5 Lessons #Thismama Learned

1 comment Parenting, Women's Health, Women's Mental Health , , , , , , ,

She is Serena Williams. Widely celebrated for her indomitable spirit, relentless pursuit of excellence, and unrivaled strength A powerhouse, a champion, and a legend Outspoken, brash, bold, and beautiful Witnessing the evolution of Serena Williams has been tremendous. She began her journey as Richard’s daughter and Venus’ younger sister. Now her accolades are many – Olympian, 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles to name a few. She has faced professional and personal challenges, triumph and tragedy, and is no stranger to controversy. Despite unexpected outcomes and setbacks, she has faced each obstacle  with ferocious tenacity. […]

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Who Would Win?

2 comments Parenting , , , , ,

The Cox family of 5 lives in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb just south of Birmingham. My 2nd and 6th graders attend Hoover City schools. In our school system, we can purchase books for our children through the Scholastic Book Club. Who Would Win by Jerry Pallotta is a popular series sold through the Scholastic Book Club. The premise of this creative series is to pit two ferocious beasts against one another and then determine which one would win in a fight based on the unique characteristics of these two animals. Doesn’t that sound like parenthood? It often feels like a […]

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Jesus, Therapy, & Prozac: Pastors Need Help Too

0 comments Faith, Mental Health , , , , , , ,

I had never heard his name until just a few days ago, but I now I can’t get his name or his heartbreaking story out of my head. I am overwhelmed by grief at the loss of this man’s life and at the unbearable pain that I imagine his wife, his 3 boys, and his church family now find themselves swallowed within. At the tender age of 30, Andrew Stoecklein, lead pastor at Inland Hills Church in Chino, California, died by suicide. Multiple news outlets report that he had struggled with depression and anxiety for the past several months and […]

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5 Tips for Managing the Morning Rush

2 comments Healthy Living, Parenting , , , ,

Au revoir, summer. Hello, new school year.  It’s back to the grind for many parents and their children. If your family is anything like mind, this new school year signals the return of the weekday morning mad dash, the dreaded morning rush. This year we have a preschooler, a 2nd grader, and a 6th grader. Nobody knows what they want to wear to school, shoes and backpacks have gone missing, everybody wants something different for breakfast, one child forgot to brush their teeth, and invariably another kid has like a hundred forms that need to be signed all within an […]

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Back to School Prayer

0 comments Faith, Parenting, Schools , , , , , , ,

As many of you know, I have 3 children. My son is 7 and my daughters will be 4 and 11 in just a few days. A new school year is rapidly upon us and always rouses mixed feelings in the Cox house and heralds beginnings and endings simultaneously – the end of summer and fall’s arrival; late nights become the morning rush; we swap summer vacation in eager anticipation of winter’s holidays; and the crack of the baseball bat and homeruns turn into quarterback sacks and touchdowns. In preparation for the new academic year, I want to share my […]

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The Scoop on Bipolar Disorder

2 comments Health Education, Mental Health, Women's Mental Healthl , , , , ,

A few weeks ago, singer Mariah Carey disclosed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. While her initial diagnosis came over 15 years ago, she has only recently decided to divulge details of her psychiatric illness to the public, a secret she kept out of fear and denial as reported in her interview in People Magazine. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness affecting roughly 3% of US adults.  It is a mental illness that is poorly understood and often misconstrued in the media.

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