Visionary Parenting {a book study}

My pastor recently said to me,

"...to whom much is given, much is required."
Now obviously he was quoting the parable in Luke 12, but what he said made my gears whir just a little bit more.

I have been given so much.

and much is expected of me by way of parenting them.

In an attempt to better my parenting I'm doing two things.  Firstly, I'm joining the Gentleness Challenge that Courtney is hosting.  I need to keep the frustration to a minimum and be more gentle towards my children.  I want them to see a mom who loves God so much and wants their best.  While they push my buttons often, they don't deserve to have my frustration taken out on them.  In her post, Courtney quotes Matthew Henry,

“What is spoken wisely should be spoken calmly, and then it will be calmly considered. But passion will lessen the force even of reason, instead of adding any force to it.”

and that quote really hit home with me.  I'm so excited about the accountability that this challenge will offer.

Secondly, I'm hosting a somewhat impromptu book study here at Hitherto of the book Visionary Parenting:  capture a God-sized vision for your family by Dr. Rob Rienow.  Every Monday, I will post a summary of the chapter, what I learned from it, and how I'm applying it.  There are only ten chapters so it won't take too long at all.

Parenting is such a huge responsibility and blessing.  Just last week my firstborn turned six.  SIX!  To echo mothers everywhere, "Where does the time go?"  I have only one shot at this parenting thing and I want to get it as right as I possibly can.  How about you?

Are you going to sign up for the Gentleness Challenge?

Does your family have an over-arching vision or purpose?

If so, what is it?

If not, have you ever thought about it?

If you want to keep tabs on what's happening

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my beef

                                                                                    Source: etsy.com via April on Pinterest

One thing I've found is that since I've become a single parent, the number one thing on everyone else's mind is my love life...or lack thereof.  Because it is obviously the most important thing on MY mind. {this is where a sarcasm font would be dandy}

It really irks me, no, bothers me to my core the rising sentiment that I find around singles, especially moms.  It seems that as we talk and chatter I hear one main overtone.  No one actually says the following words, but the sentiment reverberates and carries the interaction like a palpable undercurrent and believe me, it's easy to be swept in.

I need to find a guy

to be a good mom.

I would be a better mom

if I had a husband.

Do I believe that a child's heart was made for both a mom and a dad?  Absolutely.  I think that arrangement is best and it is how God intended family to be.  That being said, God knows all the details over my situation; singleness and all.  

Truth is, I'm the only mom my kids have TODAY.  My kids won't wait around to grow, be molded, be shaped, or hugged until I can find "the man" in my life.  I'm not against remarriage or the idea of it, but ladies, let's be real here, there's only One man you need to make this parenting thing work as you are and that's God.  End of story.  If there is a human man that comes into the picture then awesome.  If not, that's awesome too. 

Today's the day, lady.  Today's the day to put on your big girl panties and come to terms with the fact that if a man never walks through your door or you never go to another singles' group and you delete your Christian mingle/eHarmony/Match.com account you will still be the only mother your children have.  

Don't let the lie that you can only be a good mom if you have a husband rob your children of the best mom they have today.

What one thing are you doing today

to be your kids' best mom?

I'm counting to five before I react to any situation,

unless they have a sharp object.

In that situation I'll count to five 

AFTER I disarm them.