You Are the Center of the Universe

You are.  Really.  You're the center of the Universe.  A mother is the very heart of her home.  What a privilege to be the wife and mother who sets the tone.  We are the ones who know where everything is; we decide when and what will be served at dinner. We are the social secretary, the discipline enforcer, the chief comforter, and so much more.

It is a sweet privilege, and also a great responsibility.  Who my children become and even who my husband becomes depends in great portion on me.  When I have confidence and patience and love for my son, he is secure, obedient and able to learn unhindered.  When I have encouragement, love, and respect for my husband, he is confident, productive, and loving.

But where do I get the strength to fill up my husband and son with love and confidence and other good things? Three things help me find this strength:

(1) Prayer and Devotional Bible Reading:  I don't do this at the same time everyday, but I make time to do it every day.  I love to lay on my bed with the Bible in front of me looking out the window and talking with God.  I ask Him to help me be who He made me to be.  God designed the family and only He can give me wisdom for parenting, motivation for cleaning, and love through it all.

(2) Naps:  I love to sleep.  I've always needed a lot of sleep, but my husband doesn't.  That can make it tough to get everything I need at night.  In the afternoon, while my baby is napping, I often do too.  I plan to keep doing that as he grows.  I think all preschool age kids benefit from "rest time" in the afternoon for an hour, even if they don't need to nap.

(3) Memory Making: Being a Mommy is such a great job!  Treasuring sweet moments with my husband and baby gives me more strength and motivation to do the job well.  I like to make a point of remembering my son's sweet face when he smiles and coos with me in the morning or the look of love in my husband's eyes.  When I stop and make a point of remembering the sweet things, those memories are there to call upon when the baby's crying or my husband and I can't seem to agree.

When Mommy sets the tone of the home, it's so important to get the rest and devotional time and memory-making you need.  Take a break this afternoon!

RESOURCES

In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms