Conversations At The Dinner Table

Written By Itoro E. Udofia

What are you passing down to your children?

Just as recipes are passed down to family members throughout generations so are unique family attributes. Every family has its own culture and language etiquette. Certain terms have become common and are expressed more often.  

"Do as I say, not as I do."

This is a familiar phrase that parents communicate to their children when questioned about the integrity of their actions in comparison to their spoken expectations. It can also be a band aid to mask the guilt and shame of not measuring up to the standard outlined for another to follow.

Maybe different statements were expressed in your home. Some sayings that still carry significance for you today. Which ones would you want to pass on to your children? The reality is that without being proactive about how you want things to be different they may very well stay the same.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."                                                                                                                                     - Proverbs 22:6

Single Christian Women and their Biological Clock

Written By Itoro E. Udofia

It’s been 40 years. This is the amount of time since the phrase “biological clock” was coined. In an article by Richard Cohen titled, “The Clock is Ticking for the Career Woman” published in the Washington Post on March 16, 1978 the challenges between pursuing a career and starting a family were explored. Since the introduction of the term, conversations about single women settling down well into their thirties has become commonplace.

Fear and anxiety have entered the hearts of women who are waiting for their season of marriage, navigating their career or pursuing goals in higher education. To put it simply this term “biological clock” has discretely shifted how we view maternal health and the journey towards motherhood.

How should single Christian women view their biological clock?

“Despite societal expectations or pressure from loved ones as a Christian woman your disposition regarding motherhood should embrace a kingdom perspective.”

— Itoro E. Udofia

1.  Be a good steward of your time

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”- Ecclesiastes 3:1

Use this time to develop emotionally, psychologically, and relationally. Who you are as a single woman will impact who you are as a wife and mother. This season of waiting is an opportunity to invest in yourself.

2.  Be anchored in your faith

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” -Isaiah 26:3

Remind yourself of God’s faithfulness. The foundations of your faith should consistently be before you so that the character and nature of God keep you grounded. This season of waiting is an opportunity to establish a strong relationship with Christ.

Single women can come to terms with the desire of starting a family while pursuing their purpose by recognizing that their “biological clock” is at the mercy of a God who created all things.

Gathering Knowledge in Preparation for Motherhood

If a woman had permission to never fully arrive would she accept the invitation?

In preparation for motherhood

Growth is constant. Development a journey one must embark on perpetually. This perspective must be held for those even remotely interested in navigating the role of motherhood. Adopting an “I have it all figured out” attitude has left many devoid of the rich experiences the novice once yearned for.

Women across the country consume information in preparation for the role of motherhood. This is WISE.

However, women should take inventory of their motives. Knowledge consumption although subtle can be to fill the void of “not knowing”, to navigate around the corner of “what’s to come”, and to scale the wall of “I’m not enough”. In a society where acquiring knowledge in the pursuit of fulfilling a level of expertise is celebrated; one may wonder if a woman had permission to never fully arrive would she accept the invitation?  

" For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and  understanding" - Proverbs 2:6                                                                                                                                                     

 Written By Itoro E. Udofia