April/May/June 2019
WOMEN Walking by Faith
What is Active Relaxation Black Mom's and the Infant Mortality Rate in American
Happy Mother's Day
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Benefits of Active Relaxation Cheryl Lacey Donovan
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6 Benefits of Self Publishing Shalini Mittal
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Black Mom's and the Infant Mortality Rate in America Stanley G. Buford
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Virtuous Mother A'Shellarien Anthony, ThD
APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2019
WOMEN WALKING BY FAITH
Editor in Chief Cheryl Lacey Donovan Publisher Elissa Gabrielle Contributors Shalini Mittal Stanley G. Buford A'Shellarien Anthony, ThD
Designer Cheryl Lacey Donovan
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Mother is a verb it's something you do not just who you are!
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THE BENEFITS OF ACTIVE RELAXATION
Active and relaxation may seem like two words that do not go together. After all, isn’t relaxation all about doing nothing? Shouldn’t relaxation exercises focus on lack of activity? Well, our understanding of how to relax has evolved as the pace and cognitive demands of our world have changed.
Our neural activity thrives on novelty. Providing your brain with opportunities to slow down and concentrate will seem very novel for most of us, and that is exactly what active relaxation helps you achieve. Active relaxation can help you reduce stress, form stronger relationships, broaden your horizons, lower your blood pressure, and lead a healthier life overall.
Active relaxation is selecting activities that help you achieve better mental health and a broader sense of personal wellbeing. What you choose depends on which activities bring you this peace, but examples include practicing yoga, going for a walk or hike, swimming, or meditating. Active relaxation activities should be a priority in your life, so even if you need to put them on your calendar, remember to engage in them regularly.
Choosing to engage in active relaxation activities by yourself is a way to reconnect with yourself, but active relaxation can also be about connecting with someone else. Spending time with those you care about has relaxing benefits, too, and by engaging in an activity together, you are both reaping the benefits of this powerful technique.
Why is Active Relaxation Beneficial?
We can categorize relaxation exercises on a continuum from passive to active techniques. Napping is an example of a passive relaxation exercise. Your mind and body are at ease, and you feel more relaxed afterward.
The everyday demands of our lives mean now, more than ever, our brains are thinking about many different things at once, very quickly. With high-speed communications and social media part of our new norm, it can be difficult for our brains to switch back to living in the moment, which is when we reconnect with ourselves and others.
How Can I Find the Right Active Relaxation Activity for Me?
Active relaxation moves beyond passive activities to engage your whole body, generally requiring moving and thinking.
Swimming is an example of active relaxation for some, as it allows you to focus on your own body and thoughts for a specific time without the distractions of life. Active relaxation is either a solo or group activity that brings you joy and helps you relax. For some of us, that is reading a book, while for others, it might be climbing a mountain. The scope of the activity is not as important as the outcome. Active relaxation can be something you have done before or something new (remember that novelty benefit). Select a physical or social activity that provides you with positive mental benefits. Active Relaxation’s Importance Today For anyone working or raising a family in today’s world of full-time connected-ness, finding ways to decompress and tune out can be very beneficial. But, selecting only passive relaxation techniques that do not challenge your brain to think differently or engage with other people means you are not getting all the benefits of your leisure time. Strike a balance between active and passive relaxation by trying new things and switching up how you spend your free time. How we relax is individualized. What is relaxing to you may seem stressful to someone else, so don’t worry about what others are doing. Just focus on yourself. Find ways to get your blood flowing and your brain thinking that help you unwind. Try different activities until you find a few that help, then engage in those regularly. You will start to notice benefits beyond your immediate change in mood.
Best Practices for Starting Your Personal Development Journey Cheryl Lacey Donovan When you first start your personal development
determine which is better, ask yourself whether it
journey, it can be tempting to take short cuts. You
really matters who does it or just that it is done.
think that you already know who you are, what you want, and what you stand for, and how to exemplify that. However, that’s not how the human mind works. Often, we hide truths from ourselves and are not honest with ourselves about these issues. For this reason, follow these best practices for starting your personal development journey so that you will succeed. Don’t Skip the SWOT – It’s imperative that you
Understand The 3 Domains of Personal Development – They are, physical, cognitive, and social-emotional. Together, these domains cover all aspects of your life, including health, work, personal growth, spiritual life, and so forth. Working on all aspects of your life usually is much better than focusing only on one as they are sometimes indistinguishable. Plan for Action – As you work through crafting your
perform analysis on yourself in every aspect of
plan, nothing is done until you’ve set up action-
your life to find out what strengths, weaknesses,
packed steps and put them in your calendar
opportunities, and threats you face for any of the
scheduled for you to implement them. Whether you
target issues you want to address. For example, if
are doing it yourself, or outsourcing it, doing is the
you perform a SWOT and realize that you’re not
most critical part of the plan.
very good at something, you then have a choice. You can find someone who is to do it for you, or
Focus on The Right Target Issue First – One reason
you can find training to learn to do it.
it’s helpful to go through every single domain and
issue you have before setting up a plan is that it helps
Nurture Your Strengths – When you perform the
you to know which issue to focus on first. For
SWOT for any sector of your life, you’ll also
example, you cannot write a novel until you can
identify your strengths. The best thing to do in life
read, and you can’t learn to write until you can read,
is to choose to lead with your strengths. You want to keep doing the things you’re strong at and earn to do them even better since you’re obviously interested in those things. Improve Your Weaknesses – When you find out that you are weak in some area, you’ll need to determine whether you should improve it yourself or improve it by outsourcing it. To
Real Life Real Faith | 16
first things first. Be Persistent –Once you have your action plan, which is developed based on reality and not on how you wish it to be, you only now need to be persistent and take the steps to success. It truly is that easy. Once you have the steps scheduled in your calendar and you start implementing them, your life will begin to change.
Get a Coach – If you understand everything but your implementation skills leave something more to be desired, you may want to employ a life coach to help you. If you know some life coaches who specialize in personal development, you might want to talk to them. If you don’t know anyone, ask your colleagues for recommendations. It’s likely they will know someone or can direct you to someone who would know more on the topic. One thing to remember about personal development is that it’s an ongoing process. You’re never done with it. There is no real finish line. For this reason, it’s best to develop tenacity and persistence as you follow the path you’ve created for yourself, adjusting as you go based on facts, and learning about what is really and truly important to you deep in your subconscious. It’s all about knowing who you are and living a life that illustrates who you are.
Hot and Creamy Crab Dip Adrian T. Cheng What you need: 1/2 kilogram jumbo lump crab, shell removed 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup minced onion 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon hot sauce1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Using a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream in a bowl.
Add the garlic, cheeses, onion, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir until all ingredients are well-combined.
Fold in the crab.
Transfer mixture to a baking dish and cook in a pre-heated oven (325F) until bubbling and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9806262 Serve with fresh vegetable slices, crackers or chips.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9955342
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TAKING OVER THE WORLD ONE WOMAN AT A TIME RLRF
6 BENEFITS OF SELF PUBLISHING Shalini Mittal So, your book is ready. You have done all the revisions and editing. And now comes the most important and final stage: publishing. When it comes to publishing, you have two options to choose from. You can choose the traditional method or the modern one, which is selfpublishing. To make the best choice, you may want to weigh the pros of each. Without further ado, let's take a look at 6 benefits of selfpublishing. 1. Better Creative ControlFirst off, self-publishing gives you better control over the whole process of publishing. Generally, the process involves 4 stages: writing, reviewing/editing, design and the final stage called printing. You can hire a professional or carry out the whole process yourself. 2. Greater Financial RewardsIn traditional publishing, you have to pay to the publisher as well. However, if you self-publish, you will get all of the money that comes from the sale of your book. You can use the money to meet your advertising expenses. 3. Pricing ControlAnother benefit is that you can decide on the price of your book. Keep in mind that if you set the price too low, it may be hard for you to recover your costs. However, the lower price will attract a lot of readers which will earn you a lot of loyal readers.On the other hand, if you set the price too high, very few readers will be willing to pay for your book. So, It's better to set a reasonable price. 4. Networking OpportunitiesWhile working on your eBook, you go through a lot of production stages. You can talk about the book with your friends. Moreover, you can read up on advertising and marketing methods to get the word out about your work.
5. The Self-Publishing GuaranteeBig publishers publish only those books that they think will earn them a good deal of money. Actually, they work mostly with successful authors. On the other hand, self-publishing allows guaranteed publishing. There is nothing stopping you from making your book available to the world.Once your book is ready, you can use an online publisher, such as Amazon to publish your book. You don't need to ask for anyone's permission. 6. Reputation buildingUsually, popular retailers don't stock self-publishers with single book. If you have the money to publish your first book yourself, you can build your reputation as an author. In the future, this will help you use the traditional publishing route as well. Once you are done with the whole work yourself, you are ready to see your book in the hands of your readers. You don't have to rely on others to see your hard work in the form of a book that can truly benefit your loyal readers. That's where self-publishing steps in. You should be proud, respect your creation and put it out there for the whole word to enjoy. So, these are a few prominent benefits of getting your book published yourself instead of using a traditional publisher. Hope this helps. If you are a writer and want to publish a book, you can hire the services reliable and reputable self publishing companies. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9977617
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
PAGE 16
BLACK MOMS AND THE INFANT MORTALITY CRISIS IN AMERICA Stanley G Buford The facts are Alarming!!! There is, unfortunately,
mother who suffered the tragic experience of
an indisputable truth in America: that black
delivering a stillborn baby due to medical
mothers, and their babies, die at a staggering
complications that were arguably quite
rate during childbirth.When compared to their white counterparts, even across class lines, the difference is shocking.Even during their prenatal appointments, black women are treated unbelievably poorly. Their concerns are
preventable. Despite advocating for herself on multiple occasions to her doctor, telling him of her severe symptoms, such as intense swelling, strong headaches, and sensitivity to light, her doctor
ignored and minimized by doctors; medical
ignored her pleas for help, instead telling her to
staff treat them rudely; not to mention the
calm down and simply take some Tylenol. After
 institutionalized, systemic racism that black people
Landrum later tracked down her medical file, it also
in general endure throughout American society,
revealed that the same office had measured her
which, for black women, is compounded by
blood pressure, which indicated an alarmingly high
experiences of sexism.Simone Landrum's story One
reading, for which no action was taken.
of the most recent full-fledged investigations into the crisis of American infant mortality rates was the
This negligence led to Landrum eventually losing
New York Times Magazine cover story, "Why
her baby due to complications related to her
America's Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-Or-
extremely high blood pressure. The article then
Death Crisis written by journalist Linda Villarosa (a
follows Landrum's journey of becoming pregnant
black mother herself).
again-this time, supported by a doula, who helped her both process her grief and move forward
The feature article, which came out in April of 2018,
towards delivering a healthy baby boy.
detailed both the cumulative research which has proven that the crisis exists, and also followed the
The bigger picture in AmericaUnfortunately,
personal journey of a Simone Landrum, a black
Simone Landrum's story is only one of many. Countless studies have proven the fact that black mothers are treated
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
substantially worse than white mothers during their pregnancies. Villarosa's article references several shocking statistics, including: "In 1960, the United States was ranked 12th among developed countries in infant mortality. Since then, with its rate largely driven by the deaths of black babies, the United States has fallen behind and now ranks 32nd out of the 35 wealthiest nations." "Black infants in America are now more than twice as likely to die as white infants - 11.3 per 1,000 black babies, compared with 4.9 per 1,000 white babies, according to the most recent government data." "... black women in their mid-20s had higher than normal teenage girls did - presumably because they were older and stress had more time to affect their bodies. For white mothers, the opposite proved true: Teenagers had the highest risk of infant mortality, and women in their mid-20s the lowest." "... few in the field now dispute that the black-white disparity in the deaths of babies is related not to the genetics of race but to the lived experience of race in this country. "These statistics and findings are striking: it is an undeniable fact that black mothers and their babies face dramatically different obstacles and outcomes. Americans, and our politicians, enjoy touting our international prestige and standing. It is then profoundly shameful that, despite leading the world in many areas, we seem to have all but forgotten the lives, and dignity, of black women and their babies. How can we boast about freedom when black women and their babies are not given equal freedom to receive fair medical treatment? This crisis is widespread and serious, and it's time for Americans to realize its gravity. How you can arm yourself for this difficult battle No matter how unfair this situation is, the unfortunate reality is that black mothers must still try to navigate this broken system despite the barriers they face. If you are facing this struggle yourself, we've compiled some tips for how you can actively work to counteract the incredible amount of bias and discrimination within America today:
1. Seek out community organizations which work to support black mothers in your state.The Times Magazine article specifically follows the work of Birthmark Doulas;Â a New Orleans collective which provides care for women of various backgrounds and classes. Their doula services are available for a fee, on a sliding scale, or even free of cost for low-income women.The Time Magazine story traces the journey of Simone Landrum, and how her doula, Latona Giwa, supported her during her later pregnancy, during childbirth, and even post-partum. The story i
.
2019
Lifestyle feature
lluminates how Giwa provided much-
more tests, or refer me to a specialist
needed emotional support, and how
for a second opinion?" The doctor
she literally advocated for Landrum
may get defensive or angry with you,
during her delivery when the medical
but know that it's well within your
team treated her poorly.
rights to speak up for yourself when you think that you're being treated
This is to say that organizations like
unfairly.
Birthmark Doulas can help support you in a system that is, to say the
If you feel nervous about doing this
least, stacked against you. Whether
alone, perhaps bring your partner, a
you can afford to pay their fees or
family member, a close friend, or
not, this can be an invaluable
even your doula with you to your
resource for you to receive more
appointments so that they can chime
personalized and sensitive care. Seek
in if they notice that you're being
out community organizations in your
treated unfairly. Again, it's wrong that
area, through an internet search, or
you even need to take these extremes
your own medical practitioner.
measures in the first place, but being your own advocate can help mitigate
2. Make a conscious effort to
the discrimination you may face.
advocate for yourself during medical appointments.
3. Practice some relaxation techniques to decrease your stress
Whether you have a doula or not, it's
levels.
always a good idea to be vocal about your needs and concerns
High stress levels are common not just
during your medical appointments. It's
in black mothers, but in black women
sad that this is the reality, but the
in general, most likely due to the
odds are that many doctors could
societal discrimination that you may
potentially dismiss your concerns and
face. This extreme amount of stress
ignore your symptoms, even when you
can have detrimental effects on both
know deep down that they are
your own health and the health of
serious.
your baby.
Again, it's a grim reality, but in order
An excellent article on Essence.com
to protect both your own health and
titled "We Need To Rethink What We
the health of your baby, make a point
Tell Black Mothers About Coping With
of standing up for yourself during your
Stress"explains several ways in which
medical appointments.
you can try to decrease your stress levels.
If your doctor seems dismissive, repeat your concerns: For example, "I know
The authors, Aisha Collins and Fatima
that you're not concerned about this
Varner, note their own research and
symptom, but I truly believe that it's
what they've learned.The authors
serious. Could you please run some
note that, for some women
women, mindfulness can be effective. This is one of the most common recommendations made by medical practitioners for coping with stress, and does hold some merit.But interestingly, they note that, in their own survey, it was found that for black women, prayer seems to be more effective. They also note that, in terms of methods, trying to "pray with gratitude" seems to be more effective than prayers focused on your own mistakes.So, consider adding either mindfulness meditation or some kind of prayer into your life. If you prefer prayer, try to reflect on what you're thankful for in your life. It could seriously help your stress levels.
My hope as a parent and freelance journalist is that this article has provided you with some much-needed information on the current infant mortality crisis in America. Remember that you deserve the best medical care possible, and sadly, you may need to be very vocal in order to receive it. My soon to be released book: Our Fault: The Infant Mortality Rate and the Black Community; will delve deeper. Ruminate, always seek out resources in your local community first, stand up for yourself, and try your best to reduce your stress levels through things like prayer meditation and thanksgiving; finally, be encouraged because there is hope!The infant mortality rate for women of color is abysmal for a country that purports to be the richest on the planet. Where do we go from here? My upcoming book: Our Fault: The Infant Mortality Rate and the Black Community; will delve deeper.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10103193
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Virtuous Woman
Virtuous Mother A'Shellarien Anthony, ThD
A'Shellarien Anthony, ThD
Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)
"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged
We hear this story over and over again and each
to be married to a man named Joseph, a
time we say, "Wow what a wonderful story about
descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her
becoming a mother." We look at Mary and see how
and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is
God had specifically chosen her to mother our
with you!"Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What an honor, what
think what the angel could mean. "Don't be afraid,
a privilege, yet what a responsibility. Mothering is
Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor
one of the most rewarding assignments that
with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son,
women have been given while at the same time, it
and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great
is one of the most difficult. Children do not come
and will be called the Son of the Most High. The
with a warranty, money back guarantee, return
Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor
policy, or 30 Day trial period. Once you are in, you
David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his
are in. There is no instruction manual, online
Kingdom will never end!"Mary asked the angel, "But
support person, or 24-hour hotline. I remember
how can this happen? I am a virgin." The angel
when I became a mother at 20 years old I called my
replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and
mother every time something seemed strange. I
the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
made calls like, "Mommy, they said babies eat every
So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be
three hours and he has been sleep three hours and
called the Son of God. What's more, your relative
5 minutes, should I wake him up?" Mommy, I'm not
Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age!
sure if he is breathing right, should I wake him up?"
People used to say she was barren, but she has
Mommy, I thought babies were supposed to be
conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For
smiling all the time this baby is crying, A LOT." Like
nothing is impossible with God." Mary responded,
me, many other mothers were thrown into the fire
"I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have
if you will. Mothering can be very challenging and
said about me come true." And then the angel left
single mothering even more so. I am almost 40,
her. 22
single again, and mothering my 18 year old son, K'Aelle, my 15 year old daughter, Cache, my 11 year old son, Carnell III, and my grand mothering my 18 year old son's almost 2 year old daughter, K'Aniyah. I serve as a full time Pediatric and Adult Chaplain for Delaware Hospice, I serve on the Ministerial Staff at my Church Mt. Tabor AME in Philadelphia, I own and operate my company Desakajo Publishing, teach, preach, mentor, consult, and heaven knows what else. Needless to say, I have my hands full. Out of all the things that I do, mothering takes precedence. Unlike Mary's story of being introduced to motherhood by an angel, many of us come to this place of mothering in a very different way. While some women have prayed and planned for motherhood like Hannah, others have been forced into motherhood through their own bad choices or the unfortunate circumstances beyond their control like Hagar. Whichever way that we have come to the place of mothering, we are here. Now what? What does it mean to mother in a virtuous way? I am so glad you asked. The word virtuous in reference to a mother is found in Proverbs 31:10. Lemuel's mother, the Queen Mother, gives a discourse for him about what his wife and mother of his children should look like. The dictionary defines virtuous as one who has moral excellence.The word virtuous in Hebrew is ?????? which is transliterated as chayil. This word occurs 224 times in the Old Testament. The amazing thing about this word is that when it is translated for men it is power, strength, and mighty. Even though the word has been watered down in translation in reference to mothers, we can be assured that the meaning remains the same. Mothers are powerful, strong, and mighty. Words are powerful and how we use words can change the course of our lives. Virtuous (Powerful, mighty, and strong) mothers must begin to speak affirmations of the amazing gift that God has called us to be. We carry life and we nurture those entrusted to our care with power, strength, and might. God has called us to this place of mothering to be the manifestation of love that all human beings need. There is nothing like a mother's love. There is no medicine that can trump a mother's kiss and hug. Imagine what our lives would be like if we could call upon this kind of mother imagery in reference to God. As we think about what it means to be a virtuous mother there are three things that I would like to share in this article: Virtuous mothers love unconditionally, lead faithfully, and learn continuously. Love Unconditionally The glamour of becoming a mother quickly shifts as the first day of morning sickness kicks in, your feet swell, you become big as a house, and that first labor pain really hits you. We have these fantasies about a smooth pregnancy with a quick painless delivery. The amazing thing is that even after all of that we instantly fall in love with the little person that we have been carrying on the inside of us. Instant unconditional love! We
were created to carry life and that in and of itself is a wonderful gift that God has entrusted to our hands. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT), "Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things."When I think about being a mother I know that I was created to do something wonderful. God is love and we were all created in the image and likeness of God which is love. Virtuous mothering calls for us to love and to teach our children how to do the same. The Bible makes it very clear what love is and what love is not. As mothers we must understand that God trusts us with these precious little ones. They see God through us and we must present Love at all times. Virtuous mothering means talking, walking, and living the Word of God. Beloved, strive to be what 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (Message) says, "If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. Love never gives up.Love cares more for others than for self.Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.Love doesn't strut,Doesn't have a swelled head,Doesn't force itself on others,Isn't always "me first,"Doesn't fly off the handle,Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,Doesn't revel when others grovel,Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,Puts up with anything,Trusts God always,Always looks for the best,Never looks back,But keeps going to the end. Lead Faithfully Virtuous mothering calls for us to lead by faith. Our faith empowers us to live, move, and have our being in the blessed assurance that God has anointed us to mother. Anointing is simply God's power poured on us with purpose. (Bishop C. M. Hudson) God empowers us to empower our children. Leadership requires stick-to-it-ness. So often we fall prey to the throw-in-the-towel spirit because us frustration and lack of appreciation. Virtuous mothers understand that leading by faith does not always show tangible returns. Faith allows us to lead where only God knows the way. Our children are like unwrapped gifts. We know that there is something good inside we just have to be patient until the time of unwrapping. As we strive to lead our children faithfully we must understand that God holds us accountable for what we teach them. What we say or do not say has a great impact on our children. Proverbs 6:20-23 (Message) says, "My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother. Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life." Proverbs helps us to see that the virtuous mother plays a pivotal role in the life of children. It said that the teaching of the mother is the light and the father's commandment is the lamp. The father tells the child what to do and the mother teaches the child how to do it. Virtuous mothering calls for specific Godly instruction, intentional anointed modeling, and faithful leadership.
Learn Continuously Mothers, you cannot be effective if you do not study. Read about being a mother, listen to other women who have wisdom about mothering, and talk to God everyday about mothering. There is always something to learn. You either learn what you should do or what you should not do. Take mothering seriously. Look at it like it's your ministry. Strive to please God in your mothering. Honor God as you mother your children in a more excellent way. Think about the many challenges Mary experienced as the mother of Jesus. I often wondered if she had to spank Jesus? Did she have to put our Savior in time out? Was he a cry baby? What did she tell Him about who He was? How did she keep the neighborhood kids from negatively influencing Him without Him being an outcast? Did she use positive reinforcement? Did she say, "I am going to tell your father? Did Jesus go through the terrible two's? Was Jesus bossy because He was the oldest child? Were His siblings jealous of Him? Was He Mary's favorite and did she treat Him different than her other kids? All of these questions are mothering questions. How we handle our children comes from what we have learned from our mothers. Everything our mothers did was not right. So take the meat and spit out the bones. Take those things that you can use and discard the rest. God has called you to this place and this time. Honor God with who you are. Follow what Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:6-16 (Message), "You've been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you'll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God-no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we've thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We're banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed-keep that dusted off and in use. Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation. "Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7185038