"Shepherding a Child's Heart" is not my standard this holiday season:

I know that God has gifted my husband with wisdom, discernment and grace to help me all the time!! But there are sometimes when I feel like God is actually present when we discuss an issue I'm dealing with!! I realized yesterday that I have this obligatory standard of Tedd Tripp's "shepherding a child's heart" hanging over my head, attached like a balloon following me wherever I go!!! When I fail to live up to the principles in the book (you know like when I yell at my kids or take something away from them out of anger instead of spanking them in love), I am a bad mom and my kids are ruined!! I've been viewing my motherhood like one would who tried out for a sport. I am not good enough for the sport, I've tried motherhood out and didn't make the cut. 

David shared these thoughts: 

"You know Mozart's or Picasso's works are great!!! But they are nothing compared to how we feel about our kid's work!!! God sees me and my failure and is so delighted in me!! Not because of how I've disciplined that day but bc of Christ and bc I am his!!" He said Phil 2 (I think) "not that I've already obtained it or have already been made perfect, but I press on towards the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!"

He said I'm lacking faith thinking that these kids are going to be messed up because of me! That is faithless bc they are God's children, and he is accomplishing good for them. God knew my capacity, my failures, my sin and he chose me to be their mother anyways!!! 

I need to be free from performing, but I do need to see that In that moment I do have the capacity to walk in righteousness bc through God's grace he gives me ability to obey, but Instructing a child's heart is not the standard, God's word is. And when I fail to meet God's standard, he still delights in me as a mom BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF CHRIST!! "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness!!! Repent and believe, right! Repent of my failure and believe these children are Christ's!! Believe God sees me through the lens of his son not of a mom who fails!! 

So, maybe this season you see yourself as a bad mom or maybe you see yourself as a good mom, the later just as corrupt as he former!! Throw your view of who you are as a mom under the work of Christ!! This season rejoice because your ability as a mom does not depend on you but on the God who came as a baby, born in a manger, one who would know the capacity of man! Fully man, fully God! He understands yet he walked on this earth sinless! Not stained by his failures, but arrayed in righteousness! Yes this season, enjoy Christ the babe who came to earth to rid you of your failure as a mom! Breaking the walls of inability and standards!!! Christ took his sinless life and gave it to you as a MOTHER!! Christ took your life as a mom, your anger, your lack of discipline, your lack of love for your children, and he took God's wrath for those sins and was punished in our place!! Shepherding a Child's heart is the BEST book on how to rear and discipline kids (disclaimer: the book does point to Christ and is not just a book on principles!) and our house uses these principals laid out in the book. But in the end it is just a book and will burn!!! I want my life to point to Christ and not to  a book of standards. I hope that if you come to my house this season, you might catch us living out principles from Tripp's book, but more than that I hope you see Christ! Praise God who came to earth to save me as a mom!!! 

The glories revealed in the weary mom

Ahhhhh. How nice! I woke up this morning to peace and quiet, made a sweet cup of jo and sat down expactanly to have a complete extended time with God. I say complete, because most of my mornings' readings are filled with screaming, diaper changes and the like. But, as my toddles are not here, I was ready for an easy going morning. 

Cue scratches and rips off of a record!!

It is not even 8:30 and I've already had two outfit and swaddle changes from my newborn, a few arguements with the hubs and constant shushing of my newborn, who typically only sleeps well during this morning time. He must have noticed I needed a little more heat this morning. 

So, as I sat, bible opened, coffee in one hand and babe in the other, my mind was overflowing with anxiety tho my morning should have been serene. My body seemed to be in more of a slump position than when I began this morning. Defeated, I sought Christ. 

I began to think about a mother. The one who seems to be in the ocean, her head barely above water. bobbing back and forth waiting on some sort of relief, someone to throw a line out. As I began to pen about this mother and her holy calling, I saw something more. There beneath the stains of circumstance and chaos, I saw a baker. A man hard at work. He was kneading, strong arms and fists, pressing in to dough. He was working in an ingredient into this dough. The dough was hard, not really easy to add something to, but as he kept working, adding to it, the dough began to form. He placed it thence in the heat, and it began to rise until there was a final product! The product? A loaf of bread that smelt so sweet and palatable. The baker was happy with his work, for his creation was a testament to his skill!

Like a baker hard at work, so is our Master hard at work in the life of the weary mother. The glory that is to be revealed in her life from her faithful obedience and sacrifice, will present her without blemish to her king and produce in her a decleration of his faithful hand!!!! 

                                                         Romans 8: 18-30

"18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope

21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."