“I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.”     -Matthew 25:25

The past two months have been full of blessings and business.  From traveling to sickness, God has kept this Christian Mommy on my toes!  And while spending most of my time running after an infant and a preschooler might excuse me from asking a grocery clerk where to find the nanas (i.e. bananas), getting stuck in “mommy mode” is no excuse for neglecting to write this blog.  I allowed myself to become distracted and discouraged.  The longer it was since I wrote, the more I doubted my ability to compose something worthy of publishing.  Thankfully, it doesn’t matter to God how long or how much we slack off–He is always there to pick us up and get us moving again.

May God take away all of our fears, doubts, and laziness when it comes to following Him and using our talents for His glory.  I pray that God would bless all of you moms striving to serve the Lord, and that our Heavenly Father would use this blog to help all of us grow closer to Him!

“And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.”     -Matthew 5:30

Despite being a mother to two children, I still find some “mommy tasks” quite daunting.  Changing poopy diapers and dealing with temper tantrums have become second nature, but the idea of clipping my child’s fingernails makes me nervous.  And let me tell you, sweaty, shaky hands don’t help make the process any easier.  I’ve contemplated just letting my children wear gloves year round rather than attempting to constrain them for their bi-monthly fingernail trimmings, but I realized that would involve doing extra laundry (my other least favorite “mommy task”).  I’ve learned the hard way that a seemingly innocent baby with long fingernails is the equivalent of Edward Scissorhands.  Baby’s fingernails can quickly become a weapon in disguise and need to be cut off—period.  While cutting my son’s fingernails today, God reminded me that as Christian mothers, we might need to make other trimmings in our life.

God doesn’t require Christian moms to maintain perfectly manicured nails.  He does, however, require us to prune areas of our lives that cause us to sin and fall away from Him.  Some things in our lives may seem perfectly harmless, but greatly threaten our communion with God when we neglect to cut them back.  While we might think we have will power to refrain from entering into gossip or watching a television show that condones sinful behavior, God wants us to err on the side of caution and cut those areas out of our lives.

This week, ask God to show you things in your life that lead you to sin.  Pray about how to cut these things out of your life, whether that means only listening to Christian music, avoiding reading gossip magazines, or refraining from watching a specific television show.  Just like trimming a baby’s fingernails, removing certain things from your life might make you nervous.  The end result, however—growing closer to your heavenly Father—is quite worth it.  Break our those scissors, Christian mommies, and let’s prune ourselves to grow closer to the Lord!

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.”

-Psalm 98:1

As a mother, one of the highlights of my day is listening to my daughter sing while she skips around the house.  Her favorite songs include “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.”  Her tone isn’t prefect, and she is often times sharp or flat. Sometimes she rushes the beat a little bit, getting ahead of herself due to her infectious enthusiasm.  And while my opinion might not mean as much in the music industry as those of Simon Cowell, my daughter is not a contestant on American Idol, she is just a child enjoying the fun of singing.  Whether or not my daughter ever becomes a famous music star, she could sing almost anything and I would find it the most beautiful sound in the world simply because I am her mother.  While listening to my daughter’s singing the other day, God reminded me how much He loves to hear His own children sing.

As a Christian mom, how often do you enthusiastically sing praises to the Lord?  Some of you, I’m sure, could waltz around the house singing praise songs all day long.  Some of you, however, might feel self-conscious about singing to the Lord, wondering why God would ever desire to hear your tone-deaf attempts at making music.  The truth is that regardless of your musical talent or lack thereof, your heavenly Father relishes the sound of your voice when you are singing praises to Him.  Just as you enjoy the sound of your child’s singing, God relishes the sound of you, a child of God, singing to Him.

This week, take some time to praise the Lord.  Belt out some songs with your kids.  Or, if you prefer to sing in the solitude of your car, pretend you are a backup singer to your favorite Christian songs as they are played on the radio, disregarding questioning stares of other drivers as they wonder whom you are talking to or why your head is bobbing back and forth in the school parking lot.  However you choose to do it, worship the Lord with joy and confidence, Christian mommies!

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

-Matthew 5:16

Yesterday, as I traipsed through the grocery store, no one could question whether my daughter had eaten a chocolate chip cookie.  Sporting a chocolate mustache and brown stripes on her shirt while thoroughly licking her fingers, everyone my daughter encountered knew the reason for the huge smile on her face.  Luckily the sugar police weren’t looking for her!  And while I try to avoid walking around with chocolate smeared all over my face, God used my messy daughter and that chocolate chip cookie to teach me an important lesson.  When God gives me sweet blessings, everyone around me should be able to witness my joy.

As far as I’m concerned, chocolate chip cookies are a sweet blessing from God, in addition to His love and mercy.  As Christian mothers, our children are beautiful gifts that we get to experience every day.  From spectacular miracles to the pitter-patter of small blessings God showers down upon us moms every day, we should be “wearing” evidence of these blessings for others to see.

Let’s consciously think about the many blessings God gives us each day and ask Him to renew the joy in our hearts.  May that joy spill over to our children and especially to those in need of some encouragement.  Thank God for His blessings and chocolate chip cookies!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

-Psalm 139:23-24

Lately, my daughter has been obsessed with sweeping up crumbs from the kitchen floor.  Even though she has puzzles and stuffed animals begging to be played with, nothing gives her a thrill like finding crumbs lurking in dark corners and under well-used rugs.  I have to say that I am quite impressed at how well my daughter handles a broom, and I do everything that I can to encourage her newfound love for cleaning.  Hopefully, this is a love that will last into puberty, and I will be blessed with a tidy, organized teenager.

While watching my daughter sweep up a handful of dirt, God reminded me of our need to sweep the crumbs of out of our own lives.  Whereas most of us wouldn’t be able to walk by a large spill in the middle of our kitchen floors without grabbing a handful of paper towels, most moms that I know have learned to ignore those pesky crumbs lurking under the kitchen table at least for a day or two.  The bigger mess is the bigger priority.  Often times we address our own inadequacies in our relationship with God in the same way.  We might think that little shortcomings here and there aren’t such a big deal, but when put all together, these shortcomings might make quite a huge pile of crumbs.  God wants us to examine those dark corners of our lives and search under our protective rugs, so to speak, for things we might have overlooked that hinder our ability to grow closer to Him.

This week, as we glance at our kitchen floors, let’s ask God to show us the crumbs in our lives that He wants to help us sweep away.  As busy moms, let’s make sure we don’t ignore the small things standing in our way of deepening our faith in the Lord.  Let’s get out those brooms, Christian mommies, and sweep those crumbs away!

“Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!”     -Psalm 32:11

Before I became a mother, I never thought twice about being able to listen to the radio station of my choice, or even more, having peace and quiet while driving in my car.  As a mom, my driving accompaniment ranges from kids’ songs to the wailing orchestra of cries from two children who wish to be anywhere but their car seats.  And while I don’t have anything against Veggie Tales, I much prefer contemporary Christian music.  Just the other day, when I was stuck in traffic and rain, God filled my car with a different kind of music—laughter.  For the first time that I can remember, my daughter entertained my infant son, which gave both of my children a serious case of the giggles—music to my ears!  I found myself chuckling along with them and realized that God has given all of us mothers the special gift of laughter, a gift we need to open every day.

Whether you driving a caravan of children to soccer practice or sweeping up crumbs from underneath the kitchen table for the fourteenth time in one day, God wants you to laugh.  Laughing triggers the release of endorphins, the “feel good” neurotransmitters in your brain, which can even act as mild painkillers.  By decreasing stress hormones, laughter relieves physical tension and helps to relax your muscles as well as boosting your immune system.  Along with increasing the production of antibodies your body produces, laughing improves the functions of your heart and blood vessels, reducing your risk for cardiovascular problems like heart attacks.  And for those of you who want to lose a little weight, it’s been proven that laughing actually burns calories.  According to Dr. Helen Pilcher, a British neuroscientist, laughing for an hour can burn around 100 calories—the same amount of calories you’d burn while vacuuming for 45 minutes!  I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better way to get into better shape than guffawing my gut off!

Today, let us Christian moms ask God to help us laugh a lot more and stress a lot less.  Giggle at your mistakes and chuckle at the silly things your children say.  Engage in a tickle-fest with your toddler or recall a silly story from your childhood.  Look for opportunities to make your family laugh and rejoice in the Lord.  Look to heaven, Christian mommies, and today let’s giggle with God!

“She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”

-Proverbs 31:17

By the time Friday rolls around, “vigor” is about the last word I would include when describing how I tackle my daily chores and motherly duties.  By Friday, my patience is wearing thin and I am in desperate need of an extra cup of coffee.  I think about all of the things on my to-do list that I still haven’t accomplished, but all I feel like doing is plopping down on the couch.  Recently, however, God has inspired me to change my Friday attitude.

All moms have days when they feel burnt out, regardless of what day of the week that might be.  And while it is tempting to ignore all of our motherly duties or complain about the work we have yet to accomplish, God wants us to do our work vigorously.  Whether or not we are able to accomplish every task on our to-do list isn’t as important as our attitude while working on these tasks.  To do something vigorously means to do it with power, energy, and strength.  And while coffee might give us a little added vigor, the only true way we will be able to be vigorous mommies is to rely on God.

Today, as you set about your tasks as a Christian mom, ask God to help you set about your work vigorously.  Ask Him for power, energy and strength, and have confidence that He will answer your request.  Let’s adjust our attitudes and be energetic Christian mommies this Friday!

“You are the salt of the Earth . . .”     -Matthew 5:13

Recently, I caught my daughter trying to color her favorite stuffed animal’s hair.  “Mommy, look . . . I’m making my doggie blue,” she announced, proudly waving a blue crayon in the air.  Apparently, my daughter felt that the dalmation’s black and white polka dots weren’t exciting enough on their own, and she was quite happy to remedy the dog’s lack of color.  From food to clothing, my daughter seeks out boldness.  Rainbow stripes, colored sprinkles, salt, and pepper are just a few of the embellishments my little girl uses to spice up her life.  My daughter’s fascination with extra frills reminded me that as Christian moms, we are called to season every aspect of our lives with the bold flavor of Christ.

No matter what kind of food we serve in our homes, almost every meal contains salt.  Casseroles, chicken, and even cookies rely on this spice to taste better.  As Christian moms, the Bible says that we are the “salt of the Earth.”  We need to make God’s love boldly present in our lives in order to make life “taste” better for others around us.  And while we probably rely on refrigerators rather than salt to save meat from spoiling, we can still draw a parallel to the way salt preserves meat and the way that our constant faith in God keeps us from rotting in sin.

Today, whether you are adding salt to a recipe or sprinkling some of this seasoning on your dinner, ask God to help us season others’ lives with the love of Christ.  Be bold and preserve your faith, Christian mommies!

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”     -Galatians 6:2

My daughter has a habit of trying to carry more than she can handle.  Every morning, she tries to make it down the stairs with an armful of stuffed animals.  Of course, she refuses to let Mommy lighten her load at all, even when Tigger is dangling dangerously on the edge of her elbow and Pooh looks like he’s about ready to go skydiving to the first floor at any moment.  Alas, only after my daughter feels one of her precious animals slip from her arms does she acknowledge her need for my help to carry her furry friends safely to the first floor.  Whether or not she recognizes her need for my help to carry her burdens, I will always attempt to help lighten my daughter’s load, no matter what she’s trying to carry all by herself.

As Christian mothers, we are called to ease others’ burdens.  Taken quite literally, that could mean giving physical assistance to someone who isn’t quite strong enough or large enough to carry their load—like the mom juggling a diaper bag, two unruly toddlers, and a grocery cart.  Sometimes just sincerely listening to a friend share her worries and frustrations is enough to lighten the heavy stress she’s felt pushing down on her soul.  Whether you are a weight lifter or not, God will give us the spiritual strength and wisdom we need to help carry whatever might be dragging down our brothers and sisters in Christ.

This week, ask God to show you someone who has too much to carry on his or her own strength.  Let our heavenly Father fill you with His love and strength to help assist this person in need, allowing you to ease his or her burden.  Let’s start “weight lifting” with God and become the strongest Christian mommies we can be!