This month at His Light, Her Life, we celebrate the beautiful gift of motherhood. I sat down to write this introduction and, an hour later, found myself still staring at a blank piece of paper. I couldn’t put into words all the thoughts and feelings pertaining to motherhood until I came across this poem:
“Dear Lord, I do not ask
That Thou should’st give me some high work of Thine,
Some noble calling, or some wondrous task;
Give me a little hand to hold in mine,
Give me a little child to point the way
Over the strange, sweet path that leads to Thee;
Give me a little voice to teach to pray,
Give me two shining eyes Thy face to see.
The only crown I ask, dear Lord to wear
Is this: that I may teach a little child.
I do not ask that I may ever stand
Among the wise, the worthy, or the great;
I only ask that softly, hand in hand,
A child and I may enter at the gate”
(Author unknown)
It encompasses the heart of the Father when He created woman to bear children, nurture them, and to bring them into a loving relationship. For it is the same heart desire that longed for relationship with His creation. To love a person before they even understand what love truly is and to have the privilege to introduce them to the only One who can love them fully and completely. It is a task that one is given for a lifetime.
Our hope is that you will be uplifted and encouraged this month as we glean from all the different seasons of motherhood. To start us off, here are some resource suggestions that we have found helpful in our own motherhood journey.
You Can’t Make Me: But I Can Be Persuaded
By Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
All children will resist instruction and dig in their heels at some point during childhood. Many of us, however, have been gifted with a strong-willed child. They are truly a gift to families with their sense of adventure and zeal for life. These children can grow up to change the world with their determination and strength of character but it requires parental fortitude and a desire to guide their potential. Genuinely strong-willed children are often difficult to motivate and discipline and the temptation to either passively parent or constantly battle with them can lead to damaged relationships. Each chapter in this book provides practical tips for how to best parent a strong-willed child at any age and shares key insights from the child’s perspective, which equips you to better understand their motivation. You Can’t Make Me is an excellent resource because Tobias keenly offers effective strategies for bringing out the BEST qualities in your strong-willed child. You will be armed with a fresh perspective on how to inspire and become your child’s ally instead of their opponent. It’s a quick read and will encourage you to desire God’s plan to unfold in the life of these awesome world-changers!
By: Lisa Newman
Grace-Based Parenting
By Dr. Tim Kimmel
“God has given parents the responsibility to be the gatekeepers of His grace.” – Dr. Tim Kimmel
Our parenting styles are a direct reflection and mixture of our view of God and our own upbringing. Grace-Based Parenting offers a refreshing and potentially radical way to approach parenting that brings freedom and faith in God’s purposes for our children’s lives. Grace-based parents understand and enjoy the grace God offers and then extend that same grace to their children. They trust God and seek to know Him more each day. Kimmel challenges readers to look to God for how He parents His children as a model for how we are to raise ours. While equipping you to grasp how Christ’s work on the cross is the only solution to all our sin, the author provides you with ample encouragement and guidance for how to embrace being a grace-based parent. The book also offers study questions for each chapter to help you personally apply what you’ve learned and can even be used in small group settings to facilitate conversation. This is a wonderful resource for parents raising children in a task-driven, works-focused culture.
By: Lisa Newman
David Baloche
Labyrinth
Labyrinth is the first volume in a series that offers Scripture-based lyrics set to the backdrop of beautiful, ambient music. This album focuses on Scriptures that specifically address stress and anxiety. One of my favorite songs from the album is “Lead Me to the Rock,” based on Psalm 61:1, 2, 4 (coincidentally, part of the same passage of Scripture we are studying at our Women’s Retreat this year, hint hint). This is an album worth playing repeatedly, as it not only calms the mind but richly feeds the soul.
By: Andrea Bomstad