"If our gardens need cultivating to grow well, our children need that attention much more. Seeds of excellence and grace must be planted and tended. The weeds of selfishness and bad attitudes must be plucked. The plot must be protected so that the wild storms and prevailing winds of culture will not damage the fruit."
The Mission of Motherhood
Showing posts with label Motherhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motherhood. Show all posts
Serving Christ by being a Mother
I started reading this book "The Mission of Motherhood". I'm loving how it is causing me to dig deep into God's Word and see what He's trying to teach me about being a Godly wife and mother. I'm learning much. God has a lot of work to do in me. I'm so ready to make changes and be a better mother to my three sweet blessings!
I think today there are many that don't realize the need our kids have for us (Mom's). Parents don't realize the importance of stability, and structure. This saddens me. I know there are Mother's out there that have to go to work. I have a dear friend who had to start cleaning houses and bringing her kids along with her so she could school them while she worked. She had to do this to help bring in a little money so they could buy groceries, since her husband was out of work for over a year. Her husband would help her do this some as he continued the search for the job that God had for him. I know there are many more stories out there like this. But at the same time I think there are far more stories of women desiring to have a career and "do something" in the world (as if having children and raising them isn't doing as doing "something"). Traditional Motherhood has sort of ceased to be the society approved "norm". It is sad that more people don't consider the possibility of being a full time mother at home with her children. I believe that God designed mothers to be the person to create an environment for her children to grow in and prepare them to live in this world in God's image. He intended it to be a full time job, not just a side job. It's all about priorities. Once one makes the choice to be the homemaker/ mother, God will allow everything else to fall into place. After all, if he designed mother's to be at home tending to the children and raising them up then He will help provide creative ways for mothers to bring in a little extra money if needed.
It's not easy being a single income family (especially in California). I can't say we are completely debt free! I can't say we always have tons of extra money laying around. Although, I can be grateful to the God we serve that provides us with enough money to get by and make our payments and in time be debt free. There are little things I can do as a mother to try to make it easier for Brian. I can be on the look out for deals in order to save us money, coupons, meal plan for the month, babysitting and working at the church. All these things help in some way and makes it financially easier for me to stay home with our kids. I'm grateful that we both talked about this before we got married, and how important we both thought it was for me to be home during the years they are growing up in our home! I'm thankful that I love my job as wife to Brian and Mother to Gregory, Adam and Luke.
As I'm studying more about this I'm realizing how selfish I can be. The world's view is all about "self". So often in the media we are encouraged to make time for ourselves and look out for our self. However, Jesus paints a very different picture. He wants me to loose my life for HIM. And by loosing my life for Him, I'll find life. The Joy that we all long for comes ONLY FROM HIM. It is a sacrifice to be a Godly mother. A sacrifice of our self in order to follow God's original design of motherhood. I'm learning that I have to give it over to God. All my worries, and fears, and trust Him to direct and change me to be the Mother He wants me to be. God wants me to wholeheartedly serve Him through my job as a wife to Brian and mother to my boys. As I strive to meet the needs of my children and husband, serving them in whatever way God wants me to, and pouring out love, I can picture it as serving Christ himself. Its a process of learning to give the BEST love I can. If I'm serving Christ, I want it to be my best!
I think if I can picture serving Christ himself in all that I do, it will make even the tough days easier. I pray that during those tough days I can use opportunities to teach my boys and show them love that Christ would have me show them. I pray that each and every day I can commit to living selflessly in order to show more love to my family and be the kind of mother God would want me to be. Remembering always to do it as unto the Lord.
I have so many more things to write, and more will come as I continue to dig into God's word about Motherhood. More to come........ later....
I think today there are many that don't realize the need our kids have for us (Mom's). Parents don't realize the importance of stability, and structure. This saddens me. I know there are Mother's out there that have to go to work. I have a dear friend who had to start cleaning houses and bringing her kids along with her so she could school them while she worked. She had to do this to help bring in a little money so they could buy groceries, since her husband was out of work for over a year. Her husband would help her do this some as he continued the search for the job that God had for him. I know there are many more stories out there like this. But at the same time I think there are far more stories of women desiring to have a career and "do something" in the world (as if having children and raising them isn't doing as doing "something"). Traditional Motherhood has sort of ceased to be the society approved "norm". It is sad that more people don't consider the possibility of being a full time mother at home with her children. I believe that God designed mothers to be the person to create an environment for her children to grow in and prepare them to live in this world in God's image. He intended it to be a full time job, not just a side job. It's all about priorities. Once one makes the choice to be the homemaker/ mother, God will allow everything else to fall into place. After all, if he designed mother's to be at home tending to the children and raising them up then He will help provide creative ways for mothers to bring in a little extra money if needed.
It's not easy being a single income family (especially in California). I can't say we are completely debt free! I can't say we always have tons of extra money laying around. Although, I can be grateful to the God we serve that provides us with enough money to get by and make our payments and in time be debt free. There are little things I can do as a mother to try to make it easier for Brian. I can be on the look out for deals in order to save us money, coupons, meal plan for the month, babysitting and working at the church. All these things help in some way and makes it financially easier for me to stay home with our kids. I'm grateful that we both talked about this before we got married, and how important we both thought it was for me to be home during the years they are growing up in our home! I'm thankful that I love my job as wife to Brian and Mother to Gregory, Adam and Luke.
As I'm studying more about this I'm realizing how selfish I can be. The world's view is all about "self". So often in the media we are encouraged to make time for ourselves and look out for our self. However, Jesus paints a very different picture. He wants me to loose my life for HIM. And by loosing my life for Him, I'll find life. The Joy that we all long for comes ONLY FROM HIM. It is a sacrifice to be a Godly mother. A sacrifice of our self in order to follow God's original design of motherhood. I'm learning that I have to give it over to God. All my worries, and fears, and trust Him to direct and change me to be the Mother He wants me to be. God wants me to wholeheartedly serve Him through my job as a wife to Brian and mother to my boys. As I strive to meet the needs of my children and husband, serving them in whatever way God wants me to, and pouring out love, I can picture it as serving Christ himself. Its a process of learning to give the BEST love I can. If I'm serving Christ, I want it to be my best!
I think if I can picture serving Christ himself in all that I do, it will make even the tough days easier. I pray that during those tough days I can use opportunities to teach my boys and show them love that Christ would have me show them. I pray that each and every day I can commit to living selflessly in order to show more love to my family and be the kind of mother God would want me to be. Remembering always to do it as unto the Lord.
I have so many more things to write, and more will come as I continue to dig into God's word about Motherhood. More to come........ later....
Important to model for our kids
"When I model patience in the midst of difficulty, joy in the midst of messes, contentment in the midst of lack, then I provide them a pattern for their own lives. They will learn that my joy is not circumstantial but real because I have an endless source of strength through the power of the Holy Spirit in my life" Sally Clarkson
Able to deal with problems with peace and patience
"I have already mad ea decision to make myself available in the routine tasks and myriad interruptions of daily life because I believe it is God's will for me to serve my family through them. Making this choice ahead of time means I will expect problems and needs to arise and be ready to deal with them in peace instead of impatience and resentment." sally clarkson
"But its the way I respond to my children in everyday moment that gives me the best chance of winning their hearts. If I have integrity and patience in the small moments of life that are so important to my children, and if I approach them with a servants heart, then I have a far better chance of influencing them in the larger and more critical issues of life. "
Sally Clarkson
Sally Clarkson
1 Corinthians 13 for MOMS
1 Corinthians 13 for Moms
I can read bedtime stories till the cow jumps over the moon, and sing "Ten Little Monkeys" until I want to call the doctor-- but if I don't have love, I'm as annoying as a ringing phone.
I can chase a naked toddler through the house while cooking dinner and listening to voice mail, I can fix the best cookies and Kool-Aid in the neighborhood, and I can tell a sick child's temperature with one touch of my finger, but if I don't have love, I am nothing.
Love is patient while watching and praying by the front window when it's 30 minutes past curfew.
Love is kind when my teen says, "I hate you!"
It does not envy the neighbors' swimming pool or their brand-new
car, but trusts God to provide every need.
Love does not brag when other parents share their disappointments and insecurities, and love rejoices when other families succeed.
It doesn't boast, even when I've multi-tasked all day long and my
husband can't do more than one thing at a time.
Love is not rude when my spouse innocently asks, "What have you done today?"
It does not immediately seek after glory when we see talent in our
children, but encourages them to get training and make wise choices.
It is not easily angered, even when my 15-year-old acts like the world revolves around her/him.
It does not delight in evil (is not self-righteous) when I remind my
17-year-old that he's/she's going 83 in a 55-mph zone, but rejoices in the truth.
Love does not give up hope. It always protects our children's self-
esteem and spirit, even while dealing out discipline.
It always trusts God to protect our children when we cannot. It always perseveres, through blue nail polish, burps and other bodily
functions, rolled eyes and crossed arms, messy rooms and sleep-overs.
Love never fails.
But where there are memories of thousands of diaper changes and
painful, labor(s), they will fade away.
Where there is talking back, it will (eventually) cease. (Please, God)
Where there is a teenager who thinks he/she knows everything, there will one day be an adult who knows you did your best.
For we worry that we fail our children, and we pray they don't end up in therapy, but when we get to heaven, our imperfect parenting will disappear. (Thank you, God!)
When we were children, we needed a parent to love and protect us.
Now that we're parents ourselves, we have a heavenly Father who
adores, shelters us and holds us when we need to cry.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Called to be Blessed~ Mother's Day
Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day,
With little time to stop and pray,
For life's been anything but calm
Since You called me to be a mom--
Running errands, matching socks,
Building dreams with wooden blocks,
Cooking, cleaning, finding shoes
And other stuff that children lose,
Fitting lids on bottled bugs,
Wiping tears and giving hugs,
A stack of last week's mail to read--
So where's the quiet time I need?
Yet, when I steal a moment, Lord,
Just at the sink or ironing board,
To ask the blessings of Your grace,
I see then, in my small one's face,
That you have blessed me all the while --
And I stoop to kiss that precious smile.
Author unknown
Mothering
Thinking of the JOB that I do! A mother! Has to be one of , if not the most important job ever!
Hope and I were talking about serving God tonight and how not everyone is doing something like teaching Sunday school, leading in church etc... but that serving our children (even in changing diapers), is important and something that we are doing because we love them and showing love and caring for our children puts a smile on His face :) Its also important to evaluate how we are bringing them up in the Lord too.
How am I bringing my kids up in the Lord? At the end of the day, when all is said and done, the things that I did during the day, how did it affect them for HIM? I wrote and article a while back about Motherhood and thought I'd share it here:
My Mom recently spoke at our church you can read about her testimony here
Hope and I were talking about serving God tonight and how not everyone is doing something like teaching Sunday school, leading in church etc... but that serving our children (even in changing diapers), is important and something that we are doing because we love them and showing love and caring for our children puts a smile on His face :) Its also important to evaluate how we are bringing them up in the Lord too.How am I bringing my kids up in the Lord? At the end of the day, when all is said and done, the things that I did during the day, how did it affect them for HIM? I wrote and article a while back about Motherhood and thought I'd share it here:
Mother's Day is just around the corner. Makes me think of my Mom and what a true example she has always been to me. I have so many fun memories of time spent with my Mom growing up. As I think of her, I am so thankful that she stayed home to raise me and my 5 siblings. A choice she and my dad made before we were born. And now that I’m grown, I have to say “THANK YOU MOM!” Not only is my Mom a fun Mom to have. More importantly she is one who stands on God’s Word. She and my dad (Pop) trained us up in the way of the Lord. Still to this day she gets up very early in the morning to delve into a passionate time with God through His Word and prayer. So often, even today Pop and Mom will share with me or help me with a particular scripture. Both parents are always there for me to help give godly counsel, which is something I never want to take for granted! I’m so grateful to God and so blessed to have a Mother who loves God more than anything else in the world, and shows that by her actions and speech. She’s truly an example I want to follow in raising my own children.
Eskimo kisses
Thinking of Mother’s Day makes me look at my life and evaluate how I’m mothering my two boys. My actions speak louder than words, what are my actions showing them? Am I training them in the way of the Lord? Am I getting to KNOW God more and more on a daily basis? Do I show that to my kids? Do I share what God is doing? Do I teach them and show them how to love God everyday? Do I consider them a priority? Do I spend time with them? Am I selfish?
As this Mother’s Day comes, be mindful of your Mom, special memories and times shared and thank the Lord for those times. Take time to Honor your Mother this Mother’s Day! Also maybe take some time to look at your own life and see if God brings to mind some areas you should work on to become closer to Him so you can be a better Mom (or Dad).
My Mom recently spoke at our church you can read about her testimony here
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