Guess What Arrived!

I am absolutely giddy. Something arrived on Friday. Something I've been waiting on for quite awhile.

Head over to my author-site and see what it is. Any guesses?

Mom Guilt Strikes a Fatal Blow

Mom-guilt. I hate it. The moment the nurse placed each of my four babies into my eager arms, I could physically feel a lump form in my throat, a lead brick settle in my stomach, and some type of hot, painful, guilt-hormone race through my veins.


He has ear infections because I didn't breastfeed long enough.

I should've put an extra blanket on her when she fell asleep.

I knew his friend was sick when he came over, why didn't I cancel their play date?

She wouldn't have stitches in her lip if I'd left her training wheels on.

So, this morning I'm sitting in an audience filled with camera-toting parents and grandparents. Samuel, my 4th grader, has made the cut. He's one of five top spellers in his grammar school's 3rd and 4th grade classes.

This means one thing...district championships. Nineteen schools participate from the county and only the best of the best spellers compete.

Driving there this morning my inner dialogue began:

Hmmmm, you know, come to think of it, I don't recall going over the spelling words with Samuel.

That's okay, he's in the gifted program, remember? I'm sure he's got this figured out. I mean , who can't spell "friend" or "flimsy"?

But, you went over spelling words with his sisters and brother when they were in spelling bee's. You took the time for them.

Yeah, but I'm not a "new" parent anymore. I am much more relaxed about Samuel.

Or, maybe "Just Too Busy" working on your book?

Mom-guilt struck its fatal blow.

*******************
Sitting through three hours of a spelling bee, on a multi-purpose room bench can be painful. But, do you know what is excruciatingly painful?

Seeing tears well up in my son's eyes and watching the anguished look on his face as he missed the only two words on his team - losing the district championship for his school.

ACCUSE and MEASLES will go down in infamy, right alongside a few Kraft family spelling bee favorites like NASAL and BALLOON.

With that said, I'm going to be absent for a week or two. I'll be back on June 1st when the book comes out. I need to be present for the ones who need me most. It's time to focus on my one true calling, and the sweetest, most rewarding ministry God could ever give me - my family.

(But, if I'm not back in two weeks, don't send flowers - send BALLOONS. And, don't ACCUSE me of having the MEASLES. It's probably just a NASAL infection.)

New Author Site and Book Trailer!

Blessed...readers, this summer it will be four years since we began our friendship. This teensy, tiny spot of world wide web has become home to me. Some of you have been with me since my very first post.

I am grateful for your encouragement, your prayers, and your love. For me, blogging has been a blessed tool in God's hands. After 737 blog posts, I am still in love with blogging - and with all of you.

I made sure to include you when writing my "Acknowledgement" page in my book. I had to. You have been with me from the beginning. Now you can tell your family you're in a book!

You have laughed with me and cried with me and given me confidence to step out and walk through the next door the Lord opened for me - author.

My book Just Too Busy - Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical  will be out in a few short weeks (June 1). Like most authors, I need to have my own space to share about my book, have giveaways, and keep my readers posted about where I'm going to be and where I will be speaking. I would LOVE to hug your neck in person!

So, I have a new site:  JoanneKraft.com

Head over and sign up for my MotherLoad newsletter, and RSS feed. I pray it will become a warm place to land for moms; devotions, tips, book reviews, and freebies galore.

This week over there, I am hosting a $30 Starbuck's gift card giveaway! All you have to do is blog about my new site and follow along on my Facebook page.
I will be including excerpts from my book over there this week, and as the time draws near for my book launch there will be lots of fun visitors and shenannigans going on.

My book trailer? It's over on my Facebook page.


Blessed is she who believed what the Lord said to her would be accomplished.
 Luke 1:45

9 Weeks Until Publication - Just Too Busy

There are some things I believe we are born to do, purposed to become. For me, motherhood is the magical adventure that keeps each day a spirited, spunky, surprise.


As a little girl, I wrote in my brown leather diary and kept journals my mother always seemed to find.


Motherhood and writing. Who knew God would bring the love of both together, like chocolate and peanut-butter...a deliciously perfect combination.

Brushing my teeth one evening, I yelled back at my husband who was reading in bed. “Paul, I’m going to write a book one day.”

Getting no answer, I yelled through my garbled mouthful of toothpaste and spit for emphasis, just in case he hadn’t heard me.

“Paul. Did you hear me? I said, I’m going to write a book one day. Do you believe me?”

“Yes. I believe you.” He yelled back. “You’ll do anything to keep from cleaning the house.”

Excerpt from Just too Busy - Taking You're Family on a Radical Sabbatical


My to-do list for the next nine weeks looks a little like this:

• Go over galley copy with the eyes of a hawk - search for every teeny, tiny, microscopic typo.
• Get my author site up and running. Begin posting excerpts on a daily basis.
• Post author site link to my Facebook page and Twitter account via Hootsuite. 
• Work on leader's guide to put up on author site in downloadable pdf format.
• Work on newsletter for author site.
• Write press releases for Pitch Engine site.
• Gather blog review list for Beacon Hill.
• Write blog tour letter begging for marketing help.
• Query magazine editors with article possibilities.
• Mail postcards to local women's ministry and MOPS groups.
• Print off labels to stick onto postcards with contact info before mailing.
• Work on story; Finding Grace,  being published in Popcorn Miracles book and resend to editor.
• Remember to care for my family, make dinners, work my hours at the police department, get Samuel's birthday gift for Saturday, grocery shop for his favorite foods and Austin Cream Pie, order glass for french doors going in, mail Susan's article critiques,  find paint colors for painter coming next week, go to Lowe's and purchase cabinet refinishing kit and practice on my laundry room, pickup wood to replace front porch railings, order Grace's yearbook, pickup large bag of pretzels at Costco for David, sign Samuel up for soccer, clean up bonus room for Meghan's visit over Easter break, figure out which day to begin Bible study with girls at work.

I hear someone wrote a book about being Just Too Busy. I may have to read it.

Food Wishes and Busy Mom Dishes!

Busy moms, listen up. Have I got a site for you. My girlfriend turned me on to Food Wishes. Have you seen this website or youtube channel? I'm hooked!

I'm a true blue Paula Deen fan, and this site has a lot of recipes like hers. (Except, not all with a pound of butter. Darn.) The recipes are easy to understand, with ingredients I can find at my local grocery store and not only some foo foo market in the jungles of Mount Kilimanjaro. If you're a visual learner like myself, the videos help alot.



I made Shepherd's Pie tonight, with a side of biscuits. Samuel helped clean up the garlic mashed potatoes bowl. He was a big help.

Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal in my home tonight.

A Girlfriend's "How did you meet story"

There's a silent bond that grows, the moment you step into a nursing mother's room. Every Sunday morning, like clockwork, I'd enter the place where new mother's gathered.

Rows of rocking chairs, baby swings, and partially clad women-too tired to button up their blouses, sat with exhausted smiles of welcome. It's there I met two dear ladies.

Caroline and Kim weren't new to the breastfeeding scene.

Like me, these gals were rocking baby number four. Their kind words to a first-time mommy, and sarcastic wit when as husband would stroll in to check on his wife made me love them instantly.

You lose what's left of your inhibitions by the time baby number four rolls around in their onesies. I got to know these gals really fast, and really well.

By the time our children were weaned, we missed our time in the nursing mom's room. It's then that I had a stroke of genius:

"Let's go out without the kids! We'll call it a 'Mom's Night Out!'" My friend suggested.

But, we wanted our group to be exclusive. We enjoyed the other moms at church, but we wanted some "just us" time. "I've got it. We'll call ourselves the 'Mom's of Four or More' club!" I shared excitedly. They loved it.

Fast forward to that weekend...

"Paul, don't forget, I'm going out with Kim and Caroline tonight for dinner."

"Why just Kim and Caroline? Didn't any of the other gals at church want to come too?" He asked.

"We didn't ask anyone else. This is our 'Mom's of Four or More' club. Only moms with four or more children can be a part of this, so that leaves just me, Caroline and Kim." I smiled.

"So, let me get this straight. You've started a mom's club, but you can't be a member unless you have four or more kids?"

"Yep."

"What if I'm a mom with three kids. I don't' count as an official mom? What about one? Even then, I'm not able to be a member?" Paul goaded.

"I told you, NO."

"Sounds like a cult to me."

Ten years later, we no longer attend the same church, but the bond we shared so many years ago sealed our hearts for life. I just love those girls.

How about you? Where did you meet your girlfriend?

I know you're here because I can smell you!

As Meg started climbing up a hill, she nervously began to grind her gears and ride her breaks. The thick smell of burning brake pad soon filled the tiny car. “Meghan, what the...”

“Mom! I don't need your help. I have driven a stick-shift before.”

Fear fueled her anger, which fueled mine. Once, we were driving again on flat roads I asked her, “What was that all about back there!? Why are you mad at me?”

“Mom, you get me nervous,” she stated matter-of-factly, her eyes staring straight ahead.

“I get you nervous? Seriously?! But, I barely said a word.” Was she using me as her excuse for her poor driving performance back there?

“I can't explain it Mom. You get me nervous.”

My presence was powerful in her midnight blue Elantra. I had no idea. Words didn't need to be spoken for her to know how I was feeling while sitting in the front seat beside her. I couldn't help but think about how as Christians we bring an invisible presence wherever we go too.

A mighty presence of the Holy Spirit, Christ in us. A sweet perfume to some, the scent of death to others. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. 2Cor. 2:15-16


My feelings were hurt again. I'd invited someone over for dinner and at the last minute they called to say they couldn't come. I wanted to throw my triple-layer chocolate cake out the window.

"Why do you continually poke yourself in the eye, Joanne?" Paul asked. He's such a cool drink on a hot day.

"I guess I always have hope they will want to spend time with me."

"Sweetheart, they're just not that into you." Encouragement is not his greatest gift.

But, the above scripture came to mind. Even though I don't bring up Jesus in every conversation, could it be they feel His presence here in our home?

I'd like to think so.

I have the rotten stench of death to some. No matter how hard I try, there will be people who don't want to hang out with me, even people I love.


What about you? Do you stink around some people you know? How have you handled those situations?

Have you met Martha?

It’s not possible to write about distractions and how to break free from them without sharing the Bible’s poster gal of busyness herself, Martha.

We all know Martha from the Bible, don’t we? Yes, Martha might as well be my spiritual-sister of pain when it comes to hitting me right between the eyes more than any other woman in the Bible. She's a beautiful example of spiritual truths I need to work on daily in my own life.


My name is Joanne, and I’m a Martha. I am an over-achiever do-do-do queen. I’m easily distracted by the mundane and microscopic. I volunteer for too much, am soon distracted by the overwhelming nature of the task, and within minutes I’m irritable over the unimportant and soon angry no one is helping me. Sound like a “Martha” to you?


When I took the time to study this Godly woman, I discovered there are only five teeny-tiny verses in the gospel of Luke that share her story, yet five verses pack a knock-out punch, don’t they? While teaching at a recent women’s conference, I shared how the Lord gave me another insight into Martha, and surprisingly, it wasn’t about her busyness.


Luke 10:38-42
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”




We see Martha quite a few times throughout the gospels, much of the time she is serving. In the first part of Luke 38:40 But Martha was distracted with much serving… we see Martha is distracted.


We’ve already learned distracted means to be drawn away from or diverted. But, it got me thinking, not only is Martha busy, busy, busy, she is being taken away from the best part of her day, her time with Jesus.


Our time with the Lord is so very important. When Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, he felt it important enough to share with them. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction. 1Corinthians 7:35


As much as I enjoy serving Him through women’s Bible studies, writing, and encouraging friends, I should ask the Lord every morning what my “better” choice for the day should be. Time with Him is a blessed opportunity. The more I spend time with Him, the more I want to spend time with Him.