tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17228338030193543882024-03-05T15:22:04.064-08:00Different & Set Apart:Raising a child with special needs
from God's perspectiveMold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-59770258789505312202012-03-27T06:02:00.000-07:002013-02-15T14:08:33.367-08:00Homeschool & The Child With Special Needs<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="background-color: #f9fdff; color: #001320; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">"And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.</span> " </i>-Deuteronomy 11:19 KJV2000</b></div>
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I confess: I am somewhat of a home school advocate. I don't criticize people's choice to send their children to public school (God may ask you to do that!), however, I truly believe that many children--<i>especially</i> those with certain special needs--are far better off home schooled.</div>
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I f you ask adults with Autism what the worst part of growing up with it was, most will tell you "public school." It was too overwhelming from them with so many people, they had sensory overload, they were teased, bullied, rejected and misunderstood, they struggled to keep up in some areas and surpassed everyone else in others.</div>
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Many mothers think there is <i>no way</i> they could home school their kids. Perhaps they fell his or her needs are too great, or that they can't do it because they don't h ave a teaching or child psychology degree. Most mothers think they don't have enough patience.</div>
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I am not known for my patience. In fact, quite the opposite. However, God's using this to help me cultivate that fruit in my life. I don't have any degrees. I graduated high school, then did one semester at university before I dropped out. But here's the edge I <i>do </i>have: I know my child better than any other human being on the face of the earth. I know how he ticks. I know how he learns, what frustrates him & what his interests are. I know his strengths & weaknesses. </div>
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I won't try to sedate him with drugs to make him sit still I don't want to suppress his uncontrollable urges to stim and with his echolia. Most importantly, I will let my son be who he is meant to be.</div>
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He obviously can't be bullied or picked on at home, and isn't as distracted as he would be in a crowded classroom. It also keeps him innocent longer---and there's <i>nothing</i> wrong with that.</div>
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So not only is it great for the child, but it's great for you, too! It teaches you patience, but also you get to reap the rewards as you see your child learning and progressing. Knowing you have had a hand in that is a very gratifying feeling.</div>
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If God asks you to home school your child with special needs, fear not; God will provide you with what you need to do it, and make what seems impossible, possible. He did it for me, and continues to.</div>
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Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-91702818326645206902012-03-23T05:55:00.001-07:002013-02-15T14:11:32.019-08:00Happy 6th Birthday, Josiah!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="background-color: #f9fdff; color: #001320; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><i>"For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us." </i>-2 Corinthians 1:20 AKJV</span> </b></div>
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Today, my precious son turns six, and as he does, I reflect on the promises God has given me concerning him. I have kept a book where I have written down various Scriptures & quotes & different stories of God giving me words for my son. They are words I can stand upon, and because they come from the Lord, I know they shall come to pass.</div>
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Our son was a promised child from the start. God Himself named him, even though we thought the name "Josiah" was our brilliant idea. It was the <i>only</i> male name we had picked out. </div>
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Prior to trying to conceive, my husband, Mike was in prayer one day, & he came out of his prayer closet & said to me, <i>"I think God may have told us to name our son Joshua instead of Josiah."</i> I, acting <i>so spiritually </i>(said tongue-in-cheek), reply, with great irritation, <i>"Can't I even name my own kid??" </i>My husband soothed me & said, <i>"It could have been my own mind or the devil as well, so let's ask God for a sign tomorrow, that this was from Him." </i>So I grudgingly bowed my head & agreed with my husband in prayer for God to give us a sign the following day, whether or not He wanted us to name our son Joshua instead of Josiah.</div>
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The next day came, & we headed out to the grocery store at the Mall. As we were heading in, we passed a couple with two children getting into a car with a Jesus fish on it. My husband being my husband, made a comment about the fish. Next thing we know, we find out they are fellow believers visiting from Alberta. As I talked to the woman, I looked at her beautiful children and asked her what their names were. She turns to her daughter and says, <i>"Jada"</i> and then she indicates her son and says, <i>"Josiah."</i> Talk about a sign!!!</div>
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So a month or two later, we conceived, and even though they didn't tell you the sex of the baby back then in that hospital, we told them we were having a son. And we did. And we named him <i>"Josiah".</i></div>
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<i> </i>My son was used mightily from the get go. We've since found two other meanings, but the first meaning we found of Josiah was <i>"whom God heals".</i> It was totally appropriate. God used my son to heal me of an abortion I'd had when I was 20. As I tracked the progress of the pregnancy, it made me realize <i>just </i>what I'd done, so that I could repent from the heart, & then God could heal me. I remember a lady in church up front at the pulpit saying, <i>"To every woman here who has had a miscarriage or abortion, your babies are in heaven with God & you'll see them again."</i> There I stood, with my big pregnant belly, bursting out crying in church, then running to the washroom for refuge. Yes, God used my son to <i>completely</i> heal me of the guilt, pain & shame of the abortion I'd had.</div>
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My son will be used more of the Lord as the years go by. I don't have to wonder how God would do such a thing with a child who can't even carry on a conversation, because God used him mightily before he'd even left the womb!</div>
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Six years have gone by since he first entered my life, and I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful son! Happy Birthday to my sweet, precious Josiah. I love you & look forward to seeing what else God has in store for you!</div>
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Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-5419861279460258782012-03-14T05:44:00.000-07:002013-02-15T14:22:45.615-08:00Your Ministry<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">" Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.</span> " </i>-Titus 2:3-5 NIV</b></div>
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When I first gave my life to the Lord, I was in my mid-twenties, and I was on fire! After living so many years in utter darkness, with depression & addictions, God turned the light switch on, and suddenly the world seemed so much more colorful, literally. I had such dreams. I wanted to do so many things for the Lord. I felt called to minister to the prostitutes & the "rejects" of society. After getting a taste of prison ministry, I had a longing to do that on a regular basis, I loved it so much. I had dreams of writing my dramatic life story, since the Lord had given me a writing gift. I had so many dreams! So many hopes.<br />
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When I had the opportunity to do missions throughout Atlantic Canada, my appetite was whetted for that, as I saw people come to Christ, and as I had opportunity to share my testimony, as well as witness through songs & skits. I was totally in my element, and thought, <i>'Now THIS is living!'</i> It was fantastic! </div>
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There is a time and a season for everything, and perhaps your biggest dream was to become a mother, but mine was not. Although my son was planned, I always longed to get out on the street and get my hands dirty, so to speak. I wanted to do something for the Kingdom---or should I say <i>feel</i> like I was doing something for the Kingdom.</div>
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It was very hard, and has been hard to accept that those things can not be focused on at this point in my life. God has made it clear that my ministry is firstly that of a wife, and secondly, that of a mother. These ministries can often seem monotonous and thankless in many respects, if we're really honest with ourselves, and sometimes we feel like we are doing nothing for the Kingdom as we see other friends, who perhaps have no kids, or their kids are old enough to be independent, doing missions and the very things we dreamed of doing. We feel useless. We feel like we're a bump on the log. At least that is how I have felt.</div>
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However, the call of being a wife & a mother is a high calling. Besides that, if we excel in that ministry, we may not realize it, but that <i>does</i> effect others and is a witness in itself. When others see how solid your marriage is & how much you love your child & care for them, then this will point them to God. Besides that, you could be raising the next Elijah or Moses or Esther. You don't know what plans God has for your child. </div>
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Your job and ministry right now are to love your husband & to raise your children to love God and love their neighbor as themselves, and to walk into the calling God has placed upon their lives. Our kids are the future. Don't discredit or devalue the power of your ministry as a wife and mother! Don't allow feelings of being cheated or of discontent creep in as I have done at times. Remember how important being a homemaker is. And remember that there <i>are</i> things you can do as such. Perhaps you could visit that lonely neighbor with your child in tow, or bake a casserole for that person who just lost someone, or pray for someone in need. Prayer is crucial. There are so many things that being a homemaker encompasses & so many ways to minister to a lost world. </div>
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Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-26619147566212801362012-03-12T07:07:00.000-07:002012-03-12T07:07:35.551-07:00Long Awaited God-Sent Friendships<br />
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<b><i>“I thank my God every time I
remember you.” </i>– Philippians 1:3 NIV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Something very
exciting & encouraging happened to me yesterday, at a birthday party for a
friend’s son: I met another couple with
a son with Autism who is very similar to my son & only a year apart in
age. I can’t even explain how amazing it
was to just stand there and talk to the father, and then later, the mother
about our children, and the things they struggle with and the things they excel
in. I have never, ever been able to do
this, and it was such a blessing from God!
God knew that it couldn’t be just anyone, but that the people would have
to have a great love for Him & trust in Him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Talking to them, it
also gave me peace about some decisions we had made with our child, and again I
felt we were doing the right things for him.
Isn’t it nice just to meet someone who can empathize with what you go
through? They don’t have to give advice
or anything else: Only listen, and understand because they’ve been there or are
still there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have never been
one to go to a support group, for my own personal reasons, so I’ve gone it
alone for the most part; just God & I, through this journey with my son,
and so it’s such a novelty to meet people who “get it”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God always has perfect
timing, and a few months ago, I didn’t even want to admit that my son had
special needs. It took a lot for me to
even say that. So God brought people
into my life just at the right time, when He knew I would receive them as I
should.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So now I am excited
at these new friendships. Just to know
there is someone else out there who understands…..it’s just amazing what that
can do for a person.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I encourage you, if
you know any other mothers out there who have a child or children with special
needs, reach out to them. Encourage them.
Pray for them. Pray for their
children. Be God with skin on. Perhaps they feel as alone as I did, and you
will be the one to relieve that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-91557586494840370562012-03-09T05:36:00.001-08:002012-03-09T05:40:38.800-08:00When the Well Has Dried up/When the Oil Has Run Low<br />
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<b><i>“He shall feed his flock like a
shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with young.” </i>–Isaiah 40:11 KJV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I am sitting here, and the well seems to have run dry….But
then it makes me think of how our well can run dry---or our lamp can run low on
oil. Don’t we all have days of that;
perhaps even weeks? Dare I say
months? Yes, it’s not fun when we feel
like we are running on fumes, but it can happen to most of us mothers,
especially when we have children with special needs that require a bit more
energy (both physically & mentally).
You feel like you just can’t take another one of your child’s
tantrums. You can’t handle another poopy
Pull-up, dumped out glass of juice or box of cereal, another seizure, another
judgemental look from people. You can’t
even seem to find the energy to pray.
All you can seem to manage is a weak plea of <i>“help me!”</i> You’d love to go
out and have a date with your spouse, but who can you leave your child with
that can handle them? That you can trust?<o:p></o:p></div>
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In those times where
you feel like God is far away, and you just can’t seem to get time away with
Him, He hears that cry of <i>“help me”, </i>&
He will deliver you. It isn’t usually
our timing though; it’s His, but He is always right on time; never too early
& never too late.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I love the above
Scripture, because it reminds me that God is not beating me over the head when
I am unable to spend the same amount of time in prayer---specifically <i>undivided</i> time---as I did when I was
single or before I had a child. I
believe that Scripture is saying how the Lord recognizes how hard it can be for
us to find the time or opportunity, so He doesn’t expect us to be able to
devote as much undivided time to Him as say, a single person. I believe the key is to learn to practice His
presence. In other words, just being
aware that He is always there, so that we talk to Him when we do the dishes,
take a bath, wash our hands, sweep the floors & other things we do on a
daily basis. And although it <i>is</i> crucial to get that alone time with
God at some point, He isn’t expecting us to climb in our prayer closet for
several hours like we may have been able to do before. Just to have even a moment. If you get a spare 15 minutes, even! Just to take that opportunity to be refreshed
by Him, and let Him refill your lamp with oil.
You will find that you have that encouragement and strength again to
face all of the things that are especially challenging. Yes, you will need to keep coming back for
that refill, because you will get worn down again without that time with
Him. But He understands, and I don’t
know about you, but that sure makes me feel a whole lot better!<o:p></o:p></div>
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He leads us
gently. I like that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-59611965292461997902012-03-06T07:02:00.000-08:002012-03-06T07:02:29.300-08:00Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See<br />
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<b><i>“The eye is the lamp of the body.
So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light” -</i>Matthew
6:22 ESV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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With <i>any </i>child, we must be diligent as
mothers to be very careful what we allow our child to read, watch on TV or
listen to. With a child with special
needs, perhaps this is even <i>more</i>
crucial. Many of them are extra
sensitive, and some are unable to distinguish between what is acceptable and
what is not. Where one child would watch
a seemingly innocent cartoon with a mild fighting scene (what I call “vanilla
violence”), and it wouldn’t make them violent, yet another child could watch
that same thing, and not knowing better, could act it out. One child can watch a movie where someone has
called another person “stupid” or some other thing, and that child knows not to
say that to anyone. Another child
watches the movie and then starts repeating that word over and over again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When it comes to our
children, we must really take our cues from God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One day, a couple of
years ago, I was watching my son play in the back yard, and seemingly out of
the blue, God said to me, <i>“Do not allow
Josiah to watch things like Spiderman, Superman and Batman.”</i> God explained that Jesus is the true
depiction of a superhero, setting an example as He walked the earth as a humble
servant—not someone engaging in physical battles, but spiritual ones. He will return as a warrior, but we were
called to be peacemakers. That’s a true
superhero. I’m certain there are other
reasons that God commanded that, like perhaps my son would act out what he
saw. All I know is that it doesn’t
matter <i>why.</i> I just need to obey God because <i>He</i> knows <i>why</i>—and that’s all that matters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You may suffer criticism
for some things you don’t allow your child exposure to, but as long as you don’t
judge others for what they <i>do</i> allow,
you can stand confidently in knowing you’re walking in obedience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, do I think
other mothers who allow their children to watch Spiderman, Superman, Batman and
the likes are wrong to do that? No! I do
not. God doesn’t ask the same, I
believe, of each mother, because our children are all so different.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I can tell you what
applies to <i>all</i> children: Garbage in, garbage out. We need to be careful what we allow them to
see & hear, just as we ourselves need to do the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you feel
conviction letting your child read certain books you know other Christian moms
are letting their kids read, you stand in your conviction, not questioning God
of <i>why</i> their kids are allowed to and
yours shouldn’t. God is able to make
them stand as He is, you. If in doubt
over anything, pray about it, or simply don’t allow it. God always has a reason for these
things. Always.<o:p></o:p></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-18148385279824856012012-02-28T05:43:00.000-08:002012-02-28T06:25:26.807-08:00Honorable Mention-Jesus's Genealogy<br />
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<b><i>“For all who exalt themselves
will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” –</i></b> <b><i>Luke
14:11<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the Gospel of
Matthew, it begins with the genealogy of Jesus. You might notice that only a
few mothers are mentioned in it. What
was so special about these mothers---what was so noble and godly about these
women that they received an “honorable mention”?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s begin with
Tamar. Who was Tamar? What did she do that was so noble? Tamar was Judah’s daughter-in-law who’d been
married to two of his three sons (first one died, so she married the other, as
was Jewish law & he died as well).
Judah, I believe, was almost superstitiously afraid to give his remaining
son to Tamar as he was supposed to, to carry on the dead son’s name, so Tamar
thought up a clever plan (sound familiar?
Think Jochebed & Naomi!), dressed as a prostitute & tricked
Judah into sleeping with her. She got
pregnant (as she had planned) so she’d carry on Judah’s son’s name. Yes, she did the righteous thing in God’s
sight! She was resourceful, but most
importantly, she was obedient to God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next is Rahab. She was a prostitute and a foreigner, yet she
hid the Israelite spies on her rooftop and she feared God, so she protected His
people, and most importantly, feared God!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ruth we learned
about from my blog on her mother-in-law, Naomi.
Ruth was a foreigner as well. I
believe God honored Ruth because she forsook her gods and land to seek the one
true God, and she obeyed her mother-in-law without question, who was carrying
out God’s plan. So Ruth was humble and
she turned form her idols to serve God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And of course, Mary
is mentioned, which I spoke of yesterday, of her humility, her quite
contemplative spirit and her wisdom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I pray for all of us
mommies, that we would be worthy of an “honorable mention” because of our godly
virtues we possess, and the greatest thing in all of this is to love & obey
God…and the rest will follow.<o:p></o:p></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-78544386120742771692012-02-27T06:11:00.003-08:002012-02-27T06:11:43.238-08:00Mary the Mother of Jesus: Humble & Slow to speak/Quick to Listen<br />
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<b><i>My dear brothers and sisters,
take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…” -</i>James
1:19 NIV<i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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How can we <i>not </i>consider Mary, the mother of
Jesus? She must have possessed some
especially godly qualities to be chosen to be the mother of the Son of God; the
Messiah.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many researchers say
that Mary was only around 14 when she had Jesus. Can you imagine being so young
a mother? Of course, back then 14 wasn’t
the same as it is today here in <i>our </i>culture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the key
things Mary possessed was <i>humility.</i> She would have had to, to not become puffed
up about being chosen for such a great calling.
We know from Luke 1:48 that Mary was not some prominent woman, but
lowly; “Nothing special” some would say.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mary, like all godly
women, trusted God and took Him at His word.
When the angel Gabriel told her what was going to happen, she simply
replied, <i>“Behold, I am the handmaiden of
the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said.” </i>(Luke
1:38) She never doubted God would
perform what He said. She simply
accepted it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another very
important thing I noticed about Mary is that she weighed every word spoken to
her concerning Jesus & didn’t blurt out her emotions. No, she was not quick to speak, but was an
excellent listener. Luke 1:29 says that
when the angel Gabriel greeted her, <i>“…when
she saw him, she was greatly troubled & disturbed & confused at what he
said & kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.”</i> She pondered & kept going over the
angel’s words over & over again, to make sense of it all. A lot of us would have blurted out some
unnecessary response like, <i>“What’s this
all about?” </i>or <i>“Why me?” </i>or <i>“What
do you mean?”,</i> yet she simply was
silent with her thoughts, not wasting her words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet again, we see
her doing this same kind of thing in Luke 2:15-19 when the shepherds came to
meet Jesus, and told them what the angel had said about Him. The Bible says in verse 18, <i>“And all who heard it were astounded &
marveled at what the shepherds told them.”</i>
I like this: Verse 19 says, <i>“But
Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings), weighing &
pondering them in her heart.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> </i>The Bible says that we’re to be “slow to
speak & quick to listen” & Mary showed us this principle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When God speaks something
over our child, do we constantly question Him?
Doubt Him? Or like Mary, do we
simply ponder the words spoken, meditate on them and use our words sparingly?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Time doesn’t permit
me to go on about how Mary was brave, wise & faithful, but she definitely
was all of those things!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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May we trust in God
more & ponder the promises He’s given us; the words He’s spoken over our
child, instead of doubting Him & fretting about these things. May we daily walk in humility more & more
as we seek God & His will for our lives & the lives of our family.<o:p></o:p></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-25975295021432510012012-02-26T05:46:00.000-08:002012-02-26T05:46:38.507-08:00Hannah-A Woman of Her Word<br />
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<b><i>“For this child I prayed; and the
LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent
him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD….” </i>1 Samuel 1:27-28a KJV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the first two
chapters of the first book of Samuel, we meet Hannah, the mother of
Samuel. This woman was barren for many
years, and if <i>that</i> wasn’t bad enough
(since being barren was considered a curse), her husband’s other wife was
always taunting her & throwing it in her face, because his other wife had
given him children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hannah finally could
take no more. She so longed to be a
mom!!! When it came time for the yearly
sacrifice, Hannah traveled with the rest of the family to the temple of God, where
she wept bitterly outside the tent, before the Lord, about her plight. She promised God that if He gave her a son,
she’d give him back to the Lord. God
heard her & she finally conceived Samuel.
Once he was weaned after a few short years, she brought Samuel to the
temple to stay there & serve the Lord.
Thereafter, she only saw him once a year & always brought him a new
robe she’d made for him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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God blessed her with
more children thereafter, I believe, for trusting Him & keeping her word,
but also for her attitude when it came time to give him up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How many of us have
said, <i>“God, if you would only do this, I
promise that I will, in turn, do that,” </i>& then, when the time comes,
for one reason or another, we don’t follow through? That’s not to condemn anyone, but most of us
have done that at some point: Cried out to Him in our desperation, desiring
something—so desperate we’d give anything to have it! Can you imagine having a son until he’s
pre-school to school age, and then only seeing him once a year for the rest of
your <i>life?</i> Yet that’s what Hannah did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hannah was a woman
of her word. Trust me: It couldn’t have been easy for her to give
him back to God, even though she knew he’d be in good hands—or would he? Was she aware of the priest, Eli’s son’s
ungodly behaviors? And yet this is who
her son would be mentored by. So not
only was she good to her word, but she trusted God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even more so, when
Hannah gave up her son, she praised God for giving him to her and the time that
she had with him, instead of begging for a little more time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>After </i>Hannah kept her word and praised God, God blessed her with
more children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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How much we can
learn from Hannah! She was a woman of
her word. She kept it no matter how
painful it must have been to do so, and instead of wallowing in self-pity for
having to part with her son, she praised God for him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we seek to be
godly mothers, may we be like Hannah, trusting God fully with our children
& keeping our word no matter what the sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-40195568933725104052012-02-25T07:04:00.000-08:002012-02-25T07:04:08.018-08:00Naomi: Best Mother-in-Law & A Mother Loyal Beyond the Grave<br />
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<b><i>“…she set out from the place
where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return
to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return
each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you
have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest,
each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted
up their voices and wept.” </i>–Ruth 1:7-9 ESV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b>In the book of Ruth we meet Naomi, whose husband
& two sons have died, her sons leaving behind two foreign (Moabite) wives,
Orpah & Ruth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Naomi is a wonderful
mother <i>and</i> mother-in-law. When Naomi had heard of God blessing His
people with food in Judah, during the famine, she began to travel there with
her two daughter-in-laws. However, Naomi
shows how unselfish she was, telling them to return to their mother’s house,
even though it would mean she’d be utterly alone & no one would continue on
her dead husband & son’s name, as was crucial to the Jews.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Orpah decided to
leave, but Ruth would not, so they traveled together to Bethlehem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once there, Naomi
discovered a kinsman of her husband’s there named Boaz. This Boaz could be the very answer to her
prayers! He could continue on her
husband & son’s name & Ruth would have a husband again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like Jochebed, Naomi
was clever & resourceful & came up with a plan for Ruth to end up
marrying Boaz. Ruth must have really
loved, respected & <i>trusted</i> Naomi
to do <i>everything</i> she said to the
letter, without questioning her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Naomi’s plan was
successful & so her husband’s & son’s name would live on & Ruth
would have a husband & bless her with grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we can learn
from Naomi is that the Lord blesses the unselfish. God turned around the bad for her to
good. Naomi was loyal to her husband
& sons beyond the grave. Though they
were gone, it still mattered to her that their name would not die with them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Naomi loved her
daughter-in-laws like her own flesh, & again she must have been an amazing
lady for them to love and trust her so implicitly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Naomi’s
resourcefulness paid off as well, as her plan brought about happiness for them
all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
May we pray for
& grow in love & selflessness & may we be resourceful & clever
(work with what God gave us!). May we
earn respect & love by our godly actions & may our children <i>know</i> that they can trust us without
having to question us on anything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-70752482396885439952012-02-24T06:35:00.000-08:002012-02-24T06:35:12.861-08:00Jochebed: Woman of Resourcefulness & Great Courage<br />
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<b><i> “NOW [Amram] a man of the house of Levi
[the priestly tribe] went and took as his wife [Jochebed] a daughter of
Levi. And the woman became pregnant and
bore a son; and when she saw that he was [exceedingly] beautiful, she hid him
three months. And when she could no
longer hide him, she took for him an ark or basket made of bulrushes or papyrus
[making it watertight by] daubing it with bitumen and pitch. Then she put the
child in it and laid it among the rushes by the brink of the river [Nile]. And his sister [Miriam] stood some distance
away to [a]learn what would be done to him.
Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her
maidens walked along the bank; she saw the ark among the rushes and sent her
maid to fetch it. When she opened it,
she saw the child; and behold, the baby cried. And she took pity on him and
said, This is one of the Hebrews' children!
Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call a nurse
of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?
Pharaoh's daughter said to
her, Go. And the girl went and called the child's mother. Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take
this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. So the
woman took the child and nursed it.
And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he
became her son. And she called him Moses, for she said, because I drew him out
of the water.”</i> -Exodus 2:1-10
Amplified<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may notice in
Scripture that the mothers aren’t talked about much, let alone <i>named</i>, so when a mother is spoken about,
we should sit up and take note. The next
few blogs, I’m going to talk about these godly mothers spoken of in the Bible,
and what we can learn from them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Firstly, I want to
talk about Jochebed, Mother of Moses.
She’s only mentioned in all of one chapter, in 10 verses, yet we can see
a lot about her just from that tiny bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Jochebed saw
that her newborn was beautiful, I think she just <i>knew</i> that if she could keep him alive—I think she saw the big
picture—had things planned. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jochebed was
extremely courageous. She would have to
be to risk her life & the lives of her family to spare her son. If Pharoah’s men had found out she’d been
hiding her son, the consequences would have been <i>grave</i>—rest assured. Imagine
spending 3 entire months being on your guard at all times. She would have had to be very careful. She would have had to keep her secret, as
much as it burned within her. Yes, it
would have been a stressful 3 months!
Yet Jochebed defied Pharoah and hid her son from his men.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 3 months, she
showed her resourcefulness as she made a basket that was waterproof &
floated. This was such a clever
plan! Then she put Moses in the basket
& had her little daughter watch from a distance. It would definitely look less suspicious to
have a little girl wading through the water. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jochebed had
executed a great plan. I believe she
knew that Pharaoh’s daughter would see the basket, & I believe Jochebed
knew that when Pharaoh’s daughter beheld the beautiful baby boy, that she would
have mercy on him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The icing on the
cake was when she ended up being Moses’s wet nurse and got to have those most
important years of a child’s life to mold them.
She would have had all that time to teach Moses of Yahweh and His ways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we know, it must
have made a lasting impression, for even with all the splendour of Pharaoh’s
palace, Moses chose to live among his <i>own
</i>people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C56Wj5Z9uFXVUbNVoy3jsYPBPUr5a00vvprJ-7-Dk6usZfQ1YkNIbvg-Dx886YiH3bwYxQ5Favp7XblWxZWos8VuPO2um-Q37fo6lB0c1ROR1sWvnLS8w5M2lG3EeCn4an_MCQxLvgz6/s1600/7234_164394491336_532381336_3473168_872164_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C56Wj5Z9uFXVUbNVoy3jsYPBPUr5a00vvprJ-7-Dk6usZfQ1YkNIbvg-Dx886YiH3bwYxQ5Favp7XblWxZWos8VuPO2um-Q37fo6lB0c1ROR1sWvnLS8w5M2lG3EeCn4an_MCQxLvgz6/s320/7234_164394491336_532381336_3473168_872164_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We can learn a lot
from Jochebed’s example. She risked her
life for her child. She stood firmly in
the face of fear, and she was very resourceful and clever. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”, or
rather, “Where there’s a <i>God, </i>there’s
a way.” Jochebed used those years of weaning
Moses to tell him of Yahweh & His promises so that he would not be polluted
by the ways of the Egyptians.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So let us be
courageous and resourceful, and let us plant the Word of God in our children
while they are still children, so that they will serve Him when they grow up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1722833803019354388.post-2505285127727805712012-02-14T06:46:00.001-08:002012-02-14T06:51:51.854-08:00For Better or For Worse....In Sickness & in Health<br />
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<b><i> “And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”</i></b> <b>1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b> </b> In honor of Valentine’s Day today, I thought
I would talk a bit about love & marriage.
Marriage is a lot of work! Anyone
who’s been married any amount of time knows this. Throw in kids, & there’s another strain
on it. Throw in a kid or two with special needs, & the strain increases. I
had heard of some “statistic” that 90% of married couples divorce who have
children with special needs, but that statistic does not seem to be true, but a
rumor. However, I believe that the divorce rate <i>may</i> be slightly higher in these cases.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When a child has special
needs, they require more of your time, & therefore, sometimes your spouse
will feel ignored. You spend so much of
your time with your child that you are exhausted by the time it comes time to
spend with your dearest husband. That
can be <i>one </i>reason there is extra
strain on the marriage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another reason could
be that, in many cases, the husband has a hard time accepting the
diagnosis. Men are fixers by nature.
That’s how God made them, so when they feel helpless to fix something, they don’t
know <i>what </i>to do! Many run from the truth & therefore you
are left to deal with it on your own, more or less. You don’t feel in unity
with your spouse, because you aren’t. He
won’t admit your child has Autism or some other thing. He refuses to accept it. It’s fine not to embrace a label. I’m all for
that! The problem is when you ignore it
all together, it won’t make things disappear.
It is a good thing for <i>both </i>parents
to educate themselves on their child’s needs & work with that child to
better them & pray about those things that could be negative. It’s so hard when you’re not of one mind in
things, because you are of one flesh. So there is quite a struggle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That said,
regardless of whether you have a spouse who is of one mind with you or not, it
is so very important to put focus on the marriage. I know that can be hard when
you have a child who requires your constant attention, but for the love of the
child---if that’s what it takes---you need to set aside time for your
marriage. Not all of us are so fortunate
to have our mothers living nearby, so we can’t leave our child with them, but I’m
sure that the Lord will provide us someone we can trust that can give us even
an hour of time alone with our spouse.
Or, wait until the child is in bed (for mine, that’s hard because he
goes to bed so late), & spend a bit of time talking to your spouse about
his day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Believe it or not,
your spouse <i>should</i> come before your
child! I know that it seems to be the world teaches the opposite, but look how
that’s working out? So much divorce! We
are showing our children an example of love! No, love is not a fickle emotion;
it is an action word! It is a commitment.
But it’s so much smoother when we get past our feelings & do what we
know is right.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0zSdahjPOiYhn1GVyubAgiktCeCllyHeWbeXy1GEKEEVAz8yvSXQtkmsAfqo-w2jEu8mXO8l1RDn8x1RIy5c1LqO07yYs-WGnLGqxu86FkiUtWBZ-dUNU4aaOJOQj2YJCvEMyJ-HCzZd/s1600/393310_10150494557576337_532381336_10243346_1108410051_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0zSdahjPOiYhn1GVyubAgiktCeCllyHeWbeXy1GEKEEVAz8yvSXQtkmsAfqo-w2jEu8mXO8l1RDn8x1RIy5c1LqO07yYs-WGnLGqxu86FkiUtWBZ-dUNU4aaOJOQj2YJCvEMyJ-HCzZd/s320/393310_10150494557576337_532381336_10243346_1108410051_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My husband & I always
had our share of struggles in our marriage, so having a child with special needs
on top of all else really put an extra strain there. But we are committed to
God & our marriage & we don’t want to just make it work, but make it <i>good.</i>
We aren’t there yet, but by the grace of God, we <i>will be.</i><o:p></o:p></div>Mold-Breaking Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13282335498543702510noreply@blogger.com0