My neglect always led to feelings of guilt and fear of what I was going to find when I went downstairs to check on her. Finally, tired of waking up feeling like a failure before my day even started, I prayed and pondered – what was this dream trying to tell me.

It didn’t take me long to realize that I was living out my own version of Julie Ann Barnhill’s book, Motherhood: the Guilt that Keeps on Giving.

Can you relate?

My children are grown with children of their own, and I still feel like I could have and should have done so much more . . .  even though I gave parenting my all and then some.

Praise God! My heavenly Father came to my rescue – Again!

He reminded me that although it is true that I was not then, I’m not now, nor will I ever be a perfect mother, there are no perfect mothers. We are simply doing our best, and that’s what matters.

He reminded me that mothering like every other aspect of my life is covered by His grace and that is sufficient.

He reminded me that my children and grandchildren are His. I have not been called to be perfect nor is it my job to make them perfect. I have been called to love  and guide them by pointing them toward God’s love . . . and that I can do.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

It’s been a while since I’ve had a “puppy in the basement” dream. Of course, I still have my mom guilt moments. Sometimes I think they come in the job description. However, now I try to quickly give those feelings over to God’s grace; trusting that His loving forgiveness is sufficient to cover my many weaknesses.

So, take a moment today to remind yourself of how very much the Lord loves you, forgives you, and covers you with His grace . . . then go hug your kids.

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Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37:24 NIV

“Spencer! Spencer!” Amy called around the house looking for her son. Hearing stumbling from above, she walked to the stairs. On the top stair was Spencer – seizing. In distress, he had been searching for his mother. He knew she would help him through this storm. Like a dance they rehearsed, each knew their parts – neither chose them. His head drawn, voice gone, and arm jerking; he tried to take a step.

And fell – into the arms of his mother. She guided him to a safe spot and sat beside him. Together they waited for it to be over.

I spent the next day in the hospital emergency room with Spencer and Amy. As I listened to my friend recount the story, I was struck by the mental image of the falling and catching. I couldn’t help but notice the similarities to our relationship with Christ. When we are in trouble and stumble, He hears us. Sometimes, like Spencer, our voice is gone; we haven’t the strength to call. But in our hearts we cry out, “Help me.” Hoping, wishing desperately that miraculously He will hear us and will come.

And then He does.

So when you are falling back reaching anxiously for something, anything, your Heavenly Father is there. He catches us and guides us to a safe spot. Christ lovingly sits beside us and waits for it to be over. He didn’t stop the storm, but like the devoted mother of a child with epilepsy, He sits and waits with us for it to pass.

Are you in distress? Do you have a fear of falling or maybe failing? God will catch you. Just lean into His arms and trust. He will bring you through.

Lord, I pray for each person who reads this post today that is in desperate need of a safe landing. So many are hurting. Father, cover them with Your grace. Help them find shelter under Your wings and let them know You will never leave or forsake them. Amen.

***You can read more about my friend Amy and her courageous son HERE. Please pray for God to be in all of the medical details of Spencer’s life right now. And stop by to give my dear friend Amy a word of encouragement.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. – 1 Timothy 6:6-7

“If only we lived near ski slopes again, then I could be a professional skier,” said my son, presenting a fair argument for packing up and moving back to the cold.

I didn’t want to dash his hopes by being utterly logical; instead, I explained that this is the location where God currently has our family. The best place to be, no matter if it goes against your wishes, is where God puts you. If God wants you to become a professional skier, then that’ll happen no matter what. Our first desire must be to be obedient to God and to where He has placed us.

Because my son’s heart was set on a different scenario, my answer didn’t truly satisfy him. He was looking toward his own dreams of what could happen instead of being satisfied with the current situation. In fact, this is a hard lesson for most to learn.

As Christians, it’s easy to fall into the ‘if only’ trap. These two words, when used as an excuse, have the power to not only render us helpless but also to justify our inactivity. It allows us to wallow in our current situation while doing nothing productive with where God has us. We’ve heard the excuses: if only I lived in Africa, then I could be used by God; if only I could get a record contract, then I could reach millions. The list is endless.

If we truly want to be used by God, then we should have grand plans of God doing miraculous things through us. There is nothing wrong with this perspective. However, we need to be content with where God puts us. Some people have dreams of going to Africa but never make it. Some people aspire to use their gifts to reach millions but end up only touching their closest friends. These don’t have to be failures.

In the end, if everything is done for God’s glory, the location and situation don’t matter. We don’t need to wait to be used by giving the ‘if only’ excuse. We need to be available to God now and not let our own dreams get in the way of true satisfaction.

Dear God, Thank you for creating me with the desires that I have. Though I want to be used by you, help me to surrender my own dreams. Use me, Lord, how You see best and help me to be content.

I want to pick him up. Hold him.

Yet, I know, that will wake him up. So I stand there watching him, marveling at the beauty that can be found in a toddler fast asleep. I stand there, in the room, the room still littered with little toys around and books crooked on the shelf, and I bask in the moment.

I really don’t see those toys. I don’t see the little people that got put in the lego box or the books that are under the crib or the stuffed animals resting in the middle of the floor. I don’t see the laundry basket full of clothes to put away or the pile of laundry waiting by the door to be brought down to the laundry room. The marker on the wall fades into the night, and the stain on the carpet disappears.

I’m in the room with my baby.

I want to sleep like him. Peaceful. Unaware of the messes around him yet secure to sleep, to rest, to feel safe. So often I fall prey to seeing all that is wrong and needs to be fixed or I have yet to do. I scurry here or there and race through life only to go to bed exhausted with a mind that won’t rest.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

I look again and remember. I remember the moments earlier in the day where he sat in my arms and we read page after page after page in the same book that we always read. His sweet little body nestled in my lap as I encouraged him to “find the duck” and turn the pages. Oh, how he just wanted to be with me. To spend time with me. To rest.

No wonder Jesus talked about the faith of children so often. I look at my Samuel, and I look at how he feels safe and secure, and how he wants to spend time with me and sit in my lap, and how he sleeps and doesn’t see the unimportant — and I realize — that is a picture of how we are to come to the Lord everyday. Instead, if you’re like me, we  tend to come with our stuff, our earthly agendas, and we rush through our prayers — and don’t really rest.

He wants us to sit with Him.

To slow down. To rest deep. To feel safe. To let go of the things of this world.

Watch your children. Watch how they want to be with you, and how they are eager to sit in your lap, and how peacefully they sleep at night. And then pray that you may have that same heart with your Father in Heaven.

Rest. In Him.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Buhfai Tham means a ‘handful of rice’. It’s a ministry started in Mizoram, India one hundred years ago. The ladies, though they have not much more to give, set aside a handful of rice each meal to give to the church as their tithe. The church then sells the rice in order to sustain her ministry. Millions of dollars have been earned and thousands of people have been reached through this sacrificial giving.

I can’t wait until I get to heaven to see this parade of women, who by monetary standards have nothing, come before God. I want to see the rich rewards they’ll have for all eternity.

A widow’s mite. We think of it as nothing, but Jesus said:

“I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:4 (NIV)

Even in today’s economy, we are still called to give, not out of our wealth but out of what is honoring to God. You may not be able to measure the impact your giving has on the kingdom, but I encourage you to examine what you give, and give sacrificially what has been entrusted to you. God will do the rest.

Dear God, thank you for these faithful women in India who, in monetary standards have nothing, but take the rice they have to live on and sacrifice a portion to grow Your kingdom. Please help me to follow their example, to tithe according to the riches You have given to me, so that it may be a pleasing gift in Your sight.

To learn more about this ministry, you may click on this link:  http://vimeo.com/16288195 

How do you handle this kind of conversation?

I have a few tips to share should you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

1. Don’t Gossip

• Be very careful to discuss the problem without names.
• Details are unnecessary, stick to the big picture.
• Focus on the problem, not the people (the sin not the sinner).

2. Don’t Judge

• Keep your heart tender.
• Recognize your own sins.
• Remember the mission is to extend God’s love to hurting people.

3. Put Away Your Weapons

• Words can be weapons of mass destruction.
• Don’t divide God’s army into regiments by stirring up strife.
• Engage the Sword of the Spirit personally through prayer and Bible study.

4. Be Patient

• Pray.
• Wait on God to open doors for you.
• Pray.
• Trust God’s timing to walk You through open doors.

I’m going to share with you that this list has come through many personal failures.

I used to be a “fixer.” I’d see a problem and charge in wielding my weapon and war would be waged. But wars always leave casualties. Always.

In Scripture, there were certainly times when God led His people into battle quickly . . . but there were also times when He told them to wait while He went ahead of them and prepared the way. Either way, the point is that God was doing the leading.

Just because I am agitated about something doesn’t mean that God is preparing me for battle. He might be, but He might just be inviting me to pray for the individuals whose battle it is to fight.

Pray and wait!

When it comes to battles I pray and then I pray more. I ask God to help me to keep my eyes on Him and trust His guidance. Then I wait for Him to open doors, and I ask Him to give me a nudge through those He intends for me to walk through.

I said to the Lord, “You are my God!”  Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!
O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me, You protected me on the day of battle.
Lord, do not let evil people have their way.
Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud. Psalm 140:6-8

But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:15-16,22-23a

This family didn’t ask themselves all of the questions they might have asked as they tried to talk themselves out of doing something “crazy” like taking in another child when they already had so little for themselves. They responded to her need. They gave her a home. They adopted her to be their own.

Praise God!

You know we are much like Arminda. We were abandoned in our sins, in need of a home, and in need of love when God provided for us.

We were weak and could not help ourselves. Then Christ came at the right time and gave His life for all sinners. But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5: 6 & 8 (NLV)

Do you want to know what Arminda’s reaction has been to her new home and her new life?

Just look at her face. It tells it all.

As we visited with Arminda and her family, her infectious joy worked its way into each one of our hearts. She was loved. She was happy. It showed!

I wonder whether my life in Christ shows? I wonder . . . do I share infectious joy?

I learned something very important from Arminda, a little adopted girl in Bolivia. I want my life to look like hers.

I want . . . life saving grace = infectious joy!

God had Moses write down his words to the Israelites. Jesus used stories to communicate God’s truth to his disciples and to the masses who followed Him. And when all was said and done, God gave us a book to remember what He’d done and to reveal Himself to we who live thousands of years later.

It’s true, if we got down to the most important words of all, we’d need nothing more than the Word of God. And yet, as a writer, I am still compelled to compile words of my own. Words that help me record what God has done. Words that help me share what he has done.

I’ve been collecting stories written by others that tell of God’s work in their lives for a project I’m working on. As I read through a couple of them I was struck by the similar message that came through their very different circumstances–a message that I needed to ponder. And I am drawn closer to Him by seeing the similarities of our experiences and the consistency of our understanding when we view those experiences through the filter of His truth.

“Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what He has done for me.” Psalm 66:16

We so appreciate the opportunity to share our stories with you; we’d love to hear yours as well. To help facilitate that, we’re updating the 5 Minutes for Faith Blogroll.

If you have stories of your own that you share to encourage, challenge or inspire, and your blog that is updated at least once a week, submit a link to 5minutesforfaith@gmail.com for consideration.

Has reading someone’s story ever changed you?

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 NIV

Earlier this month, we started talking about what it takes to raise godly men.  I shared a little bit about how God captured my heart and gave me the desire to be a boy mom.  If you have not had a chance to read it yet, then take a minute to go back and read it (Raising Godly Men, Part 1).

I shared about how to get started if your boys are in preschool and now I want to take a minute to talk about elementary, middle, and high school boys.

Here me on this real quick…it is never too late to get started.  I talk to moms every day who have turned their lives over to Christ and want to parent their children in ways that honor God.

I love when that happens…you don’t have to live in regret and sadness over the fact that it didn’t happen sooner, but take a minute to rejoice in the decision you are making right now!

If your boys are in elementary school, then get started now by;

• All the things listed above, and
• Teaching them to memorize Scripture.
• Having a Family Devotional time each day.
• Encouraging him to attend their church group regularly.
• Meet with his group leader to get to know who is building into your son’s life at church.
• Encourage him to get together with their friends from church outside of church.
• Start praying for his future wife (I know, this is a hard one especially since he is so little but the prayers for his future wife are covering her while she is growing too).
• Hang this verse right beside the door so that your son will see if before he leaves the house every day; Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. Colossians 2:8 NLT

If your boys are in middle school, then get started now by;

• Praying, praying, and praying God’s protection over your son.
• Middle school is one of the hardest times in a child’s life, they need your prayers more now than ever.
• Encourage him to attend the church youth group regularly.
• Meet with his group leader to get to know who is building into your son’s life at church.
• Even when he doesn’t “want” to go, make attending group a priority for him.
• Encourage him to get together with other kids from youth group outside of church.
• Have a family devotional time.
• Keep praying for his future wife, at this point girls are on the radar and it is a great time to remind him that God has the perfect woman already in mind for him.
• Buy him a nice student Bible, whether he reads it or appreciates it right now it will be there with him when he is ready to receive it.
• Keep that sign up by the door with Colossians 2:8 NLT where he can see it and pray it over him as well.

If your boys are in high school, then get started now by;

• Praying, praying, and praying God’s protection over your son as he grows in wisdom and stature.
• Get him involved in youth group and make it a priority to attend.
• Have him attend “Big Church” services with you, as a family.
• Read the Bible together before he heads off to school in the mornings.
• Pray for his future wife
• Dating is around the corner for your high school son, keep an open dialogue about the importance of dating in a way that honors God.
• Keep praying for that special girl that will one day capture his heart.
• Give him plenty of room to spread his wings but gently guide him back on course with truth and love.

There is always room to grow, for us as moms just as much as for our sons.  I would love to continue talking about this with you, so make sure you stop on over to Mel’s World in February 2011 where I’ll share some of the parenting books that I’ve read over the years.

Father God, you are the perfect example for us as we seek to train up our sons to be godly men.  Show us Father where to jump in, where to get started and what to do next.  We thank you for the gift our children are to us and thank you for allowing us to be their moms.  Teach us how to lead them to be more like you. In Jesus name, Amen.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 NIV

From the very first moment I found out that I was pregnant with my first child, I just “knew” that I was going to be a “boy mom.”  I don’t know how or why, but I just knew that God knit me together to raise boys. The exciting, adventurous, rowdy days could be a challenge, but the sense of purpose was like a mission for me.

Twenty-two years old, married less than a year and completely overwhelmed with this next stage in my life, I cried out to the Lord and asked Him into my heart. I had no idea how to be a Christian, how to be a wife, how to be a mom but I sought His direction with every bit of my heart and soul.

As I grew in my own faith walk, my child grew right along with me. I read every single parenting book I could get my hands on. I took pages and pages of notes on what my son was doing, what he was eating and how often he went to the bathroom (yep, I was one of “those” moms).  God brought me this child for such a time as this and I intended to do the best that I possibly could.

I started by praying.

I prayed this prayer for my sons…”That my sons would be good godly men who knew, loved and feared the Lord. That they would be the leaders of their families, that they would love their wives and treat them with honor and respect. That they would be the leaders that God created them to be, that they would stand firm in the face of temptations, that they would seek Him first in all they do and that they would do the right thing even if it is the hard thing.”

To this day, I still pray this prayer over them. If you have absolutely no idea where to start in raising godly men, then let me suggest that you always start by covering them in prayer.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 NIV

Now that my boys are knocking on the door of becoming adults, I see the seeds that we planted while they were little have been watered over the years and God has been doing a good work in their lives.  It doesn’t happen overnight and it is never too late to get started on raising godly men.

If your boys are in preschool, then get started now by;

• Praying over them,
• Reading an age-appropriate Bible with them,
• Praying with them,
• Attend church where the Kids Ministry is more about ministry than babysitting,
• Talk to them about God

There is so much more to raising godly men, so make sure you come back on January 31^st as we talk about getting started with Elementary, Middle, and High School boys, as well as some practical ideas for raising godly men of all ages.

Father God, you have given us such a precious gift in our children.  We want to be moms who raise our kids to passionately pursue you all their lives.  Father, as moms of boys we know that we have a special responsibility to raise up godly men who will lead their families with a purpose to serve you.  Thank you for this honor Father, we don’t take it lightly and today, Father we commit these young boys to you.  In Jesus precious and holy name, Amen.