The Power of a Positive Mom - Week 4

From Grumbling to Gratitude

Key Scripture:  Numbers 14:26-30

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "How long will this wicked nation complain about me?  I have heard everything the Israelites have been saying.  Now tell them this,'As surely as I live, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.  I, the LORD, have spoken!  You will all die here in this wilderness!  Because you complained against me, none of you who are twenty years old or older and were counted in the census will enter the land I swore to give you.  The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.'"t

Journal Prompts:

1.  My Thoughts:  In what areas do I need to change my grumbling into gratitude?

I need to stop grumbling about money.  God has always provided just enough for our needs to be met.  We don't have a lot of extras, but God makes it possible for us to live comfortably. I also need to stop grumbling so much about my daughters' behavior and fighting.  God blessed us with 2 children.  I need to be grateful for them and help them to see God's blessings, which includes their sister.

2.  My Choices:

• This week I will choose to take my eyes off what is wrong in my life and look at what is right.
• This week I will choose to replace my grumbling with gratitude.
• This week I will choose to encourage my kids to see God's blessings all around us.
• This week I will choose to:

I'm going to try to do all three of these things.  I need to do them all.

For Further Reading:  Numbers 14

The Power of a Positive Mom - Week 3

The Grace Challenge

Key Scripture:  Leviticus 19:16-18

"Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.  Do not try to get ahead at the cost of your neighbor's life, for I am the LORD.  Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives.  Confront your neighbors directly so you will not be held guilty for their crimes.  Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself.  I am the LORD."


Journal Prompts
1. My Thoughts - In what ways do I need to show God's grace toward others in my life?
This week I am having a rough time with being Mom to my oldest.  I need to remind myself that she is young and will make some poor choices.  I am much older and make some poor choices as well.  I need to forgive her just as Jesus has forgiven me.  I also need to help her ask for forgiveness for the choices she made.

2.  My Choices

• This week I will choose to focus on God's great love and grace toward me.
• This week I will choose to show grace toward others.
• This week I will choose to ask God's help in guarding my heart and mind.
• This week I will choose to...

This week I will work at showing grace toward others.

For Further Reading:  Ephesians 4:28-32

The Power of a Positive Mom - Week 2

"I Will Help You"

Key Scripture:  Exodus 4:10-12

But Moses pleaded with the Lord, "O Lord, I'm just not a good speaker.  I never have been, and I'm not now, even after you have spoken to me.  I'm clumsy with words."

     "Who makes mouths?"  The Lord asked him.  "Who makes people so they can speak or not speak, hear or not hear, see or not see?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go, and do as I have told you.  I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say."

Journal Prompts

1.  My Thoughts - Do I trust God to be my strength in my weaknesses?  What "I can'ts" do I need to give over to him?

My most recent "I can't" is that "I can't stand it when my girls fight with each other or whine."  I teach school all day, so the last thing I want when I get home is to listen to the two of them fighting.  I need to give it over to God and maybe send each of us, both girls and myself, to our rooms for a little bit when we get home to just relax a bit and unwind from the day.  

2.  My Choices

• This week I will choose to focus on what God can do, not what I can't do.
• This week I will choose to seek God's leadership and guidance.
• This week I will choose to ask him for help in all the tasks I undertake.
• This week I will choose to:

This week, I will ask God for help with being Mom, being a wife, teaching music, practicing music for praise team, laundry, cleaning, cooking, running.

For further reading:  Exodus 3-4

The Power of a Positive Mom - Week 1

Created in His Image

Key Scripture:  Genesis 1:27-31

So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.  Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals."  And God said, "Look!  I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.  And I have given all the grasses and other green plants to the animals and birds for their food."  And so it was.  Then God looked over all that he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way.

Journal Prompts

1.  My Thoughts - "In what ways do I see myself as a unique and special creation of God?"

     God has given me a passion for music.  I have been playing piano for over 30 years.  When I began piano lessons, my goal was to play at church.  Whenever I thought I wanted to quit lessons, my parents asked me if I was good enough to play at church.  I said no, so I continued.  For the past 15+ years, I have played piano and sung on one of our church's worship teams.  I also lead hymns on a rotational basis.  Often when I read the Bible, I have at least one praise song or hymn go through my head because I have spent so much of my life experiencing God through music.  I also am a professional music teacher in a public school, as well as a private piano lesson instructor.

     God has also created me to be a dedicated and devoted person who is emotionally connected to others. Sometimes I do not appreciate my emotions because they are difficult for me to control.  I get intensely emotional when I am frustrated.  I am working on this to believe that I my emotional response to situations is one of the ways that God created me to be unique and special.

2.  My Choices -

• This week I will choose to rejoice in the fact that I am created in God's image.
• This week I will choose to encourage my children to know that they are made by God in an excellent way.
• This week I will choose to enjoy every person who crosses my path as a unique creation of God.
• This week I will choose to:

     When my children get frustrated with school work, I will choose to tell them that God created them in an excellent way.  God does not make mistakes, so we need to appreciate how God created each of us.  If we are not satisfied, then we can work to make improvements.

If you would like to read more on this topic, read Genesis 1-3.  Have a great week.  I look forward to continuing our journey next week.

The Power of a Positive Mom - Introduction

Starting today, I am embarking on a journey for the next year.  I am going to be reading Karol Ladd's book "The Power of a Positive Mom:  Devotional and Journal".  It is a series of 52 Monday Morning Motivations.  Yes, I realize that today is Wednesday, but we had an unexpected day off of school, so I'm going to start today.

Once a week, hopefully on Mondays, I will blog the scriptures that Karol uses for her Monday Morning Motivations.  I will also list the journal prompts that she uses so we can be thinking together about how to be more positive moms for our kids.

I invite you to read, reflect, and grow with me in the next year.  I also invite you to share your progress on this journey.

Thanks for joining me.  Please recommend my blog to any mom that you think would enjoy this journey as well.