Keep Calm And Mommy On

Keep Calm And Mommy On

On Mother's Day, I give honor to my husband and 2 boys... Without them I wouldn't be a mom!! They make me who I am and give me reason to do what I do! The best way I can think of to describe what happened to my life almost 7 years ago is miraculous & magical. Everyday hasn't been easy but I wouldn't trade one moment! 

"My home is filled with toys and has fingerprints on everything. It's never quiet and my hair is usually a mess. I'm always tired but there is always love and laughter here. In twenty years my children won't remember my house or my hair but they will remember the time we spent together and the love they felt. Your children only get one childhood so make it a good one". -Author Unknown

In your children's eyes you are the center of the universe! So, don't be too hard on your self, your kids think you're amazing!

I want to be a mom that my children see as selfless. I want to focus more on them and less on me... After all, God entrusted them to me while here on earth. 

As mothers we often use the Proverbs 31 woman as our measure stick. God designed each of us to be uniquely different and He blessed us with the children that needed us! I think this iconic woman is a role-model for every wife and mother. However, when we put God first & strive to be the woman He wants us to be; that's when we know we are doing it right.

Proverbs 31:1 "The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him." 

I read this to my husband, then thought these next verses that we use to measure are a mothers hopes & dreams for her son.

As a mother of boys I'm praying for this kind of woman too. I also strive to be this kind of wife/mother everyday! 

I encourage all the mothers to read this chapter and use it as it applies to your life.

Motherhood is a choice you make everyday to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own. To teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is and to forgive yourself over and over again for doing everything wrong.

There are 4 areas of the Proverbs 31 woman:

1. Her Price 

2. Her Care 

3. Her Giving

4. Her Speech

When I think how do I value myself? How do I care? How do I give? How do I speak? I want my children to be able to compare me as close to the Proverbs 31 woman as possible. 

1. Her Price! 

No matter how we change or how we view ourself as a mother our price, value or worth in the eyes of The Lord never changes. 

I know this isn't about marriage but when you have a healthy marriage and your husband isn't missing anything from you; you become a better mother. I'm so thankful to have a good husband and I do my best to make sure he knows how much he means to me!

When in Proverbs 31:10 it says "who can find a virtuous woman? Her price is far above rubies" 

**The value of a ruby is far greater than a diamond. It is the most sought after and prized stone since before medieval times. There is still a value/price on these rare gems. However, there can be no price put on a mother. She is immeasurable & her worth is incomparable. 

2. Her Care! 

There is NO way to be a perfect mother but a million ways to be a good one! 

We can't be so consumed with raising a good child that we forget we already have one. The basic needs of a family have not changed through the years, the only difference is we are now in a high-tech world. There are many more distractions in our world today but, the time and focus we give to our family as a Mother still matters a great deal. 

The love & peace in our home will be remembered far after the toys, sports uniforms, books and clothes are out grown. How we give our time is one of the most important qualities of motherhood. I want my children to not only hear me say they are my most important priority but I want them to feel it & they can't feel it if all they see is how much time I devote to social media and the church. 

If we apply these verses to the 2014 mother it would say: 

"She rises before her children to prepare breakfast, pack lunches & sign agendas. She balances the check book & pays bills. She gets her children dressed and drives them to school. Then runs errands before picking the kids up from school & back home to do laundry, give baths & cook dinner."

3. Her Giving! (Luke 6:38) 

God should be my 1st & last thought every day. In making that commitment everything else will fall into place. 

Motherhood is not a hobby, it's a calling. It's not something to do if you can squeeze the time in, it's what God gave you time for. 

To be a Mom is giving everything the best way you know how, then giving just a little more and knowing one day you will see a great reward through the person your child becomes. 

It's not a job you receive daily recognition for, but it's the most fragile, important, Godly, rewarding job you will ever have. 

There isn't one thing I do that is more important than raising my children and being a wife. 

It's my high calling. 

If we are too busy to cook, care, love and spend time with our family then we are too busy. 

We often say " I need to find the balance of family & ministry/work" but you know I've recently found there shouldn't be a balance! Your time with family should far out way your time on anything else. Ultimately, we know God should be first and foremost and I'm not speaking to our relationship with God. I'm speaking towards anything else. Being a mother is one of the highest callings on this earth and that should receive more time than other things.

4. Her Speech!

I do my best even after a hard day to talk to my children in a caring way. 

I've jokingly called Logan "a little monster" but I realized I don't want him to be a little monster so I need to speak more positive to him. 

I read an article that said if we use terms like "monster, tyrant, trouble, idiot, stupid etc. we are sewing wrong seeds. In time children will take on the character traits that we as parents emphasize. Speak to your children as a human being with feelings. They need to know who is in charge but they need to feel like a person not a problem.

*Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue".

Speak good things into the lives of your children. We should never demean them or call them names. 

*Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips." 

I encourage all parents Mother's & Father's to make this our daily prayer.

*Proverbs 15:17 "A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit".

"You'll be their first role model. Their first friend. Their first love."

Before a child is conceived you want them. Before they are born you love the and before they are here an hour you would die for them... That is the miracle of a Mother's Love.

Encouragement really does change everything. It keeps us in the game and makes us strive to become better. It changes lives and renews our hope. Encouragement is a critical component to our lives.

"God's love for us gives us the reason to encourage others. God's love in us gives us the ability to encourage others. God's love through us gives us the way to encourage others". 

-John Maxwell

There were 6 Mother's in the Bible I want to talk about. 

Each has her own unique situation and each put her trust & faith in God.

1. Eve: the first woman and the first Mother. 

Not much is said about Eve; other than she was "Adams Wife" & "Mom to Cain & Abel" Wow! So many of us can relate! 

She watched one child murder the other! She was the first Mother to experience the grief of burying her child.

2. Sarah: Wife of Abraham & Mother of Isaac. 

She was the Mother of the nation of Israel. Which makes her one of the most important women in the Bible.

She wasn't a physical mother until she was way past "child bearing years". She is the one who gives hope to every women who has had to wait on God's timing to have children.

3. Rebekah: The wife of Isaac & mother to Jacob & Easau.

She was also unable to have children but through the power of Prayer her womb was opened & she had twins! For every mother who has wanted to play "favorites" pay close attention to Rebekah. Favoritism doesn't work well in a family dynamic. The hand she had in deceiving her husband would haunt her forever, this story reminds us that using that undeniable power we have as a woman for manipulation is dangerous. 

It's a hard thing sometimes to stick by our husbands side in times of correction or discipline but being anything other than submissive, supportive and understanding to the tone he sets as the head is frowned upon in the eyes of The Lord.

4. Jochebed: Mother of Aaron, Moses & Miriam. 

She gave Moses up to save his life and then was hired to serve as his nanny!!

This is one of the most selfless, gut wrenching acts of motherhood I've ever heard. I pray I would have the faith & strength to do it if I had to. 

This also shows us that the determination & ingenuity of a desperate mother can result in surprising circumstances.

5. Mary: Mother of Jesus. 

Took ridicule and rumors but still kept her faith in God. She birthed a child that she knew would save the world! I can imagine the extreme pressure of bearing that child. Mary had to love baby Jesus through teething, walking & childhood the same way any typical mother would. She stood by and watched her child be mocked, beaten & crucified for crimes & sins he never committed. After everyone else left she was still at his feet knowing the purpose was much bigger than she was so the only thing she could do was watch and stay with hi . What a beautiful sacrifice as a mother to know your child is a part of something bigger than your will for him! It was her selfless act to put her will aside that encourages mothers today to stay strong & draw strength from the will of God no matter how badly it hurts!

6. Bathsheba: Wife of David & Mother to Solomon.

Bathsheba & David's relationship started as an extra-marital affair that resulted in the death of Bathsheba's husband. We never really hear how it all affected Bathsheba. 

Their sin is well documented and the effects to David’s household long-lasting. 

However, a son was born from their union and Solomon turned out to be a peaceable ruler whose wisdom was legendary. Bathsheba’s motherhood gives women hope that, regardless of the circumstances surrounding your pregnancy and the birth of your child, God can redeem any situation. 

All this to say, even strong God-fearing woman face adversities the same way that we do. It doesn't mean God doesn't love us or care about us. Sometimes He uses our trials to show us to have faith in Him and follow His will instead of ours.

"I think we moms should pledge to never judge one another. We're all desperately trying to do this mothering thing right." - Lysa Terkeurst

We need each other, especially Mom's of the church. I need your friendship and encouragement as I embark this journey and I strive to give you mine.

We are only in a season of life briefly and it will end all to sudden. However, God has called and ordained us in this season of life and if we look to Him for our strength, He will give it to us. We must be consistent in our devotion to Him knowing that He is the source of our daily strength. 

Ultimately I remind myself daily, be the mom I want them to remember! A mother's work is never finished! 

I pray you had a Fantastic Mother's Day!!