Calm your Child or the Storm? - Perseverance Activities #1

This is the introduction for a six part lesson on teaching perseverance to your child. It works out nicely that we are on the last two weeks of school.  Help your kids do their best until the very end!

Definition of Perseverance -
Finishing what you start even through difficulties

"Do your best all along, and you'll be sure to finish strong." - Jim Weidmann
"If at first you don't succeed; try, try again." -Author Unknown
"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did." - Newt Gingrich

Persevering Teaching Tips -

Sometimes as mothers, our soft hearts get in the way of our children learning perseverance. We have a tendency to bail them out, shelter them, spoil them, and not require much from them. We are living in a culture that says if something is too hard (marriage, job, etc.) then just give up and move on, but Christ teaches us to stand firm in our faith and persevere through hard times which are bound to come. We need to give our kids the skills that they need to succeed in life by teaching them to start relying on God to help them through the storms. Remember, sometimes He calms the storm, but sometimes He just calms His child. Let us learn this lesson on parenting from Christ. Sometimes the way to be the best mom is not to keep our kids from hardships, but to walk along side them offering guidance and comfort as they persevere.

Memory Verse - Hebrews 10:36 - "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." (vs.19 - 39 is a Call to Persevere)

How do you know when you should remove your child from the storm or when you should just calm your child in the midst of the storm?

Free Book of Traditions- Mother's Day #7

Happy Mom's Day! As a Mother's Day present to you, I am going to randomly select a winner from anyone who makes a comment or signs up to follow my blog the rest of this month. The winner of the book, Family Traditions that Last a Lifetime, will be posted on June 1st! 

This book is a compilation of the family traditions of over 100 famous people from Abigail Adams to Barbara Bush. It is packed full of real life traditions that these families really did.  Their Mother's Day ideas range from the common breakfast in bed to a day of fishing or planting petunias. (It is a gently used book since it is out of print.)

What are your favorite family traditions for Mother's Day?

Mommy Book Tradition - Mother's Day #6

Don't forget to take those pictures of you with your kids today or tomorrow. Use these photos to start a picture memory book that you add a couple of pages to every year.

On one page mount the photos of you and your child. On the next page or two let your child make a drawing or collage from old magazines of things that remind them of you. While they are making a book for you, you could make a book for them too, writing down what you love about them and pasting pictures of their interests for this year.

These books will be a lifelong treasure. I bet Grandma would love to get in on this action as well, if you are still looking for a thoughtful gift for her.

Special Note: Notice that the items your child picks out to remind them of you may be an eye-opening opportunity to help you reshuffle your priorities. I wouldn't be surprised if my kids glued pictures of shoes or garage sale signs in their books instead of a Bible.

Do you any great ideas for mother's day presents? What have been your favorite?

My Top 10 Books for Moms - Mother's Day #5

These books below have had a huge impact on my life as a mom, and I hope they can encourage and equip you as well.  As usual you can contact me directly or use my link to Shop Amazon.com

10. Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow ($16.00) This really is one of my all-time favorite books to do as a Bible Study. I love how Linda Dillow is so practical, Biblically-based, and understands the constant heart struggle of women to overcome their worrisome ways to be more like Christ. This is an excellent book.

9. Creative Counterpart, becoming the woman, wife, and mother you've longed to be by Linda Dillow($15.00). This book helps you become the wife and mother that you have longed to be through practical and biblically based steps and principles. Linda Dillow is one of my all-time favorite authors.

8.A Mother's Heart, a look at values, vision, and character for the Christian mother by Jean Fleming ($13.00 on back order). Being a mother is an extremely important job, but one that can easily feel frustrating and unrewarding. Fleming offers encouragement in your role as a godly mother.

7. Feminine Appeal, Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney ($14.00 on back order)This is the best book I have ever read about being a Titus 2 Woman. This book will show you the appeal of being a woman who lives for God and helps others do the same.

6. Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney ($13.00). Shopping for Time offers the solution to women who truly desire to glorify God with every use of their time. By weaving biblical principles of God's Word into five important keys, the author gives women practical advice on how to be fulfilled and excel in their daily responsibilities.

5. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. This book is my most recent favorite. It is currently helping me conquer unbelief and distrust which stems from an ungrateful heart. I am truly amazed at how she can express my  true feelings and struggles as a mom in such beautiful language. This was a true God send during my recent family crisis.

4. Creative Correction. Lisa Welchel (a.k.a. Blaire from Facts of Life TV show). Lisa is wonderfully practical and creative in her discipline ideas. What I love most about this book is its amazing index and endnotes that I refer to continually when I have specific problems with whining, fueding, or other common character issues.

3. While They Were Sleeping, 12 Character Traits for Moms to Pray. by Anne Arkins and Gary Harrell ($10.00). One of the greatest ways that you can impact your child's life is by praying for him. This book is a valuable tool for helping you pray specifically and systematically for your child. It also includes a few fun, practical activities to help you connect with your child while teaching him about the character qualities for which you have prayed. (This is a great gift for grandmothers, too!)  They have just recently come out with matching prayer cards, character certificates, and beautiful decorative small posters with the qualities and Scripture.  What an amazing set!

2. Wise Words for Moms by Ginger Plowman($5.50). Plowman has come up with this wonderful tool that is meant to aid you in using the Scriptures to train your child how to get rid of sinful behavior. It lists a problem, the heart issue that corresponds with that problem, then verses that instruct about this problem. Every mom should have one.

1. "Don't Make Me Count to Three!", a Mom's Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline also by Ginger Plowman ($13.00). Through personal experience and the practical application of Scripture, Ginger Plowman encourages and equips moms to reach past the outward behavior of their children and dive deep into the issue of the heart. This is somewhat of a more practical version of Shepherding a Child's Heart.

Would you like to tell us about any of your favorite Mom books?

Get Rid of Guilt - Mother's Day #4

If I could truly ask for anything for Mother's Day it would be for someone to take away my "Mom Guilt".  You know what I am talking about:

   1. Feeling like I am a bad mom

   2. and that I am never going to be good enough,
         and as a result neither are my kids.

   3. Second-guessing things that I have do
   4. Replaying in my head what is already over-and-done

          and feeling bad for the choices that I made.

   5. Feeling bad for falling short when I compare myself to others or what I think they expect from me.

True conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, the law, the gospel, and our conscience (John 16:8, Acts 2:37, Romans 2:15, James 2:9).  God has made us to naturally feel bad when we do something wrong so that we can ask for forgiveness and change.  However, if you are feeling bad about something that you cannot change, don't need to change, or already sought forgiveness for and changed, then you are feeling false guilt not conviction.

Stop comparing yourself to others and the world's standard.  When you feel those guilty feelings coming on, match up your actions to Christ's law and the gospel to see if there really is something you should feel guilty about. If not, then remind yourself how God put you and your kids together as the perfect match. You are the best mom for your kids. Seek Christ' strength and direction for being the best mom that you can be.

What do you do to combat feelings of false guilt that moms often struggle with?
You are great mom! Get ready to celebrate mothers day guilt free!

I thank God for you because... - Mother's Day Memories #3

Daily life as a mom requires that we talk to our kids about things they don't like to hear often - correction, chores, homework, bedtime, etc..  Let's try to balance all these negative words with some positive ones. Tell your kid why you think they are so great!  Here are some simple ideas.

1. Write a short note and put it:
                in their lunch box
                on their pillow
                on the bathroom mirror or sink.
2. Make a new special place where you can leave notes for them regularly:
                 a pillow with a pocket in it
                 a see through plastic paper protector taped up on the shower
                 a white board next to the toilet.
3. Make plans to make a long list:
                 10 reasons I love my 10 year old.
                 Message in a Bottle - My husband filled an old bottle with tiny messages for me.
                 Medicine Bottle - fill it with little notes to help them feel better when they are down.
                 On a deck of cards - 52 reasons I thank God for you for the 52 weeks in a year
                 (These last two ideas were from my Bible study leader, Elaine, who inspires me often)

I would love to hear about your ideas for encouraging your children.

When I write these encouraging words to my kids it is amazing to see how my heart is softened toward them as I remind myself of how great my kids really are.  When I have a grateful heart toward them, it is much easier to tolerate the few things about them that aren't so great.  Have a great weekend being an encouraging and grateful mom!
P.S. I am sure your husband would love for you to encourage him as well.

Mother's Day Photo Opp - Mother's Day Memories #2

Yes, I know this is sideways and it is from 2 years ago.  My baby, Kyah, is going to be 3 soon! However, this is the only picture that I could find of just me and all three of my girls together and it did not want to rotate as usual!

This photo was taken before church on Mother's Day 2010. I was able to easily combat my husband's normal aversion to photo opps because it was Mother's Day.

Since Mom is usually the one taking the pictures, there aren't many pictures of us. Get in the picture mom! We want to remember these wonderful times that go by so fast!   

Tell me about some of your great Mother's Day memories!