Being a JOYful mom takes intentionality!

J

Jesus first! Spending time daily with Jesus is SO important. My confidence MUST be in Him! Favorite devotional: Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

O

Others in my family ~ hubby and kids! Loving my hubby well brings joy to our whole family. Our kids need to know that mommy and daddy love each other, and we want a relationship that will last once the kids leave home. We were recently encouraged in a marriage conference to make an effort to have at least three 6-second full body hugs daily (I usually hold on for more like 10!). It makes a difference! I can love my hubby by showing him respect, planning date nights, praying for him and with him, and doing little things I know he likes just to show that I love him.

Family time is a huge priority to me. Eating dinner together. Family game nights. Family trips out to ice cream or building our own sundaes. Family time in God’s Word. Family singing and prayer time. Serving together as a family. Family celebrations. Creating family traditions.

Modeling humility and grace to my kids: My kids aren’t perfect and neither am I. When they mess up, I forgive them. When I mess up, I need to ask them for forgiveness. Like last week when I raised my voice at my 11-year old and semi-shouted, “When you talk back to me it makes me so mad!” Then I sent her off to school and realized I had just given her a guilt trip. As soon as she got home from school that afternoon, I asked her if we could talk privately and I explained, “Honey, I owe you an apology. This morning I told you that you make me mad when you talk back to me. That’s not true. I CHOSE to be mad. You didn’t MAKE me mad. We have a choice on how to respond to people, and I did not choose well. I am sorry. Will you please forgive me?” She did, and it was a triple-teachable moment: 1)not blaming how we feel on someone else, 2)seeking forgiveness, and 3) extending grace.

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Yourself! Being a joyful mom means taking good care of myself. Keeping up on doctor appointments, eating healthy most of the time, going on walks, reading some good books, spending time with my girlfriends…at MOPS or Starbucks, at a conference or on a road trip. I’ve got to have time for me to feel refreshed and ready to take on motherhood!

Mother-daughter journals

About a year ago I prayed for ideas on how to grow closer to my then 10-yr old who is growing up way too fast. An idea sparked…a mother-daughter journal! So I got a special journal and wrote her a little note and asked a question, then left it on her pillow. That evening my heart leapt for joy when I saw that cute polka-dot journal lying on MY pillow. She wrote back and included her own question for mom!

Our mother-daughter journal has now been going on for over a year! In writing, we have talked about God, friends, her struggles, her hopes and dreams…her frustrations. Wow, what a great tool to get her “talking” about real life stuff!

A few of my questions to her:
What do you learn from Colossians 3:12?
What ideas do you have for building your friendship with your sister?
How are you feeling about your play?
What are your thoughts about going on a mission trip someday?
How have you learned to depend on God when you face challenges in life?
Is there anything you want to share with me about anything?

A few of her questions to me:
Look up Hebrews 5:17. What does it say? (My answer: Nothing, silly girl; it doesn’t exist!)
Did you ever have teachers you were friends with and they just knew you?
What is your dream vacation?
What are some memories of your grandparents and you?
How do you deal with stress? (Wow, she asks some good questions!)
What is a story that spoke to you and taught you about God?
Is it hard for you to live the life of a mom and wife? I know you love it, but is it hard work taking care of us, daddy, the house, cooking, cleaning, etc? (Insightful kid!)

Inspired by a Lovely Lady!

OK, I have to give credit where credit is due. Jen Lovelady was our guest speaker at my mom’s group this week, and it was after checking out her blog that I decided, “Hey, what a fun idea for sharing ideas!” Jen is full of fantastic ideas and I highly recommend her as a guest speaker for any women’s groups…find some great stuff on her site: jenlovelady.com Thanks, Jen, for the inspiration!

Mother-daughter dates!

I just got home from a great date…with my 4-year old! We took advantage of the fact that the older girls are at a friends’ house and Daddy is working late…so we went to Taco Time, and the best part…we didn’t go through the drive-thru…we actually ate INSIDE!

Mother-daughter dates are so much fun - for me and for my girls. Having one-on-one time with me helps them to feel special and loved, and allows me time to listen to them uninterrupted. I try to ask questions that help me get into their world a bit. Tonight it was, “So who do you play with at preschool?”

This year, I have started something new with my 7-yr old. She was feeling like she never gets time alone with me, so one morning a few weeks ago I woke her up an hour early (sooo tough for me…I love my sleep and just think it’s wrong to get up before 7 am, but it was so worth it!). We got up at 6 and headed to Starbucks (while everyone else was still sleeping) for “kid coffee” aka vanilla steamer and my new fave, a skinny caramel macchiato. We spent an hour talking, reading in her devotional, looking up a few scriptures and just talking about life. She LOVED it so much, she wants me to wake her up early every week! So, once a week, we have our early morning date. Most of the time we stay home in our robes and I make hot chocolate. It’s great having this time to connect!

My 11-yr old is at a precious stage in life when growing in her faith is very important to her. We meet once a week after school while the other girls busy themselves with activities upstairs and go through a tween girls Bible study together. I love that she is interested in learning more about God WITH her mom! The best “dates” for her usually include shopping!

A poem for my girls

To my beautiful girls
Love, Mom


I Love You From Head To Toe


I love you from head to toe
More than you could possibly know.

I love your head, so full of thoughts
Some so silly we laugh a lot!

I love your mind, your thoughtful ways
You make me smile on rainy days.

I love your soft and shiny hair,
the way you shake it everywhere.

I love the sparkle of your eyes so bright
Discovering every wondrous delight.

I love your cheeks, your nose and chin
Especially your cute big grin.

I love your tender listening ears,
the way you smooth away my tears.

I love the kisses of your lips
So small and sweet like honey drips.

I love your neck, your shoulders too
Your loving arms to hold onto.

I love the feel of your hand in mine
So small and soft and quite divine!

I love your fingers, whether sticky or clean
And your fingernails painted a shade of pink.

I love you, sweet girl, from head to toe.
Will you ever truly know?

I love your tender heart so dear
Your love for Jesus leaves no fear.

I love to rub your back so light
When you’re on your way to sleep at night.

I love your cute tummy-tum-tum
I even love your little bum.

I love your legs as they dance and twirl
You’re such a precious little girl!

I love your feet and pray as you go
They’ll follow Jesus high and low.

Your tiny toes are last but not least
I love all ten on your little feet!

Someday when you’re a mom you’ll know
What it means to love from head to toe.

Copyright @2008 by Erin M.

Mothering is my JOY!

Welcome! I'm Erin, and as far back as I can remember, I have wanted to be a mom. MothERINg has my name written all over it...or at least IN it. Thanks to my loving husband, my gracious God and with the support of my own great mom and 7 years of MOPS with multiple fabulous mentor moms, I get to be a mom...and it's the best job in the world! My girls are 4, 7 and 11. Each age is precious and presents its own challenges. I am SO thankful for my girlfriends who have shared my joys and helped me see that I am not alone in my struggles. My hope is that this blog will give you some insight and ideas about mothering...after all, these precious children of ours don't come with a manual!

Disclaimer: I am no expert; I'm just a mom who loves being a mom!