The Power of a Positive Mom

I've been trying to read through this book for over a year, but have yet to finish. I tend to read 4-5 books at one time. Sometimes the books grab me and I devour them and sometimes, I get stuck on a book like this for a long time. I read a chapter and then come back and reread it. Sometimes I get sidetracked. And, just recently, I found it again after our last move. Now that I'm back to it, I'm totally engrossed (once more).

So, what did I learn from Chapter One?

• Carol Ladd wrote, "Motherhood transforms naive, inexperienced young ladies into wise, accomplished women who command respect." Before Sarah was born, I did not know what career I wanted. I started working at Capital One to earn more money. Not once did I ever have a deep passion for selling credit cards. There was a part of me that knew a perfect job existed, but I never could figure out what that was. Once Sarah was born, I just knew that I was meant to be a mom. It's hard to explain but I firmly believed that that was the job for me.
• My worth - Even on days where the whole family is sick and I still have to get up and cook dinner, I wouldn't trade my job for the world. According to the book, if I received a monetary pay check, I would be getting over $500,000 a year. While I wouldn't mind getting paid that, I can't say that I'd go back to my working mom life. It's such an amazing gift to be able to stay at home and care for my children. I love having the time to volunteer at Sarah's school and care for the kids when they are sick. It's hard work sometimes, but I'm grateful that I can show them my love through serving their needs.
• Deuteronomy 6:4-7 - Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.------- I've always heart the love the Lord your God portion but never the rest of it. Each day, I need model and instruct my kids in loving the Lord and obeying his commands.
• "Exciting things in life" - Being a mom is not always glamorous In fact, it rarely is. I miss the intellectual interactions that I had at work. I miss being responsible for multi-million dollar projects and troubleshooting design issues. I miss trying to figure out how to mail impossible packages and I miss going to college. But, I would miss making Sarah's day by having lunch at her school or going on a field trip or caring for her and Ashton when they were sick a whole lot more. My time will come again to go to school and work. Right now, I've got the most important job in the world. I pray I can remember to cherish it even on the toughest days.
• Who is paying me in the end? God. He's storing up my treasure in heaven. I hope when that time comes, he'll say "Well done" My purpose is to raise my children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. God has placed precious children in my care and it's my job to mold them into loving caring adults. My witness with affect them for the rest of their lives.
• Be Humble - I need to remember that I can not always be there for my kids. Only God can. There will be many times as they grow that I will have to step back and let God lead them or let my husband or another person walk with them through certain situations. In doing so, I will allow my children to grow into the people God has meant for them to be.