Paitlyn and the Whale :)

2 Corinthians 9:7

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

I am so blessed by my children and the lessons of the Lord they teach me first hand. My children are a true gift of God and I treasure these tiny precious moments with them.

This morning I gave them their snack.  It was tiny 'Whales crackers. I gave them each a toddler cup full. I asked Jaxson if he would let mommy have a cracker. He looked at me like, "Um, I don't really want to but okay."  He looked over all his crackers to find one that he could part with and finally after much deliberation settled on a puny broken one.  My daughter over heard me ask him and she ran in with beautiful, tiny, slobbery hands and said "Here mommy, Here. You can have my cracker." So she gave it to me and she had so much fun she kept giving and giving. She'd walk off and run back and give me a few more. She wasn't doing it because she expected something in return. She wasn't doing it to prove anything. She wasn't doing it for any other reason than because I had asked and she loved me. She gave until all her crackers were gone.

She looked at me and said, "I sorry mommy, they're all gone." 

(No my daughter isn't quite 2 but that is really how she talks )  I have never before been more happy to refill my childs snacks. If it would have been good for her I would have given her the whole box. When she gave, she didn't realize I was the 'Whale' Owner. I didn't need her 'Whales' I could have had all the Whales I wanted, but she was a cheerful giver.  She gave because she loved me and I had asked.

Dear Lord,

Make my heart like Paitlyn's. Trusting, loving and giving because You ask.  Not out of selfish gain or of selfish withholding.  Teach me to trust You with my tomorrows, and not to worry over my today's!

Your Clay~

 

The Beautiful Call to Parent

The many years I daydreamed about being a mom. I never realized the intense responsibility that came along with it. Knowing that my every action, word, motive; everything that I do is shaping my children.

Knowing how I discipline, how and what I encourage,  my passions and my desires are going to have a huge effect on my children.  The areas I compromise. The sins I justify; "yeah, the bible says we shouldn't...but that's not a "big sin", so what's a little slip-up here and there." (Pride, gossip, slander, lust, compromising biblical truths for the sake of convenience, etc...)

In a recent post  I asked: "If we say we would die for our children, shouldn't we live that out daily?"  

Being a Godly Parent is a daily call to die.  Laying down my own wants, needs, desires in order to display Christ to my children.

Learning to Breathe

I love watching the Duggars.  I think the children are precious, and the husband is a great dad, but I am totally jealous of Mrs. Duggar.  Not in an ugly way, but you see the Love of Christ all over her. You have to, she's had 19 children and holds it all together, you know that's a God thing. I only have two and there are days I feel like I am going to lose it. I want to have that kind of Godly love exude my life. I want my children to be able to watch my life and know they have a mom who earnestly desires to reflect Christ.

I am a strong type A personality and I have a point A and a point B, in every task, and everything that gets in the way of my point B is in a Dangerous place. :)  I don't want to be that way.  I want to be gentle, loving, kind and Patient. I want to have my children screaming and running under my feet and I want to be able to calmly explain to them why that's inappropriate.  I want them to be screaming and wrestling in the other room and to be able to get on their level in a calm firm voice explain why that's not okay.  I want to teach them biblically when their behaviors are wrong.  I want to look at their heart in the situation and see where they are coming from instead of jumping to the conclusion of "Guys, Knock it Off!" so quickly. 

Don't get me wrong, I do up until about 2:30 on good days, 11:30am on questionable ones, and there are days I barely make it to 8:30. As a mom it is my goal to be the Proverbs 31, wife and mom. I want to be the wife that boosts her husband to accomplish all God places before him. I want to be the mom that shapes the children and their behavior in light of God's word.  I want to teach them Jesus, not just by preaching it but in my actions. Show them by my love. In the way I answer their cries. In the way I fix their drinks and snacks and the way I sit down with them to watch their cartoons, or read a book and rock, even when I have a To-Do list a mile long.
I think it is a snare of Satan to begrudge these precious little moments. When I am too focused on my To-Do's than these precious gifts of God.

Dear Lord,

Give me Your eyes to see my children and Your heart to love my children. Help me to shape them and train them in Your ways. Remove any stumbling block I may set up in their path. Keep my eyes focused on You and remember my family is second and to-do's are third.
Help me to make my children my point B, and to annihilate everything in the middle that keeps me from treasuring their little moments.  I pray that they will see You in me.  I pray that You will teach me to Breathe and Pray before Reacting, because Lord, I Know that they see, watch and mimic my every move. 

Your Clay,

Melissa

Inspire Me

When I'm not looking

I have to admit, there are days I get so frustrated and discouraged because I Really want to have some time "Alone" with God, and as a mommy "Alone Time" is a thing of the past.  I try to get up early and I promise, the kids hear me open my bible, and I cannot concentrate if I have anything going on around me so this is Really a Task :)

I take the kids outside to play and I pull out my bible and Jax has a question, then Pait does everything Jax does so here she comes trying to say what Jax said, it really is adorable, but I can't spend time with God with so much going on.  I feel like I can't be the mommy they need me to be if I don't get to spend the time with Him that I need. I don't feel like I can be the wife I need to be or minister in the way He's called me to if I can't spend time with Him.

The other day I was having one of these battles in search of quiet time so I took the kids outside to play and I sat on the front porch and Pait came up to me and she said, "Bible, Bible" so she grabbed one of my bibles and sat down beside me and pretended to read.

God showed me that even though I'm not Really getting to spend time with Him the way I would like my walk is having an impact on my children's life, I am called to be a missionary to my children, and they mimic my every move.  When I'm not looking at my attitude, actions or words, they are!  My friend Sunshine told me the other day, "God made us mom's. He knows our life is hectic." 

While that is in no way a justification to not spend time with God, because spending time with God is not an obligation.  We are Blessed to be able to boldly approach God and present our requests to Him and to have Him mold us into His vessels to be used for His Good Purposes, and for Him to give us His peace as we walk on shaky ground. How on earth could that be considered an obligation?

I am learning to adapt to this era in my life with Him. Enjoy this time with my children and to meditate on His word throughout the day.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.