My Weekly Inspirations - 10

Message:

Concluded orientation on day shift,
heading back to night shift!

“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭41‬-‭42‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Recently I have realized how difficult it can be to do the will of God through a particular personal experience. We often pray for the will of God but when the Lord gives us the opportunity to do it, it becomes a challenge. This is because the will of God is divine - it cannot be accomplished with human logic, it requires a spiritual transformation and renewal of mind with the word of God on a daily basis.

But we are not alone. The Lord reminded me of Christ in the verses above - it was the will of God for Him to die on the cross but at some point He acknowledged His own difficulty with the task which He confidently confessed but since He desired God's perfect will; He submitted to God's will and received the strength and power to do the divine. Christ's single obedience to doing God's will has brought the gift of salvation to us all. So also as I submit to God's will in vulnerability I am empowered to do His will, and my obedience will bless my generation!

Modesty:

I wore this outfit to the "Uncommon Parenting Conference" with my husband. It was a bit chilly that day so I wore clothing and footwear that would keep me warm and comfortable as well as that was pumping friendly. 

All the pieces that made this outfit possible have been in my closet for many years! I really love the black and white cardigan - it is a great quality, and great for coverage when I was pumping during lunch at the conference - you wouldn't know I was pumping, it provided the much needed covering. I also love black and white and the pattern. 

Marriage:

Parenting is one aspect of our marriage that my husband and I express passion towards, desire and pray to be the best at for our children by God's grace. We often have discussions on parenting and how to nurture our children in the way of the Lord. Sometime ago, he forwarded me an email containing an invitation to the "Uncommon Parenting Conference" I was immediately interested to be a part of - shortly after, we agreed and made arrangements to attend.

We attended the conference this weekend and what a wonderful experience we had. The conference was hosted by a local church community. There were various breakout sessions to choose from. We chose to attend the first one together: "Prioritizing the Dinner Table: A Daily opportunity to Love and Lead Your Family."

The session was facilitated by a seasoned Christian couple and parents of 4 - they highlighted the importance of having the family at the dinner table on a weekly basis not just for a meal but to cultivate character through the gospel and connect with one another through heartfelt conversations. According to the couple 'no topic is off the table at the dinner table' such as

1. News headlines

2. Personal challenges (e.g., school, work, etc.)

3. Celebrations & wins

4. Sports & hobbies

5. Sex

6. Money

7. Entertainment

8. Friendships & dating

9. Politics

10. Marriage & family

11. Highs&lows of the day

At the end of the session, 3 of their children shared their experiences from the family dinner table and how the conversations at the dinner table has shaped their lives in positive ways - on a weekly basis they all plan to have dinner together even though they are much older and leading different lives - as siblings they long to connect with one another on a consistent basis. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold. The seeds sown by their parents is producing precious fruit in them to the glory of God!

For the next two sessions, we attended different breakouts:

• "Cultivating the Hearts of Toddlers" (I attended): I learned that my ability to cultivate my children's hearts in Christ depends heavily on my own relationship with the Lord. Of late, I have been learning over and over again how much my parenting is linked to my ability to abide in the Lord. John 15:4,5 was highlighted and has been crucial in reminding me that truly without Christ, I cannot produce godly children but with Him all things are possible. One characteristic of toddlers is that they are masters at making messes! It can be so frustrating because I clean multiple times a day as a mom of a toddler. At this breakout session, I learned to express gratitude to God for the messes - at least she has food to eat and toys to play with all with which she makes lots of messes for us to clean. It is such a mindset shift but one that is needed to remain sane!
• "How a Dad can Lead His Family" (My husband attended): one of the points my husband took away was 'you provoke your child to anger through hypocrisy' in reference to Ephesians 6:4 - transparency is so important in parenting. We both have realized how much of a mirror our toddler is to us as she repeats the things we do. As she/they get older we must not only tell them what to do but be models of good and godly character
• "What is Biblical Femininity: Raising Girls in a Barbie World" (I attended): in a world that continues to challenge God's plan for the two genders, I learned the importance of allowing scriptures to shape my femininity and not the world's ideology. God's way is perfect and prosperous. I learned that I have a very powerful influence over my daughter in shaping godly femininity in her by the way I live it out in my marriage, ministry and home
• "Fun First, Discipleship Second: Fostering Fun & Connection in Discipling Your Children" (my husband attended): my husband learned the importance of 'relationship before rules' - as parents we set rules and enforce them. But before even setting rules we must intentionally have a loving relationship with our children, taking time to have fun with them, prioritizing their interests while discipling them. As parents we need to have an emotional connection with our children and purposefully create memories that they will remember for years to come. Remembering that God had a relationship with the children of Israel of trust and dependence before He gave them the 10 commandments. In order for our children to trust our leadership, counsel, correction and guidance a personal relationship with them is essential

Honestly, there was SO MUCH to take away from this conference! It was truly a blessing. We took notes, discussed and prayed about together. We know better and pray to DO better with our children. The Lord remaining our ultimate helper.

Motherhood: 

I had installed my pumps

and headed

to lunch while at the conference.

Lately, I had been in the thick of motherhood and the feelings of overwhelm is real! The "Uncommon Parenting Conference" was a great reminder that God is my helper and that I can trust Him to help me in my motherhood to fulfill my responsibilities gracefully.

We didn't bring our children to the conference but I missed them so much as I saw other babies there, too. I loved that it was a beautiful place with accommodations for pumping and breastfeeding moms. I was able to have a place for my pumping and milk storage needs. I loved that thoughtfulness of the conference planners.

I hope that you're inspired by the 4 M's this week! 

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With love, 

Mrs. Charity Umar ❤️