Mommas

Mother's day is this weekend and so I thought it would only be appropriate to talk about mommas. I mean I talk about them every day, but I guess I really specifically talk about some of the commands the Bible give us at mothers.

Before I dive on in to some notes that I have written down I have to say a little something about mommas. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect motherhood to be so challenging and rewarding at the same time. I have learned over the last 3 years that moms are a special kind of 'breed." Yeah, I just said that. Cause we are. We are pretty awesome!

I know I have said this before, but I think it bears repeating. There is no right way to be a mother. There may be right and wrong decisions as a mother, but that doesn't mean that you mother the wrong way. Learning from wrong decisions and remembering the good decisions can help you be a better mother. The Bible talks a lot about mothers and I wanted to share some of them with you.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no on will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-5

Paul wrote this letter to Titus to encourage him and to also give him guidance in instructing new believers. The first 2 things that Paul instructs is to teach the younger woman to love their husbands and love their children. Then later he says to be busy at home. I pray that Paul wasn't talking about housework. I like to interpret that as busy with the kids. Giving them the attention that they need!

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Teach your kids about the commandments of God. Be available to them when they are ready to learn. When I read this I read about a mother who is involved with their kids and not just a 'baby sitter.' God designed relationships to be interactive and that include the relationship you have with your children.

Fathers (mothers), do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Okay, so we can get all technical and say that the Bible says fathers, however I think it should say 'parents.' I really didn't know what exasperated meant, so I googled it and basically it means to irritate or make anger. That made me giggle. After knowing the meaning of that word I would like to rewrite the first part of this verse to say, "CHILDREN, do not exasperate your parents." Haha! A few things come to mind when reading this verse. "Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" - That takes being involved in your kids life, sitting down and teaching them about God, about the Bible, about Jesus...etc.,

Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children." Deuteronomy 4:10

Teach, teach, teach your children. Sunday school, public school, private school, pre school, ANY school. They are all good things, but I truly believe that the responsibility of really TEACHING our children is ours (moms and dads). When it comes to academic studies I most definitely need the help of teachers who have studied the subjects they are teaching. I know I'll need to read Jayme's kindergarten textbook and by 2nd grade I probably won't be able to help her with her homework. I don't mind someone else getting the credit for teaching my kids chemistry. However, I DO mind someone else getting the credit for teaching my kids about the Bible, about Jesus, about God, and so on. I want to be the one to teach them about Him. I (with help of course!) WILL be the one to teach my kids about our Heavenly Father.

And have you forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endue hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplines (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreoever, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respect them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplines us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:5-11

I am not going to get into discipling your children, how you should do it, etc. That is not my place. I am going to just say that it is an encouragement to me that God instructs us to discipline our children. I love the last sentence because I have seen this with my own eyes. "Later on, however it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." For those of you mothers that have been through the terrible 18 months - 2 years, know what I am talking about. With Jayme I felt like I was discipling her all the time. Telling her no don't do that. Putting her in time out for tantrums. It was exhausting, but I wanted to teach her that those actions were unacceptable even at that age. And now ("later on") I have a very well behaved (most of the time) 3 year old. I am trying the same thing with my 19 month old and I have to say the exhaustion is a little more with her, but these verses have given me the boost I need to continue in teaching her.

There are so many more verses that I want to share with you about being a mother, but my kids are waking up and so I must go be a mother...haha!

I hope you all have a very blessed mother's day and that you get spoiled rotten because you deserve it!!!