Dear Daughters,
I read a blog post today that I want to share with you. Motherhood is one of the very best things that has ever happened to me, and I am so thankful for each of you. But motherhood can be a confusing thing in a world that pulls you in many different directions. I believe this post offers clear biblical advice on what it means to be a Christian mother. I pray that you each will experience the joy I have from being a mother to you!
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank
I love you,
Mom
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Friday, June 22, 2012
Life
Dear Daughters,
Whew! The school year has come and gone without a new post from me. It seems like just yesterday I was writing about the first day of school, and now it has passed with many highs and lows along the way.
This past year has been hard for our family as we said good-bye to our sweet cousin Elliot on May 28th. Elliot, Chris, Wyatt and Bradford have been the focus of our prayers for the past nine months, and now God has answered us by taking her home to be with Him. Why? We don't know. How will her babies make it without her? We can't imagine. Life is not easy.
So what do you do when life gets hard and your questions have complicated answers? I can tell you what I do and I pray it is what you will do as you face the ups and downs of life. I go to God's Word and I rest in His promises.
His promises are real and His Word is true. If we take every situation in our lives and measure it against the truth of the Bible, we will find it sufficient to meet all of our needs. This is not a popular view, nor is it widely held. But I believe it and I want you to know that.
I wish I could protect you from the hard things. I wish you hadn't seen cancer up close. I wish you didn't overhear grown-up conversations and know that sometimes children lose their mothers. But the things I want to protect you the from are the things that will make you stronger people. Difficult times will turn you towards Jesus and bring you to your knees.
Cherish God's word my daughters because I fear you will be challenged to live without it in your lifetime. Hide it in your heart and use your great minds to memorize long portions. Pour it in so you can speak it as easily as you draw your breath.
Know that although life is hard, you serve a good God who loves you and has compassion for you. He has given you His word as a guidebook for life. Learn it well.
"All scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16
I love you,
Mom
Whew! The school year has come and gone without a new post from me. It seems like just yesterday I was writing about the first day of school, and now it has passed with many highs and lows along the way.
This past year has been hard for our family as we said good-bye to our sweet cousin Elliot on May 28th. Elliot, Chris, Wyatt and Bradford have been the focus of our prayers for the past nine months, and now God has answered us by taking her home to be with Him. Why? We don't know. How will her babies make it without her? We can't imagine. Life is not easy.
So what do you do when life gets hard and your questions have complicated answers? I can tell you what I do and I pray it is what you will do as you face the ups and downs of life. I go to God's Word and I rest in His promises.
His promises are real and His Word is true. If we take every situation in our lives and measure it against the truth of the Bible, we will find it sufficient to meet all of our needs. This is not a popular view, nor is it widely held. But I believe it and I want you to know that.
I wish I could protect you from the hard things. I wish you hadn't seen cancer up close. I wish you didn't overhear grown-up conversations and know that sometimes children lose their mothers. But the things I want to protect you the from are the things that will make you stronger people. Difficult times will turn you towards Jesus and bring you to your knees.
Cherish God's word my daughters because I fear you will be challenged to live without it in your lifetime. Hide it in your heart and use your great minds to memorize long portions. Pour it in so you can speak it as easily as you draw your breath.
Know that although life is hard, you serve a good God who loves you and has compassion for you. He has given you His word as a guidebook for life. Learn it well.
"All scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16
I love you,
Mom
Monday, August 15, 2011
Time
Dear Daughters,
Today was a milestone for our family. Today I went from being the mother of a preschooler and two elementary school children to being the mother of two elementary school children and a middle schooler. Today my years of being a stay-at-home Mom with young kids is officially over. You are all growing up!
P, eleven years ago, I left a career as a middle school teacher to be your Mom. I have never once regretted that decision. It is hard to believe you are now where I was then, but I am so proud of the young lady you've become.
My sweet E, you are a joy. You have loved, delighted and kept the peace for almost nine years, and for that, we are all grateful.
S, you are no longer my baby girl, but are now my big girl. You will rock Kindergarten! You are so ready!
And so I wonder, are your suitcases packed with the right things? Have we spent enough time filling them with what's important? They are already half full and I don't know. I pray so.
Time flies my sweet girls. Everyone says it but no one believes it. I pray that your days in our home are filled with truth, grace and love. Your days do not have to be spent with activities to be meaningful. Jesus is enough for you all day every day. Cherish every minute, remembering what is really important.
"Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace." Psalm 144:12
I Love You,
Mom
Today was a milestone for our family. Today I went from being the mother of a preschooler and two elementary school children to being the mother of two elementary school children and a middle schooler. Today my years of being a stay-at-home Mom with young kids is officially over. You are all growing up!
P, eleven years ago, I left a career as a middle school teacher to be your Mom. I have never once regretted that decision. It is hard to believe you are now where I was then, but I am so proud of the young lady you've become.
My sweet E, you are a joy. You have loved, delighted and kept the peace for almost nine years, and for that, we are all grateful.
S, you are no longer my baby girl, but are now my big girl. You will rock Kindergarten! You are so ready!
And so I wonder, are your suitcases packed with the right things? Have we spent enough time filling them with what's important? They are already half full and I don't know. I pray so.
Time flies my sweet girls. Everyone says it but no one believes it. I pray that your days in our home are filled with truth, grace and love. Your days do not have to be spent with activities to be meaningful. Jesus is enough for you all day every day. Cherish every minute, remembering what is really important.
"Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace." Psalm 144:12
I Love You,
Mom
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Family
Dear Daughters,
This month your great-grandmother passed away. It has been a sad time for me because I was very close to her, especially when I was growing up.
You may not realize this now, but you are very blessed to have the legacy of faith that Nana passed down to you. Your Nana loved Jesus, and she prayed for you before you were ever born. It is because of those prayers, and her unwavering commitment to her Savior that you and your other cousins are here today. You see, she understood the importance of family. She saw the big picture and persevered, even when her life was not easy. God blessed her faithfulness with generations of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who love and serve the Lord. Generations like this:
Girls, your family is very important. Your relationships with your parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins are relationships that will last when others do not. Cherish and protect those relationships no matter what. One day, when and if God blesses you with a husband, protect that relationship as well. God will honor your obedience and faithfulness!
"...Her children will rise up and call her blessed..,"- Proverbs 31:28a
I Love You,
Mom
This month your great-grandmother passed away. It has been a sad time for me because I was very close to her, especially when I was growing up.
You may not realize this now, but you are very blessed to have the legacy of faith that Nana passed down to you. Your Nana loved Jesus, and she prayed for you before you were ever born. It is because of those prayers, and her unwavering commitment to her Savior that you and your other cousins are here today. You see, she understood the importance of family. She saw the big picture and persevered, even when her life was not easy. God blessed her faithfulness with generations of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who love and serve the Lord. Generations like this:
Girls, your family is very important. Your relationships with your parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins are relationships that will last when others do not. Cherish and protect those relationships no matter what. One day, when and if God blesses you with a husband, protect that relationship as well. God will honor your obedience and faithfulness!
"...Her children will rise up and call her blessed..,"- Proverbs 31:28a
I Love You,
Mom
Friday, April 1, 2011
Rest
Dear Daughters,
Today as I'm writing to you, I am resting. It has been a busy few weeks and I am tired. Today there were many things to be done, but I made the choice to rest. It isn't easy to make your body slow down when there are piles of laundry to do, a house to clean, drawers and closets to organize, work to finish, and the list could go on. But rest is important, and today I am trying to make it a priority.
We all have the same amount of hours in a day. How we choose to spend those hours is up to us. We may talk with our mouths about what we think is important, but unless our actions match our words, then we really don't have our priorities straight.
There are many, many demands on our time. But sometimes our bodies tell us just to rest. And that's OK. There is no need to feel guilty about resting, or about spending time just being still. As a matter of fact, many times we hear from God more clearly when we are still and quiet.
I pray that you will learn at an early age that taking time to rest is an important part of a well-balanced life.
Psalm 46:10- "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."
I Love You,
Mom
Today as I'm writing to you, I am resting. It has been a busy few weeks and I am tired. Today there were many things to be done, but I made the choice to rest. It isn't easy to make your body slow down when there are piles of laundry to do, a house to clean, drawers and closets to organize, work to finish, and the list could go on. But rest is important, and today I am trying to make it a priority.
We all have the same amount of hours in a day. How we choose to spend those hours is up to us. We may talk with our mouths about what we think is important, but unless our actions match our words, then we really don't have our priorities straight.
There are many, many demands on our time. But sometimes our bodies tell us just to rest. And that's OK. There is no need to feel guilty about resting, or about spending time just being still. As a matter of fact, many times we hear from God more clearly when we are still and quiet.
I pray that you will learn at an early age that taking time to rest is an important part of a well-balanced life.
Psalm 46:10- "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."
I Love You,
Mom
Friday, March 11, 2011
Faith
Dear Daughters,
This past weekend we spent time together on a family mission trip. Your Dad and I could not have been prouder of you and the way you boldly shared your faith with others. It was also a lot of fun to simply unplug and spend time together without any outside pressures or influences. The trip was a result of you, E, and your desire to reach the people of Clarkston, Georgia. We are thankful that God planted the idea in your heart and that you allowed Him to use you to serve.
We are very proud of the way all of you share your faith. We are glad you see it as important in your life. S, I will never forget the day you expressed concern about the spiritual condition of one of our neighbors. You overheard a conversation I had, and as we were getting ready to leave the house on a Wednesday afternoon, you asked "Mom, can we go tell ____ about Jesus on our way to church?" Your faith is an example to me!
As you get older, you will be faced with many people who do not share your belief system. You will be challenged about what you believe and you will have to answer hard questions- even from your closest friends. You will take a stand on issues that line up with the Bible, and you will be challenged and criticized. The Bible tells us this will happen.
My prayer for you is that you will keep your child-like faith. I pray you will stand for truth, and never waver from it. I am blessed to be your Mom and to have the chance to learn from each of you. "Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."- Mark 10:15
I Love You,
Mom
Friday, February 25, 2011
Emotions
Dear Daughters,
Raising the three of you is certainly a roller-coaster ride! Our goal this school year has been to have mornings with no tears. It is sad to say, but we have only made it a few times! We girls love a good cry and although I, as your Mom, understand that, it makes for some tough days when you are all crying at the same time!
Your Dad has always said when the three of you are teenagers he is moving next door to the neighbor's basement. He thinks we will need the extra bathroom space, but I think he's just scared!
The Bible has a lot to say about emotions. In Galatians 5:22-23 we learn the kinds of emotions that honor God. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." As hard as it is to practice these, they reflect a life that is pleasing to God; a life controlled by the Spirit and not the flesh.
As girls, you will blame a lot of bad behavior on your emotions. While there are times this cannot be helped, there are also times it can be controlled. I can tell you that you will save yourself a lot of heartache if you learn to control your emotions, and not let them control you. Better yet, give God control, and enjoy the peace that comes from living a life submitted totally to Him.
I Love You,
Mom
Raising the three of you is certainly a roller-coaster ride! Our goal this school year has been to have mornings with no tears. It is sad to say, but we have only made it a few times! We girls love a good cry and although I, as your Mom, understand that, it makes for some tough days when you are all crying at the same time!
Your Dad has always said when the three of you are teenagers he is moving next door to the neighbor's basement. He thinks we will need the extra bathroom space, but I think he's just scared!
The Bible has a lot to say about emotions. In Galatians 5:22-23 we learn the kinds of emotions that honor God. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." As hard as it is to practice these, they reflect a life that is pleasing to God; a life controlled by the Spirit and not the flesh.
As girls, you will blame a lot of bad behavior on your emotions. While there are times this cannot be helped, there are also times it can be controlled. I can tell you that you will save yourself a lot of heartache if you learn to control your emotions, and not let them control you. Better yet, give God control, and enjoy the peace that comes from living a life submitted totally to Him.
I Love You,
Mom
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