The Gentleness Challenge

   Good Morning, I hope this new day finds you in good spirits.  Yesterday I mentioned that for the new  year I am going to be a more gentle mother to my children.  I hate to admit this, but I am very quick to anger and I yell a lot.  Sadly it doesn't take much to make the mean mommy come out.  And as soon as the ugly and hateful words are said, I immediately feel terribly guilty and want to crawl under a rock.  Most of the time I can feel it about to explode yet I do nothing it to prevent it.  It's definitely the #1 thing I hate about myself. 

   Our children are gifts from GOD and how dare I treat my sweet babies like this...  I can't remember the first time I 'lost it'.  But I'm sure it was over something silly or trivial.  My kids have done the normal, naughty things like draw and write on the walls, hit each other, call each other names, etc...  I can honestly say that I have truly wonderful kids and they have never deserved to witness my anger. 

  I am sharing this with you because I am linking up with http://www.womenlivingwell.org/ and joining the Gentleness Challenge.  During the month of January we are humbly embarking 'on a Gentleness Challenge for mommy’s everywhere who struggle with raising their voices to their children, scowling, speaking in rapid fire foolish words or lecturing in anger.' 

   Please visit www.womenlivingwell.org and read the first post.  Grab the button and link it to your blog and please share the challenge with your mommy friends.  As Courtney has written, 'Let’s focus this January on dealing gently with our children. Touch them gently, use their names gently, use your words gently, slow down and be loving, kind, and gracious.'



Lord, give me the eyes to see you in my children,
your heart to love them and your gentleness to help them grow.

Give me your wisdom to guide them,
and your strength when I need to let them go.
Amen

Blessings, Serra

I am so grateful she's mine

   My friend Tonia, visit her at My Little Life , challenged me to post here daily for 31 days. I've been brainstorming about how I should proceed. Should I do a series, plan something each day or just see where I feel led???  I've decided that in order to stay true to the chaos that is my blessed life, there should be no rhyme or reason. Variety is the spice of life...

 So after a rough night with the baby, grocery shopping with my favorite 5 year old, and a great dinner cooked by the hubs, I was finally able to sit down and collect my thoughts.  Then this beautiful girl caught my attention

   I absolutely love this kid to pieces.  I love how she loses herself in a book, how she likes to sing at the top of her lungs & doesn't care what other may think.  She loves to help in the kitchen and is the best big sister to her siblings. I thank GOD for my children everyday, but especially her. (They were some complications during her birth and she was dangerously close to being a stillborn.) 
 What are you grateful for? I know what you're going to say, my spouse, jobs, family, kids... But what specifically? 

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Psalm 127:3

Remember to be thankful for your children, they grow up too fast.

   ~Serra