“What’s their Father’s name?”
I never knew what their Father’s name was, I was focused on my friend. I knew you would ask the question and despite my annoyance there was a certain amount of peace that came in knowing you were stepping in.
None of my friends had Dad’s like mine. Most of them had a healthy fear of you – which I liked and didn’t let on that really behind the stern look and growly voice there was always a twinkle in the eyes we share. They never got close enough to see and I liked that too.
Their Father’s name didn’t carry the honor and respect mine did and it wasn’t so much for his name but Our Father’s name that he carried in his heart and in the cross around his neck and in his cool red change purse.
Their Father’s didn’t laugh like mine or dance and jingle like mine either. I didn’t hear any stories from their Dad’s that were timeless and true. Fathers mean family and mine is big and gentle, fiercely loving, and my constant quiet strength.
None else had a Dad that were taller than our doors and loved to play on the floor. I have a love of driving and hunting and fishing and big red trucks with just one seat for six. My seat was the best even though it was near ‘the pits’ because it was warm, safe and smelled good even after cutting wood and catching salamanders all afternoon.
I have grown and I married a man, after I knew ‘his Father’s name’ so you would know it too. The Father’s name that was most important – he shares with you. He is a good Dad and asks our kids often the same questions you asked of me. Our Father has taught us well and we continue to learn more about Him as we watch you walk.
I love to sing and songs mean the world to me. Short little jingles, favorite hymns, Psalms and nursery rhymes. “I love to tell the story.” “Amazing Grace” “Gum on your bed post”. “Girls brush your pearls” “Little house on the prairie” Thank you for all the songs you put in my heart and encouraging me to sing.
“What’s my Father’s Name?” Family. Respect. Peace. Comfort. Quiet. Provider. Truth. Dad.
David Warren Hotchkiss – I share him because he is good enough too
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Peace
Rest Well – It is Well – Rest in Peace
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Being a Mom and Wife are my favorite jobs –chosen career – highest calling. It isn’t anything like what I dreamed it would be.
Sunny days, veggies growing, children growing healthy and strong, time passing slow- like cool evenings spent rocking sleeping babies. Family vacations with all your children happy and traveling well. Plenty of food, time and money for fun, necessities and charity. Always a home full of laughter and love. Any difficulty would be small and happily cared for by my Mother’s kiss and kind words. Kind encouraging music plays softly in the background morning noon and night. Chores are always done as a team, dinner is three course and on time, Sunday is all about God and family. A family that prayed together stays together. Perfectly peaceful.
I have experienced fleeting moments like this dream in my life, but more often than not my days were like the ones my “Mama told me about”. Then there were some months – years like no one ever dreams. Life threatening illness, financial struggles, deteriorating home, job instability, relational stress, character crisis, children with big questions, death of child, parent and grandparents, spiritual battles at church, home, and within. We all have experience a battle for our peaceful home. Battles that are visible to all and Battles within ourselves and the hearts and minds of our family – loss, lies, fear, worry, infidelity, hurt, idols, brokenness.
Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time for War and a time for peace. Jesus warned his disciples that there would be trouble in this world in John 16:33. We see evidence of the battles all around us and within us. We have heard the adage “When Mama ain’t happy, aint no one happy” or “Happy wife, happy life.” There is a lot of pressure and a lot of clout in those phrases.
HOW do we KEEP THE PEACE? The Bible gives us the wisdom we need for planting peace in our homes. James 3
PRAY continuously – for wisdom, our husbands, children, church, community, schools, teachers etc.
EXAMINE ourselves – heart, soul, mind – tone, priorities, Who is king of our heart? Hubby, Self, Job, Children or God? Confess our sin and fill our hearts and mind with truth and wisdom so peace and joy will quickly follow.
ADJUST our thoughts – yield our will/goals/lists - set our mind on things above – whatever Philippians 4:4-9
COMMIT to Memorizing Scripture – spiritual hymns, songs, scripture – Bible App or marker, journal, note cards
EVALUATE our sincerity -the tone in our home moment by moment
Bottom line is – The Peace that passes understanding is a gift from God, given as we trust in Him and His Truth. Then joy bubbles up when we rest in His Peace. There are many verses about peace and most have joy and truth included. All elude to the gift they are from God, Fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5). Peace is something that starts from within and shows up in how we talk and walk. Peacemakers are so closely attuned to God that they are called His children (matthew 5). Isn’t that what we want for our children as well? Children learn by watching us. Is that what they see in us? Peace is also part of the armor (Ephesians 6) we wear to each of these battles we face. Peace helps us to be sure footed and quick, regardless of our weakness we would be strong in Christ to have peace amidst the minefield of life.
Prince of Peace is our God’s name (Is 9:6). We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that God is not a god of disorder but Peace and all His congregation/Family would exude peace as well. Take some time to find a verse or two that you can plant in your heart so when you return to your family you can sow some rows of peace.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Being a Mom and Wife are my favorite jobs –chosen career – highest calling. It isn’t anything like what I dreamed it would be.
Sunny days, veggies growing, children growing healthy and strong, time passing slow- like cool evenings spent rocking sleeping babies. Family vacations with all your children happy and traveling well. Plenty of food, time and money for fun, necessities and charity. Always a home full of laughter and love. Any difficulty would be small and happily cared for by my Mother’s kiss and kind words. Kind encouraging music plays softly in the background morning noon and night. Chores are always done as a team, dinner is three course and on time, Sunday is all about God and family. A family that prayed together stays together. Perfectly peaceful.
I have experienced fleeting moments like this dream in my life, but more often than not my days were like the ones my “Mama told me about”. Then there were some months – years like no one ever dreams. Life threatening illness, financial struggles, deteriorating home, job instability, relational stress, character crisis, children with big questions, death of child, parent and grandparents, spiritual battles at church, home, and within. We all have experience a battle for our peaceful home. Battles that are visible to all and Battles within ourselves and the hearts and minds of our family – loss, lies, fear, worry, infidelity, hurt, idols, brokenness.
Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time for War and a time for peace. Jesus warned his disciples that there would be trouble in this world in John 16:33. We see evidence of the battles all around us and within us. We have heard the adage “When Mama ain’t happy, aint no one happy” or “Happy wife, happy life.” There is a lot of pressure and a lot of clout in those phrases.
HOW do we KEEP THE PEACE? The Bible gives us the wisdom we need for planting peace in our homes. James 3
PRAY continuously – for wisdom, our husbands, children, church, community, schools, teachers etc.
EXAMINE ourselves – heart, soul, mind – tone, priorities, Who is king of our heart? Hubby, Self, Job, Children or God? Confess our sin and fill our hearts and mind with truth and wisdom so peace and joy will quickly follow.
ADJUST our thoughts – yield our will/goals/lists - set our mind on things above – whatever Philippians 4:4-9
COMMIT to Memorizing Scripture – spiritual hymns, songs, scripture – Bible App or marker, journal, note cards
EVALUATE our sincerity -the tone in our home moment by moment
Bottom line is – The Peace that passes understanding is a gift from God, given as we trust in Him and His Truth. Then joy bubbles up when we rest in His Peace. There are many verses about peace and most have joy and truth included. All elude to the gift they are from God, Fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5). Peace is something that starts from within and shows up in how we talk and walk. Peacemakers are so closely attuned to God that they are called His children (matthew 5). Isn’t that what we want for our children as well? Children learn by watching us. Is that what they see in us? Peace is also part of the armor (Ephesians 6) we wear to each of these battles we face. Peace helps us to be sure footed and quick, regardless of our weakness we would be strong in Christ to have peace amidst the minefield of life.
Prince of Peace is our God’s name (Is 9:6). We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 14:33 that God is not a god of disorder but Peace and all His congregation/Family would exude peace as well. Take some time to find a verse or two that you can plant in your heart so when you return to your family you can sow some rows of peace.
Legacy of Love
Legacy of Love – (clip youtube- “Mary comforts Jesus” 1:44)
I have been intrigued lately with Mary, The Mother of Jesus. Mary was a special Mom because of her son. Just like you and I her children made her the mother she was. Mary grew up with a desire to nurture and God saw in her the ability to nurture His Love in His son, Jesus. The innate desire we have to nurture was first born in the love we had for a doll or stuffed animal. As we grew so did our desire and need to nurture. So we added siblings, friends, child care and pet sitting to the avenues we used to nurture.
A legacy, by definition, requires us to give it TO someone. Nurturing is giving of who we are TO others, especially our children. The legacy is born when we allow them to live out what we have nurtured within them. With this comes laughter, dreams and tears of joy.
The giving of ourselves as a Mother may remind us of Paul’s comment in Philippians 2 of being poured out like a drink offering on the service of our children’s faith. Despite feeling drained in every way when our children stumble on pressures and temptations; or we struggle with potty training, driving lessons, first day of school, college or even when we watch them first try out their wings. Who knew two little words could try both our patience and our heart strings – from “I do, I do” to “I do.” The pain of nurturing a little one does not compare to the joy we experience when one day the Legacy of His Love shines in them like stars in the universe and we hear others speak of our children the way Paul spoke of Timothy when he said; “ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2Timothy1:5
We can nurture our dolls and give them to our children with stories to share and add too. Our dolls can not pass on the legacy and thereby give to us the Joy that comes when we have the privilege of watching our Legacy of Love in action.
I could not find a clip that best showed Mary’s moments of joy; when she FOUND young Jesus teaching in the temples, when she heard God say “this is my son with whom I am well pleased”, when she held Jesus and comforted him and later heard him talk about God comforting us like a Mother does their child, but none compared to the day when she heard Him say to her - ‘well done good and faithful servant.”
Our dolls are cherished memories of nurturing born in us and our children - the birth of His Legacy of Love. I share Paul’s prayer that we each may be rooted in His love so that His legacy may grow in our children.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21”
I have been intrigued lately with Mary, The Mother of Jesus. Mary was a special Mom because of her son. Just like you and I her children made her the mother she was. Mary grew up with a desire to nurture and God saw in her the ability to nurture His Love in His son, Jesus. The innate desire we have to nurture was first born in the love we had for a doll or stuffed animal. As we grew so did our desire and need to nurture. So we added siblings, friends, child care and pet sitting to the avenues we used to nurture.
A legacy, by definition, requires us to give it TO someone. Nurturing is giving of who we are TO others, especially our children. The legacy is born when we allow them to live out what we have nurtured within them. With this comes laughter, dreams and tears of joy.
The giving of ourselves as a Mother may remind us of Paul’s comment in Philippians 2 of being poured out like a drink offering on the service of our children’s faith. Despite feeling drained in every way when our children stumble on pressures and temptations; or we struggle with potty training, driving lessons, first day of school, college or even when we watch them first try out their wings. Who knew two little words could try both our patience and our heart strings – from “I do, I do” to “I do.” The pain of nurturing a little one does not compare to the joy we experience when one day the Legacy of His Love shines in them like stars in the universe and we hear others speak of our children the way Paul spoke of Timothy when he said; “ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2Timothy1:5
We can nurture our dolls and give them to our children with stories to share and add too. Our dolls can not pass on the legacy and thereby give to us the Joy that comes when we have the privilege of watching our Legacy of Love in action.
I could not find a clip that best showed Mary’s moments of joy; when she FOUND young Jesus teaching in the temples, when she heard God say “this is my son with whom I am well pleased”, when she held Jesus and comforted him and later heard him talk about God comforting us like a Mother does their child, but none compared to the day when she heard Him say to her - ‘well done good and faithful servant.”
Our dolls are cherished memories of nurturing born in us and our children - the birth of His Legacy of Love. I share Paul’s prayer that we each may be rooted in His love so that His legacy may grow in our children.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21”
“Because I am the Mom!”
That is the phrase I promised myself I would never say. I knew she was the Mom – never questioned it. I never understood how it had relevance in whatever conversation we were having. I have said it once with each of my children out of total exasperation – needing to have the last word in a conversation and put my foot down, that the decision was final. Only with one child did I need to apologetically explain myself in no uncertain terms that if she should ever doubt that fact again and the authority that comes with it - she would force me to repeat it.
Because I am the Mom
I get to carry a new life for 9 months. I get the privilege of learning the heart of another human far before they can fully understand it themselves. I am blessed by the laughter and chaos of children that fill my home and request special things to eat at the most in opportune times of the day.
Because I am the Mom
I am called for relational advice. I am called on in the middle of the night when life doesn’t make sense. I am their nurse and taxi driver, drivers ed teacher, event planner, calendar keeper, cook, baker, teacher, financial counselor, bank, guidance counselor, Sunday school teacher, music teacher, coach, art teacher, interior decorator, landscaper, truant officer, advocate, prayer warrior and keeper of all secrets.
Because I am the Mom
I have sleepless nights. I have a facebook page, Instagram and snap chat. I refuse to be a twit on twitter. I know more about the stress teenagers face than I want them to experience. I understand the importance of graduation parties – empty beds, empty parking spots and an empty fridge. I never knew how much I would like to clean dirty floors, clothes and dishes if it meant the house was full of kids and their friends. I am blessed by their small successes as young adults and for skype and the dreaded technology that invaded my home.
Because I am the Mom
I know that I am not perfect but He works all things together for those that love Him. I know that we won’t always share a home but there is a place in my Father’s house where we will all meet. I know that what I have isn’t always enough to match what I so much want to give. I know how very much I loved them from the moment I knew they were to be but I know He loves them more. This I know and show them daily –
Because she is my Mom.
You will know she is mine because of the dimples in my cheeks, my beautiful hands and nails, how my face turns red for no reason whatsoever and because I cry when I am angry and when I love so much.
Because I am A Mom
I find strength in time spent with other Mom’s. My sisters and cousins are top of the list and my truest friends. We share trials, joys and all that is in between. I know how to be a friend and have the courage to stand firm because I know no matter what they love me, truly. I have learned how to walk, talk, think, laugh and grow by watching and listening to my Grandmothers. To each of these Mom’s I attribute my talents, ailments, tastes and choices - Some of it is DNA and some comes from their mother’s heart.
That is the phrase I promised myself I would never say. I knew she was the Mom – never questioned it. I never understood how it had relevance in whatever conversation we were having. I have said it once with each of my children out of total exasperation – needing to have the last word in a conversation and put my foot down, that the decision was final. Only with one child did I need to apologetically explain myself in no uncertain terms that if she should ever doubt that fact again and the authority that comes with it - she would force me to repeat it.
Because I am the Mom
I get to carry a new life for 9 months. I get the privilege of learning the heart of another human far before they can fully understand it themselves. I am blessed by the laughter and chaos of children that fill my home and request special things to eat at the most in opportune times of the day.
Because I am the Mom
I am called for relational advice. I am called on in the middle of the night when life doesn’t make sense. I am their nurse and taxi driver, drivers ed teacher, event planner, calendar keeper, cook, baker, teacher, financial counselor, bank, guidance counselor, Sunday school teacher, music teacher, coach, art teacher, interior decorator, landscaper, truant officer, advocate, prayer warrior and keeper of all secrets.
Because I am the Mom
I have sleepless nights. I have a facebook page, Instagram and snap chat. I refuse to be a twit on twitter. I know more about the stress teenagers face than I want them to experience. I understand the importance of graduation parties – empty beds, empty parking spots and an empty fridge. I never knew how much I would like to clean dirty floors, clothes and dishes if it meant the house was full of kids and their friends. I am blessed by their small successes as young adults and for skype and the dreaded technology that invaded my home.
Because I am the Mom
I know that I am not perfect but He works all things together for those that love Him. I know that we won’t always share a home but there is a place in my Father’s house where we will all meet. I know that what I have isn’t always enough to match what I so much want to give. I know how very much I loved them from the moment I knew they were to be but I know He loves them more. This I know and show them daily –
Because she is my Mom.
You will know she is mine because of the dimples in my cheeks, my beautiful hands and nails, how my face turns red for no reason whatsoever and because I cry when I am angry and when I love so much.
Because I am A Mom
I find strength in time spent with other Mom’s. My sisters and cousins are top of the list and my truest friends. We share trials, joys and all that is in between. I know how to be a friend and have the courage to stand firm because I know no matter what they love me, truly. I have learned how to walk, talk, think, laugh and grow by watching and listening to my Grandmothers. To each of these Mom’s I attribute my talents, ailments, tastes and choices - Some of it is DNA and some comes from their mother’s heart.
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