The Power of Your Story

Last week, some of the regular readers of my blog completed a survey. I highly appreciate all of your comments. If you didn't get a chance to share your feedback, you can click here . I'd love to hear from you! I would like to respond to some of the questions. I realize some of these are questions you'd like to ask an expert. No, I don't consider myself an expert on everything related to being a mom. But my kids and being a mom has been a HUGE part of my life over the last 17 years! Healthy Meals Reader : nutrition, food, how to cook healthy meals. Bona : Being a mom can be so hard. I remember what I did at some points making sure that we always had good healthy meals. At other times, it became hard to keep up with all the demands of life.  I think that cooking good healthy meals is such an important thing. And then sitting around the table together. That is such an important time for us as a family.  Recently some other people suggested that we try to have light dinner...

I am Vera! I am the mother of two children, Sara, who is 16 years old, and Aron, who is 11 years old. Sara has autism, which is why the whole family is at her disposition. It has been a long journey of 14 years of therapy. Diagnosed with a Tumor When Sara was only 6 years old, and Aroni was 1 year old, I was diagnosed with a tumor. Unfortunately, it could not be operated on nor could we do a biopsy. "Who would take care of my children?" This situation caused a range of emotions—I felt anger and fear. I had thousands of thoughts swirling through my mind—who would take care of my children? What would happen to Sara? And I thought about how small Aroni was. Sometimes I took my frustration out on Sara as well. Despite how much effort we put into therapy, where she worked very well with the therapists, she challenged me in the school setting. I had forgotten that she was just a child who gets tired. From Earrings to MOPS Almost 4 and a half years ago (in October ...

My name is Stela Viso. I am a very happy mom of a 14-year-old boy. We have entered together as a family into a beautiful new phase with many changes related to adolescence. I was born in Tirana, but I grew up, got married, and live in the city of Korca, a city full of traditions and hospitability. Throughout my life, I have faced various challenges, which undoubtedly have strengthened and helped me to see myself as a very good catalyst for those around me, for those whom God puts in my path. Early Life Challenges and Their Impact Having said that, let me share a brief story about a girl who, nine months after birth, was separated from her family in Tirana and raised by her grandmother in Korca. My family, specifically my mother, had to make such a difficult decision because my father had health problems and soon passed away when I was 3 years old. Undoubtedly, this story has left a deep mark on me and has influenced my thoughts and my approach to dealing with friends, the world...

Discovering MOPS I am Blerta Veliu, and I was born and raised in Tirana, the beautiful capital of Albania! I am the mother of two sons, Melkid and Naason, who are eleven and five years old, respectively.  Today, as I am writing this, I am 36 years old. However, I was only 26 when I first heard about MOPS, which was a ministry for mothers with small children.  "I was going through a not-so-beautiful period in my life." At the time, I was a young mother with a two-and-a-half-year-old child, and I was going through a not-so-beautiful period in my life.  It was during this time that my cousin and good friend Bona came to Albania and invited me to be a part of the MOPS ministry to support her vision for the mothers of our country.  As a young mother and wife, I had various insecurities and was often dissatisfied with the lifestyle I had. I felt alone and didn't try to engage in activities or relationships with other mothers. I found myself complaining more than having a t...

Forgot yourself? When I first had kids, there were days I thought, "I don't even know who I am anymore!" Does that sound familiar?  When moms think about meeting the needs of their kids and their husbands and everyone else and forget to care for themselves, it can lead to regret, numbness, and contempt.  Knowing how much courage it takes to change, we wanted to give moms a day to taste something different. Daniela, a friend of mine, described what happened at the Fierce Flourishing conference, " In the previous years I was only thinking about my kids and my husband but not about me.”  Join me while I tell the story of that day and the impact it had on the lives of women like Daniela. A day just for You The next few months were a bluuuuuuuur! The team kept working and working. And working.  We translated Fierce Flourishing , a devotional book for moms.   We opened a Facebook page. We invited moms from Tirana and all over the country.  We promoted the e...

Sadly, many leaders fall flat on their faces because they start out alone. Over time, this can lead to burnout, isolation, and hopelessness. When you start to move forward, it helps to have someone who can catch you when you trip. Someone who will help you get up after you've fallen. When you have a team of people like this, passionate about a common goal, you are ready to do whatever it takes to get there. Anila, one of the leaders of MOPS Albania, put it this way, "We did great things with the strength that God gave us because we love mothers!” That's what I'm giving you here today - the story of our team. Check out what motivated us and share what has motivated you below. The Dreaming Team After I talked with Cris in Brazil and Monica in Guatemala about their conferences, I went to our team in Tirana—Irena Crawford, Blerta Veliu, and Anila Qiriazi–and I told them about this vision. We started dreaming. “For women who have never been to MOPS, they could hear the mes...