You Have Strengthened Feeble Hands

Job 4:3

Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.

I want you to rejoice today, knowing what powerful influence you have.  Every word, every action a mother does somehow is soaked in by her children.  Through your instruction, a new generation emerges ready to impact the world!

It Takes a Village

There is so much attention given to the influence and impact that parents have on their children.  A little less attention is given to the influence of our child’s friendships.  But, how much attention or focus is given to the influence that OUR friendships can have on our children?

You don’t need to be a single mom to desire trustworthy adults who can be positive role models in your children’s lives.  Our children need as many reinforcements in their lives as possible!

If you see friendships developing between your friends and your children, cultivate that.  Allow your friends to personally invest in your kids’ lives and to be trusted confidants, if need be. 

We all want our children to be able to come to us and talk to us about anything.  But if they really don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable to come to us about something – wouldn’t we rather they confide in a dear friend who can give them wise advice, than a peer of their own?

Surround your children with good examples of honest, Godly, integrity-filled adults.  Rely on your friends to be supportive of your role as the parent and to back you up when your child needs to hear advice from a different angle or perspective.

It’s important and vital to understand you won’t be the only influence on your child’s life.  So make solid friendships with reputable men and women – because they will be helping you raise your children.

Being a Child Again

The great thing about being a mom is that you have an excuse to listen to all those fun kid CD’s and tapes that your children adore.  I have found myself still listening to their music sometimes after I’ve already dropped them off at school!  Can you relate?

One day as I was listening to one of these children’s CD’s; the thought struck me that more people should partake of a child’s world in this way.  So many of the books, CD’s and even basic school lessons or rules that are taught to our children are centered around morals and values.  In my daughter’s preschool class they had a saying that went something like, “you get what you get, so don’t throw a fit!”  In other words, be content and thankful for what you have!  Now how many parents do you see getting upset because their child is on the bench instead of playing in the game – or any number of other situations that upset them?

Somehow a lot of us seem to lose these core principles as we grow up and we forget our manners.  We need to hear simple truths like these more often:

*Be nice

*You are special

*Jesus Loves You

*Share

*Tell the truth

*Forgive

It may sound silly, but if we act like children; maybe we should treat ourselves like children!  Maybe we need to listen to those kid tapes and books instead of just reading

them to our child.  We need to remind ourselves that we should forgive that woman who cut in front of us in the grocery line.  When we feel left out of the mom’s “circle” at school, it would be good for us to hear that we are still special.

Values and ethics aren’t just taught to children so they can outgrow them.  Principles of character should be instilled in us for a lifetime.

So pay attention to the lessons your child is being taught and remind yourself that all those little sayings and “morals of the story”… apply to you as well.

Company Comfort

There is something so warm and caring about being embraced in someone else's home. So many little touches can accomplish that goal and make your visitors feel welcomed in your home.

Consider the following ideas and implement one, two or all of them for your company.

~Leave a little piece of chocolate on bed pillows.

~Put a vase of fresh flowers in the room where your company will be staying.

~Put together a small basket of bath necessities including a disposable razor, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner and lotion.

~Stock the fridge with cold beverages.

~Give a little "prize" to children who come and visit you.

~Place a welcome sign on your garage or by your front door.

~Leave a goodie plate or tray on a main kitchen or coffee table.

~Sneak a card in their bag or suitcase letting your visitor know how much you enjoyed their visit.

~Light the room your guest will be staying in with candles and spray a soothing scent around.

~Place a pitcher and a couple of glasses near the bed of cold ice water.

~Lay a couple of magazines or books on a bedside table.

~Have your company sign your guest book.

It All Matters

A little encouragement for you today - no matter what you're doing or where God has placed you - remember it all matters.

Moms Need To Have More Fun

Moms need to have more fun. 

A mother has a lot of responsibility. We want to do our jobs right and take care of our families right.  But somehow we lost our sense of laughter along the way.

I realized this a few weeks ago.

Let's take a little quiz.... see how you rate.

1) Do you get upset with your children when they've had a massive pillow fight in their bedroom and left a huge mess?  Or do you jump in and join them - thankful that they are getting along and laughing together as siblings?

2) Do you send your children outside on the quest to "find someone to play with?" -- or do you go in the backyard and swing with them?

3) Do you sigh in exasperation as you find your child has not done something you've asked them to do for the umpteenth time instead of telling them you will tickle the stuffing’s out of them if they don't take care of it within 5 minutes??

Our children love it when we find the time to abandon our agenda and spend time laughing and enjoying life with them.  It shows them that we value them above our projects and "to-do's."

Finding the fun in life is also very good for us. It reminds us to "lighten up." And face it - we need to do that sometimes!  Laughter and joy inject a much-needed air of freshness in our homes.

I am not saying that we should never follow through on discipline issues or fail to teach our children to be responsible. I AM saying that we need to enjoy the moments that we have with our families because the time is moving by so swiftly!  And learning to laugh will relieve us of all of that stress and burden that can so heavily weigh on our shoulders.

Valuable lessons can be taught in the fun moments as well as the serious moments in life.  Remind yourself what it feels like to embrace the fun of having a marshmallow fight in a kitchen that is usually always fighting to be kept clean. Remind yourself what it feels like to look at the positive side of life and let that permeate and help you balance the "musts" and "have to's."

We need to have more fun.  Let that be your challenge for this week. :)

Facing Our Fears

If you are like most moms; you have a lot of fears that infiltrated your life once you gave birth to children. You may be afraid of flying and crashing, child molesters, getting terminally ill or sick, your children getting hurt…and countless other fears. If you’re not careful these fears can grow and rule your life.



We are faced with bad news every time we turn on the television and so we can constantly be reminded of the “what if’s.” This in turn can cause us to parent our children out of fear instead of love.


If you want to have a healthy home and family, you need to face your fears. Realize that God is in control….not you.

We can always exercise wisdom and caution in our lives, but not to the point that it prevents us (or our children) from enjoying or participating in life.

Just because you agree to let your child do something doesn’t mean you won’t worry about them. And your own personal fears in life will take time to confront and overcome. But use your fears as a way to communicate with your children and to get educated on the facts. Use the opportunities that come up as outlets for planning and preparing for those “what-if’s” instead of just merely hiding from them.