We are excited to announce that Mom Inspirations is updating our format...just for YOU and just for the SUMMER. Since we tend to spend less time at home (and at the computer) and more time out with our kids during this season, we want to introuduce you to "Quick Inspirations."
Each weekday we'll be posting a short, but amazing inspiration for you. These quick inspirations will be in the form of either a brief 'Thought for the Day' from Nana (life verse and personal insight), a great summer tip that you need to know or a short excerpt about the essentials of what to pray for and over your child (our summer series).
You can log on and take just one or two minutes to read the mini article for the day. So log on... read... be encouraged... be inspired ... be motivated and please share your inspirations, your questions, your tips and your thoughts with us too!
I love this Orla Kiely's Stoneware Pitcher! Her sleek designs are such eye candy for me :) This particular pitcher is very tall and a has a classic, vintage look. It will also make a beautiful vase as well as pitcher. #3 Serving Bowl
Such a happy and vibrant piece. #4 Stoneware Pear Canister
So delicious :)
*Editor's Note: If you are a subscriber to Mom Inspirations, you're automatically entered for our giveaway this week!
I can't believe summer is just around the corner. Time sure flies just too fast!
As I think about having four kids in the home for the summer, I get kinda nervous. I know there are a lot of activities they've been wanting to do, lots of lessons to take, places to go, camps to be involved with, etc. And it's so easy to get caught up in endless programs for their enrichment sake. But I realize that perhaps when the vacation comes around, we can start to regroup and prioritize what's really necessary.
I know many of us parents fall into the category of getting the kids plugged in programs after programs (myself included as well), but lately God's been reminding me to go back to the basics. Yes, these programs are good, but we as Christian mothers have a responsibility to teach our children to become like Christ.
Sometimes we feel that we don't have the tools to provide that and leave it to our churches to handle this, but really, it's the parents that have the first responsibility to lead our children to Christ. That says a lot about how we should live our daily life to set the example to witness to them. Remember, living what you know and not just talk the talk? I sure do a lot of talking, especially to my children, but seldom do I remember to live it.
So, before I plan all the other activities this summer, I plan to spend more time in enriching their spiritual life. I gotta be creative about this to make it exciting since we have so many stimulating and exciting things around us to compete with! As Erwan McMannus puts it, it is sin to make Bible boring. I think it's true. God is such a creative being, we should tap into the gift of creativity to make Jesus and pursuing our relationship with him more exciting for our kids.
Dear Precious Ones: "All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. So when you are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation."
~2Cor. 1:3-6a~
Sometimes we ache with that pain in our hearts, and feel no comfort at all. But I know our Lord wants to comfort and it takes my desire to receive that comfort by spending time with Him. He will use every pain in our lives, nothing is ever wasted no matter how bad we think it is.
Remember this when you are hurting, and let God comfort you!
Must be the start of summer, as 'vacation' seems to be on everyone's mind! (Thanks Caitlin for your great ideas yesterday about how to vacation at home.) I love to go away too though. However, I do NOT relish all the hard work to pack up everything we all need. Then to travel there with the kids. And often feel exhausted by the time we get home. So is it worth it?? Definitely, especially when we head to one of our favorite destinations.
Personally I have been waiting and anticipating our vacation for quite a while. We don't vacation very often and like to be frugal with our money. So one of our favorite vacation spots is...... our parents! Yes you heard me. It may not be a tropical island or a luxurious resort, but staying with family has countless benefits.
There is nothing wrong with a trip to Disney or better yet to a Caribbean island. And if you can easily afford and manage that....wonderful!! But a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's can be pretty amazing too!!
Free Babysitting, Free Lodging, Priceless moments, Breakfast, lunches and most dinners included....just to mention a few highlights!
Seriously, Grandma and Grandpa LOVE to babysit the kids so my husband and I can get some alone time. Or time away with friends. Also it is fun and easy to take day trips or even short outings to local museums, parks and other sites in the area.
Last night we went out to the Drive-In and were not home until well past 2 AM. It was simple and cost only $7, but I had a blast. This morning I slept in and later my daughter received a pancake making lesson from Grandma. She was delighted to cook and proud to help make the food for everyone. Again, it is something so simple but it was a thrill for her.
Especially since my children are younger, vacation is more about getting to spend time together and do new things. It is about getting to be with friends and family, laughing, staying up late and sleeping in. It is about my husband and I getting time without our kids and our kids getting some time without us too!!
Perhaps I just have the best parents and best in-laws in the world (I could be biased), but I think everyone should take a good old 'family' vacation some time soon. Whether it is a favorite Aunt and Uncle, your parents, or a best friend's family; enjoying the simple things together is the best vacation. You don't always need to go to a fancy amusement park or resort or have every day planned with exciting events. And when you don't, sometimes you can actually return home feeling rested rather than exhausted and ready for another vacation!
So happy vacationing to all of you! And let us know your favorite destinations.
Our first giveaway is $15 worth giftcard for iTunes! Please leave a comment on today's blog and you'll be automatically entered to win this gift. Winners will be posted on June 1st!
With summer right around the corner, vacations are on everyone's mind. Unfortunately, the country's current economic troubles have lead many families to feel hesitant about spending money on travel. I've recently read two great articles giving tips on how to create a fun and worthwhile "staycation" for your family that will save money and still create great memories. Here are a few of my favorite tips: 1) Plan and research ahead of time. Ask around and do some web searches for local attractions. It's so easy to overlook great destinations right around the corner from you! Try something new - maybe you've never taken the kids to an art museum, water park, pottery painting studio, or zoo - you may find a new favorite activity! If you live near a big city, there is a website called citypass.com through which you can buy a pass that gets you into multiple destinations in certain cities. 2) Schedule your time. When you're at home, it's easy to slip into the normal routine. You want to avoid this to make it a special time with your family. Know where you are going at what time so you're sure to get out of the house. Don't forget to schedule some down time too. Just try to break out some new board games or videos, maybe make your own ice cream sundaes and watch the stars -- relax in a new and different way! 3) Make an Effort to "Vacationize" Your House. Buy/borrow cheap decorations, turn off cellphones and computers, maybe even set up a tent and camp out in the backyard! Roast marshmallows on a fire pit or BBQ and make s'mores under the stars, or dress up for a tropical themed BBQ. Borrow backyard toys, bikes, or water toys that you don't normally have for the kids. I hope that if you're considering a "staycation" this year, these tips will help you out in planning your trip. Make your familiar surroundings not so familiar and enjoy new experiences close to home. This may be your most memorable vacation yet!
It's been a fun and exciting adventure for us this year! All our bloggers for Mom Inspirations have been faithfully working hard everyday to encourage you! To celebrate, we are doing a giveaway all week. Please leave a comment under any blog entry from next week. We'll be announcing our winner on June 1st, 2009. *The pictures of the items will be posted on Monday!
Let me tell you.... my hubby and I love to read. We also like to collect books. In fact, when I first met my husband, I did not fall in love with him first, but went head over heels the moment I saw mountains of books he had all over his apartment.
One of the genres that get me very interested is about parenting. Perhaps it's because we have four children to bring up, and most of the time I feel as if I don't know what I'm doing. And it's probably because my life right now is about pouring myself to bring these kids up the right way.
But sometimes, I wish I could find more resources on the day to day tips that could help my job a bit easier. The principles of parenting is always important without a doubt, but at times, I wish I could find more of the practical tips to make the principles come to reality.
So after some research, I found this great website called Parent Hacks. They provide great parenting tips from real experts: parents! I hope this site can help you make your job as a mom a bit easier :)
Lately my 2 year old daughter has become unreasonably preoccupied, even obsessed with any unseen, unexplained or unexpected noise. It has become so extreme that she now is easily startled by almost any sound, is 'scared' of things she never used to be and begs to have the door of whatever room she is in closed and locked.
We have reassured her that the noises are just a car door slamming, the wind rustling the leaves or a squirrel searching for nuts and that it is just a sound. I have heard her telling her dolls, hre baby brother and herself; "Don't be scared, it's just a noise." But that does not stop her from making a mad dash for my leg, or running to hide under a blanket when she hears a noise.
This morning when she prayed, "Dear Jesus, peez take away all the noises," I realized what a deep fear she is holding onto and decided we better have a talk.
I asked her who made us. She smiled and looked at me as if to say, that is so easy mom, and answered, "GOD!" I asked why she thought God gave us hands, feet, mouth, eyes, etc. We talked about how we used our hands to hold things and color. We said how happy we were to have a mouth to be able to talk and sing and eat. We laughed about how silly it would be trying to walk around without feet. Then I got to the question I was waiting to ask. "So why did God give us ears?" My daughter looked up at me and said, "So I can listen to Momma!" While that was definitely a winning answer, I probed for more. Asking what else we can hear with our ears. She thought for a bit and then said, "Daddy... and music.... and the baby crying... and sometimes the birds."
"That's right," I told her, "God gave us ears so we could hear all the different sounds. Isn't that good!" She nodded her head and said, "Yes, but I not like all the noises from wind and from rain and from outside." Then I reminded her who made the wind and the rain and who was in charge of all the outside. A wide grin spread across her face and she lowered her voice like she was telling me a secret, "Jesus said 'shhhhhh' to the wind 'n rain and it STOPPED!" I hugged her and told her she never had to be scared of a noise she heard or anything she saw because Jesus was always with her and could say 'shhhhhh' to her on the inside and make the scariness she felt stop!
Suddenly she had gotten the point I was trying to make, the noises she was scared of were just part of the many sounds in our world. And like everything else, they came from what God created and were ultimately under His control. Wow, did I really believe what I was teaching my daughter? And if so why do I sometimes let the 'noises' in my life scare me? Instantly I recognized that this morning's simple lesson was not just for my daughter but for me too!!
Lord help me to quiet the 'noise' in my life and listen to you!
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”-- James 4:10
Here it is. The unlikely key. All other the other virtues that we want to see in our children spring from this one, of all things: humility. Humility is a concept that is alien to our nature -- yet it is vital to our spirit. Why is that so?
Well, for one thing, as the verse above states, being humble is the starting gate for allowing God to transform ones life. God regards humility as a basic component of a right relationship with Him. Micah 6:8 says, “…And what does the Lord require of you, but to act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
On the other hand, scripture puts pride at the center of everything bad. Pride caused the fall of Satan, and pride was Satan’s ploy to tempt Adam and Eve in the garden -- remember how he promised them that eating the forbidden fruit would make them “like God?” A pretty enticing shortcut to success! But instead, pride paved the way for the fall of mankind.
So if pride is in our spiritual DNA now, how can we ever escape it and achieve humility? What does being humble even really look like, anyway? And if it’s so alien to us, how can we hope to foster it in our children? Some people might define humility as “not having too high an opinion of yourself.” But I think it’s more like keeping both the “high” and the “low” simultaneously in view. It’s knowing that you are the pinnacle of God’s creation, made in His image -- and also knowing that you are a fallen creature, totally powerless to do anything good apart from Him.
Being humble is simply having an undistorted sense of who you are.As Christian parents, we must give our children the whole story.We must acquaint them with both their boundless God-given potential, and their need for God’s forgiveness. But many parents today actually try to stamp out humility in their children, in the name of helping them become more “assertive,” “competitive,” or “self-confident.”
When my kids were growing up, one of the buzzwords of education was “self-esteem.”The idea was vigorously promoted that if children only recognized their inner “specialness,” they would obviously learn better, relate more positively to their peers, and become inspired to fulfill their own greatness.But there was one problem: the students didn’t buy it.Kids did not believe they were “special” -- kids knew they were kids.And they continued to behave like kids.Educators were too busy preaching the “Believe in Yourself” doctrine to realize that their juvenile audience was translating it to mean, “Become Absorbed in Yourself.”Increased bullying, name-calling, teasing and intimidation have been the by-products of this one-sided “self-esteem” philosophy that is, after all, rooted in pride.
Humility is the key to transformation.Without it, a person (whether a child or an adult) will have a lopsided sense of identity, and swing between self-idealization and self-contempt.Either way, the self is still at the center. The cross was borne by Jesus to break this cycle once and for all.For those who come humbly to the foot of the cross, who realize both their need and God’s ultimate provision, the conflict is ended, replaced by peace – a peace that continues as long as Jesus, not self, is the new focus of their being.
Pride tries to negotiate with God. Humility just says “You’re right,” and surrenders.
Mothers, have we consciously decided again, today, to surrender our plans and ideas to His will? By our actions and attitudes, in both our words and our “non-verbals,” we’re telling our children who they are every day. Are we communicating the right message?Are we balancing sincere praise and validation with consistent limits and correction?
Let’s give our sons and daughters the twin training wheels of a healthy identity by both celebrating their value to God (Matthew 10:31) and acknowledging their lost and helpless condition apart from Him (John 15:5).Let’s steer them away from pride’s enticing “shortcuts to nowhere,” and teach them to approach God in obedience, and wait patiently for Him to lift them up in His own timing.Let’s lovingly teach our kids humility.In doing so, we will lay a foundation for all other character development.
Considering the economy these days, everyone's trying to save money and become thrifty. I found this website called $5 Dollar Dinners where they provide nice recipes for your family meal that would only cost you five bucks to make! Hope you enjoy :)
Today I just wanted to remind all you wonderful, hard working moms to take a second to stop and enjoy all of your blessings. Don't take things too seriously, instead....
LAUGH OUT LOUD
DANCE
REST
GET RETAIL THERAPY
SLEEP A LITTLE
RELAX IN NATURE
TAKE A BUBBLE BATH
BE HAPPY THANK GOD FOR ALL YOUR BLESSINGS, ESPECIALLY THE SWEET, CUDDLY ONES!
It may also be the hardest job in the world. Sometimes it can be tiring, hectic, stressful, confusing, demanding, frustrating and a lot of hard work.
But motherhood is also joyful, exciting, abounding with love (cuddles, hugs and kisses too), educational, blissful and miraculous!
This mother's day my husband went out before church to buy my favorite fresh bagel and served it to me exactly how I like it. He and my children gave me sweet presents and cards, complete with tracings of the kids' hands. We enjoyed a beautiful, peaceful outing to the beach and the park as a family. We walked, talked, played and laughed together. We enjoyed some quiet time together while the kids napped. That evening we ate take out at home and looked at some pictures from the day.
It may not seem like an extraordinary day, but it was. Simply enjoying time together as a family and getting a bit of pampering was perfect! I loved my day!
Reflecting on my Mother's Day I realized that although I am an imperfect mom, I seem to have perfect children. I am not the best wife and mother but have the best family! God has blessed me with more than I could ever deserve and I am grateful. As a mom, I want to be worthy of the precious gift I have been given.
My children have taught me how to be patient, loving, self sacrificing, creative, enduring, diligent, persevering, grateful and happy. My hope is that I am teaching them those things too! Being a mom truly is a blessing.
I must say, I'm HOOKED! Old Navy has a sister site called www.oldnavyweekly.com and they hide many different coupons all over the site (up to $75off $100 dollars or more). All you have to do is click around and see if you can find those delicious coupons. The coupons are good for in-stores only and not for their online store. It's a bit hard for me to go shopping these days and I prefer online shopping instead, but it's still worth it. I managed to snag a $45 off $100 before they all disappeared within minutes. I didn't even come close to the $60 off. But they said that they'll refresh those $$ coupons throughout this week. They update every thursday night and the coupons are good for a week. Check out the site and enjoy the hunt!
As you already know, having a baby can cost you a lot. There are so many things you need: from diapers to baby gears, it could help to know when you can get certain items for much less. I have come across this awesome website that tells you about all kinds of discount and sales (for baby and kid's stuff) and you don't have to spend time researching yourself! Try www.babygoodbuys.com and enjoy spending more time with your children :)
This morning I sat to begin my morning and read the following words from scripture. "I have no greater joy than to know that my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 1:4 NIV)
Interestingly, I fear greatly right now. Now, for the first time in 21 years of raising kids, I see the potential of one of them walking away from faith. I am deep in prayer for wisdom in being mom right now. This morning I was really encouraged with direction in how to pray for our kids, not just with our passionate hearts, but also with scripture. I wanted to share that with you. Pray that your children will:
Know Christ as Savior early in life. (Psalm 63:1, 2 Timothy 3:15) · Have a hatred for sin. (Psalm 97:10) · Be caught when guilty. (Psalm 119:71) · Be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, and physical (John 17:15) · Have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships (Daniel 6:3) · Respect those in authority over them. (Romans 13:1) · Desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. (Proverbs 1:10-11) · Be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one.(2 Corinthians 6:14-17) · Be kept pure until marriage (as well as the one they marry). (1 Corinthians 6:18-20) · Learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all things. (James 4:7) · Be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2) · Be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them. (Hosea 2:6)
As you read this today, I pray for you. Some of you are still holding babies and napping toddlers. Some of these prayer needs may seem almost out of the realm of reality for you. I pray as a somewhat veteran mom, down the road a way. I have seen in my life moments of glory and goodness and assurance. There is also a lot of pride and blind assumption amongst the mommies on this well worn road. So I pray that you will lead your children with joy and lots of hope and a very keen watchful eye. Our enemy is crafty and christian moms can be very naive. But God is All-knowing and completely Sovereign! He loves our kids more than we ever have.
Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength;They will mount up on wings like eagles,They will run and not get tired,They will walk and not grow weary.
~~Isaiah 40:30~~
I have come back to this verse a lot lately, as I feel like I am in a waiting period of my life. Our family has been waiting for some stresses (that are out of our control) to be resolved or removed from our life. Waiting for things to get better. Waiting until we finally get to take a vacation, and enjoy a much needed break. Waiting for God to show us the next step in our future plans. Waiting....waiting....waiting..... and I am growing weary. But am I really 'waiting for the Lord?'
In studying the verse above, I realized something: Waiting is NOT passive. The Amplified version of this passage says, "...those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for and hope in him] shall change and renew their strength and power...." Wow!! I need to be expectant, hopeful and observant during my time of waiting. Not just sitting until something happens, but resting in the HOPE of His promises and LOOKING for what He is doing, LISTENING to what He is saying.
When my two year old is waiting to go outside she often hops from one foot to the other, sings songs and dances around near the door. She also take a trip to the bathroom, put on her shoes and wriggle into her jacket. (She will even put on her hat or hood if it is cold). Whether it will be 5 minutes of 35 minutes until we leave, as soon as she knows we are going she jumps into action. She gets ready and gets excited.
I need to take my cues from my daughter and wait like a child. A time of hopeful expectancy, preparing for what will come next sounds exciting and almost joyful. No wonder God tells us that if we wait on Him we will renew our strength and can walk without getting weary, run without tiring out. Actively and assuredly hoping in God is nothing like the drudgery of just sitting still, pausing your life, until something happens.
Oh Lord teach me to learn how to truly wait for You and on You! So that I can be strengthened, renewed and able to enjoy the wait instead of growing weary.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38
My colleague at work was telling me about her granddaughter who had just started talking. “The two words Jacqueline loves to say the most are, ‘No!’ and ‘Mine!’ She says them every chance she gets-- and with such gusto!” We laughed, then I mused, “Those two words kind of sum up all of human nature, don’t they?”
We’ve all watched our own little children eagerly discover the thrill of saying “No!” and “Mine!” Actually, these are two healthy concepts that every child needs to learn. A child’s “no” is an important assertion of his personal boundaries – his right to have a say in what happens to him. And a child’s “mine” empowers him to extend those boundaries outward, into the realm of space, time and objects. Trying out these ideas is as normal a part of toddler-hood as learning to walk, and rightly so. We want our children to have a sense of what should and shouldn’t be permitted, what is and isn’t theirs.
Yet we also want to bring our children beyond the “No!” and “Mine!” mindset, to teach them regard for others and generosity. Doing this well requires laying quite a foundation first. Here are some things we can do to prepare a child to be authentically generous:
1. Establish, and keep to, a daily routine – one that includes regular times for sleep, eating, play, and small, comforting everyday rituals, such as running to greet Daddy when he comes in the door, or singing the Rubber Ducky song in the bathtub. Children, like all humans, experience the fear and tension that comes from not knowing whether or when their needs will be met. Having a routine is reassuring. It answers that fear with hope, and helps them relax in the knowledge that everything isn’t just randomly up for grabs.
2. Give a child honest choices. Acknowledge a child’s right to say “No,” but give clear rules about the times when “No” is an acceptable answer. If you phrase a command as a question – “Would you like to take a walk with me to the mailbox?” -- be prepared to accept no for an answer. Rather, state the action, and give options about how to do it. “It’s time to go to the mailbox. Do you want to walk with me and hold my hand, or push your lawnmower?”
3. Have distinct areas and objects that are the child’s alone, that she doesn’t have to share with anyone. This may just be her bed and her teddy bear, but make it clear to her that these are safe from being stolen by rival siblings or visitors. Again, this clear acceptance of her boundaries allows your little one to relax and not feel as though she has to defend her turf.
4. Deal with boundary infringements consistently. The rules should be the same for all children in the house. Older kids should not be called on to sacrifice their plans or belongings to appease a younger sibling.
You may be asking, what does all this have to do with teaching a child to be generous? If a child feels that his own needs are being met, he will be much more receptive to the idea of making another person happier by doing something, or sharing some of what he has. Once we’ve laid this groundwork, we can begin to lead our children into basic, concrete methods of giving.
This can begin when your young child is old enough to recognize and register other children's emotions. Suggest specific unselfish acts that he or she can do to help someone feel better. But – this is important – do this only when a child is in familiar territory. Within a context of comforting routine, children can feel confident that good things will keep coming their way, so they will be more apt to respond well to your directions about sharing a toy or giving their friend some goldfish crackers.
I used to do this in advance and phrase my suggestions in story form, to build anticipation: “When Jonathan comes over today, you can play with the play dough that we made this morning, then you can give him some to take home. Do you think he would like that?” If your child says an outright no, respect his wish. But if he doesn’t say no, go through with your plan, making sure to praise him. Being generous then becomes an empowering and gratifying accomplishment and a step to maturity.
As children grow older, a further way to prepare them to be generous is to involve them in an organized charity project such as Operation Christmas Child, where families fill shoeboxes with toys and treats to give to children in poor countries. Give your children a chance, and they will often make such a project their own.
One final word that my mom handed down to me: “It’s important that children know that a gift is not a gift if anything is expected in return, but that it is God who sees to it that giving is rewarded – in ways we least expect many times.”
Teaching our children generosity begins with our own generosity of spirit, as we commit to giving them what they need, and help them overcome their fear that their needs will not be met. It continues by helping them taste and know the joys of sharing and giving. Let’s give our children a great framework for generosity by teaching them that God’s generosity to us is complete, and we can trust Him to multiply our acts of giving.
Hello Moms!
With summer right around the corner, vacations are on everyone's mind. Unfortunately, the country's current economic troubles have lead many families to feel hesitant about spending money on travel. I've recently read two great articles giving tips on how to create a fun and worthwhile "staycation" for your family that will save money and still create great memories. Here are a few of my favorite tips:
