We love love.  We do.  We can’t help it.  We are girls.  So this month we are talking love.  More specifically, who we love.  I predict, that today you will rush to comment when you hear the question……

Question:

What do you LOVE about your daughter?

Terilynne {TerilynneU} :: I love her tender heart that reaches out to the people others never notice!  She’s an example to me of what loving really looks like.

 

 

Melissa N {Fill My Cup} :: There is something unique to love about all of my girls.  Grace is super sweet and sensitive.  It makes for a very compassionate heart.  Hannah is full of spirit and lacking any fear, which means that her big eyes are ready to take in anything God calls or to…or lets be honest, simply distracts her!  Ava is still an innocent baby.  Her chubby cheeks, big dimple and huge smile melt my heart every time.  My kids bring me tears of joy and pain.  They make me laugh till my sides hurt.  They drive me to my knees in prayer.  There is no better, more exhausting role in the world, and I’m honored that God in His mercy trusted me to (do my best) to raise them. BEST. JOB. EVER!

 

Shelly {Life on the Wild Side} ::  What I love is that they are gifts from God, given to me. How awesome is that?! But there are benefits to having these gifts—too many to count!—and here are just a few:  Laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. Long hair and the accessories that go with it. Amazing minds Three different sets of eyes with which to view the world. Letting them take over in the kitchen. Exploring the world together. Seeing them with their dad. Serving God side-by-side. Fashion advice! Having a front row seat at the unfolding of their lives. It’s all a privilege and a joy. I truly am blessed.

 

Stacey {29lincolnavenue} :: I love her passion.  I love her sense of humor.  I love that she wants to be a cheerleader like I was.  I love how she completes our family.  I love how they ALL love their daddy.  I love that they are vibrant.  I love that they are not the same.  I love how each of them challenges me in a different way.  I love being a one of a kind family.

Now it is your turn! Ready, set gush!

Free Resources For You!

I am broken.

I am flawed.

I am imperfect.

Even so, I am building a legacy.

I often wondered, how I could leave a trail of Christ’s love to my daughters if I couldn’t demonstrate it through my own actions?

I don’t know about you, but there are times I crawl into the throne room of grace and lament to the King of Kings that my daughters forgive me. Some days I admit my prayers teeter on the edge of melodramatic, but other days I need the absolute grace bestowed from on High.

This photograph sits on a table in our living room. It is an ever present reminder of God’s love and how far He has brought me.

I was overwhelmed, tired, and kept my struggles hidden and “safe” where no one could see them. Even now, I can fall into a pattern of hiding. One period was so dark that anger became a prominent part of my disposition. In my own sin and sadness this picture was ripped apart. (Meaning, I ripped it apart.) But look closely and you’ll see beauty shine through a cross that covers us, piecing us back together again.

I must always remember what comes from the cross.

God has used even my flaws – the ones nailed to the cross – to resurrect a legacy. Despite my imperfections, my daughters are gaining an inheritance fashioned by Christ.

A Legacy of Reliance

Embracing our imperfections allows us to seek forgiveness and set aside the quest for self-reliant perfection, knowing that only by His sufficiency can we breathe and move. In the quiet of the night, laying together side by side with my daughters, whispers that have gone from my lips to their little ears become prayers. ” Jesus, help mama to not get angry.” The very prayers my daughters speak on my behalf teach my source of strength comes from Him.

A Legacy of Forgiveness

No greater place is forgiveness evident than in the eyes of our children. It really is a tender and humbling moment when we ask our children to forgive.

Small fingers wrapped tightly around my neck, my girls have forgiven more deeply than I can comprehend because I’ve said “I’m sorry” more times than I ever expected. My posture of humility toward my daughters teaches them about surrender – the key to living in Christ.

A Legacy of Expectancy

A profound lesson I’ve shared with my own daughters was from the unconditional love of my mother. One day I cried on the phone, letting her into that hidden place of my heart. Her response: “I cannot wait to see what God is going to do with this.”

This brokenness.

I already know.

He “…binds up the brokenhearted…” Isaiah 61

When I remind my daughters that God redeems our mistakes, they wait in expectation for healing and blessings rather than fear condemnation.

We all have struggles as moms. For me, anger was an area I constantly struggled with. For you, it is likely something else. Have confidence where we fall short, He stands in the gap and fills in the blanks.

Has God ever birthed something beautiful from your shortcomings? What legacy are you leaving your daughters, despite your imperfections?

Free Resources For You!

The Making of a Princess

“Mommy, I want to be Belle,” my 3 year old whined. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon…the time of day when children all over the world unleash their most high-pitched whiny voice. I was exhausted and trying to scrounge up dinner using a piece of toast and a can of corn.

It was one of “those days” when my daughter declared she wanted to be Belle. In spite of how preoccupied I was, I stopped. My best Christian mommy radar went up and I said, “Why do you want to be Belle, sweetheart?”

“Because I want to wear a pretty dress and go to the ball!” she said.

“Oh honey…You don’t need to go to the ball to be pretty…you are pretty just the way God made you” I sweetly said. (As sweetly as I could have said at 4:00 p.m.)

Well you can imagine how well that went over. A full-fledge temper tantrum ensued as a result of low blood-sugar and the no-nap syndrome that she has seemed to subscribe to since she was 2.

Tempter tantrum aside, our little Belle conversation brought out one of my biggest fears with parenting a typical girly 3 year old.

How do I encourage her to find her full worth in Christ without going overboard? How do I balance the normal fascination with Disney princesses without her thinking she needs to be beautiful on the outside?

My typical response is to try to control. I read her a Disney Princess book and then immediately afterwards, read the Toddler Bible. I play Princess music on the iPod then play Kids Worship songs. Everything has to be in balance. When I hear my younger daughter singing songs from “Tangled”, my heart starts to race.

She’s going to grow up only knowing about Rapunzel!

Will she even like God?

I must read the Bible to her more.

And on and on it goes.

The other night, as I trudged up the stairs to go to bed, I was mulling over the days events in my head. “What could I have done better?” I thought. I stood in front of their closed doors and thought of my daughters. So vulnerable. So moldable. What do I do about this princess thing, God?

He whispered ever so softly, “Have you prayed for them?”

My heart stopped.

My answer was no.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had prayed over them…prayed for their souls, their hearts, their health, their future friends, their future respective husband.

I had been too busy worrying about “Under the Sea” and not about the true issue: their souls.

God is teaching me to pray for my children and to not worry so much about the “other stuff” that so quickly brings me down. Yes I still need to expose them to Godly songs and stories about God, but a few princesses won’t hurt. There is no secret formula to follow. There is no special song that I need to drill into their heads, (even though Steve Green’s “Hide Them In Your Heart” doesn’t hurt) I simply need to daily commit my daughters to the Perfect Father and say, “Help me parent them. Help me to navigate the unfriendly waters of pop culture. Help me to raise up beautiful daughters of the King!”

In the end, my little girls just might walk around the house humming “Beauty and the Beast” but if they know that God loves them, their hearts will one day sing, “Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”

Hi! Iʼm Christina over at Momma Day by Day. I have two daughters, ages 3 and 2, and
have a wonderful husband who is a worship pastor. I blog about faith and the nitty gritty
parts of life. It is my goal to learn how to walk with God one day at a time. I would love
to have you stop by and visit!

Free Resources For You!

I had good intentions of posting all about an art project I am working on with my girls to create original canvas art that represents their unique personalities. But…that post will have to wait for another day.

Last Wednesday night at church we talked about the different names of God. During one of our breakout sessions we looked in books to discover what each of our children’s names meant. I had done this in the past for my older two girls.

Taylor my oldest represents a “tailor”. She doesn’t like this at all. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it really suits her. She is a girl that is truly gifted at creating beautiful things. It doesn’t matter if it is words on paper, drawing, crafting or making music. I think her name represents her very well.

My middle daughter is Madelyn. Her name represents the Woman of Magdala, otherwise known as Mary Magdalene.  My Madelyn is my little prayer warrior that has a stronger relationship with the Lord at 9 than I did at 29.

So then we came to our little one, Nadia. Her name means Hope. Her middle name is Grace. When I read this in the book, I almost laughed. I think I need to give you a little background on this little one.

She could be the strong-willed child that Dr. Dobson wrote the book about. She has a huge heart and is always making us cards and love notes. She is one of those kids that is always telling us she loves us and giving us hugs and kisses. She is super shy at school and as smart as a whip. But she is very, very stubborn. She likes to be the ruler of the house and we can have a world war any second around here.

To be honest, as a mother, lately I have been at my wits end. In fact, my husband and I have been taking turns getting her ready for school most days because it can be such a battle.

So to read that her name meant hope, well, it gave me some as her mother. And to think that her middle name is Grace. Made me think a lot about how I need to give her a little when she is driving me crazy. (I do have to remind myself often that she is 6). At night my Madelyn has been praying for her to find peace.

I don’t have a lot of wisdom to share when it comes to a strong willed child. Honestly we are just trying to get through it and hope she grows out of this little phase, (and placing an online order for seamless socks with overnight shipping).

Are you a mom that is dealing with a strong willed child? How do you do it everyday?

Free Resources For You!

Feburary is right around the corner and with it an emphasis on L-O-V-E. As the mother of young girls, I want nothing more than for them to embrace this.

Since we live in a culture that promotes worldly love, I invite all of you to read the message with your daughters. I wish I knew where I could buy it because I would love nothing more than for it to be reinforced daily. Then, for those with tweens on up, grab a starbucks or hot chocolate and chat with them about 1) how this hits them, 2) their real life struggles in living it out, 3) what qualities they see as important in a future spouse, 4) what qualities you pray their future spouse has, 5) their biggest question about boy/girl relationships, 5) their biggest weaknesses when it comes to boys, 6) and a unique gift/idea that will symbolize this discussion and prompt a “God first, right boy second” message when they see it.

We can’t shy away and pray that our girls make good choices. They are living in the thick of a culture that bombards them with messages contrary to God’s heart. So, have a beautiful discussion…continue having them…and know that if you expose them to Perfect Love now they will be more likely to choose Godly character in an earthly man later.

I’m be praying for each and every one of you

Free Resources For You!

“All of us have things we are going to do.

All of us have things we want to do.

But what is the thing you must do?”

Andy Stanley, This One Thing

Last weekend my dishwasher flooded.  It was a disaster.  I had big plans of writing and napping all afternoon while my girls were out with daddy.  Instead I spent that time rewashing every dish and mopping my kitchen floor.

While grabbing my mop bucket, I happened to remember a friend and mentor had sent me a link to a message by Andy Stanley of Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta called “This One Thing”.  I decided to listen to it while cleaning up the kitchen.  God ended up using it to clean out mind of all the clutter that had been living there.  He spoke to my heart.  He said…

You are doing a great work here.  Do not come down off the wall for any reason.

If you have 45 minutes this week – while cleaning your kitchen, driving to pick up your kids, or in the wee hours of the morning while drinking your coffee -  can I encourage you to listen to this message?  It will greatly bless – I promise.

This One Thing, by Andy Stanley

{If you do listen, I’d love for you to come back and tell me what you thought.}

Free Resources For You!

Last year, my “one word” was intentional.  Part of that of course, meant being intentional in my parenting … well, let’s be honest, most of the word was geared toward my parenting!  To that extent, on New Year’s Eve 2010, I sat down with my girls and had them reflect on the past year and also think about the upcoming year … with intentionality.

We thought about and “assigned” a scripture, and talked about goals for each of them for 2011.  I had prints made of their verses and keep them in close view as a daily reminder.  Truth be told, some crazy life events happened last year and all my “intentionality” didn’t go quite the way I’d intended.

Even though the execution didn’t go quite as planned, I loved the premise and the girls loved it too.  So at the beginning of this year I decided to give it another go!

What I’m doing differently this year?  I’m praying over their 2012 goals and verses.  Last year, I closed the notebook and lost it.  Literally.  I couldn’t find it this year.  I had to print my post from last year.  This year, I keep the notebook right with my Bible and each morning I pray over one of the girls, their goals, and how their scripture will impact their life.

Anyway.

Our lives are still turned upside down, but if I can stay focused on my own goals for the girls and be prayerful {how did I miss that last year!?} over their goals, I believe God will be faithful to us and breathe life into our intentions.

Another thing I’m doing with the girls that might encourage you … not only am I joining up with Ann this year for the Joy Dare, but I’m having my girls join too.

Ann says this:

Take the the Joy Dare. Isn’t that what Aristotle said– “We are what we repeatedly do.”

Then Christianity isn’t an act — but our faith is expressed only in our habits.

A habit of not complaining, but the habit of giving thanks; the habit of not worrying, but a habit worshipping. The habit of repeatedly giving God praise that our lives might become a prayer. Small is always the leverage of large. It’s one moment after the other, the small moments that turn a life. It’s the small actions that can change a life.

It’s habits that can imprison you and it’s habits that can free you and when thanks to God becomes a habit, so joy in God becomes your life.

Not only do I have this exact {deep} desire for myself … I have it for my girls as well.  I believe it’s oh-so-important for this young generation to take hold of this habit and begin to experience a continuous life of “joy in God.”

Free Resources For You!

We swapped talents. I rolled up my sleeves, moved furniture, created files and made labels. She pulled out her stopwatch, recorded splits and weekly re-calibrated my plan to match my goal. I organized and she coached. She needed simplicity and I wanted to win a race.

That summer training pushed my physical limits to capacity. Each day I was more tired than the last. Muscles I didn’t know I had found themselves tested, and torn. In the afternoon hours, I ached and creaked only to get up the next day and do it all over again. And again. My body learned the rhythm of reach and rest.

My now-season of motherhood parallels that summer time. Four kids in two years, recovering a collective 15+ years of fatherlessness. Adoption made family addition more like multiplication for us. I’m a step away from training bras with my girls but I only just got my feet wet with infant hearts. We are full — seams bursting with life and pain and tears and beauty. I sink into my bed at night.

And there is a whisper that’s emerged from this season that I’m beginning to realize is the anthem of the underground railroad of motherhood. No one could understand.

I thought it was just me, until I started taking a sort of poll. The outfit changes from person to person, but the underlying sense is the same. Women stretched — taut — in different directions for different reasons who share the allure of yet another great lie (because His counsel is uncovering many lies I’ve believed), all who stand at the foot of opportunity.

“No one could understand” is a doorway.

Could it be that our daily ins-and-outs are not misunderstood, but hidden? Could it be that what we call empty is in fact holy?

Motherhood may be one of many seemingly sidelined times during which the world witnesses the glory of another so that our beauty is unveiled to only One.

We were made to be understood. We were created to have another peer into our private moments and validate where due, or gently guide where there’s lack. We were made to be known. To have another revel in our quirky beauty — or marvel at the still, subtle “yes” we give to Him when no one’s looking — is not a vain desire. Just like my little girls, I was made to be delighted in, by one who sees all of me yet still chooses to enjoy.

But the real question is by whom and when?

My cup is full to overflowing with a husband who walks tenderly beside me and priceless girlfriends who know and love my heart well, but the need to be understood stretches beyond what they could ever offer.

Because it was meant to. 

The longing is unto something. It creates a space to receive new aspects of God our constantly-filled-up selves couldn’t otherwise.

In the kingdom of God, hiddenness puts my name in will-call. I’m in. Hidden from the world, but known by Him. He invites me by covering me. Layman’s eyes may miss it, but His catch every single mommy-detail. That time my heart chose patience when circumstances begged frustration. The look she gave that said “you are safe” after months of kissing that same cheek with that same prayer. He saw the tears I fought back over laundry wondering if my mundane details could be won. The day I thought I couldn’t go another minute with all of their needs, at noon, but made it to seven when they slept — I found joy in those hours. And He saw them. All of them. He saw every one.

We crave understanding but mislabel hiddenness as toil, when it comes. We can’t wrap our minds around the fact that we can be both understood and hidden. We seek friends at the wrong times or find “outlets” that don’t actually lift us up and out to avoid the very remedy for our heart ache. Misunderstanding is a ticket to divine conversation. To relationship. To intimacy with the God-Man whose eye is on our every minute. The enemy of our hearts works around the clock to keep us away from that perspective of Him and away from those in-the-middle-of-life conversations.

But Mamas, these are our best days yet. We are not unknown; we are preserved.

He has saved us for Himself.

*Photography by Mandie Joy

Free Resources For You!

When my girls were much younger and smaller (two are taller than me now!), I sometimes needed to get their attention when giving them an instruction. I’d take hold of their chin, bring their eyes to mine, and say, “Look at me!” It was my way of making sure they had really heard me.

Sound familiar?

I’m reading the Bible through chronologically this year (here’s a link to the plan in case you’re interested), and I just finished reading the book of Job. Wow. It’s given me a lot to think about, that’s for sure!

At the end of the book, God takes hold of Job’s chin, so to speak, and says, “Look at me, Job!”

After Job’s unique encounter with God, after God’s chastisement of Job, Job says this:

“My ears had heard of you

but now my eyes have seen you.”

(Job 42:5 NLT)

There’s been a change in Job. A shift in his thinking. He had heard about God before, he had known some things about God, but he had not really seen God for who He truly is: holy, majestic, all-powerful. Job’s list could go on and on.

Obviously there’s been a change in Job’s heart because he had SEEN God.

Recently one of my daughters went through a difficult time, and in the midst of this trial I asked her to write down one way, every day, that God showed Himself to be real to her. Whatever she thought of was fine—the sun rising in the morning, a good night’s sleep, a kind word from a friend, an answered prayer. Whatever she wanted.

Every night we met at her bedside for prayer and she shared with me one way that God had met her that day.

This went on for a few days, and soon her difficult time ended, but my daughter was changed. She was lighter somehow. Her spirit had lifted. Her mood had improved.

I wonder if that might be just a small glimpse of what happened with Job as he moved from hearing to really seeing God.

Do you need to see God today? Does your daughter? Scripture tells us that He’s right beside us, He’s everywhere, and He knows us intimately (Psalm 139). He’s just waiting to reveal Himself to us (John 20:27).

Write down one way that God has made Himself real to you every day this week, and I would imagine that you, like Job, will move from hearing to really seeing.

Lord, I pray for any reader today who needs to move from hearing about you to really seeing you with her own eyes. I pray for daughters who need that as well. Would you please work in our hearts and in our lives, showing us in a clear, tangible way, that you are REAL? We thank you for the many ways you are going to do that. Amen.

Free Resources For You!

Browsing Pinterest the other day I found this new etsy store by artist Emily Mcdowell. I love this quote she made into art by Oscar Wilde, “Be Yourself; everyone else is already taken.” It speaks volumes to my heart right now. I have spent a lot of time lately reflecting in my own life about being original.

Over the few years as I have been running around as a busy mom I seem to have lost a little of myself. Over the years as I have been in survival mode as a mom, I have adapted to everything I needed to be to a point that now I am not really sure who I am.

As a mother of three girls my reflection on my life has made me start to really try to recognize the differences in my own girls.

I was so excited to read September’s guest post on Wednesday. It was confirmation to how I am feeling about trying to recognize how different my girls are and celebrate their differences.

All of my girls are unique. I think it is my role as their mother to help them develop into the women that God wants them to be. It will be a discovery process. It may be hard to see the direction they choose to go at times but I have to trust that they are following His lead. And if they are not, I need to cover them in prayer and pray that they will recognize God’s will and change direction.

My prayer as we begin this new year is that we can really encourage our girls to recognize their gifts and develop them for God’s Kingdom. My hope is that I can rediscover myself in the process.

Free Resources For You!