Saturday, August 23, 2008

The Power of Encouragement

Good morning fellow Flatland Moms! I hope and pray that you are all doing well and have had a great week! Have you been putting into practice some of the things we talked about last week? I certainly haven't taken my husbands shoes off for him ;), but I am becoming more aware of my God given role in the home and am trying to slow down and enjoy my family more. I am even prayerfully trying to eliminate one or two things from my list of commitments to create more family time! I hope you have all been challenged to do the same! :)

I am really excited about meeting this next week! We are going to be touching on three different topics all related to Encouragement! Ch. 3 is dealing with the impact of a good word. As mom's we all want to say positive things to our children, but do we make it a priority and really think about what we are saying and the impact of what we say has on our children's lives? Ch. 4 talks about helping our children discover their potential. We will talk about specifically looking for and encouraging each of our kid's special abilities and talents. We are our kids cheerleaders! I know that something I have been dealing with lately is thinking about who or what my children will be when they are older. Sometimes I get so caught up in worrying if they will be smart and popular and althletic and good boys and a productive member of society that I forget to pray about it! God has really been showing me lately that I need to give them over to Him. He has a plan for their lives and if I am the best mom that I can be and raise them through prayer and teaching them His principals then He will be faithful and I know they will turn out to be amazing men of God! What an amazing promise! In ch. 5 we will talk about the beauty of a smile! Are you ever having a bad day and someone smiles at you and has a good attitue and it slowly starts to change your mood? I think sometimes we forget the impact of a positive attitude. " When mama aint happy, aint nobody happy!" Have you ever heard that one? I know that when I am in a bad mood my little boy and husband can definately sense it and they too start to become crabby! Start to practice spreading smiles!

Well, I am looking forward to this next week. I am excited to see what you all have to say about these topics! Please commit to prayerfully reading the chapters, asking God to show you what he would have you learn, and doing the activities at the end. They are a practical way to bring the chapter together and help to focus what we have just read about. I know they have really helped me! :) I will be asking you to share so have something ready! :) For those of you mom's who aren't able to join us in class please share your assignments on the blog. We would love to see what God is showing you and hear your stories as well!

Have a great week - see you soon!

Alisha

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Friday, August 15, 2008

First Meeting

Thank you to those of you who attended the first meeting since our initial kick-off/introduction meeting in July. I enjoyed hearing different perspectives today and hope you will also use this blog to share anything valuable you learned from our book, to ask questions of other moms, or to share fun stories.

Many of us mentioned today that we sent little ones off to school. Well today, only the third day of school, I was late picking up my preschooler! It was only 5 minutes, but she was the last one waiting with the teacher, who was very gracious, by the way. Maddie asked why I was late and I apologized and explained I was held up at Moms Group. I asked if she was worried, but she said she wasn't because she knew I'd come. I was worried that, on top of the embarrassment with her teacher, I had traumatized my daughter for life. However, I think she enjoyed a little 1:1 time with her teacher. It worked out (it always seems to), but wow, is that embarrassing! Has this ever happened to you? Please share your stories, so I don't feel so bad...

Katie

(Continue to check out our blog on Fridays for updated information.)

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Employed by God

Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” We’ve probably all heard these verses, but have we truly applied them to our own lives? When I sat down to write my job description, I admit, I thought it seemed a little goofy. But, since I wanted to apply these verses, I did it. First, I thought about the qualities I believe I, as a mom, should possess, as well as the duties I think I should perform. Then I put it all together. It came out more like a classified advertisement, but it works for what I wanted to convey. Here it is:

Patient, Christian wanted to care for children 24/7. Duties:
· provide general care (i.e. change diapers, bathe, prepare nutritious meals) as well as special care when children are hurt, ill, and/or emotionally vulnerable
· in charge of running the household: maintaining calendar, budget, menu, maintaining cleanliness, and organizing quality family time
· responsible for each family member’s participation in activities, including transporting and cheering them on
· must work on having a good relationship with her husband, which should be evident to children
· must love her children enough to provide consistent discipline, guidance and boundaries in a firm, but loving way
· must be a good role model in attitude, behavior and acts of service
· must model a genuine, strong relationship with Jesus Christ, continually seeking his will and modeling obedience
· must be willing to snuggle, cheer, sing, dance, skip and be silly, all in the name of love
Endless supply of tissues and hugs a must. Vacation allowed during occasional “date nights.” No experience needed – on the job training provided.

It’s easy to look at this list and be overwhelmed. I ask myself, “Do I really do all of that??” The answer is a resounding, NO! Yes, I strive for these things and feel God is calling me to them, but I know I fall short. I am humbled to know that God has chosen me for my children and my children for me. We are a perfect fit! Even when I fall short of the job description I have for myself, God can lift me up and push me to achieve even more. Only with him can I achieve all of these things. Are there days when I’d rather be anywhere but home with my kids? Sure. But the true love of a mother is that most days there’s nowhere I’d rather be.

Now back to Colossians, are you doing your job as if you’re working for the Lord - wiping noses and breaking up sibling fights with patience and a good attitude? It helps to imagine God sitting there beside your children, watching you mother them. If he was there, would you do things differently? Surprise, ladies, he IS there.

Please take some time to write your own job description and share them on the blog. I look forward to hearing from you. I hope you will be able to come to our meeting next Friday, August 15th @ 9:30 am. We’ll be talking about some myths of motherhood and our purpose as moms. Please read chapters 1 & 2 and complete the “Read, Pray, Choose & Do” at the end of each chapter. See you next Friday!

Katie Watterson

And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17