~ The Blogs of A Halfway To Sunday Mom ~ |
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In the beginning there is lots of room. It feels open and you feel free, it's dark, but the dark is comforting. You move around in your little world with ease. As the time passes you don't really notice that the walls are closing in around you. The freedom that was there at the beginning doesn't seem as grand as it once did, but that's normal you assume. More time passes and there is no doubt that you are being restricted, choked out. You begin to seek a way out of your little world but it seems impossible. You can feel the end approaching as you twist and turn in your world, which you consider a prison now. The world you knew starts to break down and rot as you continue to push and stretch longing to be free of it. Suddenly there is a bright light in a crack of your world. This light gives you hope that there is something more beyond your world. The ugliness of your world is crippling, the stench is repulsive, the wrongness of it all is now lit up fully for you to see. Though you feel like you can't go on a second longer something inside you tells you to keep pressing on. As you feel you can't draw one more breath, your broken world crumbles around you. Before you stands a world you never could have imagined. This world is full of light and space as far as you can see, a space you will never outgrow. It is beautiful and not rotten, whole and not broken. You feel as if you have a whole new life before you... and you do. The last thing that confirms you are where you were always meant to be is a never ending figure in the distance calling to you with rolling arms beckoning you to come into its embrace. A figure that you know in your heart will be there to protect you forever. My daughter, bless her heart, she can really ask some difficult questions. Questions that make this mommy really have to chose her words wisely. Today she asked a toughie. Her question, "Mommy, why do our bodies have to get old and die? I don't want to die. Why did Adam and Eve have to eat from the forbidden fruit? If they hadn't our bodies wouldn't get old and we wouldn't ever die." Wow!!! We've all been there, haven't we mommies? When we have to look up at heaven and say, "How do I answer something like that when I still question it myself?". But we serve a God that wants us to know these reasons, He doesn't want us to be afraid to go to heaven, He wants us to anticipate it with great excitement. So, what does any good mother do when caught between a rock and hard spot, whether it be a question or even life in general? We pray and we wait to be answered. Luckily, the Spirit didn't see a reason to stretch my patience on this one. LOL. A friend recently told me that she read somewhere, "We are not earthly beings with a spirit inside, but spiritual beings with a earthly body". This quote speaks volumes, but how to phrase it so an eight year old would not only understand, but be comforted? By using an analogy to something she could relate to. So, we began to discuss in detail what our earthly bodies are really like. I began by asking her a simple question back to her. What is more important to God, a baby turtle in its egg or the egg itself? She responded as most would, "The baby turtle in the egg." I explained to her that our bodies on earth are like the egg and our souls are like the baby turtle. When the egg is first laid it is firm and strong but as weeks go by it starts to soften and wrinkle; all the while the baby turtle becomes more and more aware of it's shrinking home. Before long it is fighting with all its will to break out of its home. Something is calling it, a force so powerful the baby sea turtle will risk death just to get to what is calling it. Finally the baby turtle breaks free and gives its last burst of strength to getting to the one that calls it... the sea. I could see the wheels turning in my daughter's mind, so I continued. I explained to her that our bodies are the egg and over time our soul begins to outgrow it, just as the turtle did. Our souls hear a Voice calling us that is so inviting that we begin fighting with all our soul to break free of the prison of our body. Our bodies are a temporary home for our souls. But my daughter loves to go deeper. She then asks one of the toughest questions in the world. "Why do children have to die then?". In June my best friend lost her two year old daughter in an accident. My daughter was as devastated as I was. All she could think about was her friend running up to her and her helping her to do things. So again, I prayed for a wise answer for her. I asked if she remembered when her Gam would help the baby sea turtles reach the ocean. We had gone with her a handful of times. They would uncover the nest to see if any were left. In the early season every now and then a single shell or two would have hatched before the others. I explained to her that some souls are very strong and God knows that. Some souls are so strong they don't have to wait for their bodies to grow old before they are able to break free and go to heaven. As a mother I don't wish this on any parent ever. But my friend who lost her daughter is even wiser then I am. She told me that she knows her daughter is in heaven and it will only be a split second to her before they are all reunited. She explained to me that as much as it hurts to be separated from her, she wont ask God to bring her back because the place she is in now is so much better. I can not fathom how my friend can not only be so strong during this time but also so wise. She knows her "little turtle" was stronger than most. These are hard truths to try to even grasp as a mother. And if you are a mother that has lost your little one as well, my heart aches for you. It is not the loss of your child but the pain that you are feeling that brings me to my knees in prayers for you.
Our loss is great, but God is greater..." - Greater Matthew 18:14 - Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Dedicated to Jocelyn, a pure soul in a broken world, you will be forever missed until we join you in heaven.
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Isaiah 34:8
Hebrews 12:11 No DISCIPLINE seems pleasant at the time, but PAINFUL. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE (Shalom) for those who have been trained by it. " Now onto the encouraging point of this post. If God is loving then why is He allowing this to happen? Well that answer, I believe, comes down to upholding Zion's cause. God has a plan, we know this from Revelation, but to get to Revelation we have to still be here! Below is how He is making sure the world makes it to the second coming of Christ. The Value of Human Life Restored Up until this virus began to sweep across the world, mankind had lost all value of human life. Not only were the unborn being slaughtered and is to this day the largest genocide in human history, but the lines were already beginning to stretch. The elderly and mentally struggling were next on the list to "humanely euthanizing" (sometimes, not even humanely). There were reports starting to spread about the sick and elderly being starved to death. https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-03-04/abortions-rise-worldwide-when-us-cuts-funding-women-s-health-clinics-study-finds https://www.dailywire.com/news/netherlands-elderly-woman-forcibly-euthanized-paul-bois https://www.conservativereview.com/news/murder-disguise-disabled-frenchman-dies-9-days-court-ordered-forced-starvation/ As mothers the value of life is our primal weapon. We would do anything to protect our children, even die for them. But as years have seen, the opposite has been reality. I was one of them, with my daughter Adara May, for the full story see https://www.halfwaytosundaymom.com/blog/losing-control and https://www.halfwaytosundaymom.com/blog/raising-lazarus-healing-after-abortion . God is desperate for us to value each life as He does. I believe after this epidemic the value of human life will have restored significantly. After losing so many, unexpectedly, we will once again cherish the ones who are here and yet to come. As mothers this should be so encouraging as we raise the next generations of youth. Proverbs 24:11-12 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, "Behold, we did not know this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? " World Wide Hunger Will Decrease
Luke 3:10-11 And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise. " The Environment Will Rebound This is so very exciting! The world is already seeing results of the environment resetting itself. Reports are coming in, with the waterways being used less, gas emissions way down and cars off the road, people outside walking and not inside, buildings and housing production ceasing, etc. The earth is healing. It wont be perfect, we know from the Bible that wont happen until the second appearing. But some of what we lost from exploitation will come back. https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/coronavirus/venice-canals-clear-dolphins-swim-italy-lockdown/ https://www.foxnews.com/science/ozone-layer-healing-growing-evidence-montreal-protocol. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51944780 This has the potential for being worldwide changing! A second chance to do things a little better then before. And who knows, if this virus does linger for a year, what other environmental positives will happen?! As mothers this will be a lesson worth teaching our children about how to take care of the temporary home God has given us charge over. Being good stewards and trustworthy with what we have. 1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. " Revival of Humanities Health
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. " The Not So Obvious Positives There are other outlooks that you wont find in a news article, but as Christians we can have hope and faith in seeing as these days continue. Families will have grown closer together. Certainly, if you allow the devil in your home, you could very well end up feeling like crap. But if you seek Shalom as a FAMILY, praying together, worshiping together, reading the word together, I PROMISE you; your relationships will deepen and strengthen. While we are on the subject of relationships, I believe forgiveness will be on an all time high. Not knowing if someone you are not talking to could contract the disease or even has, will bring walls down. Forgiveness will be the sweet water over pouring into the world. This killer will unite the world on all fronts. I believe enemies will be shown love and forgiveness, just as Jesus commanded. Estranged relationships will be restored. People will now have a new value of appreciation for what the have. Greed and gluttony will decrease, good stewardship will return. People will take care of what they have and "stuff" wont seems as important anymore. And if I dare say it, I believe, God will be restored in our schools again. Not as a pushing blow torch but as a gentle flame. The pledge which mentions His name restored, Bibles allowed back in schools without fear, love and grace taught above all else, speaking of God out loud and not in secret. A beautiful thought. Ultimately, I believe that this virus will call thousands to Him. They will come, seeking Shalom that only His Spirit can offer. People will want to know there is a reason for this hurt, not just some random chaos in the universe. For the glory of God is always the goal to seek in anything that happens. Good or bad, that is why He offers us His shalom; so that even in the dark He can carry us through it.
Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. " This has been a long post, and I thank you mothers for sticking with me through the end. This is just the vision I am getting, going off of what I am seeing and what the Word says. But I do know for sure, during this time we must cling to Hebrews 12:11. Know that you will get through this, God will not let this last forever. Be comforted in knowing that as hard as this may seem, God appointed YOU mothers, right here and right now, for this exact test on earth. Know that there is still an end time for earth, and continue to pray and seek Him afterwards when things turn good. When the world is on the mountain top again, continue to pray and seek His knowledge. And when this is over, this test will become your testimony. This mess will become THE message for those to come. This is God's world, He was, is and always will be the one in control; even when we try to tell Him otherwise, He is still the pot maker and we are forever still the clay. Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. " Hello dear mother, It has been awhile. But with the world seemingly coming apart at the seems and tensions on high I felt compelled to write to you today, with a simple message. Dear mother, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. As a homeschooling mom some of you may be thinking that life for us hasn't changed all that much. And it would be a lie to some to say that wasn't true. However, we have had changes to our daily lives, and if I am struggling then I can only imagine how much harder this must be for some of you. If your child attended public school you are struggling to teach your children and entertain them, and heaven forbid if you are having to work from home too! If you are a teacher and mother you are still having to teach your students all the while teaching you own. Maybe you are in the medical field and you aren't allowed to stay home but you have children who you are struggling to find sitters for, even grandparents are hard to find with the virus attacking them with a vengeance. If you are a homeschool mom, the normal teach on the go is being attacked and your activities have been limited. To all of you, you are not alone. Long gone are the days where we felt like there were not enough hours to get everything done, now the days seem to drag on. Screen time seems for a time to be a huge time filler. But before long even our kids (and lets face it, even us) are bored with it. As a mom struggling myself I have never before sat there and counted the HOURS before my kids went to bed. Just being honest here. And the fighting between siblings and the complaining to you and the agitated state of your home is on an all time high. Sure you can go on pinterest and look up fun crafts but after a while that can really start to get expensive having to buy supplies after supplies (if you can find it). Heck even now I am feeling the anger well inside of me as my youngest throws disrespect my way because I wont let him do something. I am struggling just like you mom. There are moments when I just want to scream and get away and I can't because I am trapped by this virus. Another example, we have bedrooms for each kid, a open concept home, and where are my kids as I write for the first time since December? In the school room with me! Tears are trying to well up and the overwhelming sensation in my senses screaming, "I can't do this! I wont survive this! Get me out of here! I am not strong enough to coup! I hate this new norm!" I have no pictures to even insert on this blog because my computer crashed months ago and wont allow pictures to be unloaded. LOL. Humility at its finest. But in the mist of all of this strive there is always a light if we choose to seek it out. It may be very dim right now, but it still remains. I don't know God's reasoning for this. To purge our environment of impurities for a time? I mean there are less people on the roads, beaches are closed, national parks are closed, etc. Might it be so parents have to learn how to teach their children how to coup in times of hardship by setting the examples themselves? With schools out and kids home there is no where to hide how we are handling the situation. I know my children have seen the tears start flowing in a normal conversation on the phone, all because I realized that I wouldn't be seeing my parents for Easter. Crying because I wanted to be taken care of for just a few hours by my parents instead of being the constant care giver. Maybe it has something to do with the value of life and how the world has been making it clear to God that there is no value. By killing the unborn and starting on the elderly and handicapped. Maybe it is a combination of all things. I don't know God's will, but He ALWAYS has a reason to everything He does and this virus is no exception. So, mother, who is not alone, take every day at a time, every hour if you have to. Re-establish quiet times every day so you can have some peace and recharge. Send the kids to their collective rooms for an hour or two. Let them nap or play by themselves, I did this yesterday. Come up with a new normal routine. Make sure you have some time to be active (though of you're like me that is t he last thing you want) as a family. Take a nightly walk before the sun sets (keeping that social distancing). Try to do one craft a week, not every day, burn out is real. Play cards (UNO, Go Fish, Old Maid, Crazy 8s, etc) are all great for kids of most young and older ages. Play hide and seek in your home and start a tally board to keep track of who is winning. At the end of this virus see who is the champion. Face Time, Face Time, Face Time, at least one person every day; it will help you and them. Start planning and gathering ideas for a "Coronavirus is gone!" party, to give you something to look forward to. And keep praying and fasting, this will not last forever, but until it has passed we must continue to seek joy every day. I see you walk out of your room, your little curls bobbing up and down. You have been walking for over a year now, but your steps are still that cute little awkward step of a toddler. You are wearing your "daddy shirt" which the smallest size was a girl's small. It comes down to your toes, awe, your toes. Those cute, small toes, that I painted for the first time the other day. You are timid as you approach me with your big blue eyes staring at my face. You are watching every movement of my face, gauging my potential reaction to your approach. I smile at you through gritted teeth, trying to hold off the feeling of heartburn, or is it nausea? These days it seems to be both. You waddle over to me and in your meekest little voice ask, "Mommy are you still sleeping? Mommy can you play with me?". I am quick to respond, "Not right now sweetie. Mommy doesn't feel good." and I watch the hurt in your eyes that you are trying to hide. I follow up with, "Once your brother is here I will be able to play more." You are such a good little girl, you accept my words as truth, give me a tender hug and kiss my cheek, and walk back to your room, to play...alone. How was I, a naive, first time time mom, to know that I was lying to my sweet little Peanut? Once her brother came there were late nights up feeding. During the day there was her brother that needed most of my attention. Little did I know three months later I would have to tell my sweet and patient girl that I again could not crawl under her bed anymore because I was pregnant again. Little did I know I had lost precious time that could never be retrieved. Oh the heartache it brings a mother, knowing time has been lost, promises broken, hurts made; and the only thing you can do is press on, try to do better from here on out, not dwell on the lost time. I remember by daughter Briseis, we were at the doctor's appointment having my ultrasound done to look at her soon to be second brother. I laughed when she broke down, I even took a picture, but deep in my heart I was breaking with her. I knew then all the promises I had made her about how things would "go back" to being like they were between her and I, once her brother came. I knew I had broken her trust. She was 2 years old when she thought I would hold true to my promises. She was 2 and a half when I lost her trust by telling her another sibling was on the way. What hurts me the most is I had never wanted a girl. I had wanted boys and that was it. I felt I was an annoying daughter to my mom and I certainly didn't want to raise an annoying daughter. A daughter that would make silly animal sounds when she used her imagination, a daughter who would not be a perfect little princess. Briseis was sent to me by God as my first for a very good reason. He knew all along my daughter would change my world, that she would change my heart; that she would make me a fighter as a mom should be. He knew I would need her as much as she needed me. The feeling I got when the doctor placed her on my stomach was never repeated with her brothers. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys, but I had known I had wanted them. My feeling with Briseis were like when the Grinch's heart grew and bust the seams of the screen. The regret of lost time with just her and I has been weighing heavy on me lately. Mother, if you are a first time mom and are pregnant again, cherish the time with it just being your first and you. Push through the morning sickness, push through the heartburn, push through the fatigue. I promise you, you don't want the regret of losing this last chance to be with just your little one. It is too late for Briseis and I, and it kills me when her brothers are mean or she feels I am paying too much attention to them. She will say she is fine now, lying to hide her true feelings. And if I am not paying attention I will go on with my day, but if I am paying attention to her facial expression or mood she will open up that she misses our time together. I know she will soon forget being an only child, but for now it causing a flood of regret. I wish I had gotten up off that couch for the nine months it took to make her brother and did everything I could. I wish I had known what I would be losing. We have a great relationship and it is growing really well, but it is different now. I wish I could go back to relive it once last time, just once last time of it being just her and I. I wasted so much time! After Leonidas was born I said to myself, "I'll be the same mom to him that I am to Briseis". Oh my sweet boy, another lie. Once again, I had little idea that he would not even have turned one before his brother came. Not only that, but that three weeks later we would move into their grandparents house while we waited for our home to sell. The decision was best, driving home to two dead bodies in the shop down the road from you would make any mother want out of there. It was so hard for my little guy, not even one yet, the baby of the family, and boom! Just like that he isn't the baby anymore, he can't even comprehend why. I will never forget sitting at my in-laws house feeding my youngest and Leonidas comes up, not even walking yet, with out stretched arms, and wants me to hold him... and I couldn't because his little brother was feeding. Rejko was a surprise, so it caught us all of guard and we all loved him a ton. But there is hurt non the less, hurt of forcing my not even one year old to grow up a little faster. Little did I know in just a month or so he would scare all of us with a mass on his head. I remember pleading with God to spare him cancer. Our God works in mysterious ways. God was trying to get someone's attention through Leonidas, it was my husband. Their relationship had been rough from the get go because of GERD and Leonidas constantly cried as a baby. This mass made us realize it was because his head had been hurting and that brought them very close. God preformed a miracle in my son, it was not cancer, it was a mutated vein that was suppose to have an injection put into it to kill it. But miraculously, it went away on its own, the vein is still there but the best the doctors can come up with is it's in a dormant state. See during this time at the in-laws, there wasn't a lot to do and my kids were being so good. Yet once again, I would have two little people walk up to me and ask me to play. I still had not learned my lesson from Briseis. Now I was on to social media creating Halfway To Sunday. I was so engrossed in the abortion information that was coming out I wanted to fight back and unite mothers. Once I got it going I would be there for my kids. But days turned into years and I never made good on my intentions. Living at my in-laws I had to take care of two rooms and a bathroom. I had plenty of time to make good on past promises. But once again I let time slip away. Even now Leonidas will ask if mommy can sleep with him and I find myself not wanting to because then I can't get on my phone before bed. So I again make up an excuse saying, "Not tonight, maybe in a few nights I will.". Don't be blinded or numb to when your children are needing you for security or simply they just want to be with you. Don't step on the land mind of what you want when what you need is right where you are, holding your child. Little did I know, that my addiction to social media would steal my time away from all my children. So many hours I missed watching them play. So many days I missed joining in on their play. So many times I just missed what mattered most. Rejko has probably had it the easiest being the youngest. He hasn't had the pleasure of watching a mom go from being patient, kind, slow to anger, loving and caring (like Briseis had); to easier to upset, easier to become frustrated, reclusive (like Leonidas had); to short tempered, overwhelmed, agitated. That is the mom Rejko gets. Now I know some of you will say "Give yourself grace mom" and run off the list of what I am doing. I do give myself grace and a lot of it. But I am also not content with the mother I am right now. I love my children and I try to show it so they always know. I am a good mom and I do a lot for my children. I am a strong mom and I make sure they see that. But I want to be a better mom, a mom more like I was when it was just Briseis and me. I yearn for that. I don't want another milestone to hit me out of the blue. Like when Rejko woke up one morning and he looked different. I realized it fast, he had lost his baby cheeks over night it seemed. In reality it wasn't over night, I'm sure it was a gradual thing, but to a disconnected mom it seemed over night. Mommies, I am not willing to wait a second longer to spend my life present with my children. I am not willing to risk tomorrow not coming before I wake up to the blessings God gave me. Mommies, we have the MOST important CAREER in the world, being mothers. So because of this I am saying a farewell to social media, all of it. I want to be a present mom not a mom that can't read a book for bed because I need to write my blog. I want to be a mom that does crafts again not just for a holiday but just because. I want to do better for my children. I have spent so much time and energy chasing anything but motherhood. A business in marketing, a business in blogging, a business in writing, when all along God had the perfect business for me, motherhood. I am tired moms, tired of all the cares of the world being shouted out on social media. Tired of the hate and cruelness and anger and I can't get away from it until I shut off the social media outlets. I will continue to blog WHEN IT IS CONVENIENT FOR ME. That may mean few see what I have to say, it may mean this never becomes a monetary business; but you know what? I am now more then okay with that, I am excited to give this motherhood business 100% again. It has been far to long. So I can't tell you when I will post a new blog, may be a week, a month, a year... maybe never. I will leave that to God to put on my heart. But for now I am 100% committed to just mommy, because that is truly all I ever wanted, to just mommy...       So from one mother, who has lost so much time, to you mommy; put the phone away, shut down the social media sites. Take back your greatest achievement and be present, fully present with your blessings. Relearn how to give every day the best and end each night with your children drifting off with fun memories of YOU and them. Be content mothers to just mommy, because it will only last a short while, and that my dear friends is certain. Your child is walking down a dark and narrow path, it is straight, but only a warm light is there to help guide your child on this path. The light feels safe, but the dark is full of unknowns. As your child is walking down this path a bright light of color shimmers on one side. Your child is curious, the light looks inviting and the path clear. The warm light on the path is overtaken by the bright light as your child walks closer to the bright path's entrance. The temptation of this path and its sure footing over takes you child and they step onto this new path. As they travel with the light so bright it is blinding, they don't realize the twist and turns they are making. Other people are on the path headed back the way they came, they beg your child to go with them, but your child is enjoying the path they are now on. After awhile your child starts to wonder where this path is going to lead and before they know it they hit a dead end. Turning around in circles, trying to shield their eyes from the light, they see they are not the only ones at the dead end. There are hundreds maybe even more. Some seem to be wandering around aimlessly while others seems to have given up on an escape and have curled up to die in a heap at the dead end. Your child begins to realize the mistake they made from wandering off the safe path they were on. Your child now sees the truth of what has happened. Lies and temptation have cornered your child and they know they must find a way back to the straight and narrow path. Before they go they try to get as many people as they can to follow them back. They are coaxing to them and at the end begging them to follow. Some listen and get up while most stay where they are, blinded, hopeless, or lifeless. Sadly your child makes their way back, twisting and turning. Suddenly there is a light so bright it is emitting warm heat, brighter then anything they have ever seen they close their eyes and follow the warmth it offers, back to the dark, straight and narrow path. Stepping back onto the true path and inching away from the other, the bright light goes out and what is left is the once again warm, dim light. Step by step, guiding your child to the end, where all things will be new and perfect. Behind your child, follows all the others they helped back onto the true path...  Good evening mommies!!! I am so excited because for the past two months I have not been able to upload any new pictures on my computer; which meant no new pictures for my blog post!!! But thanks to my awesome sister in law and a back door she knew about, I know can upload pictures again. Anyway, onto this week's blog post. This post weighed heavy on my last week. But without the picture to upload it would have been hard to explain in just written word. All good now though! So lets begin. As you may remember, in a previous blog I had posted my loss of faith completely. Recently finding it again (thank God, literally, thank God) I began digging deeper and deeper into the Christian faith. What I came up with has prepared me for when my children leave the house and has given me further wisdom for my path as well. In the above picture the cross represents our life. Birth until heaven, a straight but narrow line. This is a rough copy, fyi, I plan to make the final soon and will share it. Moving on. The path to heaven through Jesus as I said it straight and narrow, it is also dark. We constantly are walking in the unknown with the light of the Holy Spirit being our only means to see immediately in front of us. Along this path are numerous (I'm sure there are more then I drew) detours. These detours are bright and tempting but offer no warmth, promising a path better than the one we are on. It is a 100% guarantee that we will take at least one of these paths in our lifetime. The path will seem right at first but as it turns and twists it will begin to feel the opposite, cold and unfamiliar. Then we will hit a dead end, at that point we will see we were not the only one lead down this path. There will be numerous others at this dead end. At that point we have two choices. The first is to give up and stay at the dead end with no hope of returning to the living path. The second will be to fight through the crowds and make our way back to the path Jesus made for us. But it doesn't stop there. No, we have the chance to bring people back with us (this could one day include our very own children)!!! We will beg and plead with the people at the dead end to follow us. Some will follow, most wont. They will choose to stay at the dead end, away from the true path, away from safety, away from the living, stuck in hell on earth. But we will get back on the right path, hopefully bringing others back with us.    Mothers we all have this path, we all have the same potential detours, we all want the same end... a life of eternity in heaven. We also don't want this for just us, or our family/friends, spouse... we want it for our children, so bad our hearts ache. As moms this can be a hard thing for us to be content with. Content you ask? Well yes, if we are not content with simply doing our best every day we will start taking a dead end path! The dead end path of fear, with the potential to leave us curled up in a ball at its end! We need to accept the fact that we can't keep our children in a bubble of safety while they are living with us. Think about that for a second, what will happen to them when they finally are on their own? If they are like me they will immediately hit the road for some of those dead end paths that are so tempting. My sister in law and brother recently had dinner with us. During dinner they began to tell us about their 8 year old son and some of their newly developed concerns. They went on to tell us about some friends he has and the influences he is getting from them. Now, these kids aren't horrible kids, my sister in law said around them they are pretty darn good. But, there have definitely been some rub off of choice words, actions, etc. She expressed how concerned she was but also was confused as what to do. She didn't know if she should let them continue to play or sever the relationships. In the end we talked about it and I told her I was actually proud of her and my brother. They have decided to limited where playdates can happen and gone over why certain behavior will not be tolerated, but they are allowing them to be friends still. My nephew is learning a valuable lesson early in his life because of his parents. He is learning that there are paths that you can chose to go down that aren't always best and have consequences, but that he can also help others with these lessons he learns. Let me give you an example. Lets take the "cussing" that my nephew did. My sister in law and brother talked to him about why that word can not be used and why it is hurtful and disrespectful. Okay, so two things could have happened. One, they tell my nephew he can't be friends with these boys anymore and those boys go on to continue their behavior, possibly getting new hurts from the loss of a friend. Or second, my nephew remains their friend and when they cuss, he can simply and gently tells them why he doesn't do it, when they see him not playing along. They could then (if God works on their hearts) start back to a better path, a more respectful path, because they have someone they could start looking up too, that has wisdom beyond his years. A friend, that wants to be friends even when they make a mistake. Our children are predestined to help so many people. We have no idea the spider web of influence they are destined to spin. Our job is to be content in knowing this. Our job is to be content in knowing they will make mistakes, and if they are in the home, we will be there to correct them in love; if they are out of the house, that we did our job well enough, they will find their way back on their own with new disciples following them. Our job is to be content in knowing that God knows the outcome, He knows our heart, He knows our desires, He knows our longing for our children to make it home to heaven... God allows evil in the world so that each person can use his free will to choose... To choose an eternal life of good or of evil, but that choice He leaves solely to us. But our immortal souls have only this short time to decide which world it wants to live in for eternity ~ I have never been one to meal prep. I literally stunk at it for the better part of... my LIFE! Until now that is. I have found a secret that all mothers will not just appreciate but will LOVE. It all stated with a reoccurring grocery bill, a bill that was pushing $300 every week!!! Gulp and pass out. Now this blog with be a little different for each one reading it. It all depends on your size family, but the results will be the same. Meal prepping this way will not only save you BIG bucks but it will also save you stress, anxiety, worry, frustration and lets be honest; what mother doesn't need less of those things in her life. See, we are a growing family of five. Two ladies and three men. I say men because that is how my boys appetites will be here very shortly. Before we had kids I remember my husband and my budget was $50 a week. Ahhh! It was awesome, but then came the babies which weren't bad until they started eating solid food. From there it was a down hill spiral. But NOT ANYMORE!!! Below I am going to list the simple step you need to take to make your life easier and your bank account heavier.
Breakfast - same thing for the week Lunch - same thing for the week Dinner - same thing for the week CHANGE MEALS & REPEAT!!! That Was It And It Is Working!!!! Now let me go into detail on this meal plan. Every week I pick a breakfast meal for the kids. This week is frozen waffles, mandarin oranges and chocolate milk (I have actually started letting the kids choose on some weeks which I'll explain later). Lunch is mac-and-cheese, green beans and bananas. Last for dinner is chili (a tradition for Halloween). So every day from Sunday until Saturday the family eats the same thing (for the most part. The hubs and I would be ... not healthy if all we ate was the mac-and-cheese, more on that later as well) and then we start over with something new the following week. My Kids Wont Eat The Same Thing Every Day WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!! Yes, there will be an adjustment period. I remember Leonidas choosing to go to bed instead of eating the same thing he didn't like again. However, now that they know this is their option they have all started eating what is served to them. I Can't Eat What My Kids Eat No problem momma. Simply use the same strategy on yourself. Lunch for my husband and I tend to be the hardest so I simply meal prep salads for us for the week. Salads are so diverse you can totally change them completely every week. Or, do something else that is better suited to your needs, just stick to the same routine. What Will I Gain From This?1. Forget rotten food and wasted money: Before this routine I would TRY to meal plan each day and each meal. I was literally running a restaurant for my kids. By mid week I was so exhausted that I would forget about the meal planning and order take out and the food would be forgotten. Eventually the food would go bad and I would throw unopened this and unopened that away. 2. Learning To Eat Leftovers: So my kids (and if I am being honest me too) hated left overs. They wanted something fresh and new every meal so left over meals would go bad and ... go into the trash. Now it is the norm for my kids and they eat it!!! I couldn't believe it, but it was true. By the end of the week left overs were gone, the fridge looked sparse, no wasted food!!! 3. Stress level dropped: Meal planning this way has drastically dropped my stress levels because I am only needing to plan for three meals (roughly, if I need something different it is 4). Grocery shopping is FAST! I use instacart which lowers my stress even less. Highly recommend the delivery or at least curb side pick up despite the slight up charge. Last is the stress relief of just popping dinner back in the oven to warm up or turning the crock pot back on, when that's done I am free to have down time or do whatever. 4. Budget Friendly (SERIOUSLY FRIENDLY): So remember I told you our average grocery bill was about $300 a week. With the new plan, and seeing the total in my cart BEFORE checking out (allows you to take off un-needed items if you are over budget) we have dropped our grocery bill down to $130-$150 a week. That is a HUGE difference. More money and less waste. Last Minute Tips1. When your children have gotten settled into this routine and accept it, let them help. Let them pick out one meal for the week (within reason); let them help cook it (my kids actually like whatever is made more if THEY help make it). 2. Don't go overboard!!! So our week looks like this, Sunday is the fresh meal of the week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, (+\- Saturday depending on if grandparents invite us over) are the days we do the planned meal as a left over. Wednesday we are out late because of gymnastics so we eat out as a family. There is money for that (still try to eat at restaurants that offer deals for kids) now that our grocery bill is so much lower. Friday is our family fun night so we do whatever, eat out, fruity pebbles, frozen pizza, whatever (but don't make it another big dinner, something quick and fun!!!) 3. I told you about instcart and for our family it is the best fit, despite the small up charge (I just love not GOING to the store, less compulsive buying!!!); but for kicks and giggles I decided to give ALDI a try. You know, just to see. My total for the entire week of food was ... $60!!!!!!!!!!! If you can refrain from compulsive buying and stick to your list you WILL save more money going to the store yourself. I hope you enjoyed this fun, off my normal, blog post. I would love for you to try this and get back with me on how you liked it!! You can do that by clicking any of the links below and leaving a comment. If you have a question about it feel free to ask and I'll get back to you. As mothers we shouldn't be so stressed over food and feeding everyone. It should be quick and easy so we can get back to what is really important. Living life with our families. It has been the hardest few months of my life. I never knew the negative impact that social media could have on my naivety. Then to add insult to injury, being a mom who couldn't get help answering her questions from those who said they cared; yet without those questions answered she felt like she was lying to her children every day. But that is what happened and it has been the hardest journey to push on through. By now you are wanting to know what possibly could I be talking about and why would it make me lose my faith? It all started when I was browsing through my twitter feed. I rarely do this, as I try to only be on social media to promote my blog, and to read about happy things. Seeing as there isn't much of that these days, more insult added to injury, I am just not on Twitter that much. But there I was scrolling down. A tweet came up, it was a tweet about a verse in the Bible not being in any Bible newer than the New King James version. Well naturally I had to see this for myself. Sure enough, the number for the verse was there in my NIV but not the verse that went with it. My logic and reason started spiraling from that point on. First, I was naive about it and angry. I wanted to know why such context was removed from the Holy Bible (how can it be holy if it is being changed?). I had good willed friends and even a stranger point this upset mother to an article as to why this was happening. Unfortunately, the article paved the way for more questions. The article went on to say that it was doing this in newer Bible's to try and only put in original text and translations, something the New King James version and older failed. Apparently they had added to the so called Holy Bible. https://www.biblica.com/resources/bible-faqs/why-does-the-niv-bible-omit-or-have-missing-verses/ ( there are more then one of these links to confirm the reasoning). This one seed of realization was beginning to eat away at my faith. The way that I saw it was, if the Bible could be altered by "so and so" because of "this and that" then ultimately the Bible is a very long story of telephone. For those moms that don't know this game, you basically say something in someone's ear and then they turn to the next person and say what they heard and so on and so on. By the time the last person says what the original person stated it is completely different. So, now doubt had begun to creep into my soul. If I couldn't believe every word of the Bible as true then what was true? And further more, it could now make it plausible (for the naive) to question whether God existed at all!!! Yep, there it is, I said it AND I meant it!! The doubt, logic and reason grew so strong that for about a month I doubted the existence of God Himself. I know this sounds crazy after what I experienced at my Rachel's Vineyard retreat!!! And I HATED myself for it. How could I believe what I experienced about my daughter, Adara and her brother, but doubt God's existence? Things were getting progressively worse to the point I was having a hard time praying with my kids at night because I felt I was lying to them. I felt like I was lying to them!!! Depression set in and so I pulled out the mask of "everything is okay" for my children. Again, the help I was needing and answers to questions that were making be LOSE my faith never came. I waited with silence from those who are suppose to help with this very thing. Then God put a memory in my head... (thank goodness someone cared enough for this poor mom). I do believe that despite my doubt, it was my concern for my children's eternal souls (you know, just in case, lol) and my continuing to read the Bible and pray (though it felt fake and empty for the first time in 36 years) were what saved me and opened my eyes. Years ago, when my faith was strong but I was having the typical questions regarding God's sovereignty and why He allows bad things to happen, my sister gave me a book to read. I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist is the name of the book. This book is not like any other Christian book you will ever read. What kind of book is it? It is a hard book to read. It is a hard book to comprehend. It is a book all about SCIENCE! In this book the references to the Bible are few. One quote in the book got my attention (I had to wait until chapter 3). Who did God send me to help me with my doubt? Albert Einstein, who stated "Science WITHOUT religion is lame; religion WITHOUT science is BLIND." Read that again if you have to mommy. It means we NEED to use science to back up our faith because if our truth only comes from the Bible (that can be changed) then what will we do when our children question the faith? We need to have more. This book will give you that. In correlation with the book A Case For Faith you will not risk the chance of doubt eating at your faith. You will lose the lenses of naivety and see the TRUTH through more then blind faith. In the end, thanks to God, I have my faith restored and am a WISER mom going forth for my children. Today was the first time I was able to pray and read the Bible and feel somewhat connected to Him in several months. My sister recently told me something that really stuck with me. A plant that lives in doors and cared for can't hold up to the wind. So now and then the caretaker will stick the plant outside in the wind for a little while to strengthen its weak stem... before returning it inside. Moms, most of us are the same way. God cares for us inside the comfort of the norm, but to keep us strong enough to weather the storms, He will put us out of the comfort zone now and then. What an awesome God we serve! God knew that I needed more then blind faith to shoot my children out into the world someday with their faith strong. So He stuck me outside and let the wind blow me over but never let it fully break me; and now He is starting to return me safely to where He had me and I will be stronger now. When my children questions things in the Bible I am going to have the wisdom to answer back more then just "God's ways are not our ways". As mothers we can sometimes think we have all the answers, but in truth we are still just children of God with a lot of learning left to do. 2 Peter 1:5-8 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ~ Last night as I lay in my bed pondering what to write about and my thoughts racing, I started thinking about the house. I started thinking about the mess it was in. As the images of each room started to fill my head and make my anxiety rise I thought about what part of the mess was NOT my kids. I am not going to lie, part of it was mine. After picking up day in and day out of other peoples things I tend to get burned out and throw my hands up in the air and give up. But that is a small part. Then there is my husband. As I thought about his part in this mess I started thinking to myself about those particular messes. See I know that my kids are growing up and will one day be out the door and I wont be cleaning up after them anymore. But, then there is my awesome husband whose mess I will continue to pick up until one of us is 6' deep. (Insert the mom's laugh from that 70's Show here). I will be honest, I started thinking about those things I would not have to deal with anymore if he left first. I wouldn't have to worry about the white socks that I find in the strangest places; the "worn once but not dirty" clothes that lie next to the bed and just accumulate would be gone; the packed suitcase from a trip this is still on the floor months after his return would never haunt my feet at night again (because it never fails if I have to go to the bathroom I will always hit it with my foot!). The list could go on and on! Facial hair after I clean the bathroom, dirty garage (to be fair, the kids are an equal part in that mess), dishes in the sink despite the dishwasher being empty. Pondering these things in the middle of the night would make any wife want to role over and punch her sleeping husband's arm. Then I remembered my husband was asleep in with one of our boys because he had had a rough day and wanted his daddy. At that point new thoughts started coming to my mind. A huge thought was the reason I was currently awake with a mind racing... 1. Sleeping Alone Now that I have been married for over 10 years I am so used to having him by my side. He is my comfort when I sleep (Because I am 36 and still afraid of the dark. Don't judge me. LOL). Not having him next to me at night leaves me with discomfort, it feels wrong not to have his strong body next to mine. And in the winter when I am freezing? Heck no! I love having him in bed with me. I have such a peace knowing he is right there if I need him. Without him I would probably die of sleep deprivation (there are no essential oils strong enough out there to change that). Ha! 2. Financial Responsibility We have been blessed over the year with his career that I was able to retire after our daughter was born. I currently am homeschooling our three children as well as running this household. The thought of having to take on a full time job to keep us afloat if he wasn't here is a daunting thought. Homeschooling would probably have to go and that would crush both the kids and me. As the STRESS of it all being on my shoulders? Yikes!!!! Thank goodness, my husband sacrifices 80% of his year (that includes 6 hours a night for sleeping to recover and do it again mind you) to providing for us. Even right now, when it is very hard for him to find the motivation to go to work because the possibility of an upcoming sale of the company. He still gets up and takes that full weight onto his shoulders. Without him I would have to make that same sacrifice and if you couldn't tell yet, I am kind of selfish in these areas and DON'T want to do that. 3. I Would Have To Kill...Scorpions Yep! That's right. If he wasn't here I would not only have to protect our home from thieves but also scorpions. Insert "barffing" emoji right here. I HATE HATE HATE scorpions, we have had 4 in the house this year and he has rescued me from all of them. Which also leads into the fact I would have to treat and spray the house for bugs! Lord knows I wouldn't make enough to hire someone to do it (Because that money is so much better used at Chick-fil-a to buy their new mac and cheese. Ha!). Without him the sole protection of our home would fall to me, whether it be human, natural disaster, or creepy crawlies. 4. I'd Have No Best Friend Lance is my best friend in every way. He is my lover, he is my frustration, he is my comic relief (despite me almost killing that part of him when we were first dating), he is my annoyance, he is the one I do it all with, and the one I do non of it with. I would be alone without him. Yes, I would have my children and friends and family, but it would not be the same. My children would grow and move on with their lives, stopping by here and there. My family would do the same and friends can be in and out in a matter of weeks. Without him I would be lonely. So why on a mommy blog page did a write about this? Well for starters, without my husband I wouldn't be a mommy. LOL. But also, because I realized (and deep down I already knew) that I love my life with my husband. He is a strong (yeah, I mean physically, sizzle), funny, handsome (yeah baby!), caring, loving, supportive, and helpful husband. Sure, he can drive me crazy sometimes, but so do my children, my family, my friends, heck even myself at times! I remember a story a long time ago of a group of old ladies sitting on a porch having tea. One of the ladies is talking about her husband going inside her house tracking some dirt onto the floor from his boots. The other ladies scoff and gripe about how they would never let their husband get away with that. The owner sadly looks down at her tea and tells them how that used to be with her husband and how he had passed away and she would do anything to have him walk through her door again with dirt on his boots. Remember how I told you I was a selfish person at times? Well here is the proof. I hope and pray that I die first. I don't want to live on this earth without my protector, comedic relief, financial provider, and best friend right there with me. To some of you, you may be scoffing and thinking that I don't know what I am missing. Or that I have no independence. I would tell you, you are wrong. I worked at a prestigious veterinary oncology facility as their lead nurse before I retired. I owned my own home and car and paid all my own bills. I killed all my own home intruders (only bugs I promise). I had dogs that slept in my bed with me. But I was still lonely! So I am telling you, I don't EVER want to go back to that spot in my life. It was good while I had it but being with my husband is SOOOO much better. I love him and cherish him, even when I find a pair of his socks on the fireplace mantle (True story). He is my best friend and I don't want to do a single day of life without him. So God, I'll go first if you don't mind (unless you want to let us go together, perfectly fine with that too. Ha!)
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other one up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken ~ I watch as you open your suitcase and start placing things inside. So tenderly you fold everything so they are just right as you lay them down. You have a calm and subtle smile on your face as you look at a picture in a simple frame. But the memory of that picture is a strong one, one you'll remember forever. Despite your bag being full you gently lay the picture under a layer of clothing. It will be needed for this trip, it will give strength when strength waivers. As I continue to watch you, you peacefully go through your house tidying up to make sure there is no mess left behind. The last of the drying dishes you put away in the cabinet. Quietly you go through the whole house making sure to shut off all the lights. Yes, you are very sure everything is in order, leave things better then you found them. That is what you were taught. I keep asking you if you have to take this trip. Why now? Why can't you wait a little longer? Tears well up in my eyes as I look at you, confused and hurt. This doesn't seem right, you shouldn't be going so far away. You gently kiss the top of my head where grey hair has replaced the blond. Years of love poured out and given to those I cherished most. You tell me you will miss me but how excited you are to take this trip. You go on and tell me that you have been waiting and that you know I wanted to take this trip first, but life is never predictable. You tell me everything is going to be okay and then you turn and start walking away. I call after you that you forgot your suitcase. You look over your shoulder with the childlike grin you used to give me when you were young and tell me it was never meant to go with you. I look down at the suitcase puzzled by the response, when I look up you are gone. I look up and down the street but you are nowhere in sight. I look down again and slowly unzip the suitcase. Inside I see the clothes you packed. Your suit from your wedding, your costume from a play in college, your football jersey from high school, your baby blanket from the day I brought you home. I smell in the blanket deeply and my eye catches the picture you packed. I pull it out and see myself holding you right after you were born. I weep like a child, there in the street, oblivious to who is watching. My soul aches for you to be there when I look back up. My heart is breaking. It wasn't mean to be like this, I was the one who was to take the trip first. But as I sit rocking, holding what's left of your presence, a gentle peace washes over me. As hard as this will be I have peace in where you went. I have peace in knowing it wont be forever. I have peace in knowing God needed you home first... As mothers there is no greater fear then the thought of God calling our children home before us. It haunts our dreams, it causes endless gray hairs on our heads, and no matter how old our children get that fear persists. That has now become the reality my grandparents are facing with their youngest son, my uncle. Most families are probably not that close, or there have been several members that have gone on home to heaven already, or some other example. Well let me tell you about my family. We ARE close! We don't all live in the same town or even the same state, but we are close non the less. In fact I am almost 40 years old and other then one grandfather when I was 20 I have not lost a single family member. I am so grateful for that, but it scares me too. I know that the odds are starting to pack up against me and loved ones will be heading to their forever home soon. But I was still not ready to accept that even when I heard it from my dad's lips. I will never forget where I was. Sitting watching my son practice at his gymnastic's facility I heard my phone ring. I never handle anything well when my dad is choking up, and this was no exception. "Your uncle Monte... your uncle Monte has... has pancreatic cancer." The anguish in my dad's voice at the news of his baby brother was heart breaking. This uncle, my uncle Monte is the comic relief in our family. He always has been. He was always the one growing up that would entertain us with songs or silly voices or sledding or tag. If there was fun going on at my grandparent's house it was my uncle's doing. He is the goof ball of the family and all his nieces and nephews love him for it. My uncle got his family later in life then most. But they are an amazing family! They have been through so much and have put God in the heart of every decision, every obstacle that came their way. He wife Missy is sweet and caring and adores him. I have never seen my uncle happier then I have since the day he married her. They share a special bond that few other couples know. As a blended family they never faltered with their faith in God. All family's have ups and downs to go through, but my uncle and his wife tackled them together as a team. She gives him such life! My favorite picture below is the one to the right. Can you see the look on my aunt's face and I can tell my uncle has the same smile on his face as she does. United as one, lovers, with God at their core. My uncle has three older siblings. They are all close but have not always gotten along. It is important as mothers to remember that no matter how hard we try, our children are going to have issues with each other. These issues will usually not be resolved with us in their face's telling them to work it out. In the later years our best tool for these relationship is to pray for them. My uncles and aunts I have watched over the years connect and then disconnect. I have seen pretty much every behavior happen in their adult years as I have in my children's young ages. Siblings will always be siblings. As mothers it is important to instill in them the importance of the bond that is their relationship; that way there is always someone to fall on in tears, rejoice with in good times, and every now and then diagree (strongly). At our core, we are family; and when one member is going through something we all are. We go through it together and support and help each other, because that is what family does. When something like a new baby is born, we rejoice. When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, we cry. There is nothing weak about it, it is in these times our family's strength truly shines through. The last thing I will tell you about my uncle, before I tell you why this post is important to you, is his love for his daughter. He is a hero to her. Whether she sees it yet or not, he is. I have watched him love her, be firm with her, and hold her when she is sad. He has been there for her even when at times life made it hard. He cherishes her, a gift from God, for him. If every dad could be so present for his daughter what a wonderful world it would be. So by now you are probably wondering how this pertains to you. As mothers we must remember that even as our children grow we still need to cherish any time they will spare for us. Even when they marry and move on to start a new branch of the family's legacy we need to still be there. They will want and need to ask for advice, and we need to share our wisdom with them. When they have their children, we need to be there. We need to help them when they ask for help babysitting; or if we know they are stressed, invite them over for dinner so they don't have to cook. If we live far away then we need to travel while our bodies still allow us to. As mothers we need to keep the family united as best we can, even when our children are adults and don't agree with each other's political views or how they raise their children. Pray for them, with the hopes that once you are gone, they will go on loving each other and supporting each other. And heaven forbid, if God should call one of our children home before us, we have so many happy memories made that when the devil tries to slither in feelings of guilt or regret, we can pull up one of those beautiful memories to fall back on. I don't know what the future holds for my uncle Monte. I don't know when God will call him home; I am praying expectantly that he will be so old that he drives a little buggy around so wildly he gets glares from young people he almost runs over (because that would be my uncle). What I do know is this. My uncle is going to heaven someday, and if that is sooner, then heaven is preparing an awesome celebration for him! But for the rest of us, it will hurt. For my gandparents, I can not imagine the pain, but the rest of us will be there to be a shoulder for them to cry on. It isn't the people leaving for this trip that it's sad for; (For my uncle would be partying it up with his famous "You're old, you're old, you're old" song in heaven) it's knowing we can't see them again on this earth, and that is the most painful part about death. So mothers, please remember, in the end we are all packing for this ultimate trip with a suitcase full of memories that will not go with us. Instead it will be tenderly left behind to help in comforting those we loved. Pslam 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever ~ DEDICATED TO MY AWESOME UNCLE MONTE WHO IS FIGHTING CANCER WITH THE STRENGTH OF GOD AND THE HUMOR THAT IS PART OF HIS LOVING CHARACTER I am asking for prayers from anyone who reads this for my family and my uncle. Prayers that my uncle receives complete healing and that God plans on letting him grow really, really, old. Prayers that my family be covered in peace and grow even stronger in our relationships with each other. Thank you. If I were your enemy, I'd work to create division between you and your children. I would seek to dissolve any potential your children and you could make uniting against me. I would scheme to make you operate individually, blinding you and your children from the truth of how much you need each other. Strength in family and unity of purpose… I would not allow things like these to go unchecked ~  Lord have mercy! God never fails to have me walk through the fire I am talking about. This finale post of "Don't Let The Devil Steal Your Motherhood" fits right into life right now. We currently are not having the attack, but I fear it is brewing and gearing up depending on a large decision that needs to be made. Last week, Leonidas, my middle child, the one always placed on the back burner, sweet and STRONG son, was invited to join the competitive team for his gymnastics. There is a testing period; a test of strength and a test of endurance, four test total. He has passed 3/4 above average. Here is my dilemma, to commit to this path for him would mean extreme sacrifices for everyone else in the family. Ten hours of practice a week, eight state competitions all over Florida, in a nutshell this road would take up 1/7 of our year. And it is an every year commitment. The cost is staggering in itself, but the time is the more pressing concern. This week the other two have already been voicing objections to having to "go and be bored" at his classes. If you haven't noticed this is a Thursday post because I couldn't get to my blog yesterday, it has already begun changing the family dynamics and routines. I am afraid of this commitment. I am afraid this will hurt our family, but I am afraid I am being selfish to hold my little Grunt back for an amazing opportunity... So this brings us to today's blog, and the already present attacks the devil makes against our relationships with our children.
Did this scare you? IT SHOULD!!! Satan has no plans for you to love let alone speak to your children in the end. He is here for one purpose in your calling of motherhood. One purpose for your children and you… to lie, destroy and kill ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that pulls you and your children to Jesus and to each other. And that is seriously scary stuff. The gospel we believe in was and is meant to be shared TOGETHER, both the giving and receiving of grace, inspiring each of us to strive for a relationship with our children that shines outwards to others and draws them in. So lets fight back! Step 1: Pray WITH Your ChildrenWe have plenty of other strategies that we can pray on our own time. But Satan is after our relationship with our children NOW. Get them in on the fight! Start disciplining them in how to fight back. There is no time to wait. Pray with them about anything and everything. Let them speak from their hearts to our Father even if their prayers are, lets face it, sometimes petty. You can be sure, our Father is smiling in love for their words to Him. Let them also hear our prayers. That is how, as they age they will learn how powerful we can be with God always there. Philippians 2:2-4 - Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Step 2: Communicate WITH Your Children"Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I DON'T THINK SO!!! Words do hurt. If they didn't then the statistics for suicide, divorce, etc would be way lower. A friend of mine had her nephew try to hang himself at the age of 9 because of words. Words can and do hurt. It is the devil's biggest weapon against us. Not only can he influence people to say hurtful things, but even if what they say isn't hurtful; he can manipulate the receiver into thinking they heard something entirely different. So use his own weapon against him, talk with your children. When something they say is hurtful talk to them about it. Try to find out if the words they are using match the way they are feeling. If they do seek the Bible for guidance on how to help them resolve those feelings. If we do this then they will be open with us when we have said or done something to hurt them. Hebrews 10:24-25 - Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Step 3: Grow YOUR ArmyWe want to have Satan scared. We want to have his tools against us useless. Because if we can have peace in a Christlike relationship with our children, then we are creating witnesses. Now we are moving as one body, with one purpose. Now we have strength in numbers. Our children, like us, were born to be warriors. Each one has a very strategic purpose that God needs them to fulfill. We need to be their commanders. They need to have such a strong relationship with us that when the devil tries to attack they know God and their mothers are right there to back them up. Teach them now! Teach them how to fight Satan right this minute. Psalm 18:32-34 - The God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. So now I must weigh the options before me, carefully praying for wisdom to see where the devil will attack in both outcomes, how I will fight the attacks, how in the end (no matter what) my relationship with my children stays strong as well as their relationship with EACH OTHER; because one day I wont be here and they will still need each other. Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you: be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand~ FINAL BATTLE STRATEGY: PRAYER ROOM - EVEN IF YOU CAN'T CLEAN OUT AN ENTIRE ROOM OR CLOSET, FIND A SECRET PLACE TO PUT YOUR MOST URGENT PRAYERS. VISIT IT EVERY DAY. SEEK THE LORD IN THIS PLACE AND WATCH YOUR LIFE CHANGE. MATTHEW 6:6 - BUT WHEN YOU PRAY, GO INTO YOUR ROOM, CLOSE THE DOOR AND PRAY TO YOUR FATHER, WHO IS UNSEEN. THEN YOUR FATHER, WHO SEES WHAT IS DONE IN SECRET, WILL REWARD YOU Are you ready mommy? Are you ready to take your weapons into battle and reclaim your motherhood? Reclaim your calling? Credit and quotes from Fervent and the Holy Bible |
