Category: Motherhood

By Diana Manley RockwelL

As a discussion leader for bible study, I attended a leader’s meeting and class. My son Dale accompanied and attended class just as I did each week. The Children Leaders sing and teach the children the same story that the women learn, but they had the challenge of sometimes having to discipline the children. Dale spent time in the “sad chair” because it made the leaders sad when the child had to be in the chair and not with the other children.
We lived on a cul-de-sac at the top of a hill. The house was situated such that the lawn overlooked the avocado trees. We had one-half acre of land and the trees were in front of our house, with one tree situated at the top of the landing next to our driveway. We had a rule at the house that if one was playing in the front yard, one was not to go past the large beautiful avocado tree.
I liked the “sad chair” for discipline and one knew no toys were allowed while in the sad chair, which was a short length of time, Dale was four so he would be in the “sad chair” for four minutes under close supervision. Sometimes those were the longest four minutes. One day, we were out front and I had to go into the house for something and when I came back out of the house Dale was at the end of our steep driveway near the mailbox. He now needed to be disciplined.
Disciplining children is difficult. Sometimes I wish there was a manual that came with a child, “turn to page 6 if this happens.” If I was angry, I gave myself a time out. I made many mistakes. We read in Hebrews 12:10-11, “Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, it yields a peaceful harvest of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Beloved, are you trapped in sin-confess-sin-confess? God gave us 1 John 1: 9, the verse reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Mine was gluttony, maybe yours is anger, jealousy, overspending, whatever it is there is forgiveness. We do not have to sin.
That beautiful sunny day Dale was down at the mailbox, I yelled his formal name, “Dale Alan Rockwell, you are not supposed to go past the avocado tree!” But before I could say another word, he says, “Please! Mama, don’t put me in the ‘sad chair’!”
Although we may suffer the consequences of our choices. God’s discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. Psalm 103:12 says if we ask for forgiveness, he forgives as far as the east is from the west. Remember we do not have to be in the sad chair according to 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

By:  Tricia Kaiser

Yesterday morning I had a Biopsy done on my uterus. I was fine up until I had to lay on the table. I got scared and I panicked. I started to cry and said, “I want my Mom!” Yes, I did. You’re never told old to need your Mom. Unfortunately, my Mom lives in Tennessee and couldn’t be here, but they did go out and get my husband and he held my hand the whole time.

I’m not feeling sorry for myself because my Mom wasn’t here, but it certainly reminded me of what a significant role she plays with my heart.

I have quite a few friends that have lost their Moms recently and it breaks my heart, especially with the holidays approaching. I just want you to know that I’m keeping each one of you lifted up in prayer. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m your girl ❤️

By:  Betty Predmore

It’s funny how conversation can remind you of scripture that is stored in your heart. I was walking with my oldest daughter the other day. We were at a college softball game, in a stadium we had never been in before, basically in unchartered territory. Looking for the restrooms, we had to go down a flight of stairs to the lower level. My daughter was close in my heels, following me. She said to me, “ Mom, just go and wherever you go, I will follow.” Of course, that reminded me of Ruth 1:16….But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”

I knew what my daughter was saying to me by making that statement. About two years ago, she was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. She has suffered many of the side effects, including decreased vision. Her remark to me was a literal one. She really needed to follow in my footsteps because she was have trouble navigating her way through the stadium. She was depending on me to guide her safely to the restroom and back, and help her not to stumble. Isn’t that what we do as mothers? We guide and protect our children. When they take those first shaky steps, we are there to catch them if they fall. When they start to run, we are there to grab them before they run into the street. When they hop on the bicycles, we are holding onto the back of that seat until we are certain they can ride alone. There is so much physical guidance that we give our children.

But I also ponder on the spiritual guidance. Are they following us in their walk with Christ? That scripture in the book of Ruth goes on to say “”Whom you serve I will serve.” Are you serving Christ? Are your children following you in that mission? Do they have love for their Savior, compassionate hearts for those in need, and an excitement for the gospel? Are they being guided by the Holy Spirit? Do they see you allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your life? He is so gracious to guide our steps, bring us through the struggles, and lead us to our blessings. What a wonderful Savior we have! What a marvelous example to follow!

We want to be there to meet the physical needs of our children. We want to be there to guide them when they are lost and protect them from harm. But we also need to be there for their souls, protecting their hearts from the enemy. We need to urgently plea for them to follow…to follow us as we follow Christ. Where we go, they should go, and Whom we serve they should serve. I pray that my sweet daughter will not only follow my lead as I guide her down a flight of stairs, but will also follow my lead as she walks through life. I pray she reaches out and takes my hand when she is uncertain of her physical steps, and that she reaches out and takes the hand of Christ when she is uncertain of her life’s direction. I pray that my words and actions always direct her to the Cross.

Lord, help us to lead as You would lead. And give our children the wisdom to follow not only us, but more importantly, You.

By:  Betty Predmore

Have you ever told your children to watch out because Mama has eyes in the back of her head? Or that everywhere they go, and everything they do, you will find out? How about this one… “I may not see you, but God will, and He will know if you are being bad.” Most of us have used those words, or similar ones, in an effort to get our children to behave, do what is right, and stay safe. There is just something about the idea of someone in authority seeing our bad behavior that makes us think twice.

Proverbs 15:3 reminds us, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” That applies to our children. But guess what, my sweet mamas? It applies to us as well! God is everywhere. He is watching. He sees you when you lose your patience with your child. He sees you when you roll through that stop sign. He sees you when you pass that hungry beggar on the street. He sees you when you inwardly groan as your “not so favorite” someone approaches you. He sees you in your anger. He gets a ring-side seat to your gossip. He is there when you are feeling hopeless, discouraged , or inadequate. He sees it all.

But the good news is, that He sees it ALL! So He also sees the love and nurturing you pour out on your children. He is aware of your compassion for others. He notices each and every time you share the love of Christ with someone who needs to hear. He has his eyes on you as you speak life into others, bring laughter into sad hearts, and share a smile. He is watching in your times of complete obedience to His word. He is right there with his eyes open as you teach your children about Jesus, show them right from wrong, and guide them through their struggles. He is there as you share the blessing of your time, your energy, and your joy.

“”The eyes of the Lord are everywhere.” He is watching us, mamas. He is watching us just like we are watching our children. That is what a Father does.

BY:  Betty Predmore
My mind is experiencing relief this morning that our election process is over. I don’t know who you voted for, or what your reasoning was behind your vote. That is the beauty of our country….we all have the opportunity to make our own choice, and we should each be respected for doing so. Some are thrilled this morning. Some are deeply saddened. There are some that are as indifferent today as they have been throughout this whole process. Regardless, it is done, and for that I am relieved.

The way I see it, my God is greater than any candidate. He is greater than any governmental policy or mandate. He is greater than any regulation or political party. HE is the Creator of this universe. HE is the master of this world. That is my source of relief. I am a mother. I am concerned about the future of my children. Obviously, I want the very best for them. I want them to have a future where they can experience freedoms. I want a future for them where their life matters. I hope for a future for them where they have opportunities to better themselves, achieve their dreams, and find success. Most importantly, I hope for them a future where they can have the freedom to love and serve the Savior of this world. My hopes for them are great. But my hopes for them are no greater than the hopes and plans that God has for them..”For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). God is working. He is in the midst of our concerns and indecisiveness. He is in the middle of our debates and critical thoughts. He is in the middle of our efforts to make our country a better place. I am so grateful that my Father in Heaven will not fail me, and will not fail my children, no matter what happens in this world.

I am reminded of a song I used to love to sing as a child:
”This land is your land, this land is my land, this land was made for you and me.”

God made this land for you and for me, and for our children and the generations to come. Thank you Jesus that election results are not nearly as important as this simple fact….YOU ARE MY KING!

By:  Nicole Espino

Have you ever felt lost when it comes to parenting, that feeling of helplessness that consumes your mind and heart? I know I have, especially when I think about the enormous task of raising and shaping a child, not only behaviorally but spiritually, emotionally, and even their very character and morals. The responsibility of a parent bares a lot of weight, yet too few parents have the tools and knowledge they need to help them on their journey of parenting.

Many of us don’t understand our own selves let alone understanding these tiny human beings. Many parents parent the same way they were parented, we often use the phrase, “Well, when I was your age my parents…”. But did our parents have all the answers? Is there a right way to approach parenting that God has designed or are we left down here to figure each kid out on our own? We know each kid is different and learns differently, but is there one core approach and goal that applies to all of us?

I believe there is, and I strongly believe God hasn’t left us to fend for ourselves. I believe that everything a parent needs to know has been placed in God’s inspired word. And who better to go to than the One who designed us and created each of us in our Mother’s womb?

In Psalms 139: 13,14 it says:

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

So what is that key element that all parents must know and apply to their parenting? Well, I believe the key element is first understanding Proverbs 4:23, it says:

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Everything that comes from our lives starts first in our hearts.

So what should our focus be as parents? Should it be punishing behavior, or building self esteem? No, I believe the core element of good parenting is guiding a child’s heart. Our hearts motivate what we think about, and what ultimately we choose to do in our life whether right or wrong. But what do we know about our hearts? What does the Bible say about our hearts?

In Jeremiah 17:9 it says:
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

Yikes!! Im sure you’re thinking, “How is that helpful?” But thankfully we find the helpful bit in verse 10 which says,

10 But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.

So first off, we see that our hearts are deceitful, which is just another way of saying that our hearts lie to us. If you had to depend on your heart to tell you the truth of a matter, it most likely would not. So we realize that we can’t always trust our hearts to tell us how to live our lives. When we base our decisions upon what our hearts tell us, well, that’s when we can get into trouble. So, Secondly, we see in verse 10 that God know our hearts, He can see things that we can’t, He can search and sort out what’s in our hearts.

So what does this all mean for me as a parent, you might ask? Well, to keep it simple, we cannot hope to know our own hearts, let alone our child’s heart without being intimately connected to the one who formed our hearts. We as parents MUST be seeking God to reveal to us details within each of our child’s hearts. This is done through observation, through a lot of prayer, and through knowing God’s word. Unless we bring God into the parenting process, we will never truly know or understand how to personally shape each child’s heart.

So if Proverbs 4:23 is correct and all the issues of life come from our hearts, then the only reasonable conclusion is to realize that a child’s very behavior starts in their heart. So when seeking God about a certain behavior that needs to be shaped, God will take us directly to the heart of the matter. We may be able to stop a behavior through other means but it’s only a temporary fix unless the issue within the heart is addressed. We must have God reveal to us what the specific issue is, wether it be selfishness, rebellion, or even fear. Then we must go to God’s word and learn what God teaches about those things and pray and ask God to show us how to teach our child about those specific issues. Gods word is powerful even in our children and we should never think it’s too above their heads.

So, let’s wrap this up. First we must seek God for understanding, and pray for wisdom to understand our children. Secondly, we must search the scriptures and know what God teaches about the specific issues our child is dealing with. Then we are to help communicate or guide our kids into these truths to help them be rooted and grounded in the truth of Gods word rather than the lies within their hearts.

I truly believe this is a core aspect to parenting, no matter your view on method, we must allow God into the process and let him lead and guide us as parents.

A great book to read on this subject is, Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp. I highly recommend it. It changed my whole outlook and game plan on parenting.

I hope this was as helpful for you as it was for me.

By:  Betty Predmore

There are a lot of interesting things going on in my family right now. A daughter is a senior in high school, and planning for her college choices. CHANGE. A son, who I thought would be a bachelor his entire life, has himself a sweet little family. CHANGE. A daughter is going through some medical issues, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. She will hopefully soon be able to move forward with the dreams she has for her life. CHANGE. A son has moved away and finding his own way in life with his own new set of friends around him. CHANGE. A middle-schooler that is acting more like a teen every day, and less like a little boy. CHANGE. Step-children that have been a little distant are spending time with the family. CHANGE. Two younger children are battling through their learning issues, and the latest school reports were positive. CHANGE.

What does God say about CHANGE? Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19). God is always bringing newness to our lives. He makes a way for us, even when we don’t see one. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11). We might not understand what He is doing through the changes, but He certainly has a beautiful plan for our lives. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). He never changes. His goodness never changes. Always….every single day… He wants the absolute best for us, for our families, for our lives. That is a constant. That is a promise. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9). Change might be happening in our lives, with our children, but we do not need to be fearful. God is with us. He is walking this path with us. He is smiling down upon us as He sees us enjoy the beautiful blessings He is pouring out. He is there to put us back in track if we start to drift. Simply put…He’s got good stuff for us and he’s got good stuff for our children!

So, embrace the change. Cherish the change. Appreciate the change. Let God navigate you and yours to where He wants you to be next. Trust Him that He will not guide you anywhere that isn’t good. Open your heart and mind to the beauty and potential of change, and embrace it with both hands. And know this….if you seek Him, serve Him, and let Him be your guide….you will not be in the same place next year as you are today. CHANGE…thank you Lord!