Tag Archives: Parenting

Happy Birthday to My Eldest!

April 3, 2014Christianity, mom, motherhood, Parenting, UncategorizedAbba Father, encouragement for moms, God's plans, Parenting, TEACHER MOM, Unconditional love, unconditional love for childrenT.W. Allgaier

Happy Birthday to my Eldest!

I would be remiss not to mention the birthday of my eldest son. He was the little guy who first made me a Mommy. He was the first human being to really teach me what “unconditional love” meant. I thought I knew….then he was born. So when the second one arrived, I was prepared and understood how that love multiplied and didn’t divide.

Being a mom is not the easiest job in the world…in fact, I personally think it is one of the most difficult. We got through the necessary stages…newborn, baby, toddler, preschooler, young child, child, preteen, teen, post teen and now Adult. I am still working on being a mother of the Adult stage. And I have made plenty of mistakes…

I am proud of my children. But I often say that I cannot take the blame for their failures, anymore than I can take credit for their successes. They are adults. They are still a delight to me.So I give God the praise today for allowing me to learn so much from my first born. I thank Him for trusting us enough to raise him. And I say Happy Birthday…to my once little buddy.

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28

Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9*

image A2Z animation, NIV Bible*

Simple Dining

March 31, 2014Christianity, Grace, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragementagape love, encouragement for moms, homeschooling mom, new homeschooling mom, Parenting, raising children, simple spiritual lessons, spiritual encouragement, TEACHER MOM, Unconditional loveT.W. Allgaier

SIMPLE DINING

After church I saw a person standing on the corner of an intersections asking for money. I gave him some, because I knew that is what the Lord wanted me to do. Honestly though, can’t these people get a job? Last Wednesday night at Bible study that new gal told us she had messed up in the past with some “inappropriate behaviors”. Really? I told her that God loved her and would forgive her, but I know she will do it again! Gees, I go to church every time the church doors are open…cannot say the same for my neighbors.

We go out and eat every Sunday after services. I swear though, I told my husband and kids that I will never go back to that restaurant. That waitress was simply awful! I don’t know how many times I had to correct her and let her know she was doing a lousy job. One of her co workers whispered to me that her husband and just left her and her two year old little boy. Well, I felt bad for her, but she had a job to do and was getting paid. I expected better service and I told her so before we left!

NOW, before you start throwing tomatoes….or stop reading…this is an exaggerated story! I would hope that I never consciously said or acted this way! I especially would not have wanted to act this way in front of my kids….but, it does sound vaguely familiar. That isn’t good. Did I say things as I “do good Christian” things in front of my children when they were at home with me? What message have I sent them?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing…..Now we see but a poor reflection in the mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Our lifestyle and the good “Christian things” that we do to be a “good Christian” keep us from loving. This type of bondage enables us to do things which mean nothing to the kingdom. They are done out of obligation and not out of love. Agape love allow us to love without condition. The highest form of love is when God infiltrates our hearts and we are able to allow Him to love through us…agape love.

Is this easy? Not always, but it is completely attainable when we understand the love that GOD has for us. When we abide in his love and surrender our will and life to him, we are able to love, and that love drives us. It allows us to “want” to love and share. We are personally convicted to do out of our hearts, and not out of obligation. It is useless to do anything…without love.

Children are beyond honest. I messed up…alot. They could tell you stories, I am sure. These simple lessons of loving, without obligation….and through love are the lessons I hope my children remember. And if they remember my mistakes( I am sure they do when I think of hearing them repeat my words as I yell at the driver in the next lane)….I pray that they do learn from them, and not repeat them.

Simple Lessons.

Be Blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*image-animationsA2Z, NIV Bible*

Marriage and Motherhood=Perfection (NOT)

February 3, 2014Christianity, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual EncouragementChrist is perfect, encouragement for moms, Jesus in Marriage, marriage, new mom, new teacher, Parenting, perfect children, perfect marriage, preparing for marriage, preparing for motherhood, raising children, spiritual encouragement, TEACHER MOM, wifeT.W. Allgaier

Marriage and Motherhood….Both are Perfect (NOT) Give it up!!

My marriage is perfect, my children were and still are perfect, my life is basically perfect….REALLY?

That’s what I want to say to those who profess this! The one thing I never, ever want to do is sound like my life in these areas have been perfect! Trust me, they have not been anywhere close. If there is one thing that gets on my nerves it is people who profess perfection and then don’t even have any life experiences or truth in which to base this condition!! My pet peeve. There I said it. I actually didn’t say everything that goes through my mind, I would be in lots of trouble….

I have been married 34 years to my high school sweetheart. We have been together for 37 years. So we have literally grown up together. We have been through so much together, and learned in that process. Nothing prepares you for marriage. Nothing. Not all the “expert” books and articles. Nothing. From getting adjusted to way your spouse puts the toilet paper on the roll ….to how you will handle illness or the death of a loved one together…NOTHING will prepare you.

My children were exactly 2 and 1/2 years apart. It is easy as a mother of adults now to look back at those years and remember only the good times. But there were bad times. Nothing prepares you for motherhood..nothing. At all. Nothing. From being pregnant with another person growing inside you……to staying up on the couch pretending to be awake while waiting on your teenager to come home…NOTHING prepares you for that.

NOTHING prepares you for these things. But Someone will be with you through all those things. The Father will. If there is one thing I have learned through the years that has proven invaluable to me it is to I had to learn to give it up My titles as “wife” and “mother”had to be set aside sometimes. I had to let Jesus be Jesus in me. When my husband was upset with me..my first response was so full of my flesh. I have learned over the years that I had to get rid of me and see him as Jesus saw him. I had to love him as Jesus loved him. I had to give up my needs at that time and listen to him. And trust me, I could not do that on my own…at all.

When one of the boys would come to me with a heavy heart and tell me something (while acting like I had truly been awake watching television..you do what you have to) that as a mother I really did not want to hear…I had to give up. I had to respond to him as Jesus would. I couldn’t let my pride get in the way. I couldn’t let my motherhood throw out advice. I had to give that all up and love him like Jesus, point him to Jesus.

Minister to your family. Give it up. Don’t try to do it in your own strength. You won’t be perfect, your marriage won’t be perfect, your kids won’t be perfect. Only HE is perfect. So “give it up” friend!!!

Psalm 18:30: “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”