Virtual Book Club, 'Meeting' #2

Back in November, before all the craziness of Christmas, travelling, sicknesses and transitioning to big boy beds, I started reading A Mother's Heart by Jean Fleming and thought it would be an interesting idea to start a virtual book club. Sorry to keep those of you hanging who participated last time!

To get you up to speed, the first chapter was about God's calling in the lives of women to be mothers. To be active mothers who help to form and create the people our children will grow up to be. The discussion question was 'What is one decision you can make to be more of the mother you want to be?'

The second chapter is called 'A Vision for the Task' and was challenging to say the least. I think the temptation in today's society is to feel that we're *just* stay at home moms. Our degrees are going to waste and our skills and talents are backburnered until the kids grow up and go to school. I love what this chapter has to say about that type of thinking.

I am making a permanent difference in my children's lives. I am a woman of influence. I impart values, stimulate creativity, develop compassion, modify weaknesses, and nurture strengths. I can open life up to another individual. And I can open an individual up to life.

I don't know about you, but that sounds a lot more challenging than most 9 to 5s that I'm aware of! The job of being a mom is hard... a lot harder than being a mother. Anyone who births a child is automatically a mother, but being a mom requires the time, energy and love devoted to our kids to teach, discipline, encourage and comfort our kids. We should have a vision for our time at home with our kids so we don't look back 20 years from now at our grown children and regret not spending more time with them. I don't mean more time around them, but more time with them. If we are feeling like our role as a mom is too small or unchallenging, maybe it's because our vision for this time in our lives is too small. 'We will touch few lives with more intensity than the children God has placed in our homes.'

Here's the question for Chapter 2:
Create a vision for your time at home with your kids. Write out a specific plan for application to one (or more) of the following:
a) teaching your children what is good
b) enriching their lives with beauty
c) training them in obedience and respect
d) stimulating their interests
e) encouraging them to attempt new things
f) praying with them

Don't miss the higher calling on your life by focusing on the day-to-day tasks of caring for kids and a home. We only have a handful of years to be the primary influence in our kid's lives... let's make the most of them!