Sometimes I feel like I am fighting a battle when it comes to raising my children. No, not sometimes, all the time! I often forget that there is an enemy out there fighting for their little hearts and for my heart also. I get so caught up In the dailiness of raising them, disciplining them, training them and teaching them, I often forget that we are battling our own flesh while dodging the fiery darts of the enemy!
As I spend time with the Lord each morning, it is then that I “gear up” and am ready to face my day! I put on the full armor of God so that I am not shot down in the middle of my day.

This battle comes in many shapes and sizes. It comes as attitude or rebellion. It comes as sibling rivalry or selfishness. It comes as laziness or procrastination. However it comes, it definately comes! But I know that the harder I fight, in the strength and power of Jesus, the battle will surly be won.

One day my children will have children of their own and I like to think of all I am doing now as sort of, paving the way for them. The harder I fight in our home to accomplish things in their lives, maybe it will just be a natural thing for them to do with their children. I am sure there will be many battles they will have to fight, but maybe my sacrifices with make their parenting, just that much sweeter? The Lord is faithful and no matter how tired or how beat up I feel, the battle belongs to the Lord! He will fight for us and through us and in us! Don't forget to meet with Him each and every day, He's got the battles plans!

HATS

As women, we go through life wearing many many different hats! If you are young, you will someday wear at least some of these hats. Chances are, you wear the hat of being a daughter. Being a daughter comes with its responsibilities, though it may just be the easiest hat to wear out of all of them!

You may wear the hat of being a wife. Many wonderful responsibilities come with that hat-some difficult and some VERY fun! The next hat you may wear could be the wonderful ministry of being a mother! This hat we know has a mysterious way of bringing an incredible a

mount of joy and also carries its share of tears too! It amazes me how we as mothers must do all we can in some moments to not hang those little ones by their toes- and yet, as they lay sleeping, quiet and peaceful, our hearts are overwhelmed with an incredible amount of love! Then they wake up the next day and its amazing how as early as 7 am you find yourself crying out “Oh God do not be far from me-o my God, make haste to help me!” yet we must never forget our very important job of training these little ones as “through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious promises”. We carry on because we hold to those great and precious promises” of children one day rising up and calling us Blessed. The next hat we wear is called “homemaker." Cleaning,cooking,cleaning,cooking,cleaning cooking, day after day! And though many days pass without a single “thank you” we remember our Lord who is known in His word as “the God who sees”. He knows, He sees and he loves those devoted mothers!

The next hat we wear is the hat called “servant”. This hat represents everything we do at home or out of our homes. In the church, our ministries, our service here or there. You may extend your hand to the poor or reach out to the needy. You may use your gifts and talents to bless your church-nevertheless, you are a servant.

Another hat, I have not yet worn, but many of you in this room surly know and can testify to the blessings of wearing the hat called “grandmother”! The many wonderful years of walking with the lord and seeing his faithfulness cause you to be filled to overflowing with the wonderful riches of simply knowing Jesus as your savior. The legacy and godly heritage will touch lives from generation to generation. So be encouraged, your labor has not been in vein! The older shall teach the younger! And boy do we want to learn!

Most of us would agree that no matter what hat we wear (and there are many more I did not even get to) we want the Lords blessing and direction on our lives. Psalm 90:17 says “and let the beauty of the Lord be upon us and establish the work of our hands. Yes, establish the work of our hands!”

well, I do know one thing, that when my eyes are on eternity, I can wear all these hats and more and still be full of joy and gladness and thankfulness. You see one day, we will wear an even greater more beautiful hat- the crown of glory. And though we will cast it down before our savior, we will wear that crown if we keep on running this race as victorious women daughters,mothers,homemakers, servants and grandmothers(to name a few),-who love the Lord and finish well. 1^st peter 5:4 and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of glory that does not fade away.

PIECES OF MY HEART

It is my understanding that most of us moms are in the same boat! We are learning, we are growing, we are seeking the Lord..as we strive to be loving mommies to our little sweeties! God has given us an amazing job,in taking care of these precious treasures and raising them to be strong soldiers for Christ. As mommies we long to see our children grow and count for the things of the Lord.
So my prayer is that this blog will bless and encourage any mommy out there who needs it!
May we never "grow weary while doing good" as we look forward to all the Lord will accomplish in us and through us!

So be encouraged and strengthened today because"He who has called you is faithful, who will also do it!"I Thessalonians 5:24

Leanne