Legacy

Messy Motherhood

May 9, 2012 By Traci Little 3 Comments

I watch as he crashes tiny cars together, making all sorts of deep, vrooom vroom sounds like he’s been doing it from the womb. She flits and dances about and beckons me to watch her own recital of sorts. The little babe, that isn’t so little any longer, with his chubby 7-month thighs that are so irresistibly kissable and how his sweaty creases somehow smell so inviting. Really… sweat only smells good on little babies. I kiss his bare toes and pretend to eat them as he giggles over and over. I melt.

Being a mother is such a beautiful gift; but when days are long, and kids are sick, and whining seems to never cease… that’s when the beauty seems cloudy. It’s hard to see through the fog of motherhood during long nights filled with little sleep. Motherhood is a beautiful, messy gift!

Each day brings new joys and new pain. Without the pain we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the fullness of the joy-filled, sunny days. Even though it’s hard, I’m thankful for the murky, muddied water days. It stretches me and grows me and makes me thankful that I have my Savior, Jesus Christ to walk out this thing called motherhood with. For He is my guide, and my ever gentle Shepherd; He is the giver of these little gifts!

On the long days when hope for a glimpse of beauty is hidden behind saggy sweat pants, a messy-bun and dark circles underneath those tired eyes, remember… motherhood really is a gift. A beautiful one! Will you choose to look beyond the haze of today into the beauty of your tomorrow?

“You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” 1 Peter 3:4

photo credit: heavenly flower

Filed Under: Legacy, Motherhood

When Mother’s Day Is Hard

May 7, 2012 By Denise Thompson 40 Comments

This Mother’s Day we will be surrounded by flowers, cards and candy, and the honoring of Mothers everywhere. Church goings, handmade cards and burnt toast breakfasts. It can be so glorious and grand can’t it? But, what happens when Mother’s Day is hard and raw and mixed with grief or sadness?

Not every Mother’s Day is a happy occasion filled with pampering and kind gestures is it? I too have been in that place, and my heart goes out to you.

May I tell you my story?

I have been the single mom who longed for someone to remind my little guy that it was Mother’s Day and just help him pick out a card and sign his name.
I have been the one wishing, hoping and praying for pregnancy, and motherhood that seemed like it would never come.
I have been the one who was resentful of others who could get pregnant with ease.
I have been the one lying on that cold, hard medical bed, struggling to hear a heartbeat that was gone, and experiencing the secret pain of miscarriage.
I have been the one who heard the stinging words, “I’m sorry to tell you your baby girl will not live through birth, but you must deliver her now.”
I have been the one to see my husband trying to hang onto the faint memory of a mother that was gone too soon in his life.
I have been the one who felt the sting of adoption failures, and wondering how in the world I would ever have another child.
I have been the one to hear the words “you probably will not have any more children”.

Maybe you are one of those women

Or…

Maybe you are one who is waiting, and praying for you own child in a far off country.

There is hope

Maybe you are the one who is fostering children who need you to be the Mother they never had.

You are gifted.

Maybe you are the one struggling through infertility and want more than anything to be a mother.

There is a future for you.

Maybe you are one who had to give up a child through tough circumstances.

There is forgiveness

Maybe you are one who knows you will never be a mother at all and are trying to find a place to fit in.

There is a place for you.

Maybe you are the one who lost your Mother and miss her this week.

May you find comfort.

Maybe you are struggling to find a way to honor your Mother who doesn’t deserve that place.

May you find peace and grace.

Maybe you are the one who has lost a child too soon.

May you find joy to fill the void.

Maybe you are one who is a Mother to many.

You are special.

Maybe you are one who is spending Mother’s Day in a hospital or care-giving a special needs child and you are worn out.

May you find strength.

Maybe you are one who is grateful just to be alive on Mother’s Day.

You have a new perspective.

Today I reach out a hand to you my sisters, and for all women out there who find Mother’s Day to bring on a flood of emotions and feelings. It’s okay and it’s normal, and you are loved by an Almighty God no matter your circumstances.

The good news of my story…

This week I will have a happy Mother’s Day, because God has showered me with grace and three healthy boys who fill my life with so much joy. They are a daily reminder of redemption in front of me.
This week I have a loving husband who helps my boys sign their name on the card!
This week I have a beautiful Godly mother still with me, who has many reasons to be honored.
This week I miss my Grandma who was still with us this time last year, but I can rejoice in the legacy she left behind.
This week I am living proof of a God who restores that which was lost, and I share my story so that you too can hang on to hope.

God’s word says…

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.” Joel 2:25

My prayer is that you will find a reason to enjoy this Mother’s Day in the midst–wherever you are. May you realize that you have influence and potential and nothing you do is wasted-not one single thing.

Whether you are a Mother by birth or by other means, we need your Mother heart and it is beautiful!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Linking up this post here:

Filed Under: Legacy, Motherhood

I Am A Writer

March 1, 2012 By Traci Little 31 Comments

I am a writer. I still have trouble saying it. I. am. a. writer. Little-scared-me, who hid behind classes of math and science to avoid any part of words, stories, interaction, and heaven forbid, public speaking. To speak in front of anyone would make me want to puke a little bit in my mouth. My knees rattled, face turned a hearty shade of fuchsia, and I would practically faint before uttering a word. Been there? Then God called me to teach a ladies bible study. Yeah, eh hum. Really Lord? My one fear greater than death!

God has a funny way of taking us from our comfy places and calling us to walk in vulnerable uncertainty. When He calls I have the choice to plug my ears and hum loudly, la dee dee la dooooo la la la… I can’t hear you Lord, or I can say, yes, I’m scared, but I will trust you fully.

When we trust God fully with the thing we fear the most, He always takes us to places with beauty and grace and oh the excitement! Have you trusted Him with what He is calling you to do? Are you scared? Let Him be your guide. When He calls He always equips for the task at hand. Fall back into the arms of Jesus and let Him show you how powerful He can be in your life when you tell Him yes, I will obey.

Did you know that you are a writer too? No, you may not have a book deal, or even a blog, but you are a writer! Daily, you are writing a story with your very words and actions.

As you write your story today, you are leaving a legacy to your children, your husband, and your community. With the things you say on facebook, to those hidden words you utter within your own four walls, you are typing words onto hearts, minds and lives. Really, you are!

So, dear sisters, how can we write a best seller with our life? Live in light of eternity, seek to be Spirit-led, and always say yes to Jesus when He calls you to do something you fear. You are a writer! Pages full of backspaces, white out and misspelled words, all for His glory!

Filed Under: Godly Wife, Legacy, Motherhood, Writing

Learning Together at Home: JoinTitus 2 University!

February 22, 2012 By Guest 1 Comment

I’m so thrilled to be sharing here in this new online community for ladies! What a joy when sistren walk together in unity; can I hear an “amen?”

Denise and I had the chance to talk a bit recently and she thought the readers here might like to know about a project I launched last month. Back in December, as I was studying and seeking the Lord about what exactly He wanted me to focus on as a writer and blogger and sojourner along the path of life, I ran across these old familiar verses in Titus 2:3-4…

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

And I had one of those “aha!” moments. Surely, here we have an outline for a great curriculum, if you will—a course of study we can’t go wrong with. Many ladies lament the fact that there are no “older women” nearby offering to spend time with them—most are busy with their own lives, or feel unable or unqualified to step into the scary-looking shoes of the “older woman” having not been mentored themselves. Others find that, as young mamas with little ones and carpool and soccer and chess and … and … and …

They are the ones with no discretionary time, and wish so much for a way to study and learn “together” without leaving home.

Sounded like the perfect opportunity for a whole new type of ministry! And so, Titus 2 University was born.

Since there are seven specific areas mentioned here, this is a nine-month “university.” We begin with a general overview of these topics and talk about what it means to be a woman who follows the Lord. Then for the next seven months, we’ll focus on each subject above in turn.

And here’s the really fun thing, which makes me giddy every time I think about it … some very precious “sistren” have agreed to join us! We will cover loving our husbands with Cindy Rushton; loving our children with Sally Clarkson; being sensible with Crystal Paine; being pure with Chelsea Terwilliger; working at home with SarahMae; being kind with Emily Freeman, and being subject to our own husbands with Joy Forney! And there are several more fabulous interviewees on the list.

You can get all the details and you can read more about it here.

Right now we have ladies from all over the country involved– and a few international friends, too! We’d love to have you join us! If you decide to join us from Sisters in Bloom, send me an email to let me know. I’ll make your last month of a monthly subscription free, or take $5 off the full-session purchase price. Hope to meet you soon!

Misty

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task.

Filed Under: Community, Godly Wife, Guest, Legacy, Ministry Feature, Special Features

What’s Your Legacy?

February 5, 2012 By Susan Pardoe 30 Comments

We were talking in Sunday school a few weeks ago about legacy. A precious senior saint had passed away and the words that people had for her and about her were about who she was in the Lord. They talked of her witness and of her faithfulness to His Word. They talked of her love for Him. And then our teacher posed the question…

“What’s your legacy?”

It made me think. What would people say about me if I died today? What would my children and my husband say about me? My parents? My friends? My family? Would they talk about how I could piece quilts or would they talk about how I loved the Lord? Would they get smiles on their faces when they talked about the time I spent working from home or would they talk with great enthusiasm about how I reached out to others for Him?

What would my girls say about me? The ones who spend 24/7 with me? Would they remember me loving them with hugs, kisses, and words of affirmation? Or would they remember my impatience or frustration over jobs not done or school not completed?

What is MY legacy?

What I want my legacy to be…

A godly mother and wife – She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Proverbs 31:27-28

Godly teacher – Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

A wife my husband can trust – The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Proverbs 31: 11-12

Slow to speak – Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath James 1:19 (oh my, do I need help here)

Faithful – And though shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Deuteronomy 6:5

Established a loving home – Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24: 3-4

A good friend – Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. I John 4:11

What I don’t want my legacy to be…

A woman with an unruly tongue – But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8

A contentious woman – It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. Proverbs 25:24

A nagging wife or mom – A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Proverbs 27:15

Only with Jesus’ help can I do anything…

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

I am praying that He will help me to be a godly wife, godly mother, godly friend, and godly person who…Lord willing…will leave a legacy behind that will glorify and honor Him.

What is your legacy?

Do you have things in your life you need to change?

Things on which you need to pray more?

I do. I need to pray about all of these things I’ve mentioned and I’m sure there are (and will be) more to pray about as each day, week, month, and year goes by. I can do nothing without Him. I cannot get out of bed in the morning without His strength and love.

My greatest hope is to leave a legacy that my children can tell their children…because the legacy (not me as a person, but Him working through me), will bring glory and honor to Him.

Welcome to Sisters in Bloom! Thank you for stopping by and visiting! I pray you are encouraged by what you read here in this community of women. I hope your heart will be touched by the honesty, love, and grace that is here on Sisters in Bloom.

All my best to you,