Mom of the Month: April

Mom of the Month: April

Lisa Yarbrough

Who is in your family?

Ben, Lisa, Jacob (9), Emily (7), Addison (3)

What were your favorite Easter traditions growing up?

My favorite Easter traditions growing up were finding the best outfit with matching hat to wear to church, followed by lunch with extended family and an egg hunt. We would also leave on Easter night every year to spend spring break in Palm Desert. We pretty much do those same things now….minus the Easter hat. :)

What is one thing you miss about being a kid?

Oh man! There are so many things. I miss freedom and playing without much responsibility. Being a kid is great!

What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

I have been blessed in my life to be surrounded by so many nice people. It's almost hard to pick the nicest thing. I would have to say that the nicest things that stand out in my mind were during a time when we were struggling financially. Monetary gifts, a meal out, groceries and diapers purchased for us. The generosity of people was humbling and so much appreciated.

Any advice or encouragement for the other moms in our group?

The advice I have is to eliminate distractions. I say this because I have fallen into the trap of distractions myself. It's easy, it happens slowly. Limit your time on Facebook, pinterest, twitter, instagram, etc. The electronic age is robbing us of time spent with our beautiful loved ones. I realized when my kids would say, "Mommy get off your phone!" that I was neglecting what was most important to me. Live in the moment with your kids, enjoy their presence! I decided I didn't want my kids to look back on their childhood and think, "My mommy sure loved her phone!" Just a thought… :)

IT WORKS FOR ME - KIRSTIN'S TABLE - APRIL

Kirstin - Uses Prince Lionheart wipe warmer to keep warm washcloths on hand (uses the bamboo washcloths that come with it.

Samantha - On busy days when kids don't get outside to play use spray bottles to play water tag and then kids are nice & tired and will take naps.

Corinne - Has found 2 apps that pack in truths & Scripture if you only have a short break. "Jesus Calling" and "She Reads Truth." For "She Reads Truth" the app will be up & running soon, but the devotionals are available at shereadstruth.com or you can subscribe to the daily emails. Really powerful devotionals that get you knowing God's Word.

Erin - Oakdale MOPS - Trade with your friends for childcare, free & gives you time to get things done.

Tracy - Oakdale MOPS - Use a reward program for you children. Child needs 4 good days in 1 week to earn $ for a reward (lego set or doll?)

x

Life is a Beautiful Mess!

Life is a Beautiful Mess. As long as we are in an imperfect world, we are going to have deal with some hard stuff. Sometimes it will be the consequences of choices we make, and other times it will come out of left field. But, what makes it a Beautiful Mess, is being able to embrace the story, the whole story, and see that God can take any circumstance and use it for His glory. After the dark, the awkward, and the ugly, you can step back and know that He will never leave you the same. You have been broken and tested, molded and shaped, and you look at life differently. Things that once seemed important seem frivolous, and your vision is narrowed to the One who got you through it all.

Kristyn Sorrick’s testimony is a Beautiful Mess. If you missed Tuesday’s meeting, you missed an amazing testimony. It… got… real! A small army of support surrounded Kristyn when she shared her story. This army consisted of friends who took the morning off of work, a college roommate who flew in to hear her speak, fellow MOPS moms from Oakdale, her husband, and her mom. She bravely shared the struggles that she experienced in her marriage, and how there is hope after infidelity. She was vulnerable, she was real, and she was beautiful.

Kristyn’s testimony showed me once again that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). No situation in life is too dire for Jesus. Kristyn stood before a group of her peers revealing deep wounds and scars from a situation that Satan meant for complete destruction. She proved that there is always hope and beauty that can come out of the dark periods in life. She shared, and we listened.

Kristyn had some great practical tips on how to protect your marriage:

• Get uncomfortable!
• Do not be apathetic, and do not have the “It can’t happen to me” attitude!
• Mommy & Daddy time takes precedence over the kids.
• Our kids are a part of our family for a time. You don’t want to look at your spouse after the kids leave and realize you’re sitting next to a stranger.
• Encourage your husband to join a men’s Bible study.
• Seek out a mentor couple and seek counseling.
• There are many resources at Big Valley Grace Community Church
• Get connected into a church and join a small group.

Here are some great adultery recovery resources:

• Hope and Healing with Gary & Mona (www. hopeandhealing.us)
• This is a Christian based ministry located in Denair, Ca. They are solely devoted to helping couples who have experienced the heartache of adultery.
• “Torn Asunder: Recovering from Extramarital Affairs” by Dave Carder
• Arm yourself with scripture & get into the Word daily! Here are the verses that Kristyn holds dear to her heart:
• Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
• Romans 8:24 – “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”
• Ephesians 6:10-17 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
• Psalms 51:17 - My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
• Isaiah 25:8 - He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken
• Isaiah 66:1 - This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?
• Isaiah 57:15 - For this is what the high and exalted One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. 

Ladies, our last speaker of the year brought our theme full circle. I hope you’ve been encouraged & challenged to embrace this Beautiful Mess we call life. Our prayer is that you’ve enjoyed your MOPS year, made some awesome mommy friends, and that you haven’t felt alone in this journey through motherhood. You are so loved.

Stay tuned for next year’s theme at our last meeting of the year. See you May 13th at the mOmSCARS!

"It Works For Me" - Jodie's Table - April

Lili - Family naptime...make a game of it so the kids enjoy it...her older girls even love it when they are home from school.

Jodie - When you know you have a crazy week coming...make PB&J sandwiches ahead & freeze for lunches.

Deondra - Have your kids help you make veggies for snacks or dinner and they will love to eat them.

Kimberly - Recommends the book "Parenting With Scripture" - by Kara Durbin so that you can be more specific with your kids.

Michelle - Barbie doll mess - use over the door pocket organizer to put dolls in so the hair doesn't get so messed up...can put older girl's special dolls at the top so that younger sisters can't get to them.

Laura - Use frozen eggo waffles for teething. On a side note - she recommends a vegan organic diet as it has helped shrink her thyroid cancer.

Amy - Technique for teaching your children how to manage money...each child has 3 piggy banks (Jesus, savings, spending). 

x

Who Am I?

... But what they didn't say includes a list of "side-effects" that ends up sounding like a prescription medication comercial.  And as Alex Kuykendall pointed out (via MOPs video), some of those surprising byproducts leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy, while the others make you want to "go potty" simply so you can have five minutes of (relative) peace.

It's so easy to define ourselves by cultural standards, and even the standards we place on ourselves.  Many women find their identity in their job or their DIY-filled, Pinterest perfect home.  Others define their worth by their outward appearance or how many "likes" their child's photo received on Instagram, or even how many children they have.  And while taking pride in your cooking skills or how many to-do list items you checked off isn't inherently bad, hinging our significance on accomplishments or material possessions or relationships with other imperfect people will eventually leave us feeling empty and lost.

Comparison kills contentment, and creates fears that tell us we're not doing it right.  But a mama's greatest weapon doesn't lie within herself, it lies within the One who created her.  Raising children in this day and age is one of the toughest, scariest battles of all time and the enemy wants nothing more than to watch us fail.  But we have the mighty King of heaven's armies in our corner, smiling and offering an "atta girl" at just the right time.  That's enough to make me wanna pull up my bootstraps and keep on keepin' on, no matter what anyone else thinks of me.

So what did Alex do when she woke up one day wondering where her kids stopped and she began?  She turned to God and his Word.  

She said, "God determined my worth with his gift of grace.  All I have to do is accept it.  I feel like I'm not enough, but God tells me I wasn't created to do it all - He's already done it.  I feel out of shape, but God tells me I'm his perfect masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)."  

A few months ago, I read a blog post by Bart Millard (from the band Mercy Me) where he cited an extensive list of personal attributes, according to God.  I won't copy/paste every one of them here, but I urge you to click HERE and bookmark it, or Pin it, or write them on Post-it notes and stick them to your mirror.  You'll be encouraged... you'll stand a little taller... you'll face the day with a new resolve. 

Because you're a daughter of the Creator of the universe, and everything else pales in comparison to His love for you.