Sharing Help I received from Other writers

I linked the original post so you can go read the complete post.

I only copied the parts that are "Me!"  :-)

It's not their fault

by Cheryl @ findingtheirbeauty 

" . . .this releasing of sin and self, wasn't an act of will or effort, but the act of Christ and His grace all-sufficient. Overwhelming grace drew me to the Christ full of glory that I might empty of the self. I empty to become full. Full of grace . . . to fully live."

- Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

"He must increase, but I must decrease."

John 3:30

It's not their fault. When I am running late and they forget their shoes. It's not their fault. When I get frustrated because I don't manage my own time, it's not their fault. When I am drowning in piles of laundry and they want to play, it's not their fault. When I want to talk to my friends and they are hungry for a snack, it's not their fault. And when they want to help me in the kitchen, it's not their fault that they aren't that helpful.

But in my sin, I forget this. I want to finish my agenda, my plans, check off the items on my to-do list. And in my selfishness I want to blame them. In my pride, I want a scapegoat for my lack of maturity, for my lack of patience.

Ouch… a Painful Look in the Mirror
by Stephanie Langford


What is my own attitude telling them that I really believe at this moment? That my Jesus isn’t big enough to calm the storm in my own heart, to empower me with self-control to hold my tongue and watch my temper? That being interrupted to have to train and discipline is a hassle and interferes with my ability to accomplish the items on my to-do list for the day? That the Bible isn’t really true when it says that “the joy of the Lord will be our strength”? Or maybe that patience, kindness and self-control aren’t among the fruits of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives?
How often do we tell our children one thing and then allow our own lives to demonstrate the very opposite? I’m afraid it’s true in my own life far more often that I would care to admit.
My husband has reminded me lately that my attitude really sets the tone for our home. When I am frazzled and stressed, everyone else feels it. When I am joyful and at peace (even in the midst of chaos, undone chores, late dinner and behavioral challenges), he and the children are that much more at peace themselves.
More often than not, when we’re frustrated with the attitudes and behaviors of others, especially our children, the first person who needs an attitude check is yours truly.
Once we’ve dealt with those logs in our own eyes, and asked for the Lord’s grace and wisdom in the moment, it’s a whole lot easier to calmly deal with childish situations and the things that cause us to lose our cool.

Do you struggle with modelling a poor attitude to your family? Anyone need to join me in taking a quick peek in the mirror throughout the day?

Image by the Italian voice

Mama’s Serving Leftovers

by Mrs. June Fuentes on February 17, 2012 in Activities, Inspiration in Child Rearing, Responsibility, Self-control, Unity Between Generations

Today we have a guest post by Heather of Raising Mighty Arrows:
In case you thought this post was all about food, it actually has very little to do with it. Stick around and you’ll likely find yourself somewhere in the midst of this topic.
When Mama doesn’t rise before her children and spend time alone in prayer and Bible reading she often serves her children leftovers. What’s left of Mama is grumpiness, impatience, inconsistency, and selfishness.
When Mama doesn’t get the laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away she’s left to search for paired socks, matching outfits, and the iron to quickly pull something together.
When Mama doesn’t plan her menu wisely she’s likely to feed her family whatever’s on hand, whether nutritious or not. When what’s left finally runs out they’ll have to eat out, spending more money than was allotted for food in the family’s budget.
When Mama hasn’t prepared herself on the lesson she’s to be teaching her children, they’ll have an ill-equipped teacher instructing on a subject that should have been better planned and therefore probably will not go over near as well.
When Mama (wife) has invested all of her time and energy into the children she won’t have much to offer Daddy (husband) when the children are in bed.
You see, leftovers come in many different forms, sizes, and options. The thing we should try to avoid is SERVING THEM! Our God and our families should receive our absolute best! After we’ve spent adequate time with them and their needs have been met, then and only then should we turn our attention to something else.
So many of us, myself included, put everything else at the top of our ‘Priorities’ list. Whatever is stealing your attention: Blogging, a home-based business, ministry, friendships, etc. it HAS to wait in line behind the things that are most important. If you’re having trouble prioritizing, ask for help. Ask your husband or a friend to help you determine what’s more important in your life. See what activities need to be tossed.

Have you found yourself guilty of serving leftovers?

 

 

In my twenty-five years of pastoral ministry, I don’t think I have met a mom, including a preschool mom, who feels like she has done a good enough job. Most mothers labor under the weight of guilt—of frustrated ideals, imperfect performance, and deficient production. The laundry remains undone; story books unread, and tempers flare. . . .

Distorted Guilt

The guilt you feel may be distorted guilt. We may wrongly place ourselves under a law we erect: “Good mothers should do X, Y, or Z,” even though X, Y, or Z may go beyond what God’s Word commands. I think of my friend—a good mom by any fair standard—who believed that all good moms should take their kids to the library three times a week. Sometimes those false standards come from outside of us—the ideals of your church or small group, your mother’s model, your mother-in-law’s advice, or the latest book or blog from your favorite Christian counselor.
Sometimes they come from our own perfectionist hearts as we seek to establish and live out our own legalism and self-righteousness (Philippians 3:3-9).

True Guilt

On the other hand, your guilt may be true guilt. You and I certainly fall short of God’s standards every day. We fail to love the Lord our God with everything we’ve got and we fail to love our spouses and children the way we selfishly love ourselves. Whether you are mother of a pair of preschoolers or a dad (like me) with two grown children, the apostle John reminds us, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us… If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives” (1 John 1:8, 10).

God’s Answer for Our Guilt: Christ

What is God’s answer for your guilt? Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection for all who repent, believe, and follow him. Sandwiched between John’s two convicting verses above is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” For those who honestly own their sins, God grants free pardon and thorough cleansing.
While you may find it hard as preschool mom to even get time for a shower, let God’s personal promises of forgiveness spray over you today as you turn toward him in repentance and faith:

• “Daughter, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).
• “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12).
• “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?… You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19).
• “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
• “In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back” (Isaiah 38:17).
• “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22).

Instead of endless drips of guilt, God bathes believers in Christ with forgiveness. His promises of daily grace cascade upon you like an invigorating waterfall. Especially on those days when you don’t feel good enough.