a real life mom @ work A Real Mom @ Work: Kim Hill "It's a good thing you're a tomboy, Mom." Kim Hill's lifestyle as the mother of two boys, ages 8 and 12, is definitely active. She skis and rides mountain bikes, but the skill that sets her apart from most moms is this: She can throw a football. And her boys think having a "tomboy" mom is a good thing. As a Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning recording artist, Kim also works at what she refers to as the "full time mom thing." She tells us her career allows her some flexibility so she can be home with her boys after school. This is important to Kim because she has to travel a few weekends each month for conferences and concerts. She is very grateful for family members who help with the kids when she has to be out of town. God met me in the midst of my pain and disappointment. Along with her successes, Kim candidly talks about tough times. In 2001, when she and the boys' father divorced, she said she turned to the Lord and her faith grew stronger. "I needed Him so much," she admits. God spoke to her heart and said, "Kim, will you bless me, praise me, in the midst of disappointment?" She says that is when God took her to a deeper place. "God met me…," she explains. "And He continues to be Husband to the husbandless and Father to the fatherless in my house". After she speaks at conferences, many women come up to Kim and thank her for mentioning divorce. She notes, "Women who are divorced still feel sub par-somehow not as good as they were before their divorce. They think God can't use them." Kim recognizes that what should have ruined her has become something God uses to encourage others experiencing disappointment. "You're the only first grade mom who's not going to be there!" Every working mom wants to be there for her kids. Kim is no exception. She recounted a heart-wrenching incident when she had to miss one of her son's school plays. She had arranged for her mom to be there in her place, but in his disappointment, her son told her, "You're the only first grade mom who's not going to be there." "I don't usually make a big deal out of my job with my kids, but this was one of those moments where I had to try to explain that I'm probably the only first grade mom who sings for a living." Kim continued, "I love my kids so much. And, sometimes it's the hardest thing in the world to leave them. I hate to miss one single thing they do. I struggle with this." Called to both motherhood and ministry, she has to rely on God to find the balance. "It's very fulfilling, but not easy. No one has it easy. Everyone has places where they struggle, its part of life." "So, sitting in a restaurant in the airport in Dallas, I sang and prayed with my son." One weekend while traveling, Kim realized she wouldn't make it home in time for the boys' bedtime. She called home to say goodnight and her youngest asked her to sing and pray with him over the phone. "So, sitting in a restaurant in the airport in Dallas, I sang and prayed with my son." On the other end of the line, her son lay on his bed, listening and praying with his mom, phone in his little hand. Her mom, who was staying with the boys, later told Kim it was so sweet it made her cry. "Mom, I don't need a picture for that." Those "boy" activities help Kim stay connected with her kids. Last summer she and her older son went mountain biking in Colorado. Crossing a creek, she managed to get covered in mud from head to toe. Kim suggested they take a picture, "So he could remember what a cool mom I am!" His response was one of those---the kind that moms tuck away in their hearts, "Mom, I don't need a picture for that." Kim's Favorites Dinner is usually a challenge for working moms. So we asked Kim what she does for a quick meal when her crew is hungry and she doesn't have a lot of time. "I make pasta with butter and cheese. Then, I open a can of mandarin oranges, serve it with bread and you've got a meal." After a weekend apart, Kim likes to prepare a special Sunday evening dinner for herself and her boys. Here is one of their favorite entrees: Kim Hill's Memphis BBQ Salmon 8 (8 oz.) fresh salmon fillets 1 c. soy sauce 2 tsp. liquid smoke 1 Tbs. sugar 1 cup dry white wine 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 Tbs. sesame oil 1 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 c. salad oil 1 cup barbecue sauce Combine soy sauce, liquid smoke, sugar, wine, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, and garlic, and stir well. Pour over fillets and marinate for 20 minutes. Dredge marinated fillets in salad oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425-degrees for 7 to 8 minutes until almost done. Remove from oven and baste each fillet with 2 Tbs. BBQ sauce. Return to oven for 1 to 2 minutes to set and heat sauce. Serves 8 To learn more about Kim's music, visit her Web site at www.kimhillmusic.com. Our favorite album is Surrounded by Mercy. Kim's music is a reflection of who she is-a real working mom who knows her real God. > back