Shannon S. McKee

musings and moments

Pausing to Consider the Rich and Varied Faces of Mother’s Day

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As we head into a weekend that might be a mixture of emotions for you, I want to offer this reminder that you are seen and loved. God knows… 

Maybe Mother’s Day makes you sad because you’re mourning a mom who has died. 

Maybe Mother’s Day is hard for you because you’d like to have kids but you don’t (for all kinds of reasons and situations that I can’t even begin to name here in this small space). 

Maybe it’s a day of ache because your womb has known both life and loss and you miss those babes you barely knew. 

Maybe it’s a day filled with pain because your relationship with your own mom is strained. Maybe your mom just did a really horrible job of momming. 

Maybe it’s a day of pulling back in discouragement because your adult children have walked away or shut you out. 

Maybe Mother’s Day if filled with regret because you chose abortion and this day serves as a painful reminder.

Maybe you feel guilty because you do have kids but they’re driving you nuts in this season and you’re tapped out. But you feel like you shouldn’t be.

Maybe you come into Mother’s Day scared because you are swollen up huge and ready to burst with a new life but you’re overwhelmed or alone or feeling inadequate. 

Maybe you’re full of “what ifs” because you’re a mom who only held her baby for a moment before giving her as a gift to know another as mom. And sometimes you wonder about her. 

Of course, it’s also a day full of joy and honor for so many. Many of whom might celebrate today but have been somewhere on this list too. 

I love that our Jesus can acknowledge both. That rejoicing at motherhood doesn’t mean excluding those who haven’t experienced it or are saddened by it. No. It’s not all or nothing. Instead, we rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. We enter in with one another because His grace is sufficient for all of it. For every sigh of contented delight AND for every tear cried in an empty rocker. 

We trust that He sees. He knows. He has taken on flesh and entered into it with us. That He is the Sovereign Lord in both the mourning and the rejoicing. And that He is always making all things new. 

“Oh El Roi… in Genesis we find you there as the God Who Sees. We are so thankful that you see us – just like you saw both Hagar and Sarah. One in her pain and desperation. The other in her moment of incredulous laughter. Thank you for meeting us both in that place of plenty and in the parched wilderness. 

We offer both to you, trusting in your loving kindness. Here in open hands we give you both our broken dreams and our most precious mom moments.

Help us to see with your eyes. To be conduits of your grace and mercy in other women’s stories. 

I’m so glad you made me a woman! I know I am part of a beautiful sisterhood and that we reflect your image as life givers. Thank you for creating us girls with the unique capacity to nurture life – whether we ever bear children or not.” 

Happy Mother’s Day, life givers. Your story is precious, and you are all breathtakingly beautiful in your design.

Making the Most of Your Time

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Today marks the last day of our church’s women’s Bible study through the book of Genesis. Among other things, we have made lists, looked for repeated phrases, watched the genealogies, studied the history, noted the characteristics of God revealed in that history, highlighted key words, and looked up the meaning of words like “covenant”. Three hundred women on an adventure through these 50 chapters of this, the “Book of Beginnings”.

Fifty chapters of seeing God’s patience. His sovereignty. The way He keeps His promises. His love, mercy, and justice mingling together. His scarlet thread of redemption that started in chapter 3 and kept on throughout the book. His constant foreshadowing of Jesus. His provision for His covenant people.

I have loved watching our women go after it. Making time to read and study their Bibles. In fact, I was so inspired that when they posted on social media, I started downloading their photos to make this little collage. I love that they didn’t wait for life to slow down or their circumstances to change – they seized the time they already had. Reading and studying on the go if they had to.

I share the photos here now, because I hope you’re inspired and encouraged too. We can do this. We can tend to our inner souls and let our worldview be transformed in the small, ordinary moments of our days. A prayer breathed as we change a diaper. A verse of truth internalized while we wait at our kid’s swim meet. A big thought about God pondered while we take our lunch break at work. A moment alone with our journals before the chaos starts and everyone else wakes up. A chapter read while kids or pets climb on us. A choice to read over our letters from God while we travel (for work or pleasure). Honestly, I wonder if it’s in those spaces that God is most honored because of the intentionality and desire that goes with all those interspersed moments.

It reminds me a little bit of Brother Lawrence who learned to practice the presence of God as he went about his day. He even penned a prayer that started, “Oh Lord of the pots and pans…”

He is the God of Creation. He is the God of Covenant. And, yet, He is also the God of our ordinary moments. What a joy to know Him!

Love in a Cup: My London Fog Recipe

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I am a lover of all things tea. My journey with it started my first year out of college when I worked for a newspaper. I was interviewing a woman from Australia for a piece that I was working on. Instead of meeting her out somewhere, she invited me to her home for… tea time! Sugar cubes and all. It reminded me of Anne of Green Gables and was totally taken in by this lovely mid-day respite.

That same year, Rick bought me my first pottery tea pot, sugar bowl, and creamer. Then, I discovered loose tea. The rest is history…. I’ve been blissfully making pots of tea ever since.

Fast forward to a few years ago when I discovered tea lattes. My favorite is the London Fog. Yum! What I’m not a fan of is paying $4 for one. Especially since I have one every day. If I make it at home, it’s more like 30-40 cents a cup.

In addition to saving money, I like to customize my homemade version. I’ve discovered that I like mine with a bit of lavender in it. Most London Fogs that you order out and about are made by combining earl grey tea with steamed milk and vanilla syrup. No lavender.

Bonus tip: Lady Grey tea from Twinnings has the lavender already in it. But, if you only have access to Earl Grey, you can always just add a pinch of lavender to your tea before you steep it. I can’t find the Lady Grey locally so I have to order it online – usually through Amazon.

Here’s my recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

 

London Fog

My homemade recipe for a London Fog tea latte - a creamy, steamy cuppa! 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 6 minutes
Course Beverage
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp loose leaf Lady Grey Tea I use Twinnings
  • 8-10 oz water brought to rolling boil
  • 1 tsp sweetener I use a stevia/xylitol blend
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup half and half steamed

Instructions
 

  • Pour water over loose tea infuser basket into mug to brew a strong cup of Lady Grey tea. (If you are using Earl Grey tea instead, add a pinch of lavender to your infuser.) After 4 minutes, pull the tea infuser out. Add your sweetener and the vanilla extract. (I'm trying to avoid sugar but you can sub sugar or a simple syrup for my homemade stevia blend if you'd like.) Stir.
  •  While the tea is steeping, steam half and half. I don't have a steamer so I warm it up in the microwave or on the stove top and whip it with my Aerolatte frother. Pour frothed milk over prepared tea. 
Keyword london fog, tea

A Guest Post from Pastor Rick: Thoughts on the Gillette Ad Controversy

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Yes, I’ve heard of the controversy over this video from Gillette. It makes me sad.

First, my credentials: I’m a man. By most accounts, a very masculine man. And proud of it. Throughout my ministry, God has allowed me to gather manly men and train them up in the Lord. I tend to be conservative, both politically and theologically. I’m complementarian – embracing male leadership in the home and church as outlined in the Bible. By all accounts, I’m incredibly pro-masculinity. And I LOVED THIS VIDEO.

Hottie, Manly Pastor Dude in Ireland in 2017

In fact, one thing that totally moved me was the idea of men training boys to be men. I loved this line: “because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow.” That’s laden with challenge, put up or shut up, caught not taught, your example matters. Truth.

The video is against TOXIC masculinity, not masculinity per se. It seemed to focus on the mistreatment of women and on bullying. I think those are bad things, right? They do exist in our world, right? And, sometimes they are given a pass with an eye roll and a “boys will be boys.” In contrast, this video calls men to call men to a higher version of being men. I’m struggling to see why that is a bad thing.

Is there a fallen version of masculinity that plagues this fallen world? YES. It’s been around for thousands of years, and I’ve been a part of it. I still need to wrestle it out of my soul all the time. Is there a very manly version of masculinity that is God-honoring? YES. Just look at Jesus, the biggest stud of all time. He possessed the strength of God, but restrained by meekness, character and love, then channeled toward the good of others, particularly the weak and oppressed, at great sacrifice to himself. Stud.

I’m pro-masculinity that looks like Jesus. I’m anti-toxic, fallen, sinful masculinity. Of course, I could say that about almost anything – femininity, government, churches, church leadership, etc. Pro on the godly version; anti on the fallen version.

Christians, don’t adopt your reactions from shock jocks and reactionary internet personalities. We adopt our reactions from the Word of God. What God calls sin, we call sin.

If you have your knickers in a twist over this video, perhaps “thou doth protest too much.” Are you perhaps a part of the toxic masculinity, feeling convicted and defensive? That’s for you to decide. I have no idea. Maybe you’re just feeling this last thought…

There is a hint of cultural concern here. Why is a video that calls out TOXIC masculinity being met with such venom? It’s because of the assumption that all men are bad, all men are guilty. I don’t find that assumption in the video. But, it is in our culture. And I think the negative reactions to this video is an indication of that. Yes, we need to call out toxic masculinity. But, for too long our culture has bashed masculinity itself. Yes, men are different from women. Yes, we are often rough and tumble. And, so as long as masculinity is seen as a problem, good videos against toxic masculinity will be met with defensiveness.

Rick McKee is the Lead Pastor at Redemption Chapel in Stow, Ohio. And my husband. So, its OK that I called him the Hottie, Manly Pastor Dude. Perks of being the PW.