31 Days of Encouragement For Every Mom

31 Days of Encouragement
for Every Mom

by Megan Breedlove
www.MannaForMoms.com
2014 Megan Breedlove - www.MannaForMoms.com
Table of Contents
Angry Mom ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Dirty Apples .................................................................................................................................... 3
Love Them Now ............................................................................................................................. 6
Soundtrack ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Addiction....................................................................................................................................... 11
Lifter of My Head ......................................................................................................................... 13
Good Enough ................................................................................................................................ 15
Its a Girl! ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Stop Provoking.............................................................................................................................. 19
S-T-U-P-I-D .................................................................................................................................. 21
Last Dollar .................................................................................................................................... 24
Be It Done for You ....................................................................................................................... 28
Hope Now ..................................................................................................................................... 30
Overachiever ................................................................................................................................. 32
Someday Heroes ........................................................................................................................... 34
One Blade...................................................................................................................................... 36
No Good ........................................................................................................................................ 38
Labor Days .................................................................................................................................... 40
Cant Wait ..................................................................................................................................... 42
Temptation .................................................................................................................................... 44
Serving Royalty ............................................................................................................................ 46
Dressed for Church ....................................................................................................................... 48
No Room for Clothes .................................................................................................................... 50
Greener .......................................................................................................................................... 52
Great Enough ................................................................................................................................ 54
Distorted........................................................................................................................................ 56
Making it Look Easy..................................................................................................................... 58
Being Thankful in Tough Times ................................................................................................... 60
Doing All Things .......................................................................................................................... 62
When Life Drags You Down ........................................................................................................ 64
Megan Breedlove - www.MannaForMoms.com
Introduction
Greetings! Im excited to be able to partner with ForEveryMom.com in bringing you this
devotional book. I have included 31 of the most popular devotions from my website,
MannaForMoms.com. The topics range from anger to temptation to how to build a godly home,
but all have the same goal: helping you hear God speaking in the midst of the very ordinary stuff
of motherhood.
Since these truths are drawn from lessons Ive learned through parenting my 5 children, I wanted
to introduce the kids to you. Ellie is 11; Kenny is 10; Lindsey is 8; Jessica is 6; and Timmy is 2.
Ive arranged the devotions in chronological order so that you can follow my kids as they grow
and see the lessons Ive learned along the way.
Hopefully, these lessons will resonate with you, too, as God speaks His truth into your heart.
Blessings,
Angry Mom
Originally published June 30, 2008
I saw Angry Mom the other day in the refrigerated foods section at Wal-Mart.
I was heading for the juice, and she and her two children were already standing there. As she
stood there weighing the merits of different brands, her daughter stood near the cart. Her son,
about ten years old, rolled around nearby on those roller-sneakersyou know, those tennis shoes
that have wheels in the bottom. He wasnt really getting in anybodys way or causing a nuisance,
until
Ouch! Angry Mom shouted. Watch out! Those things hurt!
I dont remember whether the boy mumbled some sort of apology. I think he did. What I do remember next is how after that, the boy couldnt do anything right. In the less than sixty seconds
that I was standing there choosing two kinds of juice to buy, she snapped at him two or three
more times. It looked to me like it wasnt a matter of him really doing anything wrong, but rather
of her still being mad that he ran into her with his sneaker-skates. Now, everything he did made
her mad.
The tone of her voice was harsh and disgusted. Demeaning. Standing there staring at the juice,
trying to pretend that I wasnt listening (I couldnt help but hear her), I cringed inside. I knew her
words, her tone, and her attitude that now-nothing-you-do-is-right had to be wounding his spirit.
And inside, I cringed for the tender boy that surely still lived inside a ten-year-old body.
Then it hit me, like a punch to my stomach. Her voice was mine. Her child was mine. Her words,
tone, and attitude were mine.
You see, Ive been there.
Ive been her.
Ive wounded my child with my responses to childish mistakes or accidents. Ive indicated with
my tone of voice that I was disgusted with my child. Ive shown by my words that my child had
screwed up so badly, nothing they could do would be right for awhile.
I felt sick.
Soon, the mom and her children wheeled their cart away, and I was alone by the juice with my
thoughts and my guilt. I realized that for a few moments, I had condemned the mothers actions
(rightly so) without realizing that they were my own.
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As I pushed my cart down the side aisle, I encountered the family again. I first noticed them because the mother was raising her voice. Isabel!
Isabel was coming in my direction, while the mother and son were further away from me.
Isabel!
You know, I thought, I bet she chose the name Isabel because she thought it was the most beautiful name she could think of. Yet listen to how she calls it now. Isabel! No beauty. Shes
shouting that name like its an ugly name. Yet once she spoke it because it was beautiful.
Oh, friends, have you been there, too? Not in the side aisle at Wal-Mart, but in the same situation
that mother was in, where maybe you were having a bad day anyway, and one of your children
pushed one of your buttons, and you snapped? And after that, you couldnt get yourself back under control? And you heard the ugliness and unfairness in your voice, but it felt like you couldnt
stop yourself?
If you have, take a minute right now and confess your sins to God. Confess the way youve
treated your children. You may even need to confess the way youve judged other mothers for
things that you have done yourself.
Ask your children to forgive you, too. Humbly asking forgiveness can go a long way toward
healing a childs wounded spirit.
Then, spend some time meditating on how God treats you. When you run into him with your
sneaker-skates, does he yell at you and then pick disgustedly on everything you do? Does he call
your name as if its devoid of all the beauty he used to think it had?
Of course not. Our God is amazingly, perfectly loving. He loves us even when weve messed up.
Even when we have done something wrong, he always treats us with love and dignity.
Determine that you will do the same. That you wont become Angry Mom just because your
child has annoyed you. Remember their delicate little spirits. Thank God for his love, and show
the same love to your children.
Matthew 7:3-5Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out
of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the
plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers
eye.
1 John 3:1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
2
Dirty Apples
Originally published July 14, 2008
My daughter Lindsey loves apples. She loves playing with them, eating them, hoarding them,
stealing them, making a mess with themyou name it. One time, when she was 18 months old,
she asked for an apple for a snack. I got out my handy-dandy apple slicer, where you press the
thing down on top of the apple and it cores it and chops it into slices, all at the same time, and
sliced the apple for her.
She was not content, however, to take one measly slice, or even to wait for me to put the slices
into a bowl. Instead, she had to grab all the apple slices and walk awayprobably to leave them
on the floor somewhere, or maybe to actually eat them.
But fresh-cut apple slices are slippery, and when youre only 18 months old and youre trying to
hold eight slices in your two little hands, well, its tough to do. So as she headed across the
kitchen, most of the slices slipped out of her hands and landed on the floor.
I headed toward her to pick up the slices, intending to throw them away and slice her another apple. But Lindsey saw me coming, bent down, scooped up the slices in both hands, and started
toddling away as fast as she could go.
I caught up with her, and when she felt my hand touch her, she sat down on the floor and began
to cry, clutching those apples in her two little fists like they were the Hope Diamond and I was
trying to steal it. No! No! she screamed tearfully as I pried them from her grip. Then, when she
finally gave in to the realization that she had lost, she stopped saying No! and just wailed.
Ill get you some more apples, I had tried to say as I took the apples away from her. These are
dirty. Ill get you some more.
But she didnt want more apples. She wanted the ones she already had. The ones that fell on the
floor and were dirty now. The ones fit only for the trash can. Those were her precious apples,
and I was taking them from her.
Friends, have you ever tried to hang onto dirty apples?
Oh, I dont mean actual food that has fallen on the floor. I mean things that God is trying to take
away from you, telling you that theyre no good. When he wants to remove something from you,
do you let him, or do you scream and cry and clutch your dirty apples with all of your might?
When he finally, mercifully, removes them from you by force, do you wail, heartbroken?
I think we have all been there. But oh, dear friends, we dont have to be there ever again.
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Lindsey was too young to understand that I was taking the apples away for her own good, intending to replace them with something far better. Or if she did understand, the pain of losing the apples she already had was too great for her, and she clung to what she already had hold of, even
though they were dirty. Even though they were trash.
There is a Rich Mullins song with a line that goes, Id rather fight you for something I dont really want than to take what you give that I need.
Thats exactly what Im talking about.
God never asks us to give things up, or removes things from us, just to cause us grief with no
other good purpose in mind. We know for certain, because we know his character and because he
has revealed this in the Bible, that everything he does to and for us is for our good and his ultimate glory (which are one and the same).
So why, when he asks us to turn loose of something, do we fight him? Maybe its because we
forget his character. Lindsey thought I was being mean to her. Sometimes, we question Gods
goodness. Other times, our emotions are so intensely involved that we simply cant bear to part
with the thing in question, and any attempt to make us part with it sets off such intense grief that
we just cant consider anything else.
Theres another way we could respond when were asked or required to give up something we
hold dear. Its easy to say Okay, God when we understand and agree with the reason for giving
it up. Right now, Im talking about when we dont understand, or we understand but dont agree.
During those times, we can make a decision of our will to voluntarily give up to God that which
he is requiring of us. This doesnt mean saying we desire to give it up. Quite the contrary, sometimes. What it does mean is that we can tell God, God, I know that you wouldnt ask me to give
this up if there werent a sufficient reason. Although everything within me wants to fight you on
this, I choose to follow not my flesh, not my limited understanding, but that which I know
beyond a shadow of a doubt is truethat you are good, all the time, and that if you require
something from me, that is good enough reason, even if I dont understand why. So I choose to
give this up to you so that you dont have to pry it from my hand. I do this even though it grieves
meeven though it tears my heart in twoeven though if you gave me the choice, I would
scream, No! Dont take it!
Hard? Oh, yes. Friend, Ive been there. I know it can be agonizingly hard. But I also know its
worth it to surrender willingly.
You see, God will take what he needs to take, whatever our response may be. So will we fight
him? Or will we let go?
Will we hold onto the dirty apples? Or will we trade them in for something better, that even if we
cant see and dont understand right now, we know its coming? Because you can be assured that
God will bring good out of even the greatest tragedy. Thats the kind of wonderful God we have.
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Isaiah 55:9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (NIV)
Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. (NIV)
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Love Them Now

Originally published January 26, 2009
I love my kids. I love spending time with them, and I love being a stay-at-home mom.
But sometimesI find myself wishing.
I wishhe would be more interested in using the potty.
I wishshe would stop deconstructing the house every time I turn around.
I wishhe would stop whining.
I wishshe wouldnt argue.
I wishthey would let me have an entire phone conversation without interrupting.
I wishthey would eat what I put in front of themwithout complaining.
I wishI wishI wish
Do you have wishes, too? Do you, like me, earnestly wish some things about your child or his or
her behavior were different? Are you, like me, working very hard in some areas to help bring
about the day when the behavior is put aside, or outgrown?
Oh, we think, when she stops doing this, life will be so much easier. Or, if he would just start
doing that.
Theres nothing wrong with looking toward the future. In fact, as mothers, we must look toward
the future. We need a perspective that says that this too shall pass. We need a perspective that
helps us realize what is truly important, and what isnt. We need an eternal perspective that reminds us of what will be important ten, or twenty, years from now, and what will be forgotten.
But lets not focus so hard on changing our childrens behavior in the future that we forget to
love them in the present.
Yes, our children will probably be a lot easier to deal with once a particular behavior is under
control.
But this doesnt mean our children will be any easier to love in the future.
Easier to get along with? Maybe.
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But not easier to love.

You see, if we find it easier to love our children once their behavior changes, it reveals that our
love has been performance-based.
Saying we might be able to love our children more at some point in the future, once they begin or
cease doing something, is the same thing as saying that our love is based on their performance,
not on their intrinsic worth as a marvelous creation of God and our precious child.
What you and I must remember is that love is not simply a feeling of comfort with someone. It is
not mere approval. It is not even necessarily warm and fuzzy.
Love is action. It is a choice. It is a choice that can be made in any situation, even right now.
No, I dont know how your children are behaving. But I do know they deserve your love. Right
now. As they are. They need to know that they are loved and accepted, no matter how imperfect
they are.
It doesnt mean you always have to accept their actions, their attitudes, or their words. It means
you always accept them.
Arent you glad that God didnt wait until our behavior was perfect before accepting us?
Scripture gives us the incredible truth that God loved us and accepted us completely from the
very beginning.
Did he accept our sin? Of course not. But even while we were still sinners, God sent his son Jesus to die for us.
God didnt wait until we were holy before he extended love, grace, and acceptance to us. He
didnt wait until we had reached some level of perfection. He didnt even wait until we had
stopped doing certain things, or started doing others.
Instead, He loved us from the beginning.
Yes, part of his love means that he disciplines us, just as part of your love for your children
means that you will discipline them and try to turn them from ways they shouldnt go.
But make sure your children know deep in their souls that no matter what they do or fail to do,
you love them, and God loves them. Not in the future, but right now.
And not just a little, but with all your might.
After all, God has done the same for you.
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Romans 5:8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)
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Soundtrack
Originally published October 19, 2009
Sometimes, I wonder which memories will stand out when I look back on this time in my life.
When my children are grown and gone, what will I remember from the days when they were
young?
I was wondering about that not too long ago. It was a day when everything was going right. My
heart overflowed with gratitude to God for the four precious gifts Hes given me, and with love
for my children. As I watched them play, the thought hit me, as it has before, that one day, these
days are going to be gone. One day, my children will be older, and these wonderful, magical
years will have flown by.
Oh, Ill admit there are days that seem far less magical than others. But right now, there is exquisite joy in watching them play, in seeing them run around the house, in hearing their childish requests, in being needed. My heart hurt at the realization that one day, I will no longer be able to
cuddle them the same way I do now. I wont see them running through my home, smiling and
carefree, making their own endless entertainment. Everything will be different, and though I
know that in some ways things will be even better, I also know that I will miss these times we
have together now.
What will I miss most when I think back? I wondered, and the answer came: their laughter. Ive
heard their laughter so many times, and it has come to mean so much to me, that I cant imagine
being without it.
When the kids were smaller, I used to make it my goal to make them giggle wildly at least once a
day, because kids deserve to be able to laugh like that. We still laugh together every day. We
play games together, and we tickle each other. We tell jokes, and we share funny stories and discoveries. All of these are occasions for laughter. Sometimes, we laugh for no reason at all except
delight in something, or in just being together.
Yes, there are times when the sounds in our home are not so pleasant. If you could listen to us,
you would sometimes hear harsh words, anger, or frustration. But most often, you would hear
laughter.
For our home, and hopefully for yours, laughter is like the soundtrack of a movie. When youre
watching a movie, you dont usually notice the music because youre paying more attention to
the action. Laughter is like that. It plays unobtrusively in the background. Its not as noticeable
as the jarring notes of anger and disobedience, despite the fact that the latter make up only a few
measures of the entire score.
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At least, it should be that way. If it isntif the dissonant, inharmonious notes comprise the
main soundtrack, with the laughter making up only brief interludesdo something about that
now, before intermission, or worse, before the end of the piece. You can change the composition
in the middle. Turn it into a beautiful symphony that blesses you and all those around you.
But stop and listen a minute. Is that laughter you hear, playing in the background of your familys life? Is your soundtrack already beautiful, even if you havent noticed? If so, praise God for
its beauty. Thank Him for the laughter and the sounds of love and joy that you regularly hear
around your home. Learn to listen for the sweet notes more than you do to the strident ones.
What do you hear in the soundtrack of your home?
Part of what you hear depends on the melodies the Composer has woven into His masterpiece.
But part of it also depends on what youve learned to hear.
I pray you hear laughter.
Psalm 126:2Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was
said among the nations, The LORD has done great things for them.(NIV)
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Addiction
Before my first baby was born, I made a decision: I wasnt going to give her a pacifier. After all,
I planned to breastfeed, and I didnt want her to develop nipple confusion. Plus, why would I
need a pacifier? If Ellie cried, I would pick her up and nurse her, rock her, or play with her,
whatever she wanted. That would take care of the problem.
Things didnt work out quite the way I had envisioned. I caved while we were still in the hospital. Poor Ellie was crying what seemed like non-stop (we found out later that she was having
feeding issues), and nursing wasnt working out as planned. I decided that having Ellie develop
nipple confusion would be far preferable to having me develop lunacy. So I offered her a pacifier. Repeatedly. A few days later, our lactation consultant said, You know, I almost never recommend that a baby take a pacifier. But I do for this one.
Ellie took to her bice immediately, and she continued her love affair with it until she was almost two, when we weaned her from it by cutting a little bit off the tip. (She put it in her mouth,
tried to suck, and realized something was different. After that, she never tried to suck it again.)
My subsequent children have also had long, close relationships with their bices. We broke Kenny
of his bice habit the same way we had with Ellie, by cutting the tip off. We had to cut a little
more off each day for another day or two before he gave up. Lindsey, on the other hand, refused
to give up until we had cut off so much that she couldnt even hold the bice in her mouth anymore. At this point, we havent yet weaned Jessica from her bice. Were working on it.
Well, sort of.
My reluctance is because I always hate depriving my children of something they love so much.
Sure, I know that taking it away is best for them, and even helps their dental development. But
when it finally comes time to get out the scissors, Im always nervous.
Will she cry? Will she hate me? Will I ever get any sleep at night again?
Fortunately, theres nothing morally wrong with being addicted to a pacifier. After all, its not
like my kids are guzzling vodka from a sippy cup or robbing the local Babies R Us. So addiction isnt the problem. Addiction only becomes a problem when a person is addicted to the
wrong thingsor fails to be addicted to the right things.
Dictionary.com defines addiction as the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to
something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that
its cessation causes severe trauma. If thats what addiction means, then its wonderful, even vital, to be addicted to the right things.
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Like Gods Word. The word enslaved shouldnt throw us off, as the New Testament clearly
teaches that we are slaves to Christ. So wouldnt it be wonderful if we were enslaved to the practice of reading Gods Word such that we form a habit, to such an extent that the cessation of
reading His Word causes trauma?
Most Christians take Gods Word for granted. Many of us have several copies in different versions sitting on a shelf at home. Theyre there for us to read any time we want. Sometimes, we
take one down from the shelf and read it. But most of the time, we act as if were satisfied just to
know that its there, available if we ever decide we want it.
Or maybe we decide on a Bible-reading plan, try to make it stick, and fail. I just dont know how
I can make a daily reading plan work, we sigh to ourselves, and days pass, then weeks. Maybe
even months.
Our children are far more attached to cheap little pieces of plastic and silicone than we are to the
Book that reveals God to us.
We know we should read our Bibles, but its head knowledge. Theres no heart yearning to be
vitally connected to God through His Word. We treat as optional a book that Christian brothers
and sisters around the world have died for the privilege of possessing because they knew its value.
Most of us dont. In countries where Bibles are cheap and easy to come by, where we can have
one any time we want, most of us just dont get it. Maybe that was Satans plan. He knows that
where Bibles arent allowed, people are willing to die for the privilege of reading one. In countries where they are freely available, people are willing to die without reading one.
Have we truly formed a habit of reading our Bible? If we were forced to cease reading it, would
we be traumatized at all?
I pray we can always answer yes to both of these questions. But if we ever answer no, may
God bring us to our knees (literally or figuratively), and may we beseech Him to instill within us
a life-changing love of His Word. May we not stop asking until He grants our request, which He
will, because its within the scope of His will for us.
Weve heard a child scream when his or her pacifier was taken away or couldnt be found. May
those cries pale in comparison to the cry of our heart to know and love Gods Word. Because
through His Word, we come to know and love God Himself.
That, dear sister, is worth far more than a piece of plastic.
Psalm 119:162I rejoice in your word like one who finds a great treasure.
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Lifter of My Head
Originally published February 1, 2010
Recently, our local football team, the Dallas Cowboys, lost in the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings. The score was 34-3. It wasnt even close.
Several times during the game, it looked like the Cowboys would pull ahead. But ultimately,
they lost, and lost badly.
It must have been a particularly disappointing loss for Tony Romo, the quarterback. In a game
when he should have been at his best, Romo wasnt. His stats were disappointing, and he was
sacked six times. He knows he is capable of better. Everyone else knows it, too.
Though the loss certainly wasnt Romos fault alone, I bet he assigned himself a significant percentage of the blame. At least, looking at the picture on the next-day papers front page, it looks
like he did.
In that picture, Romo is walking down a ramp that leads beneath the bleachers to the locker
room. As he approaches the tunnel, there are fans on either side and fans in front of him who are
sitting above the tunnel. Romo is walking with his shoulders looking as slumped as they can in
that protective padding, his head down. His posture says that hes taking it hard, and the headline
agrees: Defeated, dejected.
Romos not the only person who stands out in this picture, however. Theres one more, a fan to
Romos right, leaning over the railing with his arm and hand extended down, reaching out to
Romo. Many other fans in the picture are doing the same thing. But what makes this fan stand
out is the look on the young mans face.
Hes not smiling. Hes not calling out to Romo. He wears a quiet, solemn look.
The difference between him and all the others is that this young man looks like hes reaching out
to offer Romo support, rather than to enjoy the privilege of slapping hands with a famous football player.
I could be completely wrong about this man. Maybe he was starstruck. Maybe all he wanted was
the brief contact with fame.
Or maybe he really was reaching out to offer Romo support. Maybe he was reaching out his hand
to say not I want a piece of you but Hey. Its okay, man. Youre still great.
Ill never know how he really felt because I dont know who he is, so I cant ask him. But I do
know Someone who does respond that way in the face of someone elses dejection and failure.
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Our God responds like that. He sees us hurting, and He stretches out His hand, or wraps His arms
around us, and says, Its okay. I still love you.
Just as the fan must have been well aware that the Cowboys had just lost, God is well aware of
when weve failed. If our failure involves sin, He doesnt minimize that. But He does reassure us
that whatever the circumstances of our failure, whether sin, mistake, or inability, He still loves
us.
Looking at the picture, I thought about Romo looking up and seeing the fans outstretched hand,
and I realized that it was a beautiful illustration of how God lifts up our heads.
When we look down at our feet, we see only our sins and failures and feel only the crushing
weight of shame and disappointment. But when we look at Him, our heads are lifted, and we can
see and receive His comfort and love.
Are you looking down at your feet today? Is the weight of your failure so heavy that its bowing
your shoulders?
Look up. Look up and see the comfort God offers you. If you need forgiveness, He offers that,
too. Let His encouragement soak into your soul.
Yes, you have failed. So have I. But despite our failures, we are loved. So lets no longer focus
on the ugly way we feel, but on the beautiful way He feels. Rather than allowing our sin to be
our shame, lets allow Him to be our glory. May our heads and our hearts be lifted as we learn to
look not to what we have done, but to what He has done for us.
Psalm 3:3But thou, O LORD, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
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Good Enough
Originally published April 19, 2010
As I write, Im listening to childrens music about the color yellow blasting from the CD player
in the kitchen. The kids have been in the kitchen and dining room for an hour now, alternately
dancing to the music and playing with other toys.
Are they having a good enough time?
Theres a lot of laughter at our house. We make silly faces and tell silly jokes; we say silly things
and laugh together. Sometimes, we chuckle in delight or laugh so hard we cant stand up straight.
Yet at times, I wonderon the whole, are they happy enough?
Every night, I tuck them in bed. Sometimes, I sing over them. Always, I pray for them. Then, I
tell them, Youre great kids, and I love you, and God loves you.
But are they secure enough?
Most of us moms struggle, at least from time to time, with wondering if were doing enough. Are
we providing our children a good enough childhood? Are we good enough moms?
The question is so important because the answer matters so greatly. We dont want to fail our
children. We want them to be deeply convinced that theyre loved and lovable, to have the right
kind and amount of self-esteem, and most of all, to love God and be like His Son Jesus.
But how can we know if the job were doing as parents is sufficient to produce these results?
The issue becomes especially complicated for a mom who didnt experience love, stability, and
security in her own childhood. This mom knows what kinds of things not to do, but she doesnt
fully understand how a strong and loving bond is produced because she never saw it in action.
When she makes a mistake, shes never sure how bad of a mistake it is. So she lives with the
constant, nagging fear that the things shes doing might not be enough to give her children what
she never had.
Precious mom, let me share with you what God, in His grace, taught me.
We dont have to live in constant torment that we might not measure up. Our life as mothers is
meant to be so much more than endlessly trying to measure up to societys expectations, our best
friends abilities, or even our own standards. The only One we have to please is God, and He
does not make it difficult to know whether or not we are pleasing Him.
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For one thing, He sets forth some clear, specific guidelines in His Word, the Bible, about how we
should treat our children. We dont need to wonder whether or not we should forgive our children or treat them kindly. Thats spelled out as plain as He could make it.
For another, when we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we have God Himself and His wisdom
available right inside of us to tell us when we arent doing right. And we can be completely certain that He will tell us when were doing something wrong, and Hell tell us specifically.
Gods ultimate desire for us is that we be conformed to the image of His Sonin other words,
that we act like Jesus. So if anything we are doing, or failing to do, gets in the way of that, Hell
tell us what it is so that we can repent of it and uproot it from our lives. God wont leave us with
some vague, undefined sense of guilt. He wont tell us were doing something wrong or insufficiently, then refuse to tell us what, exactly, Hes talking about.
What that means for us as mothers is that since God is the only person we ultimately have to
please, if Hes not telling us were doing something wrong, then we are good enough.
The next time we wonder whether or not were being the kind of mom we should be, lets simply
ask Him. If were not, Hell tell us. If we are, Hell tell us that, too.
May we learn to rest in the fact that though were not perfect, we can be the kind of mom who
pleases God. And ultimately, that kind of mom is good enough.
James 1:5If any [mom] lacks wisdom, let [her] ask of God, who gives graciously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given [her]. (NIV)
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Its a Girl!
Originally published July 12, 2010
When I became pregnant with my first child, I couldnt wait for THE ultrasoundthe one that
would tell me if my baby was a boy or a girl. It seemed like forever before I lay on the exam table, my belly exposed, and the technician squirted some gel on it (which they must have been
keeping in the refrigerator, because it was cold). She began spreading the gel around with the
ultrasound sensor, taking various pictures and measurements as she first made sure my baby was
healthy and growing normally.
Then, she paused. Okay, she said, now lets see if we can find out whether this baby is a boy
or a girl. Please, God, I prayed. Show us.
But Baby kept sticking a foot in the way. Finally, the tech said she thought she knew, but she
wanted to get a second opinion from another tech because she hadnt been able to get an entirely
clear view. The second tech agreed with her. Do you want to know if its a boy or a girl? the
first tech asked.
Oh, yes, we answered.
Its a girl, she said. We were thrilled.
Over the course of the next five months, I made preparations for the arrival of our precious new
daughter. I decorated the nursery in beautiful pastel butterflies and flowers. I stored up tiny pink
clothes in her dresser and closet. I bought her toys.
But the anticipation of Ellies arrival was nothing compared to what I felt upon seeing her for the
first time. Its a girl! the doctor announced, and I cried with happiness. When I held her, all
neatly swaddled, and looked into her tiny, perfect face, my joy grew even deeper. I could hardly
believe such a beautiful, complete little person was mine.
My husband and I were beyond proud. We called everyone we knew so they could celebrate with
us. We wanted the world to know about our beloved daughter, Ellie. Its a girl!
You know the same joy if you were blessed with a beautiful experience for the arrival of your
first child (whether by birth or adoption). You know how it feels to rejoice at Gods marvelous
gift to you, far beyond what you ever thought you were capable of. Youve probably thought, as
I have, about how the angels in heaven, and God Himself, rejoiced with you when your baby was
born.
But have you ever realized that God rejoiced the same way when you were born?
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Its easy to imagine all heaven rejoicing over the birth of our children. Its harder to imagine that
same level of celebration when we were born. But its true. The Bible clearly and emphatically
states that God rejoices over us with singing. When did that begin?
When you and I took our first breath, heaven rejoiced. When we cried our first cry, the morning
stars sang together. When our mother held us for the first time, the angels shouted for joy. Its a
girl!
And God Himself took us in His arms and whirled around with us, laughing and singing with
joy. I have a daughter!
Whats absolutely, incredibly amazing is that He still feels the same way about us today. Yes, He
knows weve sinned, and will sin again in the future. But His delight in us isnt based upon our
actions, but upon the fact that He created us. We are magnificent examples of His handiwork,
and that will never change. He may be less than pleased with some of our actions, but He delights in us.
And just as we wanted everyone around us to rejoice with us in the arrival of our child, God
wants everyone around us to rejoice in the fact that we are here. We are far more precious to Him
even than our children are to us. When we feel pleasure in our children, or delight, what we feel
is only a shadow of what God feels not only for them, but for us.
The next time you find yourself delighting in your child, remember that God delights even more
in you. The next time you say, marveling, Thats my child! remember that God is even more
proud of you. Shes mine, He says, pointing you out to His Son and Spirit and all the angels.
Thats my girl!
His words are the echoes of what He said when you were born. When the time came for your arrival, He was the ultimate proud Father waiting to announce you to the world. He couldnt wait
for you to be born so you could begin your life under His watchful care, and one day, grow to
love Him. And when you left your mothers body and entered this life, He rejoiced with all the
joy Almighty God is capable ofand maybe even with tears of happiness in His eyes.
Look! He shouted joyfully. Its a girl!
Job 38:4-7Where were you when I laid the earths foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On
what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstonewhile the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy? (NIV)
Zephaniah 3:17bHe will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (NIV)
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Stop Provoking
Originally published August 8, 2011
Okay, I admit it: my kidssometimesprovoke each other. Generally speaking, they get along
well, but there are those times when they pester their siblings, either accidentally or on purpose.
When its an accident, all it requires from me is that I point out to the offender how the other
person doesnt appreciate what the offender is doing. Its relatively easy to deal with. But when
its on purpose? Well, that can be a little more tricky to deal with (as in, to help defuse the situation before the offended party strikes back).
Yes, children should refrain from shouting at or pushing their siblings. But its a lot harder for
them to do the right thing when theyve been provoked.
It makes sense. After all, its hard for me to do the right thing when Ive been provoked, and Im
an adult. No wonder its hard for children.
Thats why God gave parents a very important and specific command: [Parents], do not provoke your children to anger. He knows its a lot harder for anyone, much less a little child, to
obey when someone provokes them. He wants us to do everything we can to help our kids obey,
not to make it harder on them.
What are some of the ways we make it harder on our kids to do the right thing? One way is by
not making it clear what the right thing is. Kids dont have a lot of life experience, and that
means they dont understand everything theyre supposed to do. When we fail to explain to them
how they can learn to be the right kind of person at this particular stage in their lives, we set
them up for doing the wrong thing.
Another way we provoke our children is by requiring that they succeed at something that is
beyond their developmental level. Telling a two-year-old to clean her room and then getting mad
when she doesnt do a very good job is not only silly, but also hurtful and frustrating to our child.
When we consistently frustrate our children in their efforts at obedience, we make it much harder
for them to obey with a willing spirit.
Perhaps the most hurtful way we provoke our children is by wounding their little spirits. Harsh
or even cruel treatment, unfairness, unkind words, insults, demanding Whats wrong with
you??all of these things wound our childs soul. Its hard to honor someone who consistently
wounds you, and when our attitudes, words, and actions provoke our child to anger, we make it
difficult, if not almost impossible, for our child to fulfill his or her second-greatest responsibility
(honoring God is the first).
God knows that our children need our help in order to obey. He knows we need to be by turns
gentle and firm, but always loving. So He commanded us to avoid being the kind of parent who
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will make it difficult for a child. Instead, we should be the kind of mom who makes it easy on
her kids. Not by letting our children do whatever they want, but by being the kind of parent God
is.
You see, God makes it as easy as possible for us to obey. He tells us clearly what is expected of
us. He never expects more than He knows we are capable of doing. And He is never harsh and
unloving with us. Instead, He pours out His love upon us every second of every day, even if we
dont always see it. Who could be easier to obey than a God like that?
Think about it, mom. Do you make it easy for your children to obey you? Do you make your expectations clear and developmentally appropriate? Do you then treat them with love, even when
they mess up? Do you pour your love out upon them each and every day? Precious mom, no
earthly person is easier to obey than a mom like that.
Yes, our children will still disobey sometimes, no matter how well we may parent. Theyre sinners, just like we are. But we can make obedience a whole lot more likelyand much more
pleasant for them to engage inif we dont provoke them, but instead show them guidance and
treat them with understanding and love.
Ephesians 6:4Fathers, dont irritate your children and make them resentful; instead, raise
them with the Lords kind of discipline and guidance. (CJB)
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S-T-U-P-I-D
Originally published December 31, 2012
This past February, when I was realllly pregnant (I know they say youre either pregnant or
youre not, but I think when you are 9 months pregnant, you are realllly pregnant), my sister
came down from Michigan to visit us and to be here for my baby shower. I absolutely loved having her here. She is one of my best friends, and shes lots of fun. We always have a blast when
were together.
We have many similarities not only in our physical appearance but in our senses of humor, our
beliefs about certain things, and so forth. Of course, we also have some differences, and one of
these is that Kristen will occasionally use a curse word. However, when shes in my home, she
voluntarily makes an effort not to do so. This visit, shed been doing great in avoiding what my
kids and I call bad words. So as we sat chatting in the living room, she said, pleased, I dont
think Ive used any bad words at all.
Nope. Youve been doing great, I said.
And from her position next to me on the couch, Ellie piped up into the conversation, Mommy
said a bad word once.
Huh? I said, and the look on my face must have shown that I didnt know what Ellie was talking about.
Oh, really? Kristen said gleefully at the same time. What did Mommy say?
Ellie glanced at me. She knows youre not supposed to repeat bad words.
Its okay, I said to her. You can say what I said.
Ellie glanced from me to Kristen and back to me.
Really, I said, curious to find out what bad word I had supposedly said. You can repeat it.
Ellie looked at Kristen and said, as if she felt embarrassed on my behalf, She said s-t-u-p-i-d.
Yep, she spelled it. She was unwilling to say such a bad word out loud. So she spelled it, then
looked at me, hoping I wasnt mad.
Kristen and I burst into laughter. Thats it? Kristen asked, disappointed.
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I must have called something stupidI absolutely never use that word to refer to a person, because its insulting, demeaning, and totally unnecessary to use it in that way. I really dont remember the incident Ellie was referring to and therefore dont know what exactly I said.
What I do know is that my word choice stuck with Ellie. Even when it was no big deal to me, it
mattered to her. I dont know how long it had been since the time I used that word, but apparently Ellie still remembered it.
What this tells me is that I better be careful and intentional about the words I use on a daily basis.
I cant afford to be careless or unintentional in my speech to my children. They will remember
the words Ive saidmaybe not the clean your room words, but at least the words they considered bad. And when those words are directed at them, they may remember for a very long time.
Thats not to say that kids remember every mistake weve made. They dont (thank God). Nor
does every carelessly spoken word lead to their being scarred for life (thank God again). But
knowing that our words can have an impact we dont necessarily intend, we must do our best to
make sure we are purposefully uplifting in our speech, especially to our children. We must.
Moms, if someone were to ask our children what bad words we had said lately, would our children have to work very hard to come up with a response?
Would they recall curse words? Would they recall insults directed at them or even at that driver
in front of us? Would they remember that we shouted or rolled our eyes as we spoke? Would
they remember a tone of disgust where there shouldnt have been one? Would they be able to tell
others about the times we used our words (even unintentionally) to discourage or belittle them or
their efforts?
I pray the answer is no, both in your family and in mine. The old saying sticks and stones may
break my bones, but words will never hurt me simply isnt true. Words, even those that arent
specifically insults, have tremendous power to uplift or to tear down. Even when our words
arent directed at them, our childrens consciences can be wounded by hearing us speak rudely to
the clerk at the grocery store, talk about someone behind her back, or disrespect our husband.
I once heard it said that if you wouldnt want to stand up in front of your church on Sunday
morning and tell them you did something, you shouldnt do it at all (the obvious exceptions being those things that are legitimately private). This is a great rule, and it applies to words too. If
you wouldnt want to tell others what you said and the tone with which you said it, you shouldnt
have said it to your children either
But Im not perfect, you might be thinking. I make mistakes all the time.
We all do. Sometimes, we get things wrong. We wound our children when we dont mean to.
Youre not alone.
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But because thats truethat were imperfect and guaranteed to mess up sometimeswe owe it
to our children to do everything within our power to make sure those times are as few and far
between as possible. We should give our children the best we have, not just whatever words happen to come out of our mouths without much thought.
Most of us recently spent a lot of time trying to decide what to get our kids for Christmas, purchasing the chosen items, wrapping them, and placing them under the tree. Shouldnt we spend
just as much timeactually, far morein purposefully speaking to our children pleasant words
that will create a peaceful, secure, and loving atmosphere in our home?
After all, most of the Christmas presents will soon go by the wayside. But the gift of our consistently loving speech will never be forgotten.
Proverbs 15:4Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit. (GNT)
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
(NIV)
Colossians 4:6Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. (MSG)
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Last Dollar
I dont remember what Lindsey bought herself with the first $14 of her $15 in Christmas money.
But Ill never forget what she did with the last dollar.
Shortly before Christmas, each of our children received $15 cash from a beloved aunt and uncle
who live nearby. Naturally, each of the four older children had plans for the money. Ellie wanted
to save hers toward a video game shes been wanting. The other three all had particular toys they
wanted, and they asked me to take them to Wal-Mart to buy their chosen items.
We had fun shopping together, and Kenny, Lindsey, and Jessica spent their money. Kenny and
Jessica gave their money to me, and I purchased their toys along with the other things I was buying. Lindsey, however, wanted to pay for hers herself, and she did so. She then took her dollar in
change and her toy, and we all headed for the doors.
A few yards from the exit, I heard Lindsey say, Oh, I know what to do with my last dollar!
I turned to see her grabbing the dollar from her purse and folding it up. She stood facing a 3-foottall metal and plastic container with a sign on it announcing that donations would go to the childrens hospital in our area. The children and I are familiar with this container and its purpose; they
love putting coins in it and watching the coins spiral downward through the funnel and into the
bottom of the bin.
This time, as I watched, Lindsey stuffed her dollar into the slot in the container made for that
purpose. There! she said happily, ready to go now.
I gave her a hug. That was kind, I said quietly.
I was overwhelmed at the generosity of Lindseys sweet heart. And I knew that had I been in her
position, with only a dollar left in money I could spend on whatever I wanted, I would not have
given it away. Yet she did, and it made her happy.
Thats the kind of girl she is. She is happiest when doing something for others. And I wonderam I that kind of mom? Am I happiest when doing something for my children?
Sometimes, the answer is no. Often, Im happiest when I get to surf Facebook without interruption or when I get a good nights sleepnot when I give of myself in order to meet my childrens needs. When I have extra time and sleep and funnot when I give my last dollar of energy,
creativity, and stamina.
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Why is that? If it really is more blessed to give than to receive, as Jesus said, why is it so easy for
us as moms to be happiest when were receiving instead of giving?
Its because we look for happiness in the wrong place.
Dont get me wrong; its great to have free time to do with as we wish. And all moms need physical rest and time to mentally and emotionally recharge. Theres nothing wrong with desiring
those things.
Where we go wrong is when we think those are the things that will bring us the greatest happiness.
You see, when Jesus said that its more blessed to give than to receive, He meant that true happiness isnt found in receiving things for others but in pouring ourselves out on others behalf.
Im not really sure where we got the idea that serving others cant make us happy, unless that
idea came from Satan. Granted, the service itself may not be fun or exciting, but we can choose
to be happy anyway. If we buy into the idea that true happiness will primarily come not when
were fulfilling Gods planserving our childrenbut when they leave us alone, were making
a serious mistake with long-term consequences.
Moms, I dont entirely understand how this works yet. Im still working it out in my own life.
But I do know that I believe what Jesus saidand that if what He said is true, which it is, some
of my attitudes need to change.
What about you?
Mark 10:45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many.
Acts 20:35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the
weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
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Mamas Comin
Originally published Jan 14, 2013
When I was single, and even when I was married with no children, going shopping and having it
be a treat meant that Id get to buy some nonessentials and go places I didnt have to go.
After we began having children, a shopping treat meant getting to go to absolutely essential
places, but all by myself.
Now that our first four children are older but that we have a baby, a treat is getting to go to essential places with only the older four, who can at least get into and out of the van by themselves
and fasten their own seatbelts.
One particular day, I was enjoying the treat of doing errands with only the three girls. As we
were leaving our last errand to return home, I received a text from my husband that said simply
this: Timmy wants you.
I knew what that meant. You see, I still nurse Timmy a few times a day, and apparently Timmy
had woken up from a nap and decided that right now should be one of those times. One of the
girls asked if we could stop somewhere on the way home, and I told her that we couldnt because
Timmy needed me.
As we neared home, I could imagine poor Timmy getting more and more upset, not understanding why Mama wasnt coming.
Mamas comin, Timmy, I said out loud, wishing I could make Timmy hear my words and
know how close at hand his rescue was.
Wow, I thought, I wonder if thats how Jesus feels toward us?
There are times when we cry out for rescue and it doesnt immediately come. So we continue to
cry out, and part of our desperation comes from not understanding why God isnt helping us
right now and not knowing how long we have to wait?
But how much different would our waiting be if we realized Daddys comin? Because He is.
Oh, He is.
The disciples would have understood how we felt. Once they were crossing the Sea of Galilee in
their boat, and a great storm came up. In fact, this storm was so violent that they were in danger
of sinking. Then Matthew 14:25 says, At about four oclock in the morning, Jesus came toward
them walking on the water.
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Did you catch that? Four oclock in the morning. Not right when the storm started or even a
few minutes after the storm started, but hours later.
Im sure the disciples wondered where Jesus was. Im sure they thought about how they really
could have used an extra set of hands to bail water. But He doesnt show up until theyve been
terrified for hours.
Likewise, Mary and Martha would have identified with us too. Their brother Lazarus was sick,
so they sent for Jesus, knowing He could perform healing miracles. But Jesus didnt come, and
Lazarus died. Then Jesus shows up a few days later. Both of the women tell Him separately, If
you had been here, Lazarus wouldnt have died. Or, to paraphrase, You could have come and
You didnt. Why didnt You? This is Your fault.
There are several more instances in the Bible where Jesus seems to show up late, but I wont list
them all. The point is this: even when it seems like Hes late, even when we wonder why He
hasnt showed up yet, we need to remember that Hes coming, and that He has a plan.
And, because Jesus is the exact representation of the Father, we know that this is true of God the
Father, too.
For us, as His children, its not a matter of if Daddys coming, but when. We can be absolutely
confident that Hes going to show up and make all things right at the point He knows is perfectly
best.
Many times, He waits well past the point where we would think it best. Usually, we consider it
best if He shows up right now. Sometimes, He does that. But we never have to wonder, as Timmy might have wondered, if someones going to come meet our needs. We know Someones
coming.
True, some things might not be made right until heaven. God doesnt promise that well never
suffer on this earth. But He does promise that we will never wait endlessly, only to have Him
never show up at all.
Hes coming. In His timing, but Hes coming.
What are you facing right now, precious mom? Your Rescuer is on the way. You may not know
how far off he is, but You know Hes on the way.
Rest assured that Daddys comin.
1 Samuel 2:10Gods enemies will be blasted out of the sky, crashed in a heap and burned. God
will set things right all over the earth, hell give strength to his king, hell set his anointed on top
of the world! (MSG)
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Be It Done for You

You know how sometimes when youre reading the Bible, you read a story youve read or heard
millions of times before, but all of a sudden God shows you something different from it?
Let me share with you the amazing thing He showed me when this happened to me recently.
I was studying my bible, and I came to Matthew 15, where a woman approaches Jesus and begs
Him for healing for her daughter. Jesus tells her (Im paraphrasing pretty heavily here) that He
was sent to the Israelites, not to her people. On the surface of it, this sounds harsh, but it was really only Jesus way to delve into her faith. He wanted to see if she understood that he really was
there for people of every nationalitythat Christianity isnt a Jewish thing only, but a for the
whole world thing.
The woman passed the test. She replied that she knew that not all the Jews even wanted Him, but
that shed be glad to have Him. Of course, that may not be what commentators might say is the
point of this passage, but that is how I took it.
But thats not all. The smack between the eyes that I got from this passage comes from Jesus
response, where He says, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.
And I wondered, what would I get if Jesus were to say, Be it done for you as you desire?
Id probably get things like well-behaved children, financial blessings, and good health. But is
that it? I mean, are those really even the most important things?
If I knew that I would stand before Jesus and He would say Be it done for you as you desire,
what would I ask Him for?
Before I go any farther, let me be absolutely clear that Jesus is not obligated to give us something
just because we desire it. Id like a vacation to Europe; He hasnt given me that. You might like a
new car or a bigger house or some other material possession. Gods not obligated to fulfill our
requests unless, of course, they are in accordance with His will for us.
But the point is this: we ask too small. We ask for houses and health and money and cars. None
of those things is bad in and of itself. But is that all we are asking for?
What about asking for spiritual victories? What about asking for victory over a sin with which
weve been struggling? What about asking for our children not merely to behave but to develop a
deep and enduring relationship with God?
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Most of us are far more likely to thank God for a new car than we are for His forgiveness (which
we need a whole lot more than we need that car). Were more impressed with His material blessings, not His spiritual blessings; thats why we spend more time praying about the material
things.
What do we really want from Him? Stuff to make our lives easier and more pleasant.
What is He willing to give us? Far more.
So yes, ask for money to pay the bills or for your car to run or for your kids to stop bickering.
Absolutely, ask for those things. But ask for the big things too.
We ask too small.
Matthew 15:28Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as
you desire. (ESV)
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Hope Now
Originally published March 4, 2013
I love writing about heaven. I love thinking about the incredible things God has planned for us
and wants us to look forward to; I love encouraging others to do the same. Im glad and relieved
to know that heaven awaits methat this life isnt all there is.
But something a friend said the other day on a different topic got me to thinking. Its great to
know that one day, all our troubles will be over. Its marvelous to have heaven to look forward
to. Its fantastic to have hope in the future.
But we need hope now, too.
We need hope on those days where everything goes wrong. We need hope when grief is crushing
us. We need hope not only that things will be better someday, but that we can make it through
this day.
Precious mom who needs hope, let me tell you something: hope is exactly what Jesus came to
give you. Not just for heaven, but for right now.
Do you need hope that someone will completely, perfectly love you and meet all your emotional
needs? God will do that Himself. Sometimes He uses others to help Him minister His love to
you, but even when others fail, He canand will!pour His love into you until your heart overflows.
Do you need hope that eventually, the wounds others caused in your life will heal? One of Gods
names is Jehovah-Rapha, meaning God Who Heals. He can heal those scars in your heart and
soul, the scars you think nobody else truly understands, because He does understand. And He can
make you whole.
Do you hope against hope that someday, you will feel like you really matter? Like youre infinitely worthwhile? God has declared repeatedly in His Word that you are already incredibly precious to Him. And Hes willing to repeat it to you over and over, and to confirm it with His love
and by His Spirit within you, until you believe it.
Do you need hope that you can make it through another day? Hell give you His strength to keep
going when you feel like you just cant.
Do you desperately hope that youre doing a good enough job of being a mom? Hell show you
exactly what to do to be good enoughand its probably not as hard as you think. You can be
a good enough mom. You can even hear Him say it.
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If you put your hope in having pleasing or easy circumstances, youre going to be disappointed,
probably often. But if you put your hope in God Himself, you will never be disappointed. Thats
because true, life-giving hope is found not in circumstances but in God Himself, and Hes guaranteed that He will never leave your nor forsake you.
Not just at the end of life. But right now.
Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of [anything], for it is
the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. (ESV)
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Overachiever
At one point when my children were younger, I had three of them enrolled in a Mothers Day
Out program for two days per week. They attended class on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 to
2. Each Monday after I picked them up, we would go to the library, where each child got to
choose the number of books corresponding to his or her age and then got a piece of candy from
the nice librarian at check-out.
One particular Monday, it was a gray, rainy day. I could barely get inside the church where their
program was held without getting soaked. I really didnt feel like trying to take four kids to the
library while keeping everyone dry.
So I entered Lindseys classroom with the intention of telling the kids that we wouldnt make it
to the library that day. Another mother was already in the room picking up her son. As Lindsey
came to greet me, this other mom knelt down to zip up her sons jacket.
Looks nasty out there, the kids teacher said, glancing outside, where the rain was beating
against the windows.
And this other mother said to her son, Thats right, were not going to be able to play outside
today. So were going to go home, make a tent in the living room, and have hot cocoa and
marshmallows instead. Wont that be fun?
Overachiever, I thought. Right on the heels of that negativity, I realized, Theres no reason to be
negative. I could have done the same thing she did.
There are two points I want to make.
The first is this: my immediate reaction to the other moms words was negative. Instead of thinking, Wow, what a great idea! I thought, Oh, come on. Now I feel guilty about my decision. In
other words, I had taken the easy way out, and I resented someone who was doing what I (heres
the second point) could just as well have done. Like she did, I could have turned the circumstances into an opportunity for fun.
Its not necessarily bad to scrap plans for the library when the weather is nasty. But I wish I had
had that other moms perspective. I wish I had realized on my own that the thing that messed up
my plans was the very thing that could help me create some really special fun. I wish I had
looked at changed circumstances as an opportunity rather than a loss.
If I had, I never would have compared her actions to mine and felt like I came up short. But
whether or not I shared her creativity, I should never have had negative thoughts about the great
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idea she had. Her idea had nothing to do with me, and no, it didnt make me look bad (even
though it felt like it did). There was no reason to feel like I looked bad just because she planned
something more creative, and even if I had, there was no reason to resent her for coming up with
something I hadnt thought of.
Im not proud of my attitude, because it stems from pride. I want to be the best mommy. I dont
want to feel like my kids are getting the short end of the stick because someone elses mommy
plans better fun. I dont want to feel less than some other mommy because shes more creative
or more fun or has more energy or whatever. And the thing of it is, I dont have to. Neither do
you.
Theres absolutely no reason to compare ourselves to other moms. Sure, if another mom has a
good idea, we might want to incorporate that into our day or our family. But being down on ourselves just because our weakness compared unfavorably to someone elses strength? Ridiculous.
Not how God wants us to spend our time.
You see, He made each of us the way we are. He granted some abilities to me that you dont
have, and some abilities to you that I dont have. He made some of us better at creativity and
others of us better at organization. God doesnt want us to compare ourselves to some other
mom, because she is not the standard He has for our lives anyway.
Learn from her, yes. Imitate her? Maybe. But compare ourselves to her? No.
Ive learned to be more creative over the years. If I were to find myself in the same situation today, I might very well have thought of something fun to do at home. But even if I hadnt, I
would no longer feel bad just because another mom thought of something I didnt.
Thats because I now know that what makes me a good mom has nothing to do with how I compare to another mom or whether or not I do things the same way she does. Im a good enough
mom if Im the best mom I can benot if Im someone else.
1 Samuel 17:38-39Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him
and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking
around, because he was not used to them. I cannot go in these, he said to Saul, because I am
not used to them. So he took them off. (NIV)
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Someday Heroes
Before I became a parent, I was pretty sure that training and disciplining a child would be easy.
My child would do A, I would calmly respond with a well-thought-out and right-on-target B, and
I would get result Ccheerful obedience or successful completion of the task. For the more
stubborn issues, the process might repeat itself once or twice.
I didnt realize that my kids wouldnt always get it as soon as I thought they should.
Your kids probably dont always understand or comply with your instructions the first time either. You know how frustrating it can be to remind a child to do a task hes already forgotten (or
resisted doing) several times, or to have to repeatedly explain something before your child says,
Ohhhhhh, I get it.
Jesus understands the need to explain yourself over and over because, although He didnt have
children, He had the disciples. And they required plenty of explanations and repetition for what
they should have been able to understand sooner.
Check out what Jesus says in Luke 24:44. These are my words that I spoke to you while I was
still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the
Psalms must be fulfilled. (ESV) He had already told them that He would be put to death then
raised on the third day. But they didnt really understand until Jesus said, See? This is what I
was talking about all those other times (my paraphrase).
These twelve guys, Jesus chosen ones, didnt always understand their Master the first time He
said something. They couldnt always do something the first time they tried (see Matthew 17:1423). Yet despite the fact they were adults and might have been expected to know better, Jesus
didnt give up on them. He was willing to invest His life in them and even repeat Himself a few,
or a million, times, so that He could build men who would one day become the pillars of His
church. Men who would become heroes of the faith.
Precious mom, as you rear your children, you, too, are building men or women who will one day
become the pillars of Christs church.
That little boy who wont stop throwing expensive things into the toilet? Someday, he may be a
pillar of the church.
The little girl who still has to be reminded to wash her hands after she uses the potty? A beautiful
pillar in the house of her God.
The older boy who cant keep his room clean to save his life? One day, a hero of the faith.
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Even little Peter, James, and John probably had to be told a million times to shut that door. Even
the Apostle Paul, when he was a child, had to be taught to strap on his sandals. And yet these
same kids who didnt get it the first time or the tenth or the fiftieth, went on to become heroes.
It doesnt matter if your kids dont look much like heroes today. God can make them heroes,
mighty men and women who contend fearlessly for their faith and their God in the marketplace,
in their homes, and in their churches. He can take that child you devoutly hope wont pick his or
her nose during the school play and embarrass you, and turn him or her into a mighty warrior for
His cause.
So when it seems like youve already told your children something a million timeswhen it
seems like a particular discipline problem will never get resolvedwhen you wonder why your
children just dont get it, remember that someday, they probably will.
Someday, they just might be heroes.
Matthew 17:14-23 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before
him. Lord, have mercy on my son, he said. He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often
falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.
O unbelieving and perverse generation, Jesus replied, how long shall I stay with you? How
long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came
out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private
and asked, Why couldnt we drive it out? He replied, Because you have so little faith. I tell
you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move
from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of
men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life. And the disciples were
filled with grief.
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One Blade
Originally published May 6, 2013
Recently, I was having a stressful day. I had some things on my mind, and I was tired of doing
child care. I told my husband I needed a break. He went outside and came back in a half hour
later. I trimmed around the fence line, the shed, the swing set, and everything else out there, he
said, referring to the back yard. Why dont you go mow the rest?
Lest you think my husband was being particularly insensitive, I must tell you that I actually enjoy mowing (except the detail work, which he had just taken care of). Phil knows I like the simple mindlessness of the work, the basic-labor kind of joy in pushing the mower up and down our
quarter-acre back yard. I also like doing a task thats going to stay done and looking nice for
longer than 30 seconds after I complete it.
So I jumped at the chance to go mow. The kids followed me outside and played on the swing set
while I mowed. Up and down. Back and forth. Watching the patch yet to be mowed growing
smaller and smaller. I felt like I was truly accomplishing something.
At one point, I looked back over an area I had just mowed to make sure I got it all. I saw one
long blade of grass sticking up in the midst of an otherwise-well-mowed section of lawn. I knew
that one blade didnt matter all that much, but I went back and mowed it down anyway. Why?
Because I wanted to do the job right.
Wed all do well to take the same approach when uprooting sin from our lives. Yet too often, we
leave one blade of sin sticking up, and we say to ourselves, Well, thats good enough. But it isnt.
Its not doing the job right.
Jesus didnt die on the cross so that we could be forgiven of some of our sins, or even most of
them. He sacrificed Himself so all our sins could be forgiven. He did the job right. And arent we
glad? Arent we grateful that everything weve done is forgiven, not just the things that wanted
to lie down and die easily on the first pass over them?
Why, then, do we only take some of the sins in our life seriously enough to make sure they are
mowed down? God has commanded us to be holy. Not kind of holy, not sort of holy, but
completely holy. He even gives us a promise, through the apostle Paul, that if we dont put sin to
death in our lives, we will die, but if we do, we will live.
I want to live abundantly, and I bet you do too. But we can only do so to the extent we are willing to give up known sin. To put it to death. To mow it down. To the extent that we tolerate sin
in our lives, we wont fully live.
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What sins are sticking up in your life right now? What sins have you been tolerating because you
think they arent that big a deal, or because hey, at least you mowed the rest of them down?
Precious mom, mow the whole yard. Put to death every sin that you find in your life. If you think
youre done, ask God to point out anything else to put to death, and see what He shows you.
Your life may still look pretty good even with that one sin sticking up in the middle. But you
wont be as fully alive as you could be.
Go mow it down.
Romans 8:13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you
put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
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No Good
Originally published August 19, 2013
One of my daughter Ellies best friends is a young lady named Anastasia. Only a month older
than Ellie, she and Ellie have become fast friends over the past few years. A few nights ago,
Anastasia and three of her siblings stayed overnight with us. The next morning after breakfast
and plenty of DVD watching, I took the kids outside to play.
Anastasia was drawn to our hula hoops. Shes actually quite good at hula-hooping. As she practiced, she would call out for me to watch her, and I always watched the neat tricks she did.
I should mention here that I am terrible at hula-hooping, and so are my kids. None of us can get
the hoop to go around our bodies more than about half a time before it falls to the ground. So my
kids are impressed that Anastasia can do well at something they cant. It doesnt seem to bother
them that they cant do the same thing; theyre simply happy for their friend, and content in their
own abilities.
Thats exactly the reaction we should have when we see someone else with abilities that we do
not possess. We should be happy God has chosen to bless that person in that way and remain
content with the ways He has chosen to bless us.
Sometimes, however, were not happy for the person in question. Instead of rejoicing that she
gets to enjoy one of Gods gifts, we become resentful that we dont have that same gift. We may
even take out our resentment on that person, allowing it to affect the relationship we could have
had with her. And sometimes we carry it even farther, to the point where we think that if we
dont have that same gift, were nothing.
Precious mom, God does not love Anastasia any more than He loves my children just because
she can do something they cant. He doesnt prefer her over them because she possesses an abilitywhich He gave her, by the waythat they dont. And He doesnt think any less of us or love
us any less just because someone else has more or different gifts than we have.
Its not like God gives abundant, spectacular gifts to those He loves, and the rest of us get whatevers left over. He distributes gifts as He wills, according to what each person needs in order to
be able to carry out Gods plan for his or her life. So the fact that you dont have a particular gift
or set of gifts simply means you dont need itnot that you are less than someone else in any
way.
Besides, you do have your own spectacular set of gifts, whether or not you recognize that theyre
spectacular. Your gifts are amazing because they were hand-picked by God for you, in accordance with what He has planned for you. They were chosen with care and love by God Almighty
and given specially to you and to no one else in exactly the same way.
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With your gifts, you can bless others in a way thats unique among every other way on earth. So
be content with the gifts you do have, and look for ways to bless others with them, instead of
wishing for what you dont have.
If youre no good at hula-hooping, who cares? God certainly doesnt.
Hebrews 13:5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,
because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (NIV)
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Labor Days
Originally published September 2, 2013
Maybe your labor in bringing your child into your home began with contractions. Maybe it began with filling out agency paperwork. Maybe you labored in having to recover from a C-section
(as I did five times).
Whatever the case, you labored to bring your child into your home.
And then the real labor began.
I labored with one of my children for 14.5 hours. It was a Pitocin-induced labor, so you can imagine what those contractions were like. And I didnt have any medication, because I wanted to
try natural childbirth. But when the induction failed due to lack of progress, I opted for a Csection.
Even those 14.5 hours were a piece of cake compared to the labor Ive gone through with my son
since his birth.
I dont mean that hes a difficult child; hes not. But as every mother knows, the actual physical
labor (whether due to contractions or to completing home studies and paperwork) is the easy
part. Even when it seems like it will last forever, you know it wont. There will eventually come
an end when your baby is born into the world or your child is brought into your home.
Then comes the hard part.
Thats because the labor after you bring a child into your family is never-ending. True, you may
have some moments or even weekends of relaxation, but there is always labor to go back to.
Nursing your baby. Fixing lunches. Driving the carpool. Cleaning up after a sick child. Disciplining your child. Falling into bed exhausted. Then doing it all over again the next day (or maybe
even in the middle of that night).
And a moms daily, ongoing labor is little recognized. Rarely do we hear the expressions of appreciation we wish we received. Rarely does someone tell us we do an amazing job. Its not
every day that someone throws her little arms around us and says, Thank you for being the best
mommy in the world.
Ive written elsewhere about how God can and will affirm us anytime we need to feel appreciated (see, for example, my book Well Done, Good and Faithful Mommy). But I wanted us to
take a minute today to stop and realize that God knows exactly how we feel.
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He puts in far more labor in parenting us than we do in parenting our children, yet rarely do we
stop to praise Him for His amazing Fatherhood. Rarely do we tell Him how much we appreciate
Him (unless Hes just done something for us). Rarely do we (figuratively speaking) throw our
arms around Him and thank Him for being the best Daddy ever.
The next time you put in a long day with your children, let that be a reminder to you to stop and
connect with God. Take some time and thank Him for the long day He just put in with you. After
all, at least you get some sleep, whereas He never sleeps. Hes constantly watching over you and
taking care of you.
You cant force the people around you to completely meet your needs for appreciation, because
theyre not made to do so. But you can make it a point to fully appreciate your Fatheror at
least to appreciate Him as much as it is possible for an imperfect human being to do soand to
tell Him so.
When was the last time you stopped to thank and praise God for His care of you? Why not do so
right now?
Psalm 121:2-4My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep. (KJV)
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Cant Wait
Every Friday night, we have a special custom at our house, one that all of us look forward to.
Friday night is Restaurant Night, when the kids can have virtually whatever they want for supper (as long as its anywhere close to within reason, and as long as Mommy doesnt have to cook
it). Usually, the kids choose breakfast cereal because its easy for them to prepare and they enjoy
it.
This past Friday, we were running low on cereal. I knew the kids would probably want to choose
cereal that evening for supper, yet we were running out of options. So I made a trip to the store
primarily for different kinds of cereal. Of course, being at the store, I found several other things
we needed, and I came home with six or seven bags. I set them down in the kitchen and came to
find my husband at the computer and let him know I was home.
Ellie and Kenny were standing right there. Did you buy cereal? Ellie asked as soon as she saw
me.
Yes, I did, I said.
I cant wait to see what cereals you bought! Kenny exclaimed, throwing his arms around me.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! He then ran off toward the kitchen to check.
And I thought, You know, I bet thats the attitude God would love for us to have with Him.
God wants us to have the same attitude of expectancy toward Him and the goodness of His gifts
that Kenny had toward me. I cant wait to see what youre going to give me, God! Thank you,
thank you, thank you!
Yet too often, we dont expect much from Him. Its true that God may or may not be planning on
blessing us with material things, and that expecting those things doesnt mean God has to give
them to us. Its also true that being greedy doesnt get us anywhere with Godquite the opposite, in fact. But sometimes, He does give us material blessings. Besides that, he always gives us
abundant spiritual blessings.
God, I cant wait to see what youre going to do in this situation. Thank you, thank you, thank
you!
God, I cant wait to see how youre going to restore peace to my soul. Thank you!
God, I cant wait to experience the joy I know you will bring from this situation. Thank you!
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Precious mom, we can approach God expectantly, knowing we will receive something from
Him. Hes already promised us every spiritual blessing (see Eph. 3:1). We know were going to
receive. So we can look forward to whatever Hes promised, knowing that a good and perfect
gift is coming our way.
True, we dont get some things we ask for because they dont fit in with Gods plan for our lives.
But other times, were told in Scripture that we dont have because we dont ask, or that we ask
wrongly. (See James 4:2.) So not only can we wait expectantly for Gods good and perfect gifts,
but we can ask Him for what we need!
Are you waiting on God? Are you asking Him for anything? Why not try the same approach
Kenny tried with me: I cant wait to see what youre going to do, God. Thank you, thank you,
thank you!
1 Corinthians 2:9However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has
conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (NIV)
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Temptation
For awhile now, Ive been on a diet, attempting to lose the last of the baby weight and return to
my pre-pregnancy shape. And Ive discovered somethingthat Im not as easily able to resist
certain types of temptation as I thought I was.
Doritos brand tortilla chips, for example. If theyre in the house, I will eat them. I may start with
just one, but then therell be another one, and then a small bowlful. They dont have that many
calories, I tell myself. Besides, Ill be really good the rest of the day.
It never works like that. Before I know it, Ive consumed an unknown (but probably pretty high)
quantity of nacho cheesy calories, and I still have half the day to go. During the rest of that day, I
have not only to eat supper, but also to eat the rest of the Doritos Ill probably eat.
In other words, Im terrible at eating Doritos moderately. The only way for me not to eat way too
many is not to eat that first one.
Realistically speaking, it doesnt matter all that much whether I eat too many Doritos on occasion. But it does matter if I approach sin and temptation with the same attitude I approach Doritos. Let me explain.
God has told us to stay away from certain thingslust, greed, pride, and jealousy, to name just a
few. If we stay far away from those thingsif we refuse to allow ourselves to enjoy even a small
portion of themwere fine. But if we think we can engage in just a little bit of gossip, or not
that much greed, were making a dangerous mistake.
You see, just like eating Doritos (or whatever your favorite forbidden food is), partaking of a
little bit of sin will lead to more. We speak a few words of gossip, and no lightning from heaven
zaps us, so we figure gossip isnt really all that bad. But the bad effects of it are building up in
our system, not the least of which is causing us to want more.
Even with that first word of gossip, weve sinned and done something we shouldnt do. Just because we dont see immediate consequences doesnt mean that we havent harmed ourselves.
Were already on the wrong side of the line.
Adam and Eve would have empathized with us. God had told them they could eat the fruit of
every tree except oneone!and they decided that one was just what they had to have. Look
what happened. That one sin led to more and brought with it disastrous consequences, not only
for them but for all mankind.
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Dont dabble in sin, my friends. Youve been deceived by Satan if you think you can do just a
little and then stop. You cant. Hes far craftier than that, and you may be far weaker than you
think. If you start allowing yourself to sin just a little bit, youre going to do it more and more.
And whether or not you see the consequences right then, youre going to go to far. In fact, even
with the first morsel of sin, youve already gone too far.
Is there some sin youre dabbling with today? Is there something youre engaging in and refusing
to put to death in your life because its not that bad? Youre already walking on the wrong side
of the line and dont know it, for Scripture tells us that we can be sure our sin will find us out.
Get rid of your sin, whatever it is. Just like I cant have Doritos in the house, get that favorite sin
out of your spiritual house. Dont leave even a single morsel of it around to tempt you.
Numbers 32:23But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may
be sure that your sin will find you out. (NIV)
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Serving Royalty
Two days ago, I threw a birthday party for a king. Nobody saw Him, but He was there. He really
enjoyed the results of the time and effort I had put into the party. He loved the gifts and the
games. And He laughed with us as we took turns beating the piata with a special stick. It might
have looked like the birthday party was for my nine-year-old son Kenny, but it was for a King.
Yesterday morning, the Kings allergies were bothering Him, and He was sick. I comforted Him
and kept Him extra close to my side. I told Him I was sorry He was feeling sick and that I hoped
He would get better soon. I prayed for Him. It might have looked like I was tending to my sevenyear-old daughter Lindsey, but I was ministering to the King.
By now youve figured out that the King Im referring to is Jesus. And you might think Im saying merely that Jesus wanted me to serve my children, and I obeyed, and thats what I mean
when I say I served Him. But theres far more to it than that.
In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells a group of people that they ministered to Him in a variety of ways. They question this. Lord, when did we ever minister to you in prison, or when did
we ever see you sick or naked and help you? they ask. Jesus tells them, Whatever you did for
one of the least of these my brothers, you did for me.
If thats trueand since Jesus said it, we know that it isthen the things we do for our children
have incredible significance because Jesus takes it personally. So I didnt just make sure my
children ate breakfastI fed Jesus Himself. You didnt just help your daughter tie her shoes
you helped Jesus clothe Himself properly.
Everything you and I do as moms in service to our families is done directly to Jesus. It matters,
moms. Youre not merely doing the same things youve done a thousand times before, youre
ministering directly to the Lord.
True, you dont see Jesus face when you look at the little boy in that high chair. Its not His
chubby cheeks you see smeared with the same spaghetti sauce thats in his hair and all over the
tray. But Hes there.
It might not look like Jesus whom youre driving to school, to a playdate, or to a doctors appointment. But it is. Because Jesus said that when you drive your daughter somewhere she needs
to gowhen you do something for someone elseyou are doing it directly for Him.
Precious mom, do you think of your motherhood this way? That all of your service is directly
ministering to the Lord? That in fact, as a mom, you can minister to Him in ways that others
cannot?
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You have a unique and precious callingthe calling not only to serve your children, but to serve
Jesus in some very practical and direct ways. What you do matters, mom, and you matterfar
more than you may realize.
What have you done for Jesus today? I bet its more than you think.
Matthew 25:40The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers of mine, you did for me. (NIV; see verses 31-46 for the whole story)
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Dressed for Church

Yesterday morning, as she does every Sunday morning, Lindsey got herself dressed for church.
She chose a red and black plaid dress and her black shoes, and put them on. And then, she did
her hair.
When I saw her, she had two ponytails, one on each side of her head. They werent quite smooth,
and she had missed some hair in the back. Nonetheless, she was proud of having done her own
hair.
I had a choice. I could either help her fix her hair, or I could let her leave it as it was. The first
option would have produced better-looking hair. The second would have produced more selfconfidence in Lindsey.
I chose to let her leave her hair as it was. Thats because her efforts were good enough for me. I
was proud of her.
Why? Because shed done her best.
Its the same way God feels about us, moms. He knows that our fumbling efforts dont produce
near the results He could have produced. Yet He accepts our attempts with pride in usif weve
done our best.
Isnt it great that God doesnt demand that we be perfect in order for Him to be proud of us?
Hes proud of you, and Hes proud of medespite the fact that were not perfect.
Many times we as moms get the idea that we have to be a perfect mom, wife, woman, sister, or
friend in order for God to be proud of us. If Gods perfect, we (incorrectly) reason, He wont be
proud of anything less than perfection.
Lets be clear here. When we sin, God is not pleased. He is not proud. But when we do our
bestwhen we put forth our best effortHe is both pleased and proud. In fact, Hes even willing to help us by giving us wisdom, strength, and comfort, so that we can do our best.
Have you ever stopped to think that God is proud of you? That if youre truly doing the best you
can, making no excuses but doing your best, He is really, really proud?
Hes proud of how you spoke kindly to your daughter despite the fact that she was getting on
your last nerve. Hes proud of the way you got the living room clean, even though the whole
house wasnt clean. Hes proud of how you made that decision or got up repeatedly in the middle
of the night with a sick child. Hes proud ofwell, anything you did your best on.
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So what does it mean to do your best? It means to do the most you can with what God has given
you. It means to operate in His strength, taking advantage of His resources, for His glory.
If thats how you usually operate, mom, you make God proud on a regular basis.
If its not, you can always change that. You can go before Him anytime and ask Him to help you
make that a reality so that you can operate that way. Tell Him you want to make Him proud, and
ask Him to help you do it.
And then bask in the warmth of knowing that your Daddys proud of you.
Colossians 3:23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for men.
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No Room for Clothes

Originally published November 4, 2013
This past weekend, our family took a trip to see my in-laws. Friday was our day to pack and prepare for the trip, and when we do, even the kids help by packing some of their own things. I was
working on one particular task when Jessica came into the room pulling her suitcase, which appeared stuffed to the gills.
I finished packing my stuffed animals, she said. But now I dont have any room for my
clothes.
You have to pack your clothes first, I said.
Oh, she said, turning to eye the suitcase as if trying to figure out how she could make both
clothes and stuffed animals fit in there.
I didnt blame her for wanting to fill her suitcase full of twenty or thirty of her favorite stuffed
friends. As a child, I loved my stuffed animals too. The only problem was that stuffed animals
cant be allowed to take the place of clothes to wear.
You and I sometimes find ourselves in a situation similar to Jessicas. Weve filled our lives with
good things, maybe even very good things, and thats fine. But whats not fine is when we allow
the good things to crowd out the truly essential things.
We find time for soccer practice and Facebook, but we dont find time for a daily time spent with
God. Or we have time for our friends or favorite leisure pursuits, but we dont have time to go to
church on a regular basis.
In other words, we prioritize earthly things over cultivating our relationship with God.
Those earthly things may seem more urgent, but they usually arent. What could be more urgent
than our connection to God? Yet we put virtually everything else in front of it, and things like a
daily quiet time get pushed to the side, if they even happen at all.
But if were too busy to have a regular time with your Creator, were just plain too busy. When
our plate is overloaded, something may have to give. But that something shouldnt be our intimacy with God.
True, we may have to be creative in scheduling time to develop our relationship with Him. There
will be days when we have to take time with Him where we can get it. But unless you and I make
time spent with Him a priority, its probably not going to happen.
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Moms, lets get our priorities straight. Lets not stuff our lives so full of the non-essentials or
seeming essentials that we have no time left for what is truly essential. Lets get first things
firstand then, in the time thats left over, we can schedule all those other things.
Lets not let other things, even good ones, stuff our suitcases so full that theres no room left for
what we really need.
Psalm 73:25Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
(NIV)
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Greener
My son Timmy loves potato chips. Get it? Get it? he will say hopefully, pointing to the bag on
the counter.
The other day, I gave him several chips. He was happily eating themfor awhile, that is. His
satisfaction with his snack came to a screeching halt when he realized that Jessica had chips too.
The minute he realized there were chips on her plate, he began doing everything he could think
of to try to get to them. No, Timmy, I said. You have your own chips.
But Timmy was no longer impressed with his own snack. He climbed up onto a chair near Jessica and tried to climb onto the table. He reached for her chips. He asked for them. He screamed.
I went over to him, picked up one of his chips, and offered it to him. He clamped his mouth shut
and turned away, so I backed off, at which point he immediately began demanding his sisters
chips again.
Ultimately, Timmy missed out on a snack because he wouldnt eat his own chips, and I wouldnt
let him have his sisters chips. He went hungry when there was a perfectly good plate of chips
sitting right there in front of himall because he couldnt have what his sister was having.
Timmys attitude and actions that day remind me of us moms sometimes. Were content with
what we have in our own livesour house, our car, our childrenuntil we see somebody who
has something better. Then we begin to pout, whine, and complain.
What she has is so much better than what I have, we tell ourselves. Why cant I have it too?
And then we look back at our own lives, which seemed so satisfying just a moment ago, and
suddenly, theyre not quite so satisfying anymore.
Youve heard the saying, The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. It means that
whatever someone else has always looks better. Unfortunately, this is often true. We fail to appreciate what we have because were too busy wanting what someone else has.
But oh, dont belittle what you have just because someone else has more or better. Dont look
at the gifts God has specifically chosen for you and disparage them because theyre not what you
would have picked out for yourself. God is far better at picking things out for you than you are.
He knows what is best for you and ultimately what will be most satisfyingin other words, what
will lead you to Him. If you dont have what someone else has, theres a reason. God knows its
not in His plan for youat least right now.
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Is there something in your life today with which youre dissatisfied? Is part of your dissatisfaction because youre comparing what you have with what you think you could or should have?
Precious mom, trust God that what He has picked out for you is right for you. Then thank Him
for it. True contentment is to be found in God alone, not in the things we possess. Its Satans lie
that you would be happier with the things someone else has.
Dont believe him. Stick with the chips on your own plate.
James 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (ESV)
1 Timothy 6:6Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment. (ESV)
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Great Enough
Have you ever been to one of those painting classes where an instructor teaches you and your
group how to paint a particular painting, and you paint it right there in class? Neither had I, until
this past week. A friend of mine had her birthday party at one such venue, and I thought it
sounded like a lot of fun. So, despite the fact that I know Im not a very good artist, I decided to
go.
Its easy! everybody said. Itll be fun!
It was a lot of fun. And it was easy to follow the instructors directions. I listened carefully and
followed her directions as best I could. Which doesnt explain why her painting looked like a
professional painting, and mine looked likewell, like exactly what it was: a painting by someone who had never attempted to do something like this before.
It has character, I told my husband as I was driving home. But dont worry: we dont have to
hang it up or anything.
Im sure itll be fine, Phil said. When I arrived home and displayed the actual picture, he said,
It looks great!
What I saw when I looked at it were the places where the brush strokes were a little too wide, the
grass was a little too long, or the sky was a little too blue. In other words, the imperfections.
My kids didnt see the imperfections. Cool! Ellie exclaimed when I showed it to her. Who
painted that?
I did, I said.
Wow! Cool! she repeated.
The other kids mouths dropped open when they found out I painted it. Thats amazing! Kenny
exclaimed. I didnt know you could paint like that!
I was actually starting to be a little proud of my painting, with its imperfections and all.
Were going to hang that painting up after all. Not because its a technically perfect painting (it
isnt), but as a reminder to me that even when I cant perform perfectly, overall, I still do a lot
that is right and worthy of admiration, especially by my children.
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We as moms are often hard on ourselves, especially when it comes to motherhood. When we
look at the job were doing, all we see are the mistakes. The times we yelled or lost our temper.
The times we didnt have patience, or werent creative, or said something we shouldnt. We look
at our motherhood and we see a picture that doesnt look quite right.
Our children, on the other hand, probably see something very different. Sure, they know we
make mistakes, but they have an entirely different perspective. They look at the job weve done,
and they say, Cool! or Thats amazing!
To them, it doesnt matter whether our motherhood looks exactly like someone elses or is technically perfect (which isnt possible, by the way). Theyre much easier on us than we are on ourselves. They look at us and see Wow!
True, when we sin, we need to confess it. When we make a mistake, we need to rectify it. But the
fact that we make mistakes sometimes, and sin sometimes, doesnt mean the whole picture is
ruined. Instead of frantically trying to muster up our own abilities to make the picture perfect and
pleasing to our God and our childrenand being afraid we still wont be able to do itwe need
to trust in the perfection of the One Who has called us to motherhood and will strengthen us and
equip us with everything we need to do the job well.
When I see that picture hanging on the wall near my desk, Im going to remember the fun time I
had at the painting class. Ill probably also be tempted to see the imperfections. But Im going to
resist that temptation. Instead, Ill remind myself how cool my children think the picture is. And
Ill remember that being a good painterjust like being a good momdoesnt mean that I have
to be perfect.
Isaiah 41:10Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen
you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (ESV)
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Distorted
Originally published February 17, 2014
I sat in the warmth of the hot tub, letting the heat and bubbles relax me. I was watching 6-yearold Jessica, who was in the adjacent pool, just to make sure she didnt need me. But the pool was
chillier than I preferred, so I watched from the hot tub.
Jessica and I were there on a hotel night, which Jessica had chosen to pay for with the birthday
money she had recently received (she loves hotels). She paid for the room, and I took her out to
supper and let her choose our activities. She got to spend one-on-one time with Mom doing
whatever she wanted, and her birthday money was put to good use making great memories.
Jessica called me to join her in the pool. I stood up in the hot tub, walking slowly toward the other side. Then, for some reason, I glanced down through the clear water at my foot. At that distance, and through the water, it looked elongated. Wider. Distorted.
And I thought about how our views of ourselves are equally distorted when we look at ourselves
through the wrong lens.
As human beings, were wired to desire a deep sense of self-worth. Its the way God made us.
We all have this hole in us that we long to have filled. And thats okay. The problem comes
when we seek an indication of our worth through the lens of others opinion of us.
Thats because its a distorted lens. Other people are mere human beings, so even the most loving of them cannot fully reflect our worth to us. Then there are those whose lens is even more
distortedthose who dont love us but should, or those who, for whatever reason, dont think
were worth much.
If we take our cues from human beings, the best-case scenario is that we fail to fully appreciate
how valuable we truly are. The worst-case scenario is that we learn that were worthless and unlovable.
I spent many years of my life believing just that, because I was looking through the lens of certain other peoples views of me. In my head, I knew that God loved me, but I didnt really get
it that He loved me passionately. I thought it was just a God so loved the world, and Im part
of the world, so He has to love me too kind of love. I had some people in my life who did love
me, but I couldnt really absorb their love, because deep down, I believed I was worthless and
unlovable.
It took me most of my life to begin looking at myself through the lens of what God says about
me rather than what others say. When I did, I discovered an incredible truth: what God says
about me is far more than what I had ever hoped others would say.
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God says that I am an amazingly incredible creation of His. Not just mediocre; not even merely
great. No, He says Im marvelous! The God of all creation, who created everything there is out
of His vast imagination, says I am wonderful!
Yes, He knows that Im a sinner. But He still calls me wonderful. He doesnt hold my past sins
over my head and berate me with them. He says He has removed them from me as far as the east
is from the west, and now, I am righteous and forgiven!
God even dances and sings over me (see Zeph. 3:17, below). Elsewhere in the Bible, Im told He
loves me madly and passionately, and He has committed Himself never to abandon me or leave
me in the lurch.
I know it can be hard to absorb these truths when our hearts have been deeply wounded by fellow human beings. But once I began thinking about them and meditating on them, somehow, the
Spirit of God ministered to my heart and helped me begin to be able to absorb His love and truly
believe the words I had formerly only believed with my head.
Precious mom, Hes longing to do the same in your heart, mind, and life too. He wants you to
know how amazing you are. How wonderful. How beloved.
Maybe Hell use family or friends to minister to you; maybe Hell use a trusted religious adviser
or counselor. Maybe Hell use all of these. But you can be sure that He will commit Himself to
reaching deeply and gently into your tender soul and beginning to minister comfort and healing
to you.
Are you ready to take the first step? Ask Him to heal you in the way only He can. He longs to
bring healing to your soul. And Scripture tells us that if we ask Him anything according to His
will, He will do it.
So ask, precious mom. Askand let the healing begin.
1 John 5:14-15And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know
that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (ESV)
Psalm 139:14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your
works; my soul knows it very well. (ESV)
Psalm 103:12As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions
from us. (ESV)
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Making it Look Easy

Its not that Ellie doesnt have a regular bedtime, or a regular bedtime routine. Its not that she
doesnt have enough hours available to her for sleep. Its just that sometimes, she doesnt sleep
well, and she winds up going through the next day tired.
We were discussing exactly this on the way home from church yesterday afternoon. Kennys
the one whos good at sleeping, Ellie said, referring to the fact that her brother never has trouble
falling asleep or staying asleep.
Yes, but when he was a baby, he was a terrible sleeper, I said.
Yeah, but not anymore, Ellie said. He makes sleeping look easy.
I have to admit that I chuckled out loud. Sleeping is easy, I thought to myself. But then I realized
that Ellie doesnt experience it that way at all. Sleeping, though easy for Kenny, is not easy for
her. That doesnt mean Ellie should stop trying to sleep.
In a similar vein, I have friends who are great at things like cooking or making stuff you see on
Pinterest. Im not. Im simply not that talented in those areas. Whats easy for them is not easy
for me. That doesnt mean that I have to stop making my kids birthday cakes (which I enjoy)
just because there are people who are better at that kind of thing than I am.
God, in His infinite wisdom, has made us all different. We all have different skills and abilities,
strengths and weaknesses. He has portioned these out to each of us as He determined best and
necessary for His perfect plans. Yet too often, we spend our time wishing we had gifts someone
else had instead of developing the ones we do have, or giving up in one area just because theres
someone in the world who can do better.
But we are not to despise the gifts God has given us. Instead, we are commanded to make use of
them. He has given them to us for a reason, and that reason is in accordance with the plans He
has for us. We will never fully be who God wants us to be if we spend our time comparing ourselves to others and becoming either prideful or discouraged.
You see, God doesnt count one gift better than another. He doesnt love one mom more just because she can sing solos in church and you cant. He doesnt prefer one mom over another because she throws picture-perfect birthday parties and I dont. After all, He was the One who gave
our gifts to us, and God doesnt give substandard gifts. In other words, He gave us the gifts we
have because they are valuable to Him and He wants us to use them for His Kingdom.
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When we dont use our giftswhen we decide not to use them because someone has a greater
gift, or because we didnt get the gift we wantedGod is not pleased. He wants our gifts used by
us. Thats why He gave them to us. So just because another mom is better at something than you
are, or just because another mom has a gift you dont, is no reason you shouldnt be content with
your gifts and develop them to the fullest. After all, God is pleased with them, so you should be,
too.
Romans 12:6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.
59
Being Thankful in Tough Times

Several years ago, Lindsey appointed herself my company girl. This means she accompanies
me whenever I go somewhere (at least, any time shes allowed to) and keeps me company on the
trip. It doesnt matter to her what we do; she just likes being together.
Two days ago, my company girl and I were on our way to do some errands. Our first stop was to
be a local department store. As we drove down the road the store is on, small raindrops began
hitting the windshield. Oh no, I thought. Now were going to get wet trying to get into the store.
What if it starts raining harder? Then well get really wet. And I cant run as fast when I have
Lindsey with me.
Out loud, I said, Oh, no! Its raining.
Lindsey glanced at the raindrops dotting our windshield and said, with a smile, Yay! Were
going to get wet!
The exact same circumstance happened to both of us: rain. The difference came in our attitudes. I
saw the rain as an inconvenience; Lindsey saw it as fun.
So much of our quality of life results from the way we look at things and the perspective we
choose to have. I said choose to have, because while we may not be able to choose our circumstances sometimes, we can always choose our attitudes in response.
I could have chosen a different perspective. I could have seen the rain and thought about what
fun it would be to run through the rain together with a girl who loves to get wet, laughing and
giggling all the way. Instead, I chose a perspective that brought me down instead of lifting me
up.
Fortunately, I didnt bring Lindsey down. She chose the joy perspective. What I saw as an inconvenience, she saw as the chance to have a great time.
I wonder what difference it would make in our lives as moms if we were to practice seeing the
positive side of things instead of the negative? Would our homes be more peaceful? Would our
relationships with our husband (if were married) and children be more fulfilling? Would our relationship with God be more joyful and Spirit-filled?
Im not suggesting that everything in life that happens to us will bring joy. But I am saying that
even in the worst of circumstances, we can find good that is happening despite those circumstances. And Im urging all of usstarting with myselfto realize that so many things in our
60
day-to-day lives could be so much different if we were to look on the bright side of things instead of the negative.
Ill bet this new, positive perspective would please God, too. After all, were commanded to give
thanks in the midst of every circumstance, and were told that its Gods will for us.
Does this mean that were supposed to deny our negative feelings? No. We need to take those to
God and let Him help us deal with those. He desires truth from us, including in our emotional
lives. So Gods command doesnt mean were supposed to pretend like everything is just fine.
But it does mean that, no matter what, were supposed to find something to be thankful about.
Discouraged that your house is a mess? (Believe me, I totally get this one.) Instead of focusing
on the discouragement, you could choose to spend your emotional energy being thankful you
have children.
Frustrated that your husband works long hours? Instead of focusing on the inconvenience that
this makes for you, you could deliberately choose to be thankful that your husbands long hours
mean that he has a job that helps to provide for you and your family.
Irritated that youve told your children the same thing a thousand times, and they still dont get
it? Try turning your irritation into thankfulness to God that He doesnt give up on you when you
dont get it the first several times either.
See what I mean? Same circumstances, different attitude.
And sometimes, your attitude makes all the difference in the world.
1 Thessalonians 5:18Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you.
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Doing All Things

The house was peacefully quiet. Timmy was taking a napor so I thoughtand two of my
daughters (the only other kids home at the time) were playing with a friend. I was sitting on the
couch in the living room working on a cross stitch project when my daughters and their friend
walked into the living roomfollowed by Timmy.
Who got Timmy out of his crib? I asked. No one said anything, so I asked each girl individually. Each denied it. Gradually, I came to the only possible conclusion: Timmy had gotten himself
out of the crib.
It was the first of many such escapes that Timmy engineered. Apparently, he was easily able to
climb out of his crib whenever he wanted to.
In thinking about it, I realized that Timmy had probably been able to climb out of his crib for
awhile now. The only thing keeping him there may not have been his inability to get out, but his
mistaken assumption that he was unable to do so.
You and I have mistaken assumptions about our abilities too. Were able to do so much more
than we realizewe just dont try, so we never find out. We look at the obstacles in front of us
and think, I cant overcome that, so I wont even try.
In reality, however, with Gods strength, we can do anything He calls us to do. Thats because
when He calls us, He also equips us not only with the abilities and talents we already have, but
with His strength and wisdom.
Precious mom, is there an area in your life where Gods calling you to step out in faith, but
youre not obeying because you think you cant? Moses would have identified with you. When
God called him to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, Moses protested, citing his lack of
speaking ability.
What excuse are you using for not doing what God has called you to do? Do you think you dont
have the ability to do what Hes asking? Do you protest that you dont know how?
Its true that you may need to develop certain abilities. You may also need to learn how to do
what Hes asking. But the fact that you cant or dont know how to do it now is no excuse for
remaining stuck in the crib. God will honor your efforts to get out and do whatever it is Hes
calling you to do. You may be unable by yourself, but with Him, you are more than able.
Dont let any potential obstacles make you think you cant be successful at what God wants you
to do. God can either remove the obstacles, or He can enable you to get over them, just like He
62
enabled Timmy to get out of his crib. What seems like a huge obstacle to you is nothing more
than a pebble to God. If He wants you to get past that obstacle, He will make a way.
But you have to be willing to take that first step.
Philippians 4:13I can do all things through him who gives me strength. (ESV)
63
When Life Drags You Down

Maybe your husband just lost his job. Maybe you just lost yours. Maybe youre struggling with
discipline problems with your children. Maybe youve recently lost someone you love.
Whatever the details of the circumstances that are dragging you down, you know how it feels to
feel like you just might go under.
Martha of Bethany would have identified with you. In John 11, we find out that Marthas beloved brother has died. Worse than that, Jesuswhom Martha believed loved them allhad for
some inexplicable reason shown up too late to be of any help. Too late for even the funeral.
When Jesus finally arrives, Martha confronts Him about this: Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died! she says (v. 21). Then she goes on to plead with Him in v. 22,
But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask. In other words, shes saying,
You could have done something, but you didnt. Yet even now, I know you can still do something about this if youll just do it!
Have you ever felt that way? That Jesus showed up too late? That He could easily have fixed
your circumstances if He had just decided to? I think we all have. Thats why we identify with
Marthas desperate words.
As far as we know, Jesus never does tell Martha why He didnt prevent her brother from dying,
just as He doesnt always tell us why He allowed things to happen to us that grieve us. But He
does tell her that her brother will rise again.
I know hell rise again eventually, she says (my paraphrase). Then Jesus goes on to reassure
her that yes, Lazarus will eventually rise at the resurrection of the dead that Jesus will perform at
the last day. But He offers her far more than that as comfort. Listen to His words: I am the resurrection and the life, he says (emphasis mine).
Its the same answer He gives us. Yes, you have hope in the future that things will be better,
He tells us. But for now, in the in-between time, I am your life. In other words, Jesus is telling
us that our life consists not in the perfection of our circumstances, but in the fact that Jesus Himself is our life, and He is always available no matter what else is going on.
Its beautiful, and a better answer than we could have ever hoped for. You see, sometimes
perhaps even oftencircumstances will not be to our liking. We will be dissatisfied. Discontent.
Maybe even grieved. And in those timesin the times before Jesus comes back to take us to
heaven and make everything perfectwe need hope. We need to know that we have life now,
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that there is more to life than just struggling through disappointment or tragedy. Life can be abundant, even in the midst of tragic circumstances.
Thats because even when were sufferingperhaps especially when were sufferingwe can
know Jesus. We can be in intimate relationship with Him despite, or perhaps because of, whatever else is going on. He is our life, and He will see us through.
Circumstances wont do it. They cant. They were never meant for that job. So when circumstances are going well, we should rejoice even as we remember that Jesus is still the one carrying
us through. And when theyre notwhen tragedy or disillusionment has struckwe must remember that our life consists of far more than praying desperately for circumstances to be perfect.
He is our life, and knowing Him is possible even in the midst of circumstances we never wanted.
John 11:17-44Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will
live, even though he dies. (verse 25)
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Books by Megan Breedlove

Available through major book retailers or at www.MannaForMoms.com/store.
Manna For Moms: Gods Provision for Your Hair-Raising, Miracle-Filled Mothering Adventure - Sixty more encouraging devotions for moms! Between diaper
changes, carpools, meals and spills, you probably wonder if its possible to find quality time with God. Megan Breedlove, a stay-at-home mom of four energetic little
ones, has discovered the secret: Recognize He is there in every messy, miraculous
moment. Manna for Moms is a one-mom-to-another devotional that will inspire you
to look up and lighten up-even when youre cleaning up!
Each devotion in Manna for Moms is encouragement and inspiration to face every
hectic day with an open heart, expecting God to reveal Himself in the midst of whatever chaos arises! Megan also offers tips and suggestions for staying tuned in to
Gods presence in your interactions with your kids. Instead of struggling to find time
with God, share your hair-raising mothering adventure with your loving Heavenly
Father.
Chaotic Joy: Finding Abundance in the Messiness of Motherhood - If youre
waiting to live abundantly until the house is tidy, your kids are clean and well behaved, and you have plenty of free time to pursue a glamorous hobby, you may be
waiting awhile. You dont have to wait for things to settle down to live the good life,
because Motherhoodwith all its chaosis the abundance God promised.
In Chaotic Joy, you will discover how to experience abundant life in the midst of the
madness and mess. Find out whats keeping you from the joy and satisfaction you
dreamed being a mom would bring, and learn how to recognize Gods hand of blessing even through countless diaper changes, toddler meltdowns, and thousands of important tasks that clamor for your attention. Motherhood can be chaotic, for sure. But
its meant to be so much more.
Well Done, Good and Faithful Mommy: Finding Fulfillment as a Mom-on-theGo - A moms work is never finishedfrom changing diapers and fixing meals, to
helping kids with their homework. Often the first one to rise and the last one to sleep,
a mom doesnt need a special award for her work; she just wants to feel like her work
matters and is appreciated. But often, mothers dont always feel they are affirmed for
all that they do.
While moms tend to look to people for affirmation, the truth is, the only place to find
this appreciation is to look to God. Based on Matthew 25:31-46, Well Done, Good
and Faithful Mommy helps moms realize that everything they offer their children,
they offer directly to Jesus. Moms will find fulfillment in knowing that every task
they do, no matter how small, has incredible significance to God. Every mom will
rest knowing one day she will hear Jesus say the words she longs to hear, Well
done, good and faithful mommy.

31 Days of Encouragement For Every Mom

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31 Days of Encouragement For Every Mom

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31 Days of Encouragement

for Every Mom

2014 Megan Breedlove - www.MannaForMoms.com

Megan Breedlove - www.MannaForMoms.com

Megan Breedlove - www.MannaForMoms.com

Love Them Now

But not easier to love.

Be It Done for You

Dressed for Church

No Room for Clothes

Making it Look Easy

Being Thankful in Tough Times

Doing All Things

When Life Drags You Down

Books by Megan Breedlove

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