Our meeting last week was all about Easter (even though it was really St. Patrick's Day.... ha ha)!!
Rachel Inouye spoke to us about the true message of Easter, which is HOPE! She had us repeat the following phrase throughout the morning:
"I will NOT fear; instead I WILL have hope!!"
She shared that there has never been a bigger problem than a dead Savior/Jesus....
Yet even that was NO problem for our great God!
He can roll away any "stone" in our lives!!
Our world is broken.
God sent Jesus to fix/heal that brokenness.
God's grace is available to ALL....
Jesus died ONCE for ALL!
The open and empty tomb is HOPE!!!
To listen to Rachel's encouraging message of HOPE, click HERE.
Please join us at our next meeting on April 21st to learn tips on parenting challenges and how to handle a strong-willed child.
Have a VERY Happy Easter!
This blog is dedicated to the Moms of Influence group at Northbrook Church in Richfield, WI.
Be Curious
Northbrook's Senior Pastor, Mike Bellanti, took time to answer some of our questions about God/faith/religion.
Many of the questions submitted by our group members dealt with the issue of tragedy/suffering and why God allows bad things to happen.
Mike shared that our natural tendency is to try to make sense of our suffering and that it is okay to ask "Why?". But, sometimes, we may never get an answer to the "Why?".
A better way to handle/process suffering is to transition to the question: "How?"
HOW can I process this situation and walk through this?
HOW can I glorify God in the midst of suffering?
HOW can I use this situation/tragedy for God's glory?
Another popular question that Mike addressed was: "How do we keep God present in our children's lives?"
He suggested that we not teach the Bible as just a "rule book", but rather, we should MODEL the living God to our kids. We should present Christianity as awesome and LIFE-giving....not boring and full of rules.
Also, we should keep the "BIG story" of God alive for our kids. We can teach them about God's plan/his story, teach them about sin and holiness, and read the bible and pray with them.
Many of the questions submitted by our group members dealt with the issue of tragedy/suffering and why God allows bad things to happen.
Mike shared that our natural tendency is to try to make sense of our suffering and that it is okay to ask "Why?". But, sometimes, we may never get an answer to the "Why?".
A better way to handle/process suffering is to transition to the question: "How?"
HOW can I process this situation and walk through this?
HOW can I glorify God in the midst of suffering?
HOW can I use this situation/tragedy for God's glory?
Another popular question that Mike addressed was: "How do we keep God present in our children's lives?"
He suggested that we not teach the Bible as just a "rule book", but rather, we should MODEL the living God to our kids. We should present Christianity as awesome and LIFE-giving....not boring and full of rules.
Also, we should keep the "BIG story" of God alive for our kids. We can teach them about God's plan/his story, teach them about sin and holiness, and read the bible and pray with them.
Be Resilient
Elizabeth Murphy presented a talk entitled "How to Float Your Boat - Living a Life of Resilience". If you weren't able to join us or would like to hear this talk again, click HERE.
Here are some notes from her hand out as well:
1) What is Resilience?
Being resilient means springing back/rebounding
Resiliency takes practice!
We have goals, but God has a PLAN!!
We will NEVER fail in God's eyes!
2) The Resilient Woman:
Here are some notes from her hand out as well:
1) What is Resilience?
Being resilient means springing back/rebounding
Resiliency takes practice!
We have goals, but God has a PLAN!!
We will NEVER fail in God's eyes!
2) The Resilient Woman:
- has a godly perspective
- has a relationship with Christ
- lives in the "CAN"
- is a grateful woman; find SOMETHING to be grateful for
- is a mindful woman; fill your mind with God's word
- is a careful woman; be careful who you listen to
- has realistic expectations about her husband
- reframes failures into lessons learned
- keeps the small things small and manages her emotions
- accepts the differences of her husband and realizes she can't change them
- remembers what is GOOD!
- learns to say "No"
- takes inventory of relationships; replenishing vs. depleting friends
- knows each other's stories
- depends on a SUPER God
- doesn't parent out of fear/worry
- trusts her intuition and sets healthy boundaries
- parents her OWN children (don't compare/contrast)
- knows when "tough love" matters and knows the value of tenderness
- reaches out to other moms
- raises resilient kids!
- Hang around with other "boats"
- Heighten your skills (read about parenting/study your children)
- Help - Ask questions of other/older moms
- Hire what you can/Barter for the rest
- Huff and Puff (take care of yourself!)
- Honest look: Children have Present Value NOT just Future Potential
- Hope in the Capable Captain (Mark 4:35-41)
Be Merry
What a wonderful Christmas celebration we had this morning! It was so nice to take a little break from the busyness of December and all the Christmas planning, shopping, baking, etc & just enjoy some time with friends/fellow moms. Our speaker looked at the Christmas story from Mary's perspective and shared that the Lord is always with us, that NOTHING is impossible with God, and that He has a good plan for our lives. If you missed it you can listen to Karen's talk by clicking HERE. You can view the outline and discussion questions HERE.
We hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please plan to join us on January 20th for Spa Day - a morning of fun and pampering!!!!
We hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please plan to join us on January 20th for Spa Day - a morning of fun and pampering!!!!
Be Peaceful
Today's speaker talked about "Imperfect Peace" and touched on the issue of sibling rivalry.
Here is a link to her talk: Imperfect Peace
3 things to remember during times of tension/rivalry:
1) Avoid "Bite You Back" Moments - Try to never say anything you'll have to bite back later.
2) Be "Intentional About Attention" - Most conflict comes from attention-seeking behavior. Your children want to know that: you hear them, you see them, you CHOOSE them.
3) Try to "Power Under" in situations - The quickest way to de-escalate a situation is to NOT buy into the chaos!
Practical Solutions to Everyday Rivalries
Here is a link to her talk: Imperfect Peace
3 things to remember during times of tension/rivalry:
1) Avoid "Bite You Back" Moments - Try to never say anything you'll have to bite back later.
2) Be "Intentional About Attention" - Most conflict comes from attention-seeking behavior. Your children want to know that: you hear them, you see them, you CHOOSE them.
3) Try to "Power Under" in situations - The quickest way to de-escalate a situation is to NOT buy into the chaos!
Practical Solutions to Everyday Rivalries
- Try to be LESS serious sometimes...play, relax, relate
- Make them write a list of "What I Love About You" to their sibling
- Have a "substitute" conversation of what could have been said, instead of what was said
- Admit when you lost your cool and put yourself in a "mommy time-out" so that they see the beauty in your honesty.
- Play games of affirmation. Tell what each member of the family is: loved for, remembered for, admired for or how they are unique.
- Give your kids a common goal to work toward so they have to be a "team"
- Have parent/child date days.
- Don't go it alone. Have family meetings and make your children responsible for coming up with some solutions to the rivalries that come about.
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