in honor of mother's day, i'd like to share how bad of a mother i am: my kids are the ones who have to wake me up in the morning. breakfast usually consists of a pop tart, cereal, or sometimes a frozen waffle if i'm feeling generous. i hardly ever do my daughter's hair. i consider myself lucky that she brushes it before we leave the house. we let the tv entertain us during lunchtime. changing diapers and taking ryan potty are not a top priority. samantha gets into trouble a lot when i'm pmsy. i don't take them to the park enough. i yell at ryan to stop screaming. dinner usually doesn't get thought of until 5pm. i hate bathtime, therefore my children do not get bathed every day. even every other day is rare. and the list could go on...
i'm definitely not my mother, in that aspect. (she rocks. happy mother's day mom! thanks for always being loving, patient, kind, attentive, humble, and self-sacrificing. you are the best mother ever—definitely proverbs 31 in action! i love you!!) ok. back to our regular programming—i'm definitely not my mother...
but you know what? that's okay with me. i recently participated in a women's group at church and we went through the book, "mothering without guilt." until then, i never realized that most of my guilt as a mom comes from comparing myself to other moms. i would see all the good things other mothers do for their children: enroll them in extra-curricular activities, take them on trips and vacations, bring them to the movies, take them to the park, etc. and in light of others' successes as a parent, i found myself a failure.
and then i had my aha! moment one day when my friend spoke up and wisdom poured from her mouth, "A lot of times when we compare ourselves to others, we tend to compare our weaknesses with their strengths."
did you let that sink in? we are so cruel to ourselves when we only see the strengths of others and lay them side by side with our weaknesses. sure, someone else may absolutely love bathtime with their kids, but that doesn't mean i need to feel guilty because i don't enjoy it.
bottom line? God made each and every one of us uniquely for our children, giving us individual strengths. so let's not let guilt get in the way of the joy mothering can bring!
happy mother's day to all you wonderful moms. i hope you enjoyed your day—guilt free!
Showing posts with label what i believe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what i believe. Show all posts
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
everything i know about God i learned from my children
i grew up in a Bible-believing, God-fearing, church-going, Christian school-attending home. growing up i learned a whole lot about God and Jesus and the Bible, and i thought i knew it all (which obviously i didn't and still don't!).
and then i had kids. i became a parent. instant love beyond all measure for this tiny helpless babe. from that point on, i started to understand God a lot better. i learned more about God than i thought possible through the miracle of being a mother. and while i'm not comparing myself to God, when you become a parent it's so much easier to understand how God sees us—His unfailing love; His ever presence; His mercy and grace; His omniscience; His forgiveness; His patience. i could go on and on... all these attributes of God became much clearer as i felt the same for my own child. and to think how much more God feels for me!
on to my point... yesterday was a bad day. i would almost go as far as saying it was an awful day. ryan is in the crying screaming fit stage, and we battled all day (and the day before, and the day before). my only reprive was his you're-getting-sent-to-bed-with-no-lunch nap. we even got to end the day with a screaming fit before bed time. you know, because going potty before getting into bed is definitely worth fussing over for 30 minutes.
fast forward to this morning. i was apprehensive about even getting out of bed today. what will set off the attitude bomb today, i wondered. it could be anything—from the color of his socks, to the temperature of his pop tart, to the expression on his teddy bear's face. regardless, it was a new day, and he deserved a new start and a second chance. and i don't think either of us would've been too happy if i left him in his crib today!
we made it through breakfast. we made it through going potty and getting dressed. i was amazed! i laid down on my bed relieved that we hadn't had a meltdown yet. and ryan followed. he climbed up on my bed and for the next 45 minutes, we played. we bounced, jumped, i was his jungle gym, we loved, hid under the covers, hugged, and laughed. "i love you ryan," i said. "love you mama too," he replied. i even got a snotty slobbery kiss. it was beautiful.
as he ran off to play, i continued to lie on my bed, pondering God and the new start that he gives me each day. The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. i'm sure there are days that i throw my own tantrums with God, let's say, yesterday for example. i didn't have the greatest attitude about my day. there were times i was upset, mad, angry, impatient, unloving, uncontent, etc. but because of God's love and his mercy, He has given me a new morning. a new day to start over and be a better wife, mom, and child of God. i can even hear him whispering in my ear, I love you, child.
i love you too, God! and here's my big slobbery kiss: muah!!
and then i had kids. i became a parent. instant love beyond all measure for this tiny helpless babe. from that point on, i started to understand God a lot better. i learned more about God than i thought possible through the miracle of being a mother. and while i'm not comparing myself to God, when you become a parent it's so much easier to understand how God sees us—His unfailing love; His ever presence; His mercy and grace; His omniscience; His forgiveness; His patience. i could go on and on... all these attributes of God became much clearer as i felt the same for my own child. and to think how much more God feels for me!
on to my point... yesterday was a bad day. i would almost go as far as saying it was an awful day. ryan is in the crying screaming fit stage, and we battled all day (and the day before, and the day before). my only reprive was his you're-getting-sent-to-bed-with-no-lunch nap. we even got to end the day with a screaming fit before bed time. you know, because going potty before getting into bed is definitely worth fussing over for 30 minutes.
fast forward to this morning. i was apprehensive about even getting out of bed today. what will set off the attitude bomb today, i wondered. it could be anything—from the color of his socks, to the temperature of his pop tart, to the expression on his teddy bear's face. regardless, it was a new day, and he deserved a new start and a second chance. and i don't think either of us would've been too happy if i left him in his crib today!
we made it through breakfast. we made it through going potty and getting dressed. i was amazed! i laid down on my bed relieved that we hadn't had a meltdown yet. and ryan followed. he climbed up on my bed and for the next 45 minutes, we played. we bounced, jumped, i was his jungle gym, we loved, hid under the covers, hugged, and laughed. "i love you ryan," i said. "love you mama too," he replied. i even got a snotty slobbery kiss. it was beautiful.
as he ran off to play, i continued to lie on my bed, pondering God and the new start that he gives me each day. The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. i'm sure there are days that i throw my own tantrums with God, let's say, yesterday for example. i didn't have the greatest attitude about my day. there were times i was upset, mad, angry, impatient, unloving, uncontent, etc. but because of God's love and his mercy, He has given me a new morning. a new day to start over and be a better wife, mom, and child of God. i can even hear him whispering in my ear, I love you, child.
i love you too, God! and here's my big slobbery kiss: muah!!
But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
Psalm 86:15 NLT
Sunday, April 12, 2009
happy resurrection day!
today is easter--the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! i haven't talked a whole lot about what i believe, so i figured this would be the perfect day.
when i was four years old i asked Jesus into my heart and accepted Him as my Savior from sin. i grew up in a Christian home, went to church every sunday, went to a Christian school, and so on. i knew very well what i was taught to believe so 'faith' didn't come very hard to me.
until i started questioning it.
when i was 12 i started to doubt the truths that had been taught to me. i was so scared that i would lose my salvation and afraid that i didn't say 'the prayer' right the first time. i remember going to bed every night and asking Jesus to save me just in case. (i know better now... a prayer doesn't save you, JESUS saves you!)
then i started wondering what if this isn't the way to heaven?! looking back it was an unsettling time. but as i started asking a LOT of questions, and finding out the facts for myself (and not just because that's what i was taught) things became clear to me. when i turned 13 i remember rededicating my life to Jesus Christ and claiming this simple truth: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31
this is what i believe today:
~ i believe that everything God says in the Bible is true. John 17:17
~ everyone has sinned against God and our sin separates us from God. Romans 3:23
~ God's punishment for our sin is death. Romans 6:23
~ Jesus took our death sentence and died on the cross for my sin. your sin. everyone's sin. past, present, and future. His death covered them ALL! Hebrews 10:11-14, 1 Peter 3:18a
~ Jesus did not stay dead--He resurrected to life again! Acts 2:22-24, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. do you know how important this is?! the fact that Jesus rose to life again validates the truth of the entire gospel and my faith. if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. I Corinthians 15:14-17
~ salvation is a free gift. all i have to do is take it - by believing that Jesus died on the cross for my sin and by trusting Him alone to save me from my sin. Romans 3:23-24, John 3:16
~ i can't do anything on my own to get to heaven, nor can i add anything to my salvation. try as i may, the good things i do (going to church, getting baptized, taking communion) won't earn me salvation. thank goodness.... because i would fail big time! it is ONLY through BELIEVING in JESUS that i can be saved from my sin and go to heaven someday! Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, John 3:36, John 14:6
today i celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead! and i am rejoicing in the fact that i KNOW that i am saved and will spend eternity in heaven with Him! 1 John 5:11-13
are you confident of your salvation today? are you believing in Jesus to save you from your sins? are you totally confused after reading what i believe?! i'd love to hear from you. so if you'd rather not leave a comment, email me. benanderinkern@gmail.com
HAPPY EASTER! HE IS RISEN!!!
when i was four years old i asked Jesus into my heart and accepted Him as my Savior from sin. i grew up in a Christian home, went to church every sunday, went to a Christian school, and so on. i knew very well what i was taught to believe so 'faith' didn't come very hard to me.
until i started questioning it.
when i was 12 i started to doubt the truths that had been taught to me. i was so scared that i would lose my salvation and afraid that i didn't say 'the prayer' right the first time. i remember going to bed every night and asking Jesus to save me just in case. (i know better now... a prayer doesn't save you, JESUS saves you!)
then i started wondering what if this isn't the way to heaven?! looking back it was an unsettling time. but as i started asking a LOT of questions, and finding out the facts for myself (and not just because that's what i was taught) things became clear to me. when i turned 13 i remember rededicating my life to Jesus Christ and claiming this simple truth: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31
this is what i believe today:
~ i believe that everything God says in the Bible is true. John 17:17
~ everyone has sinned against God and our sin separates us from God. Romans 3:23
~ God's punishment for our sin is death. Romans 6:23
~ Jesus took our death sentence and died on the cross for my sin. your sin. everyone's sin. past, present, and future. His death covered them ALL! Hebrews 10:11-14, 1 Peter 3:18a
~ Jesus did not stay dead--He resurrected to life again! Acts 2:22-24, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. do you know how important this is?! the fact that Jesus rose to life again validates the truth of the entire gospel and my faith. if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. I Corinthians 15:14-17
~ salvation is a free gift. all i have to do is take it - by believing that Jesus died on the cross for my sin and by trusting Him alone to save me from my sin. Romans 3:23-24, John 3:16
~ i can't do anything on my own to get to heaven, nor can i add anything to my salvation. try as i may, the good things i do (going to church, getting baptized, taking communion) won't earn me salvation. thank goodness.... because i would fail big time! it is ONLY through BELIEVING in JESUS that i can be saved from my sin and go to heaven someday! Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, John 3:36, John 14:6
today i celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead! and i am rejoicing in the fact that i KNOW that i am saved and will spend eternity in heaven with Him! 1 John 5:11-13
are you confident of your salvation today? are you believing in Jesus to save you from your sins? are you totally confused after reading what i believe?! i'd love to hear from you. so if you'd rather not leave a comment, email me. benanderinkern@gmail.com
HAPPY EASTER! HE IS RISEN!!!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
2/52 photo challenge
what defines you.
this is the subject for week 2 of the photo challenge.
as i was thinking about what defines me, my husband and my children came to mind. my family is so important to me. i love being a wife to the most wonderful husband, and i love being mom to the two most adorable children.
but the more i kept thinking about what defines me this past week, the more i thought about my identity in Christ. while i love my family and it's great being a wife, mom, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and aunt, it is so much better knowing that i am CHILD OF GOD!
i can't think of anything i'd rather be defined as!
this is the subject for week 2 of the photo challenge.
as i was thinking about what defines me, my husband and my children came to mind. my family is so important to me. i love being a wife to the most wonderful husband, and i love being mom to the two most adorable children.
but the more i kept thinking about what defines me this past week, the more i thought about my identity in Christ. while i love my family and it's great being a wife, mom, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and aunt, it is so much better knowing that i am CHILD OF GOD!
But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name. John 1:12
because i believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin, was buried, rose again, and have asked Jesus into my heart as my Saviour, i have been born again as a child of God.i can't think of anything i'd rather be defined as!
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