Mom Won

By Kathi Woodall-

This past Sunday I was getting ready to go to church. I called my girls down to breakfast. My second eldest appeared at the top of the stairs, helping my youngest stumble down the stairs. The youngest was pale and crying that her ear hurt. As she reached the bottom of the stairs and I scooped her up, I could tell she also had a fever. Obviously, church was not going to be part of her day. I discussed the options with my husband and he offered to stay home with her so I could go to church. My mind raced at multi-tasking speed through that possibility. He could stay home…I could go teach my class…I could enjoy the time with friends…I could be fed spiritually by the sermon…He could get food ready for lunch when the rest of us came back home…

Something inside of me said, “Stop.” Perhaps I had had enough of juggling all my roles to make sure everything was done. Perhaps I wasn’t feeling completely healthy myself. But I knew I was supposed to stop all else and be a mom. Everything else could wait or be done by someone else that time. That morning, my baby needed me and I needed to be available for her.

Learning to discern which responsibility is the most pressing at any given moment is a difficult and challenging task. There are no magic formulas for how to balance all of it. Doing so is going to look different for each woman and is going to change as you grow through different seasons of your life. As I shared, this time being a mom won. Sometimes I need to walk away and let my husband be a daddy while I grow in another role. Sometimes I need to stop all else and sit at the feet of Jesus. At another time, a friend’s need may be great and I share my time with them. And yes, sometimes we must even make our home the priority to provide a safe, clean environment for our families and friends.

I have learned one thing that will help women balance their different roles. We should not dwell on things like a clean house, making our own clothes, working ourselves to death, preparing beautiful feasts for every meal, keeping all the laundry done, climbing the corporate ladder or anything of this world that keeps us from what is truly important – the things of God. All of those tasks are good things to do, but unless they are done as unto the Lord, they are just works that will wear us out and have no lasting benefit.”

“A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30b NIV).

Magic or Muscle?

By Hally Franz –

If I would have had my way, I’d have ended up living in a large city rather than the rural community where I was raised. If the Lord would have liked my plan, I never would have gone into education; I’d be a clinical psychologist today. If I had known better than Him, I wouldn’t have had children. How many of us, as children, expect that life will turn out a certain way, and later find it’s nothing like what we wanted? It’s far better.

When I was young, I didn’t want children. First, the physical aspects of the ordeal were appalling to me. Secondly, I was terrified about how my offspring would turn out. I had this idea that raising children was like roulette, strictly a game of chance. I viewed parenting as something outside one’s control, where a swipe of a magic wand may produce a perfect child. Or, more likely, I could pull a silly looking and simple-minded rabbit-out-of-a-hat kind of kid. Even worse, I’d end up with one under an evil spell, who’d give me years of heartache. I’m not a risk-taking sort of person, and it all seemed too uncertain for me.

Fortunately, as I grew older I got past those thoughts and couldn’t wait to have children once my husband and I married. Over the years, I’ve learned that being a mom is much more about muscle than magic. Moms come in a variety of personalities and styles, but the best ones know there’s no getting around the work.

Ambitious moms are eager for their children to get the tough teacher even though they know they’ll spend more hours at the kitchen table as their children survive that year of homework. Conscientious moms recognize that getting “help” from their little guys on housework takes twice as long; they do it anyway to instill in them a work ethic. Tireless moms attend an excruciating number of concerts, sports events, programs and plays as their children explore areas of interest and hobbies. Christian moms pray with and for their children, and they attend worship. They know this gives young people a sense of purpose and faith for a lifetime.

There’s nothing mystical about parenting. Kids sometimes look silly and often aren’t perfect, but we do have an impact in how they turn out. Blessed be the moms who put in the time, the energy and the prayer!

PRAYER:  Gracious God, encourage diligent moms as they go about the work of raising servants for You. Guide them, give them wisdom and restore them daily.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 NKJV).

A Woman of Noble Character

Based on Proverbs 31: 10-30
By Nina Medrano –

Who can find a virtuous and capable woman? Such as our mothers, who are worth more than precious rubies. Mother’s husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.

Mother will not hinder him but help him all her life.

Mother finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship; she brings her food from afar.  Mother gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plans the day’s work for her girls. Mother goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plans a vineyard.

Mother is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the nights. Mother’s hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.

Mother extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has NO FEAR of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. She quilts her own bedspreads. Mother dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth.

Her husband is well known, for he sits in the council meeting with the other leaders.

Mother is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future.  When Mother speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions.  She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness.

Mother’s children stand and bless her! Her husband praises her! There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but YOU, Mom, surpass them all!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord  will be greatly praised!  Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

By Elaine James –

Do you remember when you were younger and used to pick a flower and pull the petals off saying “he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not—?” When you got to the last petal, you either stopped on he loves me or he loves me not. I always loved it of course when I had a boy in mind. Especially Donny Osmond and it landed on “he loves me.”  LOL!

Recently I was in the mood for either a sunny easy breezy walk or a Calgon “take me away” in my, scented bubbly bath. Both would relax me. I opted for the sunny easy breezy peaceful walk. I passed a blossoming tree that smelled so beautiful. I picked a flower and playfully considered plucking each petal saying “he loves me, he loves me not.”

Memories swept over me, how my friend and I took turns with our flower hoping the last petal would stop at “he loves me.” Feeling younger again, I chuckled.

A soft whisper came into my thoughts “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

Tears filled my eyes. I don’t have to pluck my flower, He loves me. Those words soothe my soul forever.

When I was young I looked for true love, fulfilled in a person. As I know now, nothing can compare to Jesus’ love. Maybe you are still plucking your flowers and looking for true love. Are you?

Here in Chicago, spring is when you start to feel the warm weather, see the leaves growing back, the green grass fill in, and flowers emerge. May you see heaven and nature singing His glory.

AUTHOR QUOTE:  He loves you!

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Elaine James, author of the tract JOURNEY, certified personality trainer and graduate of Christian Leaders Authors and Speakers Seminars. She is a prayer ministry counselor, accomplished actress, and certified Christian storyteller. Her dramatic performances have made many aware of their problem with Major Mind Overload, and their need to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ. Elaine is a recycler—nothing God teaches her is wasted. www.elainejames.com

 

The Grumpy Christian

By Candace McQuain –

There is a staff member at my church who I see often and every time I do he is filled with joy, and always smiling and laughing. The man is perpetually happy and I must confess, I longed for that same unceasing joy, time and time again. Then it hit me, “Hey grumpy, you can have that to.” As a matter of fact, your God very much so wants you to have that very same joy and happiness. “But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful” (Psalm 68:3 NIV). I had to make a change.

I vowed to take His word to heart and really try to be a happier, more joyful person. Unfortunately, it only lasted about 10 minutes. Why? Because I don’t live in a bubble, I live in a big world filled with little annoyances and daily struggles. So now what? Should I stalk the happy staff member and see what he does on a daily basis to ward off the joy-stealers of the world? No, of course not. It’s back to the Word I go.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12 NIV).

There it is! Without having to peer through a window or eves drop during a telephone call I can tell you right now how and why that cheerful staff member is the way he is. He is joyful in times of need. He is patient when his heart is suffering and when he raises a prayer to his Father he is faithful that it will be heard. With all of this, the sky is the limit as to what he can let roll off his back or better yet what he knows he can give to God to handle for him.

We have that same joyful hope, patience and faith available to us; it’s just a matter of how and to what degree we are going to use it. Will we continue to use it sparingly, using just enough to get us by day by day? Or will we dedicate our lives to obtaining true happiness and joy? Let’s show that big world around us that we have the power and the strength to not let it get us down.

I want my God to see His daughter smile more than frown. Laugh more than cry and simply live a life that is a joyful example of His love and kindness so that people see Him in me, and not a grumpy Christian. So as the Partridge Family put it so eloquently, “Come on get happy!”

Candace McQuain, founder of Believers Empowering Believers, is a mother of 4 beautiful children and married to the love of her life. She is very active in her church where connecting believers with other believers is her passion. She was called to leave her job of 15 years in the Aerospace industry to provide support, encouragement and knowledge to her fellow brothers and sisters who are struggling or new to their faith.

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