Not To Be Served, But To Serve...

Happy Mother's Day 2011 to all you wonderful moms out there!  I hope that each of you were blessed today and that you had an opportunity to reflect on the amazing gift of being a mother.

This title, Not to be Served, but to Serve, is what was written on the marquis of my dad's church when I was growing up in Austin.  Somehow, even as a young girl these words seemed to resonate with me.  They still do today.  There have been several occasions when I thought I might blog using this title, but it didn't really seem to fit until the pieces finally came together today.  Our pastor gave a sermon today that allowed me to complete the puzzle, so to speak.  He gave us 3 points to think about as followers of Christ, and spoke directly to the moms in the congregation.  In doing so, I recalled the words not to be served, but to serve and easily applied them to each of his 3 points.  These are listed below, with some of my own commentary....

1. Live before your children a life that becomes the Gospel.  From this I took away that as a mom, my purpose is not to be served by my children, but to serve them.  I mean this loosely...not that I am there to wait on them hand and foot, not that I am to lose who I am so that I can be everything to them, and not that I forget about parenting and disciplining and teaching, but that I am to show them the way.  I am to serve them, by serving as He would.)
2. Lift up Christ with your life.  Only one King can be served...who is it for your life? (As a follower of Christ I am here not to be served by Him, but to serve Him...1st.  This one really makes me take a look at myself and reflect on how well I am doing.  Have I made Him 1st?  And if I say I have, do I live that?  Then there is the accountability I have for my children.  Am I teaching them to do the same, to put Him 1st?  Am I an example of what to do, or perhaps, what not to do?)
3. Shine light on Christ with your life.  In Him, through Him and with Him, be a light unto others and myself, such that through me, others see Him....Not for my glory, but for His.  All Glory, Laud and Honor, to you Redeemer King.  I love the words to that hymn...now if I can just be sure to always and in all ways put those words into action.

Deep thougths on this Mother's Day, but happy, blessed and thankful ones as well. 

Blessings!

A New Journey ~ Joint Journaling

For the past 19 months a group of 10 to 11 moms has gathered every Tuesday to share in our journey of motherhood.  This group is amazing and from these ladies I have learned an incredible amount about mothering, being a friend, sharing, discovering joy and most importantly I have learned about God's intent for me as a mom.  We have studied a number of books and have shared countless ideas with one another on every subject a woman can think of, but mostly in regards to our kids.  One of the neatest ideas we came across was to share a journal with your child.  I didn't come up with this, but I think I may be on to something by using it with my girls.  For Easter I gave each of them a journal and told them that it is meant to be used between them and me and their daddy.  Now I know we are only a few nights into this, but I sure am enjoying it.  (At least with my youngest two...ages 8 and 9...I see I am going to have to initiate the journal writing with my oldest, age 11) 

Here is how it is working.  They write something in it...a question, a thought, a problem or a prayer and we respond.  If it is left by my bedside I know I am to write in it, and if it is left by my husband's then they want him to write.  So far I have discovered that my middle one is concerned about when she will get to see her grandparents again, and my youngest really wanted to know what we were having for dinner...but beyond that she wrote what her prayer for me is.  (I am not sure how those two topics go together, but they were both on her heart and I am so glad she shared them with me.) 

I am not sure how long this will last, but I am taking the opportunity to make sure that each time I write, that they know that we love them and that God is guiding them and loves them, too.  Somehow, some way, there is always and opportunity to bring Him into it in a positive way.

Ask me in a week how it is going, but for now I can't wait to read their journal entries and respond in turn!

Blessings!

Lessons Learned on the Mountain

What a great Spring Break we had!  We packed up the minivan and trekked across a couple of states to the beautiful town of Crested Butte, Colorado.  What made it even more fun was we were traveling with friends and all 15 of us stayed in the same condo for the week. 

As we headed out to ski each day, I knew that I needed to strap on my positive attitude for the ride.  Don't ever tell my children, but I don't like skiing much.  It really isn't the skiing part so much, as long as I am on a nice wide open green or easy blue.  When it comes to going a little faster than I am comfortable with though, I get a little frustrated!  Bottom line is...I am not a very good skier.  In fact, I can't keep up with my kids, much less my husband.  (Perhaps it has something to do with the fact I learned to ski on Mount Aggie while at TAMU.  Or possibly it could have something to do with the fact I never took a true skiing lesson.  Or maybe it just has to do with the fact I really am not a dare devil, at all.  As much as I would like to say that I am a risk taker...I am not.)

So as I talked to my husband about my lack of skill and how I didn't like not being able to help my kids out there very well he said, "We think of it differently.  I see it as a learning opportunity."  How right he is.  There are so many lessons to be learned on the mountain, both for me and my kids....things like:

• Perseverance....the only way to get down the mountain, is to point your skis down the mountain.  Giving up will get you nowhere and leave you feeling even more frustrated. 
• Patience...with self and others.  Learning something new or tackling something that doesn't come naturally helps us to grow.  Without patience we stifle the growth process.
• Gumption...sometimes you just have to try, get up the nerve and put yourself out there.  It takes courage!
• Team work...It is OK to ask for help along the way.  Working together builds relationships and allows for a sense of camaraderie. 
• Faith...This is the most important one, I think.  We must have faith in ourselves and faith in God.  This one was very clear to me as the winds picked up one day and I was skiing with my 7 year old and our 15 year old friend.  We experienced heavy winds and were either blown down or rendered immobile, finding it difficult to get our skis back under us and continue.  The wind was blowing so hard that ice was pelting us.  Thinking it would be easier to follow a green "road" down the mountain, a the few of us left the rest of the group and started making the slow, winding trek down.  The problem was, the winds were awful.  At one point, when we again could not make further progress, I stopped to shelter my daughter from the wind and ice beating against her and our friend came back to shelter us both.  (Let me interject that this is one of the most compassionate, incredible young men that we know and I was so grateful for his courage and strength of character.  His parents are dear friends of ours and I have so much to learn from them, as they are doing an outstanding job in raising their 3 children.)  After a few minutes we started going forward again, and as soon as possible we found a run that would lead us more quickly down the mountain and out of the winds.  As we were stopped on that mountain I will tell you that I said many prayers.  I had to have faith that we would get down and faith that He was with us.  It was a bit harrowing and I don't want to repeat that experience again, but if I ever do, I will try to again rely on faith.

Is skiing my favorite vacation activity?  No, but do I need to do it for myself and my children.  Absolutely.  My husband is right...it is one giant learning opportunity.  So many positives come from it and I just need to have faith and all of the rest will work itself out.  It did this year, and I will go skiing again when the opportunity arises.  And I will thank God for it, too.

How was your Spring Break and what learning opportunities did you experience?  What got you through them?  Just wondering...

Blessings and Happy Spring!

Utlizing Your God Given Talents...

Have you ever wondered whether what you are doing in life is what you are supposed to be doing in life?  That is a loaded question, I know.  There is no doubt in my mind that as far as motherhood goes, I may not be doing everything right, but I am doing it with all my heart.  I KNOW that it is what God wants me to do...to be the best mother I can be.  But what about the other parts of me?...The other parts that have been provided with other gifts that should be used, in my mind, to glorify Him. 

Coming from the perspective of a Human Resources professional, I can give countless examples of people who truly are fulfilling their God-given talents, and I can give you countless examples of others who seem to be just going through the motions.    In Stephen Covey's book, The 8th Habit, his sequel to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he basically says that the 8th Habit is to find your own voice and help others to find theirs.  (Although he takes a whole book to say this, whereas he fit the 7 other habits into one nice package.)  So this makes me wonder, what is MY voice?  Have I found it?  Am I floundering with it, projecting a little bit of sound, or singing at the top of my lungs?  Can others hear it?  Is the message I am sending meanigful to me?  Is it meaningful to my audience?  Is it glorifying Him?

One of my favorite sayings is "Do what you love.  Love what you do."  This goes right along with finding your voice.  So I ask further questions...

• What unique talents has God given you?
• Are you utilizing them?
• Are you making time to nurture the parts of you, outside of motherhood, that make your voice unique?

Just pondering....

May you be filled with His love and share that with others in your own, unique, God-given way!

Blessings,
Beth

Happy Valentine's Day!

So today is Valentine's Day and I am wondering what the day has in store for my 3 girls.  I can't help but wonder what future Valentine's days have in store for them, too.  As the parents of 3 daughters I was telling my husband yesterday that it is important for him to model the behaviors that I hope they will come to expect in the guys that will be interested in them in the future.  I was trying to say that although he may feel Valentine's Day is a commercial holiday, fabricated for the benefit of businesses everywhere (which may be true), it is still important for guys to show their love for girls on that day.  (and every other day, but on that day, too.)  This was not a ploy for my own Valentine's gift....really.

My favorite verses, and probably the one that is read at 90% of weddings, is from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.  Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.  It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 

The above make me think.  How much am I modeling this for my girls and my husband?  How much do he and I model this together for them?  What expectations are we creating in the girls, and are they positive or negative?

I do know this...I will try my best to make Valentine's Day special in our home.  I don't mean anything extravagant.  We started with heart paper plates and napkins this morning, with muffins (box mix, not from scratch) shaped like hearts, too.  Tonight we'll end around the formal dining table, eating a nice meal by candlelight.  Each family member will find a special Valentine message under his/her plates.  It isn't much, but honestly, it doesn't take much to say "I love you", does it?

How are you spending your Valentine's Day and what are you doing to model His love in your homes, today and every day?

Your sanctuary...

Last April I embarked on what one might consider a very small endeavor.  I redid our master bedroom.  Unbeknownst to my husband, I hired a handy man to rip out an old, built-in vanity, patch the walls and paint them.  I bought a couple of pieces of furniture and a new comforter, and rearranged the room a little.  This was done with the help of a small army of dear friends over the course of 4 days, while my husband was out of town.

I tell you this, not to say that I accomplished some giant feat, but to encourage you to think about your sanctuary.  We, my husband and I, did not have a sanctuary.  I not so affectionately called our bedroom the "dumping ground".  Having a home with little storage space, and not being the most organized people in the world, we had the tendency to use our bedroom as a storage house for paperwork, good-will items, old electronics, etc.  You get the picture, I think.  It was not a pretty, inviting, warm, or comfortable one.

I looked in the Bible for instruction on how to make a house a home; however, I really didn't find much.  Perhaps this is because I am no Biblical scholar and really didn't know where to search other than looking for verses in the back of the book that led me to house or home.  Only two verses did I find to be somewhat applicable.  The 1st is from Proverbs 14:1.  It reads...A wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.  The second is from proverbs 24:3.  It reads...A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.  It is a blessing that I have wise friends, friends much wiser than I in these matters, with whom I was able to consult about my miniature remodel.  Through their knowledge, advice, physical labor and wisdom, I was able put a bit more strength in the foundation of my home.  It may seem like a small thing, but I truly believe that it is important to have a sanctuary. 

In talking with a friend about this last night, she said she instituted a rule at her home that no children's toys are allowed in her room.  (Her boys are 3 and 6.)  What a smart and simple rule.  It helps to keep her room in order and helps her children respect that Mommy has a space to call her own. 

Another tip that a friend shared with me that I took to heart is to make sure that your children do have a place to BE in your room.  Whether you allow them to sprawl out on the bed, sit on a bench or a chaise lounge, or have a rocking chair in the corner with a reading light nearby like I do, I think it makes sense to have a simple space where the kids feel welcome.

Take a look around your space...the one you and your husband share together, or that you call all your own if you are a single mom...and be honest with yourself. Do you like what you see? Do you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and have a sense of peace with your room? If so, that is wonderful! It is a magnificent feeling, and I would love to hear any suggestions you have for creating and maintaining such a place.  If not, what small or big changes can be made to make your room a place you want to be?

As always...all suggestions are welcome!

Blessings,
Beth

Learning from the innocence of children

The other night my youngest two (ages 7 & 8) and I made a quick trip to Walmart.  Just outside the front doors, seated facing towards the store, was a woman.  She was leaning against a post and in her arms was a child wrapped in blankets.  The little girl looked to be a bit younger than my two.  As I hurried past them, my girls stopped to read the sign she was holding.  Just as the girls came into the store with me another woman, exiting Walmart, handed the woman and her child a gallon of milk.  Before we began to shop the girls wanted to know who the woman and child were, what they were doing out there on a cold night, why the other lady gave her milk, etc.  What an opportunity this was for a couple of life lessons.  (Ironically, our pastor had talked about taking care of the least and the lost just the week before this.)  The thing is, the lesson didn't need to be learned by my girls, it needed to be learned by me.

As I was trying to get my words together to answer their questions.  My middle one said, "Momma, she has 5 children."  As I was hurrying along, my girls were reading the sign the woman held.  As I was hurrying along, they were trying to understand this woman and her situation.  As I was hurrying along, my children were empathizing with the woman and her child.  My thoughts were nowhere as noble, genuine or kind.

Seeing the concern from them, we talked a little about what she might need most and determined we could at least purchase a loaf of bread for her and her child.  It was such a small item, yet as my middle one handed it to the woman, upon exiting the store, the woman offered her God's blessings.  The sincere thankfulness and humbled look in her eyes is something I hope I will not soon forget.

That night as we said prayers before bedtime, my youngest prayed for the woman and child.  My oldest heard the story that evening as well, and she, too, went to sleep with a feeling of unease for this poor family.

Reflecting now, I wonder what if that woman had been me?  How would I have felt with people, like myself, rushing past in an attempt not to see?  How would I have felt being in the woman's situation, asking for help, with few, if any, bothering to listen, much less provide assistance?

It leads me to question further.  What can I learn from my children in this?  Somehow, they understand what Jesus said when he told us to take care of the lost and the least.  Yet, I, as the adult and their mom, somehow didn't have the sense of this.

As a result, we'll be looking for opportunities as a family to care for others this year.  Not just family and friends, but also strangers...

In what ways are you already doing your part to give to the least and the lost?  In what ways can you do more?  I'd love to hear your suggestions....

In Him,
Beth

Ideas for making life a little easier....the co-op!

I am not sure about you, but there are certain household chores that I procrastinate about until conditions are REALLY bad.  For me, laundry seems to be the worst.  I often joke that Mt. St. Helens is about to erupt on my couch.  The couch being the storage house for all the clean clothes.  (It is a good thing we don't watch much T.V. around here...that could be a blog topic in itself..., or maybe not such a good thing.  If we did watch more T.V. perhaps I'd be forced to fold the clothes, or sit on them...surely not the best thing to model to my kids)  The pile sometimes often gets SUPER high, and then I can't take it anymore and I fold.  (Or, have my girls fold...yet another potential blog topic...kids and chores)  I often wish for a laundry fairy, and alas, none appears.

Over the past several years, though, I have found a few ways to simplify in certain areas.  I have been lucky enough to stumble upon some organized organization.  By this I mean THE CO-OP.  There are 3 co-ops that have served to make my life easier in different ways.  I'll briefly describe each.

1. The Veggie Co-Op ~ Saving time and money on my shopping is why I love this co-op! Every 2 weeks, a woman in the group orders veggies from Paradise Produce, located in Dallas' Farmer's Market. She then goes to pick everything up and creates 12 boxes of a variety of fruits and veggies for the members to come pick up from her home. Once a year, it is my turn to order the items and make sure they are distributed, as I share a spot. Members who don't share a spot take thier turn twice a year. $13 every other week for a box of fresh fruits and veggies. ($6.50 if you share a spot like do.) It is easy and I love it. It meets a simple need, in a very simple way....a true blessing!


2. The Cooking Co-Op ~ A marvelous idea introduced to me by my friend Karen about 3 years ago.  The gist of the cooking co-op is to lighten the cooking resposibility for me as a mom, while doing the same for several other families.  There are 4 families involved.  The way ours has been structured is that each week 2 women cook, for simplicity sake, let's say each Monday.  We make entrees only, enough to feed each of the 4 families.  So one week I am cooking and receiving and entree, and the next week is my off week so I do not cook and I get 2 entrees.  Typically, we trade the entrees in the parking lot where we pick up our kids after school.  This has provided so many great lessons for our family.  First and foremost, it is a reminder for us to thank God for our food and the hands that have prepared it.  Most often (as I am blessed with non-picky eaters) my kids enjoy the meals, but every once in a while someone, myself included, may make something that isn't their favorite.  This is where the lesson part comes in and I do not cave in to making an alternate dish for them that supper.  Second, it has forced me, in a positive way, to expand my recipe collection and try new things.  Third, it has helped to further develop friendships with my fellow Cooking Co-Op members that I otherwise would not have had.

3. The Baby-Sitting Co-Op ~  Now this idea was the brainchild of women in my neighborhood over 25 years ago.  I can't tell you what geniuses these ladies were.  For about 8 years I was involved in this group and loved, loved, loved it!  Here is how it works.  (There are by-laws and everything, but I will spare you all the details.)  There are 25 women in the co-op.  When a woman joins she is given 20 coupons which represent 20 hours worth of baby-sitting time.  Women trade coupons, versus money, to watch each others' children.  There is also a required monthly meeting to go over logistics and get to know each other better.  The money I saved over the years, plus the knowledge that it was another mom watching my kiddos made it great.  The friendships, comaraderie, shared interests and genuineness of the group was absolutely AMAZING!  The blessings that have come from knowing these women and their children and spouses have been truly awesome.

With a bit of creativity and some organization thrown into the mix there are all sorts of ways we can, as moms, come together to make our lives a little easier. 

I'd love to hear your ideas on making a mom's life a little easier!  Also, if you'd like more information on how to begin a new co-op, I am happy to share!

Now if I could just find a laundry co-op...


Blessings,
Beth

Moms Inspiring Moms

If I tried to list all of the women out there that serve as an inspiration to me, this would quite possibly be the longest blog ever.  I'll just describe several:

There is the fellow mom who has been there and done that, and smiles the whole way through who serves as my "mothering can be done gracefully" mentor mom. 

There is the fellow mom who owns her own business and finds the time to lie in the grass with her kids on mild Spring days that serves as my "Don't forget to to fulfill my own dreams/needs while enjoying my children immensely" mentor mom. 

There is the fellow mom whose house is THE HOUSE.  (You know, the one with the revolving door for kids and animals alike...the house at which ALL the neighborhood kids love to be ALL the time.)  She serves as my, "Be flexible while raising your children and create a welcoming environment" mentor mom.  

There is the fellow mom who approaches everything as a learning opportunity and throws herself into researching her children's passions and helping reach their goals who serves as my, "Help your children realize their dreams and provide them with learning opportunities every chance you get" mentor mom.


There is the fellow mom that easily relaxes with her kids and is seen laughing with them more often that not that serves as my, "Don't take life so seriously" mentor mom. 
 
There is the fellow mom that is a living example of walking with Christ for her children....the mom who takes the time to have the morning Bible studies, brings Biblical examples into every day occurrances and reinforces His love in all that she does, that serves as my, "Teach your kids about Jesus, not just through words, but also through your own actions" mentor mom. 
 
There is the fellow mom who has suffered loss like none I could ever imagine, yet continues to take steps every day to insure the life of her family is full of love, laughter and peace through Him that serves as my "Even through tremendous suffering one can have joy" mentor mom.
 
The list could truly go on and on.  There are so many incredibly inspiring moms out there who I am blessed to know...so many wonderful women who have helped, and continue to help me in my journey as a mom.
 
I ran across a website while doing some research on mothers in the bible.  ( http://freepages.religions.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/BibleMothers.html )  I take from it this information about Mary and Elisabeth. 
 
I suppose the world's most revered mother is Mary, mother of Jesus. Her cousin Elisabeth was also a godly person, who in her old age gave birth to John the Baptist. Mary visited Elizabeth for about three months while both were approaching motherhood. With this common experience their age difference became insignificant as they joyfully planned for the birth of their sons, who were to be so near the same age. They found much joy in each other because they loved and understood each other and had the same strong belief in God.


Motherhood is, I believe, one of the greatest equalizers.  Both Mary and Elisabeth were fulfilling God's intent, while living with their own struggles and triumphs.  Just as they were meant to walk together, so are we.  From each other they gained inspiration, as we can and do receive inspiration from one another.
 
Who are your mentor moms?  What are you learning from them? 
 
For whom do you serve as a mentor mom and what are you teaching to others?
 
God gave us each other to lean on, laugh with, share with, lift up and walk side-by-side in our roles as moms.  I encourage you to let your mentor moms know that they have been an inspiration to you.  Tell them how they have served as a source of encouragement...and in turn, be that source of light for another mom out there.
 
Blessings!

From the Mouths of Babes...

The fact that I was raised a minister's daughter might lead one to believe that I am confident with PDP's (public displays of prayer).  Perhaps I should restate that.  One might think that I am comfortable with PDMOPP (public display of my own personal prayers).  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Maybe it is because I never really had the practice.  Growing up with both my dad and my grandfather being pastors, there was always someone else to lead us in prayer.  It was such a feeling of relief to me!

In the last year, I have had to become a bit more practiced (I won't say comfortable) with praying publicly.  If my co-facilitator isn't with me while leading a mom's group, then the poor moms present are stuck with me.  Thankfully for those moms who attend the classes, we can usually call upon my dear friend and mentor, Allyson George, for her beautiful and always spot-on prayers.  You all may know someone who has THE GIFT.  The unmistaken, seemingly direct line to Him, by way of the words that flow forth so naturally and freely while praying.  That is Allyson!  She has THE GIFT!  Sometimes, however, she is attending to other church matters and the women of the group hear me muddle through an opening prayer.

I'll give you an example.  Recently, my very 1st moms's discussion group got together for a special Christmas dinner.  It came time to eat and we all gathered around to bless the meal.  My husband, rather chivalrously, volunteered me to lead us in prayer.  I had no back-up that night, so it was all me.  Allyson was at her daughter's volleyball game.  She couldn't be reached by cell phone...I tried!  I have no recollection of what I said and just hope it was audible and half-way appropriate.  I do realize that it really isn't about me, this praying out loud.  It is all to His glory and I need to get over myself and stop worrying about saying the right thing.

This fear of mine, or perhaps just plain discomfort I have about praying out loud, is not something I want my children to inherit from me, so we are consciously making an effort to help them feel comfortable praying out loud.  I am a firm believer that if we want our children to pray, both privately and publicly (by publicly I simply mean, outloud...individually, with family, with friends), then we need to model praying with them and for them.

At our house we have developed a tradition of sorts involving prayer.  Every night, we all gather in one room and say our prayers together.  If we are in the den (the one room in our house with a T.V., we shut it off).  If my husband is on a trip, we call him at bedtime and he tries his best to be available for our nightly prayers.  We each take turn saying prayers individually and we all say our family prayer (something I made up one night with our 1st born that has stuck around for about 10 years), and finally we recite The Lord's Prayer.  This may sound like a long routine, but it takes no more that five minutes.  What I enjoy most about this time is hearing what the girls have to say in their prayers.  They always tell what they are thankful for and they usually choose someone who is sick or hurting in some way and ask God to help that person.  While praying out loud they are establishing so many good habits.  Here are just a few:

• An open relationshiop with God
• Honesty with self and family members
• Habitual praying (done every night)
• Practice in speaking out loud

From the mouths of babes!  Prayer time is when I often learn of their fears, hopes, blessings and joys.  If you do not have a prayer time with your children I encourage you to start.  Make a commitment to pray with and for your children.  Let them hear what is one your heart.  Share your blessings with them and thank God for them.  When they hear you saying these words, you are modeling for them a love of God and passing it on to them.

Do you have a prayer tradition in your household?  Feel free to post here and share your thoughts with others reading this blog.

Blessings!

New Beginnings in a New Year

Happy New Year!  2011 is here!  As each year somehow seems to roll into the next I have attempted to take a moment, this year, to walk slowly into 2011 with intention, rather than rushing blindly into the new year as I usually would.  I was thinking about new beginnings and what those might look like for this year.  Then, when I went into church service on Sunday morning, I found that the pastor had her sermon on just the same topic.  Pastor Deborah Hobbs-Mason's poignant words not only reiterated some of my own thoughts, but also served as inspiration to me.

I'll briefly share with you some of the points she made here:
1) Do not be afraid for nothing will be impossible with God.
2) Fear can be a matter of faith, a spiritual matter that prevents us from following God's call or it can be a motivator for change.
3) God has a way of using all of our experiences, both good and bad, to prepare us for what he has in store for us.
4) In 2011 rather than making a New Year's resolution, perhaps we can commit to staying open to God's leading and no be afraid.

How does this translate to me as a mom?
1) God is always with me and I can do anything through Him.  On the tough days, when all 3 girls are needy and my energy is spent, He is with me.  On the trying days, when middle school drama ensues and I don't have the words to soothe, He is with me.  On the exhausting days, when it seems there is not enough time to get it all done and muster some semblance of patience, He is with me.  And on and on...

Another way to look at this is to think in terms of me as me...not just in the role of mom.  Is there something that God is calling me to do outside of my role as a mom?  Is there a tap on my shoulder to pursue a personal dream, perhaps unrelated to the family...yet, one that will not interfere, but possibly enhance me and thus all of us?  If so, I should not be afraid.

What is God calling you to do?

2) If fear can be a matter of faith, what can I do to let go of my fear and trust in God?  In my bible which is The Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation, there is a footnote on Matthew 6:25.  That verse reads, "So I tell you, do not worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food, drink and clothes.  Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing."  This particular quote doesn't necessarily directly relate to the same kind of fear, or worry that we might have, but the footnote does.  It states, "Here is the difference between worry and genuine concern-worry immobilizes, but concern moves you to action."

When the pastor stated that Fear can be a matter of Faith, a spiritual matter that prevents us from following God's call; or, it can be a motivator for change, I think that she was likening fear, without conviction of faith, as worry.  In my mind, fear with conviction of faith is concern.  Perhaps nervous concern versus fear.  Do you see the difference?  For years leading up to launching this blog I was worried.  I was fearful.  Throughout the course of this last year, circumstances occurred that told me to just do it.  Somehow my fear was calmed and become more excited nervousness, along with a trust that I should just go for it.  God will provide and is with me. 

What issues of fear and faith are you grappeling with and how can you move from inaction to action?

3) In her 3rd point the pastor said that all of our experiences prepare us for God's call.  Looking at my own life I can see where certain events, opportunities and relationships placed before me demonstrate this.  If it were not for these, I would not be writing this blog or facilitating book discussions on being the moms God intends us to be. 

What is is that has prepared you for your unique call?

4)  The fourth point that was made requires an openness and commitment.  It requires us to allow ourselves to be vulnerable.  It also requires commitment.  As my MomMom (grandmother on my mom's side) used to say, "If at 1st you don't succeed, try, try again!"  It requires a leap, a willingness to try and be open to not only the possiblity of failure, but also the wonderful possibility of success.

Will you commit to staying open to God's leading and not be afraid?

I'll leave you with an idea that was shared with me by my dear friend.  Her family was contemplating New Year's resolutions and decided that they wanted to do something different this year.  Instead of them each coming up with a resolution for themselves, they determined for one another a challenge for each other.  For one this will mean the opportunity to show a great amount of responsibility in the next year.  For another it will mean maintaining physical health while strenghtening a relationship with a sibling.  And, for another, it will mean pursuing a God-given talent.  These are just some examples to consider as you plan not only for yourself, but also for your family in 2011.

Blessings and Happy New Year!