To Train Up A Mother

Maybe the last entry kind of seemed like a no-brainer to some people, but I'm still figuring this whole mothering thing out :). I need a reminder every once in a while. I need to refocus, realign myself with the heart of the Father. Intentional and purposeful training of our children. The dedicated and continuous seeking of the Lord for what He has specifically for our kids and how to prepare them for it.

I believe that Richie and I do this as we seek God for the names of our children. As we search out their names, God begins to reveal our first glimpse of their personalities to us. (That's a whole other blog entry in itself.) In other areas, I find myself, in the heat of the moment, all too often relying on my own strength/knowledge or consulting a book more quickly than I consult God. Obviously, my strength and knowledge get me nowhere. Christian books have their purpose and are good and edifying, but if it's not directed by the Lord, it will fail also.

You see, my freedom in parenting, really my life, comes from my reliance and dependence on God, or lack thereof. The more I lose my life to Him, the more life I actually gain. The more I become His servant, the more freedom I actually experience. He states these things over and over again to us in His Word, but when you really begin living it out, it's amazing how real it becomes. You can begin to "own" it.

I am not called to be a mother exactly like anyone else. When I have sought the Lord on challenges with my children and I begin to have a "divine game plan" to address them, that's when I have confidence as a mother. That's when I stop comparing myself to other women and wishing I was different or my kids were different.

That's a step in becoming secure to who I am in Christ. That's a step in raising children who are secure in who they are in Christ.