Here are a few interesting articles I read this week. Enjoy...and feel free to share your own links in the comment box! Nadia Bolz-Weber preached a message on what it means to really welcome children into our lives: "And we started talking about the actual reality of children and how difficult small ones can be to manage.  Kae told me of this brilliant technique she employs when dealing with toddlers.  She said it really helps her to be patient and compassionate with defiant, emotional, snot-faced toddlers when she just thinks of them like little versions of really drunk friends."

Rachel Held Evans examines why "Christian women have been trained to identify ambition as a sin": When I’m discussing writing and blogging, Christian women are by far the hardest to convince that they may want to think about promotion and branding. I receive far more requests for help with promotion (book endorsements, reviews, etc.) from men than women, and I routinely encounter women who are absolutely convinced that any sort of self-promotion or metrics-based goal-setting is categorically wrong.

The poetic Amber Haines shares insight on breaking the chains of mother-guilt: A few nights ago I engaged myself in a tale spin until 2:30 AM. I lay as still as I could muster, trying to sleep, but I played through the list, how precious are Ian’s big brown eyes, and what a big man he’s going to be one day; how I want to stop and listen to him, just for once; how I should have have had the house clean when Seth got home from work; and how I’m so hard on my oldest, even though he’s so good and bright. Finally I called myself negligent, the mother/wife-guilt threatening to swallow me whole.

Megan shares her deepest fears and hears freedom in return: I'm afraid that if anyone knew the real me, they would never read our book. And so I chained up my wrists and I kept my thoughts to myself and I sat myself down on the dock. For the book, I told myself. I'll be quiet and sit back and I'll sacrifice voice and passion and principle for the book.

Penelope Trunk offers advice on how to plan a career in your 20s to stay home with your kids in your 30s:  Work is a place where you get external rewards for being smart and productive and a good team member. You do not get that at home. So you need to figure out how to get what you need in your twenties if you want to stay home in your 30s. Don’t get addicted to people telling you how great you are. You have to give that up to stay home with kids. Kids do not give performance reviews. They give tantrums.

Lauren Nicole hits the top 10 craziest things Christian women believe about relationships: If you ever meet a man who says “Oh I won’t marry a girl unless she’s a virgin,” run for the hillllllsss are alliiiiiive with the souuund of conntroollll problemmmmms. Spare yourself from a lifetime with a man who hasn't yet grasped God's grace or the reality of brokenness within his – and your – heart.