1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.” Proverbs 20:30

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags… if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.” James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something – health, money, a relationship – by losing it. “… It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.” Psalms 119:71-72

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s actions were eventually discovered. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…” Genesis 50:20

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems …they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Romans. 5:3-4

God is at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it!  But it’s much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him!

The purpose of prayer is to commune with God. For working mothers, prayer is a necessitity. We have ourselves, husbands, significant others, children, family members, our church, government officials, and the world to pray for, just to name a few. Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? It is possible that you may be thinking, “Where do I fit in time to pray?” If prayer isn’t already in your schedule, here are a few tips:

When you awake in the morning before your day starts, take time to pray. It is at this time of day that you are able to worship God and give thanks for all his blessings. Even when things are going rough, starting the day with prayer will change your attitude, mood, and help you face any obstacle that comes in your path.

While you’re driving is another time for prayer. Turn off the radio or CD player and just spend a few minutes with GOD thanking him for safe travel and praising his name for allowing you to have the ability and freedom to go where it is necessary and having the means to do so.

If you are blessed enough to have access to the internet, and are fortunate to receive an email with a prayer, take time to forward it to some people. Each time someone receives your email, a prayer will be said as they are reading your email.

This month our church has been fasting and praying, and it has changed the way I think and look at life. As I’ve been praying for my family and others, I’ve also been praying for the people of Haiti. I can’t think of a day in my life that I’ve been without food, shelter, or clothing. These are just some of the simple necessities of life and sometimes we forget how good things are and start to complain that we may not have this or that. But if we are thankful for the small things, the things that we take for granted on a daily basis, we can say that we are truly blessed, and God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

Working Mothers have one of the most rewarding professions. Our day starts at dawn and usually ends well after everyone has gone to bed. We are multi-tasking individuals who are always planning for the days ahead. God has created us to be nurturing and supportive of our families, but sometimes we fail to include ourselves in that equation. So the question I ask is, “How do we manage all the things that we do, and still have time for ourselves?”

One thing for sure, if there is something we want to do we can always make time. Think of it like this, we make appointments for everything else in our life, so why not make an appointment with yourself? Put yourself in your calendar, plan time for prayer, exercise, and of course something fun to do as well. Make yourself a priority like we do with so many other things. It doesn’t have to be something extravagant; it can be as simple as a candle lit bubble bath while the children are doing their homework. Try trading times with another working mom by babysitting for her one evening a week in exchange for some alone time for yourself. Another suggestion I would like to offer is, if you are married ask your husband what his schedule is, so that he can take care of the children while you take sometime to relax.

My mother used to say that time doesn’t wait on anyone. When I was younger I didn’t really understand what that meant, but as I get older it seems like the days pass by so quickly. When this article is posted we will be in the year 2010, let us consider taking a little time for ourselves, so that we are happier, healthier, and can be a blessing to others.

I spent New Year’s Eve at a friend’s home. This was such a beautiful spiritual encounter with God. Over the next few weeks I want to take you on this Journey.

Three Part Encounter for the New Year

We need to take another look and see God’s blessings

I. Name five things you are most grateful for in 2007

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________

Every Christmas my mom and brother spend the night with my family for Christmas Eve. We have a great time baking cookies for Santa (LOL) and putting out carrots and water for the reindeers! We read the story of Christmas from the Bible and allow the kids to open one gift…it is always a new pair of pajamas so that the Christmas morning pictures are cute! The next morning we wake up with the birds, open gifts and have a wonderful breakfast together.

Of course, as a result of the kids being back in school our schedules change too!  There’s more to do but in the same amount of time!  Hmmmmm, how does that work?  Well, it just seems to because we are moms.  We pray! Whether it is before you step out of bed or on the road to school; we make sure we pray!  It makes me smile when I’m driving my 16 year old to school and he reaches for my hand when we hit a certain point on our school route.  If we haven’t already prayed, he will lean over and turn the radio down. Sometimes my mind is on so many other things, but he remembers that we need to pray.  There was another time when my 22 year old was enlisted to take my 16 year old to school and he turned down the radio so they could pray together.  PRAISE GOD for these huge blessings!  Prayer makes all the difference in our days.  It may not seem like we are getting through, but with God on our side, we will.

Each child is different, as we all know.  My firstborn was all over the place on school mornings.  My second born had his clothes laid out for the week at the age of 5, all on his own!  (Not sure where he got that from….I’m not that organized!  I wish!)  Of course things change over the years and they become teenagers!  Need I say more?

The best thing I can suggest is to do whatever we can the evening before; pack lunches, check folders, sign notes, return papers and place in folders, and send checks when required.  Again, with two totally different types of children, I had to pull together all of my older son’s notes into a folder, (they usually just got shoved in his backpack), but my second child had them all neatly in order in the folder.  But again I say, they become teenagers and it does change somewhat.

Each of our children has his own special gift(s) that God has blessed him with. If we can just help them excel in those areas, or even just to help them identify those areas that they are good in, it can make the school year more productive and self-satisfying for them.

I have found that there is nothing that a teacher appreciates more than a word of thanks. An unexpected note of encouragement goes along way.  As we enter this new school year, keep your school principal, administrative staff, teachers and students in daily prayer.  Some of our schools aren’t even aware of the National Day of Prayer or See You at the Pole Day.  Let them know. It just takes a quick email.  And the best thing I can suggest is to talk with other moms.  Sometimes we feel so overwhelmed, but we are not- and I repeat not- alone!  We all feel overwhelmed and there just might be someone in your exact shoes and the two of you (or three or more) can help each other out!  Step out and make new friends.  Remember the threefold chord is the strongest; church, home and school.

God bless you in the new school year with your children whatever grade it might be, Pre-K through college, and be in prayer always.  May God place a hedge of protection over your children throughout their schooldays, sports events, after-school events and travels to and from school.

Looking forward to next month!  I’m open to feedback on your beginning month of school!

Let’s face it…..Super Moms we are not and it’s O.K!  So, the dishes wait until morning (believe me…..they aren’t going anywhere through the night!).  If we would give God the time we spend on  “getting just one more thing done” all the better we will be for it.  In fact, our entire family benefits because we’ve made God our focus.  He wants our time.  He wants to know us.  He wants our hearts.  He knows our schedules even before we do!  Have you ever noticed the days we start off with God run much smoother and are more productive? Or how about BEFORE we lay our heads down for the night?

In the Bible, God gives us His Armor in the Book of Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verses 13-18.  Something to remember….it isn’t for use just while we are awake! I’ve tried to always remember to “place” it on before I step out of the house every morning and then I though, why not at night?  I have found that I sleep much more peacefully when I have placed on His Armour prior to going to sleep and after reading His Word.  In addition, pray over our children.  In my experience, whether they are 6 or 16, 2 or 22, it gives them a sense of peace and security that only the Holy Spirit can provide.

So, let me just say in closing, we are ALL Working Moms!  Whether we work at home raising our children and running a household or we work outside our homes as an employee on a salaried job or run the entire company, God is with us wherever we invite Him in to be.  We aren’t walking easy street, He wants us to walk the narrow road.  When we do this “Working Mom” thing His way, it works!  And who knows, the woman sitting next to you right now or, the clerk at the grocery store, the woman at the bank, or your neighbor across the street, just might need a word of encouragement to make it through her day.  We need to be there for each other as God is there for us.