Yesterday went well, until I got the mail. Then I found myself distracted from my original goal of finishing the book, The Power of Motherhood. The reason for the distraction? The latest edition of Above Rubies magazine (it’s free – go subscribe now!) was in my mailbox. Ironically, the woman behind the Above Rubies ministry is Nancy Campbell, who also happens to be the author of the book I was finishing, The Power of Motherhood.
Of course, I had to deviate and read the Above Rubies magazine first! So, with two webinars last night on my plate, I did manage to finish reading the book at 11 pm. A little late for going to bed for me, but worth it.
On to today – day 4 of the 31 Goals in 31 Days Challenge – and it’s going to be a more personal day.
One of the things that I have a tendency to do (probably out of laziness to a degree) is raise my voice and yell across the house (and we have a big house) when the boys call or when I want to tell them something. Not only does this wear out your voice, but it is also not a good example either.
One of my favorite Bible passages is in 1 Peter 3:
1Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
As you can see, it does not say a loud and yelling spirit, but rather, a gentle and quiet spirit. So, today’s goal is simple. Do not raise my voice. This means when the children call, I will get up and go to them so that I can answer (which, will give me the opportunity to serve), and it also means that if I need to speak to them, I will go within a distance that will not require me to raise my voice.
This goal also has a second part to it, and that is to talk to my children on their level. So, not only will I go to them, but I will also get down on their level to speak to them, looking them in the eye. This allows greater communication between mother and child, and also honors what God commands in 1 Peter 3, a gentle and quiet spirit.
See you tomorrow!
To your success,
Dr. Laura
Beautiful entry today. Especially touching. Very inspiring. Thank you for sharing. God is using this avenue to speak…and I believe many are listening. I did.
Thanks Mom! Love you!
[...] goal of a gentle and quiet spirit was eye-opening. There were several times during the day that the kids called from the other end [...]
[...] 4 – A Gentle and Quiet Spirit – I’m doing better here, and have had a lot less yelling across the house. I’ve [...]