I'm a MOM, not a BEST FRIEND

     I believe with this blog I'm going to stir up a lot of controversy.  After completing a mom's Bible Study and being encouraged about being a mother, I gained some additional insight into motherhood.  Lately it seems that there is a need to be our children's best friend.  Why?  Is it because we want them to come and talk to us?  Is it because we want them to "love" us?  Are we afraid that our children will grow to hate us?

    I'm not sure of the answer.  Well, honestly, I think the answer really depends on the person.  I love my daughter and I want her to grow up and become a respectable adult.  I want her to love God with an unshakeable faith.  But how do I go about doing that?  Here's what I have come up with...

    1. I need to love God.  YES!  If I love God with all that I am, He will honor that. (Romans 8:28)  He will give me the guidance, love, encouragement, and support that I need.  Motherhood is not easy and I cannot do it alone.  (OK, so my husband is a great support but I need my Heavenly Father, who knows all, to guide my path.)  By being an example of loving God and trusting Him, I'm demonstrating and teaching my daughter to do the same. Hebrews 13:7 says, "Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God.  Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.  I'm a parent, a LEADER, to my daughter.

     .2. Discipline.  Uh oh...I said a word not many people want to hear or use anymore.  If I want my child to listen and follow my instructions then I need to correct her when she makes a mistake.  This is not always easy.  (Sometime my heart breaks when I have to correct her.  Man am I eating the words of "nu uh" when my parents would spank me and say this hurts me more than it hurts you.)  Discipline can mean a variety of things and children respond to them all differently...but NEVER abuse your child.  God instructs us to discipline our children...Proverbs 13:24, "Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.  Those who love their children care enough to discipline them."  I love my daughter enough to protect her and help her in life and this require discipline.

    3.  Worship with her.  Notice I did not say worship her.  Sometimes I think parents who want to be their child's best friends worship their child's accomplishments.   I need to attend church with my family and not drop them off.  There needs to be a need for church and not an excuse.  I heard on the radio once that some parents care more about our child's sports life than they do about their eternal life.  Where is your focus?  I need to provide my daughter with multiple opportunities to grow and that happens at church. 

    4. Teach her.  It is not enough to take your children to church on Sundays and maybe Wednesday nights and expect them to know God. I must be intentional every day and all day.  I need to pray with her and not only at bedtime or dinner time (which are both great by the way!). I have to talk to her about God and His love for her.  I cannot simply expect that 1872 hours (2 hours a week for 18 years) will simply equip her to share about God to the world. 

    Being a Christian mother in today's world can seem like you are swimming against the current (which metaphorically you are).  But where and in whom do you place your trust?  Who do you run to daily to guide your steps?  Children have enough opportunities to make friends in this world but are only given one set of parents.  I am choosing to be a beautifully messed up Mom that loves the Lord, rather than my daughter's best friend for life. 

   

Motherhood Truths

      Being a mommy is a blessing...true!  But not every day seems like a blessing.  In actuality, it seems more like survival of the fittest.  Let's get real moms, being a mom is not always easy.  When I first announced I was pregnant I was told by several mothers that it will be the toughest job you will ever do but the most rewarding.

 

      Geez!  When I was first told this I thought, yeah right.  How can raising a child be a hard job?  (cough, cough...excuse me, reality just slapped me on the back)  Being a mom is tough and I only have one child that is becoming every explorative.  I kid you not, I believe my child walked for about a week then realized running got her where she wanted to go faster.  (Shew...thinking about chasing her exhausts me already.)

      Being a mom means you have to have everything together....FALSE!  I'm still working on this one.  I would like to say that society puts pressure on moms to do all the neat crafts out there, your house has to be in order and ready for any unexpectant guest that might arrive, have your child's hair fixed just so-so, or that their shirts are always tucked in.  Satan wants us to believe these things.  Satan, an expert deceiver, wants moms to believe that if they do not have everything together than they are failing.

      When Satan begins to trap you into his lies, drop to you knees and pray.  Scripture tells us that God rescues those who call out His name. "The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help.  He rescues them from their troubles" Psalm 34:17.  This doesn't mean that you children will stop screaming in that exact moment.  But I believe God will give you the strength to get through that moment.

      Don't beat yourself up as a mom.  When you doubt yourself or begin to let the stress overwhelm you...you are letting Satan win.  Remember you are the perfect mom for your children when you follow God's instructions and stay close to Him.  This battle is not yours, but God and He's already won the war!

 

     If you feel like you need more, then develop a group of moms that you can rely on and trust.  Don't find someone who will just tell you want to hear, but will dive into scripture and tell you what God wants you to hear.  Satan tells us enough of what we want to hear or what sounds good.  We need real honesty from someone, real truth from the Lord, and a real friend to support us as moms.

 

     Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for another day to be a mom.  Motherhood was never guaranteed to be easy.  But Lord, we know that you are with us everyday and every moment of being a mother.  May we cling to Your truths and wisdom and not Satan's.  Amen.

Mom = Overwhelmed, Stressed, Challenged.....

MOM. 

             A three letter word that cannot be summed up in one definition.  It is full time job yet listing it on a resume may raise several eyebrows.  It's a job that will refine who you are as an individual.  You learn to multi-task, become a leader, demonstrate creative outlets for your children, discipline with love yet firmness, live with some of your biggest critics, apply basic first aid, put yourself last in most every discussion, and deal with the dirtiest of jobs (and I mean DIRTY jobs)...all the while smiling.

          While I've not been a mom long, and I am told the fun is yet to come, I'm still amazed at what I can do.  Since my little one is mobile (ok...she skipped the walking stage within a week and promptly started running), I don't get to cuddle with her much.  But in the moments when I get to sit and breathe, I look down and see that God created this human being.
          God has given us mom's the job of being a mom.  While there is no manual or perfect guide book--He has enlisted us for the job.  This can be overwhelming and at times challenging.  The beauty in the middle of the beautiful mess of motherhood is that we are called to simply be mom.  We are not called to be supermom.   After all, being mom that is exactly what our children need.
          God has equipped you with all you need as a mom.  Nothing that comes at you will ever be a  to Him.  By the way, He is the author of your life.  When you feel overwhelmed or doubt your abilities as a mom, lift your eyes up.  When you know that God is with you in the valley moments  and mountain top victories - there is nothing you cannot do!
          Motherhood should be something beautiful, but reality check...it doesn't always seem that way.  But when we fix our eyes on God and know that HE is in full control over everything, motherhood seems a little simpler.  So try not to stress over the little things and turn your worries over to God.  When we decide to let God in every aspect of our life, life gets better.  (I'm not saying things will always be good, Satan never stops distracting us from doing the will of God.  Always have your armor on to go to battle against Satan.) 
         John 3:30 reminds us that, "He must become greater; I must become less."  As a mother, this can become challenging since we need things in order (well, I do at least).  But who better to be in control of your life than Christ? 
        Dear Lord, as you know motherhood is challenging and overwhelming. I want to lift up all of the mothers right now and ask that you protect them from their struggles as a mother.  Take away the stress to become a perfect mother.  Lord guide us in the journey called motherhood and help us see the beauty.  Lead us to daily make the decision for you to be greater and myself to become less.  AMEN.

The More We Get Together

       I have realized that I have been away from writing on my blogs.  I hope to start picking this up more, but let's be honest, this may not happen as much as I would like to.  I love sharing what God has laid on my heart with others through this avenue and hope it may touch you.

       Tonight as our baby girl was sitting in her walker (mommy is not ready for her to walk just yet) a children's tune came on.  Many of you may remember the song, "The More We Get Together".  The lyrics are pretty simple, "The more we get together, together, together; The more we get together the happier we'll be; Cause your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends; The more we get together the happier we'll be."

        What if this were applied to church?  If we all got together more at church, in small groups, and worshipped together, how much happier would we be?  More to the point, how much happier would we all be to be in the presence of the Lord on a consistent basis.  Today in church the associate pastor made a very strong point.  He had everyone in the congregation stand up.  He proceeded to ask those who were saved after the age of 18 to sit down.  A small handful of individuals sat down.  The point: majority of individuals who are saved are under the age of 18. 

          So how does getting saved at a young age and a children's song have hand in hand?  Simple, the more we are in church, learning about God, fellowshipping with other believers on a regular basis, the happier we can be.  As we grow in God, we realize that the pains of this world are temporary.  We are given hope that one day we will not feel pain or cry tears anymore.  Don't get me wrong, Satan will still tempt us (maybe even harder) to engage in sin or see pain more clearly.  His ultimate goal is to steer us away from a relationship with God.

        As I began to think harder about the lyrics of the song, I contemplated changing the words.  What if the song went, "The more we pray together, together, together; the more we pray together the happier we'll be, Then I'll pray for your friends, and you'll pray for my friends; The more we pray together the happier we'll be."

        Jason and I are working hard to provide baby girl with a strong faith-based foundation.  This requires us to take her to church.  The means that we send her to Sunday School to learn while we are in Sunday School learning as well.  We do this because we love baby girl and we want her to love the Lord.  So "the more we get together, the happier we'll be".

         Dear God, thank you for today and the beautiful weather.  Thank you for this country and being able to go to church without repercussions.  May we all get together in Your House more to praise and worship you.  As we are entering Holy Week, I pray for those who do not understand what you sent your son to do for use on the cross.  May they believe that your son died and saved us from our sins.  In Jesus' Name, AMEN.