and OURfamily are uncanny. Perhaps it was because she was unafraid to be transparent. Perhaps I was drawn to it because I suspect many mothers and fathers are harboring dishonor and lies. In the end, isn't freedom better than the alternative?

I love the stories people share. Even those that require some reading between the lines.

Please visit weareTHATfamily. Drop her a line.

a gleaning

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. By now you know the story. Instead of purchasing Christmas this year, our family created it and donated the "difference" to a small African village. To that end, I collected a series of open letters-the Mother Letters-for my wife's Christmas present. You may still submit a letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE. Please refer to the FAQs in the side bar for answers to more of your questions. They explain the project in greater detail.

-------------

Another thank you is in such order here, friends. This is Amber, the Mama who is married to the Daddy of The Mother Letters. We do call him "Daddy" around here, even though his email and twitter name is "Mother." 

I've been gleaning and gleaning in these letters. Have you? I can't stop thinking about the blessing they'll be even years from now as we enter new stages and take on different perspectives. 

It's been slow-going. I haven't read very many of them because I can only be touched so deeply in one day. I'm telling you, I think my heart might turn inside-out sometimes. 

How would you feel if I shared a bit of what is really getting me about these letters as I read them - if I share with you what I'm gleaning? I want to talk about them as I read, and since you wrote them, I was wondering if we could talk.

Here are only a few segments I've loved from the first two sections (I have read more than that, by the way). I've had to go back again and again for them:

"When I smell your chocolate chip cookies, I smile and take a deep breath in and smell the goodness of being home" - Anita S, p. 3

"Strip yourself of what you want them to be and look deeply into what God has made them, who they dream of being. [...] Enjoy every opportunity where little hands seek yours and find contentment there. Revel in the snuggles after dark that provide the chance to hear the softly spoken thoughts from the bottoms of their souls. Breathe them in deeply. [...] The handprints of our children will be captured on our hearts forever and will shape our hearts into a work of art that only a child can create." - Kari Clark, p. 8 

"When I was a little girl, my mother would tuck me into bed and in a low hum, sing sweet melodies to ease me to sleep. [...] I wanted to curl up inside her vibrations; her warm tones covered me like a blanket. Her voice was pure love and I was safe and secure. Once I was sleepy, she would quietly exit my room and go next door to my sister's room. I would roll toward the side of the bed, press my ear against the wall, and listen [...]" - Leah, p. 32

"Slow down." - Ann Kroeker, p. 36

"I've been afraid, and fear creates perfectionism, and perfectionism kills grace, and gracelessness kills everything. Death is not a place where the love that grew a child belongs." - Angela, p. 46

"So a mother kneels. So a mother gets up and works and prays, prays and works. Because the prayers we weave into the matching of socks, the stirring of oatmeal, the reading of stories, they survive fire." - Ann Voskamp, p. 41

 -----------

Whoa! Isn't it so much to think about? Has anything in The Mother Letters really grabbed you, encouraged you, or humbled you? Please share.

Thank you for confirming Motherhood as a real, tender, uneasy grace. It makes me want to reverse time a little, catch the sand with my hands and shove it back into the glass. 

Relishing more,

Amber@theRunaMuck

A Brief Intermission

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. By now you know the story. Instead of purchasing Christmas this year, our family created it and donated the "difference" to a small African village. To that end, I collected a series of open letters-the Mother Letters-for my wife's Christmas present. You may still submit a letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE. Please refer to the FAQs in the side bar for answers to more of your questions. They explain the project in greater detail.

Mothers, I am taking a brief intermission from this project. As you can imagine, this project was quite a difficult endeavor. So, I am breathing a bit now days. Will I be back soon to discuss ideas for '09? You bet. Follow me on Twitter under the screen name motherletter. Or click in the side bar to follow me. I'll let you know when I'm running posts again.

And keep submitting your letters via comment or email. Amber and I will still read them.


See you soon.

A Post For a Friend-NEW UPDATE REQUEST

By now you know the story, see the FAQs for more explanation.

A POST FOR A FRIEND

We know these people. They are the kind of people I want to be when I grow up. And right now, they are engaged in a battle for their son's life. A blogger summed up his struggle almost 2 weeks ago. She said:

As we spend our day today at the hospital with our nurse friends and family, we will be thinking about our young friend from church Robbie Shackelford and his family. He is here in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and has been diagnosed with Encelphalitis. Here’s the latest report we have on him. “Robbie still has a lot of pain from his neurologically induced cramps and spasms which are now going up into his hips and back as well has his legs and feet. He has thrush in his mouth which is annoying him. His mind is as sharp as ever. He has built one Bionicle and is in the middle of his legos when his pain secedes long enough. Sometimes, he lacks the strength to snap some of them and gets a little impatient with his dad’s slowness in figuring out what to put where.... Please join us in lifting Robbie up, praying for healing for his body, wisdom for his caregivers, and peace and comfort for his family during this Christmas away from home.

Monday morning, I received an email regarding young Robbie Shackelford. His struggle has become much worse. He is enduring full body spasms and the medication is not working. The doctors are at a loss for answers. The parents, Ken and Tanja, are struggling through sleepless nights in prayer for their son. Will you join them today?

Please use the comment section below to tell the Shackelford's that you are praying for them (after all, this is a blog devoted to parents). In fact, if you would like to write a short prayer for Robbie, use the comments below. I will see that they are delivered. Moreover, if you do not have a post ready for today, please feel free to cut and copy this post. This is not about recognition, it's about reconciliation. Please do some small part today.

See the update below, and keep praying.

NEW UPDATED PRAYER REQUEST (to read previous update, click here)

In an email today, Robbie's father said it was a "relatively decent day" and that Robbie was able to sleep through most of the night.  However, Robbie has had a full day of muscle spasms that have caused him severe discomfort. Ken reports that the Robbie's attitude is amazing and he is trying to be a blessing to all, even in the worst of his pain.

Although there has been some progress, please pray for Robbie on Wednesday.  He is having surgery to put a food tube in place.  Robbie will be under general anesthesia for the surgery.  In an email, Ken stated that "the next day or two will be tough... so we ask for your prayers for strength."

Please continue offering your prayers and thoughts for this family.

THE LITTLE VILLAGE THAT DOES

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Instead of purchasing Christmas this year, our family created it and donated the "difference" to a small African village. I collected a series of open letters-the Mother Letters-for my wife's Christmas present. You may still submit a letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE. Please refer to the FAQs in the side bar for more details.

DONATE NOW!

I had hoped to have online donation available for the little African village on Christmas morning. Alas, it did not happen. But now, they're good to go! Please go the Kujilana website and check out their recent post. Then donate a buck or two (if the Spirit so moves). If you want tax credit for the donation, contact the blog writers and ask where you can send your donation. If you just want to give a buck or two, regardless of tax implications, donate through Paypal on the site. If you donate a little "difference" let us know in the comments. You may do it anonymously, and you don't have to say how much you gave.

I would really love some help here, ladies (or gents). After all, it was Christmas!

WHAT DID AMBER GIVE?

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Instead of purchasing Christmas this year, our family created it and donated the "difference" to a small African village. I collected a series of open letters-the Mother Letters-for my wife's Christmas present. You may still submit a letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE. Please refer to the FAQs in the side bar for more details.

UPDATE
"DEAR SETH, WHAT DID AMBER GIVE YOU FOR CHRISTMAS?"

That, my friends, is the single most asked question of MLP readers. Directly following said question, many of you have asked me to explain the parameters for "creating Christmas." In others words, if you want to attempt the task this year, how much are you allowed to spend?

I hope to answer those questions in a single post. Bear with me.

Explaining Amber's gift to me will, I hope, clarify the later question. Amber gave me a book titled, What I want to do With You in 2009: a Year-Long to do List For Seth And Amber. The to-do list, normally a dreaded foe of husbands from here to the most remote reaches of Tristan da Cunha, has taken on new meaning. Each to-do item Amber listed coincides with some deeply rooted passion of mine. Some of the to-do items are as follows: January-start memorizing scripture from the New English Bible and journal the verses; March-get a sitter and go for a long Arkansas drive, looking for photo opportunities; June-fly fishing together; September-plant a fall garden together; November-accept a cooking challenge from one another; December-be working hard to bring our Abri (the Ethiopian child we hope to adopt) home.

I could not ask for a better gift! By her gift, she intentioned to make 2009 our year; she has purposed to engage in my love language. What a gift!

You will recognize that several of the items will require us to spend a bit of money. After all, gas for a multi-mile drive is not free. However, she came well within our parameters. First, she did not spend font-end money on my Christmas presents. In addition, if you added up the coming "to do list" expenditures, she still spent considerably less on this gift than in the previous years. And what of the money she would have blown on the once-a-year-buzzing-sparkly-totally-forgettable gadget purchase? It's going to Mozambique.

So, what did Amber give me? She gave me intentionality in our marriage-a gift that will reap benefits for us and our children. She also gave the Yao another row to hoe and another seed to sow. That is a great Christmas, if you ask me. And you did.

This coming year, think about how you can spend less money (or none) and give more intentionally. Give more relationally. Isn't that what Christmas is about?

Start thinking now. After all, is it ever too early to consider Advent?

I covet your thoughts on this one.