Mom

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In Awe of Motherhood


Honoring Moms

Growing up we went out to the front yard before church and selected a red rose to wear to church. Pinned over our heart, the rose was a symbol of honor to our mother. We always took extra roses and pins to church for others who did not have rose bushes. Mom and dad wore white ones in honor of their mothers in Heaven. Sadly the tradition is all but lost. I cling to these traditions, the honor and respect of motherhood. A simple red or white flower over the heart was a quiet, simple symbol of honor. Some churches hand out a rainbow of carnations to each female after church; a remnant of what once pointed to honoring motherhood. An all inclusive approach lessens the value of honor.

Motherhood is a blessing

Society has devalued and degraded motherhood. Tabloids, social media and photo apps exploit motherhood showing bared bodies with captions of look at my bump, my peanut, look at this bulge. Sadly, young women of faith have bought into the culture of its all about me. Instead of setting the bar, they except the lower one.

Our culture has lost the awe and wonder of motherhood. We lost the meaning of mother, mom. The whole attitude has changed to selfishness from selflessness. Once mothers placed everyone in their family ahead of themselves. Sadly, many have their looks, programs, groups and activities higher on the list than the blessings that gave them the title of mother. Slowly, the awe of motherhood has left our culture.

Young mothers discuss their bodies, compare size. They talk of ‘me time’, and how to not lose yourself in motherhood. They are more concerned with their appearance than the health of their child. The mother in-line ahead of you is groomed and adorned with the height of fashion. They try to protect their manicure and pedicure, fresh from the spa. They stand with their child in clothes too small, hair and clothes unkempt, and dirty nails. They smack the hand that reaches for candy saying there is no money for treats. The concept of selflessness long lost if ever known.

Sacrificial love, losing oneself in the care of another is Christlike. Motherhood should be the epitome of showing Christ’s love for another. Christ showed no self. His thoughts were of others while dying on the cross.

Selflessness. Motherhood. Honor. Awe. If we as Christians cannot display the respect and reverence of God’s creation, how can we expect the world around us to value life. Abortions, 876,000 a year. We cannot devalue the birth of a child and in its wake the value of motherhood. We distract the world on one hand and reference bulge, bump, peanut and yet decry abortion. What if we showed them the awe of God’s creation and the selflessness of motherhood instead? What if we returned to awe and respect of mothers and their blessings?

Motherhood, in awe of God’s blessings.

Proverbs 31:30 NASB “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

In AWE of Mothers and motherhood,

Renee’ Green 2020

RBGreenDesigns.com 2020

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Anchor “Mom”


Anchor Mom

Anchor Mom

Wow, I have not posted in a while.  In my defense my daughters were home.  My oldest from overseas with my two darling granddaughters, and my youngest was here from Montana.  She is expecting her first child December, 18th.   I have been busy being a MOM.   I commented about ‘always being a mom’ to Susan, a pastor’s wife, who gave me the title for this blog … ANCHOR MOM!  I do not know if she coined it, but I am borrowing it for my blog.

An “ANCHOR MOM” may be a mom, grandmother, aunt, favorite cousin … a school teacher, Sunday School teacher or even a neighbor.  They are the women God places in every child’s life to nurture and guide them in Him.  I normally HATE all the adjectives people add to the word Mom these days and have various appropriate answers like:

1) Stay at home mom – Really?  No, I am let out of the house as needed.
2) Do you work out side of your home?  YES, I work at church events, school events, I shop for groceries, do the banking, the official MOM taxi, laundry …
3) Full time mom – Uhm, should there be any other kind?
4) Domestic Engineer – do not EVEN get me started on this one
5) Homemaker – no, Chadwell Builders built my home.

You are getting the idea.   I finally close such discussions with, “is there anything wrong with just saying MOM?  Doesn’t MOM say it all?  Mary was ‘just’ a mom.”  When talking with mom’s I would say, “as well as being a mom what else do you manage?”  This is where you can talk about the additional career job, the care of elderly parents, etc.

MOM – says it all.  However, I am adding “Anchor” today.  These are the women that are always “MOMS”, even if they have no children of their own.  These are the “MOMS” who have been promoted to Grand-moms.  These are the aunts, the teachers, the neighbors, that see a need and heed God’s prompting and intervene in a child’s life.

God thinks a lot about Moms and places great value on mothers and women in His word.

Even in death Jesus looked down from the cross and thought of  His own mother’s needs.  John 19:26 “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”

Naomi was a mother-in-law to Ruth that acted as a true MOM when she realized that Ruth still needed her mothering (Ruth 1:18).

You never stop being a mom, you just spread out your wings and gather more into the nest.

Sadly the world has devalued motherhood making moms feel worthless.  Some women fear motherhood and the loss of personal freedom and value.  Being a mom is not for wimps, cowards, or the selfish, it is for those whom God chooses.  If you are lucky enough to be chosen as a ‘mom’,  remember God uses His weakest vessels to accomplish His greatest works and He supplies all you will need.   For Christian women it should be the greatest honor to be a Birth Mom and/or an Anchor Mom.  Do not get caught up in the world’s opinion.

God places great value on you as a woman.  The Bible mentions weddings, names the girl and who her father was, thereby giving her heritage and establishing the lineage of Christ.  These women linked Mary to the house of David.  They were not ‘no-name’ unimportant females.  There was Deborah who was a prophetess and a judge (Jdg. 4:4), Queen Esther whom God used to deliver His people and of course Mary, the mother of Jesus.   God did not HAVE to bring Jesus into the world using a woman.  He could have just had Jesus appear with no mention of how He arrived.  There are many significant women that were important women in the Bible as well as moms.

Where ever God places you at this time is important to Him so do not bemoan your lot in life.  God has a plan and a purpose that changes with age.   I have raised my girls who are now moms themselves.  They still need their mom on occasion.  My husband still needs me :-D.  But, God is also placing me in full time work at a Christian bookstore.  Yet I still feel His leading in writing this blog; seeking publishing of my children’s books, parenting book and church youth musicals.  I have a full plate.  I am just filling it from a different buffet line.

Accept what God has for you to do today.  Do not begrudge, belittle, or let satan* lie to you about your worth.  Seek God’s will and enjoy the journey.

*satan – I know people capitalize the “S” but, I don’t.  I refuse to give him any status of importance.  He’s a snake, so satan, devil, etc. are lower case, as he is one.