Our Heritage- The Nation's Future

I cannot over emphasize the importance of consistently praying for our children.  

Praying for our children is something that we can do anytime, and anywhere.  We can do so whether we are rich, poor, black, white or Hispanic.  We can do this in any language we speak – English, Spanish, French, German, Jamaican.  

Prayer is the universal key that as mothers we have available to us.  

 It is the key that we can use to unlock doors that may seem impossible to access- big doors, small doors, old fashioned doors, fashionable doors, metal or wood doors.  This is a key that you do not have to get made at a Home Depot or Lowes or any other hardwood store.  It is a key that we can carry around with us any and everywhere we go.

Praying for our children is one sure way that we can defeat the enemy.  Our children are the trailblazers for tomorrow, and the enemy will try everything that he can to make sure that this does not come to pass.  Remember his mission is to steal them from us, and after he steels them he kills them and he does not leave them there he then destroys what he has killed, trying to remove every trace of what was and what is to become.

He has been at this job for ages, He tried this with Joseph but God took him from the pit to the palace.  We see him trying to use pharaoh to destroy all the Hebrew babies- but Moses’ mother rose to the occasion and hid Moses by the river, she did not give up.  Moses had a future to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt.  Herod tried to destroy Jesus  he told the wise men to come back to him after they had found the Christ Child so that He may also go to worship Him, of course he was lying, but God revealed this to the wise men and they did not go back to tell Herod- JESUS the Savior of the WORLD.

We must rise to the occasion, we do not know exactly what God created hem to become but we can agree with Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Who will we pass the baton to if we allow Satan to bind our children to steal their vision and dreams?  Think about it.  Can you feel my passion?  It is not just about your child, it is much bigger than that it’s about our nation’s children.  LET’S  P.U.S.H. !!!

In His service,

Vilma

Let me hear your Comments? 

Being a Mother without having had a Mother

This is something I have always thought about myself and as I pondered it God revealed some things that I will share with you.  My mother passed away when I was 34 years old already married and with at the time a 4 year old and a 1 year old.  I remembered how angry and hurt I was.  As I started to talk about my children not having their grandmother around and my not being able to call my mother for advice as I use to, it suddenly dawned on me that my husband who was comforting me lost his mother when he was only 12 years old.  Although the pain was still there I started to thank God that I had the opportunity to have her for 34 years, when as in the case of my husband some had theirs for only 12 years, some for maybe 5 years and then some who never had the opportunity of knowing their mother. 

There are those of you who may not have had their birth mother, but were blessed with a mother figure who tried to fill that gap, whether a grandmother, adopted parent, foster mother, a big sister or other relative.  Then there may be a few who as painful as it may have been literally raised themselves, with those daily struggles for survival.

Now here you are looking back at the child you raised, or the child that you are still raising, you no doubt have many questions as to the job you did, or the one you are doing. Was it right or is it right?

Let us rethink this- first start to thank God that he chose your womb in spite of everything else to place the gift of life.  If He did be assured that you are capable of being that mother that God desires.  Remember that God is the only one that gives life- God does not make any mistakes.  He did not create this life within you and then said oops, I made a mistake, she can’t manage.  There is no oops in God!!  Next thank God for the people who helped you and tried to be a mother to you.  Then forgive your mother who may have abandoned you and ask God’s forgiveness for whatever anger and bitterness that you may have if you lost your mother at a critical period in your life.  You may not even realize how angry you have been.  This certainly is a hindrance to your relationship with God and subsequently a hindrance to being the mother He has called you to be.

 Not having a mother or a good mother figure around is difficult, but remember that the manual for child rearing is the word of God and that word stands forever.  You can seek advice or counsel, get parenting classes, but always make sure that the advice you are given is in agreement with what the word of God is saying.

 Some of you reading this blog may have had mothers around all your life, but you never see them pray or read the word of God and in turn they never taught you how to pray and read the word of God.  So you find it hard to read the word and pray as I have been encouraging you to do.

The fact that you are reading this means that it is not too late to start doing what is right.  Break this generational pattern and start to earnestly pray and seek God’s guidance. Tell yourself the BUCK stops with you.  The moment you make an effort God steps in.  God did not part the red sea until the Israelites stepped in.

In His Service,

Vilma

What are you Believing God For Concerning Your Children?

What are you believing God for concerning your Children?  As you look at them, think about them, speak with them, what is that burning desire that keeps clutching at your heart?  Is it for their salvation, their obedience, their health, the choices, they make?  Is it about their finances, their lifestyle or even the way they raise their own children?  As you zero in on it, get yourself a note book and write it down.  Next go to the scriptures and search for every promise concerning “that thing”.  Start to speak these promises every day until you are able to say it from memory.  Remember words are powerful and when mixed with faith they are even more powerful.

Speaking God's Word is powerful!  It is more powerful than a two-edged sword!  One edge of the sword is God’s word, and it becomes double-edged when we speak the word of God- that’s the other edge.  We must synchronize; we cannot go in opposite directions and expect to get good results.  We must be on one accord.  So as God speaks I agree.  When we agree with someone or something we support it- right.  How do we support what God is saying?  By believing it and acting like it is so.

 Having said this I also would like to say that along with claiming the promises of God we need to remember that there are certain conditions surrounding these promises and we have to acknowledge these “ifs” and but’s and operate accordingly so that our “thens” can materialize.

In His Service,

Vilma

Praying for a Revelation Knowledge of God

For this post I would like for us to look at Ephesians 1:17-19:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power (KJV).

In his prayer for the Ephesians Paul was asking that God would give to the Ephesians the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.  Most times we want revelation from God about people, about things or about certain situations, but it is rarely that we pray asking for revelation knowledge of God Himself.  But that was Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.  It is important for us to have an accurate knowledge and understanding of who we are.  Yet it is far more important (and beneficial) for us to know and understand who God is.  

Paul continued to ask that the eyes of their understanding be opened up (enlightened) to know the hope to which God has called them, the riches of Gods glorious inheritance.  It would take supernatural intervention for us to fully understand what God has given to us in Jesus Christ.  The hope of his calling could be seen as the purpose for which God has called us.  This can also be seen as hope for the future. 
David Guzik in his commentary on Ephesians 1 sums up very well “the hope of His calling” from a futuristic point of view.  According to Guzik the believer has a glorious future of resurrection, eternal life, and freedom from sin, perfected justification, and glorious elevation above the angels themselves (Dvvid Guzik-http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries).

 “According to the working of his mighty power” This mighty power is the same power that raised Christ from the dead.
Although Paul prayed this prayer for the Ephesians it is relevant for us today as well as for our children.

 Lord, please my children the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of You.  Help that their eyes will be opened that they will know the hope to which you have called them, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints and His Incomparably great power for us who believe.  In Jesus’s name Amen

In His service,

Vilma

Stop Crying and Start Rejoicing

As I write this post I am thinking of mothers who may have trained their children according to proverbs 22:6, but at this point in time they are filled with disappointment because of the path that their children have chosen.  I am thinking of mothers whose child or children may have found themselves into situations that are unimaginable, of mothers whose children are incarcerated, homeless or maybe, you do not even know where they are or and have not spoken to them in years.  I am thinking
of mothers who feel abandoned by their children, who have worked tirelessly to send their children to college and they graduate and are ashamed of recognizing you as mother.  As hard as this may be, I would like you to stop a minute and listen to what God is saying to you in the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:16-17 - This is what the LORD says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD.  "They will return from the land of the enemy.  So there is hope for your future," declares the LORD.  "Your children will return to their own land.  (NIV)

The Lord is saying stop crying, because the hard work that you put into raising your children, into training them, will be rewarded. Stop crying, because they – (meaning your children) will return from the land of the enemy.  That is where they are in the enemy’s territory, yes they have been lured away, but they will return.  He did not say they may return, but they will return.  There is hope for your future, in other words there is something to look forward to.  Your children will return to their own land- they will return to a place of peace and safety and wellbeing.  So as difficult as this period in your life is, stop looking at the present situation and start to focus on the future, start rejoicing knowing that they will come home.

Father I thank you that (insert name) is not going to settle for where the enemy has lured him/her to.  I thank you that their eyes are opened and that they are moving back to a place of safety.  Father I release this heart of heaviness in exchange for one of rejoicing as I take comfort in your word, thanking you for your promise.  In Jesus’s name Amen.

In His Service,

Vilma

DISCIPLINE- OOPS- YES WE SHOULD

DISCIPLINE- (Instruct, train, correct)
So many times we hear words like “that child has no discipline” or I have never seen such an undisciplined group of individuals” or things like “she has no home training” All these phrases convey the same idea, a need for more structure and training in our society.  I do remember however, that things were not always like this, children seem to have been more respectful of their elders, teachers spent less time with trying to discipline individual students that they seem to be doing now, less teenagers were in trouble with the law or being incarcerated.  What happened?  Who dropped the ball, and why?
As Christian parents and Christian mothers in particular we were given a mandate regarding our children.  It is our responsibility to train our children, (these wonderful gifts) in the way or path they should go, and not to leave them to make uninformed decisions by themselves.

Proverbs 22:6- Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  Most times parents seem hesitant to discipline or train their children.  However, if we do not train them in the way of the Lord, then the world will train them in the ways of the world.  That sweet baby in your arms now, if left to run wild and without training will someday become something else in the arms of the law.

Training needs to start early in life, but if you did not you can start now, it may be more difficult but it is doable.
Think about you wanting to enter a race, run a marathon or lose weight you train for it- you do not expect to do well or win the race if you do not train.  You cannot expect to be an overcomer if you don’t train your mind and spirit in doing and having faith in the word of God. We cannot expect our children to be well equipped if they are sent out to battle without the correct gear or armor.
When you train for a race: you start with small steps; you may work out for ½ hour then build up to 2 or 3 hours.  You do not just go to the Gym one day a week but may go for 4-5 days a week.  Consistency is key to achieve the results we need.  Not only do you exercise, but you also try to eat healthy, and get adequate rest.  You do not give up until you achieve your goal.  You put all the energy and enthusiasm you can into it.  You believe that if you do what it takes that you will be successful in achieving your goal.  You have faith in yourself.
You do the same thing when you want to Lose weight to fit into your bathing suit, or that new dress etc. or if you are getting married and need to fit into that wedding dress.
God is expecting the same thing when it comes to our children/ his children.  He expects us to train, and to discipline with the same fervor you would if you were trying to accomplish a personal goal.  Let us look at the word Train as an acronym.  Training should involve
Teaching   Relationship- Admonish   Inspire and Nurture

If we turn to Deuteronomy 6:7-9 http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Deu&c=6&t=KJV > we see the intensity with which God intends for us to do this training.  We need to do this at every opportunity we have.  Training should also be by example; we should always demonstrate the things that we teach.  We cannot leave the training or teaching of our children to their teachers, daycare centers, neighbors or friends.  The responsibility is ours. As we teach, build relationships admonish, Inspire and nurture we are building confidence in our children to take their place in the world. We need to take our time to build a good foundation- secure and strong– so incase the walls crumble the foundation will remain strong.

Proverbs 14:1 -Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.  
Training your children is one aspect of building your house, not taking the time to train them is one way to destroy that house.

In His Service,

Vilma

Characteristics of the Eagle

Mothers are you getting weary with the tide of events, and the trials of life as it relates to your children? Could it be a result of the choices they made, or due to an absent father, or abusive relatives or friends?  Here is some encouragement to you from the word of God, Isa. 41:10.  “Fear thou not, for I Am with you, be not dismayed, for I Am your God, I will help you, strengthen you, I will uphold you, with the right hand of My righteousness” It is possible that those you expected to be there for you at the hour of trouble never showed up, however let me remind you that there is One who sticks closer than a brother, His name is Jesus, and there is none like Him. He will always be there for you, when no one else will.  

Before the year gets further let us pause and reflect on our lives as mothers, as we partner with God in ensuring that His purposes for our children come into manifestation.  First as admonished, mostly in the Pauline Epistles, we need to be transformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus, more so in our motherhood.  What is this Likeness?  God used  simple and familiar things in His illustrations to describe to us His nature such as: the Vine so that we perceive ourselves as branches, as the Husband so that we look at ourselves as the bride, as a mother so that we see ourselves as His children at His eternal breast.  But one of the most intriguing illustrations is that of the Eagle, (Exo. 19:4).  What can we learn from the Eagle?

Let us take a look at some mysteries that characterize the Eagle`s life.
His Nature:
The eagle is a unique creature and so are we, we are created in that divine image of the Father, regenerated in His Son, no wonder the world cannot understand us, a special people. So the next time inferiority knocks on your door, remember how unique and unpredictable you are.  You need to think of your children as being unique, and should always remind them of this fact- they are not just different, they are unique.
His Habitation:
The eagle, especially the Bald eagle, likes habitats near the open waters, partly because that is where it gets its food, and also because of the serenity that accompanies that atmosphere.  Our motherhood will succeed as we intentionally make our habitat where we also can get food - in the word of God (Col. 3:16).  The eagle also searches for old-growth and mature stands coniferous or hardwood trees for perching, roosting and nesting.  Motherhood is a challenging responsibility; you cannot afford to keep company that does not foster godliness, search for people, and divine friends who encourage God ward gravitation.  The eagle is extremely sensitive to human activity, and stays away from human disturbance, as a mother you must choose fellows who fit in one ship with you, people who are God minded about their children in their character, speech and prayers. The eagles congregate in certain locations during winter, as we mother our children, seasons come when we wonder what is happening to our children, we cry and groan, because they sometimes do things we are not proud of, in such times, go to your own people with whom you will raise one voice unto the Father on their behalf (Acts 4:23).
Welcome to M-PUSH!!  That is what we do here, and it works.
His Battles:
The eagle when faced with a challenge by an enemy, picks the predator on its spicules, soars high, on thermal convention currents where no other bird survives except the eagle, and without fighting, the enemy dies a natural death.  Most of us have lost some battles with/for our children by the words we release from our mouths. The eagle perches on trees with good visibility, open structures and proximity to prey.  Mothers, position yourself in the heights of prayer and worship, where you see the enemy before he spots you and your children. Some of those battles with teachers and doctors reports, will be won faster on your knees than mere talk, (2Chro. 20:17).
His Rearing:
 The eagle builds its nest, large and thick enough to protect the eaglets; one of the strategic aspects of this nest is that it is made with thorns facing outward, those thorns remain like that so long as they are young. When they get to a stage of learning how to fly, the mother turns the direction of the thorns to face inside, the eaglets get disturbed and jumps out, only to find that it is open space, and down they go, this stretches their wings, but before they land on the ground the mother eagle pounces and they land on her wings, she takes them up again and this she does repeatedly until they learn how to soar on their own and she releases them. As mothers, we have to be sensitive to know when our children have attained the age of learning how to fly, let them learn how to clean up, cook, take responsibility not as a duty only but as part of life. Let them know the place of hygiene in godliness; it is for the good of their future. Just like the eaglets, it may not be soothing to them but later in life they will thank you for doing so, and more so, you want to hear God say to you, “well done, good and faithful servant” Amen

Guest Blogger

Jennifer Ikonne