Embracing Change
by Anita S. Lane

I launched Keeping Family First (KFF) in January of 2005, just days before my youngest child was born.  KFF was birthed to be a place where moms could connect with other moms.  As a stay-at-home mother of four young children (ages five and under) I understood the isolation a mom can sometimes feel.

I launched KFF as a blog and within months it evolved into an online magazine—replete with celebrity and new author interviews.  It was one of very few dedicated online family magazines of its kind.  As time went on, KFF went from six writers to over 16.  Editing and maintaining the website grew into a very big job.

Change on the Horizon
In 2008, my youngest began preschool.  Now, all four of them attend school for some portion of the day.  And along with extra curricular activities I found myself spending a lot less time at home.  Hence, a lot less time to dedicate to my online magazine.  As you probably noticed, in the fall of 2008 I moved away from my celebrity interviews (which took a lot of time to confirm, conduct and edit) and began focusing more on solution-oriented features.

In addition, in September of 2008 I resumed consulting, and in January 2009, I became a full-time working mom.  Needless to say, it has been one big transition.  Carting four children to and from three different schools twice a day, along with working, cooking, cleaning, etc., definitely feels like to two full-time jobs and is just as crazy as I thought it would be. 

And while I don’t have a full-time nanny, I do have a very wise God who is guiding and leading me through this period so that I can maintain my sanity, my priorities and my commitment to my overall well-being.  It was a rough first four months, but I’ve changed my attitude and made a few key adjustments that have made a world of difference. 

On a much sadder note, my husband’s best friend died suddenly in November and my Godmother/Spiritual mother died suddenly in December.  Certainly big changes had already begun for our family in 2008.

Stress is State of Mind
I recently read that “stress” is not a thing—something tangible—it really is a state of mind.  If you allow yourself to get “stressed” then you are.  If you don’t allow yourself to feel “stressed” then you aren’t.  So to quote the popular saying, “I’m too blessed to be stressed.”  Attitude is everything.

While I didn’t necessarily anticipate working outside of the home full-time yet, I do realize that I am blessed to have a good job, and to have one in my line of work.  My work is meaningful—and for that I’m grateful.

So, now that I have two full-time jobs (wife/mom, and Director of a nonprofit) I have even less time to dedicate to my online magazine.  So the solution was to find a way to maintain KFF in a way that provides what readers want, in a time-efficient manner for me as editor.

KFF Comes Home
Keeping Family First will return to its roots as a blog—a truly interactive place where moms and dads can connect around issues that are important to us as families (ands as women and men).  I do hope our readers will embrace the opportunity to join the important conversation about parenting and family. Join the network, start a blog or start a group.  Share with others pearls of wisdom from a good book.   The possibilities are endless.
 
Embracing Change
January 2009 marks my return to the workplace full-time after nine years as a stay-at-home-mom.  The United States of America will swear in its first African-American President, and his presidency will strive to change the culture of Washington.  Our weak economy will continue to change the landscape of the manufacturing, service and retail industries in America as many of the “big” and small players cease from existence, and the current Arab-Israeli conflict may impact our future policy towards the region.  These are just a few major changes developing right now.

But as moms (and dads), we daily face change as our children grow, learn, take on new adventures and become more independent.  We must be ready at any time for the unexpected. 

Embrace the Opportunities
While change often happens unexpectedly, and is not always welcome, change inevitably brings with it opportunity—an opportunity to view a situation from another lens; an opportunity stretch our faith muscles, an opportunity to forge new relationships, and an opportunity to grow and learn more about ourselves and the world in which we live.

So in 2009, determine to embrace the changes that come your way with hopefulness and the comfort that Jeremiah 29:11 brings— “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV) 

We must always remind ourselves that whatever comes, God’s grace is there to see us through.  I Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (NIV)

Together, let us fully embrace change—in all of its furor and in all of its beauty.

Copyright ©2009 by Anita S. Lane