A New Chapter...Moms Encouraging Moms

I'm very excited to begin a new chapter of my life,. Really, it's more of a new view of my life....That might be kind of strange to say since it's not like anything has drastically changed for me, but over the last year or so  I've begun to finally realize that I have entered a new stage of my life. I've come to this conclusion completely kicking and screaming, but at least I've finally admitted that I am,  even though I couldn't admit it for some time, one of the "older" women that the Bible talks about in Titus 2:3-5.
God gave me the white hair a long time ago, I guess it is finally time to stop trying to fight it.

I think that for many years, because of still having young children myself, I just didn't feel like I was ready to take on the role of being an older woman because I knew some of what that entailed. I knew that once I accepted that I belonged to the older woman demographic, I would need to begin to mentor younger women. I had many precious older women pour into my life when I was younger and I must say that I don't measure up. I have never felt like I have all that much to offer and I certainly don't feel like I have a great deal of wisdom to impart, but I do finally have the willingness to let God use me in this area.

 I have had a few people over the years come to me for advice and I have mostly shied away from giving any because I never want other people to think that I think I have all of the answers. I absolutely KNOW that I don't have all the answers! I have simply come to the conclusion that I have to obey Him and follow His leading in my life.  While I'm sure that obedience to Him is the right thing to do, I can also say with confidence that if God chooses to use me through this new chapter in my life to encourage other women it will be only because of Him.

 The reason that I'm writing about my newfound vision for my life on this blog is because I would like to use this as a place for women to come and talk about the role of being a wife and a mother. I even changed the name of the blog to reflect its new purpose...I don't think it will hurt anything to have one more place for women to find a little encouragement, so I'm offering this blog as a place for people to share joys and burdens and ask questions or seek advice. I'm not saying that I will have answers to every question or even very good advice, but I can definitely give encouragement here and there. I'll still share stories from my own life as a mom because that's just who I am. I hope you'll feel free to share some of your stories, too.

Maybe you fall into the category that I find myself in. Maybe you think that its time you invested time into some other women. May I encourage you to do it.  Don't wait until someone asks you to mentor them. Don't even expect that to happen. Just start by being available to encourage. You can do some of your encouraging on here in written form if you like. I would welcome sweet words from others who want to bless and encourage and add to the comments.

My final and most important thoughts of the day....

When I was a young wife and expecting my first child, I bought a book about advice for young mothers. I'm not really sure if I remember very much of the advice from the book, but I do remember the very first piece of valuable advice that it offered. It went something like this...The greatest thing about advice is that you can take it or leave it. Be kind as you listen to someone's advice whether you asked for it or not and then do exactly what you think God is telling you to do regardless of the advice you were given. It was the best "advice" I ever got!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog topic...Raising boys to become Godly men.

A New Day

It's a new day! I'm excited that God has given it to me along with a new desire to be used by Him. Yesterday and maybe the day before that, I wasn't quite feeling that way. I was struggling (again) with my ridiculous insecurities. I was feeling defeated and anxious...but then God began to work in me, so...Thank you Lord for new days and new perspectives. Thank you Lord that you don't give up on me. Thank you Lord that you bring me peace. Thank you Lord for a family that challenges me to get out of my comfort zone even when I'm scared to and  thank you Lord for a family that loves me even when I'm not at my best... I don't know if you have ever felt discouraged or not, but if you have, remember that you don't have to stay and live in discouragement. You can remove the "dis" and the "ment" from discouragement and end up with courage. For me, courage comes when I remember that God really is in control over everything, therefore feeling defeated or anxious are just Satan's tools to keep me from fully trusting Him.  I don't desire to stay defeated. I desire to be at peace, trusting in my God for every aspect of my life...."These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage: I have overcome the world."(John 16:33). God and His Word brings peace, encouragement and definitely puts our lives here in this world in perspective. It's not about us...It's all about Him!

About Life4Him-skits, scripts and stories: A New Beginning

About Life4Him-skits, scripts and stories: A New Beginning: Hi everybody! I haven't been on here in, what seems like forever, but I have been very busy working on something that I have been hoping and...

A New Beginning

Hi everybody! I haven't been on here in what seems like forever, but I have been very busy working on something that I have been hoping and dreaming of for a really long time. I have finally, after literally years of saying I'll get around to it, started a website to try to sell my skits and plays. It is a new beginning for me. My website is http://www.skitsandscripts4him.com/ .  I really hope you will go to it and check out what I have on there so far and begin to read its blog. I am hopefully going to spend most of my blogging time on the new website, but it will be just like this one. It will still be mostly stories about my family and our lives together, so I hope that you will begin to visit me there. This blog won't be closed out, but the other one will probably be used more. Thank you, by the way, for reading my blogs. Your comments, both on the blog and in person,  have all been so encouraging. I have loved sharing my life with you in this small way and I hope to continue. I'd appreciate your prayers for this new endeavor of mine. Many of you that read this blog have seen my plays or been a part of them, so I would really appreciate any constructive advice for the website. Also, I'd love to add more testimonials to the website of what God may have shown you from watching or being in one of the plays. Please consider sending something to me and I'll see if I can add it to that page. Thanks for your love and support...Talk to you, soon!

Missing Loressa

I haven't been on here for a long time. My summer has been busy, but fun. It was full of mission trips, Vacation Bible School, youth camps and many days filled with random activities in order to be prepared for all of those big events. I started off excited about the summer, but dreading the end of it because of a very important milestone for our family that I knew was coming. I was hoping the day wouldn't really come, but, of course, it did come and now we are on the other side of it. My second oldest daughter, Loressa, left for Texas Tech to begin her adventure of living away from home. I wasn't sure that I would make it through the weekend of delivering her to Lubbock, but I did. I didn't make it without buckets full of tears, but I did make it through. For the last two weeks of summer, all I could think about were her days as a little girl. Oh, how I miss those days...I miss all of her little quirks. I miss the way she would only wear "spin around" dresses and her hair always looked like a mess because the pony tails had to be loosened just the right amount immediately after I put them in her hair.  I miss all those years that we played light-up electronic solitaire at night under the covers when I was supposed to be singing her to sleep. I miss a million other things about her childhood and I always will, but right now I also miss the all grown-up Loressa-the beautiful, wonderful, talented young woman who still has a million different quirks, and it is still those little quirks that make her so lovable. To say that I treasure all of my special memories of Loressa is quite an understatement. I hope and pray that the future holds many more special moments and the opportunity to make many more memories...Lately, I've been thinking back to my days of being a young mom so many years ago. I still remember older mothers telling me about how quickly time flies... I really wish that they hadn't been right.