Training Together

“Alas, if our children lose the crown of life, it will be but a small consolation that they have won the laurels of literature or art.”  

~Charles Spurgeon

Her youngest girl has sideways curls. When we are together, our crew of eleven can shake the house. Mine are atrociously louder than hers and she pretends not to care. She's thankful for the hot cup of caffeine I pass her way. She smiles.  I can't help but wish we lived closer.  This gathering of faces together and presenting knowledge and ideas to be grasped and somehow retained by a mere High-school graduate (myself),and partially college studied mother, (herself) does more than make me panicky, at times it darn well scares me to death!!!! Yet, here we are waist deep in the muck of it all.

I never once thought I'd be a homeschooling mom when I was younger. I'm not the scholarly type. Nor do I enjoy teaching my children things I hardly know myself.  Somehow, I forget all that when we school our children side by side. Somehow I know all that matters is the task at hand and if she can do it, I can do it. It doesn't come easy. Some days I don't even want to try because of how badly and regularly I fail. But what is failure after all? Is looking back after you've completed a task, knowing you tried your best, failure? Even if things didn't turn out as you planned, is that failure? Or is failure only failure if you don't complete the task at all?  God knows what we're capable of, doesn't He? He promises not to give us more than we can bear, right? So just because I may not be able to teach my children as successfully as a mom with a college degree and a burning desire to educate, does that make me a failure or my children in some way less worthy? I think not. 

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 says;

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Our Lord desires Godly offspring. (Malachi 2:15) He expects us to raise and train up these little ones in righteousness. Prov.22:6 Says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Understandably, this way of teaching and training will look different to each of us Moms. However, as we press on toward the goal, we see our predecessors cheering us on to win! (The goal being true fellowship with God and to enjoy Him forever.)  “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."  Eph. 6:4

Charles Spurgeon understood parenting to a great depth when he said, "The most careful and prayerful father cannot be held accountable for having wicked sons, if he has done his best to instruct them. The most anxious and tearful mother cannot be blamed if her daughter dishonors the family, provided her mother has done her best to train her up in the right way." 

The point here is to do our best according to His word, which is what God expects, and let Him do the rest.

Blessings. 

Beautiful Beginnings...

Daughters born in June, blossom too early. Plans made by Mothers aren’t always approved by Fathers, even heavenly ones. One warm summer day a child lay nursing at her Mother’s breast, then seemingly, one day, she’s taller than the woman that bore her. She blooms and grows, come what may, there’s no stopping her.

I am lacking coping skills. Coping with change and reverberation that is not invited, these little blessings called children, (rather sinful though they may be), are waking me up to a whole new world. I love my life. I love my God. Sometimes I love being a parent and sometimes I don’t. Just when I feel I’ve mastered the infant, baby, toddler, young child stages, HELLO TEENAGER!!!! I am so sorry for what I put my Mother through! The snide remarks and sideways glances, the sarcasm and mockery, the obnoxious behavior and lousy attitudes…my poor mother!!! Lazy, lackadaisical, sloth-driven cretin, also come to mind. Need I say more? Am I ranting? Why, yes, I do believe I am. Silly me. I began blogging to uplift spirits and encourage other mothers, what on earth was I thinking?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ~Phil. 4:8

When she was 5 or 6 years old, she wrote songs for God. She even sang this one with her dad up front of the church one Sunday:

I Love the Lord, King of the World
Lord, I love you, I do, I do. I’m so glad you’re here with me today.

Lord Jesus my heart is full of joy, love and peace. I’m in your hands today. Jesus, Jesus, I love you right now.

Lord, I love you, I do, I do. I’m so glad you’re here with me today.

If I was scared, I would pray to Lord Jesus because I know you will protect me.

Lord, I love you, I do, I do. I’m so glad you’re here with me today.
                               

She’s gone for now, that little girl, but I have hope; she will return, for our God said: Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Phil. 1:6

Also, His promise to me: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11

My hope is in Him, always. Blessings.

Reading James

He reads surely and I listen. This, the spoken Word, reeling freely and fully around the room, verses lingering in mid-air, almost mid-breath. His dog, his pillow, and I recline too. My mind is sorting, stacking, and saving every sweet word-morsel for the mind’s library. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally…” James 1:5

Who doesn’t “lack wisdom”? I know I do. Therefore we must frequently ask for it. I am barely capable of swinging my feet out from under warm covers to plant them on the floor beside my bed without wisdom. He reads on…

“For the wrath of man does not bring about the righteousness of God.” James 1:20

“But be doers of the word and not hearers only…” (Verse 22) “What does it profit my brethren, though a man may say he has faith, and not have works? Can faith save him?” 2:14 “Even so, faith if it has not works, is dead, being alone.” 2:17

James goes on to say much more. God gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. Speak no evil of one another, etc. And here in chapter 3 we see provocation for my post today:

5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

It should not be! We should not use our tongues to hurt those we love the most. No man can tame the tongue. However, we must unceasingly try! Just as we parents are apt to lose our temper at the sin of our children, we are called not to cause them to sin. Therefore, we must tame our tongues before we discipline them. James helped me with my son today. The Word is strong, efficient, and piercing to the soul of every man, even the ones still stuck in 12 year old bodies. ~Blessings.

Today's Introspection

Wrinkled weary worn with time
Her heart shrank and shriveled not sublime

Lessened meanings their lessons learned
Whilst among the district burned

Living breathing his prelacy
Not withholding all democracy

Formed and fashioned from the Potter’s hands
Laden appendage with engraved gold bands

Smiles peer through amber eyes 

As memories emerge from chambered times

Gaping holes remain unquilted portions forsaken
Regretful remorseful for roads not taken

Sin breeds bitterly as sin can do
Harshly and cacophonous she judges true

Equidistant appearing from within
Revealing her manifested sin

Words that cut and dig and bury
Bring forth death without tarry

Repent says He, and lament says I
Relinquished mortal sin does satisfy

Holy Spirit renders true to me
That peace that comes from only He

Blessed Comforter that brings life
Fill and saturate, diminish strife

Vessel surrenders, a vessel is consecrate
Praise be to God, as we Him, do elevate

Written by yours truly, Leigh-Ann Brann

Men and women are different. Not exactly Venus and Mars different, but close. We are equally created in the image of our God. We both are required to worship our God and surrender fully to His authority. Man’s natural desire is to hate God and man, as stated in the Heidelberg Catechism Question 5. My tendency is to love and protect my children, even if that means protecting them from each other.

Snarling, growling, and word biting! What’s a mom to do? I’m female after all, I'm not equipped for these daily battles of word twisting and testosterone. All I can do is speak the truth in love, and separate a certain “son” from the rest of us when he can’t control his tongue.

Along with our mantra of biblical principles regularly cited to him over and over again, we also found a pearl of a book by Dale Carnegie entitled, How To Make Friends and Influence People. Within its pages are many attainable principles that can be used by anyone seeking to keep peace or just make any situation better. He’s listened to a regular sermon by SM Davis called, What To Expect From a 12 Year Old. He has read numerous books related to the integrity of a man and good work ethics etc. Yes, he’s a work in progress, I know this. What gets me is his unequivocal ability to tear down and mock a sibling, and melt my heart in the same 24 hour span. We have a book we read together, one I gave to my own mother when I was only 16. I have shared and enjoyed it with all my children, it is titled; Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch. Inside this little gem is a repetitive verse sung by a mother to her son throughout his life.

“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living,
My baby you’ll be.”   
   
                                                                                                         (Then you get to the end where the last line changes from “baby” to “mommy”.) Hard to believe this little 30 page book is completely gut-wrenching! When I read it with him, I know he gets it. It makes sense. He loves me. He doesn’t hurt me intentionally. I struggle, as moms of boys do, to understand the “whys” of his actions. We moms always seem to need a reason or someone to blame. Well, that’s easy; me! I’m a sinner through and through. This boy of mine is no different. He was born in sin as are we. I will give credit where it’s due because he’s incredible on his own. He’s a hard worker, disciplined in his schoolwork, hilariously funny and cute to boot! He has some pretty big shoes to fill, and with much prayer and fasting, I am confident that “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Blessings.

No Matter What

If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. ~Robert Brault

My hands are beginning to look like hers. Worn, creviced, and etched with time. Hers were soft to the touch though, not like mine. I miss her hands. My mother had the softest hands and when she wiped my tears and caressed my face, all my troubles vanished. How is that so? The power that a mother holds, quite literally, in the palm of her hands, can change lives.

Proverbs 1:8, tells us that the teaching of your mother is indeed worth listening to; Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

My mother gave me jewels of advice I wish I had taken more seriously at an earlier time, and now I can hear her words ringing in my ears, “You won’t know or understand the depths of my love until you have a daughter of your own.” So many times she tried to warn me of this danger or that, but I had to touch the flames a few times myself, before I believed the fire was hot. Currently, I see my children look at me the way I looked at her and I cringe. I love them deeply. Desperately. I know what she was talking about. I know the prayers she must have prayed for me. In fact, undoubtedly, without her prayers, I would’ve been in dire straits more than once.

Motherhood itself is profound and cannot be properly expressed or explained to one who is not yet a mother. I had no idea how much my children would teach me, or even better, what God, through my children would teach me. Just when I think I’ve got this down, here comes a curve ball! Topically speaking, I’m afraid to list the latest turmoil in our house, mainly because it would seem detrimental, then boastful. Neither of which I am ready to spew publically. (Perhaps, years from now, in some sort of young-couples-newly married, expecting-their-first-baby-type situation…) Maybe.

For now, my thoughts are as follows: Home school them-no matter what! (We can’t avoid sin just because we keep them home.) Catechism reminds us regularly how great our sin and misery are and eventually, the kids begin to grasp it. Love them wildly! “Love is violent to save.”

My mother was my biggest fan. When I felt ugly or like I belonged on the Island of Mis-fit Toys, she assured me it wasn’t so. “They’re just jealous.” she’d say. She loved me, no matter what. Ten years gone and I miss her all the more.

She climbs up and I snuggle with the 3 year old wiggly body with voice blaring loud, “Read a story. This one.”   It’s one of her favorites.

“This one?” I say. “No Matter What?” That’s the title. “Yes.” She says certain. “Okay. No Matter What.” I say. Because I love her. And I mean it. No matter what.