Parents may laugh and joke about the “terrible twos,” but many are actually much more terrified about what they see as the “tumultuous teens.”
There certainly are no guarantees about how our kids will fare during their teen years, but there are principles that lead to a greater probability that those “terrible twos” night actually turn into “terrific teens.”
Read MoreWhen I was asked to be a Titus 2 mom, I was very humbled and a little surprised. I guess I didn't want to admit that I had at some point crossed over the point of being a "young" mom to an "old" mom! I had attended several Hearts at Home conferences years ago, so I was excited that our church might be able to develop a biblically-based learning group for moms. I prayed about it and said yes. Well what a blessing it has been for me!! The fellow Titus 2 moms are wonderful mentors to me and I love spending time with the "young" moms again. It brings back the wonderful memories of those early days and again I am humbled to be able to help and encourage them through their journey of being a mom as I know what a blessing it is from God! But, I never imagined how much I would get from the program. As you said, God's word never gets old and we need to keep hearing it over and over.
I want to share one of my highlights with you because it means so much to me. I think (hope) our family life has peaked in terms of business and craziness. We have two away at college, but one day at the end of January, it was the 17th birthday of our oldest son at home, and I had a Mom to Mom meeting that morning. I had no present for him because honestly (and sadly) he really did not need anything materially and I just didn't have it in my heart to "buy" a present for the sake of having a present. So as I am rushing getting ready for our meeting time, I am thinking to myself that I shouldn't be doing this Mom to Mom thing, that I just didn't have time for it. I always want to make sure I am putting my family first and I just had a incredible amount of mom-guilt that morning.
But I went and listened as Linda Anderson spoke to our group via the DVD. As crazy as it sounds, I know God was talking to me through her. It was Heart Talk Session 6: Biblical Building Blocks of Self-Worth. It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear that morning. Anyway, as I was listening to Linda and thinking about our son, the idea of the best present came to me. Why do I have to buy "something" for him?
Instead, I went home and wrote him a long letter telling him how special he was, how thankful we are for him, and how God is always there for him. With that letter I promised him that once a month for his 17th year either I, his dad, or both of us would take him out for a special dinner. In a large family, that just does not happen! It has been my most treasured gift that I have given in a long time. I look forward to being able to do this throughout what is basically his last year at home before he goes off to college. We have done it three times now and every one has been wonderful. I am guessing that this may become a new family tradition for us and it is all because of Mom to Mom!!
Have you ever been so focused on yourself that you lose sight of others? Maybe it's all the responsibilities you have in caring for your family. But somehow you just find yourself needing something more. Recently our Mom to Mom group was there! We spent week after week discussing the issues that face us every day.
So we decided to reach out. Our group was presented with a challenge to help a local community agency, Nurses for Newborns. This organization supports at-risks moms and/or babies in the early stages of parenting. Our group decided that we could look beyond our needs and help other moms less fortunate. We decided to make Easter baskets for the agency to deliver to the moms with whom they work. Our moms collected some new and some gently used items for the baskets. We used part of our workshop time to assemble the baskets. By the end of the day we had 50 baskets to present to the agency! Our moms were even surprised by what they were able to join together and do. It was a refreshing time to take our eyes off ourselves and focus on someone else in need.
To some in our group, the idea of giving back to the community is quite common. Others, however, were learning about this blessing for the first time. This was a wonderful way to look outside the stress in our own homes and share a breath of springtime with others!
By Lori Campbell, Titus 2 Leader
Rolling Hills Community Church Mom to Mom
Franklin, TN
Today at our Mom to Mom we hosted the very first, "Ask a Titus 2 Mom." Over the past few weeks, the moms have been submitting questions that they wanted us leaders to answer. With the young moms gathered in chairs positioned in a semi circle and the leaders' chairs positioned on the stage, we told the young moms that the chairs onstage were for the experts who had all the answers. Therefore we would not be sitting in those chairs. Then we leaders took seats right in front at the moms' eye level.
We met them as a group of "older" moms who are further along on the journey and willing to share our strengths and weaknesses, things that have worked for us and things that haven't. The only thing we could say definitively and totally agreed on is that God has been and will continue to be faithful, and that He promises to give us wisdom when we ask Him. The questions asked and the answers shared were honest, loving, and from the heart.
Both moms and leaders agree it was a good day at Mom to Mom.
—Saundria, in Tennessee
Though it is not necessary, you might want to prayerfully consider choosing an over-arching theme for your Mom to Mom each year. This year we chose “Gratitude,” weaving the topic into our devotional times, Chew ‘n Chats, guest speaker topics, “quote of the day,” and closing celebration brunch.
Focal Scripture
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6, NLT).
Guest Speaker Topics
Suggested Reading
Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Note: Each Titus 2 Leader was given a copy. We discussed select chapters throughout the year at our Chew ‘n Chats.
Selected Quotes of the Day (from Choosing Gratitude)
Closing Brunch
Closing song: “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart” by Henry Smith
Suggested Summer Reading
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
—Saundria, in Tennessee
Now that the Mom to Mom year is drawing to a close, it’s time to kick back and take a much deserved rest. Here’s my formula for perfect summer rest:
From the Atlanta Girl
I am so looking forward to workshop day! We have a Mom to Mom group in New England and we decided that with our incredibly long winters, we needed a break and a “pick me up” day rolled into one. On this one day (or it could be two) we can “vacation” from the core lessons and offer a multitude of workshops that will sharpen our intellectual as well as our creative minds. Moms will sign up for workshops that range in interests, from flower arranging to “Exploring Your Faith”—from creative memories to dealing with depression—and any and everything in between.
We are blessed to have a church where talented individuals share their gifts with our ministry. I am always looking for new suggestions to add, so please feel free to share any workshop ideas that may come to your mind!
—Connie, in Massachusetts
Take a look at our evening Mom to Mom group!
About 45 minutes prior to the moms' arrival, our leadership team meets for devotions and a time of prayer for our evening. This is a super time to connect with my leaders. The first one walked in wearing flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, along with comfy slippers. I thought she looked real comfortable and wished I were dressed more comfortably, too! The second leader walked in—definitely in pajamas. By now I'm getting suspicious :) Then the first member mom arrived (very early) wearing flannel PJ's and her robe. I finally asked what was up?!!
Turns out that our moms wanted me to know how comfortable they are at Mom to Mom. This is our first year together. I'd been away at our bi-annual Mom to Mom Ministries Board meeting and missed the prior week, so they'd had an opportunity to plan the surprise.
Our moms love the teaching, the encouragement from their leaders, and the fellowship with other. We meet from 8 until 10 p.m. It's late in the day, but our moms can feed, bathe, and some can even put their kids in bed before coming. The dads are home, so babysitters aren't needed. It's the only time our community center is available in the neighborhood. At the end of our evening, all of us are only 5 minutes from home!
Hoping your moms feel as "at home" at Mom to Mom as ours do!
—Tonya, in Texas
