I want to share one of my most fond Christmas memories.
My daddy worked at what was known in this area as “The Hosiery Mill”. Every year at Christmas he would take me there….we would walk up to a counter and daddy would hand a ticket to the man behind the counter. My excitement grew as the man reached behind him and handed me a big, white shopping bag.
On the entire front and back of the bag was a huge Santa Claus face. Inside…..O, Inside was FILLED with toys! (with some candy, nuts and fruit on the bottom) Now, these toys were what we might call today, “Dollar Tree” toys, but I loved them! I didn’t get a huge amount of gifts for Christmas, but plenty, I’m sure, but I always looked forward to this huge bag of toys!
This wonderful memory, along with many others, becomes more precious as time goes on. My daddy passed away 10 years ago…my mom is in a nursing home, and though she lives, her memory is “passing away”. I miss “her”. I do enjoy talking to her SO very much, but the time of her being my Mom is fading as I speak to her as if she were a child much of the time.
I appreciate so much the fact that my parents took me to church and made me do right.
So love, cherish, and enjoy your family….we never know what tomorrow holds….. as we rejoice this Christmas season in remembering our Lord’s birth. HE IS the reason!
Our mom bloggers here have been busy “momming” like we are supposed to be. This post will be short and sweet as I have schooling to oversee this day. I am so blessed to have been able to experience many stages of my children’s lives. Some stages are easier than others, and some stages take a toll on us. Quickly, here are a few challenges for you from my experience – and some lessons I am still learning.
For moms with new babies… enjoy the “new life” moments.
For moms with toddlers… get some vitamin B12 and be thankful for the exercise they bring into your life.
For moms with lower elementary aged children… savor their thoughtful ways and playful spirits.
For moms with upper elementary aged children… remember that just because they are more independent now, they really need your ears and your eyes.
For moms with teenagers… be thankful for their ability to think for themselves even when they don’t think the same way you do. Speak life. Trust God to do the work in their hearts that you cannot do. Be there when they let you be. Pray when they won’t. Teenagers are really fun to be with most of the time.
For moms with college aged children… trust God. Period. Be available when they are. Be happy they are on the path to God’s purposes for them, even if it doesn’t look just like the path you may have envisioned before. Speak truth. Miss them… like crazy.
For moms with post college / single or married children… I’m not there yet, but I think I will say… trust God… pray for them… pray for grandchildren to love on… enjoy time with your husband like never before… plan special family gatherings and of course, take pictures. =)
For moms with wayward children… hold on… pray… keep hope… keep living… keep loving… believe God… stay in God’s Word… pray for other friends’ children like you would want someone praying for yours… find comfort in that now your heart has the capacity to comfort another mom in the future… guard your heart from dwelling on what other people think… share your heart with a faithful, godly lady… NEVER give up on your children!
I can’t imagine a mother’s heart going through all the stages of life mixed with joy and grief, dreams and disappointments, victories and failures… without walking with the LORD.
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” – Psalm 57:7
“Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.” –Proverbs 31:25
“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:
also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out
the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11
Wow! It’s been a very busy few months for me! Probably the busiest I have been in a long time. My biggest event was the birth of my third child, Evelyn Grace. She was born January 21 weighing in at 7lbs. 13 oz. and 20 in. long. She has brought us so much happiness and so much love. My other 2 children have fallen in love with her as well. I love to watch how they interact with her. Especially my 2-year-old son. He’ll come up and just rub his little forehead on her tiny little head and run away with a big smile. He just loves her. My 6-year-old daughter is a little mother hen. Always wanting to help out with her. She is sooo good with her. I really don’t know what I would do without her. Having an older child that can help when you have a newborn is just so nice. She has run here and there for me and with such a sweet spirit too.
I get gestational high blood pressure with my pregnancies. With this one though, it really put me down. I went the whole first week home from the hospital without any medication for my blood pressure. I was scheduled for a 1 week blood pressure check. That week was the longest week of my life! 🙂 I was beyond fatigue. I just could not leave the couch. All of my problems aside, the point that I want to get out is that while, yes, I am very thankful for my daughter that was able to help me when I needed it most, I started feeling guilty almost for asking so much from her. Yes, my post partum emotions probably really escalated my feelings on this but at the time I felt really guilty about how many times I have asked so much of her and yet had failed to actually spend time WITH her.
I tend to get so busy and caught up with every day stuff that just has to be done. I have the personality that it’s either all or nothing and I am still trying to learn how to go with the flow a little more. In my mind, everything in the house has to be cleaned, all meals made and school all done and everyone bathed and in pj’s before I can sit down and play with my children. I am still learning that it’s o-k if I sit down and play cars for 5 minutes with my son or sit and read or play a game with my daughter for a little bit EVEN if everything is not all done.
As I see my daughter growing up (will be 7 in three days) and I really saw how grown-up she was as she helped me during this time of having a newborn, I think back to how much time and how many special moments I let slip by because I was too busy taking care OF them that I failed to spend time WITH them.
I think that having my third child just really made me realize how quickly they grow up. I want my children to remember their Mommy taking time to spend with them. They are going to be grown and gone before I know it. I show my love by doing for them, taking care of them, baking their favorites, keeping them clean but many times I fail to take the time to spend time. We make time for other things (you fill in the blank) Why not make time for our children? I’m sure we all do this to some extent but I am just wanting to encourage us to do a little more.
Our time is one of the most precious gifts we can give our children and probably the one thing they will remember the most.
Let’s be more intentional about making time to spend time.
living on pb & j 