Happy Birthday, Lukas!

Lukas turned 7 on Friday. My boy is growing up! He still likes to spend time with Mom, though, and I am grateful for that. I hope he will always feel that way, but I'm sure there will at least be a phase when Mom is not cool. For now, I'll take every kiss, hug, and snuggle I can get!

Lukas was always my "cuddler" and loved to be held and rocked, much more so than his brother. So, in honor of his birthday, I thought I would write out the words to the lullaby I used to sing to him when he was a baby.

This song describes the way I feel about my son just as if I had written the words myself.

Angel's Lullaby
By Richard Marx

I was never alive
Until the day I was blessed by you.
I hold you late at night
And know what I was put here to do.
I turn off the world
And listen to you sigh,
And I will sing my angel's lullaby.

Know I'm forever near,
The one you can always call.
Right now all you know to fear
Are the shadows on your wall.
I'm here, close enough
To kiss the tears you cry,
And I will sing my angel's lullaby.

So tell me how
To stop the years from racing.
Is there a secret someone knows?
I'll never catch
All the memories I'm chasing,
Never be ready to let go.

And when the world seems cold,
You feel that all of your strength is gone,
There may be one tiny voice,
Your reason to carry on.
And when I'm not close enough
To kiss the tears you cry,
You will sing your angel's lullaby.
Let this be our angel's lullaby.

Job Description for a Mother

This one is for you, moms. A little late for Mother's Day, but relevant nonetheless.

I've decided we don't give ourselves enough credit for all we do. It's so easy to look at the ideal woman in Proverbs 31 and become discouraged, feeling like we could never live up to such high standards. So I thought it would be a good idea to just stop and think about all we do for the families we love.

Job Description for a Mother:

• Be the first in the household to awaken each morning. Spend some time reading the Scriptures and in prayer, asking for God to guide you through your day.
  
• Cheerfully awaken your children and coach them through the process of getting ready for school. This may also include getting a grouchy child dressed and/or brushing his teeth for him.
• Prepare a delicious, nutritious breakfast.
• Pack a delicious, nutritious, portable snack and lunch for children headed off to school, or make sure they are equipped with lunch money.
  
• Ensure that all children leave for school with the required supplies for the day. In the winter this includes not only homework and library books, but hats, boots, and gloves, sufficiently dried out from the day before.
• In the time left before heading out the door, make sure you look nice enough to be seen in public.
• Drive the kids to school or arrange other transportation for them.
• Some moms may be required to work outside the home while their children are in school.
• Serve as liaison between your children and their teachers should a misunderstanding arise.
  
• Pick the kids up from school at the appropriate time. Drop them off at piano lessons or sports practices as needed, making sure to pick them up again at the end of the lesson or practice.
• Make sure there is plenty of gas in the car.
  
• Attend all recitals or games.
• Assist with homework as needed.
• Prepare a delicious, nutritious dinner that is hot on the table just as your husband gets home from work.
• Clean up the kitchen after dinner.
  
• Ensure that there is neat, clean clothing to be worn each day.
• Keep furniture dusted, bathrooms cleaned, and floors vacuumed and mopped.
• Serve as counselor and cheerleader to your kids who need a listening ear and encouragement.
• Exercise. You have to be healthy to keep up with all of this!
  
• Effectively administer loving discipline as a means of instruction.
• Nurse illnesses and injuries that may arise (such as extracting a fish hook from a finger).
• Always know where everything is when asked.
• Shop for groceries, school supplies, clothing, and other items as the need arises.
• Maintain a balanced budget.
• Instruct your children, through word and through example, in what it means to be a fully devoted Christ follower.
• Make sure your family regularly attends church.
• Encourage your husband, listen attentively to him, and support him. Make sure there is time for intimacy.
• Pray with your kids and tuck them into bed each night.

It's a pretty daunting list, isn't it? And you can probably think of more things to add. It's easy to look at this list and find areas where I sometimes fall short, or things I sometimes do halfheartedly. I'm not perfect. But as moms, these really are the things we do every single day of our lives. It's not an easy task, but I believe it is one God has uniquely gifted us to do.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't get discouraged. Applaud yourself for all you do. And as our guest worship leader suggested this weekend, realize that these things you do are not what define you. You are a child of God; that is what defines you!

So... go eat a bowl of Chocolate Moose Tracks. You've earned it!

Open to His Teaching

This past week has reminded me how God uses various circumstances in our lives to teach us. Mold us. Refine us. It's not an easy process, but if we are open to what He is trying to teach us, we can grow into the people He desires for us to be.

Today was the second day of our Ladies' Day events at Youth Haven in Michigan. I was originally planning to lead worship for all three days, but God had other plans. I came down with a cold that attacked my singing voice, so at the last minute we asked our keyboard player if he could lead. He graciously agreed - thank goodness!

Wednesday evening the worship team gathered to rehearse, and I attempted to sing. I don't think I could even call it a joyful noise, because hardly any sound even came out of my mouth. I was frustrated, to say the least. My husband thought it would be good for me to be up on stage anyway, but I really struggled with that.

I understand that worship is not about the quality of sound I can produce when I sing. God looks at my heart, and I can worship Him without ever singing a note. I know that very well. I could have very easily stood down in the audience, closed my eyes and lifted my hands, and worshiped as the music was offered to Him. But it was hard for me to stand up there and pretend like I was singing. I questioned why I was up there at all. I certainly didn't want the attention focused on me.

Our speaker, Donna Partow, grabbed my hands and prayed for me. She prayed for healing and that Satan would not be victorious. She prayed that our ministry to the ladies at Youth Haven would not be hindered.

The next morning, day one of Ladies' Day, I awoke feeling even worse. My husband thought it would be better for me to stay home, so I did. And I wondered if I was not healed because I didn't have enough faith.

Then it dawned on me that perhaps Satan's victory came not in the illness itself, but in my response to it. Do I get discouraged and doubt my faith because something doesn't go as I think it should, or do I acknowledge that God's purpose is greater than mine? Maybe He wanted to use me in a different way this year.

At that moment I knew I was supposed to pray. If I couldn't lead the ladies in worship, I would at least pray for them to encounter God at Youth Haven.

I had heard Donna speak at our Ladies' Day events in Arizona, but when I heard her again today I knew that my experience yesterday was God's hand at work. She made the statement that when God wants to intervene in someone's life, He looks for someone who will intercede on their behalf. I don't know which lady needed someone to intercede for her yesterday, but I believe that God used me in someone's life.

I am grateful that God uses my voice to bring glory to Him when I lead worship. But I am also grateful to have learned that He can use me in other ways, too.

Mother's Day Treasures

Today at school, mothers of third graders were invited to each lunch with their kids. After we were done eating, the students took us back to the classroom and presented us with gifts. They were mostly hand written cards with artwork on them, along with a bag of lavender bath salts. Here are some of the notes Stefan had written to me:

"I love you and you're buetifull. You're the best mom in the world. When you die, I will take great care of your stuff. I hope you don't die for a long long time."

"You are one of the best moms I know. I love you. Happy Mother's Day. I am excited for homeschooling espesily because you will be my teacher. Thank you for letting me get a fish."

"If my mom were a flower, she would be a tiger lily because she is beutiful.

If my mom were a song, she would be Hosanna because she sings it at our church.

If my mom were a super hero, she would be super mom because she is the best mom in the world.

If my mom were candy, she would be sweet tarts because she is sweet and fun.

If my mom were a car, she would be a Mustang because she is cool.

If my mom were a color, she would be blue because she is mellow.

If my mom were an animal, she would be a kitty cat because she is girly.

If my mom were a TV show, she would be Making a Difference because she is a woman of God."

I love that last one. Thank you, Lord, that he sees that in me. Please help me to always make sure he does.