Mommy Lesson 24 - Just Keep on Growing

Today's post isn't really a Mommyhood lesson. But it is something I thought about today and I am a mommy so it still counts as a Mommy Lesson.
This morning I took the camera out to see what I could see. Being alone with my camera is one of the ways I like to recharge, it's fun to try to see things through the lens that I would probably not see.



One of the things I found were some new baby pumpkins growing. I am so in awe of this because a few weeks ago we had a crazy hail storm. The hail was the size of golf balls and really did some damage to the garden. We were able to salvage a few of the pumpkins but the plants looked like they were done after that.

I am so impressed by the determination of this plant. We had already gotten more pumpkins off of it than we expected and now it is growing more. To take a beating like that hail storm - seriously it left huge holes in all our Rubbermaid garbage can lids among other damage - and to keep on growing is tough. The rest of the plants just couldn't keep going. My poor garden looks like a war zone except for these pumpkins. (And some artichoke plants that didn't grow all season long and the seeds just sprouted last week out of no where.)

That's all hail not snow. It hailed like that for over a half hour.

I think that is how we need to be. The storm comes and we take a beating. But in the end the sun comes back out and we have a choice to make. Do we shrivel up and die or do we choose to keep on growing?



To keep on growing is the hard way to go because it takes determination. But in the end the hard work pays off and we will grow up to be a beautiful pumpkin (metaphorically speaking of course) even if we have a few battle scars. That's a testimony right there. And to show your kids that it doesn't matter what life throws at you, you will still grow and thrive is a great lesson for them.

Mommyhood - Keep Walking

Baby G is walking! She is walking everywhere now. It was just Tuesday when she took her first step. Now she walks across the room without realizing she is not holding onto anything. She of course still falls a lot and I am constantly making sure she has not injured herself at all, but every time she falls, she gets back up and starts again.

I was thinking about that today. As I was helping her after she hit her nose and she recomposed herself and started walking again. I was reminded about our relationship with God and how many times we fall as we are learning how to walk in Him. Having figured out the basics of Christian living, I am no longer cruising along holding onto the furniture. I am taking my steps. I am learning new steps everyday and the Lord leads me into a closer walk. But, here is the big question: do I get back up when I fall? Or, do I wallow in my fall and give up?

God does not get angry with us when we fall just as I do not get mad at Gia when she falls. I pick her up and make sure she is okay and then help her to start again. I expect that she will fall, heck even us adults fall occasionally and we have this walking thing figured out. God knows that we will fall. That is why Christ came and that is why we are saved by grace not by what we can do or how well we can do it. When she is walking, I cheer her on. When she reaches her destination without falling, I congratulate her. God does the same with us. He is right there cheering us on and congratulating us when we succeed.

How many times do we forget that God is our Abba Daddy? He is cheering us on, and we forget and become ashamed when we mess up. However, being ashamed is not of God, it is of the enemy. Satan knows that if we are ashamed, we will hide from God just like Adam and Eve did in the garden. It is a weapon of the enemy that is easily defeated if we will just let God pick us up and cheer us on.

Psalm 121:7&8 (NKJV)

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

**A little note “preserve” means “to keep safe from harm or injury; protect or spare.” According to Dictionary.com**

Ephesians 2:4-10 (NKJV)

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Mommyhood Perseverance

As mentioned in a previous blog, Vincenzo does not eat salads; in fact, there are very few produce items he will eat. Every meal I prepare includes some type of produce. I encourage my kids to eat as healthy as they can, in spite of several little systems of sticker charts to see how much they are eating in each food group and always talking about how healthy fruits and vegetables are, I still cannot convince my son to eat a lot of produce. We do not really ever do dessert in our house, except very occasionally. I refuse to use dessert as a reward for eating healthy food. I do not want to encourage the kids to eat everything on their plate no matter how full they get just so they can eat something they will enjoy more. As parents, Mario and I feel it important not to teach our kids to overeat but to eat until they are no longer hungry. Our rule has always been we make the meals - you can choose to eat it or choose to be hungry. Okay, so I set everyone up for the happenings tonight at dinner. We had pizza as I decided not to cook tonight. I included raw baby carrots for dinner so a vegetable would be eaten. I did not expect Vincenzo to eat his carrots as I have only seen him eat one since he turned 3 years old when he boycotted all fruits and veggies. Tonight - HE ATE THEM ALL!!!!! Yep he joyfully ate all the carrots. I have been persevering in this for a long time. I have always been very stubborn to make anything work. I was seriously starting to think that my son is more stubborn than I am. However, today he decided to eat the carrots all by himself without me begging him to eat just one. I persevered and saw the reward.

I have been teaching my kids to persevere in everything. I am always encouraging them to finish the job, project, or whatever until it is done. With anything, it is easier to convince them to finish something fun over something not as fun. Sometimes they will want to quit a board game before the end but I am there telling them they need to finish, just for the principle of teaching them to “keep on keeping on” (to quote Veggie Tales). It is important always to finish everything in life. I want them to be known as people who keep their word. I know that if they are finishers in everything then they will be known for being reliable in adulthood. Another way they can emulate Jesus in everyday life.

I am so glad that Jesus finished everything. What if he decided he just could not go through with dying for our sins? How scary of a thought is that?!? We would all be destined for eternal damnation. However, Jesus is so much a finisher that he suffered through torture and death so that we may always be forgiven. He is a “man of his word” too, he did just has he promised and conquered death 3 days later! I know I still need to work on persevering in everything. Mommyhood is good at teaching me to persevere. To get up every 2-3 hours to feed the baby and still wake up in the morning to take care of the other munchkins. To keep doing laundry even though it seems like that will never have an ending (the dishes have that same problem). And most importantly, to keep on keeping on teaching and training my kids no matter how hard it may be. I will never stop training them to be responsible people who are living Bibles for all to “read.” I know in the grand scheme of things my son eating some carrots is not that huge but, the underlying factor that he knows I will always be consistent and will not give up on training him is so huge. It is another example he can remember when he thinks about how I will not give up on him - more importantly is that he is learning how God will not give up on him.

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Hebrews 10:35 & 36

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

2 Thessalonians 3:5