Category: Motherhood

Motherhood

The Aftermath

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By: Betty Predmore

I sit here this morning, surveying the aftermath of a weekend with house guests and birthdays. On Friday, my home was something to be proud of. It was clean and sparkly, everything was in its place, and it was ever do serene. This morning there are shoes in the floor, toys strewn across the table, a pile of used towels in the bathroom, and a table full of birthday gifts I don’t have the energy to put away.

Does this upset me? Does this frustrate me? Does this make me weary? Absolutely not! When I look around this morning, I don’t see a mess. I smile and remember the laughter that was shared in my home this weekend. I remember the smiles of my little girl as she turned 8 years old. I remember the squeals of my granddaughter, and my little boys wrestling with their big brother. I remember the delicious meals my husband made so lovingly for his family, and I remember all the hugs and kisses.

I am proud of this mess. This mess means that this mama shared a beautiful weekend with her babies. This mess means that loved flowed through this place. This mess means that “mama’s” house is home.

“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:27

Motherhood

Blessed Opportunity

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By:  Betty Predmore

By loving, obeying, and having a reverence for the Lord, we are setting ourselves up for blessings, for prosperity in our lives.

Even better is the fact that we are creating that for our children. The Lord will direct our paths straight into abundance if we let him…if we listen to his prompting.

We have an incredible, blessed, vital opportunity to raise our children in reverence and love for Jesus.

We have this one life with our kids and this one chance to lead them towards that prosperity that can only come from Christ.

Keep your eyes on the path that He has set before you. Keep obedience in your heart and in your mind.

Seek Him, follow Him, and allow Him to bless you and your children far beyond what you can imagine.

Motherhood

Our Beautiful Gift

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By: Betty Predmore

My mind knows it but my heart cannot conceive it. My baby girl….the beautiful little angel that came to our home to be our daughter when she was 14 months old….is eight today. How did that happen? I turned around for just a second and time passed me by. She is becoming so self-sufficient….braiding her own hair, picking her own (very stylish) outfits, and pretty much managing every one in the house. She is a fiery little ball of energy, into everything and always full of excitement. The Lord really wanted to teach me something new when He gave me this precious girl and I have learned so much. I have learned about patience, about learning issues, and about attention deficiencies. I have also learned a great deal about devotion, courage, and indisputable love.

Psalm 22:30 says, “Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.” This little girl loves Jesus. She says He lives in her heart. My prayer is twofold….a prayer of thanksgiving for the blessed gift of this sweet girl who makes our family complete, and a prayer of hope that she continues to love her Jesus and grows to serve Him with her heart and her life.

Thank you Lord for blessing us with this little “hot mess” who keeps us on our toes, challenges us daily, and gives us more love than we deserve. We are truly blessed.

Motherhood

Getting Her “Normal” Back

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By:  Betty Predmore

I sit here in this cold hospital room after a somewhat sleepless night, grateful that yesterday is behind me. My oldest daughter had surgery yesterday, the second in a series that will hopefully return her life back to “normal”. I am so weary of watching her suffer through the effects of Grave’s Disease….the changes in blood pressure and pulse rate, the rapid weight loss, the hair loss, the tremors, the eyes bulging from their sockets with a pressure so great it created a cornea problem and has minimized her eyesight significantly. I am tired of being a spectator on the sidelines in her game of life, not being able to help her move forward with all she envisioned for her future.

Five months ago, I sat in this same hospital with her as they removed her thyroid. This elimated most of those problems, but the eyesight remained an huge issue. I have sat by the last few months, watching as her sight has diminished to almost nothing. I have watched as she struggled to continue working, lost her ability to drive, and became reliant upon others for transportation. I have also been aware of how this has impacted her emotionally. So yesterday she had surgery. This procedure was meant to restore her bulging eyes back into the sockets correctly. She is bruised and swollen, and quite frightful looking at the moment, but the surgeon assures me all went well. So I sit here as she suffers through this pain, struggling to even open her eyes with such swollen and bruised eyelids. I know that the next several days are going to be beastly. But through it all, she is kind and polite to her caretakers, despite her pain.

This sets us up for the BIG ONE. The surgery (cornea transplant) that we hope will correct her vision. We are hopeful that this will take place in the next few months, after she heals from this surgery. This one will give her her “normal” back. This one will allow my little journalist to go off to the big world and fulfill her dreams. This is the one all our hopes are hanging on.

As I sit here, I am thanking my God for protecting her, for bringing her this far, and for being on this journey with me…every step of the way. I am thankful in my mama heart for the assuredness I have that He goes before us, preparing each of my daughter’s sweet steps before they are taken. I am so filled with gratitude that even though I know she is struggling, she is here. I feel like this is so hard, but I know it is nothing compared to the mamas in this world who have lost a child, who would give anything to be in my place right now. This morning I give thanks! “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Today I remember and reflect in James 1:17… “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,”. My sweet girl is my good gift from above. Thank you, Father, that you give so generously!

Motherhood

Sharing With the Poor

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By Diana Rockwell

My neighbor knocked at the door, graciously returning some money my son Dale had in his possession and had shared with their family. Dale was about six years old and this family was struggling to make ends meet. We don’t know how Dale knew his daddy had some money in his drawer, tucked away for a rainy day, but he decided to share. What do you do when you need the money just as bad?
The Lord said in Deuteronomy 15:11, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
My heart is conflicted when I see the homeless person at any intersection. Do you give them money? Most feel that you should not give the person money. I have assisted the homeless with gift cards, water bottles, and yes I have given money and food.
I have a book ministry where I give books away to women who can’t afford the book but want to participate in the study. Also, I have given Bibles away to women who have accepted the Lord.
I recently cleaned out my closet and gave some very nice clothes to the Good Will. Reaching out to others is the only way I know how to be the arms of Jesus, whether that is helping someone with their gas and electric bill or buying them a new bible.
What can you do to help the poor? Donations of food to the local food closet is an easy option. Serving at your church or in a soup kitchen is another area to think about. I was thinking of labeling water bottles with John 3:16 to give to the homeless and to have some gift cards so I am not tempted to give money that can be used to buy drugs. Another way to help the homeless is to be kind and smile at the person. Sometimes kindness can really make a person’s day. I have asked on my way into 7-11, “What can I buy you?” and usually a cup of coffee and a donut is the answer. Don’t be afraid to engage in conversation.
Dale shared that day. We ended up becoming really good friends with that family and shared many meals. Of course, there was a conversation about not getting into daddy’s drawers and a thank you to the man for returning the money. How can you be the arms of Jesus to the poor today?

 

Motherhood

Placing Your Nest

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By:  Betty Predmore

Even the sparrow has found a home , and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. (Psalm 84:3)

We mamas will do anything to protect our children. We go to great lengths to make sure our homes are safe, the food we serve is safe, that we teach them about 9-1-1 and about stranger danger. We want to protect our children….from danger, from doubt, from insecurity, from fear, and from pain. We want them to be safe at all times and we want them to have that sweet assurance that they are protected.

I think of the swallow….just a small bird, yet so wise in the placement of her nest. She was preparing a safe place to have her babies….a safe place near the altar of God. She knew instinctively that her nest needed to be positioned near the place that resonated reverence and awe for the King of Kings. I find that amazing, and see it as yet another example of God’s awesome creation.

As mamas, are we like that swallow? With all of the worry and fuss over the physical safety of our children, are we making sure they are spiritually safe? Are we preparing a place for them, bringing them up near our Father? Are we feeding their souls? Are our homes filled with the security and assurance of the Holy Spirit? Are we teaching them about the love of Christ?

Just like that mama bird, we are responsible for our children. They are depending on us. God gave them to us with the purpose of us raising them up in His ways, teaching them to live and to serve like Jesus did. That spiritual nurturing is so important in His plan for their lives. Be wise. Be prepared. Be safe. Place your “nest” at the foot of the cross and let God hold your family in his safe and comforting arms.

Motherhood

The Importance of Worship

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By: Diane Rockwell

Singing in the car is something I have always done since I was a child hearing my parents sing. I then modeled this for my children, and then one day for my grandson Seth. My husband and I were babysitting and had him in our Ford truck. He was approximately four-years-old. I said, “Seth, let me teach you a song, ‘Jesus loves you this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’” Before I could go on to the next line he said, “Grandma, I have a song.”
Music is important in our spiritual walk. We have praise music, choir music, spiritual music, and hymns. King David wrote many of the Psalms and much was set to music. Psalm 100:4 is an example of a song. I have sang it many times, “I will enter his gates with Thanksgiving in my heart. I will enter His courts with praise. I will say this is the day that the Lord had made. I will rejoice for He has made me glad. (He has made me glad, He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad)”
Our church worship service centerpiece is music. Worship brings to mind our worth. We are worthy because God declares us worthy. Music gives the Holy Spirit a chance to work in our hearts to prime our hearts and to speak to our spirits. Do you meditate with music playing in the background? Perhaps you listen to the song Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli or music by Michael W. Smith?
I listen to music as part of my quiet time or devotional time. Do you call your time with the Lord devotions or quiet time? I have a journal named the quiet heart, a place to record my prayers. I spend time reading God’s word during this quiet time, recording my prayers, listening and singing my praise music back to the Lord. Ingredients: a bible, a journal, music CD player, purple pen (Optional I write my prayers and praise to God in purple.)
So I said to Seth, “Seth, what is your song?” Seth sang, “We will, we will rock you, we will, we will rock you.” O my, I had to stop and hold back the snickers and say “Seth, the song is, ‘Jesus, Jesus loves you!’”
Beloved, do you have a regularly devotional time? Do you use every opportunity to teach your family about Jesus? This year my goal is to read through the bible using a chronological bible. What are your spiritual goals?

Motherhood

The Promise of His Word

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By:  Nicole Espino

I remember it so clearly as if it wasn’t almost nine years ago. I had just experienced the quickest and easiest delivery, my doctor was even surprised by how effortless it was. I was so thankful because I had just endured a very painful and long pregnancy due to pelvic issues. But there I was holding my sweet baby boy, the joy that filled my heart was almost too much to contain. There is nothing like that moment they lay that sweet baby on your chest and you breath in their precious baby scent for the very first time. New life, new breath, new beginnings filled my heart. There is so much hope and so many dreams we have for our children. What did God have in store for this precious new life.

I don’t think we are ever fully prepared for the hurdles though that come our way, especially in the joyful moments. This hurdle for my family in particular came in the form of a failed hearing scan. When we learned of my sons hearing loss, so many questions and fears filled my heart and mind. What did I do during my pregnancy to cause this, how severe is his hearing loss, will he be able to talk, will he live a normal life? The questions swirled inside for months as we went down the long road of tests and doctor’s appointments. It was not what I had envisioned for our little family. All those previous hopes and dreams turn into questions and fears. It’s only natural when you are faced with an unexpected turn of events. Included with the hearing loss were all sorts of developmental delays and at 2 years old we discovered that our precious boy had Autism as well. I was in denial at first, I didn’t want to believe it, but I knew that if my son was going to have any chance that we had to get him the services he needed.

But even though our journey with my second son has had its ups and downs, he has brought so much joy and change into my life, I am a better mother because of him. God’s promise found in Romans 8:28 says:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

This has proven true over and over again. The one thing these hurdles have done in my life is caused me to run to Him for strength, wisdom, and grace in times of personal weakness.

So here I sit, almost 9 years later, pregnant with my 3rd child. And the funny thing is about painful memories from the past is that they have a way a resurfacing. To be honest, as excited as we are to have our first baby girl, my heart has been wrestling with fear, doubt, and anxiety. What should be a joyous time has become a time of fearing the future all over again. Will she be healthy, will I be healthy, how am I going to handle three kids??

I’m sure you are all too familiar with the mind games the enemy plays with us women. But then I remember all the ways God held me and took care of me and my children, and I choose to trust God. It’s not easy sometimes, but He reaches out to me in my pit and gently whispers His fatherly words, “I love you! I’ve got this in the palm of my hand!”

I’m so thankful for those times of breakthrough, I wish I allowed Him to comfort me sooner, I wish I wouldn’t spend weeks agonizing, but God is so long suffering. No matter the outcome, God is big enough, strong enough, and fully capable of holding my world together. If He can hold our universe together, then He can certainly handle anything that comes my way.

My prayer for us Moms this new year is that we would cling to Him in the good times and the bad. That we would run to Him for everything, and that we would see how He is working all things out for our good, to change us, to mold us and to make us better wives and moms. God’s word is full of His promises, comfort, and encouragement. I want to commit to allowing His word to wash me from all my fears, no matter what happens, God is in control! And He is a good good Father!

Motherhood

A Good Helper

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By:  Betty Predmore

My seven-year-old has been in a “helpful” mood lately. One of the ways she has been do starting her helpful spirit is by setting the table your dinner each night. She also wants to be the one who prays for our meals. A couple of nights ago, she even did the fishes for me by pulling a stool up to the sink. She asked me after she was finished, “Mom, am I being a hood helper?” I love her sweet spirit and her desire to be helpful and make a difference. I certainly appreciate her efforts.

So, of course, that got me pondering about my own spirit. Am I being a good helper? Am I helping God in an effort to please Him and make a difference? Am I noticing things that need to be done, and doing them? Or does He have to prod me along, while I grudgingly complete His mission for me? Hebrews 13:16 reminds us of how God us pleased when we help others….Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

My daughter wants to please me. She wants to help me keep things in order. She wants to make things easier for me. That should be my goal in regards to my Father in heaven. That should be everyone’s goal….to please Him, to help Him keep things according to His plan, to make things easier for Him. We should be striving to make a different in His name, to share His love, His word, His joy, His promises with those He brings into our lives. This is why we were created. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

When we approach life with the desire and intention of being a good helper, we are rewarded for our efforts and actions. God pours out His abundant blessings on us in so many ways. Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)

Do you want that good measure in your life? Do you want to experience God’s abundant blessings? They are right there, waiting for those who call on Him, waiting for those who want to do His will here on this earth. I’m going to take a cue from my sweet little girl, and try to please my Father. I want to be a good helper.