Tales of a Thankful Mom

         Motherhood is definitely more like a marathon than a sprint. I was reminded the importance of persistence this week. My tone sets the tone in my home. I really want my children to feel welcome, safe and loved. I want my children to be happy to be home when they walk through our front door. I told my child earlier this week that everyone has a bad day sometimes, but I like to help them have restful enjoyable evenings.  So, I want to persist in giving kind words, hugs, and enjoying my children’s funny stories. I want to persist in helping with homework, and listening to their thoughts whether it be about their friends, or subjects they feel passionate about, or their perspective of the world around them. We can get into daily routines, but I want my daily routine to be “Faith, Hope, Love, Repeat.”

           The music of J J Heller has been such an encouragement on my motherhood journey. As I thought about this song, I remembered holding my youngest’s hand last weekend as she skated around the neighborhood. She is not completely steady on skates, so whenever she thought she might lose her balance. She would reach for my hand. It is such a gift to hold my children’s hands. I have been reflecting on how  saying, “yes” to their requests as much as possible, blesses me. Watching my eldest and youngest bake cookies was a fun afternoon for the three of us. Even my son who doesn’t bake, enjoyed eating the cookies that were the result of our baking endeavors. I love that my children show me videos of things and that interest them or even jokes that they come across. I enjoy our time together both individually and as a family.  I want them to know that I will always want their hands to hold.

           I have made an intentional decision this weekend to slow down. This decision has given me the time to take two long walks with my daughters, who is thankful that her siblings did not want to walk with us in the Florida heat. As Floridians, know, Summer starts in April here in Florida. Sometimes it starts in March. My youngest and I also baked  chocolate chip cookies, and I have admired her beautiful artistic creations. My son told me his thoughts about several video games, and I had a heart to heart talk with my eldest. My eldest shared her perspective about several topics, and I once again realized how important it is be available and ready to listen when my children are ready to talk.  James 1:19 " Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];"   I realized that my quiet introvert has plent

 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].” ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭AMP‬‬        My children and I will be celebrating Jesus resurrection for the first time all on our own. Usually the holiday has been celebrated with extended family, but this year the four of us are celebrating at home instead. My youngest wants to bake cookies and decorate eggs. So those things are on the agenda for Easter Sunday/ I have been thinking about 1 Corinthians 6:20 lately You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body. If I remember that every good and perfect gift is from above and that I have been bought with the price of of Jesus' redemptive blood, why do I get so hyper-focus

Mark 14:3  Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head.           With Holy week approaching next week, this scripture stood out to me. I wonder if Jesus' statement later in the chapter surprised her. Mark 14:9 And truly, I say to you, wherever   the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told  in memory of her.”   Unlike the rich people in the temple that Jesus spoke about. rhis woman was not intentionally trying to create a scene in her worship of Jesus. She wanted to offer Jesus the best that she had to give. Jesus response to her reminds me of King David's response to his wife Michael when she did not like the way that he danced before the Lord in 2 Sameul 6.     David said to Michal, “It was before the  Lord , who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when