Embracing Love and Success

Life crowds itself around me these days, pulling in too many directions. Emotions get the best of me. I do a poor job of focusing on each “job” individually. I lose confidence in the knowledge that God uses each and every little task He gives us to mold and shape His world. I give in to the exhaustion of sickness.

In these days of muddiness – mental and emotional blurriness – I’ve ignored this blog. My lack of clarity transferred here as a lack of inspiration and motivation.

This morning, however, during a dual-time of devotion to God (reading my Bible) while snuggling an extremely early-waking little boy, God gently reminded me of something: some things I’m doing right now I’m doing REALLY WELL.

They are tiny things… lots of hugs, taking time to enjoy children’s smiles, really holding little ones with presence and purpose, choosing to participate in activities my husband enjoys (even though they’re not my favorite), and giving way to worship through honest thanksgiving.

Today I choose to celebrate the tiny bits of green growth I see in myself and put aside my self-labeled failures. Today I choose to embrace God’s name for me: Beloved. I choose to allow love to focus me and see things differently.

What about you? What are you doing well right now? What can you celebrate? Where do you see Spring emerging? How does embracing your successes change your present tense?

Song of Songs 2: 10-13 (NIV)

10 

My beloved spoke and said to me,

“Arise, my darling,

my beautiful one, come with me.

11 

See! The winter is past;

the rains are over and gone.

12 

Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves is heard in our land.

13 

The fig tree forms its early fruit;

the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.

Arise, come, my darling;

my beautiful one, come with me.”

My beloved is mine and I am his!

And his banner over me is love.

(Song of Songs 2:16, 4)

- Bethany Tippin, Publicity Leader

You, Mom, Are Free.

You, weary new mom, having just made it through another day with what seems like every last ounce of energy dissipating quickly into the evening sky, you are free.

You, burdened mom, living with the self impressed guilt of looking into the lives of grown children gone seemingly astray daring to wonder where you went wrong, you are free. 

You, working mom, balancing the full work load and making an impact at work all the while thinking about your babies and running through the list of all you'd like to accomplish in those few precious hours with them each night, you are free. 

You, full time mom, struggling to remember your last good adult conversation, fighting not to lose yourself in between the PB&J sandwiches, the soccer games, underneath the nursing cover, drowned out by 'mom watch this' and 'mommy can I?' You are free. 

You, hurt mom, weighed down by the comparison you put on yourself and the judgments others sprinkle over you, subtly questioning your ability to be a mom, or at least portraying the idea that they could do it better, you are free. 

You, doubting mom, wondering if you're doing any of this right. You are free. 

You, guilty mom, saddened by the number of times you lost it with your kids in the past month, week, day, hour, though you try so hard you can never seem to stop your tongue from burning, you are free. 

Rather than belt this truth over you, I want to cup your strong fragile hearts in my own shaky hands and whisper so softly yet so confidently, you dear one, are free. 

Whatever mom you feel you are or combination of moms or one not even listed, know today that you are free. And no matter how many times you mess up, how many times you forget promises or field trip notes, how many times you feel not good enough to hold the title mom, know that you beautiful girl, are free, you are loved, and you are not defined by anything other than what Christ proclaims over you - a child of God's, precious, known, loved, forgiven, redeemed, restored, 

FREE.

Live Each Moment By Faith

- Ashley Skillman, MOPS Mom

This article was originally published at www.ashleyskillman.blogspot.com. Check out the original here.

Ashley Skillman is one of our local MOPS moms. She is a happy wife and mother to one lovely 10-month-old. Ashley loves to write, has a passion for Women’s Ministries and loves God. She describes herself as, “the daughter of the King of this Universe, Cherished, Loved, and Pursued by Him as if I were His only desire.” We look forward to hearing more from her!

Thursday Thoughts with Theresa: 25 Points I Took Away From the Mom Heart Conference

I just returned from the Mom Heart Conference 2014: Inspired! Reaching Beyond What Holds You Back, with Sally Clarkson. If you are not familiar with Sally Clarkson, then read on. Sally is a modern­day classic, encouraging moms, with her depth of wisdom, to live out the biblical model of parenting. She has numerous books, including The Mission of Motherhood, The Ministry of Motherhood and Seasons of a Mothers Heart. Sally’s husband, Clay, authors Educating the Whole Hearted Child, Our 24 Family Ways and Heartfelt Discipline. The Mission of Motherhood is in two Chinese languages, The Ministry of Motherhood and Educating the Whole Hearted Child is in Korean. Ministry is also in Dutch, French and two books are in Polish. Both Mission and Ministry have consecutively been recognized by the United States congressional women’s Bible study as the number one book on mothering. The Clarksons put on an annual conference for moms in Colorado, Texas and California. The Speakers this year in Colorado were Sally Clarkson, Misty Krawsawski, Debi Chapman, Sarah Mae, and Sarah Clarkson. I came away feeling inspired and replenished. The following are some points that stuck with me.

25 Points I took away from the Mom Heart Conference: 

Sarah Mae

1.            Resolve to be in God’s presence. We cannot reflect God’s light to our children if we’re not in it.

2.            Resolve to be different than the world.


3.            If we don’t step up as parents, culture will step in.


4.            Prepare for the world by equipping with the Word.

5.            Don’t give one another permission to compromise.


6.            Know your calling. If you are a mother, your first calling is to motherhood.

7.            Reduce or eliminate technology. Technology creates a mental state of constant activity.

8.            Look at the sin issue of your child and then speak the opposite over them.

Sarah Mae is Co­author with Sally Clarkson of the book, Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breath.

Sarah Clarkson


9.      Children need quiet in order to hear God.

10.        Shape their perspective with stories. Stories shape a child’s point of view, cultivates imagination, provides a courageous character for your child to identify with, shows how choices are lived out (faithfulness), and gives a vision of happy endings.

Sarah Clarkson is currently writing The Storyformed Life and I highly recommend watching for that one!

Sally Clarkson

11.        Love is your aim. Only love can reach and transform hearts.

12.        Be a reflection of Christ to your children. Love and humbly serve like Christ.

13.        Walk with those who are wise. Put yourself in a place where people will draw you to a higher Spiritual place and thinking.

14.        Build on the foundation of God’s Word and truth. Love God and love others.


15.         It’s all held together by the Holy Spirit.

16.        We must be connected to the vine. Remain in him.

17.        If you’re not partnering with God, don’t expect supernatural results.


18.         God makes what we do enough.


19.         Don’t name your child something you do not want them to live into.

20.        Don’t keep disciplining a difficult child. Fill her heart. A child cannot learn until she feels her cup is full.

21.        Your message will come out of the life you live.


22.         The Kingdom is living in the freedom of who God created you to be.


23.         You are not defined by your mistakes (nor are your children.)


24.         Be who you are. Don’t compare.


25.         If you are justifying your life, you are probably compromising God’s call on your life.

There was so much great insight. I wish you all could have been there! However, a great place to start in gaining perspective as a mother is with Sally’s books. I highly recommend The Mission of Motherhood, if you’re not sure which to pick up first. Read and be inspired!

Sally, Me and Misty Krasawski

The crew from Sheridan

Mom Heart Panel

- Theresa Miller, MOPS Mom

Theresa is a wife and mother of four children (3, 5, 7, and 9), who are embarking on their first year of homeschooling. Theresa has been involved in Sheridan MOPS for the last 9 ½ years, serving in multiple leadership positions, including Day MOPS Coordinator in 2007-2008. She took one year off, then started the Sheridan Evening MOPS group in September 2009. Theresa has published an article with MOPS International MOMSnext Ezine, in addition to other on-line publications. You can find Theresa encouraging mothers on her blog, Heavenly Glimpses.