MOPS Article

So, today was MOPS and I wrote the article for our newsletter that was handed out today. I am going to post it on my blog only for my own memory and so my children can some day read it. It is up to you if you'd like to read it or not, I know that it's longer then my usualy postings.



Preparing Our Hearts and Our Homes for the Next Baby!
As I write this article I have exactly 2 months and 2 weeks to my due date! I remember with my first it seemed to take so long and now with this being the third I find myself wondering where the time has gone. I am also reminded of a dear friend of mine who lost her baby at about the same time in her pregnancy. So as we prepare for the arrival of the next one, I am cautioning my heart, knowing that God is in control of everything. This child, just as my other two, are truly His. They belong to Him, not to me.
So, as we prepare our home, I feel overwhelmed with all there is to do. Where do I start? I find myself asking “Why are we having another?” and “What is my goal as a parent?”. I honestly don't know the answer to the first question although I am so thankful for this pregnancy. Is my goal as a parent to raise “great” children, and if so, then what is the standard? How do we determine if our children turn out “great”? Is it by financial success, or happiness, and even then, by what measure? Financially, people will always have more then you have. Don't we all know someone who seems happier then we are and seems to have their lives so much more “together”. I mean, especially with children, I feel like I'm always just getting by. My husband and I like to call our lives “controlled chaos”.
As a Christian, I believe that it's about so much more then raising “great” children, for the standard will constantly change as society changes. Therefore, my goal is to raise children that know and love the Lord. Not children that will want to attend church regularly just because it's the right thing to do. I want my children to understand and grasp the absolute truths found only in the Word of God because what other standard is there in the world? I want my children to know that following Christ and doing what he commands doesn't always make sense by the standards of the world. I want them to see us as parents looking to His word for guidance and wisdom. Let's face it, we're not going to be around forever, but God will, and so will His word. Everything the world has to offer them will be unfullfilling and meaningless apart from Christ.
So, as a parent, of course I want to raise great children. Children that are considered great in the eyes of the Lord. Children that will learn the relevance of Christ in their daily lives. Children that can stand on their own two feet having a full understanding of God's word and its significance in a world that is constantly changing, where “values and morals” are whatever you want them to be.
As we prepare our hearts and home for the next baby, I am humbly reminded of how easy it is to forget the true significance of what we are trying to accomplish as parents. I hope this encourages your heart to “press on” as what we are trying to accomplish holds little value in the eyes of the world, but much value in the eyes of our Father in heaven!