Chapter 2: The Secret to Your Success

So, the best quote I think I've ever heard on mothering is as follows: Of course I'd like to be the ideal mother: But I'm too busy raising children.-from the comic strip The Family Circus, by Bil Keane

The chapter opens with this quote! :) How great is that!! I'm just going to go through the chapter and type out some of the things I highlighted. Everything in italics is straight from the book.

Being a positive mom doesn't mean you have to be a perfect mom. She is realistic in her expectations, recognizing that her husband and children have weaknesses as well as strengths. And most important, she humbly acknowledges that she has a fair amount of flaws herself.

Usually we are one of two moms, we can either point out all of our strengths or we can point out all of our flaws. Some of us can do both, but we tend to look at one or the other. We need to turn our focus on what God sees and He sees them both. :)

I am saying don't be discouraged by your weaknesses. Determine instead to build on your strengths. Rejoice that God is at work in your life. He created you. He is developing you. And He is not finished with you yet! (AMEN) Take encouragement from the words of the apostle Paul: "(I am) confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Philippians 1:6.

She goes on to talk about how busy we can be as moms. We have a busy schedule and we tend to overload it sometimes. Make a list of all the activities in which you are currently involved. Now add to the list all of your children's activities. (After all, your kids' activities become yours when you drive them to and from practices and classes, attend games and recitals, and volunteer to thelp out at fund-raisers and concession stands.) Is there anything on the list you don't really HAVE to be doing? Is there anything on the list you sense God telling you to STOP doing? You and I must reexamine our activity load on a regular basis, asking ourselves these important questions and making adjustments in our schedules as needed.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our families is to stop rushing down the fast lane and start doing what matters most. And what does matter most? Sometimes we have trouble answering that question because our minds are clouded by the "tyranny of the urgent."

One of the ways to make sure we keep the most important things to the front of our minds is to have a personal statement of belief and purpose. An example of one is as follows:

I believe I was created by God for a purpose. I believe my purpose here on earth is______.
I believe God has created me with unique gifts, talents, and abilities that he can use to bless and enrich my family and the people around me.
My strengths include_______.
I recognize that I also have certain weaknesses, yet I know that when I am weak, God is strong.
I trust him to do a great work in my family. My hope for my family is _________.

We are useless as moms if we are not getting our power from the right source. Our power source is God. We need to be plugged in to the Bible and we need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.

We get tired physically and emotionally from the constant effort to discipline, entertain, and care for our kids. There are days when we feel overwhelmed. That's when we need to turn to the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and God. The Bible tells us the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26--In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness). he strengthens and encourages us (Acts 9:31--Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord). He leads and guides us (John 16:13--But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come). He renews us and replenishes us (Isaiah 32:15--till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest). As God's Spirit is at work in our lives, he brings forth wonderful fruit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

READ: Romans 8. Choose several verses to memorize. She suggests verse 28, 38, and 39.

CHOOSE: I will look to God to give me strength and power to be a positive mom.

DO: Prayerfully prepare your own personal mission statement.

Questions:
1. In what areas do you tend to expect perfection? Are you willing to release these areas to God?
2. In thinking about your schedule and activities, are there some things that you need to cut out or save until another time? If so, would you like to share how you came to this decision?
3. Perhaps a few of you would like to share some of the things you wrote in your personal belief and purpose statement.
4. Which verse in your reading of Romans 8 gave you encouragement and strength?
5. Prayer requests or praises.

Chapter 1: influence beyond measure

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue... Her children arise and call her blessed." Proverbs 31: 25-26, 28

So, in this chapter, we learn about the influence a mother has. One of the things in this chapter is a chart on the different jobs a mom holds, for example executive chef, financial manager, registered nurse, etc. At the end of the chart it gives us the figure of at least $507,000 a year! Wouldn't that be great if we moms truly got paid for what we do on a daily basis! Of course, the author also lists things that are priceless and can never be measured, like kissing a boo-boo, fixing a favorite meal just the way they like it, adjudicating sibling disputes, cheering enthusiastically from the side lines.

There are a few myths that she talks about as well:
Myth 1: Genetics and peer pressure-not mothers- influence children most.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up." Ladd says, "Clearly God places in the hands of parents- not peers, not schoolteachers, not government officials, or anyone else- the responsibility for teaching their children to love God and obey his Word."

Myth 2: Motherhood causes women to miss out on the exciting things in life.
Matthew 10:39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." She goes on to say, "Committing ourselves to love and care for our children as God commands- even if it means putting their needs above our own, time and time again- is the way to a full and abundant life.

Myth 3: Being a mother is a waste of a woman's talents and abilities
"Being a mother broadens our worldview and opens our hearts to a deeper compassion and love for others. It constantly exposes us to new challenges and stretches us to learn new skills."

Remember: "You are absolutely essential in your home and in the lives of your kids. Your job has more than monetary value; it has eternal value!" AMEN!

Colossians 3:17, 23-24 "And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him... Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

"But we must never think pridefully that we are the sole influence in our children's lives!"

Read: Psalm 34. Underline or copy the significant verses. Choose one to memorize this week.

Choose: I will view my role in motherhood as a highly significant investment of my time and energy.

Do: On a large index card, write out your job description. Be creative and include all of your responsibilities. Here's an example.

Encourages and instructs all clients as to the best use of their time, gifts and talents. Invests love, care, strength, and tears into all clients' accounts. Drives to most locations. Attends all performances and events in which clients are participating. Provides for basic needs of food, clothing, and clean house. Irons occasionally upon request.


Questions to answer:
1. In what ways has being a mother changed you into a better person?
2. How does it help you to know that God is your employer?
3. Share your job description from the Do section above.
4. Share one or two of your favorite verses from Psalm 34.
5. Share any prayer requests or praises.

Introduction of "The Power of a Positive Mom"

Hi. For our first session. I just want to explain about the book and how we are going to use it. For the next post, you'll need to read chapters 1 and 2 of the book. It's 28 pages. It's a light read and I will post information within the next week. Probably later today or tomorrow since I've already read those two chapters before deciding to do this blog.

1. Introduce yourselves. :) Let us know your name and your children's names and ages.

2. What is one of your greatest joys in being a mother?

3. What is one of your greatest challenges in being a mother?

4. If you were going to choose one time of day that you most enjoy or cherish as a mom, when would it be?

5. What is your most dreaded time of day?

6. Any prayer requests you may have.

Welcome!

I want to say welcome to everyone who has decided to participate in this study. Once again, I will post thoughts, questions, and/or reviews from the current study. Please feel free to share your thoughts, questions, reviews, and answers to the questions posted. Also, feel free to let us know how to pray for you as we go through these studies. We are going to start with "The Power of a Positive Mom" by Karol Ladd.