9 Things My Mother Taught Me
In honor of Mother’s Day, we celebrate all the moms–future moms, spiritual moms, grandmas–and all the women and men at VFC! Pastor Beth shares an encouraging word for all of us as we strive to delight ourselves in the Lord and abide by His will for us as parents, caregivers, mentors, and beyond.
Throughout the message 9 Things My Mother Taught Me, we are strengthened and encouraged to be the Christians God has called us to be. As we strive to live a life that honors Him, we’re planting good seeds that produce healthy, prosperous fruits in generations to come!
Even through difficulties and challenges, we can make a point to intentionally love life and laugh often. There’s power and peace in being joyful throughout each season of our lives! God knows our hearts; He loves us and His hand is upon us. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. Amen!
As we dive into Pastor Beth’s 9 Things My Mother Taught Me, let’s not only be encouraged by her teaching and God’s impartation of knowledge, but let’s also focus on the ways we can implement these 9 things within our own lives and with our own families and friends.
1. Love the Lord, Church & Donuts
In 9 Things My Mother Taught Me, Pastor Beth shares an appreciation for her upbringing in the Catholic church where she gained a reverence for God and an awareness of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. After church each Sunday, Pastor Beth’s mom would take her and her sisters to Don’s Donuts for a post-church treat.
While it wasn’t until years later that Pastor Beth became a born again Christian as she began a personal relationship with God and received Him as the Lord of her life, she remembers being grateful for her upbringing because her mother inadvertently sowed seeds into the hearts of Pastor Beth and her sisters. Attending church weekly was the beginning of a fertile ground!
Attending church and committing to bringing our families to church makes a big difference…not just in our relationship with God, but also in our relationships with each other! Stick with that commitment and maybe even add some donuts into the mix as incentive when your family faces seasons where attending church every Sunday becomes a challenge.
Remember that, in due season, the seeds we plant in our families will bear great fruit if we follow, obey, and trust in the Lord! Acts 17:28 (NLT) says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being…” Let’s get our families in church and continuously pursue life in Him! Amen!
2. Cleaning Parties Make Hard Things Fun
Proverbs 8:12 (KJV) I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
Kids do not like to clean up–whether you’re an adult, a teen, or a kid now, you can relate to that statement! When it’s time to do hard things, consider this verse in Proverbs and activate some witty inventions!
No matter the chore–find a way to make it fun! Turn it into a party or a contest, find an incentive and get the kids excited about helping. Listen to timestamp 19:13 in 9 Things My Mother Taught Me, Pastor Beth shares a personal, funny story about cleaning parties in her own family.
Make hard things fun with witty inventions, and God will help you!
3. Pray When You Hear an Ambulance
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
In 9 Things My Mother Taught Me, Pastor Beth remembers her mother saying that anytime there’s an ambulance, we should pray for the people needing help, pray for the drivers, and the medical staff working in the ambulance, too. It’s not so much about the ambulance, specifically, as it is about having a heart of compassion and empathy.
Our children and our families see and learn from our empathy, love, and compassion for other people. Being merciful, gentle, and understanding toward other people’s plight will rub off on those around us! In the same way, intolerance, anger, and critical negativity will also rub off on our people, so we need to model the behavior we want to see brought to life in our children and our families. Amen!
4. Sing in the Car
Psalm 92:4 (NLT) You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.
Don’t underestimate the power of what’s playing on the radio! Music gets in our spirits and grabs hold of us in a unique way, unlike reading a book or hearing a message or podcast. Pastor Beth reflects on her own memories of remembering songs from decades ago because she heard them in the car as a child. Check out timestamp 58:49 in 9 Things My Mother Taught Me to hear her animated memory that we can all totally relate to!
Here’s the takeaway: There’s just something about music. Share that unique exuberance with your children and family and build lifelong memories with the people you love most!
5. Mystery Trips Keeps Life Fun
1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV) Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the Living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Being intentional about taking vacations and carving out time from the busyness of life to invest in quality time away with our families not only creates cherished memories with the people we love, but it also keeps life fun and enjoyable, as God intended!
Plan it, get it going, make it part of your family’s story as you build a life and a history together. Imagine loading your family into the car and driving off on a surprise adventure–maybe on vacation or to the movies, maybe to sight see or even just to get ice cream. What a fun, easy, yet intentional way to invest in our families with love and joy and spontaneity!
6. Shop the Clearance Rack
Luke 12:15 (ESV) And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Teaching our families about frugality and stewardship is so unbelievably beneficial both in the here and now and in the long term of personal development and financial responsibility. Understanding the value of a dollar and the importance of tithing and saving is a big deal!
Understand how to spend, how to invest, how to save, and how to tithe–be good with money and impart that same wisdom on your children and families. They’ll thank you for it later!
7. Invent It, Build It & Do It
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
There will be seasons in life where the circumstances we face are unexpected. There is power in maintaining the mindset that we can do it! And teaching our children and families that same mindset is pivotal in overcoming adversity and challenges. In 9 Things My Mother Taught Me, Pastor Beth, at timestamp 40:50, shares a memory of her own mother building it, inventing it, and doing it that really relates to us the importance of that mindset.
We need to be rooting for our family members. Stir up creativity within them and remind them that they can do anything they put their heart and mind to in accordance with God’s will!
8. Talk to Strangers
Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) A man who has friends must himself be friendly…
Be friendly to people! Our children and our families see us being conversational (or not) but they’re always watching…so be friendly! Being a conversationalist, asking questions, chatting with strangers–these are ways to show love for people like Jesus loved people!
Starting up a conversation with people in your community is a great way to teach your children and families to do the same and continuously spread the love of God to the world we live in. Face-to-face, online, at work, at church, in the grocery store–wherever it may be–be friendly!
9. Love Life & Laugh
Proverbs 31:25 (NLT) She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future…
There is something so special about a joyful home! Be honest with your children and your families–there will be difficult seasons, there will be times when we need to cry, but if we hold onto the joy of the Lord and radiate that delight in our homes and in our communities, the people in our world will learn that same joy and that strength will carry them through difficulties, too!
Be sure to check out For the Joy and The Secret to the Fullness of Joy from our recent mini series for lots more Bible-based ways to experience the joy of the Lord in all of life’s seasons!
Prayer:
Father, we lift up all the moms in our lives–biological, spiritual, soon-to-be, grandmothers, and beyond. We left them up to You before your throne of grace. Thank you for pouring out your grace upon us and helping us in our time of need. Please give each of us a fresh dose of grace and develop us into the Christ-followers you designed us to be. Help us to enjoy life and to live a life that honors you, Lord. Thank you for loving us and for allowing us to be a part of your family. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
