A light meal is enjoyed.
And coffee and tea, of course!
When I was a young mom living in Wichita while Al was doing his residency, and me not knowing many people at all, I attended a mother's hour that was held at a church close to our apartment. I loved it. Didn't know anybody there, but it met such a need for me. Learning how to be a better mom; learning how to walk with Jesus. Some older women in their 70's took care of Josh and the other children. I loved them! You could tell they just enjoyed the children so much!
Even after moving away from Wichita, I still kept going back each month. Many years later, when my kids were all in school, the our older women's Bible study I belonged to started a mother's hour that we call "Mom to Mom" (it has morphed to M2M for some of us)
Each month we have a special speaker. This month it was Gail Voth. You can read about their story here. The book we are going through this year for M2M is "Growing Grateful Kids" by Susie Larson. I highly recommend this book! The section we looked at was "Teach Perspective". The chapters were - Develop Compassion, Ask for Wisdom, Live Humbly, and Embrace Contentment.
Gail shared that in America we are so very blessed and we need to bless others with what He has blessed us with. She said that if 58 airplanes (747's) fell out of the sky each day, we would take notice!! We surely would! And yet, each day 29,000 children die and do we even bat an eye?! 70% of those are from poor water, malnutrition, childbirth (her son was in this category), respiratory illness or malaria.Today I read this blog . Please take time to read it. It will hurt; it made me mad. How people can be so callous toward others, especially children, I do not understand!! There must be some way to intervene. But in such a country, how? I know I can pray. "Prayer is the wrist that moves the hand of God!" There is a Dark Power in the universe - he is the power behind death, suicide, disease and sin. The Evil One hates God, hates anything that reminds him of the glory of God...wherever it exists. We are at war. We each have a crucial role to play. We must ask Him what our role is to be. He ultimately wins and Satan will be conquered!
* * * * * * *
During the Wednesday morning M2M, I help out in the nursery.
With the older ones, I tell a lesson that reflects what the speaker talks about. So we talked about sharing our blessings with others.
Count Your Blessings (taken from "Growing Grateful Kids")* If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep - you are richer than 70% of the world.
* If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish somplace...you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
* If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
* If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
* If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death...you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.
* If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare.
* If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful...you are blessed because, although the majority CAN, most do not.
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
