Let’s face it – we women can be a catty, unsupportive bunch at times.  I think we are trying to change that for the better – I see posts on Facebook from time to time about how moms of all different philosophical bents need to encourage one another in the choices we make.  Stay-at-home or work-outside-the-home, bottle feeding or breast feeding, home school, private school, traditional school or maybe even the new trend of unschool.  Being a mom is hard enough to do – no instruction manual or training academy – and we women do NOT need to make it harder on each other!

I have been blessed to find an online group of women – wives to be more specific – to be transparent with, to vent to, to share our successes with and I honestly have come to value them more than I thought possible.  We are working our way through a book that focuses on marriage called “The Respect Dare” by Nina Roesner.  We use an online resource called Moodle to “meet” online and discuss each of the chapters or “dares”.  The absolute BEST part of the encounter? None of these women will bash their husbands or allow one another do to so.  Don’t get me wrong – we are absolutely allowed to vent or share our struggles and I have done just that.  When that happens, the other women are quick to encourage and offer sympathy if needed, but they are also quick to try and help me see my hubby’s side of any issue.  The goal of reading “The Respect Dare” is to get better at meeting the need for respect that all of our husbands seem to have so it just makes sense to help push one another in a more productive direction.

As a pastor’s wife in a small town, I LOVE the ability to really be myself, be honest and get sincere support and productive, honest feedback.  I’ve even had a chance to chat with another pastor’s wife who is in the group! Don’t get me wrong – the book can be done as a face-to-face women’s study (and is happening just that way in several places) but this online setting is working WONDERFULLY for me.  So grateful to have found the wonderful community of women who are encouraging me to make some important, difficult but ultimately healthier steps in my relationship.  If you would like to know more, check out their website here!