Gosh, it has been a while. Hey, y'all!
I have a feeling my voice is echoing and maybe two can hear it.
Oh well.
I am still writing on the SHINE blog from time to time. So, I haven't neglected writing all together.
Sometimes it is hard for me to come on this blog site. I see the pictures of my "little" ones and it brings me to tears. They are not so little anymore. I don't have to heart to change out these pictures, so I guess they will stay. :)
Don't get me wrong, I love this season of life. My kids are a blast. They crack me up like nobody can, except that husband of mine.
It's been a new place mothering tweens and teens. A lot changes in how I mother them. The nurturing doesn't stop, but I tend to be a little less in their faces. I find myself praying a lot more. Which is crazy because I thought I prayed a lot when they were little. NOTHING compared to the prayers I pray now. Whew.
I pray for their school days. Their peers. Their relationships. Their teachers. Who they sit beside at lunch. All of it.
All of those things are important to them...so they are important to me.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I cannot believe I get to be their momma. I sit back and look at them and I am just so amazed that God entrusted their little bodies and hearts to Lem and me.
What was He thinking????????? just kidding. kind of.
Oh y'all. I so want my children to love the Lord with every fiber of their beings. I want that more than anything in this world.
I used to be on a mission to "save the world". Ha! It's hysterical. Really.
My mission has narrowed.
I still love telling people about Jesus, and blogging is an easy way for me to do this.
But, telling my children about Jesus is a whole different thing.
Here's why...It's not just telling them about Jesus...it is showing them about Jesus.
Can I admit? That is the hard part.
I mess up so many times! My SHINE readers never see my mess-ups...but my children do.
They see the real deal me.
I pray that God will help them to not remember certain not-so-great moments. Eek! And, honestly, I trust that He will.
He loves them more than me. They will be fine.
But..
I want them to know that their momma loved Jesus. Even when I messed up. Even when I didn't show Jesus...my heart was beating for Him. Even in the crazy times.
I don't live in guilt or regret...I know that the enemy would love for me to live there.
I live in the great trust and faith that God works all of this life out for our good. Which includes the good, bad, and the ugly.
There is nothing He cannot fix.
Praise Jesus.
I have dreams in my heart. I would love to write a book one day...I would love to talk to more women, one on one, and tell them how God's word and His Love can heal a broken heart.
I have broad dreams.
But, for now, my dreams are narrow.
Zoomed in on the ones under my roof. For such a time as this.
The time goes by so quickly.
Enjoy. Savor. Soak up this time.
Invest everything in your family...everything.
This is contrary to what the world tells us...
The world wants us to save some for the world! Hold on to yourself and don't lose yourself to your family! Hold onto your identity!
I laugh at that because I don't believe in that philosophy.
I say, lose yourself completely.
In fact, go BIG, or go home.
Go BIG in loving your family. Go BIG in investing every single word you speak to them. Deposit encouragement, words of affirmation, and more than anything...deposit God's Word into their hearts.
They are listening. Even when you think they aren't. They are.
The world will be effected by our children. You can bank on that.
What we teach them, what we show them, what we speak to them...
Will be poured back out.
Our prayers we pray over them...
they will come into fruition. He hears the prayers of the momma's.
"He bends down to listen" Psalm 116:2
It is never to late to pour into our children. NEVER.
As long as we have breath, we can pray over them. Teach them. Love them. Encourage them.
God chose YOU as their momma. YOU are the chosen one. You are equipped, capable, and up for the job. God said so.
So, when you mess up....
get back up.
wipe off the dirt.
(my jeans are filthy by the way)
and start all over again.
It is so worth it.
having the time of my life,
jill
