By Marie Claire
About a week before my son Tristan's fourth birthday, I talked with him about how much he had grown up in the past year, how much he had learned, and how proud I was of him for the progress he had made. Then we talked about his birthday and what he wanted to do for his party. As usual, I let him choose what kind of birthday cake he wanted. Last year he chose a "caterpillar" cake, as at the time bugs fascinated him. That cake wasn't too difficult--just a string of crescent-shaped cake pieces with bright, multicolored icing. I expected him to choose something equally simple this year, so you can imagine my chagrin when, after looking through a book with imaginative cake ideas for children, he chose the "knights and castle" cake. I looked at the detailed drawing, read over the explanation, and felt immediately that I had bitten off a bit more than I could chew. But Tristan was sure he wanted a castle cake, knights and all. Before I knew it, his birthday was upon me, and I set to work on the cake. Book in hand, I tried to follow the directions as best I could, but soon realized why there was only a drawing of this castle cake, not a photograph, as with most of the other designs. There was a gulf between concept and finished product, and I was adrift and sinking! My cake was lopsided, the icing didn't stick well, and the turrets weren't equal in height or diameter. I couldn't find any toy knights, so I settled for a Lego figure of a man on a horse. I felt so under pressure and discouraged! Poor Tristan, I thought. He's going to be so disappointed! He's been looking forward to and talking about his knights and castle cake all week, and now look what he's going to get! Things never turn out the way I want them to! Tristan is sure to be one unhappy little boy when he sees his mother's version of his dream cake! I finally finished the cake, adding the final touches as best I could--paper flags, cookies along the top of the walls that were supposed to look like stones but kept falling over at awkward angles, and "grass" made from shredded coconut dyed with food color that somehow turned out a muddy mossy color. I was done, but felt like crying. I cleaned up my mess and decided I'd better let Tristan see the cake, to prepare him for the embarrassing moment when he and his friends would see it at the party. As Tristan entered the room, I studied his expression and prayed for just the right thing to say to cheer him up and help him not to take it so hard. Tristan's eyes widened and, to my surprise, a huge smile spread across his face. "Wow, Mom! It's so cool!" he exclaimed. "It's just what I wanted!" I nearly burst into tears as he went over to the cake, inspected each part, and said it was exactly the way he wanted it to be. Then he ran over and hugged me, thanked me for making it for him, and lifted his hand to his mouth as if to tell me a secret. I bent over to let him whisper in my ear. "I love you!" he said, and then ran off to tell his friends about what he'd just seen. After he left the room I sat there a while, thinking about what I'd just experienced. In those few minutes I was taught a lesson that can take a lifetime to learn. How many times had things in my life turned out differently than I had hoped or imagined? How many times had my dreams seemed to turn out a little lopsided, distorted, with pieces missing? How many times had I questioned God and not fully accepted or appreciated what He had done for me? Oh, that I can learn to see life through the eyes of a child--full of faith, hope, love, and positiveness, instead of seeing the imperfections. Oh, that I can learn to see the good and the wonder of it all. I stayed in that magic moment as long as I could. Drinking in the scene of that misshapen cake before me and the fresh memory of Tristan's sweet reaction, I asked God to forgive me for my recent negative outlook on life and to help me see things the way my son had seen that cake. Then a funny thing happened. As I stared at the cake, it took on a cartoon quality and I actually began to like it! Best and most important, Tristan liked it. It was his birthday, after all. Originally published in Activated Magazine. Used with permission.
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Powerpoint presentation "Children are Forever" - courtesy of Tommy's Window, (www.tommyswindow.com)
As every parent knows, raising a child is not cheap. However, most of us tend to forget just how much we get in return. This presentation is a good reminder that the cost of having and raising a child is nothing in comparison to how much we get back. Enjoy! Courtesy of Tommy's Window.
Your love and care for your children won’t go unrewarded. Every diaper changed, every spill cleaned up, every meal prepared, every lesson taught, every mistake forgiven, every tear shed, every word of encouragement given, every hug, every kiss, every bit of sacrifice, every prayer-all of these are helping to make them children that you can be proud of.
Although they may not always say so or act like it, they’re proud to have a mother like you. They don’t understand how you can keep loving them when they feel they least deserve it, but they want it and appreciate it and know they need it. ***** Raising a child is like painting a masterpiece. As the painter applies layer upon layer to her canvas, day by day you shape the life of your little one. The artist doesn’t begin with the smallest details, but uses broad strokes to map the basic shapes of her painting. Then, with patience and great care, she adds new tones and a little more detail each day, until finally she can step back and admire her handiwork-a finished product she can be proud of. So it is for mothers: Patiently and with tender loving care, mothers help transform little children into mature men and women. One day you will step back and admire your work of art. Others will never fully understand or appreciate the years of hard work and loving care it took to produce your masterpiece, but you will know that it was worth it all! ***** Old-fashioned motherhood never goes out of style because it’s all about love. Mothers are the embodiment of love and care and tenderness-love that even the tiniest baby can feel and respond to. So if you think you’re missing out or living in the past because you’re stuck at home “just” caring for a baby or raising children when you could be pursuing a career, think again. Love is the best thing in life! It’s the most important lesson anyone can ever learn and the greatest gift anyone can ever receive-and mothers teach it and give it like no one else. Life would go on fine without many things, but not without mothers. Old-fashioned motherhood is here to stay! Courtesy of "From Jesus with Love - for Her" by Aurora Productions. Used with permission. Through the ages, parents have shared a common bond: the great love and concern they have for their children. They want to see them learn, grow and be well cared for. They want them to be healthy, happy and successful. Yet so often, life’s problems have blocked the way or made the task of parenting more difficult. Parents have had to learn how to cope with every difficulty, both inside and outside the home, from devastating losses and hardships to breakdowns in their marriages. They had to try to find solutions to each new set of problems, and survive and help their children make it. Often in their most desperate hour of need, the darkest hour, when things seemed totally impossible, when there seemed to be no solution and no way out, many looked to Heaven for help. They looked to God for answers when they had no answers. And they were not disappointed. He was there—ready, waiting, reaching out for them with His loving arms, embracing them as their own Heavenly Father, watching, protecting, always ready to answer, always ready to help.
In these difficult times in which we live, He is still there, He is still waiting. Many parents are discovering that they, too, can take their most difficult questions directly to God. They can appeal to Heaven for answers. They can find solutions, right now. It may seem pretty “way out there,” almost ridiculous to some, but amazing things are happening! People are calling out to God and are discovering that He is close at hand and always ready to answer our questions, because of His great love for us, and His desire to see us happy. So if you feel like you’re in the dark, weighed down by heavy burdens, and no one on earth seems to have any answers, don’t give up! There’s still hope. You, too, can get the answers to your problems straight from the halls of Heaven. Help is there. It’s available and within reach. It’s within your reach right now. Excerpted from the book "Parenteeing", part of the "Keys to Parenting" series by Derek and Michelle Brookes. © Aurora Productions. Used with permission. You’d be amazed at how often children can surprise you for the better! It can be difficult to understand all their actions—why they seem to deliberately misbehave or act contrary to your expectations. Sometimes it’s near impossible to know what goes on in their little minds, because their actions contradict your instructions or what you perceive as right. You’ll find, though, that despite their naughty behavior, they have good hearts, especially if you’ve given them the right training and taught them to love and care for others. Children don’t see things as grownups do, and that’s something that you should keep in mind when your little one seems to have a knack for getting into trouble. They’re exploring life, so sometimes what seems like an obvious “no” to you, might not be so clear in a child’s mind. They may not have had it explained to them why they shouldn’t touch something, or why they shouldn’t react in a particular manner. Every day is a learning experience for them, and you, their parents, are their instructors; you are teaching them little things today that set the bigger things in place later on in life. It takes love, understanding, faith, and patience to raise a child. You have to see them as what they can be, to take note of the good even when they have a penchant for being troublesome. If you take the time to pour into your children and teach them right from wrong, the fruit of what you sow in their lives will show. Your children may go through difficult times, but if your love and support is constant, and you maintain a good standard with them of what is right and wrong, then it will pay off, even though it may seem to be clouded over for a time. If you keep leading them in the right direction in love, the good will always shine brightly, and perhaps in those moments that you least expect it to. As the proverb says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. The training you give your children when they are young pays off in the long run. That good will not only manifest itself down the line sometime, but you’ll see the fruits of it every day, if you’ll keep an eye out for it. Don’t jump to conclusions, but see through the eyes of faith and possibility, and your children can amaze you! © TFI. Used with permission.
My husband and I pray daily for our girls' safety, and I'm sure those prayers are what have kept them from having more accidents. It's possible, though, that I have also considered my kids exceptions--not to the rules, goodness no!--but exceptions in that they never seemed to do the typical silly little-kid things that lead to accidents or trouble. Like putting things in their mouths. I suppose I should have seen the warning signal--Lauren, two-and-a-half, snatching up a penny from the floor and gleefully popping it into her mouth. Fortunately she was within arm's reach. I got it out, and Lauren got the appropriate scolding, complete with an explanation of "dire consequences." Still, nothing could have prepared me for what happened that night. My husband and I were getting ready to go out for the evening. The girl's room was darkened, and the kids were squirming in their beds, like they always did. Would they be asleep by the time the babysitter arrived? Probably not. Sudden Kimberly called out, "Mommy! Mommy! Lauren is choking!" I grabbed Lauren and asked Kimberly what had happened. "Lauren swallowed a coin!" she replied. My mind shut down. I had read and reread--probably five or six times--an article on how to help a choking child, but when I needed it, I couldn't remember a word. I carried Lauren to the lighted hallway and screamed for help. The worst was not to happen, thank God! Lauren started coughing and I remembered that if choking children can cough, they usually cough up whatever they're choking on. Two or three seconds later a quarter popped out and rolled onto the floor. I couldn't stop crying--or thanking the Lord for His mercy! Long after the kids were back in bed, still sobbing and hugging each other in a tender display of preschool sisterly love, "what ifs" raced through my mind. A choking child can't cry out. The darkened room, me in a hurry to get myself ready for our evening out, my husband already waiting downstairs--what if Kimberly hadn't noticed that Lauren was choking? I might not have heard what was happening until it was too late. What if, instead of the quarter, Lauren had swallowed the penny I found in her bed when I tucked her in the second time? The smaller coin could easily have gotten lodged in her windpipe. Could I have gotten it out before it was too late? What if we'd already gone and the babysitter hadn't heard Kimberly calling for help? I am now a wiser and warier parent. I learned to not assume that my children would never do foolish, childish things that could put them in danger. I also have a renewed appreciation of the love and mercy of God, for His tender loving care, and especially for the way He answers our daily prayers for our children's safety. When faced with the unexpected and the matter is all but out of our control, having Jesus and prayer makes all the difference! Written by Jasmine St. Clair; originally published in Activated magazine. Used with permission.
Many mothers are tempted to feel that everything they do for their children goes unnoticed and that they are literally invisible. This encouraging video shows just how important a mother is. By Sharmini Odhav Before my baby was born, I tried to imagine what she would be like. When she wasn’t sleeping—which I expected her to do most of the time—I pictured her sitting serenely contemplating the meaning of life or contentedly observing me as I went about my cooking, cleaning, or other work, all the while learning the essentials of womanhood. Little did I know that sleep would be the very last thing on her mind. She wasn’t nearly as interested in finding out what was on my agenda as she was in letting me know what was on hers. She wanted every second of my time, and nothing held her attention for more than three minutes. When she got fussy, she could keep it up for hours on end, despite my doing everything but fly through the air on a trapeze to try to amuse or distract her. At times I felt like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off, running in circles trying to clean and wash and fold and keep up with all of my other necessary activities while also caring for this hyperactive new addition to my life. There were times when I felt like I just couldn’t do it anymore, and I would throw up my arms and ask God why He was punishing me. How did other women cope? Was I the only one not, in fact, superhuman? My first reaction was to try to do everything on the double so I could somehow cram it all in to what now seemed like a minuscule 24 hours. For the most part it seemed to work, and it gave me a rush to get more done than I had before. But babies somehow just can’t be rushed through like anything else. It must be God’s way of teaching parents patience. Trying to put a baby to sleep in haste, or commanding her to “be happy,” or expecting her to entertain herself for more than a few minutes so I could do something else just didn’t work. The usual consequence was a confused, frustrated, unhappy baby, and it would take even longer to put her to sleep or help her return to her happy self. It took me awhile to realize that the less attention I showed her, the more irritated she would become. Too often I found myself barking orders or whining back at her. Eventually I asked myself why things were the way they were. What had I become? I didn’t want my baby’s first years to pass this way, and I certainly didn’t want to be that kind of a parent to my child! Then my mom said to me, “You should make the most of this time with your baby, because before you know it, she’ll be grown up!” I prayed for a change of attitude, and I got it. I learned to enjoy every moment with my baby—every smile that tells me that she’s happy that I brought her into the world, every time she nestles her head on my shoulder in trusting repose, every time her tiny fingers wrap around mine or stroke my cheek, every time I feel her soft skin or smell her baby breath, every miracle I witness in her infant life that finds me shrieking in excitement. I even enjoy her cries to have some need met because they remind me of the immense responsibility I have been blessed with—her little life entrusted to my care. And when I figure out what it is she needs or cradle her in my arms and she stops her crying or fussing, I’m left with the most amazing, satisfied feeling, realizing that I am the most important, loved, and appreciated person to her. I also imagine that the way I respond to her now will influence how she will respond to me later in life. As soon as I stopped seeing my baby as an additional chore on my to-do list, the quality of my life improved. I realized how much I love her and what an incredible experience it is to be a mother. Now I find myself looking for ways to spend more time with her, because I don’t want to miss one second of her life before it flies by. I’m thankful for this opportunity I have to pour more into her. I’ve learned that if I put everything else aside and attend to her needs, she rewards me by being a happy, contented, and attentive baby. When she finally goes to sleep, I have time to do some of those other things I wanted to. But until then, they can wait. She’s the most precious time consumer I could ever ask for! When things get especially busy and I think I don’t have time to give her that little extra, I remind myself that quality time spent with our children is never wasted. The love we store in their hearts will last a lifetime and beyond. If we invest time and love in our children, we’ll spend the rest of our lives reaping the dividends. * * *
Would you write your name among the stars? Then write it large upon the hearts of the children. They will remember! Have you visions of a nobler, happier world? Tell the children! They will build it for you. —Author unknown A partially deaf boy came home from school one day carrying a note from officials at the school. The note suggested that the parents take the boy out of school, claiming that he was "too stupid to learn."
The boy's mother read the note and said, "My son Tom isn't 'too stupid to learn.' I'll teach him myself." And so she did. When Tom died many years later, the people of the United States of America paid tribute to him by turning off the nation's lights for one full minute. You see, this Tom had invented the light bulb--and not only that, but also motion pictures and the record player. In all, Thomas Edison had more than one thousand patents to his credit. --God's Little Devotional Book for Moms * * * "My mother was the making of me. She was so true and so sure of me, I felt that I had someone to live for--someone I must not disappoint. The memory of my mother will always be a blessing to me." --Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931) * * * When he was a teenager, Jim worked for a grocer in Hamilton, Missouri. He liked the work and had plans to make a career of it. One night he came home and proudly told his family about his sly employer. The grocer had a practice of mixing low quality coffee with the expensive brand and thus increasing his profit. Jim laughed as he told the story at the supper table. His father didn't see anything funny about the practice. "Tell me," he said, "if the grocer found someone palming off an inferior article on him for the price of the best, do you think he would think they were just being sly, and laugh about it?" Jim could see his father was disappointed in him. "I guess not," he replied. "I guess I just didn't think about it that way." Jim's father instructed him to go to the grocer the next day and collect whatever money was due him and tell the grocer he wouldn't be working for him any longer. Jobs were not plentiful in Hamilton, but Jim's father would rather his son be unemployed than associated with a crooked businessman. J.C. Penny came that close to becoming a grocer. Instead he founded the retail chain that still bears his name. He shares the secret of his success in the title of his autobiography: Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. * * * One father confessed that he hadn't realized how dishonest he'd been with his son until he learned a hard lesson. His son received a very low grade in English. In spite of scoldings and extra study, it seemed the boy simply could not bring up his grade. One day he said to his father, "I guess when you went to school you got all A's in English." "What makes you say that?" the father asked. "Well, if you didn't do well," said the son, "you wouldn't scold me the way you do." The way he had corrected his son was a misrepresentation of the truth. "No, the fact is that I had a really hard time with English," the father replied. "Especially spelling." From that moment on the boy did better, freed from the impression that he was inferior and a failure. Seeing that his dad had the same problems, but succeeded, gave him hope. --Anonymous Originally published in Activated Magazine. Used with permission. |
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