Comments on: Confessions of a Mother’s Heart

By: Jenni

Jenni — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 22:52:34 +0000

Wow ladies, I am overwhelmed with the response to this post. I guess that this topic kind of strikes a cord in many of us. Thank you all for your encouraging words and to those of you who’ve commented for the first, thank you so much! I plan to respond to you all individually but then again, you know how it goes :) Blessings as you mother your babies, or grandbabies!!

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:24:23 +0000

Oh Jenni, This was an amazing post of your heart as a wife and mother. It is so true that we wonder what others are thinking about us, and often times we are quick to change what we are doing to “look” better or seem to be doing the “right thing” only in someone elses eyes. I have been the mom in the store watching other kids thinking “oh my goodness” and have been the mom with the red face as my child throws a tantrum because he can’t have the gum in the checkout isle. But, I have learned that every moment I can invest in my children what needs to be invested. And I am accountable to raising my children by the standards that God has called me to. I too have long grown tired of feeling like I am always being judged and your right, about not just raising Nice kids on the outside. It’s about raising godly, responsible, caring kids on the inside. Man looks on the outside, but God judges the heart. Mothering is not for the faint of heart! It takes courage and lots of lots of our own self discipline on our parts to gently mold and grow and plant wonderful children. Way to go, Jenni! I am proud of you!

By: Jana

Jana — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:59:47 +0000

I too randomly found your blog and have been visiting frequently for a while now. This is the first time I have felt like I had something useful to say. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given was from one of the nurses in the NICU when my son was a baby. She told me, “He’ll do what he does when he does it.” I have used that advice so often over the years. My son has developmental delays so I have had to learn to take each milestone and situation one at a time and also to realize that my husband and I are raising this child and know him best. There have been people who wanted us to do things differently or have thought they could “do it better”. I have had to learn to trust God, listen to my son, and do what I felt was best in each given situation. I think it’s time we all let ourselves off the “guilt hook” and realized we are raising individuals who will grow to be Godly men and women because that is what God promised in His Word. “Raise up a child in Godly ways and they will not depart from it.”

By: nanajudi

nanajudi — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:49:38 +0000

May I take just a little credit for raising this amazing young woman?! All I can say is, “Wow!!” Jen, I know you don’t feel as if you are doing an awesome job as a mother, but I see that you are! I hope I was just a little bit of inspiration to you. I know that I felt the same inadequacies as you feel, and feel still that I failed you in some ways, but I raised some wonderful children who are (and are going to be :) wonderful parents, so I must have done something right ! :) Aidan will grow to be a wonderful husband and father like his Papa, but with the added strengths he will acquire from you and Chris. Guenna will grow up to be a wonderful young lady like her Auntie Tamara, and Eamon and Cait and your future children will all grow up to emulate the Christlike spirit that they are learning from their parents and other Christian adults in their lives. It is nice to know that while parents are the most important teachers in their children’s lives, they are not the only ones who are in a sense responsible for raising their children…”it takes a village to raise a child”, and some times the village extends many miles! Well, I’m rambling now…and I have to be at work early tomorrow, so…I love you much!!!

By: sara

sara — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:30:07 +0000

I think you worte that for me. Ever read something and feel like the original writer was looking into your heart and saying each word to you? That is exactly what that just felt like. I’ll blog about it this week so you know what I mean :-)

By: Nickie

Nickie — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:36:31 +0000

Well, it was meant for me to read your blog today! And I recently heard a speaker point out that men need cheerleaders. Our boys need cheering on, our husbands need an encouraging wife. There’s a reason that so many sports (especially for kids) have cheerleaders on the sidelines. I want to be a mom who encourages her children in the right path, not nags them on it!

By: Nori

Nori — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:51:42 +0000

Sigh. I wish I would have known/read this kind of stuff when I was raising my own kids…I was always second-guessing myself, and comparing my kids to other peoples’ children. Boy, did mine ever fight! I did read a good book (although not a Christian book) by John Rosemond called The 6-Point Plan to Happy, Healthy Kids when my kids were about 1/2 grown that helped me a lot. My kids didn’t have the benefit of a good, loving Christian father either. The choices we make when young WILL haunt us, as in WHO you marry! But now my kids are nearing 30, and I agree with Kelley (hello from one “older mom” to another!)that the early training does pay off. Now my kids call me with their own parenting problems “Mom, we can’t get Brock to quit sucking his thumb!” my reply: “He’s 6, let him suck his thumb. If he’s 18 and still sucking it, you have a problem.” I was so short-tempered and impatient when mine were little too. Yell, yell, yell. And now most of that stuff is SOOO not important. I still can’t be around a wild, rude, unmannerly child for very long (and we’ve all seen them) and I do believe in basic discipline, with a hefty dose of kindness though. However, I am much more understanding about childrens’ behavior than when I was young. Bless you young moms who are figuring things out and choosing to raise your kids according to what the Lord wants from them, not some irrational expectations we put on them. And I agree with you Jenni, we shouldn’t compare our parenting to everybody elses. Keep up the good work, girls!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 05:04:54 +0000

Wow, I really needed to hear the things you spoke about in your blog today. It’s nice to know that there are other people that struggle with the same things I do at times.

By: Kim

Kim — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 22:55:18 +0000

What a great post Jenni, I love reading your blog and hearing your heart.

By: Morgen

Morgen — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:27:18 +0000

Hi, I know we have never met. I randomly found your blog and have really enjoyed reading it.

By: Kelley

Kelley — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 16:30:39 +0000

Jenni, Take this into tomorrow and the next day and so on. I would say that YOU GOT IT. Ona(23) no longer has to run the house Elizabeth(20) no longer sucks a pacifier. Nic(18) no longer seeks to destroy his first-born sister and Elisha(17) now sets his alarm and gets up to it,instead of sleeping until noon!! Yet when they were younger I thought these very things would follow them ALL THE DAYS OF THEIR LIVES. As the years went by their love for our Saviour grew and they actually started reading their Bible without my instruction and began laying down childish ways. Mothering, is a very self-critical job! We are wakened in the night by an evil voice that says we are failing in the very job we were created to do…..Mothering! Jenni, by reading your blog daily you show us that you are an awesome wife and mother.(not perfect),but today reading your blog we see your hope in the Lord and as an older mom I can say that without Him we live on that very voice that comes in the night. I love your heart Jenni I love that you miss your houseband I love how you learn from a 5 3 2 and baby I love the places your take me on your blog I love how you trust our SAVIOUR in your daily living!!
Good Morning Jenni!! Have a beautiful day and when your lover walks through the door(from his wonderful refreshing mens retreat)smile at him appreciate him through your arms around him and enjoy him!!!
You are wonderful Jenni!!
Love Kelley

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 15:45:02 +0000

Wow Jen! One doesn’t really have words to comment on this post with any depth. Thanks for pouring out your heart! What a beautiful revelation. I agree wholely and will pray that for you! Love you and take lots of deep breaths while Chris is away! Don’t sweat the small stuff! Messes can sometimes wait. (You knew all that already)