Brenda blogs weekly on life, faith, and parenting beyond the storybook image here at Life Beyond the Picket Fence Blog and podcast. Don’t miss a message. Join her and the not-so-perfect community by subscribing at Life Beyond the Picket Fence.
Giving Yourself Grace
A young mom, I laid sobbing on our couch in our basement. It was my reaction to a comment I received that day which validated feelings of unworthiness and unacceptability. I laid there, loathing myself. It triggered feelings I had as a teenager with an eating disorder...
The Changing Faces of Community
Community means different things to me. I live in the community in which I was raised, one where everyone knows your name. There’s safety and familiarity in knowing those around you, in others knowing where you’ve been and to whom you belong. I experienced community...
When You’ll Be Fine is the Wrong Answer
“You’ll be fine” is usually not a good answer to tell someone when they share their fear, struggle, or anxiety. Here’s why.
Jesus with Skin On
Through the years, community has meant different things to me. I live in the community in which I was raised. There’s safety and familiarity in knowing those around you, in others knowing where you’ve been and to whom you belong. I experienced community when my child...
The Secret to Your Child’s Greatest School Year
School starts soon for thousands of students. As a school counselor and former teacher, I love the excitement of the first day. Faces are filled with excitement, anticipation, but also anxiety. Uncertainty is real for kids. Parents often ask me, "How can I build my...
A Dirty Kitchen Floor
I was on my hands and knees scrubbing her floor. I had just finished washing dishes that had been piled up for days. The placed reeked as a I moved dishes around so I could clean the sink in order to get the job done. "This isn't what they taught in grad school," I...
Journeying through the Teen Years S2E3
Are you in the trenches of parenting irritable adolescents? Do you ever wonder "Who is this and where is my kid?" In this episode, Brenda speaks about the psychological and physiological changes happening during the adolescent years. This and a few other factors can...
9 Truths about Love You Must Understand
Love is elusive, almost incomprehensible in today’s culture. It doesn’t have to be. Here are nine truths about love everyone needs to know.
5 Tips for Busy Moms in the Fledging Years
Life is exhausting raising kids, so how do you manage during the years that are the busiest? 5 tips for how to manage the crazy before all your kids fledge.
When Did Things Get Complicated? 4 Ways to Simply Your Life
Life is complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Learn four immediate strategies to simply your life without changing your lifestyle.
Handling Mom Pain on Mother’s Day
Mother's Day can be hard amidst the flowers and cards. A day that's supposed to be filled with happiness and joy may be full of grief, sadness, and loss. I'm going to call this unique hurt Mom Pain. Mom pain isn't widely discussed. Facebook or Instagram statuses...
The New Midlife Mom Podcast
Join Amelia Rhodes and I on the new Midlife Moms Podcast!