eloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and
be in health , just as your soul prospers. - 3 John 1:2
be in health , just as your soul prospers. - 3 John 1:2
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| Copyright T Gordon 2007. Whole Souls Organization All rights reserved. Do not copy, distribute or use any part of this work without express, written permission from the creator of Whole Souls, T Gordon. |
| A mother's love is awesome. Whether you are a mother or you have a mother, this section will help strengthen this bond! |
Patiently Waiting
By Stacy Morrow
My daughter was hungry this morning.
She will usually accept a bowl of her cereal and fruit but what she really wants is a bottle--a warm
bottle, laced with cereal. I've never seen anything like her with that first bottle in the morning.
I knew she was hungry because she was whining and following me from room to room while
whining. I went to the kitchen to make the bottle and she stood by me grinning and clapping...as soon
as I picked up the bottle brush to wash a bottle out for her, she went nuts. I made it carefully because
babies can get sick from formula not being mixed properly...when she saw me shake it the first time,
she got excited and began laughing and shaking her hand back and forth like she was shaking a bottle
too. When she realized I wasn’t quite done, she began to pout and babbled at me...from the tone, I
imagine it went something like this: "Would you hurry up? Can't you see I'm starving here? What is
WRONG with you Mommy?"
I spoke calmly to her, telling her she had to wait and that it would be worth it…I knew she didn’t
understand but I figure it is never too early to being speaking sensibly to her. I turned away for a
second and then realized she was no longer right by my side…she’d gone over near the garbage and
picked up a random bit of trash and was just about to eat it when I caught her. “NO!” I cried. “You
can’t eat this, it will make you sick!” She howled, loudly of course, and fell out on the kitchen floor
over the indignity of me taking the scrap of trash from her. She looked pointedly at the counter where I’
d sat the nearly finished bottle, and howled some more, and as I was about to reach a saturated pointed
of exasperation with my child, the Lord very quietly spoke and said, “See? This is what happens when
you don’t want to wait on me. You speak sharply to me and then you walk away from me and
substitute the good thing I want you to wait for with something useless. And when I try to correct
you or stop you, you throw a tantrum and say I don’t love you. When you do this, it stops progress
and just prolongs your wait.”
By Stacy Morrow
My daughter was hungry this morning.
She will usually accept a bowl of her cereal and fruit but what she really wants is a bottle--a warm
bottle, laced with cereal. I've never seen anything like her with that first bottle in the morning.
I knew she was hungry because she was whining and following me from room to room while
whining. I went to the kitchen to make the bottle and she stood by me grinning and clapping...as soon
as I picked up the bottle brush to wash a bottle out for her, she went nuts. I made it carefully because
babies can get sick from formula not being mixed properly...when she saw me shake it the first time,
she got excited and began laughing and shaking her hand back and forth like she was shaking a bottle
too. When she realized I wasn’t quite done, she began to pout and babbled at me...from the tone, I
imagine it went something like this: "Would you hurry up? Can't you see I'm starving here? What is
WRONG with you Mommy?"
I spoke calmly to her, telling her she had to wait and that it would be worth it…I knew she didn’t
understand but I figure it is never too early to being speaking sensibly to her. I turned away for a
second and then realized she was no longer right by my side…she’d gone over near the garbage and
picked up a random bit of trash and was just about to eat it when I caught her. “NO!” I cried. “You
can’t eat this, it will make you sick!” She howled, loudly of course, and fell out on the kitchen floor
over the indignity of me taking the scrap of trash from her. She looked pointedly at the counter where I’
d sat the nearly finished bottle, and howled some more, and as I was about to reach a saturated pointed
of exasperation with my child, the Lord very quietly spoke and said, “See? This is what happens when
you don’t want to wait on me. You speak sharply to me and then you walk away from me and
substitute the good thing I want you to wait for with something useless. And when I try to correct
you or stop you, you throw a tantrum and say I don’t love you. When you do this, it stops progress
and just prolongs your wait.”
| This inspirational article is wonderful not only for mothers, but everyone! I am sure you will see a little bit of yourself in this one... Enjoy this humorous yet truthful & soul-searching piece! |
I was floored, to say the least.
And then the phone rang. I knew from the time of day that it
was my husband so I ran to get it, holding my pouting, sniffling,
upset baby. It was him and we spoke briefly with my daughter
glaring at me the whole time. I had to laugh. This must be what
God sees when I go into my temper tantrum/pity parties—my
sniffling, pouting, upset face, impatiently waiting for Him to help
me.
And then the phone rang. I knew from the time of day that it
was my husband so I ran to get it, holding my pouting, sniffling,
upset baby. It was him and we spoke briefly with my daughter
glaring at me the whole time. I had to laugh. This must be what
God sees when I go into my temper tantrum/pity parties—my
sniffling, pouting, upset face, impatiently waiting for Him to help
me.
I finished up making the bottle and took her to the living room so she could sit and enjoy it. She
grabbed it and immediately began drinking…now, I’ve taught her to say , “Thank you”, which comes
out “Gak Koo” and she usually gets a kick out of saying it—not this morning. I had to laugh again
because I knew God was showing me how I sometimes react to his blessings—not grateful and with a
sense of entitlement.
I’m really enjoying how God is using my daughter to show me myself and teach me about my behavior.
I know I’ll be much more conscious about how I react to Him and what He asks me to do from now on.
© Stacy C. Marrow 2006 All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission from author. Contact author at
admin@inspirationsforyoursoul.com.
Stacy Morrow is a prolific inspirational writer. She is also a wife, mother, and a woman who
loves God with all of her heart. Stacy attends New Life Free Methodist in Endicott, NY and is Worship
Team Leader there. She has been blessed with the amazing gift of music.
For more of Stacy's writings please look on my Cool Lynx Page under Inspirations for Your Souls &
Inspired, Healthy and Whole.
grabbed it and immediately began drinking…now, I’ve taught her to say , “Thank you”, which comes
out “Gak Koo” and she usually gets a kick out of saying it—not this morning. I had to laugh again
because I knew God was showing me how I sometimes react to his blessings—not grateful and with a
sense of entitlement.
I’m really enjoying how God is using my daughter to show me myself and teach me about my behavior.
I know I’ll be much more conscious about how I react to Him and what He asks me to do from now on.
© Stacy C. Marrow 2006 All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission from author. Contact author at
admin@inspirationsforyoursoul.com.
Stacy Morrow is a prolific inspirational writer. She is also a wife, mother, and a woman who
loves God with all of her heart. Stacy attends New Life Free Methodist in Endicott, NY and is Worship
Team Leader there. She has been blessed with the amazing gift of music.
For more of Stacy's writings please look on my Cool Lynx Page under Inspirations for Your Souls &
Inspired, Healthy and Whole.
How To Encourage a Healthy Mother Daughter Relationship
A mother-daughter relationship is one of the most important ties each will have in her lifetime. As little
girls, we see our mothers as queens. We often try to imitate them by wearing their clothes, playing with
their make-up and imitating their every move. As we reach teen years, we face puberty challenges and
often want nothing to do with our mothers, then in our 20's we tend to revert back to admiration,
understanding and friendship. The job is tough on the mother's end, trying to see life through the eyes of
her daughter in the different stages and trying to remain understanding.
Encouraging a healthy mother daughter relationship isn't an easy task. It takes work on both ends. Here
are some thoughts on how to keep that relationship healthy as you go through different life stages.
Communicate
No matter how rough the road gets, leave the communication door open. Closing it can be harmful to
both of you, leaving feelings under lock and key. You may regret that she doesn't share her deepest
thoughts with you. Always allow for love, understanding and compassion.
A mother-daughter relationship is one of the most important ties each will have in her lifetime. As little
girls, we see our mothers as queens. We often try to imitate them by wearing their clothes, playing with
their make-up and imitating their every move. As we reach teen years, we face puberty challenges and
often want nothing to do with our mothers, then in our 20's we tend to revert back to admiration,
understanding and friendship. The job is tough on the mother's end, trying to see life through the eyes of
her daughter in the different stages and trying to remain understanding.
Encouraging a healthy mother daughter relationship isn't an easy task. It takes work on both ends. Here
are some thoughts on how to keep that relationship healthy as you go through different life stages.
Communicate
No matter how rough the road gets, leave the communication door open. Closing it can be harmful to
both of you, leaving feelings under lock and key. You may regret that she doesn't share her deepest
thoughts with you. Always allow for love, understanding and compassion.
Acceptance
Accept each other as unique individuals. Your daughter is not your clone, she is her own person and
deserves to be treated as such. She may not agree with choices you make for her and likely won't choose
the same exact path you did, so be open to her preferences and love her for who she is!
Let her grow up. You can't stop it! Therefore give her the tools to do it well. Teach your daughter
independence when she is young. Don't keep her too tied down in decision-making processes. This is not
to say you shouldn't provide guidance and ultimately have the final say, but let her have an opinion on
things that affect her life. Let her learn to balance the pros and cons. It is a lifelong skill that she will
thank you for someday!
Self-awareness
Don't try to relive your life vicariously through your daughter. Have your own goals and ambitions. If
there are things you felt you missed out on as a child, don't force them on your daughter. She may not
have the same feelings.
Maintain balance. Be friends with each other, but be a parent above all else. Your daughter needs you to
guide her and offer advice, knowledge and life experience on problems or questions she faces.
Be supportive
Respect each other and your ways of handling situations. Refrain from expressing your distaste in how
she runs her family, finances or career. Making her feel inadequate through disapproval and dominance
hinders a healthy relationship. Even if you would do it completely differently, is her way so bad?
Maintaining love and understanding along the road will ultimately result in a healthy relationship.
Source
Accept each other as unique individuals. Your daughter is not your clone, she is her own person and
deserves to be treated as such. She may not agree with choices you make for her and likely won't choose
the same exact path you did, so be open to her preferences and love her for who she is!
Let her grow up. You can't stop it! Therefore give her the tools to do it well. Teach your daughter
independence when she is young. Don't keep her too tied down in decision-making processes. This is not
to say you shouldn't provide guidance and ultimately have the final say, but let her have an opinion on
things that affect her life. Let her learn to balance the pros and cons. It is a lifelong skill that she will
thank you for someday!
Self-awareness
Don't try to relive your life vicariously through your daughter. Have your own goals and ambitions. If
there are things you felt you missed out on as a child, don't force them on your daughter. She may not
have the same feelings.
Maintain balance. Be friends with each other, but be a parent above all else. Your daughter needs you to
guide her and offer advice, knowledge and life experience on problems or questions she faces.
Be supportive
Respect each other and your ways of handling situations. Refrain from expressing your distaste in how
she runs her family, finances or career. Making her feel inadequate through disapproval and dominance
hinders a healthy relationship. Even if you would do it completely differently, is her way so bad?
Maintaining love and understanding along the road will ultimately result in a healthy relationship.
Source
The mother/daughter dynamic is one that is complex and
often hard to understand.
As mothers and daughters we have a responsibility to love,
accept and respect each other, even during times of
misunderstanding. The below article will give you tips on
how to nurture the mother/daughter relationship in your life...
often hard to understand.
As mothers and daughters we have a responsibility to love,
accept and respect each other, even during times of
misunderstanding. The below article will give you tips on
how to nurture the mother/daughter relationship in your life...
Stress Management for Parents: Important Steps to Take
If you have children, you've likely experienced your share of parenting stress,
and you're not alone. A recent study found that parents of all types tend to suffer
more symptoms of depression than non-parents. As this study illustrates,
parents need to take care of their own emotional well-being as well as their
children’s, and find enough social support for themselves and their family. Here
are some important things that parents can do.
Maintain a supportive network.
Parents today may experience less social support than in previous times. The
reality that now families live further from each other, parents work more, and we
have less time and energy to spend together, along with a host of other factors,
leaves families with fewer resources and less emotional support to give and share.
However, if you make an effort to develop a supportive network, you can still
find these benefits. While you might not be getting these benefits from extended
family and neighbors like families in the past had, you can find people with
similar needs and values to network with and share support. These people can
keep you feeling nurtured and supported for years to come, buffering you from
some of the factors that contribute to parenting stress and depression in parents.
If you have children, you've likely experienced your share of parenting stress,
and you're not alone. A recent study found that parents of all types tend to suffer
more symptoms of depression than non-parents. As this study illustrates,
parents need to take care of their own emotional well-being as well as their
children’s, and find enough social support for themselves and their family. Here
are some important things that parents can do.
Maintain a supportive network.
Parents today may experience less social support than in previous times. The
reality that now families live further from each other, parents work more, and we
have less time and energy to spend together, along with a host of other factors,
leaves families with fewer resources and less emotional support to give and share.
However, if you make an effort to develop a supportive network, you can still
find these benefits. While you might not be getting these benefits from extended
family and neighbors like families in the past had, you can find people with
similar needs and values to network with and share support. These people can
keep you feeling nurtured and supported for years to come, buffering you from
some of the factors that contribute to parenting stress and depression in parents.
Practice time management and organization techniques.
Parents these days, especially mothers, feel rushed much of the time, as we shuttle kids from sports practices
to music lessons to scout meetings to play dates. And this doesn’t include household and work
responsibilities! All these activities, some of which are necessary and some of which are desirable for their
ability to develop our children’s talents and social skills, can contribute to feelings of stress and of being
overwhelmed, and can keep us from having important family time and ‘down’ time. Being organized,
managing time wisely6, and learning to say no to activities that aren’t a top priority can open up more time
for family bonding, relaxation and, well, sanity.
Practice stress management techniques.
After opening up some time in your schedule, finding a stress management practice (or a few) to regularly
practice can help you manage parenting stress, keep you healthier and happier in the long run, and help you
feel better emotionally now.
Develop interests that ‘feed your soul’
While we see value in signing our children up for lessons and enriching classes, many parents forget to put
themselves on the list of people need to learn and grow. Having a hobby or other creative outlet can help
you relieve stress, lift your spirits, and help you maintain your identity as a person and not just a parent.
This can help you keep your children’s lives in perspective and deal with some of the worry and anxiety that
comes from being a parent.
Take care of your body.
Taking care of your body can have lasting physical and emotional benefits. Eating a healthy diet, for
example, can stabilize your blood sugar levels and help keep mood swings at bay. It can also keep your body
healthier so you’re sick less often, feel better about yourself, and live longer. Maintaining a regular exercise
regime can provide the same benefits, plus give you a release of endorphins and other positive emotions, help
you release tension, and lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol.
Be smart with your finances.
As we all know, raising a child is expensive! The financial cost of raising a child can take an emotional toll in
the form of money worries. Learning better money management techniques can give you more financial
choices and keep you less stressed about your budget and your future.
Enjoy your children!
Most of us have children because we want to enjoy them as we help them become and remain healthy,
productive, compassionate and fun adults. Don’t forget to thoroughly enjoy your kids throughout their
lives and yours. Hug them often, tell them you love them and what you love about them, and enjoy (and
learn from) the unique people that they are. Don’t let a day go to waste!
Source
Parents these days, especially mothers, feel rushed much of the time, as we shuttle kids from sports practices
to music lessons to scout meetings to play dates. And this doesn’t include household and work
responsibilities! All these activities, some of which are necessary and some of which are desirable for their
ability to develop our children’s talents and social skills, can contribute to feelings of stress and of being
overwhelmed, and can keep us from having important family time and ‘down’ time. Being organized,
managing time wisely6, and learning to say no to activities that aren’t a top priority can open up more time
for family bonding, relaxation and, well, sanity.
Practice stress management techniques.
After opening up some time in your schedule, finding a stress management practice (or a few) to regularly
practice can help you manage parenting stress, keep you healthier and happier in the long run, and help you
feel better emotionally now.
Develop interests that ‘feed your soul’
While we see value in signing our children up for lessons and enriching classes, many parents forget to put
themselves on the list of people need to learn and grow. Having a hobby or other creative outlet can help
you relieve stress, lift your spirits, and help you maintain your identity as a person and not just a parent.
This can help you keep your children’s lives in perspective and deal with some of the worry and anxiety that
comes from being a parent.
Take care of your body.
Taking care of your body can have lasting physical and emotional benefits. Eating a healthy diet, for
example, can stabilize your blood sugar levels and help keep mood swings at bay. It can also keep your body
healthier so you’re sick less often, feel better about yourself, and live longer. Maintaining a regular exercise
regime can provide the same benefits, plus give you a release of endorphins and other positive emotions, help
you release tension, and lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol.
Be smart with your finances.
As we all know, raising a child is expensive! The financial cost of raising a child can take an emotional toll in
the form of money worries. Learning better money management techniques can give you more financial
choices and keep you less stressed about your budget and your future.
Enjoy your children!
Most of us have children because we want to enjoy them as we help them become and remain healthy,
productive, compassionate and fun adults. Don’t forget to thoroughly enjoy your kids throughout their
lives and yours. Hug them often, tell them you love them and what you love about them, and enjoy (and
learn from) the unique people that they are. Don’t let a day go to waste!
Source
