Today’s Great Giveaways!
PURSE-onality Challenge Journal, Bible Verse Cards & “Let’s Get PURSE-onal CD By: Cheri Gregory
31 days of replacing “baditude” with God’s word and gratitude by focusing on four positive habits: spotlighting personality strengths, eliminating complaints, journaling gratitude and memorizing scripture. Comes complete with journal, Bible verse cards and Let’s Get PURSE-onal CD. Great for moms and to use to teach your children hot to navigate life with an attitude that glorifies God.
Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids By: Sharon JaynesAND an Engraved Bookmark AND Beautiful Note Cards
Be B.L.E.S.S.E.D.! That is what Sharon Jaynes teaches as she focuses on being a Proverbs 31 mother. Today’s over-committed, harried housewives and mothers sorely need practical suggestions and loving encouragement. Don’t go it alone. You need a friend who has been there. Sharon Jaynes is the friend you’ve been looking for. Her heart is warm and her wisdom is straightforward.
And Then I Had Kids (Audio Book – CD) By: Susan Alexander Yates
Enjoy these years, they go by fast,” says the older moms to the younger ones. Ludicrous advice! You’d give anything just to live through them. Blending humor and wisdom, Yates-mother of five- offers frazzled moms tips for maintaining a postive self-image, nurturing their marriage, disciplining effectively and shaping a creative Christian home.
HOW TO ENTER: SUBSCRIBE TO WEBSITE, COMMENT ON BLOG, SHARE FB POSTS, TWEET, RETWEET & COMMENT ON BLOG (NEW SUBSCRIBERS WILL RECEIVE OUR NEW BOOK, “FACING OUR FEARS – 31 STORIES FROM M.O.M.”)
How to Volunteer Without Wearing Out
Both of my teens brought one home … the dreaded blue paper listing “Volunteer Opportunities”: Buildings & Grounds, Citizenship, Cultural Arts, Ways and Means, Hospitality, Membership, Newsletter, Volunteers, Scholarship, Alumni, and more. It says “we cannot succeed without the help of YOU, our PTSA volunteers.” I feel guilty just typing it …
Are there any guidelines for getting involved at school, without getting worn out? As I scanned the list I envisioned myself growing “weary of doing good,”(Galatians 6:9) ending up growing “faint,” which means feeble through exhaustion (v.9). It’s enough to make a dedicated room mom find a reason to be unavailable!
photo via freerangestock.com
Whatever kind of schooling you choose, you are likely to be asked to volunteer. Resist the urge to give in to guilt and foolishly sign up to be “all things to all teachers” in the PTSA, co-op, team, or classroom. But from my experience as a teacher and parent, DO get involved! You really are needed and wanted and appreciated, and the dividends for your child are hard to count.
Our involvement means learning programs are more likely to succeed, our kids are more likely to thrive, and we are more likely to be informed. We want to sow meaningful participation to reap a great school year and more (v.7). But since we’re doing the job of mothering, we can’t sign up for every area of need. If we do, our method of schooling is likely to become our god. An enthusiastic mom without some guidelines may find herself over extended.
God knows that a well-meaning mom just may wear herself out. Galatians 6 challenges us not to grow “weary of doing good,” which refers to things that are excellent and useful. He gives us practical guidance for how to serve. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those of the household of faith” (v.10).
- “have opportunity” really speaks to moms. It means a “limited, fixed amount of time.” That’s what we have. We could be “Super Room Mom” if our time was unlimited, but it’s not. We have to choose. We have to tell someone “No.”
- “everyone” refers to individuals in our world. Since we can’t meet every need out there, we’re given a focus to emphasize = to people belonging to the family of God.
- “grow faint” (v.9) describes someone who becomes “spiritless” and gives up doing good due to exhaustion. Been there?
Moms, God is telling us to do useful things for individuals around us, especially people belonging to Him, encouraging us to be wise about what we do in our limited time, so we don’t get exhausted and quit doing excellent things.
Tips for Choosing How to Volunteer
- Clearly identify & understand the needs
- Know your gifts and interests
- Look at your priorities and time honestly
- Remember any requirements
- Ask your husband to affirm your availability
- Choose what helps your child’s schooling experience
- Take temporary v. long term commitments into account
- Agree to what is best for you and your family
- Say no to other things
- Serve as unto the Lord
As we carefully invest ourselves in doing good to those around us, non-believers and believers, our families will thrive and God will be glorified. Let’s not be afraid of “the blue paper,” but let’s sow a great school year with the time we have.
- Election Day and empowering, enduring truths for moms - November 8, 2016
- Loving People: How Moms can Make Life a Lesson in Loving - October 11, 2016
- A Child’s Heart and the Hidden Treasure of Talking Back - September 13, 2016
