February 7, 2012

Totally appropriate to have Sally sign a page the baby got to, that's motherhood for you:)

I have so much to say and no idea where to begin.
First off, it truly takes a village to raise a family!  Huge thanks to my mom, dad, brothers, neighbor, and sisters-in-law who offered to help with the kids this weekend so I could attend my second Mom Heart Conference.  With a husband just having four wisdom teeth pulled and a sick son, I felt guilty at first for being away, but the Lord worked out all the details and I was able to be filled with inspiration and hope.

I expected to be encouraged and inspired here.  I was not disappointed!!
What I wasn't expecting was the constant tugging at my heart that somehow I had come full circle and God has great things in store for me!

 Not that I ever doubt that. . .it's just that I was able to meet Angela from Good Morning Girls and strangely enough, that's where all of this started for me--this deeper desire to have my own relationship with the Lord--to parent in a way that is more intentional, more Christ-centered. It all started with three friends who answered my plea for women of faith to walk with me on a God inspired journey and to dig into His word through daily bible reading.

My parents laid a fabulous religious foundation by sending me to Catholic school; however, this Catholic didn't do much digging in my own bible unless I was away at a church retreat or something of that nature.  For years we had religion books we learned from...not in depth bible studies--and perhaps that is part of why I fell away from the Catholic church for awhile. I wanted something that the Catholic Church could not give me...or so I thought. With the start of my group though I've come to realize what I was looking for was right in front of me all along.  My bible. . .His words to my heart, and an intimate relationship with my creator. I found, I've always had the power. 

Not long after my GMG group started, I read Mission of Motherhood and attended my first Mom Heart conference with Sally. Then I began to devour more of her books and subscribed to her blog I Take Joy.  In the meantime, things at home were much more intentional. . .my time with the kids, what we read, what we listened to, what we watched.  I became much more aware of the media around us and the messages they are sending my kids--too much, too soon and we began to make changes.  Just weeks ago I talked to Human Resources and have asked to reduce my contract to one day a week, or for a leave of absence.  I'm not sure what will happen, but I know a change is coming and I am excited at what this means for my children.  Lastly, I just started a book club with the book that started this journey for me and I am hopeful at what it might do in the hearts of other moms!

With all of this, then it makes complete sense (to me, at least) that this weekend felt like a huge gift just waiting to be unwrapped.  I love the woman's hearts I heard.  I love Sally and Clay's vision.  I am spending more time on these thoughts here:

• The legacy we leave in the hearts of our children does not come about accidently.
• I need to advocate for my kids more and be less adversarial. (I struggle here sometimes.)
• You can't live by faith if listening to man. (I struggle with this one too.)
• If you want to influence your child's heart, you have to know it.
• There is great freedom for kids to be who they were meant to be. (Adults too!)
•  Grace leads to Jesus. . .My heart can not give out what it has not taken in.
• Don't believe what others say about your kids and who they think they are.  TRUST GOD!

I am especially bothered by: Whose voice am I listening to? Why? Fear of man brings a snare. . .live up to what God wants you to do. I'm sure there will be more to come. . .I'm still dissecting it all--piecing my notes together, pondering and praying, "God I will go.  God I will be your girl. . ."