Today was our last day of MOPS for the 2007-2008 year and I finished my 6th year of being a MOPS Mentor. For my last devotions, I did an overview of all of the devotions for this year and then gave the Moms a blessing…
2008 MOPS Final Devotions
May 14, 2008
The Home Factor
Begin Here ~ Go There
This year throughout our MOPS year, we visited different rooms of our home. I thought a review of the rooms we visited and what we learned would be a good ending…
In September – we toured the entry and the living room. In the entry we learned that we are most welcome at home because
o Home is a place where you can relax and be comfortable
o Home is a place where you can be yourself
o Home is a place where you can share your life and
o Home is a place where you are shaped spiritually
Touring the living room, we learned that there are two different kinds of living rooms – one is formal and is meant to impress and one is friendly and invites you to put your feet up and talk about your life. Mothering takes the same example – you either are formal trying to impress or you are comfortable with yourself and all that God has given you. Remember that your children usually are not impressed with a beautifully decorated formal room, they want a room that they can play and spend time as a family in.
In October, Pastor Matt and Jolynn talked to us about “The Bedroom” and how different men and women are. Stephanie talked to us about our kitchens and what we are really hungry for – which is God’s grace and salvation.
In November, Kathy Adams talked about being “away from our home” with depression and anxiety – it’s causes, symptoms and treatments. I followed up with a talk focused on our bathrooms and how what we see in the mirror is not the same as what our loving Lord sees. He loves how He created us and how He gifted us no matter what lies we tell ourselves. God delights in each of us.
Christmas season, found us visiting with Mary, Christ’s Mother as a 101 year old woman, telling her story to Luke so it could be recorded. It as a powerful remindered that God is at work in every area of our lives.
January brought us to 2008 and once again, my middle daughter Laryssa and I did a devotion on the angry mother. This is always a humbling topic for me and I had the opportunity to either meet or talk with many of you about that topic. Let me also say that I put this devotion up on my blog and it has become the number one topic that is read. Later that month, we visited the laundry room where I talked on doing your laundry one load at a time – how the Lord calls us to live our life the same way – one day at a time. God is only calling you to handle what HE has given you today to do – tomorrow will probably bring something new – but just as you can only do laundry one load at a time, you can only live your life, one day at a time.
Remember February – how we had to cancel our first meeting and no one was really sure if the second meeting was on or not. I missed both of those meetings – but I know that the Lord spoke through some special MOPS Moms about losing a child, miscarriage and loss.
March came and our room theme was the play room even though we learned about teaching our children about money from Darryl Jerome. Later that month, I talked about your heart and home. I talked about loving our husbands rather or not we think they are compatible with us. It is not being compatible, but about how we complete each other.
Once again, April came and brought us the hope of spring. Our annual Tea and Treasure event gave us a tour of the Dining Room which allowed us to enjoy music by Rebecca and Keri, wonderful food and decorations by Brenda and Darla and an inspiring story of how God has worked in Paula’s life. I am always amazed when I hear someone’s story of how God has revealed His love and salvation and how it has changed their lives. Stephanie then ended the month by reminding us of the nursery and what our needs are when we have little ones in the nursery.
So it is hard to believe that MOPS 2008 is coming to a close … even though there will be social events, Bible Study and Mom’s night out – there is still one last important message for MOPS this year. It is your commissioning as a Mother.
Today’s theme is The Front Porch – to relax and put your feet up. So please accept this blessing today verbally, put it in a place where you can see it and remind yourself that God has called to be the mother to your children…
See… post below for the commissioning or blessing…
