Moms Matter

I challenged my fellow MOPS moms (and anyone else who wants to join us) to read through the New Testament this summer. You can find the printable reading chart in this post where the New Testament is broken up into 90 segments.

I attended some leadership training last weekend and I keep thinking about one statement that was made by Joann Kraft.

As moms, we have the opportunity to give life twice. 

What a scary, humbling thought - I have the chance to give my children life physically by birth and by helping them grow into the person they are going to become. But I also have the privilege and responsibility to impact their spiritual growth and hopefully their trusting Jesus as their Savior.  I know the impact my mother has had on my spiritual growth - and still does.  I want to have that impact on Hudson and Nora. But in order to help them love the Lord, they have got to see me loving the Lord and His Word first.

I've challenged the MOPS moms to read through the New Testament together this summer and I decided to start my 90 days of reading last night. 

When I saw that Matthew started off with a genealogical list, I wasn't super motivated - But as I read, I noticed that 5 names were different than all of the rest. 5 women. 5 mothers God used...and 5 moms He thought were significant enough to include in Christ's family tree list. 

Tamar

Rahab

Ruth

Bathsheba

and Mary, Jesus' mother. 

Horrible pasts. Questionable occupations. Bad reputations. Even Mary, though she'd done nothing wrong, was no doubt talked about and looked down upon being a pregnant, unmarried girl. 

These ladies were gossiped about - yet God used these moms. These weren't the most popular girls. They didn't have the easiest lives - yet they mattered.

As I underlined their names in pink ink, I decided to look for "mom things" as I go through the New Testament this time. I am praying that I have "eyes to see" what God has to teach me as I read. 

Because moms matter. God uses moms. And I want Him to use me. 

(And I'd love to know who else is reading with me)