Our Beloved Matriarchs:
MOMSWEB salutes you and your every endeavor to be God's Woman while nurturing the children He has providentially entrusted in your care. Realizing that our children are not our own, that they are indeed gifted blessings from our Heavenly Father, we praise Him for allowing you to be vessels hand-chosen by Him to love and provide for His children. Thus, like our Savior's mother; Mary, you are highly-favored and we invite you to share a testimonial of what "Being a Mother means..." or "The hardest part of being a mother is..." We recognize that albeit, we have been selected to do this marvelous work in teaching, preparing, and providing for our children, it still can and will be a difficult task to complete, but we can run this race with patience and reap the benefits of what God has maternally designed for US!
Some of you have empty nests...PRAISE GOD, but you can share an encouraging, enlightening word to those of us whose nests are still replete with the chirping sounds of, "Mommy, I need this or Mommy help me with that." Perhaps you will be the inspiring beacon that allows us to exhale a minute while we're refereeing who had the ball last or who gets a turn next. Won't you join us in this special Mother's Day Project as we thank God for you and all you've done to ensure that your children are happy, healthy, honest, God-Fearing, reverent, and respectful. If you'd like to participate, please submit your testimonial of 60 words or less to momsweb@momsweb.net no later than April 02.
My God continue to bless you as you co-labor together with Him on this side of His vineyard!!
Prayerfully & Lovingly Submitted,
Tori W. McCollum
Editor-In-Chief
What's Your Position?
In the middle of my son’s practice baseball game last week, the coach switched pitchers and my eleven-year-old son was moved from his comfortable second base position to the pitcher’s mound. I have never seen him pitch nor did I think he could. I was so nervous I considered watching the remaining of the game from the car. One of the mothers said, "Have a little faith, Mama!" My reply was, "Mama is being real, and he’s never pitched before!" My son didn’t show an ounce of pressure and to my surprise, he was throwing strikes! Whew! I could relax and enjoy the remaining of the game, I quickly became a proud Mama and wished I had been more confident in the coach's decision.
Just as a coach strategically positions his players, God also strategically positions us in this big world. He has a plan for our life. We're not called to fill every position, participate in every ministry, prayer chain, woman’s group, or volunteer each time a need arises. We must serve in the position(s) chosen by our Creator and trust He knows where we will best assist the team. Sometimes when my plate is running over, it’s not because I’m so important, yet I’m out of position! My primary position is in the home God has placed me in to be a Godly wife and mother - all other positions are secondary. God has a plan for our children also. We have dreams and goals for them, yet our job is not to plan their life, but to place them in position (aligned with the Word of God) and allow God to have his way in their life. Yes, God knows what is best for us and His plan is the best plan.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Just as a coach strategically positions his players, God also strategically positions us in this big world. He has a plan for our life. We're not called to fill every position, participate in every ministry, prayer chain, woman’s group, or volunteer each time a need arises. We must serve in the position(s) chosen by our Creator and trust He knows where we will best assist the team. Sometimes when my plate is running over, it’s not because I’m so important, yet I’m out of position! My primary position is in the home God has placed me in to be a Godly wife and mother - all other positions are secondary. God has a plan for our children also. We have dreams and goals for them, yet our job is not to plan their life, but to place them in position (aligned with the Word of God) and allow God to have his way in their life. Yes, God knows what is best for us and His plan is the best plan.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Submission Session
Jaylan, my eight year old, complained about not feeling well on a night he had baseball practice. My husband insisted Jaylan attend practice anyway and sit in the dugout. Jaylan asked me why he had to attend practice and I told him because his father said so. His reply to me was, "Mama, if you’re a grown-up and Papa is a grown-up, why do you have to listen to him? He’s not your granddaddy!" Hmmm…I am a grownup huh? I compared my initial thoughts to Eve as the serpent convinced her not to listen to God regarding eating the fruit - could I be so easily deceived? The Holy Spirit refused my carnal thoughts and offered an awesome teaching opportunity; Jaylan wasn’t the only student (smile). I began to share God’s order for the home with my probing son - God first, husband second, and wife third. I explained how two people could not be in charge and even tried to get him to visit his future with desires for his wife to support his decisions. Jaylan said he would listen to his wife. Smart man, yet his focus at that moment was to get out of baseball practice. As it turned out, Jaylan had a slight fever and was allowed to stay home after his father and I discussed the change of plans. Jaylan was satisfied and so was I, given I didn’t agree with my husband from the beginning. Being obedient to God and submitting to my husband was more important than proving my case. Obedience has so many benefits! Being a strong- willed, independent woman can be a nightmare in a marriage, yet God’s way is always better and He will always win. I have to check myself often (in the area of submission) because my actions affect my husband, my marriage, my walk, my home environment, my children, and my children’s children - children live what they learn.
1 Peter 3:5 (NIV)
For this is the way the holy women of the past, who put their hope in God, used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands.
1 Peter 3:5 (NIV)
For this is the way the holy women of the past, who put their hope in God, used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands.
Prayer of Thanks
Dear Lord,
Thank you for this day! Thank you for waking me up this morning and I know I didn't do a thing to deserve it. Thank you for your grace and mercy on my life and my family. Thank you, Lord for being Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for the blood you shed. Thank you for my home. Thank you for my family and the bread we break together. Thank you for heat! Thank you for clean water! Thank you for the beds we sleep in. Thank you for our finances whatever they may be. Thank you for being our sufficiency! Thank you for the clothes we have and a choice of what to wear. Thank you for who you are - Almighty God! Thank you for wisdom and knowledge in raising YOUR children. Thank you for allowing your love to flow through me with my husband. Thank you for keeping my mouth shut when needed. Thank you for the ability to be. Thank you for your Holy Spirit transforming me day by day to be more like you. Thank you, Lord for your love, patience, and understanding. Help me to show the same to my family and those I come in contact with today. Have mercy, Lord. Have mercy on me.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
Thank you for this day! Thank you for waking me up this morning and I know I didn't do a thing to deserve it. Thank you for your grace and mercy on my life and my family. Thank you, Lord for being Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for the blood you shed. Thank you for my home. Thank you for my family and the bread we break together. Thank you for heat! Thank you for clean water! Thank you for the beds we sleep in. Thank you for our finances whatever they may be. Thank you for being our sufficiency! Thank you for the clothes we have and a choice of what to wear. Thank you for who you are - Almighty God! Thank you for wisdom and knowledge in raising YOUR children. Thank you for allowing your love to flow through me with my husband. Thank you for keeping my mouth shut when needed. Thank you for the ability to be. Thank you for your Holy Spirit transforming me day by day to be more like you. Thank you, Lord for your love, patience, and understanding. Help me to show the same to my family and those I come in contact with today. Have mercy, Lord. Have mercy on me.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
When The Bell Sounds
While in the military, I stood duty called a watch, which is basically guarding and protecting a designated area (post) requiring extra security. The watchstander does not leave the designated post, under any circumstances, until properly relieved and they are held accountable for anything that happens on their watch. On a USN ship, one way to know your watch is over is by listening for the ship's bell, which sounds off a series of rings according to the hour of the day.
Mothers are also watchstanders and we stand a 24-hour high security watch. We have been ordered by our Commanding Officer, God, to guard and protect the children of the world - children in our home, school, neighborhood, church, community, children we know and don’t know. Our watch includes every child in our sight. Mothers on watch can't be biased - we must watch each child with the same level of responsibility and importance. We are held accountable for the nurturing and safety of God’s children. We have been designated an official watchstander and we must not leave our post until the ship’s bell rings. A very special watchstander heard the ship’s bell this past weekend. It's quite ironic, yet her name was Bell (named after my grandmother) and she was laid to rest Friday. Bell was a watchstander sent personally to me by God. She watched my firstborn the first three years of his life, and watched my youngest for his first two years. Yes, Bell’s passing has given the term watch a deeper meaning.
As our world faces an epidemic of child neglect and all forms of abuse, mothers joining together on this watch can make a difference in the world. When Mothers understand the seriousness and impact of our watch, young children will not be left unattended, left in unsafe environments, or in the care of those not designated an official watchstander. When is your watch over? When the bell sounds and you have been properly relieved by The Commanding Officer. Let's be prepared to stand boldly before God and report the children on our watch are safe and secure! What's happening on your watch?
Luke 21:36 (NIV)
"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Mothers are also watchstanders and we stand a 24-hour high security watch. We have been ordered by our Commanding Officer, God, to guard and protect the children of the world - children in our home, school, neighborhood, church, community, children we know and don’t know. Our watch includes every child in our sight. Mothers on watch can't be biased - we must watch each child with the same level of responsibility and importance. We are held accountable for the nurturing and safety of God’s children. We have been designated an official watchstander and we must not leave our post until the ship’s bell rings. A very special watchstander heard the ship’s bell this past weekend. It's quite ironic, yet her name was Bell (named after my grandmother) and she was laid to rest Friday. Bell was a watchstander sent personally to me by God. She watched my firstborn the first three years of his life, and watched my youngest for his first two years. Yes, Bell’s passing has given the term watch a deeper meaning.
As our world faces an epidemic of child neglect and all forms of abuse, mothers joining together on this watch can make a difference in the world. When Mothers understand the seriousness and impact of our watch, young children will not be left unattended, left in unsafe environments, or in the care of those not designated an official watchstander. When is your watch over? When the bell sounds and you have been properly relieved by The Commanding Officer. Let's be prepared to stand boldly before God and report the children on our watch are safe and secure! What's happening on your watch?
Luke 21:36 (NIV)
"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
Spare The Rod
My husband and I have been blessed with well-behaved children. We’re quick to give God the glory because we know they are who they are by the grace of God. It’s been a while since either of our sons has been ‘touched’ in regards to discipline. Taking away privileges and other forms of punishment has sufficed, yet recently we’ve noticed our eleven year old being a little more forgetful than usual and covering up his mishaps. I guess this is called deceit huh? No mother likes to attach a negative word to her child, yet I must call it what it is. My husband and I had a long discussion about our son and as difficult as it was for both of us to “touch” our child after so long, we knew there was nothing else to discuss. It hurt me and it hurt my husband more because he delivered the pain, yet it would hurt our son more if we were not obedient to the Word of God in regards to disciplining our son - we knew he needed to be touched. Our obedience to God’s Word and the lack of is a cost to others – not only in the home, yet outside the home as well. As our son quickly approaches the demanding teenage years and then adulthood, there is no room for disobedience on our part. I must obey God and raise my child in the admonition of the Lord without compromise. Parents have one shot at raising a child and the blueprint, The Word, is not up for discussion. All children are different and the “rod” must be chosen according to the child. I only received the physical rod once as a child, yet my younger sister had a personal relationship with the rod (smile). I say this to say, it is extremely important to be Spirit-led in disciplining God’s children. The following morning, my sweet eleven year old gave us a big hug as he does every morning with his sweet morning smile. The pain of punishment lasts a short while, yet the results are for a lifetime.
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