There is no doubt that we all have made mothering mistakes. There are things we wish we had done for our children that we didn’t, and things we did that we wish we hadn’t. (If you’re like me you can think of some things you regret just yesterday!) But if your kids are grown, the regret may be hanging heavy over you.

This is why the good news of Jesus is such good news. Our hope is not in our perfection. Our hope is in Christ. Jesus was perfect and sinless and he died to take the punishment for our sins. This is truly good news, because as long as we have breath, we have an opportunity to repent and seek Jesus.  We have the chance to pray for our kids, love on them, and be an example of a mom dependent on Christ.

And we can ask God to give us opportunities reach out to others.

Yes, my hope for Together is that God would use it to stir the hearts of moms to read the Bible with their own children. But the idea of Together can go beyond this. If your kids are grown and gone, or if you don’t have children, look for everyday ways to invest and “spiritually mother” others.

If you’re a grandmother, do you have the opportunity to soak up precious time with your grandkids (or great-grandkids)? Use this season of life and this time and enjoy reading the Word of God with them.

Do you have a friend who is struggling to be consistent in reading the Bible? Meet her for lunch two days a week, read Scripture and talk about what you’ve read.

Are there some young moms in your church who need the example of an older, wiser mom?

We all have to go to God regularly and ask His forgiveness for the sins we have committed in our mothering. But God forgives. He forgives!

And we have the chance anew to seek Jesus … and look for opportunities to point others to Christ and His Word.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

(Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV)

When I signed on with the publisher, I was excited … I still am! … to see what God might do through our story. However, not being a professional writer, I did not see everything that was coming. These days, when you write a book, it’s helpful to be an active social media person as well. This can be a good thing, but don’t forget: I’m an everyday mama, not a social media expert.

So came the launch of “Together” and with that came a blog and website, Facebook and Twitter, and a number of interviews. This, too, is all good … very good. But remember, I’m an everyday mama. I have a huge learning curve and a voice that is more suited for the minivan than for radio.

As a result, I’ve been more anxious and distracted in the last few weeks, concerned about meeting the needs of my family and saying and doing the right things regarding the book. I’m trying to figure out how to be a wife and mom and keep laundry going … and do interviews, blog posts, Facebook updates, and tweets. I wonder if I’m doing any of it well, and when I’m doing one thing my mind is often shifting to another.

You may be thinking of all the things on your to-do list even as you’re reading this blog. I’m certain you have pressures and demands of your own.

I recently read several blog posts written by moms of children with special needs. There is amazing and obvious joy in these moms, but also physical and emotional stress. I have several friends who are newly-married to husbands pursuing post graduate studies. They are trying to juggle work, making a home, study time, and wondering what the future holds with graduation on the horizon. I know a few single moms trying to work to pay the bills, keep the home, and be the only parent. There are several women at my church right now, in various stages of pregnancy, and while they look beautiful, sometimes you can just see “tired” written on their faces. I have another friend who is transitioning from one job to another. She’s currently doing both jobs and feeling like she’s spread too thin.

We can all feel overwhelmed by our circumstances. Even when the things we are facing are good things, we can get anxious.

A few days ago, just as I was starting to get all revved up inside over my long to-do list (and a few other things), my kids and I sat down and read this …

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Then I read …

24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

- Luke 12 (emphasis mine)

Then suddenly it came to my attention …

I’m not in control.

The One, who is in control, cares for me!

He has not forgotten me.

He knows …

He knows the number of hairs on my head.

Have faith!

He knows me!

He knows my needs!

And He cares for me!

You may be asking “How can I keep up?” … “How are we going to make it?” … “How can I possibly do this?” or you may just be saying “I’m tired!”

Take a moment to read Luke 12. (I may have to read it again tomorrow.) And remember …

HE knows your needs and HE cares for you.

I always tend to think of the New Testament as the part of the Bible that focuses on Christ, but when you start to really look, you discover Christ from Genesis to Revelation. So if you are in the Old Testament right now, be on the look-out for Jesus.

My husband sent me this great Tim Keller video that will expand your mind regarding the pictures of Christ in the Old Testament. Jesus is not only in the OT, He is the fulfillment of it!

I recently did a live interview and a handful of women called in with some great questions. In the last few seconds of the program, a woman called in with the question, what if my husband is not leading the family spiritually?

I had like 15 seconds to answer.

I wish I had had the mind to say “This is a really tough question” before I answered. The truth is this is a really tough question, and 15 seconds is hardly adequate to address it. (Neither is a brief blog, btw.) But I would like to take a moment to add to my brief “radio” answer.

I don’t have a quick fix for this, obviously. And I’m not an expert on this issue. I am blessed to have a husband who works very hard to lead us spiritually. However, I do think there are some responses that might be encouraging to a woman who faces this situation.

So, here are three thoughts that have been floating around in my mind since the interview.

I would urge you to pray for your husband. Spiritual leadership is difficult and our husbands need us to pray for them in this role. It is God who stirs the heart, so pray that God will give your husband courage and direction and a personal desire to know Him. It may seem impossible to you right now, but with God all things are possible.

Next I would say, encourage your husband when you see even a glimpse of leadership. Sometimes we as wives have expectations that may not be what God has planned for your husband’s leadership style. So instead of seeing the positive, we can often focus on what our husbands are not doing. Ask God to help you see areas where your husband is trying to lead and compliment him.

If you have a desire to read the Word with your kids, ask your husband for his input and prayers. If your husband wants to be the one to read, that’s wonderful. If he encourages you to begin reading the Bible with the kids, again, that’s wonderful. If he objects to you reading the Bible with the kids, honor your husband feelings, but continue to seek God on your own. God can work through the overflow of your heart and life to impact the lives of your kids and your husband.

This is a difficult situation, and like most areas of life it requires prayer, patience, love, trust, and often a lot of forgiveness.

Lord, be with us as women and help us know how to esteem our husbands in the role of spiritual leader. I know I am far from perfect in this so help me also. And Lord, please give our husbands courage, ideas, and a personal desire to know You … turn their hearts to You and to their families. In all this, may You be glorified. Amen.

I sometimes forget the power of song.

I’m not a musical person by nature. I don’t play an instrument or sing particularly well. I enjoy music and like a variety of styles, but sometime I just forget to incorporate music into my day. It’s like I need to write a note on my calendar each day that says, “Play music!”

I am grateful that all of our kids are now taking piano lessons. As a result, I get to regularly hear the sound of music being played in my home. (And the quality of the music is getting better each day, as well.)

Scripture gives us reminders of the importance of singing songs.

“My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!”
Psalm 108:1

“…addressing one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody to the Lord with your heart”
Ephesians 5:19

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Colossians 3:16

The song that keeps coming to my mind this week is a hymn I learned as a child. I’m thankful that I memorized this song so many years ago, but the lyrics are much richer to me now. The song is “Jesus Paid It All”

We sang it at church last Sunday, Palm Sunday. It’s a fitting meditation for this Easter weekend.

If you have ideas for bringing music into the daily routine of home life, I’d love to hear them. And if you’re like me and you need a little boost, here are the lyrics to that familiar hymn. You can make melody to the Lord in your heart today, and be reminded of what He has done for you.

Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say
Thy strength indeed is small
Child of weakness … watch and pray
Find in me … thine all in all

Chorus:
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calvary’s Lamb

And when before thy throne
I stand in Him complete
Jesus died my soul to save
My lips shall still repeat

I was searching my brain for some way to explain not wanting to quench the Spirit, when I looked over at my youngest son who was sitting there with one index finger pointing up and his other handed cupped over his finger, quietly singing, “Hide it under a bushel. No! I’m gonna let it shine.” I almost jumped out of my chair. He explained it better than me.

And he did it with a simple song learned as a toddler.

When my husband and I were teaching preschoolers in Sunday School, I have to admit that sometimes I looked at song time as “filler” to help take up the hour. Or I thought of it as something we could do with motions to help burn off their boundless energy. But there are some surprisingly powerful messages in these simple songs we learn as children.

Sometime today, let’s sing with our kids (and to ourselves!), one of the most wonderful, and sometimes unfathomable, truths ever put to song:

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

]]> http://aneverydaymama.com/little-songs-big-truths-and-everyday-life/feed/ 0 http://aneverydaymama.com/a-prayer-from-an-everyday-dad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-prayer-from-an-everyday-dad http://aneverydaymama.com/a-prayer-from-an-everyday-dad/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:20:12 +0000 Carrie http://aneverydaymama.com/?p=488 Continue reading →]]>

Father,

Here we are. Near the end of the week . . . but plenty still yet to do. Lord, I am here asking that you would be very real to “everyday” Christ-following moms all over this planet.

Meet them in their very real fatigue. We believe that you have come to give us life and give it to us abundantly, but for some women what a hard week this week has been . . . and it’s not over. Some are tired in every sense of that word. Remind them . . . right now, please . . . that you mean it when you say “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Meet these moms in every situation . . . those burdened with all kinds of physical, emotional, and relational loads . . . and bring them soul-satisfying, life-replenishing rest.

Meet them in their disappointments. For some moms, this week has been a week of smashed, well, everything. Promises made were broken. Hopes have been dashed. Circumstances have flipped 180 from their expectations. Husbands have failed them. Children have hurt them. Friends have robbed joy from them. These precious moms are grieving yet another relational or financial set-back. Some are wondering if you’re going to come through. The rope that they’ve been hanging on to seems really short right now. We pray Psalm 46:10 into their lives right now: God, you are their refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Meet them in their celebrations. And some moms, Father, you’ve showered with blessings and joys and delights. They’re excited about what they’re discovering about you and your grand plan for their lives. The Word is coming alive to them. Relationships are rich. Children are a blessing. Life is full in a John 10:10 kind of way. We just want to say Thank you! for these kinds of days and weeks. We want to live in gratitude for these blessings you have showered on them. Let them know that each one of these good gifts has come from you, the Father of Lights! May their faith be stretched and their worship be rich — and their mouths be quick to share about Jesus’ greatness — in these days of enjoyment.

Father, meet each and every one of these moms with . . . You! In the good times, and bad, may we know that you’re altogether good . . . your heart and your ways. Sustain these women . . . love them . . . be near to them . . . give them big faith in you in the days ahead . . . . and give them faith for today . . . right now.

In Jesus’ amazing name and for his glory,

Amen!

Job 1 and 2 are riveting. (If it’s been a while since you’ve read these chapters, I’d encourage you to stop and read them now.)

Chapter 2 ends with Job and his friends sitting silent for seven days. And then the talking begins.

Can we please read something else?
If you’re like me, when you hit Job 3 you start feeling like you’ve entered deep and turbulent waters. I know that all Scripture is God-breathed and I know that God speaks throughout this middle section of Job; however, as I’m reading Job for the first time to four small children, I’m thinking, I’m having trouble paying attention, so I’m quite sure they are.

I kept telling my kids to hang in there because God is going to speak. Trouble is He speaks in chapter 38. So we had to get through thirty-five chapters (!) of dialogue before God speaks.

Not too far into these chapters my oldest daughter turned to me with a desperate look and said, “Can we please read something else? He keeps sayin’ the same thing over and over again.” (She was four at the time.)

We made it through Job and, in the end, God did speak and it was a great day.

The second time we read Job, well, I hate to admit it, but it was pretty much just as difficult to read, except that we knew what was coming.

Recently we read Job for the third time. And this time it was a different experience.

Things we had never seen before
For one thing I decided to change my approach. We read the first two chapters on one day. The next day we read chapter 3. Then when Job’s friends began to speak, I read each friend’s comments and Job’s reply. So for example, I read what Eliphaz said in chapter 4 and 5 together with Job’s response in chapters 6 and 7. Then the next day I read Bildad’s comments and Job’s reply and so on. I read all of Elihu’s (the younger man who speaks near the end) comments in one day. Then when we reached Job 38, I read the Lord’s response to Job and the conclusion of the book.

This time we all started to notice things we had never seen before.

The first observation is not real spiritual, but nevertheless it jumped out at us. Job is rather sarcastic. Now I’m sure there is a better term for this (and I know Job had been through a lot), but when Job responds to his friends with “No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you” (Job 12:2 ESV), to us that sounded like sarcasm. On more than one occasion, one of my kids would blurt out, “I can’t believe he said that.”

We also we noticed how much Job speaks of creation. At one point, Job says about God, “He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7). My son looked at me and said, “How’d he know that?” After all, Job takes place in the time of Genesis. How did he know that the earth was hanging in space over nothing? (Remember, there was no Google Earth!) Not only that but notice how the Lord responded to Job. From the most intimate scene to the most majestic, His response, from beginning to end, spotlights His creation. As bright and perceptive as Job might have been, God reminded Job that he didn’t know as much about creation as he (or we) thought he did.

Our last observation was, to us, the most important. We saw Christ in the book of Job. Job says things like “he who testifies for me is on high” and “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Then there’s this awesome moment when the Lord says to Job, “Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger?” (Job 39:9) Now I know that the Lord is declaring his control over even this wild beast. (I read this in several commentaries.) Job certainly couldn’t make this wild ox behave like a tame one and feed in his manger. But the word “manger” immediately made us think of Christ’s birth.

On the final day of Job, I read the Lord’s response and the conclusion of the book. As the kids and I recounted the things we had read and learned from Job, my daughter (believe it or not, the same daughter that said “Can we please read something else?”) said, “Aw, I’m kinda sorry that it’s over. I wish Job was longer.”

This is something worth our energy
This has been just a part of the joy of reading the Bible with my kids … I see their appetites for God and His Word growing. And it fuels my delight in God and His Word as well.

It takes time to read the Bible with my kids, and there are certainly a lot of confusing and challenging moments. But this is something worth my time … and yours. This is something worth our energy. This is something for which we need to sacrifice, so that the Word of God might fill the minds of our kids.

God, please establish your Word in their hearts. Give our kids a true hunger — a real appetite — for You.

I realize he has a point, after all, I don’t understand everything I read in Scripture, and a preschooler is no doubt going to miss some of the finer points of the text. However, I do believe that God can open their minds to understand more than we expect. And I also believe what Augustine said, “When we read scripture, God speaks to us.”

So while young children may not comprehend everything that is being read, when they hear the Word of God they are hearing God speak. Which means that we as moms (as parents) have an opportunity to help our children tune in to the voice of God simply by reading His Word to them. We can help them to recognize the voice of God and, as we ourselves learn how to respond, we can teach them how to respond as well.

This reminds me of the story of Samuel when he was a young boy in the temple and he heard a voice. He logically thought it was Eli, the priest, calling. So he went to Eli. Eli informed him that he had not called for him and sent him back to bed.

Samuel heard the voice again and went to Eli. Eli again told Samuel that he was not calling him and sent him back to bed yet again.

Samuel heard the voice once more . . . and off he went to Eli. Finally Eli understood what was happening and told Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. (ESV)

Granted, Eli was not a model priest or parent. Wickedness abounded in his household. And who knows he may have been grieved or even angry that God was speaking to this young boy and not to him. Nevertheless, he told Samuel the exact right thing to say if the Lord should call again. And the Lord did call again.

Doesn’t that give you a little hope? It does me!

By the grace of God, Wes and I hope to be much better parents than Eli. We also hope to give our children abundant opportunity to hear God speak through His Word, to help them recognize God’s voice and — so important — to know how to respond when He calls. All the while, we’re praying that the Holy Spirit would implant the Word deep in their hearts.

I can’t help but believe that it’s never too early for that process to begin.

All that to say, read the Bible with your kids. (I’d start while they’re still in your tummy.)

Book update and prayer note . . . “Together: Growing Appetites for God” is now at the printer! April 1st is the release day (no foolin’). Pray for the first 30-90 days of sales to go exceptionally well . . . not for money-making, but for this cause. The first 90 days of a book are crucial days to the viability of its life-span. Would you join me in praying that God would use it to reach for more moms than we could, ask, think or even imagine?

Let me just say for the record that the love you are giving your little ones in those ordinary, everyday moments is establishing a relationship that God can use to impact their lives for the rest of their lives.

My friend Erin Davis has written a book about the role of motherhood called Beyond Bath Time. (It’s coming out on April 1, about the same time as my book.) She tackles the issue of motherhood and the importance of this calling that God has given to us.

So if you’re having doubts about the significance of your role as a mom, or if you’re wondering what impact you could possibly be having for God’s kingdom, check out her book and her blog and be encouraged.