Family time in the Prayer room...

We decided to make saturday's our time in the prayer room as a family.  We really wanted Grace to get used to being in there.  Before when we would go she would scream and I would always end up outside.  So we thought we would start her off with 30 min and increase time as she got used to it.  Well, she has done almost an hr each time.  She was like born to dance, she loves music so she finds it so much fun to be there. I have really come to enjoy our time with her in the prayer room, even if it just means I have to focus on her walking around, it makes my heart happy!  Today she met a young lady whom she held hands with the ENTIRE time! It was pretty funny, she wanted to walk with her and did the whole time. =)

 Grace dancing =)

My gordo in the prayer room. The flash startled him. =)

Raising Your Children for Christ..

 I have had this book since December, but never really got into it.  Today Joshua and Grace are actually sleeping at the same time, which means I have some quiet time.  I thought I would make my time useful since alot of the time I end up watching some house or style program lol.  I picked the book back up and it is such a beautiful book.  I just wanted to share some points the author makes in the first chapter.

The first chapter is titled " The Family- As God created it."  with reference to Genesis 1:27,28.  I just want to quote some stuff he said that hit my heart. 

• God is Love.  God lives not for Himself alone, but finds His blessings in imparting His life to others. 
• Our purpose as parents is to reflect the love of the Fathers heavenly home.
• The role of an earthly father is to have the image and likeness of the divine Father.  To reflect God's image as he cares and shows love to his child.

All these points he made hit my heart.  It kind of strikes fear in me, godly fear, the weight of what it truly means to be a godly parent.  Not just make sure kids are fed, changed, going to school etc but actually reflecting the love of the Father.  Building a home that shines with righteounes, holiness and joy, a home that reflects the heavenly home and  to have a relationship with my children as the Father has with Jesus, wow!! How do I get there???  Making His thoughts mine and leaning and trusting in His love for me, trusting that as I give Him my heart that he will lead both Moises and I and will enable us to make our home a reflection of Him.  All I can say is help me Lord, teach me about your Father heart, that I may have the same heart towards my children.  What a major responsibility we have!

Here is a prayer Andrew Murray writes at the end of the chapter:
Lord God, You have made me a parent and given me a child of my own.  I humbly confess, that the perfect love and joy of heaven has not been reflected in my home.  I have failed to understand my calling as a parent.  Father, forgive me. I ask You to guide and help me in the study of Your Holy Word.  Help me to realize your purposes for me as a parent.  Teach me to know You a the perfect Father.  As I study Your example as a divine Parent, make me to be a true parent to my child.  Let Your love and blessing rest on our home. Amen.

 I hope you guys find this useful! I do! ok, now back to house work, my pile of laundry is unfortunately calling my name =)

The BEAUTY aspect of motherhood...at least for me....

Patience, selfessness, unconditional love, laying down our needs, becoming more like Jesus....These are all to me the beauty of being a mom.  I mean, if you want to learn sermon on the mount, then have a baby! lol  The day came when life was no longer about us, what we wanted to do, or where we wanted to be but it was about this little life, how a little person can alter someones life so quickly is beyond me.  From the beginning you are hit with so much emotions, being a mom as you know is a 24/7 thing, all day and all night, and cannot be done without the help of Jesus.  I cant be the patient, kind, slow to anger, merciful mom without the guidance and help of God.  Lord knows I am not perfect and still lose my cool. Everyday  a surrendering to the Lord has to take place because there is no good in us apart from Him.  I feel like there is such a beauty in being a mom, both in the  spiritual and in the natural,  I feel it draws us closer to Him, dont get me wrong I have many dark moments when I don't pray when I need to, and when I feel way far from Him.  But ever so often I am reminded of little things, it is like He whispers in my ear " the way you love and care for Grace and Joshua is the way I love and care for you".  The enemy so many times tries to turn that very truth around, but in the end the Lord is always faithful in speaking to my heart.  There is such a sweet revelation of Gods heart as I see the babies grow.  To know that God became a man and went through every phase that my kids are going through.  He relied on Mary for food, for diaper changes, for love and nursing, God became a man!!!!  I mean this is beauty in itself, that he has chosen us moms to encounter his heart through our children.  That we would come face to face with the reality that we are loved by Him, that He delights in our labor and in the unconditional love we give our children.   Motherhood sharpens us, prepares us to encounter His heart.  This is beautiful!! Not to mention the part we have in teaching our kids about Jesus, in being light to them and them seeing Jesus through us, it's a HUGE responsibility and scary for me at times, but with His guidance and a sincerity of heart we can do it!!

Motherhood is also beautiful in the natural.  The joy and smiles they bring to our faces daily, the hugs and kisses, the I love you's,  the giggles, running around and playing! It's like being a kid all over again =)  All though not every day is easy,  there will be tantrums and discipline has to take please along the way, at the end of the day you just cant help but love them with all of your heart!! It is nuts how by 7:30pm I am ready to put Grace down for bed and praying for Joshua to fall asleep so I could have some silence, but as I lay in bed at the end of the day, I miss them both!! =) I love being a mommy!!!!!! The most beautiful, rewarding job in the world, at least for me it is =)

Feeling a little Inspired

Hey mommy friends.  I have been so inspired by my beautiful friend Nicole Arrozollo to start my own blog, you must check her blog out "The Chronicle of a stay at home mom", it has truly blessed me and I know it will bless you!  I feel like all mommies should blog, we need each other so much, to know that we daily deal with the same struggles and blessings of motherhood.  I don't know about you, but I sure need to know that I am not alone in this journey of raising up little ones, we all know how challenging yet rewarding it is =)

This is all I have time for at the moment! Grace is up from her nap and I am gonna take the kids outside to enjoy the NOT freezing weather =)

Blessings!