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Motivation Monday
“The best test of the Christianity of a home is the type of character that results from its influence. The very first work of parents is to secure the blessing of God in their own hearts, and then bring this blessing into their homes.
God commanded the Hebrews to teach their children His requirements, and to make them acquainted with all His dealings with their fathers. This was one of the special duties of every parent,—one that was not to be delegated to another. In the place of stranger lips, instruction was to come warm from the loving hearts of father and mother. Thoughts of God were to be associated with all the events of daily life; the mind was to be trained to see God alike in the scenes of nature and the words of revelation.
Such was the training of Moses in the lowly cabin home in Goshen; of Samuel, by the faithful Hannah; of David in the hill dwelling at Bethlehem; of Daniel, before the scenes of the captivity separated him from the home of his fathers. Such, too, was the early life of Christ at Nazareth; such the training by which the child Timothy learned from the lips of his “grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice” the truths of Holy Writ.”
The Bible Echo – October, 1894
Rest
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:11
Photo Credit: Pacific Coast Tree Frog ©2009 Nathan Clark. Used by permission.
Quotes Just for Mothers
These are my favorite Spirit of Prophecy quotes for mothers. I hope that you find them as encouraging as I do.
“The king upon his throne has no higher work than has the mother. The mother is queen of her household. She has in her power the molding of her children’s characters, that they may be fitted for the higher, immortal life. An angel could not ask for a higher mission; for in doing this work she is doing service for God. Let her only realize the high character of her task, and it will inspire her with courage. Let her realize the worth of her work and put on the whole armor of God, that she may resist the temptation to conform to the world’s standard. Her work is for time and for eternity.” Adventist Home, p. 231
“Next to God, the mother’s power for good is the strongest known on earth.” Adventist Home, p. 240
“How far-reaching in its results was the influence of that one Hebrew woman, and she an exile and a slave! The whole future life of Moses, the great mission which he fulfilled as the leader of Israel, testifies to the importance of the work of the Christian mother. There is no other work that can equal this. To a very great extent the mother holds in her own hands the destiny of her children. She is dealing with developing minds and characters, working not alone for time, but for eternity. She is sowing seed that will spring up and bear fruit, either for good or for evil. She has not to paint a form of beauty upon canvas or to chisel it from marble, but to impress upon a human soul the image of the divine.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 244
“Let every mother feel that her moments are priceless; her work will be tested in the solemn day of accounts. Then it will be found that many of the failures and crimes of men and women have resulted from the ignorance and neglect of those whose duty it was to guide their childish feet in the right way. Then it will be found that many who have blessed the world with the light of genius and truth and holiness, owe the principles that were the mainspring of their influence and success to a praying, Christian mother.” Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 244
“Let mothers come to Jesus with their perplexities. They will find grace sufficient to aid them in the management of their children. The gates are open for every mother who would lay her burdens at the Saviour’s feet. He who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not,” still invites the mothers to lead up their little ones to be blessed by Him. Even the babe in its mother’s arms may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth. If we will live in communion with God, we too may expect the divine Spirit to mold our little ones, even from their earliest moments.” Desire of Ages, 512
Stolen Joy
You sit down at the computer for a few minutes of internet time, searching for homeschool inspiration and resources. In the midst of finding some great printables you run across some amazing blogs and websites featuring equally amazing homeschool moms with a bevy of bright-eyed children living on expansive, working farms(my weakness) with spotless homes. Not only do the children have a list of accomplishments as long as your arm, the fit and trim mother is in the process of writing a book!
You log off the computer feeling a bit discouraged, wondering why you don’t seem to accomplish as much during the day, and why everyone else’s children are excelling at algebra while yours struggles with the 6 times tables.
It is easy to become distracted and discouraged by what we see around us. It is so easy to let comparison steal our life’s joy. 
What we forget is that we are comparing apples to oranges. How can I compare myself to someone whose personal background and life challenges are not the same as mine? Different circumstances = different lives. We also forget that most people tend to put their best foot forward online, and we compare that to the mundane realities of our day-to-day lives. This portion of a verse from 1 Corinthians 7 :17 inspires me to be me: “But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk.” These words remind me to stop trying to walk in another’s footsteps and walk in my own.
When the enemy tempts you to compare and threatens to steal your joy, stop and consider the “walk” God has called you to and the blessings to be found on that walk. Relish the special joy that God had apportioned just for you.
Motivation Monday
“Parents, who are the responsible agencies in the home life, should set their children a godly example, learning daily lessons of duty and obedience to God’s requirements. They should themselves become missionaries. They should consecrate themselves entirely to God, remembering that the greatest work that devolves upon them is to train their children to be Christlike, faithful soldiers. This should be the essential work of their life, and, by training their children, they will be constantly repeating the lessons they have learned in their youth, and thus the wise, God-fearing parents will diffuse an influence from their own home circle to that of others that will act as did the leaven that was hid in three measures of meal. Home missionary work is the highest service that parents can render to God.”
The Signs of the Times – September 17, 1894
Rest
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:11
Photo Credit: Tulips ©2009 Nathan Clark. Used by permission.
The Adventist Home Educator 