A Reminder to Give

Sunday, my family visited my sister's church to witness my niece's baptism; the entire worship service was a blessing. The church was pleasantly packed, so my sons sat with my sister's family and my husband and I found seats next to a little boy and his Mother. I talked to the little boy and found out he was six and liked coming to church. I asked what he enjoyed about church and he said he liked giving his money. I surprisingly asked if he liked giving his money away and he said, "No, I don't like giving my money away, but to church I do!" I rarely hear an adult speak about giving with the degree of excitement this child had. My own church is studying the book, The Treasure Principle, which shares extensively about giving – sitting next to this child was no coincidence.

The service began and my little friend became quite fidgety as any six-year-old would, so I whispered to him that if he was a good boy for his Mother, I would give him a surprise – his Mother didn't have to say another word to him. When my sons were toddlers, older women would give them coins for sitting quietly in church. These women encouraged me and they showed my sons examples of giving at a very early age. The service ended and I gave my little friend a dollar bill and said, "If you are a good boy for Jesus like you were for your Mother, God will bless you all the time!" He gave me a big smile and accepted the dollar. I may never see this child again, yet it felt good to water the seed of giving already planted in his heart.

Giving is a powerful expression of love and Mothers have countless opportunities to give – not only with money, yet through the life we live. An opportunity to give is an opportunity to show and spread God's love.

Proverbs 11:24 (NIV)
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

A Puppet

I have pleeeenty to do today inside and outside of my home plus pack for a family reunion. I've learned from experience NOT to allow myself to get stressed over my to-do list. So much to do with so little time...not enough hours in the day....I need a clone to help me! When these thoughts come to mind, the first thing I do is PRAY. I have to remind myself that I am nothing and can do nothing without my Creator. I can't even put one foot in front of the other without His help! I ask God to order my every step and to lead me through my tasks one by one. Throughout the day, I focus on His leading and not my to-do list. If something is left undone - it just wasn't meant to get done! I'm one person and the 'S' on my chest needs to retire. My busy days are less stressful and definitely less chaotic. God reminds me that I don't do the work myself, yet I must make my body available to Him and He works through me - like a puppet. God is my strength, energy, and power. It's easier being a puppet than running around the house like a chicken with my head cut off thinking I'm in control.

Dirty Dishes

It's funny how some things that never bother us can irritate the living hell out of us on another day. What is it with the dishes that everyone feels so comfortable just placing their dirty dishes in the sink KNOWING they will get washed? This morning, after cooking breakfast for my husband, I washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen. I walk out and came back (not even two minutes later) and the sink is full of dirty containers from his lunch bag on yesterday. Last night the same thing happened. I cleaned the kitchen up nicely after dinner and later we all sit down to watch the All Star Baseball Game. Of course everyone wants a snack, so what do I see before I go to bed? A sink full of dirty dishes! Okaaaay, I don't remember a maid living here, but I guess they think it's me! It's time for my sons to join the dishwasher's schedule. I'm sick of washing dishes and this was a chore I enjoyed! Toooo many dishes ruined a good thing (smile). Anyway, my prayer this morning was asking for help to keep my mind of carnal matters that don't glorify God and look at me. I've given too much time already to simple thoughts of dishes I should be thankful to have! Dirty dishes means we have food to eat! Sigh....just something else to keep me at the feet of Jesus!

R & R

Okay, I've discovered another secret to being a healthy, happy Mother....REST! Finding the time to get rest and relaxation (R&R) is a key ingredient to Motherhood, yet this is the one thing we get very little of. Our common phrase, "I'm tired" is proof we don't get enough rest, which means we will always be tired until we learn to take care of ourselves first. My younger sister saw me after my recent five days of respite from my family and she said she didn't see a wrinkle or any sign of stress in my face. Okaaaay, what do I look like when I don't get rest? Pretty scary! I use to tell my Mother I didn't have time to sit down. It's not that I'm so busy, yet I obviously didn't think enough of myself to stop what I was doing to rest my tired body- I'm not that important that I can't stop for 10-15 minutes. Most older women know the importance of rest, yet I pray I can help the younger Mothers understand this. Why wait until you're 50 or 60 and broken down and tired (from putting your family first) before you realize you need to take care of YOU first? Find a minute today to REST!

Seasons of Motherhood

My one-year old godson spent the night with us last night and he brought back many memories. He slept in the bed with my husband and me and I forgot how wild a baby can sleep. I also forgot how little sleep you get having little ones. Looking back over my days as a Mother, I realize we go through various stages of Motherhood - seasons if you will as our children grow. Mothers of babies have no time at all. That baby needs your every waking moment. Even when the baby is asleep, you're making preparations for when they awake. As our children grow, they become a little more self sufficient and begin doing things for themselves (with supervision). I don't think there is a season of being free from helping our children. As long as we're alive, they'll need our help. A Mother is truly a living sacrifice. Our time is not our own. Our life is not our own. Our bodies are not our own (babies even need us for feeding). Thank God for the changing seasons of Motherhood. Each new season brings new challenges, new joys, new sorrows, new wisdom and knowledge! We have to be flexible and go with the flow of life. As our children grow, so do we.

Alone Time

It's after midnight and I'm sleepy, yet enjoying the quietness and alone time. It's amazing what a mother will do just to get some time alone. I once heard that the real alone time comes when we're six feet under - well, yea...that is definitely alone time, yet we won't be able to enjoy it!

I'll be missing in action (MIA) for a while as I prepare for a short vacation to renew my mind. I know I'll come home a better wife and mother with a refreshing outlook on cooking, cleaning, and laundry! I feel better already!

Chat with you when I get back.

Remember ....Mother's Day is everyday, so celebrate yourself! You deserve it!

Prayer Lessons

At 3 a.m. Saturday and Sunday morning, my husband and I were awakened by a blinding light in our eyes. The light was a flashlight from our nine year old, waking me to say he couldn’t sleep. My husband’s reply to our son was, “Son, turn that light out, you’re not the police! Go back to bed.” Of course Mama got up and walked her baby boy back to bed. I used this opportunity, as tired as I was, to help my son develop his personal relationship with God. We prayed together asking God to help him fall asleep and to have good dreams. When I got back to my bedroom, I begged God to answer our prayers not only so I could get some sleep, yet so my son could see, once again, the power of God for himself. It would have been easy to tuck him back into bed and tell him I would pray for him, yet I knew these unusual early morning awakenings were not by chance. Sunday evening, my son finally shared with me that God answered our prayers. Thank you, Jesus! It’s so important for our children, no matter what age, to see and understand the awesome power of God through prayer - for themselves. Having them depend and hang on our prayers denies them of the wonderful relationship with God we benefit from and also keeps them from seeing His mighty acts. Our precious children need to know we pray and more importantly, they need to hear us pray. Having them hear our prayers not only teaches them to pray, yet will equip our future Mothers, Fathers, and our next generation of leaders with spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and a fervent prayer life. From toddlers to teenagers, ensure your child knows the power of prayer – it’s their only connection to God.

Psalm 78:4 (NIV)
We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.

Taking Care of Me

I'm beginning to practice taking time for me and I believe it began with the day I spent on the couch - it felt really good! Saturday afternoon I cooked a big 4th of July dinner since our family will be separated for the holiday. The family ate that and had leftovers for Sunday, which meant I didn't have to cook Sunday dinner. I came home from church and relaxed and worked on the computer (something I wanted to do). I didn't cook breakfast Sunday morning either. Everyone was on their own and I used that extra time to get myself ready and it felt good not to rush. I was still the last one out of the house, but it wasn't because I was running behind others all morning and forgetting about myself. I was simply taking care of ME. This is making such a difference in my demeanor! Not only do I feel more relaxed, yet I've noticed I'm more loving towards my needy family (smile).