deep roots at home

quotes sent to me by my wonderful mama-in-law “Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,–she would see that in all God’s world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her.” ~J.R. Miller

“The devil never reckons a man to be lost so long as he has a good mother alive.  O woman great is thy power!” …Charles Spurgeon mama happenings at my house.  i love these kiddos.  reflecting and talking with good friends last night and we talked about our fears and hopes for raising our children, our prayers for the ways we don't want them to be, and our desires for who we do want them to be.  our responsibility is great.  and often very daunting.  but mostly so when i am living out of my own plans for them, out of my own strength, and within the boundaries of my own failures and sins.  the beautiful reality is that, ultimately, we are not the ones who will do the saving work for our children.  we are blessed to have them now.  to teach, train, and point their hearts toward Christ.  how can i grasp the depths of what God has entrusted to me and at the same time fully trust Him for the ones He loves far greater than i could ever imagine?  i love these quotes and do want to pray for myself and my mama friends that I would have a vision of the glory and splendor of the work God has given me and that I would take each moment, each day, to to be intentional, to love them well, to not just pass from thing to thing without realizing the beauty put before me.  and the opportunity for me to become more like Christ and less like me.  and the doors that in turn will open for my children. also, on a tangent note.  i don't want to be falsely puffed up and walking on high and mighty "me"ness, but i do think a little mama encouragement is needed in every mama's life.  so go ahead, lift a mama up.  let her know the mama things she is doing that show her love for Jesus and her kids, notice outloud some of her sacrifices that mostly go unnoticed, give her a break, write a handwritten note, say a prayer, insert some Scripture in your conversation, and lift each other up to becoming more and more like Christ.  seriously, pick someone and do it.  happy weekending.