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What if…
Have you ever given consideration to the things you do and why you do them?
What if we changed our thought patterns and started doing things differently?
Maybe you can relate to one or two or four of the things on this list.
I know that I could certainly do better in a few of these areas! If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll probably agree that there are a few things you could improve on as well!
1. What if…we considered other people’s feelings before our own?
For real! I mean, what if we actually thought about other people MORE than we think about ourselves?! Would it change the way we look at things? Would it change the things we do each day? Would we consider someone else’s feelings before we talked about them behind their back? Before we blabbed about something we shared with them in confidence?
How would we feel if that happened to us?
We should probably try to put ourselves into the other person’s shoes BEFORE we do something that could potentially hurt or destroy someone.
Phillipians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
Proverbs 17:28 “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
2. What if…we opened our hearts to give to others in need - EVEN when it hurt?
Have you ever seen a need and KNOWN you could fulfill that need? Maybe you knew someone was low on cash or just lost their job. Could we possibly give them a grocery gift card? You might be thinking that "said" person might feel like a charity case. Well, while some people do have a hard time receiving gifts like this, not all do. If you feel like that might be an issue, then find a way around it! Send it to them in an anonymous card! Where there’s a will there’s a way!
Have you seen someone that seems to be struggling in their spirit and is down. You can just tell that today is NOT their day.
What did you do to encourage and uplift them?
You’d be surprised what a hug or a smile can do for someone! Maybe just sending them a text to tell them you’re thinking about them or to ask how they’re doing. An anonymous encouragement card is always fun too!
Have you ever known of a need and wanted to provide that specific thing for someone, but just couldn’t see how because of the cost? Maybe it’s WITHIN your ability to do it, but it’s a stretch??
Let me tell you that God not only sees when we give in these situations, but he BLESSES as well! Give even when it hurts!
Galatians 6:10 “ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Acts 20:35 “I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Hebrews 13:16 “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well please.”
II Corinthians9:6-8 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”
Proverbs 11:24 “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
Prov. 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
Matthew 6:1-4 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
3. What if…we REALLY listened when people talked to us?
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and you could just tell that they weren’t REALLY listening?
Have you ever done something like this to someone yourself?
Again, if we’re honest, we could all say yes.
It’s easy to get preoccupied with other things even when we’re in a conversation with someone.
In this day and age, we’re so busy that it can be SUPER hard to focus on one thing at a time. We have to really work at concentrating on JUST ONE THING!
Next time you’re talking to someone, try to keep eye contact and really focus on what they’re saying.
Don’t listen to speak - listen to UNDERSTAND.
James 1:19 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
Proverbs 18:13 “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”
Proverbs 18:2 “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
Proverbs. 17:28 “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."
4. What if…we put away technology and put our family first?
Society as a whole has been replacing family with technology.
We’ve spent more time communicating with people via social media and cell phones than we have with the people right in front of our very faces!
Next time you’re at a restaurant, take a few minutes to look around. 90% of the people have their phones out and are not even communicating with the people they're dining with. Children are watching shows on the iPad to keep them occupied. I remember when crayons and a coloring page were entertaining enough!
We’ve replaced quality time with time wasters!
Take a break from technology. Set some boundaries around technology. Start putting your family first and spending time with the people you love.
Don’t let technology rule your life.
I Corin 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
I Corin 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
5. What if…we taught our children how to treat others?
I’m not sure where this statement came from, but it’s great! “Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.”
Our children are watching every move we make. They’ll learn MOST things from us, so we had better give them something GOOD to learn.
How do you treat other people? How do you handle disagreements? How do you handle setbacks? When you’re treated wrong, how do you treat the other person or talk about them?
Do you teach your children to look for ways to help other people? What about including them in your little anonymous acts of kindness you do for others?
Teach them well!
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
6. What if…we expressed appreciation for the people in our lives?
How many times have we missed the opportunity to thank someone for something they’ve done. Maybe they’ve been an example in life or a true friend. Don’t let that go unspoken!
Phil 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.”
7. What if…we learned to be content and not continually strive for things that we REALLY don’t need?
It’s easy to get so caught up in the NEWEST thing that comes out - the newest iPad or iPhone, the newest television, the newest interior designs, the newest things at HOBBY LOBBY (wink wink - you know who you are).
I’m preaching to the choir here I know. I struggle with these things too.
But what if we were just content with what we had and didn’t need the NEWEST thing every time we turned around?
Phill. 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
I Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”
Ps 34:10 “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”
Prov 14:30 “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.”
Just a few things to think on. What if...?
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“They must grow up upon the best. There must never be a period in their lives when they are allowed to read or listen to twaddle or reading-made-easy. There is never a time when they are unequal to worthy thoughts, well put; inspiring tales, well told” - Charlotte Mason
What a child reads, or what books are read to them have the power to shape their lives forever.
That is why it is so important that children read quality books, and not “twaddle”, as Charlotte Mason would call it. So, what is “twaddle”, what should children read instead, and can a child be overwhelmed even by quality literature?
First, let me try to define “twaddle". It’s kind of a funny word, and it may be confusing if you’ve never heard it before.
A few ways to describe “twaddle” are books that talk down to a child, are diluted, undervalue the intelligence of a child, are made easy to read, and are second rate, stale, and predictable.
C.S. Lewis said, “A children’s story that is only enjoyed by children is a bad children’s story”. Chances are, if the story bores you, it’s probably boring to the child you are reading it to.
So, why shouldn’t children read books that could be defined as “twaddle”?
Like I said before, books can shape a child’s (and an adult’s) life, so why wouldn’t we want them to read books that will shape them for good?
When children read books that are full of silly foolishness, that’s all they are going to know. I’m not saying there isn’t a time and a place for a fun, silly book, but that shouldn’t be all that children read.
Let them read “great literature”, books that will teach them important life lessons, and fuel their imagination. Everything we see, hear, and read provides “scripts” for our life.
When a child is not reading or being read to, or is reading and hearing books that are not life-giving, they are either growing up unscripted, or given the wrong script.
It's also possible for a child’s life to be over scripted. Reading too much to a child or letting them read, without giving them the time to THINK about the book that was read and to act on it, will cancel out the positive effect the book might have had on the child.
A good book is like food. You can’t sit down and eat a ton all at once. You have to have time to digest what you’ve consumed.
It would be overwhelming to a child to sit down and read several books, even if it’s good literature, all at once.
The stories children read and hear help make them who they are and who they will become, they give children identity, and are often their first and possibly only glimpses into certain areas of life.
Choose your books wisely. Books can mold a child. What books will you choose for your children today?
Author - Savannah Townes
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Suggested age-appropriate reading with links to purchase:
Preschool -
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Original Mother Goose Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright
The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Aesop’s Fable, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Kindergarten/Grade 1 -
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B Williams
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Little Bear by Else Homeland Minarik
The Little House by Virginia Lee Vurton
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack
Grade 2 -
The Velveteen Rabbit by Marjery Williams
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
Grade 3 -
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan or get the complete series HERE
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla
Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Story of Dr. Doolittle by Hugh Lofting
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Grade 4 -
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
King Arthur by Roger Lancelyn Green
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
Hinds' Feet On High Places for Children by Hannah Hurnard
Grade 5 -
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth, Jr.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery or the 8 book set HERE
Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Lad: A Dog by Albert Payson Terhune
Johnny Tramain by Esther Forbes
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Grade 6 -
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain or The Norman Rockwell Collector's Edition HERE
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Grade 7 -
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens or get the Charles Dickens 5 volume set HERE
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Grade 8 -
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Grade 9 -
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Brave New World by Aldoux Huxley
The Best of Poe by Edgar Allen Poe
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Grade 10-12 -
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Ben Hur: A Tale of Christ by Lew Wallace
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
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Author - Amanda Townes
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If you liked this blog then use the SHARE button at the top of this page.
WE ALL GET TIRED.
As a mom, we’re consistently putting someone else’s happiness and well-being ahead of our own and it’s definitely a sacrifice.
It can get tiring.
It’s days that blend together and we don’t remember which day we did what.
It’s night-time rituals that seem to last for years. It’s finding new routines every time a new little one is added to the family.
We ALL get tired. When we’re tired, it’s EASY to start believing the lie that we’re a bad mom.
YOU’RE NOT A BAD MOM...YOU’RE A GOOD MOM HAVING A BAD DAY.
Every mom has their own battles and hard times. Don’t get down because you’re having them.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
One bad day is NOT the sum of the days you have with your children.
Your children will remember the good days. Pick yourself up and remember that this is just a MOMENT in a long journey.
otherhood is hard and can sometimes feel VERY overwhelming, but there is GREAT joy to be found both in the valleys and on the mountain tops.
WE ALL FAIL - MANY, MANY times we fail!
But the good news is that we can get back up again and do better.
The good news is that we can model Godly repentance to our children.
When our children see us fail, lose our temper, or give in to a bad attitude, we can repent to them and let them see us repent to God and ask for more grace.
Repentance is a humbling thing! But, we have the opportunity to show our children that MOMMY is a sinner too and she needs forgiveness from a Saviour who is ready and willing to forgive sinners.
The Lord is full of grace and is glorified by us admitting our failures.
Our children will learn true repentance through us!
Lamentations 3:21-23 “ This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions they fail not. They are new EVERY morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Our failures can truly be a display of God’s grace to our children.
YOU MAY NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE EVERYTHING THAT LIFE THROW AT YOU - but guess what? “His grace is SUFFICIENT!”
When we feel like we are not enough, we can trust that HE will make up the difference.
When we do OUR best, we can trust that God will help to complete the process.
If we think that we can come up with the strength that we need to do this mom thing all on our own, then we are gravely mistaken. We NEED God’s help.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Have you ever seen your weaknesses through your children?
I TRULY believe that Motherhood is a learning tool from God just to help us SEE our weaknesses. We tend to see ourselves in our children.
We can choose to learn from those things or let them be repeated. When we see those weaknesses in our children and ourselves, let’s work on them WITH our children and grow together.
NONE OF US ARE PERFECT - even tho it seems that way on social media.
Social media is NOT the way to determine what “successful mothering” looks Iike.
Social media can be a place where you fall into the “comparison trap”.
What you don’t see on social media ..the messy rooms in the house that are NOT in the picture,
the pile of laundry that hasn’t been done yet because the baby has been fussy all day,
the empty fridge because there hasn’t been time to go to the store yet, the mom who hasn’t gotten a shower yet today because she’s exhausted after the toddler being up all night...you DON’T see the real picture all the time.
DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANYONE ELSE - especially on social media.
Your success as a mom isn’t found in keeping up with the cutest Pinterest trends and fashions, posting every little thing your child does, or trying to be like someone else.
Your success as a mom is found in faithfully following the standard that God has set for you in his Word.
IT’S OK TO CALL IT A DAY and try again tomorrow.
Some days are just “get through the day” kinds of days. If you’re in the middle of something or trying to teach your children something and it’s just “not working”?? Call it a day. Put it away and TRY AGAIN tomorrow.
It’s ok to take a break!
I DON’T HAVE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF ME -
If you don’t first take care of yourself then you will NOT be able to take care of others.
Even moms need a little time to themselves.
Leave the children home with dad for a few hours or ask a good friend to help you and get out of the house for awhile - go to lunch/dinner by yourself or with a friend, go to the mall for awhile, go sit at the park and read and enjoy nature!
GIVE YOURSELF some time to be alone once in a while.
You need to relax and rejuvenate!
When you come back home you will feel more rested and relaxed - you will feel like a better mom!
JUST THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THE FEELING THAT YOU MIGHT BE A BAD MOM MEANS THAT YOU CARE!
You are a loving mom and YOU are the perfect mom for your children.
Author - Amanda Townes
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