Making History…Mother’s Day 2010

My daughter just finished a scrapbook project for 7th grade Texas History. It was her personal Texas history…the parents, grandparents, greats and beyond (if they wanted to go further.)


I thought it was a perfect project to make history real to them…to realize that this is what makes history – the things that happen in daily life.


My husband looked at one of the pictures and said, “Where did that little girl go?” She’s 13 now and is only a trace of the little girl who flipped everywhere, didn’t care how she looked, and pressed flowers just because she wanted to, not because she had a wildflower project due in a few days.


The days zip right by. People tell you it will happen. We wrote a song about it knowing it was inevitable. But, realize you have are fewer days left with them at home than you’ve already spent is tough. Ouch! My eyes are stinging…


Everyday, we’re making history. We may not be making the textbooks, but to the people who mean the most in our lives and with the people who matter most, we’re making their personal history books.


As we start a new “Mother’s Day Year,” let’s make the most of the hours we have with those we love.
-When we need to slow down, let’s slow down;
-If we need to discipline, let’s stand up, be the mom, then follow through;
-Maybe it’s letting go of all those things we wanted or expected so that we can embrace where we are.


If we keep waiting for a better time, it probably won’t come. The time is now to invest in our families. With God’s strength we can do what He has called us to do.


Our goal at Mom and Loving It Ministries and in our own personal lives is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength by making the most of every opportunity as we are at home and going along our way, when we go to bed and when we get up.* That’s how we want to make history.


How do You Make History?
1. What are everyday things you do with your family that you hope will make a lasting impression on them?
2. Maybe your kids are grown. What made an impact on your children?

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you precious moms! You’re amazing! You might be thinking, “No I’m not! If you only knew!” My husband told me once (when I was beating myself up for how horrible I had been as a mom that day), “Honey, I wish you could see yourself the way I do.” It helped me understand that I’m sometimes too hard on myself. So, instead of shaking your head at your mess-ups, I hope you can see yourself today the way that we see you - more important, the way that God sees you. He thinks you're remarkable!

Psalm 34:5 “Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame.”

Sharon

*Mark 12:30, Eph. 5:16, Deut. 6:7

Discipline is a Good Pain

"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 12:11

Discipline is hard. It takes consistency, perseverance, and time! But, I'm taking heart because these verses say that the reward will come later. I may not even see the results right now (which I admit is a little disheartening), but He says they will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace.

Discipline is a pain to our kids, but it's a pain to us as parents, too. It gives meaning to the cliche' "No pain, no gain." Our willingness to jump in and train our children is one of the biggest acts of love we can give them. Though they might not like it right now, eventually, they will see that our training and correction came from a heart of love.

If you're in the same world I'm in at the moment, take heart. Discipline isn't pleasant at the moment, but it will provide great rewards in the end. Just as the Lord disciplines those He loves, (Prov. 3:12) we take the time, love and care to discipline those we love with consistency and perseverance.

Lord,
In our training, please protect our words and actions. I pray that the things we do and say will not be twisted by our children, but that you will allow the discipline to penetrate their hearts so that they will understand how much You love them. Give us the energy and courage to discipline consistently. Thank you for never tiring of training us. In Jesus Name...

Sharon
Blessings as you train the next generation!

When I Give Up...He Doesn't: Why I Love Jesus Part 3

I love Jesus because when I’m overwhelmed with my faults, He quietly cheers me toward a better way instead of giving up on me.


It has been one of those weeks (actually several weeks) that I’ve noticed everything I’ve done wrong. Like that pile of tipped hurdles, the failures have been obvious in my mind. Some of my missed hurdles...

* I am so inconsistent! And all the books say that one of the most important things in parenting is to be consistent.
* I regularly pounce on things that don’t really matter, missing the positive and magnifying the negative in my husband and kids.
* When I do correct things that matter, I often attack them which pushes them away instead of gently showing them the way they should go. (“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”Prov. 15:1)
* I trudge through my “mom duties” waiting for a pat on the back rather than cooking, cleaning, and loving with thankfulness. It’s amazing that I even have a family. I want to serve them with a grateful heart.


And today, a not only knocked the hurdle over, but I crashed and burned. I began to understand that I am notorious for trying to cover my mistakes. After a conversation with my daughter about her refusal to accept responsibility for her part of an issue, I soon realized that I was naming my own sin as I pointed out what I thought was monopolized by my daughter.


I want my children to apologize, to speak respectfully when they are confronted, to learn from their mistakes, but I have been so busy covering my tracks that I am quick to lash out with harsh words, often slow to apologize, and slow to accept my responsibility. That’s quite the opposite of James 1:19: “…be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” I have much to learn. I can feel hopeless.


Where’s the Hope?
I have a tendency to give up on me, but He keeps quietly pursuing me. The hope in all this for you and me is that at our worst, He is still for us. Jer. 31:3 says: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.” He hasn’t forced Himself on me, but has rather consistently drawn me closer to Himself by helping me see how much I need Him (i.e. all those hurdles). He is able to love us through the race and grow us to new heights in our relationship with Him and with others.


When I am crippled by my own sin, confession leads the way to healing and growing. I started the apologies this morning for tracks I had tried to cover. Already, as I began to share my struggle and ask forgiveness, I have felt the rockslide of guilt begin to lighten.


If you’re struggling with your own inadequacies, ask God to show you where you are stubbornly wanting your own way; confess those areas; then look to Him who is not only able to help, but wants to help. He is, in fact, at this very moment, quietly cheering you on to a better walk each day.


Something to do with the kids:
1. Talk about some things that are causing you to struggle. Ask your kids what seems difficult things they are facing. Talk about how these verses can help you overcome the hurdles in your life.
Jeremiah 31:3

Colossians 3:17
James 3:17
James 4:8

James 4:10

2. Take one of the verses above and make it "yours."

Running the race...

Sharon

Way to go Brittlea on a great hurdling season!! I loved watching you! - Mom

A Bathroom Break

Hearts at Home...Wow! An amazing weekend with over 4700 moms in the same building! Moms are great at laughing, crying, encouraging, and loving on each other.

One of my favorite experiences from the conference came when I was frustrated with some children I know and love. Did I mention we traveled to the conference with our families? Hmmm...

I went to the restroom to freshen up (and calm down!) since I was supposed to be on stage in just a few minutes. I stood at the mirror calling out to God when in walked Mary Byer, another speaker whose table was next to ours.

I blurted out, "You have got to pray for me!" I proceeded to tell her what was going on and she calmly encouraged me that it was great to see us here with our "normal" kids. She understood my struggle, and encouraged me to stand strong and be the mom.

I walked out of the bathroom with my head held high and truly "freshened up!"

Later, it hit me how great it would be if we could walk into our bathrooms at home and have the counselor find us there in our desperation. The reality is, we do have that opportunity. God gives us friends who can spur us on. And when the friends aren't there, He is always available to pour out wisdom, understanding, and love beyond measure.

The next time you're ready to blow your top, head for the privacy of your bathroom and call a friend, or cry out to Him..."If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God who gives generously to everyone without finding fault." James 1:5

Headed to bed...in Chicago...
Sharon

Why I Love God, Part 2 ~ Things Are Lookin' Up For You

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Ps. 8:3


When my kids were little, I sang a song to them in the tub to get them to look up while I shampooed their hair. “No more tears,” didn’t always prove to be true in our bathtub. So, I would sing, “Things are lookin’ up for you; things are lookin’ up for you, lookin’ up, lookin’ up, lookin’ up, lookin’ up, things are looking up for you.” It did the trick – most of the time – to keep the soap out of their eyes and in their hair.


I love how real God is when we look at nature – specifically when we look “UP.” Every morning, He paints the sunrise. Throughout the day, He decorates the sky with clouds. Sunshine and shade. Look up at the end of each day and He puts on a new production we call “The Sunset.” He doesn’t stop there. Nighttime brings twinkly stars anchored by a changing face of the moon. Is it any wonder that He put all these marvels in the sky? On the earth, the seasons change, but in the sky (up), change happens by the second as the clouds roll.


“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge There is no speech or language where their voce is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4


I think He wanted us to remember to look “up” so we could remember He is watching over us at all times much like we do when rinsing our kids heads. They look up, we have our eye on them.


If you’re having trouble trusting that God is watching out for you – maybe you’re struggling to believe that He really is in control. Go take a walk outside and look “up.” We can trust the glorious Creator of the skies. He projects Himself for all of us to see. When we look up and stop slapping at the water, the soap suds of life are still there. But, we can look into His face as He holds us. If you want things to start lookin' up for you, start lookin' up at Him. He is with us through our fear and panic to protect us from the sting.

Try this:
If you get a chance, go outside with your kids and find pictures in the clouds (you might have to sit in the car or look out the window since it’s still chilly.) What a great opportunity to read and discuss Psalm 19:1-4.

Hear "Famous One" by Chris Tomlin..."the heavens declare You're glorious, glorious..."

Why I LOVE God: Because He Loved Me First Part 1

All the World is a Coloring Book!

My kids have a book that we’ve read for years now. Our last, a 7 year-old boy, is the one enjoying it now. It’s called, God Thought of It First. It tells about all kinds of things that are common to us that God thought of first (i.e. helicopters – hummingbirds).

I was thinking about all the things I love about God. The main one is that He thought of it first. He thought of loving us before we ever knew how to love. One of the ways he shows us this amazing love is through nature. For the next few months, I want to focus on a certain way that God illustrates His love for us. These are great things to share with our kids to show them that God loves us through the details of life and nature. Is reminds us that - He loved us first.

One of the things I love about God: He gave us color.

Everything could have been black and white…not nearly as interesting as lime-green and fuchsia! At the Autry house, we’ve been watching old TV shows on DVD, some of which are in black and white. Though the lack of color can make people more attractive, the lack of it causes everything in the background to be – well – in the background. Things go unnoticed.

If God had made only black and white, flowers, birds, hair, eye and skin color, wouldn’t be nearly as interesting or enjoyable. But if you think about how long it takes to actually color a picture, black and white would have been much easier. The only explanation, then, is that God loves us enough to make the world an interesting, beautiful place to be.

Why not grab a black and white crayon for each of your family members (even your teens – coloring is therapeutic!) and sit down to color. When they ask for the rest of the box of crayons you’ll have a great opportunity to share that God loved us enough to make color. What would we miss if color were eliminated from our world?

“For all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him..” Colossians 1:16 (NET)

Because He First Loved Us...

Valentine’s is less than a month away! Normally I (Sharon) think about how I can show my husband and children that I love them. But, I was just thinking about why I love Jesus. Sometimes I forget to tell Him. Here are a few of my thoughts:

I love Jesus because...

...He gave us color. Everything could have been black and white…not nearly as interesting as lime-green and fuchsia! I love that He didn’t just give us one kind of bird but more than I’ll ever see! I love all the different kinds of flowers. “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” Col. 1:16

...He gets glory when I serve my family. “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matt. 25:40 (Matt. 25:31-46 tells the whole story and fits moms so perfectly.)

...He won’t stop loving me (even when I don’t like myself very much.) “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:38-39 (NIV)

...He has a plan for today when I don’t have a clue what will happen.
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart, don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.” Prov. 3:5-6 (The Message)

...When I don’t have a clue about how to raise my kids, I can ask Him rather than “Google”. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NIV)

...No matter what time I want to talk, He is ready to listen. “The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” Isaiah 40:28

...When I am tired and overwhelmed by all the responsibility of being a grown-up, He gives me strength. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV)

...He forgives and forgets. “As far as sunrise is from sunset, He has separated us from our sins.” (What a gracious God!) Ps. 103:12 (The Message)

...He gave me children. Loving them gives me a glimpse of how much He loves me. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (NIV)

...He tells me to give Him ALL my cares because He cares for me. Even though Jesus dying for my sin would have been enough, He didn’t stop there. He wants to be a part of my days, hours, and minutes, too. He really, really cares for me! “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7

...He is not surprised by anything. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Ps. 139:16b (NIV)

...This world is not my home. “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2

...No matter what the circumstances, I always have hope. “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Ps. 62:5 “He puts poor people on their feet again; he rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives-- a place in the sun! For the very structures of earth are GOD's; he has laid out his operations on a firm foundation.” I Samuel 2:8

Jesus,
You are amazing. I love you!!
Sharon

Mom Tip:
1. If you aren’t currently in a study of some sort, you might try reading one of the verses listed above each day and really thinking about it. Ask God to let the truths go deep into your heart. Life is at its best when our eyes are focused on Him.
2. Don't miss the great Valentine's idea in our Junk Drawer. It's a simple, inexpensive way to remember your hubby or a friend. ~Thanks to Theresa (who is celebrating her first Valentine's as a married woman) for the idea!