365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 325

I started reading the next chapter in The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell; it is about the law of consistency. I so remember hearing that word a lot in those early days of motherhood. How consistency in discipline and setting up routines for your children are the key to building a good foundation based on order and obedience. Consistency really is the grounding factor. The attitude of the heart, the good works, the thoughtful prayers, the time taken to worship and praise the Lord can be done every day. We have the power within us by the Holy Spirit to consistently work at being more and more like Jesus. Maybe just maybe by the end of our lives, our grandchildren will say she was always there for me, always loving and always generous of heart. “Always” is what we strive for when we work on consistency.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 230

I read a book called Artic Tale to my daughter last evening. It is about two different animals in the artic a baby polar bear and a baby walrus. The interesting thing about each of these is the very circumstances they are brought up in. A baby walrus will stay with the group of all female walrus' for as long as they live while a baby polar bear is just with his mother until they are able to hunt on their own at about age 2. Two vastly different up-bringings. One in the midst of community and the other with just mom. God gave us two examples in these animals of what we can do as mothers. We can have that one-on-one bond and we can be in community with other mothers, women, sisters. We are blessed to be able to choose both worlds as we raise our young. God gives us the choice. Each of us, based on our own personality can choose how to be a mom. I love my one-on-one time with my kids but also love being with other women sharing about our struggles, rejoicing in our triumphs and laughing about our adventures. It's like the bible says there is a time for everything even a time to be one-on-one and a time to be in community. Thank you Lord for giving us the miracle of both ways to rear our young and for the examples of motherhood found throughout your creation.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 170

Most of us are not prepared for Motherhood. It is an on-the-job training kind of job. Mary the mother of Jesus, was not prepared for motherhood either. She was still by our standards today very very young and only just promised in marriage to Joseph. But she took on her new role as the mother of the Son of God and God gave her what she needed. I remember that first year of motherhood being extremely challenging. Not only with the lack of sleep, the change of my whole world by becoming a stay-at-home mom but also adjusting to being married as it had only been married 10 months eariler.  It was to say the least a very rough road. In hindsight, we can look back and wish we had done things better but it is what it is. We are the mothers of our children because God planned it that way. You may not have had the best of mothers but know that despite what we do as mothers, God's plan is at work. Mothers are not perfect so we have to let go of the past and be able to forgive and love. Just as our mother's tried their best at the time, we too must try our best and ask God for the help we need so we can embrace our mother's and ourselves with forgiveness and love. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers of the world!
Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it my go well wit you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.