Being the Best Mom

Archive for August, 2009

Welcome to Mom-Monday. I’m glad you’re here!

I’ve mentioned before one of the frustrations that sometimes comes with being a parent: we want to be role models for our kids, yet we’re far from…

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Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Psalm 86:1

Do I hear an Amen!, sisters???

I think at one time or another I have claimed almost every Psalm to be my favorite. And this week? It’s Psalm 86. Filled with my need, and God’s goodness and faithfulness, this psalm completely spoke to my heart. Go ahead and click on the link so you can read it, and let Him pour His love out on you, too.

May the love of our great Savior and King carry you through this weekend. See you back here Monday!

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Mama

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1. Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you’ve had a great week. Has the school year started for you too? My kids headed off to their first day of fifth and third grade this week (I can hardly believe it)…

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Do you remember my struggle this summer with wanting so desperately to have time alone? I was certain I needed to get away for a couple of days to preserve my sanity and soul, but the opportunities kept slipping away. Until I finally concluded that it just wasn’t going to happen.
And I was convinced God was OK with me not getting away. I was trusting that, even though I couldn’t see it, He had a good reason for holding out on me, er, driving me to the edge of insanity, er, ignoring me, er, allowing me to wait. Yeah, that’s it!
And do you remember what I learned about waiting? Waiting often makes the answer sweeter. Much sweeter.

Well, friends, my wait is almost over!

Honestly, I had accepted the conclusion that I was not going to have an opportunity to get away by myself this summer. Wasn’t all too happy about it, but I was earnestly seeking to trust God and believe He has my best in mind.
Then, last week my husband told me it would be OK with him if I didn’t attend his friend’s wedding – that he would find a friend to take along. Brian said he knows I would much rather see a concert of my favorite Christian recording artist, and encouraged me to go. Brian was releasing me from an obligation, and I felt like he’d just given me the most wonderful gift!
Hmmmm, my birthday is next month. Wonder if this is an early present.
I’ll take it!
So, Saturday morning I am making a trip to west Michigan and I am going to spend the day alone – just me and my Jesus! I might walk along the beach. I might sit for hours beneath a tree. I might splash around in the water. It doesn’t really matter, because it’s just going to be me and Jesus, and no one else has any need to know where I am or what I’m doing.
And in the evening I am going to delight in His presence some more, while I enjoy listening to Kathy Troccoli in concert.
I feel like I have waited so long for this “vacation,” and I know it is going to be very sweet.

Father, thank You. Thank You for working out this plan so that I can get away to be alone with You for an entire day.
Forgive me for the tears I have cried because I didn’t get this day according to my own timing. Forgive me for doubting Your goodness because You didn’t give me what I wanted, when I wanted it. And thank You for Your patience with me – for loving me through the tears.
Lord, I am so looking forward to Saturday! I am so looking forward to being with You, without distractions. Oh! I can’t wait!!!
Well, yes, I can. Because I have. And You have been with me all through the WAIT – loving me faithfully, caring for me perfectly, teaching me patiently.
Thank You, God. I love you so much!

If you’re in a waiting pattern right now, please receive this encouragement to keep clinging to God. He does have your best in mind. I believe it!

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OK. Yesterday I wrote about a great experience I had with my son over the weekend and now I am writing about my feelings of despair from that same evening.
We’re up.
We’re down.
Welcome to my world!

It was time for bed, the kids were showered, and we were gathering for family prayer.
At this point, I had already become frustrated with Matthew’s inability to stay focused and he had lost use of all electronics for the next two days. (Usually, the thought of not having computer time is enough to motivate him to stay on task. Not so Saturday night.) While I was hopeful that we could have a peaceful, meaningful time as a family with the Lord before heading to bed, it was not to be so.
The boys were fidgety and could seem only to focus on one another. I started off simply giving them “the eye,” and when that didn’t work I reminded them verbally about the behavior I expect from them during family prayer.
I am sure my tone of voice was less than loving, and I know the fact that I was quite tired myself didn’t help matters. At all.
And when the boys continued in their rambunctiousness, I simply looked at my husband, sighed, and said, “One day. Right? One day.”
Meaning, “One day I’m going to miss this, right?” I mean, that’s what everyone says who has grown children. One day I’m going to miss the noise. And for a brief moment I thought, Ah, that day can’t come soon enough!

But then I remembered, I don’t want to wish these days away!

Have you been there, too? Perhaps you’re there right now – caught somewhere between, Lord, grow them up. Quickly! and Oh! Let them stay my babies forever!
It’s a hard balancing act, this mothering thing is. Don’t know how I would survive it without the grace and mercy of God.
Check that. I know I wouldn’t be able to survive it without the grace and mercy of God. Let’s go to Him together right now.

Father in heaven, thank You. Thank You for your grace and mercy, which You give so freely. Your grace and mercy which none of us deserves, yet You lavish it upon us. And yes, Lord, I thank You for my children. Indeed, they are gifts from You – and when they’re being quiet and I am not tired, it’s easy for me to remember that. Please help me to remember it, also, in the midst of the noise.
Lord, we are in constant need of Your grace and mercy. And I am asking You now – for myself, and for each of my friends here – for patience and abounding love for our children. Help us to treasure the moments we have with them now, that we may not wish these days away. When the moments are feeling like too much for us, Father, flood us with peace and be our Strength.
We need You, and we are so thankful for Your faithfulness toward us.
Amen and amen!

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I’ve told you before about my friend Kristen (pictured here with her son Will)…

Not only does she have a great blog and write fashion articles for various Web sites, she also makes beautiful…

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“This is a bad fishing day. It’s cold, and I haven’t caught anything. But I’m so glad you brought me!”
These were the words my son uttered to me last weekend as we sat next to one another on the fishing dock at Lake Lansing.
It was windy, and it was cold. I was wearing jeans and a sweater, and still I thought I should’ve had a jacket, too! To be honest, I was on the verge of miserable as the wind whipped past my ears, and I glanced at my watch wondering if it “was time” to leave yet.

And the fishing?
Was pitiful.
Just a few days prior to this one, I had also taken Joshua fishing and he caught a huge bass. Seriously. I could have put my whole fist in the mouth of that fish. (“Could have” would be the operative words in that sentence. I didn’t really do it!)
On that day, it was like the bass was playing games with Joshua – showing up to nibble and then darting away, until he finally hooked the big guy. And I, by the way, landed it. (That means I scooped it up with the net. New fishing term Joshua taught me, and now I feel cool using it. *grin*)
Indeed, that day the fishing was fun! But this weekend, you might have thought there were no fish in the lake at all. The only nibble Joshua got was from a duck who was being too nosy.
I was afraid my tends-to-focus-on-the-negative-side-of-things son was going to be sorely disappointed with the trip, and would bring home a bad attitude rather than a good fishing story.
I was afraid his sour attitude would poison the rest of the family.
I was afraid I would regret taking him fishing.

I was afraid, because we’ve been through that scene so many times before.

But Joshua surprised me.
He acknowledged the negative part of the day, but he said he was so glad I brought him! This boy – the one who I thought never listens to me when I try to show him how to look for the bright side of things – saw a positive in spite of the negative.
I wasn’t expecting that.
All of a sudden I was infused with hope. In that instant I thought maybe, just maybe, perseverance was beginning to pay off. I wondered at the possibility that my son may be listening after all.
And all of a sudden, that bad fishing day became wonderful in my book.

Hopeful mom here, encouraging you to watch for your children to surprise you today!

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In case you want to catch up:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

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Welcome to Mom-Monday!

This post is all about you, with a fun giveaway at the end that anyone can enter, so keep on reading…

I mentioned on the first Mom-Monday that I’m a whole lot better at…

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