Being the Best Mom

Archive for June, 2009

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Welcome to Mom-Monday!

I’m glad you’re here.

Be sure to chime in with your thoughts before you leave. I love hearing from you, and I’ve already gotten feedback from others who’ve appreciated the…

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But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the LORD said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.”
Deuteronomy 3:26

OK, a little background – Moses is the one speaking in the verse above. And the situation to which he is referring is this: When the Israelites were in the Desert of Zin there was no water for them to drink and they grumbled against Moses. God told Moses to speak to a certain rock and promised He would bring water from it for the people. But, instead of doing as God commanded him, Moses struck the rock with his staff and then water flowed from it. Then God said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” (Numbers 20:12)
So, Moses disobeyed God, and the consequence for his actions was that he would not lead the Israelites into the promised land.

Even so, Moses asked God to let him go over and see that fine land. (Deut. 3:25) Seems Moses didn’t like that there was a consequence for his disobedience. In fact, he didn’t even take responsibility for his actions. Notice in the verse above how he blamed the Israelites for God’s anger? Moses even tried to warm God up to the idea of letting him enter the land by telling God how great He is. (Deut. 3:24) But God wasn’t buying it. He said He’d had enough and didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

So why did I choose this verse to be highlighted in This Week’s WORD???

Because it shows me that God TOTALLY understands what it’s like to be a mother!!!

Have a great weekend. I’ll see you back here Monday!

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OK, so I realized my babies have now become big kids, but I know my job as Mom is not yet over.
They may not need me to help them in the swimming pool.
My presence at the movie theater may not be wanted anymore.
Hugs and kisses in public are a thing of the past.
I don’t even need to prepare lunch anymore.
But my job is not over.

I read a father’s statement recently that convinced me: I am still needed.

This father was talking about a family meeting he had with his adult and nearly-adult children, in which he was asking for and seriously considering their input. He finished by saying, “It was one of those moments when you realize your children have become what you have hoped and prayed for.”

And that was one of those moments when I realized – although my children may not need me to do as much for them anymore, although they may be growing in independence and wishing to do for themselves, their need for me remains. And the greatest thing I can do for them now is to pray.
Oh, I know I need to continue to lead and instruct, but they are getting to the ages where they think I don’t understand them. They think they know more than I. (Remember when you were there as a kid? I do!!!)

And, honestly, most of the time I feel woefully inadequate to raise these children to be the well-adjusted, servant-hearted, God-fearing individuals I hope for.

Even so, while I will continue to do my best to lead and instruct, I know God holds their hearts and He is the One ultimately responsible for who they are. So I will continue do what I can in the physical realm, but I am only going to trust in what I can do in the spiritual realm. I know there is value to training, but nothing compares to the power of God unleashed through prayer.

They may not need me to do very much, but I am convinced it is crucial for me to pray for my children.

And I trust that one day I will look at my children and realize they have become what I have spent years hoping and praying for. In spite of my best efforts to lead and instruct!

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Yesterday was our first “Swim Day” of the summer.
Every summer the Women’s Ministry Director from my church welcomes moms and kids to her house on certain Tuesdays for a swim day. My children and I have been enjoying these events for some nine or ten years now. And they were happy to begin again this week.
When we arrived, I barely had a chance to say, “Here we are!” before the kids were off and jumping into the pool. (We had put sun screen on at home. No need to waste pool time, you know!)

So I sat down in a chair and began visiting with another mom.
Every few minutes I looked down at the deep end of the pool and counted heads. Yep. My charges were all present and accounted for.
Jumping off the diving board onto a big raft.
Pushing each other off the raft.
Splashing and kicking, laughing and yelling.
They were having a great time, and it was a joy for me to see them having so much fun. But there, smack in the middle of the joy, I had a realization.

My children were not looking for me.

Not once since we had arrived had I heard them call out, “Mom?”
They hadn’t asked me to blow up floaties for their arms, and they didn’t need me to be in the pool so they could jump to me.
I remembered earlier summers when we were at the pool and I looked at other moms sitting around the edge, wondering when I was going to be able to join in the conversation.
I remembered the first time I convinced Matthew that it was safe to jump into the pool – that I would catch him in my arms. And how, once he had the hang of it, he didn’t want to stop!
I remembered teaching Joshua how to float on his back, and now I looked at him jumping off the diving board like a pro.

And I realized, my children are really growing up.

The only reason they still “need” me for swim days is because Mrs. Bytwerk’s house isn’t within walking distance.

In the midst of the realization, I smiled to myself. My little babies are big kids now. God has brought us through some really rough times, and has given me much joy. I know we have more storms to weather – and sometimes it scares me to anticipate what they’ll be like – but I know God will still be with me.
He will still be faithful.
And there are still joys for me to experience.
I believe it.

So I went through an entire swim day without answering the call, “Mom???” And I’m OK with that.
I wasn’t entirely useless.
Several of my girls from Sunday school were there, and they kept me busy. Can’t count the number of times I heard them calling, “Mrs. Hossink?” I helped one girl gain confidence jumping in the pool. Helped another swim on her back. And comforted a third while her mom attended to little brother.

All in all, it was a great day at the pool!

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We’ve all heard the saying absence makes the heart grow fonder.

And I’m here to tell you that it does.

When my husband was in India for ten days recently, I missed him more than I can put into…

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I’m a jeans girl in winter and a sundress girl in summer. Last year when I was great with child and huge and continuously hot, I lived in a black sundress my sister-in-law loaned me. This year I was out of luck since dresses don’t work for me with a nursing babe!

But when Line Rothman, founder of Glamourmom contacted me to review another of her company’s products for nursing moms, I was thrilled! Glamourmom (http://www.glamourmom.com/) carries a variety of tanks for pregnant and nursing women. They also have pajamas, swimsuits, baby bodysuits…and a tankdress!

Nursing clasps blend in with the adjustable shoulder straps so while nursing is as easy as ever, the dress does not scream “I can nurse in this!” to the casual and fashion-conscious observer. With a cranky, teething eight-month-old (wanting to nurse constantly in this sticky heat– ugh!), it is a great staple around home. When I need to dress it up a bit, I throw on a cute jacket.

Now, for the “Yours” part: Glamourmom is offering one reader a free item of her choice from the online store! There are things for non-nursing women… and babies, too! Or think gift!

There are three ways to earn entries:

• Earn 1 entry by commenting on this post.
• Earn 1 entry by blogging about this contest! (Feel free to use my button in the right sidebar to link back to me.) Don’t forget to leave a separate comment with the link to your post.
• Earn 1 entry by sharing this contest with your friends on Facebook. Again, be sure to leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

The contest runs now through Friday, July 3 at 12 noon (EDT).

Watch for my second Summer Giveaway later in the season!

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I teach Sunday school at church and my favorite song that we sing with the kids is called Every Day.
And my favorite line in my favorite song is the title for this post.

Do you know how TRUE that statement is???

When I am frustrated; feeling angry, stressed or tired; when my children are driving me up a wall and I want to run away – if I stop what I’m doing and start thanking God for, well, anything – things change!

I remember how blessed I am.

My heart turns toward contentment rather than complaining.

My focus shifts from the irritation around me to my Father who loves me.

My spirit is lifted instead of being weighed down.

Yes. Things change.

So Monday evening when we sat down to dinner without Brian (He was working late.), and the kids were noisy, and my nerves were short, and they asked what song we were going to sing (We always sing for our dinner prayer.), I breathed deeply and said, “I need to sing Every Day.”
So we did.
And I started to thank God.
And things changed!

*peaceful grin*
This is me, thankful for God’s amazing grace!

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See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come.

Song of Songs 2: 11-12

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