Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Daily Devotional Journey Week 1 Day 2

http://bible.com/r/Oo Join me in reading No More Perfect Moms:

So when these beautiful gifts from God, come home from the hospital and everyone leaves you and dad to get settled with your new love, now what? What if you can't do it? What if you drop him? What if you over sleep and she starves? What if I screw it all up?

My biggest concern with my first born was not living in our own place, my in-laws house was cramped and they both worked. What if I couldn't get him to go to bed or he was gassy all night and they had to hear a baby cry all night long? Would they be mad at me for having to go to work with no sleep? Would they try to take over and then me resent them for trying to tell me how to raise my child? Haha at a week old yes that was going through my head.

I was blessed at the time of my first sons birth, to have two parents that had a little more room for us. They had baby things already there because they babysat for my sister`s young children. And of course, no offense to my MIL at the time, but I needed my momma. It was beautiful the first couple of nights seeing how upset I got every time I couldn't calm him down, my mom would just see it in my face and would scoop him up and walk into the living room, humming a Sunday hymn and would rock him. With in a couple of minutes he would be knocked out. It was nothing short of me witnessing a small glimpse of perhaps what my mom looked like when she rocked me, the  21 years before.

As I watched her, my confidence grew. I knew I had to learn patience just as my baby boy needed to learn how to be in his new surroundings. The Lord was so close with me those first few weeks being at their house and my mom gave me the confidence to become a mom myself. She helped me when the next two entered into the world also. Each time she never left my side. The Lord has blessed me with not only three amazing and beautiful little men, but the most awesome teacher of love and peace and patience.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Daily Devotional Journey Week 1 Day 1

http://bible.com/r/Oo Join me in reading No More Perfect Moms:

God calls some of us to be parents and knows that we have jealous tendencies. No matter how much time I spend getting my kids ready for school in the morning, once we get there, someone has forgotten homework or spilled something on their shirt. When I look at the child walking next to us I can't help but think, I bet his mom doesn't need sleep and wakes up and makes a warm breakfast for them and makes them cute lunches before kissing their foreheads, as they skip out the door and of to the bus stop.

Yeah I need help I know but as everyone knows, being a mom is the single most important thing in my life. The Lord has entrusted me with the beautiful lives and I am going to make sure, even if it kills me, that these three little souls will grow to know the Lord. They might not follow him in a straight line, just as I have failed to do almost every day of my life. But I want them to know one thing, the Lord will be with them wherever they go, even places I can't be (which is hard to say cause i would stalk them my whole life if I could get away with it).

When Abel brought his offering to the Lord, he was there looking for approval as well as obeying the law of the Lord and earning his favor.  When Cain killed his own brother over the jealousy, not only did he not get approval from his offering, he committed murder and sinned a most horrible sin. Now a days God seems so far away. I couldn't imagine even thinking about sinning when he was so close. Then to become jealous over a family member enough to kill them. The first murder ever?

Jealousy can ruin just about any relationship. You can be six years old and your best friend gets a new pink bike, or sixteen and your best friend gets a date with your crush. You could be thirty and someone else get the position you work so hard for at work, or eight years old and you see the lady in the room next to you at the retirement home can still walk in dress shoes while you wear orthopedic white tennis shoes.

I'm my marriage right now I get jealous of my husband who comes home from would and sits on his but and doesn't lift a finger to help me with dinner, homework, showers or the dog. Just cause he makes more money then I do and work outside in the elements. Then falls asleep so fast that once I finally get in bed, he is snoring so loud it takes me extra time to go to sleep. But all that is for another conversation.

So tomorrow as I go through my day I will pray for the Lord to give me his eyes and let me see me as he does. Let me see the hard working mom who, with all his glory and grace, has made great young men out of the the babies he gave me.

Amen