"Mother's Day" by Stacey Wooddell Imbimbo

How many times have you failed?

If you are anything like me, you lay in bed and think about the day that you just experienced.  You replay moments with your kids.  Good or Bad.  And usually I feel like I had a great day or boy did I mess up!

Mother’s Day was a mess up….big time!

It started out fairly early, kids thought 5:45am was a grand entrance into the day.

I had planned a busy day, church and then home to get ready for family coming over to celebrate.  We were getting together for Mother’s Day and my son’s 3^rd birthday.

I tend to over plan and over think.  See, I really want things to be nice…okay really I want them to be perfect.  I want to make and decorate a homemade cake, have a delicious meal, plus have the house looking clean and decorated for the party.

My kids are 3,2 and 1…so they tend to tear down the streamers, take off the decorative stickers, and not allow me uninterrupted time to decorate the cake.  The cherry on top was they all decided to not nap, which did not help my situation.

The clock was ticking, and I was becoming irritated, short, and basically ugly.  And I was directing all of this behavior toward my kiddos.

For the love, it was Mother’s Day.  I wasn’t even acting like those Hallmark cards depict a mother to be.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed” Proverbs 31:28….was far from what these kids would call me at this point.

And then it happened….that moment…straight from the movies…

The kids all came into the kitchen, homemade cards and gifts in hand.  “HAPPY MOTHERS DAY” they said…with lots of hugs and kisses.

And it hit me.

Hard.

FORGIVENESS.

They forgave me so easily.  They were not forced, or asked, or even manipulated. 

That just forgave me and loved me, just because I was their mom.

WOW

What a great reminder of God’s gift of forgiveness towards us.

He just forgives us, plain and simple.

No matter how many times we fail, and believe me I do it a lot.

 We are forgiven by our Savior…just because He loves us.

Psalm 86:5 “For you, Lord, are good and ready to forgive…”

EVERY Mom Must Watch....Happy Mother's Day!

Tonight I saw the movie "Mom's Night Out" with some ladies from church. It was a great film. It highlighted the important things in the life of a mom. I sometimes can narrow in on what is not important, but may seem pressing at the time. My mind can get preoccupied with that kind of stuff...causing me to miss the simple sweetness of my kiddos.

Once I got home, my husband showed me a video seen on Facebook and I was so blessed. It reiterated the same message the movie honed in on: my role is important. It has value. 

My prayer is that as you watch this clip... it will emphasize that your kids focus on the great rather than the crazy...and you have value!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/31/the-video-every-mom-must-watch_n_4181007.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Lord, help us to parent the way you do, and be reminded of the impact we can make when we are seeking your face daily. Help us to enjoy the little moments in life that highlight how our children are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Mother's Day, God's Way

"Honor your father and mother..." ~ Ephesians 6:2

“Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband also praises her: There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!  Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”   ~ Proverbs 31:28-30

Deep in our hearts we all desire for our children to honor us.  Not only for a personal sense of a job well done, but because Scripture very plainly exhorts children to honor their parents.  Yet, many times, even in the church, we see families struggling when it comes to this area.  Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that our kids are constantly bombarded with messages, through the media, that make parents appear as bumbling fools.  So, how can we, as Moms, raise children that first and foremost honor the Lord and subsequently honor us?

I believe the answer to this question lies in Proverbs 31:30:  “...a woman who fears the Lord...”  As moms, we have the awesome responsibility and privilege of setting the tone in our homes.  Have you ever noticed that if you’re having a bad day, your children will have a bad day too?  When my kids were in school, this wasn’t necessarily true, but with homeschooling, I’ve found it to be an indisputable fact.  However, the opposite is true as well.  When I’ve spent time with the Lord at the beginning of the day, I find that I will be more apt to walk in the Spirit and display His fruits in my attitude and choices.  In other words, when I model a fear of the Lord through godly behavior, my children notice and it encourages them to honor the Lord in their own lives.

In fact, modeling a fear of the Lord is one of the greatest things we can do for our children.  It’s imperative for them to see us in the Word and seeking His face on a daily basis.  Carrying a Bible on Sunday and mealtime prayers just simply aren't enough.  Kids need to see a mom who’s fully dependent on the Lord for everything.    

As my children have gotten older, I’ve allowed transparency in our relationship.  If I’m struggling with something, very often, I’ll clue them in and we’ll pray through the situation together.  I can tell my kids all day long that they need to trust in the Lord, but when they witness me honoring Him in a difficult circumstance, they get it.  It’s in those lightbulb moments, that I see my kids make God honoring choices in their lives too.  And if they honor Him, they in turn honor me and my husband.    

The only way we can become a Proverbs 31 woman, who is praised by her husband and blessed by her kids, is to have the fear of the Lord in our lives.  As we honor Him in our decisions and lifestyles, our children will surely follow.  In other words, if we want our children to bless us, they first need to see us bless Him. 

On this Mother’s Day, we can be thankful for this passage in Proverbs, because it reminds us that as we reverence the Lord, He transforms us into the virtuous women that our families need.  To me, that's good news! 

1. Take time this Mother’s Day to individually tell each one of your children why you are so thankful the Lord gave them to you.
2. Make time to tell your husband why you thank the Lord for him and how much he means to your family.