Looking For Answers?

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

Often times, as moms, there are many things that need our immediate attention. In many ways, we have been conditioned by our children to attend to their needs from the time they were born - their cries of discomfort and hunger, their cries of pain and hurt. We become very much concerned with the here and now - with all our children's pressing needs and demands.

And so we move on in life with "the mom fix it" mode. And because we live in a fast paced world, we expect instant 'fix it' to many of our situations and problems too. And we go in search of answers, solutions or help - whatever we can get our hands on. We turn to books for help, or friends for solutions, or a counselor or pastor or seminar.

Perhaps, some of us come to Heart2Heart with a heavy burden in our hearts and with a hope of a possible solution to a crisis at home. We look at the topic title and think that perhaps this particular topic title may address a certain issue at hand. Perhaps it may. Perhaps not.

We want to encourage you to join us at Heart2Heart not just for the particular topic title that may be a possible solution to your problem, but to join us for all the sessions as much as you can.

Heart2Heart does not hold answers or solutions to our problems or crisis but what we try to do at Heart2Heart is to point you to the ONE who can and will lead you out of the dark valley. Jesus can if only we let HIM.

Through the study of God's word, learning together what it means to be a godly mother, we may arrive at the answer or solution ourselves or indirectly, through the DVDs, talks, sharing of life stories and experiences and discussions.

You see, the solutions or answers or possible ways to the solution may or may not come from that one particular session, but it could be from another session of a totally unrelated topic and God opens our eyes to see the real underlying issues of the problem.

We learn and grow as we share together in the group. And because we have moms with kids of different age groups, we can glean from their vast pool of experiences.

It is just amazing what each of us take home with us from each meeting. The take home message is different for each of us. God knows our hearts and if we will only allow Him into our hearts, we will hear Him speaking to us. The answer to our problems may be very plain right before our eyes.

So do come and join us when you can and learn and grow together in this journey of motherhood.

:)

March 6th Meeting - My Child's Relationship with God

We will be meeting on Friday, 6th March 2009 with the 2nd installment of Preparing Our Children for the Future.

This session's Topic will be My Child's Relationship with God.

As mentioned before, in our effort to help our children stay ahead and not lose out, we go through all means to give our children the best in everything that we think is best.  

In our pursuit of not losing out or 'kiasuism' have we thought about our child's relationship with God?  Is this an important aspect of our child's life that we need to take note of and work on?

What are we doing to help prepare our children for the future?

Are we nurturing an eternal perspective that will help our child weather the storms of life?  (These storms of life don't seem to get any tamer.)

Currently, there is much uncertainty in the world, and fear too.  As we move into uncharted grounds in the the world economy, how can we assure our children that all will be ok when we keep our eyes focused on the Lord.

We will not and cannot be there all the time to help our children track this uncharted territory.  But God can. Just as He did with the children of Israel when they left Egypt.  So what better surety than the presence of God with our children.

Come join us on Friday 6th March 2009 as we learn via DVD from Reggie Joiner of North Point Ministries.

Topic   : My Child's Relationship with God

               (Preparing My Children for the Future II)

Date     : Friday, 6th March, 2009

Time    : 9:00-11:30 am

Place    : BRMC Conference Rooms 1 & 2

Hope to see you there :)

Seasons of A Mom's Life Recap 2

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

Were the findings in our discussion an eye opener for you? Many moms were surprised and enlightened as we sat and discussed our different seasons of our life....

Now to continue with our recap on Seasons of A Mom's Life.....

There may be many changes that are taking place at the same time - changes in our seasons of life, changes in the make up of our family (new addition to the family, kids growing up, more independent, looking after parents etc), advancement in IT, changes in society impacting our values and our relationships.

HOWEVER, there is ONE thing that remains CONSTANT, UNCHANGING always. And this ONE thing is GOD.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER (Hebrew 13:8). And because GOD is UNCHANGING, we can go back to GOD'S word for guidance, for direction in this fast paced world.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 says

For everything there is a season

and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time me to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones togetger;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

What gain has the worker from his toil?

I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

And He has put eternity into man's heart,

yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and do good as long as they live;

also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all is toil - this is God's gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever;

nothing can be added to it, nor taken away from it.

God has done it, so that people fear before Him.

That which is, already has been;

that which is to be, already has been;

and God seeks what has been driven away.

We learnt from Ecclesiastes 3 : 1-15 that there are different seasons, different stages in our journey of life. We learnt too that there is a beginning and an ending to a season. Our motherhood is not just one long journey of sleepless nights or diaper changing. Even all that will pass and we will go into another season. And in all the different events and seasons, there is renewal, there is contrast, there is balance. Life is not one long time frame of the same thing over and over again. It is not a dead end. Something for us to take heart.

During the session, we learnt that we are like a tree. Our different seasons of life can be liken to the growth of a tree - with each ring of a cross-section of a tree representing each season of our life. As we go through each season, we mature, just like the tree does (the rings of the cross-section of a tree trunk tell us the age of a tree). And as we mature, our 'trunk' grows thicker and stronger to withstand the changes and challenges each season brings and society wrought on us.

And as we move on in different seasons of life, we too learn how to balance and not topple over in strong winds or times of uncertainty.

So how do we have grow a strong tree? How can we be a strong tree?

Psalms 1:1-6 says :

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on His law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water

that yields its fruits in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,

but are like the chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the LORD knows the way of righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

We need to be a tree with a strong root system drawing its nutrients from God's word. God's word gives direction, guidance and assurance. There are many things in life that can gnaw away at our roots - changes in society and its impact on values and relationships, uncertainty and fear, a feeling of lostness or desperation, busyness etc.... all these can shrivel up our root system. A good root system, tapping on the right nutrients helps weed out negative influences from society and keep us from rotting away unconsciously.

And as the tree grows, it also needs pruning. The dead branches and leaves (wrong values and influences) need to be pruned away to make way for new growth. Pruning brings about balance to an otherwise 'unruly' tree.

With all these in place, tree with a good deep root system will then be able to withstand the storms, be fruitful and be life giving as it goes from season to season.

Now that you have had a brief overview of the different seasons in a mom's life, perhaps it is good that we reflect further and seek the Lord to show us if there are any areas of our current season in life that we need to address - be it putting God first, or re-prioritizing our order of our focus.

Have we just made do with a lot of arrow prayers with God during the diaper years that we don't know how to spend some quiet time alone with God even though we now have time in our hands?

Or have we been overly focused on our children and have neglected to pursue our first love - our darling husband? Have we been focusing so long and so much on our children that we have forgotten that our husband 'exits' or it has been that long that we do not know how to talk with him anymore? (Did you pick this up from previous posting - more time for self but husband is still neglected?)

Or do we need to pay more attention to our health - like exercising to keep fit so that we have less ailments when older? Or pursuing an interest or hobby to fill our time wisely when kids leave the nest?

Can we or do we want to take time to learn from the older moms who have walked the path of their seasons of life before us? Older moms have a great wealth of knowledge, experience and also wisdom. Pray that God will bring into our lives a godly older mom who can help us in our journey as wife and mom. (Titus 2:3-5)

And consider Proverbs 31: 21 & 25 when we think about preparing for the seasons ahead.

Prov 31:21 ~ "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."

Prov 31: 25 ~ "She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."

Do take some time to meditate on Psalm 1 (and the above verses), and see what it means to be like this tree planted by the waters and how we can be a tree planted by streams of water.

:)

Seasons of A Mom's Life Recap 1

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

Did you find some time to reflect on the questions from the previous postings?

It is always good to be intentional and take some time and reflect on some of these questions. Being intentional and reflective help us take a breather in our otherwise crazy pace. Being intentional and reflective also allow us to take stock of what is happening to us at our current time in life. Reflection helps us also to make changes to what is not right and to prepare for what is ahead of us.

If you have not done that - to be intentional about being reflective - take a Five now and just pause for a moment to consider some of these questions in our previous postings.

Coming to Heart2Heart has given us that opportunity to take a pause in our hurried life and reflect on our seasons of life. And the the results of these reflection and discussions surprised even some of us.

We will share with you some of these "findings" in our different seasons of life.

Although not the best of classifications, but for ease of facilitation, we were divided into 3 groups according to number of years married.

There were also some assumptions made - that in general - most married around late 20s to early 30s, generally in good health, not recession times. There will always be variations in seasons of life as each of us is unique and special and no two persons of a particular age or in a particular group will have or must have exact identical seasons of life. There are also overlapping of seasons in life in the different groups.

With these in mind, these are our "findings" below :

Married less than 10 years :

This group of moms have children mainly in the 0-5 years of age with some in lower primary school.

Focus : Mainly on children, meeting their needs.

Kids' needs are more on the physical aspect.

Young kids very dependent on mom.

Little time for self.

Husband important but less time/energy for him.

Tired and low energy.

Not enough sleep.

No time for social activities or friends.

Husband's career stable.

Get help from husband, parents or in-law, maid

Married 11-21 years :

This group of moms have kids in the primary school to secondary school years.

Focus : Still very much on children, their studies, teenage issues.

Needs of children shift from physical to emotional.

Children's emotional issues, their friends, peer pressure, acceptance.

Less of being a mother but more a friend to kids especially in teenage years.

Husband neglected/forgotten.

More time for ourselves and God.

Time for social activities, able to pursue hobbies, meet up with friends, church work.

Husband career stable/established.

Some husbands in mid-life crisis.

Parents' / Parents'-in-law health concerns

Married 21-30 years :

Focus : Less on Children now

Empty nest or children more independent, leaving home.

Children need less of you.

Mothering role is changing or being redefined.

Concerns over children's relationship with God / their salvation.

More time in hand for self, God, church/ministry work, friends, hobbies.

Look to mentoring younger moms.

Focus back on the marriage relationship.

More time with husband.

Finding and pursuing common interests with husband.

Husband's career established/stable.

Coping with personal change in health - hormonal changes.

Pre-menopausal or menopause.

Emotions up and down with change in hormones.

Health conditions deteriorating - poor eyesight, more aches.

Lower energy level.

Need to exercise to keep fit.

Aging parents or parents-in-law need more of our time.

Health issues, frequent doctor visits.

Emotional issues - lonely, need listening ear.

Their salvation.

We did not have any older moms or grandmas that day but concerns and issues will be quite similar to the 3rd group with greater emphasis on being empty nesters and issues of health, loneliness, redefining of roles as kids no longer need mothering, going on to be mother-in-law, grandmother...

This was an eye-opening exercise for many of us.

Having a diverse group of moms allowed us to have a bird's eye view of the many different seasons in life and see beyond our own current season of life. And in many ways, this made us sit up and take note of areas we need to correct and work on to prepare for our next season of life and beyond.

Moms with younger kids saw that there is actually an end to their sleepless nights and wiping bottoms and all the whys and how comes; and there will come a time when they have more time for themselves and social activities.

This time of reflection and discussion made many of us realise the need to re-prioritize and balance our time with our husband too. So much of our time revolve around our children, meeting their needs that we have neglected to nurture our relationship with our husband. How do we live through our empty nest season if we do not take time to nurture this relationship? Will we be two strangers sitting and staring at each other?

We also saw that God plays an important role in our different seasons of life. If not for God, where will we be?

We were privileged to have our church counsellor give us a round up of this session of Seasons in a Mom's life. She showed us that we do not live in isolation but are relational beings. We are part of a family, community, society etc... And society has impact on the individual - on us, moms, on our husband, on our children.

And in this relational context, she highlighted to us the many roles and hats each of us have - being a wife, a mom, a daughter, daughter-in-law, friend, mentor....... and these roles change over time through the different seasons.

She also reminded us that even as we go through our different seasons, we live in a time where change is taking place everyday - life style change not just for us, as moms and dads but our family - our children.

Today's lifestyle is very different from what we know of 20+ years ago. Then, there was no internet, no cell phones, no pda. With IT advancements, the way we interact and connect and communicate with each other has changed. Now, a lot of communication is done via email, SMS, MSN chat etc... And how may these impact us? We become less personal, we talk faster, we are less patient, we can't focus/concentrate well, we are indifferent, more detached, more self-centered.....

All these impact us - our family... our different seasons of life. These changes impact our values and relationships.

So how do we cope with these changes in seasons of life and that of the changes that are taking place in society?

How do we strike a balance in the midst of all these changes?

We will continue in Seasons of A Mom's Life Recap 2. Check back a couple of days later.

Note : Much is covered during each session at Heart2Heart and each of us do take back something different and special that God has placed in our hearts. It is actually very difficult to write a recap but we will try when we can.....

To Ponder Upon ...

For our friends who missed our last session, here are some questions for us to ponder upon in our different seasons of life : 

1. Which Season of Life are you in now?

2. What is/are your focus in this season of life?

- Husband 

- Children

- Parents / Parents-in-law

- Career 

- Health

3. Where is your husband in his career in your current season of life?

4. Where does your husband feature in your season of life?

5. What are your kids age group and what are your concerns for them?

6. How are you coping in this season of life?

7. Where is God in season of life?

8. Where do you see yourself, your husband, your children, 

     family in the next season of your life?

     What do you think will be your focus and concerns then?

9. How do you think you will manage in the next season of life?

10.  What can you do to prepare yourself for the next change in season?

Take some time to think and reflect on these questions.

We will post the findings of these questions as we discussed them in our last session of Heart2Heart.  

It was a very interesting and eye opening session as we took time to think, reflect and discuss all the above questions.

Jennie Bishop's Books

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

Now that we have been introduced to Jennie Bishop's books - namely, The Princess and the Kiss & The Squire and the Scroll, let's find out what we can do with them.

You can use these books together with the Life Lessons books to work with your children on the values of purity and integrity. The time spent with your child working on these values is a very very special and precious time. You are not only imparting God's truth and values to them but it is also a time of special bonding with your child. You and your child will learn much together and you will also get know your child better. Children feel very special when their parents take time and effort to be with them and teach them.

Or you can use them with the kids in your Inter-Generation Cell group. A great way to engage the children.

Another way is to gather a group of your child's friends together and go through the Life Lessons together. One mom did this with her son and his group of 5-6 classmates and Sunday School friends. The group took a journey with the squire and learnt together how they can keep their eyes, ears, heart, mouth, hands and feet pure for the Lord. The group had good fun learning together what they can or cannot do with all their different senses. They touched on topics such as pornography, xrated or violent movies and how to respect a girl, to think about what they want in their future spouse and to pray for her.... This mom noted that it was interesting to see the boys' reaction to some of these topics and questions.

It had been an enriching time for both the mom and the boys. Who better to teach these values of purity and integrity and answer the kids' questions or doubts or fears than the mom herself or the dad himself.

It is never too early to start. If we do not take the time and effort to teach our kids and be intentional about passing on the right values to them, somebody else will. Without effort and restrain, the world, through the media has been bombarding the kids daily with wrong thoughts and values. They will pick up some other values from their friends in school too.

It is also never too late to start. Even teens can benefit from a time of learning together with their group of friends using these books with their cell leader.

In one of our Heart2Heart sessions, we discussed that a few ways to prepare our children for the future. One is to build a good relationship with them. Going through this book together with your child, whether alone or in group, is a great way of bonding with your child. With a good relationship, the child can be assured that he or she can come to you for any questions regarding their sexuality, boy-girl relationship or any other matters, without being judged or condemned.

Another way to help prepare or influence our children for the future is to dial in the right friends for our children. Using these books, in a small group setting with their good friends, is one of getting to know the friends our child is hanging out with. It also allows you to inculcate right values in their friends.

The benefit of such an exercise is just countless and the rewards are tremendous.

Perhaps, you may want to consider doing something like this for your child and with your child this year. This may be the most rewarding thing that you will do and the best gift you can give your child :)

The Squire and the Scroll

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

The boys love this exciting adventure of castles and dragons, knights and kings. And besides being entertaining, it is also very uplifting and insightful .... By the end of the book, your kids will be able to tell you exactly how they can keep themselves pure .... yes... by living according to God's word.

The Squire and the Scroll

Product Description from Revive Our Hearts :

This captivating adventure follows a young squire who travels a long, dangerous road beside his brave knight, on a quest for their king. The action build up until the final face-off with the monstrous, evil dragon. Only then does the squire learn of the secret beyond the cave that ends in joyous celebration for the entire kingdom. Children will gain valuable insight as they learn, along with the young squire, what it means to face the dangers of temptation, and what it takes to guard one's heart from all that is impure.

Life Lessons from The Squire & the Scroll

Picking up where the storybook The Squire and the Scroll left off, this easy-to-use devotional covers biblical teachings on purity, integrity, and God's plan for relationships in a nonthreatening and age-appropriate way. These life lessons are packed with wisdom from God's Word, truths that young men need to know as they navigate the paths that lead to an adult life of integrity and honor. You and your son can build a godly heritage with these short, practical, life-changing studies and activites that can be personalized for any age. An optional Squires of the Lantern Ceremony is also included as an exciting and memorable way to formally celebrate your son's growth. Softcover, 65 pages.

30 Days Time with the Lord Challenge

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

We have come to the end of the 30 Days Challenge!

Well done to all our friends who persevered and made it! We pray you will continue with this habit of meeting the Lord on a daily basis and discover the joys and treasure this time brings.

If we have yet to reach it.... keep on trying. It is an on going learning process. Remember what we said about a baby learning to walk. We are that baby. So be patient with ourselves and ask the Lord for grace and strength to work at it. The blessings and rewards from such a time will be immeasurable......

May we all press on. May God grant us grace and strength to do so.... :)

The Garden Wall

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

The Garden Wall : A Story of Love Based on 1 Corinthians 13

This is a book for everyone - the very young, the not so young, the teens, the in betweens and the oldies.

A beautiful love story between 2 friends. Love is more than a feeling. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifice too. Love is intentional!

This book brings home the message that it takes more than love to make a relationship work. A great way to introduce children to what it takes to make marriage work or any relationship work.

This is also a beautiful book to give as a wedding gift. It also makes a wonderful Valentine's Day gift.

This also makes a very lovely and touching story to read together with your spouse and your children this Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Book is available at Baptist Bookstore.

Product Review From Amazon

The warm sun falls on Petra's smiling face as she breathes in the delicious smells of roses, daisies, pansies and forget-me-nots. What could be more beautiful than a flower? When she announces to her friend, Seth that she wants to grow her own garden, he agrees to help her by building a wall to protect the delicate flowers from harm. But it was not as easy as they think. Sometimes, they don't get along and the work is even harder than they imagined. Should they just give up? Will the flowers ever bloom? Can their friendship lasts when disaster strikes the garden? The answer lies within Petra and Seth and with The Garden wall.

In this engaging children's story, healthy friendship grows into committed love as Seth and Petra build a beautiful garden and the wall that protects it. The words of 1 Corinthians 13 carved into the expanding wall are practical in all relationships - with friends, in school, in family. Anyone who chooses to mirror these 14 qualities can expect good results as they grow relationships into deep, trusting, lasting friendship. Use this book to open doors of communication with your children as you teach them the very important lessons regarding healthy, loving relationships.

The Princess and the Kiss

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

Some 2 years back, through the email, we recommended a series of 3 books by Jennie Bishop - The Princess and the Kiss, The Squire & the Scroll, and The Garden Wall.

The response by moms who bought these books for their kids were very positive. Boys and girls, small and older, all enjoyed and love these books. The kids enjoyed the excitement of the stories - of kings, prince and princess, dragons and castles. The adults loved them for the lessons of purity and love found in them. Based on biblical principles, these books teach our sons and daughters about keeping their hearts and body pure for the Lord through the captivating stories and colorful illustrations.

Although these books are written for children of about 5-10 years old, they are really wonderful even for teens and adults.

The Princess & the Kiss and The Squire & the Scroll have accompanying Life Lessons booklets which are helpful in communicating the values to the kids in an engaging and fun way.

We will post the editorial review for The Princess & Kiss first followed by the other 2 books over the next few weeks. We will also share with you what are some interesting ways you can use these books to bond with your children.

(These books are available from Baptist Book Store)

The Princess and the Kiss

Product Review from Revive Our Hearts (www.reviveourhearts.com)

A loving king and queen present their daughter with a gift from God, her first kiss, to keep or to give away. The wise girl waits for the man who is worthy of her precious gift. Where is he and how will she ever find him? The surprising answer in this marvelous parable will touch the heart of parent and child alike.

Life Lessons from Princess and the Kiss

Do you want to create a desire for purity in your little "Princess" and encourage her devotion to God? This guide is a communication tool to help create rich, powerful experiences to share together with your little princess and an opportunity to cooperate with God in building a godly heritage. Lessons and activities, which can be personalized according to your child's maturity level, are short, practical, and transformational. Early lessons lead to an optional "Princess Purity Ceremony" that can impact your child for years to come. Soft cover, 57 pages.

Do You Know Where You're Going To?

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

Where are we leading our children to ?

Is it important for us to set directions for our children?

Are we leading them down the right path?

What kind of dangers are we heading for?

Do we know?

Are we aware?

Are we prepared?

What can we do to lead our children along the right path?

Come and find out at Heart2Heart Mothers' Fellowship.

Come and join us at our sessions. As we meet together, share, discuss and discover, we not only find that we are not alone in our struggles at home but we will be learn and grow together and be encouraged as well! :)

February 13th Meeting - Topic Change

Change in Topic for February 13th

SEASONS IN A MOM'S LIFE

Seasons of a Mom's Life is one session you will not want to miss!!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 says  There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven;

and a time to born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build.

...

...

...

a time to love ..... a time for peace.

What does a worker (mom) gain from his (her) toil ?

And Ecc 3:11 says He has made everything beautiful in His time.

So, what about moms?

What are the seasons of our lives?  

Or is motherhood just one very very long season?

What are the different challenges in the different seasons of our lives?

Are we ready to take on these different seasons?  

What can we do to prepare for these changes and challenges?

Can God make everything beautiful in His time?

Do come and join us as we look beyond the daily grind and routine of motherhood.

This is one session where the blessings will be reverberating on for many many years and seasons ahead.  As we move from one stage to the next in life, we will be mindful of what we take home from this session.  It will bring much blessings to you, your husband (marriage) and your family.

Please keep this Friday free and join us!  Bring your friend or friends along!!

Topic : Seasons in a Mom's Life

Date  : Friday, February 13th 2009

Time : 9:00-11:30 am

Place : Conference Rooms 1 & 2

 

Heart2Heart Mothers' Fellowship

Inspiring Moms, Building Homes

Meeting Dates Amendment

** Please take note of the amended schedule  **

13th Feb 

Seasons in A Mom's Life

             What are the different seasons in a mom's life?  

Is it just one very long season of motherhood?

6th Mar

My Child's Relationship with God

(Preparing Our Children for the Future II)

Am I Nurturing a Healthy perspective that 

will help my child weather the storms of life?

13th Mar

Prayer is A Way....

We are on a journey,

traveling with God through life.

How are we relating to Him?

What does our prayer life/prayers tell of us?

27th Mar

God's Diet Plan

        Guest Speaker : Mrs Malar Solomon

How are we nourishing our souls?

Is it even important to do so?

How can God's word be real & applicable

to our lives as moms?

How do we appropriate God's word for our lives?

Time   9:00-11:30 am

Place  Conference Rooms 1 & 2

Keep these Fridays free and join us for a time of learning 

and growing, prayer and fellowship.  

You will find you are not alone in your struggles as moms.

All moms are welcome :)

Heart2Heart Mothers' Fellowship

Inspiring Mothers, Building Homes 

Attention : Moms of Tweens & Teens

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

Moms of Tweens & Teens, you may want to sign up for this daily email from Mark Gregston of Parenting Today's Teens.

This short daily email update offers much insight into a teen's mind and world as well as a good understanding of the approach we can take in parenting them.

Whether you have a tween or teen now or just a little primary school child, it is always good to be aware and be prepared for the challenges ahead.

It is never too early or too late.

You can go to http://www.heartlightministries.org/blogs/pttradio/

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13th Feb Meeting - Prayer is A Way ...

We will meet on 13th February, Friday 2009 with Prayer is A Way ....

We are all on a journey....

And this journey can be bumpy and rough at times....

What do we do when the road gets rough?  

(Anxieties over children and future .... family issues... heartaches... griefs...)

What do we do when we come to the cross roads?  

(Major decisions to make ...)

Where does prayer come in?  Where do we even begin to pray?

 

Is prayer is a way ....

... of getting what we want

... of offloading and complaining

... of talking to God

... of communicating with God

... of relating with God

... of building our faith and trust in God

... ?

What do our prayers tell us about our relationship with God?

What do our prayers tell us about ourselves and the way we see our relationship with God?

Join us as we dig into God's word and learn from God's word what prayer is and some answers to some of the above questions.

Topic : Prayer is A Way ...

Date   : Friday, February 13th 2009

Time   : 9:00-11:30am

Place  : BRMC Conference Rooms 1 & 2

Heart2Heart Mothers' Fellowship

Inspiring Moms, Building Homes

More Helpful Devotionals

Nancy Leigh DeMoss shares with her listeners and readers some of her favourite devotional books.

Will list some here :

1. A Quiet Heart by Elisabet Elliot

2. God is Enough by Hannah Whithall Smith

3. Rekindling the Inner Fire Series 

    - a Series of devotional studies, 

      each based on a well known figure or group

For a list of other helpful devotionals and Bible Study Guide, 

please look up this link at http://www.truewoman.com/?id=583

Keeping a Prayer Journal

Visit us at our new blog : Hearts of Moms Blog :)

One of the ways, many of us moms have found it to be very helpful during our time with the Lord is to journal. This was something that we introduced to the group some years ago, and many of us have made much progress in our walk with the Lord and reaped tremendous reward from it.

One mom shared that journaling helped her stay focused during her time with the Lord. Another mom shared that writing stops her mind from wandering and she found that she can also hear God better as she paused in her writing and listened to God respond.

Journaling is like writing a letter to our LORD. It is expressing our prayers on paper.

Journaling is also a way of recording our reflection on what God is teaching us through His Word.

Often times, when we pray or read the Bible, our brain is still multitasking, doing a million other things. Or as we pray in our thoughts, we tend not to finish the sentence in prayer and slowly the mind gets disengaged and soon and very soon... we are off in dreamland "praying". Writing down our thoughts and prayers help slow down our racing mind. It helps us become more reflective about what we think or feel. In the process, you will be surprised that you will probably hear God better.

Journaling also helps us keep a record of answered prayer, of what God has been doing in our lives. The journal becomes our journey of faith. Ad as we read back our old journals, we will see our stages of spiritual growth and faith, We will also see a thread of God's grace and mercy, goodness and faithfulness weaving through the pages of our lives. And we can't help but praise and worship the Lord again.

Reading the journal when we feel low and sad, lifts up our spirits cos the journal is a record of what God had done for us in our storms of life, and how He has brought us through. It reminds us His faithfulness, His perfect timing, His great love for us. And it helps build our faith again.

The Psalms in the Bible is mainly a collection of King David's prayer and reflection, his praise and thanksgiving. In the Psalms, we read of David's cry to the Lord for help God's answers to his prayers, David's praise and worship of the Lord. Our journal may not be poetic like King David's or well composed like a novel. God just want our simple devotion - simple words that express our hearts' thoughts and pains and joys. Yes, like writing a letter to a good friend. And no need fancy or expensive journal book. Just a simple exercise or note book or on MS Word on PC.

These journals, in a way, become the spiritual legacy we leave for our children - our journey of trials and testing, our journey of faith - all recorded for them to read, inspiring them to follow in our foot steps.

Just as the song "Find Us Faithful" by Steve Green says ;

O May all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

O May all we come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone

And our children sift through all we've left behind

May the clues that they discover

And the memories they uncover

Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

May we be the light for our children