Practical encouragement based on the biblical principles of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 for today's woman
Mentoring Moments for Christian Women
Motherhood
Motherhood
An Honest
Look at Anger
Do you struggle with anger? Listen and be encouraged as Molly Evert shares candidly about her struggles with anger as well as practical methods for gaining victory through Christ.
The Multiple Personality Mom
As women, we often experience a wide range of emotions on any given day. To our husbands and children--and even to ourselves--these mood changes can seem like multiple personalities. You may meet some of your "other selves" in this encouraging, allegorical podcast.
The Value of Motherhood
Moms often struggle with the question, "Who am I?" as they spend their days investing in everyone else. This message will encourage you to see the true significance in a seemingly mundane job.
Cultivating Sibling Loyalty
This message by Molly Evert, mom of four, gives hope for sibling relationships and practical advice.
**************************
Snowflakes for Little Cherub
Beba Schlottmann
What a wonderful time she was having
Skipping down joy lane
Somewhat unaware that her wings were growing
Larger than her little frame
She tripped on a golden stone
And fell through heaven's floor
Her wings got tangled in a tree
Her feathers fell like snowflakes on the terrain
By their windowsills perplexed
The people saw this strange occurrence
And they hurried to the sight
Convinced a storm was passing by
It's a bird without her flight, someone had said
It's a gift from the heavens, another one declared
And so they nursed, loved and cared
For this snowbird from above
Then one day in a dash of glory
Zion called her back home
When the little cherub spread her wings
To ascend to her abode
She looked little no more
But majestic and grandiose
She said; when I go skipping down joy lane
I will remember you and then
My healed wings I'll wave
And you will know I think of you
When the snowflakes kiss your face
And so it is that when snowflakes fall
The people rush to catch them
And though its beauty is short lived,
The moment lingers on
In their memory, in their hearts
The moments lingers on and on.
I wrote this poem after the passing of a friend's child. I never had the heart to give it to her, but I hope it brings someone else comfort today.
Want to Chat?
Join our blog as we chat about everything: marriage, raising children, homeschooling, favorite recipes and just how thankful we are to the Lord for all He has done. http://mentoringblog.mentoringmoments.net
Christmas Ideas
Do you have a Christmas craft idea you would like to share? We are putting together our annual 12 Days of Christmas series and would love to share your submissions. Send your ideas to MentoringMoments.net
When You Pass
Through the Water
Molly Evert
I have always struggled with a particular fear: the fear of grieving. My parents divorced when I was very young, and my dad moved far away. A deep fear of loss gripped my heart. I began to fear that if I loved anyone too deeply, God would take him or her away.
When I got married, my joy seemed too great to last. Many nights, I lay in bed crying, believing that my husband would surely die soon. I would wake up in a cold sweat, the memory of a nightmare still lingering.
The first time I ever felt free from the fear of grief was when I got pregnant with our first child. I exulted joyously in God's goodness, and forgot, for a moment, to worry. And it was in that moment that we lost our baby to miscarriage. My worst fear had become a reality.
But I did not feel the way I had always imagined I would. Although the pain of our loss was worse than I had even feared, the comfort of the Lord was there too. When I imagined grieving, God was never a part of the picture. But when I truly was bereaved, He was right there, ministering comfort through His Spirit. intervening on my behalf and encouraging me through the Word. I know now that nothing that happens to me will ever be as bad as I could imagine because His presence makes all the difference.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." Isaiah 43:1-2
*****************
Advice to Caregivers...
Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or
Early Infant Death
From Helping People through Grief by Delories Kuenning
1. Send cards or briefly worded letters, saying, in essence, "I am so sorry. This must be very painful for you."
2. Acknowledge the extent of your friends' tragedy and the depth of their grief. Remember that the depth of their grief has nothing to do with the size or age of the loss.
3. Tell them you support them and will think of them in your prayers.
4. Avoid trying to say something to make them feel better, especially cliches and statements such as "God knows best" or advice such as "Don't cry."
5. Avoid interpreting this as God's punishment, God's plan, or God's will. Usually, comments such as this are resented and they are poor theology.
6. Avoid suggesting they can have other babies as if this baby is replaceable. By doing so, you devalue the baby as if its loss is insignificant.
7. If you are especially close to the parents, don't be surprised if you experience what is called "third grief," a mini-grief period which will last for a brief period of time following the baby's death.
8. Don't preach, cajole, or scold if you think your friend is wallowing in self-pity. Give them permission to grieve by listening nonjudgmentally. Allow them to be angry and tearful in your presence.
9. Don't avoid the grieving parents. They are still your friends. Call them and let them know you are thinking about them. Ask if they want to talk about their baby. They will usually say yes. Then listen with your heart. They need to talk with friends who care. Grieving is a social process; it requires relationships.
***********************
The Secret Club
Kellie Renfroe
When a dear friend lost her first child to miscarriage, she made a comment that she had just joined a secret club.
“What secret club?” I asked.
"Oh, the secret club of miscarriage -- you don't know the other members until you become one," she replied.
I did not learn the pain of this club's initiation until I was inducted only a year later. At 12 weeks pregnant I learned our baby had already died. The doctor delivered the news matter-of-factly and left me to cry alone in the exam room. At 13 weeks, I miscarried.
The next six months were some of the most difficult physically, mentally, and spiritually. As a result of the miscarriage I began a downward spiral into depression. Thankfully dear friends, all members of the Secret Club, were right there.
One dear friend was my milestone marker and would tell me what to expect and what to begin praying about. She gave me a wonderful book dealing with the physical changes my body was experiencing. The migraines meant I needed iron to replace blood loss. The anger was normal. Another friend would stop by the house periodically and talk. A group of business associates and church friends brought meals for a week. What a blessing they were to our family. Two more friends, my prayer partners, would listen and pray with and for me every Tuesday morning.
All of these friends made the process I had to pass through easier. The main source of strength was the Lord who used these women to become cheerleaders in my life.
A few years down the road a close family member joined the Club. I froze. Not only did I not even send a card, but I never spoke of it to her. Without realizing it, I hurt her deeply. While I had the blessing of encouragement during my time of need, I did not really want it.
Looking back now, I am very appreciative. At the time I would not answer the door or the phone to avoid everyone. I hated the cards; they were reminders of our loss. Words of comfort from some outside my inner circle were infuriating and hurtful. One person said, "It's better this way, the baby would have probably been deformed anyway. This is nature's way of taking care of it."
When my family member experienced her loss, I treated her way I wished some had done me and just left her alone. What a terrible mistake I made. We all will grieve differently but we all must show our love to those suffering.
I apologized profusely and asked for her and God's forgiveness. As members of the Secret Club, we must not be a silent club.
Thank God for the women who continued to call and leave messages on my answering machine. For those who would follow me into the church parking lot to ask how I was doing when I was trying to get away without talking to anyone. For sending me cards that I did eventually read and have kept to this day. For the sweet friend who took me shopping for an outfit to wear to my baby shower when I became pregnant again. I had no joy at the time--just great fear of losing this child as well. She got me out of the house and we laughed and talked. I found a great outfit that ultimately saw me through two more showers!
If you are a member of the Secret Club, you have my condolences. As a member, allow the Lord to use you to minister to others who are receiving their membership even now.
What happened to my baby after she died? Will I ever see her again---or recognize her? Why did God let this tragedy happen? What if I've had an abortion? Drawing from concrete passages in Scripture, Hayford offers compassionate, reassuring answers for parents who've lost children through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or early infant death. 117 pages, softcover from Regal.
While there are many books that address the issue of grieving the loss of a child, this book stands alone by inviting the parents to express their emotions in an interactive way with what they are reading. This book will not only honor and validate the very real loss of a baby lost through miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death, but it will also provide parents a way to get through the loss with help from Scripture, encouraging quotes, soothing art work, space for journaling, and a very gentle tone that says, "Your baby and your loss are very significant." The keepsake book provides a place to write one's personal story of loss and "love letters" to the child, and includes a list of loss support resources and practical ideas for treasuring memories of the child.
They are the most dreaded words an expectant mother can hear. As joy and anticipation dissolve into confusion and grief, painful questions refuse to go away: Why me? What did I do wrong? Doesn't God care? With the warmth and compassion of a licensed counselor and a Christian woman who has suffered miscarriage herself, Pam Vredevelt offers sound answers, advice, and reassurance to the woman fighting to maintain faith in this heartbreaking situation. Now in a fresh, contemporary cover, Empty Arms: Emotional Support for Those Who Have Suffered a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Tubal Pregnancy is the essential guidebook through the agony of losing a child.
Almost 200,000 couples in America each year suffer through the tragedy of miscarriage. And that statistic only tells us about first trimester miscarriages. The emotional pain of longer-term miscarriages, and the untold number of mothers and fathers who kept silent about their hurt, make this form of child loss especially cruel. In this book the author talks about her own grief and interviews many others couples who have dealt with this to let you know you are not alone. She also talks about issues such as stillbirth, missing children, and adult children who succumb to accident or illness. 192 pages from New leaf Press.
Movie Review Site
Molly Evert, Writer
This
movie review site gives a very detailed move review and reports
objectionable content on upwards of 20 different categories. While it
is not a Christian site, it is one that seems to reflect a Christian
world view. In other words, they do not claim to Christian, but they
are quite discerning in what a Christian parent might find
objectionable." www.screenit.com
Teach Them Their Identity In Christ
from The Gift of Honor by Gary Smalley & John Trent
"By teaching your children who God says they are, you honor them and help them leave home with high worth. His Word says that His children are deeply loved, highly treasured, of great worth, only a little lower than the angels, secure in His love, His own special people, made in His image, or more value than the birds of the air, and so important that God gave up His only Son to reclaim them from darkness."
Go behind the scenes into the mind of your teens and pre-teens---and discover why they act, talk, and think like they do! Using the same innovative approach that sparked national water-cooler conversation with 'For Women Only,' Feldhahn and Rice's nationwide research on young people will help confused parents understand the inner desires, fears and needs that spark their kids' confusing or exasperating behaviors -- insight that will allow parents to not only get ahead in the parenting game, but relate so much better with their kid. 192 pages, hardcover from Multnomah.
The first time you hold your newborn baby in your arms, the road ahead looks endless. But the reality is that life passes quickly, and that sweet-faced infant will be in your care only a fraction of time. It is so important to spend your moments with your children well!
101 Things You Should Do Before Your Kids Leave Home maximize those precious years before your children move on to establish lives of their own. Two parts wit and whimsy, one part practical ideas to prepare your kids for life outside your reach, this book is a must for parents who want to relish those magical moments that pass too quickly. Hardcover.
Copyright . Mentoring Moments for Christian Women. All rights reserved.
![32594: I"ll Hold You In Heaven](http://ag.christianbook.com/g/thumbnail/3/32594t.gif "32594: I"ll Hold You In Heaven")
![32608: I"ll Hold You in Heaven Remembrance Book](http://ag.christianbook.com/g/thumbnail/3/32608t.gif "32608: I"ll Hold You in Heaven Remembrance Book")
