Choices, choices...

Do you ever have a time when a song pops into your head, sometimes it’s the whole song, sometimes just the chorus but now that it’s in there rattling around you can’t get it out. Then you try to figure out how it got in there in the first place and how can you now get rid of it?

I had that this past Sunday. We were on our way to church and a song I hadn’t sung since I was a child popped in. I heard it with all the echoes and it just kept going, over and over.... so I shared the frustration and told my husband. He laughed and nodded his head in understanding, then, 30 seconds later he says, “thanks, now it’s in my head” (mission accomplished).

At first I was trying to figure out if I was remembering the song right, then I was tired of hearing it, then I started listening to it and taking it in. I concluded it was God who put it there. Last Sunday was September 11, 10 years since the horrible tragedies that struck America, but also my parent’s anniversary. The little boy that had been abducted from his home in Sparwood 3 days earlier had been returned seemingly unharmed. And my child had just had his 3^rd meltdown of the morning. The sun was shining but my husband and I were exhausted from a poor night’s sleep.

    This is the day (this is the day)

    That the Lord has made (that the Lord has made)

    We will rejoice (we will rejoice)

    And be glad in it (and be glad in it)....

Pick a day in your life, any day; good, bad, great, devastating and God made that day. That isn’t necessarily the most pleasant thought is it?

“You mean to say that the pain of that day was God’s doing?” (What about the joy?)

If you truly believe in the Sovereignty of our Lord then you have to accept that His hand is in everything that happens. He made this day just as He created this earth and us to be perfect. Sadly we, as fallible humans, managed screw it up somehow with the freedom of choice that He gave us. I think to get the most out of the day He’s made we have to take it back to Him.

Do you start your day thanking God for the day and for the opportunities that will come your way to give Him glory? Or do you start the day hoping you’ll just make it to bedtime without losing your marbles? And when you get into bed at night do you look back on the day and thank Him for His grace and mercies or do you close your eyes and hope to forget that moment when you yelled at your husband (and hope he forgets it too)

Choices, choices....

What is simultaneously the worst and best day in human history?

Psalm 118: 22-24

Road Trip

Have you ever packed up your children... stuffed them all in the Caravan... added the suitcases, strollers, booster seats, and playpens and then taken off on a road trip? Chances are you have! A road trip with a car full of little ones is always an adventure, no matter the destination. Now have you ever braved such an adventure without "Dad" in the driver seat? Maybe you haven't packed up and gone on a trip without the Father of your children... maybe he's had to go away on a business trip... maybe he works long hours or does shift work or maybe he's had to be away for any number of reasons. Now the "Adventure" part of the day takes on a whole new level!

In my time as a mother I have often chosen for one reason or another to brave such an adventure on my own. Other times I have had no choice but to go about it alone and I've noticed that no matter why it is that "Daddy's" not around for an evening, a weekend, a whole week or (Lord help me) longer chaos starts to reign! The kids get grumpy, and I get grumpy. Simple tasks become complicated and difficult. The whole balancing act gets thrown off. Mealtime, bedtime, discipline, and everything else just aren't the same when Dad isn't there for an extended period of time.

During my last road trip adventure without my husband I was thinking about how everything was getting out of hand. I thought about how things often go wrong when I am on my own, even if I have family and friends helping out. The child who eats everything is all of a sudden picky... the perfect sleeper won't go to bed... and Mr. Manners has just discovered a new word that isn't so polite! Then I started to think about this from a spiritual perspective. Times when I have been away from my Heavenly Father for far too long. Days when I start without HIM. Even moments when I've turned away because I've thought for some reason that I can do it by myself (now I am sounding like my 2 year old)!

Chances are during the time God has blessed us with little ones at our feet we will face times when we feel very alone. I would encourage you in these times (and all the time) to stay close to Our Father, God. I know that the mornings I begin with a prayer start off so much better. Prayer doesn't stop the milk from being spilt but it sure does something to my spirit to keep me calm as I am cleaning up the mess for the 3rd time already! I'm a very busy mom but times is a funny thing and I believe that God blesses us with more time when we make time for Him.

Motherhood is an adventure... may God be your strength in your adventure today!

Psalm 73:23-26

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

New Beginnings...

There are so many fresh starts in life from the moment we are born (my brother in law’s first comment upon seeing his newborn niece “Wow! She’s fresh!”) Fast forward to a fresh start at school (many parents this week were experiencing first “fresh starts” in one way or another) be it kindergarten, high school or post secondary and with each “fresh” start comes the tears of good-bye. As parents we enjoy watching our children grow and learn and become their own people but, we mourn the loss of their dependence on us as well, no longer the baby that coos, giggles and snuggles into us.

As we get older we look to New Year’s Day as a fresh start for our lives. Then sometimes we decide to make “this Monday” the fresh start as we plan a new diet or quit that bad habit or organize the garage. Then there are those days where we are glad for bedtime because that means the morning will soon come and everyday is a “fresh start” and boy aren’t we glad when everyone has slept well and we start our “fresh” day feeling re“freshed”.

Well, this blog is a fresh start. It’s new, this is the very first post. Yay! It’s been months of praying, planning and organizing to come to this point. The Lord laid on my heart the desire to connect with other moms in my congregational community. That led to many other steps which ended up at this blog.

I realize a mom connect/support blog is nothing new. There are literally hundreds of them on the internet. This is, however, new to my church in that it will be written by moms from my church; moms of different ages and different parenting stages in their lives. We have mom who have little ones at home to moms who have all but one married and out of the house, to a mom who has decided to stay at home to a mom who has had to work. These moms have all experienced valleys of deep sorrow and mountains of great joy and have no trouble sharing their love of God and what he’s done for them with those around them. These moms will also stay anonymous because there is no judgement through this blog, nor is there any gossip. This blog is for the express purpose of encouragement so that the moms in the congregation will know that what they are experiencing has happened before.

It is our hope and prayer that this blog will bless and encourage the mom’s of our congregation specifically, however, if you are on the other side of the world and have stumbled upon our devotions please read on and be blessed. Maybe you will be encouraged to start the same thing for your own congregational community.

As for our moms in our congregation we all know the job of Mom is hard. It has a vision and a mission. We with God’s grace are molding the precious gifts he’s given us. It’s quite the undertaking and we can use all the Godly support and encouragement we can get. I pray you find that here. I pray that you experience a “fresh start” through God’s grace every time you visit this blog; whether it is before the first cup of coffee, during the afternoon nap or while you’re waiting for your teenager that has broken curfew again. Know you are loved and that those of us contributing are praying for you.

In Christ’s Love

Lamentations 3:21-26

....The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end they are new every morning great is your faithfulness....