How can I be a mom?

My eldest daughter told me today: “Mom, why don’t you write a book about being a mom?”

🤣 I could not stop laughing. 🤣

I told my daughter: “The book you want me to write would have just one sentence… How to survive and fight the thoughts of feeling the worst mom alive?”

I will tell you the truth. In my first pregnancy I felt that I did not deserve the child I was going to give birth to. After I had my first child, I did not feel I was a mom for a very, very long time. Even with my friends and family telling me: “you are a great mom.” I could not believe it. I feared to be the same mom, my mother was to me. My own mother was very disconnected and always working.

My eldest daughter and I.

My second preganancy all I could think about is how alone I was in the process of my pregnancies. During my second pregnancy my husband’s sister was pregnant and being pampered by her parents in front of my eyes. It really opened my eyes to feel resentment for wanting to have my family pamper me during my own pregnancy. I was loosing my grandmother (real mother) and my grandfather had already died. My biological father had moved to Florida and my mother was still working non-stop (she always said she had no time for anything else.) I had not had a present mom. I was always taken care of by others in the family. My biological mother dedicated herself to her education and career completely. So, I expected to be a disconnected mom just like I learned from my mom, with my own kids.

My second daughter with her Dad showing her Sunday School work.

My third pregnancy for a long time I fought against having any other children. I imagine me forgetting my child in the backseat of the car because three would be too much for me to manage. I already felt so incapable of managing 2, imagine adding one more. Oh, how wrong was I!!! When we decided to homeschool the Lord used a beautiful well behaved little homeschooler (this family’s third child) to open my heart to having another child. This toddler was changing my perspective on family life. As part of a Homeschooling group we all went to a theater to watch a play. Oh! Wow! How the Lord opened my eyes that day. The theater was full of regular school children and the front area of the auditorium had all homeschooling children and their parents. You could perceive the difference between the regular school children and the homeschooling children. The homeschooling children where all well behaved and ready to watch the play. The regular school children where ready to jump up and down and scream all over the place. They where so loud and exalted, it seem like they needed to go to a park to let go of all that energy. When you watched all the homeschooling waiting with patience and order to see the play, speaking low among themselves, without abandoning their assign seating there was a huge difference. I could see homeschooling had something different that made me believe in a different way to deal with children. I can only imagine that what made all the difference is the Love, the acceptance, the time invested, the getting to know who is your child, the investing in their future with whatever helps them grow in wisdom, and in truth. These homeschooler really taught me that a child that is seen by their parents is so full of love and acceptance that makes all the difference in society with their well behave attitude. No need to impress outside to earn the love and attention they crave from no time at home with parents. (Remember I was that child that needed to impress the outside world, because the love and attention I craved from the one that bore me, I never received it.)

I am writing about this almost 4 years after this event. I can see today when I look at my children that only LOVE and our effort to know their strength and weaknesses can make them better each and every day. I always try to do better at loving and guiding them with an open heart to get to see them, and not what I want to imagine they are.

My husband’s heart was always ready, he is the second child of three. My eldest was also praying for years for another child.

That little child in that little moment at a play opened my heart to have another child of my own. The love and peace she showed and the security she found in being stuck to her mom at all times before, during, and after the play confronted me! Its a baby! She was waiting to watch a play silently, interested, aware and she was at all times in perfect peace and order. What a difference! I wanted this! 😍

My own little homeschooled toddler “stuck to me at all times.” What a blessing of hope she has been to all in such a time as this! “Pandemic Baby”

Even when feeling completely unprepared and so not capable of filling the shoes of someone being called a mother. The Lord shortly after opened my womb again and I was pregnant with our third child. This process was used to heal my harden heart about my own capabilities of leading my own children in a world of continued change and uncertainty, all because JESUS was giving me the go ahead in His perfect peace that surpasses all understanding, and to believe He was guiding my family, and securing our steps each day.

Yes! A woman can be called a mother and not really feel, act, and be a real mother. If we let the Lord be the center of our hearts. Jesus heals us and uses every hurt for our childrens good, edification, and blessings.

Praying for you…

May the Lord bless your family with unity and peace. May the Lord edify every area of your family’s life to be transformed for all your good. May You see Jesus making all things new inside and out within your family’s unity. May all hearts be edified and healed inside out to shine Jesus glory more and more.

Jesus loves you and so do I.

In His time, He makes it all new and worth the wait.

Listen to God, He is faithful!

Our homeschooling journey has been a rollercoaster ride. Why?
I stopped to listen to the suggestion of well intended people above what God was saying. I forgot to stop looking around me and start looking for what my Creator sent me to do.

Overcomers

God was calling me to homeschool since my first born was not yet in school. I was definitely NOT LISTENING because it meant a lot of work and teaching. Teaching was something I swore I would NEVER DO! I also just kept listening to the voices of men telling me how it could not be done. It was better at the time and easier to listen to them, than that still small voice telling me to Homeschool. I should have learned from that!!! Yet I kept my kids at school. It cost my kid to be brutally bullied at school and beaten by a boy that learned at home that hitting a girl is acceptable.

God and His amazing GRACE surrounded us with amazing people that would help my child channel her emotions and forgive that boy. These wonderful individuals that really spoke life and love into her helped us all through that tuff season.

I ask God to tell us what was next. God showed me how he wanted to homeschool my kids. What did I do again? After a great start with Him as my guide I started to hear the “encouragers” tell me how Abeka was too hard or would be too much or suggestions that I could be doing something more interactive. Did I learn the first time to stick and listened to God, NO!!! This only confused us more and made us doubt our own capabilities to be guided by Holy Spirit in all our academic daily work load. Yes, God needed me doing Abeka because this is how He showed me that He is the one to give us the wisdom, the order, the ability, the excellence, the encouragement, the guidance, the breakthroughs, and the structure we all need to learn as a family.

Today I see how much better it is to listen to our Father in Heaven above other voices. People are always well intended, yet God has His own ways for you and for me. His ways as always meant to edify us. Always trust God’s ways because when He walks with us He is the one to guide and encourage along the way. When God is present everything works out for the best of all that are walking according to His purpose.

In this seasons of life homeschooling is our call to build a home on Jesus firm foundation. His peace is worth every up and down moment of every day. To trust your Father in heaven in the midst of the discouragement and doubts is the key for a better life for everyone involved.

Amazing adventure to see the love in sharing.

The Way in His plans

Plans the Lord has are way better than our own plans.

He is the Way so He knows the best available option. Ask! Seek!

I lived in misery, wanting to die (suicidal thoughts every day all my teen years and early twenties). I could not think of my original dream of having a big family because of all the horrible news that the world had to offer. I said to myself: “why bring a child into this fallen world?” I said: “why would I let them suffer as I also suffered.” So in my mind there was no hope for a future in this chaotic world for many years. Yet, JESUS had a better plan for my life all along! Wow and what a plan to change my mind!!! (Blessings that we do not deserve.)

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

This bible verse comes to life today as I acknowledge how The Lord used our first born daughter to bring us together as a family. God brought hope and a future. If it was for me and my husband we would not have lasted and made our matrimony possible. We were too immature and all about video games and having fun with our friends.

Our Father’s (God’s) plans of gifting us the blessing of our first born re-routed our lives in such a profound way. This morning, as I meditate on His promise, I am so in awe remembering this moment that started to change everything. His promises (written in the Holy Bible) supersede everything we could choose for our own lives. As I see my first born bloom into such a wonderful young lady, full of faith and wisdom from above is such a gift from heaven. All by His surpassing grace and not bay anything her father and I could have built in her. Yes, this world is different, but so are we. We empower her with love, giving her a voice, respect, and honor while we all learn to WAIT ON THE LORD for His goodness in the midst of the ups and the downs this life has to offer.

Whenever we miss the mark of love, we apologize and try again with all our hearts. No one is perfect and bringing baggage into our homes is normal. This is why God’s grace helps us be healed and restored to do it better than our own parents. We are far away from perfect but everyday praying for access to Jesus perfect love that cast out all fear from our midst. 🥰 His promises never return void.☀️ What a hope I can teach my children in the midst of a discouraging world.

Trust = walking on water = courage. Its never easy, this is faith… Trusting Jesus even when you can’t see the outcome because He will prove His faithfulness by guarding us in the midst of the fear, doubt, and the uncertainty.

He said GO, and we WENT. Traveling with my girls starting Covid season, trusting Jesus. We all know He is faithful. Believing Psalm 91 promises all the way.