The Metro Times Atlanta May 2018 | Page 11

MOM ’ S CORNER
MAY 2018
Page 11

FAMILY LIVING

BUILDING FAMILIES WITH DADS

Mother ’ s Day and Father ’ s Day will soon be here . At Refuge , we want to honor both . Every year we have our baby bottle campaign , and it begins on Mother ’ s Day and ends on Father ’ s Day . This fundraiser is the one that keeps our doors open so that we can continue to minister to our community . We desire to share the love of Christ to every man , woman , and child who enters our doors .

Over the years , pregnancy centers have changed with the needs of our communities . The initial thought behind pregnancy centers was to save the child . It did not take long for those ministering to these women to realize that to help the child you must first help the mother . We already offered encouragement and prayer throughout the entire pregnancy . Soon centers began to provide free clothing , food , diapers , car seats , and more .
Educational classes were soon added to support and help the mothers . Centers continued to see some of the same clients over and over . We then noticed a lack of education . So many centers opened their doors to all for GED programs , which was done with the hopes that this would move them to complete independence . But the problem remains .
After 18 years with Refuge , I have realized that things will not change until we get to the root of the problem . We have a family problem . Our families are no longer structured the way God intended . Over 47 % of the children in Rockdale are in single-parent homes . I am passionate about turning those numbers around , but this is 50 years in the making in America ! There is no reason to pass blame , all have fallen short , but if God calls us and if He places something in our hearts , we must stand up and do what we
can . Refuge may be tiny , but so was David when he fought Goliath .
Refuge is starting a men ’ s mentoring program called Practical Fatherhood . The program will encourage , educate and minister to new fathers . They need to be taught how to be a good father . We are in need of male volunteers to mentor to these young men , so please pray and ask God if he wants you to be part of this exciting ministry . These men need us to care about them too because they have been forgotten and overlooked .
To kick off this new program Refuge is doing something that we have never done
before . We are holding a men ’ s conference on June 9th where we will have several speakers discussing the importance of fatherhood and how to be fathers in our community . We are encouraging men ’ s groups , church leaders and community leaders to attend . We may not be able to make a difference for the entire country , but together we can make a difference in the lives of the families in our community . I am inviting all of
you men to attend . This event is not a fundraiser as your ticket fee pays for your lunch and our cost for the program . Our only desire is for “ a few good men ” to stand up for the love of family .
Angela Worthey Director
Refuge Pregnancy Center

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MOM ’ S CORNER

NOT SO DIFFERENT

Recently I stood at my kitchen counter , breaking a store bought chicken down into pieces , cleaning what would become that night ’ s BBQ dinner . I gave as much attention to the details of my task while also trying to appease the hunger requests b e i n g made by my two toddlers playing in the adjacent room . As I stood there working , I began to remember

being a ten-yearold girl , standing at my mother ’ s kitchen counter doing the same . As a young girl , I felt frustrated that my mom wouldn ’ t purchase the boneless skinless version of our dinner , saving me from what seemed to be a pointless chore . I remember feeling slightly nauseated and utterly disgusted that the slimy meat was going to be my food . I complained just as much . Now as an adult , doing the same task , I don ’ t feel the annoyance . Those feelings are replaced with a warm thankfulness as I fondly think back to my childhood and being my mother ’ s little helper . What I would give to go back in time to her kitchen counter , to hear her instruct me in simple tasks and feel her hugs after a job well done . Looking back at my childhood , I realize mothering in the 80 ’ s wasn ’ t ’ too different than what I experience now . Sure , there were differences , like not having to strap all four children into car seats because that wasn ’ t a ‘ thing ’ back then . But there are a lot of things that are still the same today . She looked for ways to
pinch pennies from our grocery budget , even if that means chicken with bones and skin , and now I do the same . She didn ’ t get to use the bathroom without someone calling her name because of a sibling dispute or a lost treasure that had to be found immediately . Just like many moms today , my mother stretched herself thin to get my siblings and me to our music lessons , art lessons , or any other play date we had begged her to schedule . Most importantly , I can now look back at every sacrifice and see her strength through her struggles . There were days she sat in her room and cried out to God ,
not knowing the “ right ” way to parent her four children despite the stack of parenting books she had poured over . As an adult , I am thankful that I was able to witness my mother ’ s own insecurities and frustrations related to parenting and running a home . I watched her strive to find a balance between “ mom ” and being “ herself .” That ’ s a battle I face daily as I feel myself slip a little deeper into motherhood each day . As I look back over the past thirty years , I realized that she would probably describe some of my memories as moments she would love to change or to do over , but I couldn ’ t disagree more . I am drawing strength from those moments because they allow me to know that I am not alone .
Tiffany Hanson Wife and Mother
Isaiah 54:1
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