Gather Moms

We’ve heard from lots of our MAMAS that they’ve been interrupted by a sickness in their homes. It got us thinking that no matter your season of motherhood, we all face interruptions – unexpected surprises that can wreak chaos on our best-laid plans. Today we’re going to talk about how to see interruptions as opportunities for God to do something only he can do.

We all get interrupted. In fact, you might say that life is a series of interruptions. Our natural response it to see them as negative and frustrating, but maybe they’re an opportunity to trust and ask for God’s help. Jesus was the master of holy interruptions. Rebecca shares one examples from scripture in Luke 8:40-56.

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If we want insight into teens, who better to ask than a high school teacher?! They see it ALL. We loved having Kelly Cavin on this episode as she tells us all about what she sees in her high school classroom. She shares with us what this generation is really good at, where they need the most help and how we, as their moms and adults in their life, can VALUE them.

Kelly does such a good job of enjoying teens, valuing what they have to say and how they think, and teaches us how to do the same.

― Haim Ginott

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Bro! Teenagers. This season of their lives can feel like riding a rollercoaster. They’re also making so many steps toward becoming their adult self like getting their first job, driving and working to make grades that will serve their future well. They are becoming who they will be as adults. As their moms, we want to be their safe place. We want to cheer them on, offer appropriate boundaries and offer coaching at the right times. We’re discussing all of those things in this episode!

Here’s what we hope to remember while raising teens:

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First podcast of 2024! We want to ask the question, “What’s a mom to do in the new year?” Our special guest, Shawna Richardson, cofounder of First Things First Ministries, helps us answer that. She and her husband, David, love to help people spend wisely, be generous, and manage their time for the glory of God. Shawna is also a mom of 4 and homeschools. Well, she calls it hybrid school, because some days they attend classes with other students and teachers. It’s the best of both worlds for their family!

Starting a new year can be overwhelming with all the hype around picking a word and resolutions. Sometimes, as a mom, you just want to continue creating healthy habits and rhythms for your family. Shawna helps us do just that! She encourages us to pick just one thing to focus our mind and energy. There are too many good things out here to tackle them all at once. Ask God to reveal what is most needed for you and your family.

Some of the things we discussed today are:

Shawna’s list includes ‘7 Do’s and Don’ts for your Time and Money in the New Year’ and you can find the rest here!

You can also find more of Shawna’s resources at www.shawnasullivan.com and on social media @shawnasullivan where she often posts ideas and short videos to encourage you in being an intentional mom. Thank you, Shawna, for your practical wisdom on making realistic changes for 2024!

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When I (Rebecca) was young, I remember my dad reading us the Christmas story from the book of Luke but I also remember him reading us another great Christmas classic called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. Today I share an excerpt from it that makes me laugh but also reminds me of the first to hear the news of Jesus’ birth…the shepherds.

I have heard mixed reviews on this group of people. Some say they are outcasts and rejected by society. It was a dirty job tending sheep, spending your days and nights out in the fields and always on the lookout for predators. But then you see God use the metaphor of a ‘shepherd’ throughout scripture. In fact, some of the great heroes of the Bible were shepherds – Moses and King David. There were female shepherdesses too – Rachel (wife of Jacob) and Zipporah (Moses’ wife). There are more than 90 references to a shepherd in the OT and another 23 in the New Testament.

I’m asking all the questions of this amazing moment in history found in Luke 2:8-20.

Why shepherds?

We may feel like shepherds sometimes. Working day and night without much praise or acknowledgement. Leading sheep…I mean, kids, to food and water and keeping them safe from harm. We are tired of doing the same thing day after day and wonder if there is more to life for us. God has a special message just for you because what you do and who you are matters to God. He loves you so much, MAMA.

Isaiah 40:11, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”

Join us for Advent! Find LOOKING FOR JESUS on Gather Moms Patreon. Each day, we’ll release a short episode to help focus our eyes and hearts on Jesus this Christmas season.

ADVENT ON GATHER MOMS PATREON

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Christmas in today’s world has become a machine that cranks out sales, stress and stuff. I love December and the holiday season and every year I wish I had less to do and more time to focus on the important stuff. I almost want to hide away in my house. As we look at Christmas through their eyes today there is someone who did just that, Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.

Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, were very old and childless. Zach heads to Jerusalem to serve in the temple and gets a visit from Gabe. Gosh, this angel has the coolest job – I think we could give him the title of Gender Reveal Angel. Zach questions the angel and is unable to speak until the baby is born. He somehow conveys the message to Elizabeth and scripture says this, “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” (Luke 1:25)

What might have Liz felt in these 5 months of silence and seclusion?

In the 6th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Gabe visits Mary and shares her miracle pregnancy along with her cousin Elizabeth’s miracle baby. Mary heads to visit Liz and we see an incredible moment of generosity from these 2 women. Don’t miss the beauty of this Christmas moment – 2 women, one very old and one very young. Both are pregnant with baby boys, but one would serve the other. Both women would never have grandchildren from these sons and both men would give their lives for the gospel. Both mamas would lose something most precious to them and mourn their firstborn sons. Elizabeth could’ve been jealous of Mary’s opportunity to experience motherhood early on, but she didn’t.

What do we learn from this part of the Christmas story for our lives today?

We also consider the traveling mamas on this episode. I don’t believe Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem for the census. Others had to go too and I’m sure they went in groups because it was safer. What if there were other mamas on the journey with Mary who saw her pregnant state and extended small bits of kindness? It made me consider myself and our lives today. How often are we bustling around, bumping into people, that may have something incredibly significant happening? Do we pass them by because we’re too self-involved or do we stop to take notice of others and help when we can? What can our small tokens of help mean to someone in need? I think Mary experienced some on her journey and she would encourage us to do the same today!

Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Join us for Advent! Find LOOKING FOR JESUS on Gather Moms Patreon. Each day, we’ll release a short episode to help focus our eyes and hearts on Jesus this Christmas seaosn.

ADVENT ON GATHER MOMS PATREON

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What if we could sit down with Joseph, the angel Gabriel and Mary’s mom to ask them what that first Christmas was like? That’s exactly what we’re trying to do in this episode as we consider the anticipation of Jesus’ birth and all that happened once he was born.

Joseph models for us what it looks like to walk into the unknown clinging to what we know. He believed what the angel promised him, he knew what the Bible said about the Messiah and he took the next right step of faith even when he didn’t know how it would all work out.

Joseph was willing to look foolish for Jesus. He was willing to put aside his name, his reputation, even his rights in order to obey God. His life was interrupted but instead of pushing back, he allowed the holy interruption to change his and our world.

We also talked about Mary’s mom this episode. We don’t know much about her or how she would have handled the news about Mary’s pregnancy but we do know how we hoped she would respond and how we hope we would do when our teenagers come to us with news we weren’t expecting.

We’re excited to talk about the Christmas story with all of you during the month of December!

Join us for Advent! Find LOOKING FOR JESUS on Gather Moms Patreon. Each day, we’ll release a short episode to help focus our eyes and hearts on Jesus this Christmas seaosn.

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If your child is on a sports team, your school is doing a fundraiser or a reading challenge, or your place of worship needs a donation, discounted meal or free meal vouchers, you need to check out canesandcommunity.com. Create a profile and enter your request. Someone from their team will reach out to you and they can even work with you to help get creative about what may be best for your organization.

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Our children are navigating cultural issues earlier and younger. As their moms, we need to be a safe place where they can ask questions and we can work with them to have a biblical worldview. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean we have to have all the answers right away. We can tell our kids we need a day or some time to consider and get back with them. It does mean, though, that we need to have open lines of communication, be engaged with what they are learning outside of our homes and be willing to lean in on tough issues.

We want to equip our children to have the tools they need to recognize what is true, what is false and how to respond in a way that honors God. We are not alone in this endeavor and we are so thankful at Gather Moms for Mama Bear Apologetics and the work they are doing to equip mamas so we can equip our children.

Check out these resources from Mama Bear Apologetics:

Mama Bear Apologetics Website

Mama Bear INSTAGRAM

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Canes and Community

If your child is on a sports team, your school is doing a fundraiser or a reading challenge, or your place of worship needs a donation, discounted meal or free meal vouchers, you need to check out canesandcommunity.com. Create a profile and enter your request. Someone from their team will reach out to you and they can even work with you to help get creative about what may be best for your organization.

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As our kids grow, they start asking about their bodies and it can catch us off guard! That first time in the bath tub when they ask us what a body part is called or where babies come from can leave us stuttering because we often aren’t sure what to say or how to say it. In this interview with Mary Flo Ridley and Megan Michelson from The Birds and The Bees, they give us the language to use and the why behind it. We’re so thankful for the wisdom and candor and comfort in saying the words that make us blush!

Check out these resources from The Birds and The Bees:

WEBSITE HERE

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BIRDS AND BEES INSTAGRAM

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We’d love your support this Giving Tuesday. Click HERE to give and be entered to win one of our amazing giveaways.

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Canes and Community

If your child is on a sports team, your school is doing a fundraiser or a reading challenge, or your place of worship needs a donation, discounted meal or free meal vouchers, you need to check out canesandcommunity.com. Create a profile and enter your request. Someone from their team will reach out to you and they can even work with you to help get creative about what may be best for your organization.

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Welcome to the Middle School Moms Support Group! In this season of motherhood, our pre-teens can’t decide if they want us close or as far away as possible. It’s a struggle for independence but also support. We’re calling this episode the Middle Season for a reason; the in between of childhood and adolescence. Our kids are experiencing new schedules, body changes, a bigger social scene and more opportunities. The weight is heavy on their minds, bodies and hormones.

Rebecca shares a story from the Bible about God’s chosen people wandering through the desert with their fearless leader, Moses. Moses is a kindred spirit to us mamas. He didn’t just have 2 boys of his own, he had 2 million Israelites…whining teenagers…to oversee for 40 years. The similarities are blaring! As they stood on the edge of the Promised Land, the people buckled under fear and distrust. Scripture says their children would suffer for their faithlessness. Instead of claiming the victory God promised, they would experience waiting and death.

MAMAS, we can’t be fearful of what middle school presents us and our kids. We can’t distrust that the God who has gotten us this far won’t take us through this desert too. Instead of stepping back to wait it out, let’s lean in and parent hard. Let’s stand in faith FOR our kids when they’re searching for who they are. We can talk about the hard topics, and we can limit social media. The age-old argument still rings loud in 2023: Everybody gets to do this but me! Wrong. You ask God what’s best for your child and then stand firm when they winds and tantrums blow.

This is my prayer for our middle school warriors – “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. ” Numbers 14:24

Great article on the middle school years here.

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Canes and Community

If your child is on a sports team, your school is doing a fundraiser or a reading challenge, or your place of worship needs a donation, discounted meal or free meal vouchers, you need to check out canesandcommunity.com. Create a profile and enter your request. Someone from their team will reach out to you and they can even work with you to help get creative about what may be best for your organization.

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