Am I excited? You betcha.
The longest pregnancy in the history of the world is about to end. Delivery date is near, about June 7th, and I'm getting anxious to hold my "baby" in my arms, um, hands. I already know this one will not look a bit like my husband or me.
But anyone who takes a good long look will know she's mine.
Maybe you already guessed I'm talking about my new book. Want a sneak peek at the cover? Here she is--and I think she's beautiful.
She has a rather long name. Godly Moms: Strength from the Inside Out.
Somehow these days being a mother seems to get less respect. Think of that expression, "I'm just a mom."
As if. As if any mom is "just" anything.
During the growing-up years of our four girls, I wasn't sure. Now I have a longer perspective. We moms leave our imprint on our children, sure, but also on generations yet to be born.
That's not a "just!"
Now I know by experience as well as by faith that when we struggle and stumble and pray, "Help me, please!" God hears. He helps us through.
Godly Moms is the book I yearned for, but never found
This is my fifth book, but the first time I've had such a clear sense I had to write it.
That's because I talk to many moms, wonderful moms, who are trying with all that's in them to be good mothers. They often feel so immersed in motherhood they fear they're losing who they are and imagine any flunkie could do what they do.
I well remember that feeling.
Now I know for sure that being a mom matters more than any mom ever knows while she's in the middle of the hectic years and falling into bed every night, exhausted.
My passion is for moms to understand this in-the-midst, rather than later on as they look back.
In my small way I want this book to provide the reassurance I so much longed to have.
A mom has lasting influence
What's more, we get to choose whether that will be positive or negative.
God puts us moms and our children together. That's just as true for mothers who adopt and with stepmoms.
Someone reading this is saying, "You wouldn't talk that way if you had my child. That kid is driving me crazy!"
Oh yes I would. I walked that same stormy path for years and prayed for strength all day, every day. That's why I read and studied about parenting and family relationships, which turned out to be a great blessing.
At the time I didn't realize how much I was growing within myself and in faith and knowledge. You might say our daughters provided me with an ongoing personal growth program and I wouldn't trade those years for anything. Truly, I thank God for them--and for our family.
Godly Moms: Strength from the Inside Out. What's that all about?
Maybe it sounds intimidating to you. Not to worry.
A "godly mom" is a Christian mom who teaches her children to love Jesus and treats them with love, kindness and encouragement.
"Strength from the inside out" means she knows the source of the help and strength it takes to rear children. She wants her kids to know that same inner strength and possess it as well.
It's as 2 Corinthians 3:5 ((ESV) puts it:
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.
By the way, that verse applies to me writing Godly Moms, too. I await its "birth" with a thankful and humble heart and pray it will be a blessing.
With love from another mom,
Lenore
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