Do overs...

Do you ever have those times that you wish you could have a do over...well I did...as we were worshipping the Lord through song yesterday morning...the Lord just filled my heart with words...things I wish I could do over...and I don't share them because I am down, but rather as an encouragement or a "learn from my mistakes" for those mommas out there who are having once again..."one of those days!!!!"... first and foremost I would have allowed God to fill me to overflowing so that I could have poured into my husband and my kids more of what they needed... I would have hungered and thirsted for righteousness more and less of self... I would have spent more time in the Word before I spent time in the world... I would have prayed more...and asked for prayer without being so "self reliant"... I would have hugged more and hit less...laughed more and ordered less baseboards washed...loved more through the lies and prayed for us all to learn the lessons needed during those times... I would have desired my children's characters to be more important than opinions of what others thought... I will say this...the Lord's mercies are new every morning and I am so thankful...thankful for the Lords mercy and the mercy shown to me by my children and my husband...in the end...I learned hard lessons and learned to appreciate the times together...the hard stuff and the funny stuff! Being a momma is hard...REAL hard...but it comes with a joy that is indescrible...be encouraged...know one piece of Truth...God have them to YOU...He trusted YOU...and...if you are willing to let Him...He will equip you with all you need to be their momma... in closing I want to share this from Angela Thomas...bible teacher and fellow momma: Kids need their mom: 1.To pray in secret with the door open. 2.To never stop touching them. 3.To hang hearts of love over their lives. 4.To watch them go out of sight. 5.To keep a date night with dad. 6.To make them sit around the table . . . and linger. 7.To let her yes be yes and her no be no. 8.To be delayed, rerouted and canceled with poise. 9.To make them wait to take a bite. 10.To take Christmas to people who have nothing. 11.To miss a few things they do wrong. 12.To put down the phone. 13.To learn their unique love language. 14.To occasionally be a supermom. 15.To turn their beds down at night. 16.To ride a roller coaster . . . for the first time. 17.To talk to them like they are fascinating. 18.To treat their friends like family. 19.To cheer wildly from the stands. 20.To give grace-filled consequences. 21.To be a passionate, alive, spiritual lover of God. 22.To indulge their silly. 23.To have a hallelujah party. 24.To keep a family blog. 25.To become physically and emotionally healthy. 26.To become spiritually healthy. 27.To believe they will not grunt forever. 28.To make a big deal out of God. 29.To keep her promise. 30.To wait on them hand and foot . . . when they are sick. 31.To tell them to buy another token and keep swinging. 32.To pray them home and for the will of God. 33.To be a “groovy” mom. 34.To teach them how to know the voice of God. 35.To believe in their strengths and speak life into their gifts. 36.To make a home where grace lives. 37.To throw down the “MOM card.” 38.To tell them what she’d do differently. 39.To make a big deal out of grandparents and extended family. 40.To teach them how to keep their money straight, in order, facing the same direction. 41.To be patient about things like thumb-sucking and pacifiers. 42.To let them make really dumb mistakes without condemnation. 43.To introduce them to her friend named Jesus. 44.To set the tone for the family. 45.To teach them to genuinely respect all people, cultures, denominations and creeds. 46.To teach the boys how to love a wife. 47.To teach the girls how to love a husband. 48.To identify the characteristics of a fool and tell them what to do when they meet one. 49.To train them to listen to her. 50.To teach them not to be easily offended. 51.To live as single moms with amazing lives. 52.To teach them a gracious and generous hospitality. One more...from me...be their biggest cheerleader...and encourager...be their momma and their friend...but momma comes first!!!!!