In March I attended the Apologia Live Retreat.
This retreat was an extraordinary experience. I walked away with a renewed
vision for my family. I've been meaning to type up my notes, but I
haven't had time yet, so I thought I'd begin by chipping away at it a
little at a time.
Pam Tebow
was Apologia's guest speaker in Atlanta, and I had the honor and
privilege to sit and listen to wisdom pour out of her! She is a sweet,
dear and precious woman of God. She homeschooled her five children, three boys and two girls, from kindergarten through high school graduation! She spoke about being "Mothers of
Influence."
What an inspiration she was to me! If you ever have the opportunity to
hear her speak, do everything you can to make it happen. She's the real
deal! I'll share a few highlights from Mrs. Tebow's talk. Although my
notes don't even compare to hearing her speak in person, I hope they
will encourage you. Personally, I needed to reread them this morning so
it did me good to type them up!
Being a mother is the most important thing you have to do in your life!
1. Master
God is our Master. He is the Master of our life and the Master of our every day! Getting to know God is a lifelong journey. Get
to know Him. Trust Him. Grow faith muscles. How do we do this? By
giving our lives to God every single morning when we wake up! Before we
even get out of bed we should pray and devote our day to God. We need
not carry burdens but should give them to the Lord, day by day. He is
faithful. The closer we are to Him, the more He transforms us.
2. Manual
The Bible is God's word and it's a manual for us. As mothers we
need to be adequately equipped. We need to engraft the principles of the
Bible into our children's lives and hearts. Scripture teaches them long after we are teaching them.
Sing Scripture! "What's learned in song is remembered long!"
Psalm 62: 5 -8 is a security verse. Security verses will give you hope.
"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah"
Let a verse settle inside you. Live it. Claim it. Make it your verse!
We need to calm our fears
with Scripture. Fear paralyzes us, but God doesn't want us to fear. God
wants us to trust in Him. Memorize Scripture verses!
Pray for direction in our life. We need to be courageous and lead the way so our children can also be courageous.
What are our anxieties?
- struggling learners?
- testing?
- what courses to take?
Give them to God and let Him give you peace. This will not only benefit you, but it will also benefit your family.
3. Prayer
Prayer is a running conversation with God. We can pray all the
time and ANY time. He's waiting there. He's approachable. He influences
us as we pray for others and ourselves. We should first pray before we do anything at all. The prayers of a mother are so powerful.
4. Mindset
Words hurt. They're powerful and can't be taken back. When we
open our mouth we need to open it with wisdom. Think before you speak.
It takes 10 encouraging words to counteract 1 negative word. Sweetness of speech increases persuasion. With words parents pass on values to their children. With words you can alter the course of life.
We need to clearly articulate our love for our family. Always say
"I love you" so they will always remember mom loves them. When they are
disappointed, hurt, they will remember that you love them. Moms are
specially equipped to give loving words.
Matthew 23: 11-12 "The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be
exalted." In the context of serving our children, we serve God. When
serving we get rewards now and later. These are eternal rewards, not for
salvation.
5. Mission
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we
should walk in them."
Our mission as moms is our children.
Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house...
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
"Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."
We should love our children
like God loves us! He is the model of love. Forgive yourself. Ask your
children to forgive you. God will give you grace. Move on. Love
yourself.
Love is choosing the best interest of others.
These three do not let slide:
- Dishonesty
- Disrespect
- Disobedience
Hug your children. Be affectionate. Touch them 10- 12 times per day to stimulate them. It promotes learning and growth!
6. Targets
Know your children. Study them. Love them. Believe in them when nobody else does. We want them to always remember our profound love for them.
Live
a significant life. Aim them to have a big goal! Whittle away to know
what the target is. Choose a target. What's the target for your
children?
Read a Proverbs every day of the month!
Targets:
- word of God in life (live it)
- develop humility (train over and over)
- have influence in life (Encourage them to have a mission.)
We need to be passionate about our children. Flaunt our love for them. Be conspicuous. Our children should be convinced that we love them and know that we are passionate about being their mother!
Most importantly, love your children. Tell them they're the
greatest kids in the world. Tell them about Jesus! Lead them to Christ
when they're young and moldable. It changes everything.
Love your children like God loves them.
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