Delighted Motherhood

Flying with kids is hard.

One of my favorite lines from the memoir Cheaper by the Dozen (published in 1948) is when the dad (who has been serving in Washington during WWI) asks the mom about her travels with their kids from eastcoast to westcoast to visit her parents.

“It was fine, dear. But next time, you take the children to California and I’ll go to war.”

Hilarious and relatable. 

Flying is by no means something everyone should feel compeled to do. It is both time consuming and expensive. If you do fly, don’t feel discouraged if it's really rough.After flying solo with Daniel when he was 11 months old I got to my accommodations, turned out the light, climbed into bed and sobbed. 

We all need to give ourselves and our kids buckets of grace and not be discouraged when things go haywire. <3 

If and when things do go wrong remember, every person on that plane was a baby once and 97 percent of people will be kind. Even if your baby screams the entire time, you’ve made it! You’re at  your fun destination and God has given you an opportunity to rely on Him! Win, win. 

Because both sets of our grandparents live on the westcoast, I fly a good amount. But, by God’s grace, flying isn’t something I dread anymore. I mostly travel with my husband although I probably travel solo about twenty percent of the time. 

My two main goals are survival and grace. In order to walk towards those goals I like to remember the Four Ps.

Pray, Plan, Be Productive, Persevere

It’s Fall time! It seems like the majority of us love it. And really what’s not to like! It’s a time for lots of good food, reading, campfires, leaf piles, and delicious smells. 

Daniel 2:21 says: “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding”

God has given us the seasons and they are lovely! Fall ought to be a time of wonder and a time that we marvel at the Lord who holds the planets in motion, who causes the earth to orbit the sun to give us the distinctions of Spring. Summer, Fall and Winter.

How can we cultivate a love for God through embracing the changing seasons and how we can invite our families into deeper worship through celebrating all the lovely delights of fall?

How can we get our families outside more during this time?

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Eryn Lynum is a certified Master Naturalist, Bible teacher, national speaker, and author. Eryn lives in Northern Colorado with her husband, Grayson, and their four children, whom they homeschool—mainly in the great outdoors. Eryn has has been featured on FamilyLife Today, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Christian Parenting, MOPS International, Bible Gateway, Her View From Home, and For Every Mom. Every opportunity she gets, she is out exploring God’s creation with her family and sharing the adventures. To learn more about Eryn, visit ErynLynum.com.

Check out her new books Made to Marvel & Where Wonder Leads!

In my limited experience, little boys only stay little for so long and then they very quickly start pretending they are men. They drive trucks, dig holes and find sticks to turn into swords. You could simply say, boys will be boys. But in a very real sense they are practicing manhood and in particular they seem to be looking for examples of strength to imitate. 

It’s not that boys aren’t concerned with beauty –my boys are all amazing at picking flowers for me and definitely know how to make a room lovely. But from very young ages, I’ve noticed my four boys admiring strength and looking for chances to practice grit, tenacity, and courage. 

Our goal is ultimately to raise godly men –but what does a godly man look like? What characteristics are distinctively masculine in a Biblical sense? What makes a boy strong? And what sort of character qualities should we be looking to cultivate in our boys?

Four reasons I love homeschooling.

(As a second generation homeschooler.)

• Christian Instruction 
• Academic Rigor
• Family Connection 
• Flexible Lifestyle 

NOTE: Every family is different. Homeschooling isn’t right for everyone!! What’s good for one family might not be the best for another!! It is so sweet to enjoy the freedom to seek the Lord for guidance in what in each specific circumstance. <3 

Christian Instruction: 

I want to pass down to my children the faith that dwells in me. 

“ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” -2 Timothy 1:5 

We cannot save our kids, but we can teach them what is true. Homeschooling gives me an additional 1,200 hours a year to declare to them the good news. 

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:14–15)

Academic Rigor

God spoke and it came to be, described himself as the word made flesh, and has preserved his holy word through sacred writings (the Bible.) He is an orderly and faithful God who does not change. (2+2=4 anyone?)

When we train our minds to make sense of words and language, of order and logic, we enable ourselves to make sense of his world and more fully participate in the great, glorious, and holy conversation of knowing Him and making him known. 

As a homeschooler, I can be a student of children and determine the best materials to begin them on a lifelong pursuit of learning. 

“ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” - Deuteronomy 6:5

Family Connection 

I want my kids home with me. I also want them to be home with each other. I can’t force my kids to be friends. Sometimes kids will grow to be best friends and sometimes they won’t. But I can seek to order our time in ways that foster sibling friendships. 

Flexible Lifestyle 

Homeschooling means we get to (mostly) determine our schedule based on what is most lifegiving for our particular family. As a kid, I grew up riding horses and climbing mountains. I wasn’t hustled off to school. Instead, I spent hours upon hours playing outside. 

Harvard Medical School writes that free play shapes a child's brain — and bestows a lifetime of benefits. Research reveals the role of unstructured play in learning, self-regulation, and creativity. 

If my kids are in school –even a lovely Christian school –they are by necessity going to have less time at home to play and a more rigid schedule. 

Your objective as a rhythm maker is to fight against the “patterns of this world” and consider how to use the regular cycles of your day/week to advance the values that are most precious to you. 

How can a woman intentionally direct lifegiving rhythms in her home?

1. Recognize that homemaking (and ordering your time) is a uniquely high calling.  (Genesis 2, 1 Peter 3, Titus 2) 
   1. Homemakers are tasked with tending to a dwelling that is intended to be a reflection of heaven.That is a HIGH calling!
   2. As women, we are especially commissioned on earth with being keepers at home. As you cultivate a beautiful and sacred home you are cultivating a place that will hopefully reflect our heavenly home and draw others to long for our Heavenly Father.
2. Plan in the short term and the long term 
   1. Consider long term goals/ priorities and then consider what daily rhythms would help move forward those aims. In order to form godly habits we have to have “imaginations that have absorbed a vision for how things ought to be.”
3. Where would those routines most naturally flow in the daily rhythm of my day?
4. Consider goals that are geared towards faithfulness not accomplishment.
5. Remember nothing you do is invisible to God! He saw you faithfully clean the bathroom and waste a naptime scrolling.

Edith Schaeffer once stated, “Time cannot be used over again. Time cannot be taken to the cleaners and brought back as good as new, to be used another way. The use of time is a very permanent thing… Time moves from the present tense into the past tense very relentlessly. Childhood cannot be used over again for another set of preparations nor a different set of memories.”

“Look carefully at how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15)

1. Invite your husband into the planning process. 
   1. Although I might say I am complimentarian in theory, sometimes I don’t act like it.
   2. God designed motherhood to occur in a marriage. Although sadly that isn’t a reality for some, many of us are married. 
   3. Men were created by God to lovingly lead. Do we give our husbands chances to do that? Or do we assume we understand the situation better?
2. Utilize tools that provide structure, accountability, and flexibility. 
   1. A variety of tools can help us practice godly rhythms. We ought to remember that the natural bent of this world is towards disorder, we will be prone to sin, and the life of a mom changes day to day. Thus when considering tools look for systems that will provide you structure, accountability, and flexibility. 
      1. Structure: 
         1. Proverbs 24:27 encourages us, “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” 
         2. We don’t live haphazardly. Get your plans and your materials sorted and then go about the work of pattern forming.
         3. D.A. Carson stated, “we don’t drift towards holiness.”
      2. Accountability: 
         1. Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
         2. Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” 
         3. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
         4.  Proverbs 27:10 "Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house on the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away". 
         5. Pray for true friends who can share in your life rhythms and provide faithful accountability. 
      3. Flexibility: 
         1. James 4:13-15a “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” –yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 
         2. Doesn’t every mom with a spoiled afternoon nap know this to be true!! Be flexible, hold your plans before the Lord, and trust that he will order your steps. <3 

Our Heavenly Father is making us new creations through the power of Jesus. We aren’t saved through our daily patterns anymore than my sweet four year old becomes my son through his obedience. In the same way, let us be careful to remember that salvation is through faith in Christ alone. We are secure as his beloved, delighted in children.  However, like a loving father trains his son to obey for his good, so our Heavenly Father is training in holiness for our good. May our daily patterns, routines, and rhythms bring us closer to our gracious and loving Father.

Memorizing Scripture is something our kids often do at Sunday school and VBS, but is it something we should do too? 

Although memorization is more challenging for adults, our hearts and brains are far more capable than we realize. 

Have you ever felt like you just don’t have the right words to say to a friend who is struggling? Or don’t know how to respond when your child acts out? 

Listen in for an encouraging and highly practical conversation with Jess Travis, mom to two and pediatric nurse practitioner, about the value of hiding God’s word in our hearts every day. 

Several weeks ago I to watch my almost 9-year-old and almost 7-year-old ascended a 50 foot rock wall and it was equip. I was so proud of them for working so hard and having the courage to keep on going even when it was scary!! 

But what I’m most especially thankful for is that harness! Because my kids were wearing the right equipment, they were protected during the activity. Even though it was objectively a very scary, they were quite safe. If they slipped or fell their very capable Uncle Kyle or Aunite Yuvika would catch them.

Similarly, as Christians, God calls us to put on the armor of God so that we will be protected. 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.“ -Ephesians 6:10-13

Each day as we read the Word of God we are putting on our armor so we will be protected as we scale our mountains. Today I am joined by Katie Faris who will be walking us through the importance of devotional Bible study and quick strategies for doing it well.

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Katie Faris is a pastor’s wife and mother to five children. She is the author of multiple books, including Every Hour I Need You: 30 Meditations for Moms on the Character of God and God Is Still Good: Gospel Hope and Comfort for the Unexpected Sorrows of Motherhood. She worships at Sovereign Grace Church in Marlton, New Jersey. Learn more at her website or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.

As mothers, we are all called to teach the Word of God faithfully and handle Scripture rightly. Sometimes that teaching will be informal, and other times it will be more structured. It may look like applying biblical truth in everyday moments, leading family devotions, teaching a Sunday school lesson, or facilitating a Bible study.

In any context, teachers are held to a high standard. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It is powerful and effective. Just as we would handle a weapon with caution, we should handle Scripture with care. Many—both children and adults—have been led astray when teachers mishandled or twisted a passage to suit their own purposes.

Today, we are going to talk about how to equip ourselves to teach the Bible faithfully by understanding context, staying tethered to the text, and preparing appropriately.

We likely will not have time to study Scripture this way every day, though we should be reading it devotionally each day. Still, we probably have more time than we think to devote to serious study.

I do not think it is an accident that God describes Himself as the Word and has revealed Himself through a collection of divinely inspired books. He has made us in His image. We are thinking people, and it is good and right to stretch our minds as we learn to handle the Word of God faithfully.

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Shelly Pelletier has been married for 32 years, has three grown children and five grandchildren. She's a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and has been teaching kids in church in various roles since she was 16 years old and has been leading formal women's groups for over 25 years. 

She's an expert in helping people of all ages understand and apply the Word of God and today she will walk us through the basics of preparing to teach the Bible faithfully. 

Going to church with my five little kids can sometimes feel like wrangling monkeys –very dear little monkeys –but little monkeys that have been known to spill the coffee all over the pew in front of us and then shriek in terror at the act. (Nothing to see here, people. Normal Sunday.)

Matt Merker in his book Corporate Worship argues, “A church service is one of the primary settings in which believers speak the truth to one another. When we recite a creed or read a scripture aloud together, or sing a song or vocalize amen after a prayer, we’re not just following the service leaders directions we are disciplining one another in building up the body to maturity.”

My biggest and strongest piece of advice is simply to go to church. Just go! In every season of motherhood (and every season of life) there will be conflicts with attending church. If you have little babies there is a very good chance your service will happen during naptime. If you have kids in sports it is extremely likely there will be games that conflict with your ability to attend the service. If you have family from out of town staying with you there is a reasonable chance they may pressure you to stay home from church so you have more time with them.

But, Jesus didn’t think attending church was just causally important. He considered it vital and organized the christian life around it. When we place our church attendnece first we are saying that our spiritual condition is more important than naps, sports, or family relationships. If others don’t understand that, it is a chance for us to teach them.

In honor of Father's Day, listen in for a slightly exaggerated but hilarious story about the Magic of Sleepy Ridge.

When a disgruntled doorknob decides he's done being taken for granted, Mom and the kids are trapped outside. There's only one person who can rescue them: Dad.

This story is my reflection of the everyday faithfulness of my dear husband. Often, I can get caught up with everything I'm doing and forget the quiet ways James serves, leads, protects and provides for our family. 

"Sometimes the things and the people that matter most to us we can simply take for granted. Like having a Dad who is funny and kind, adventurous and responsible, and who is willing to stop what he is doing in the middle of a busy fall workday to trudge up the stairs and free his family from exile from the Sunroom. So the next time you turn a doorknob, move freely throughout the country without fear of execution or arrest, or walk into your Dad’s basement office, remember that these are some pretty remarkable things. True gifts from God. 

Doorknobs.

Democracy.

Dad.

So don’t take them for granted."