What's a Mom Worth

Recently our church's youth pastor blogged on a Mother's Worth, based on a recent study that came out and placed the salary of a mom at "$131,471 annually, including overtime, if she received a paycheck."

So I did some research and you can calculate you salary at this website:
http://swz.salary.com/momsalarywizard/htmls/mswl_momcenter.html

But really it is not in the money we do or don't get it. Our reward as moms is not even in being appreciated (and if you have only little ones you don't get much of that). It is the simple things, brothers & sisters enjoying each other, watching your little one work so hard at something and accomplish it, hearing that great big belly laugh, these are the things that make our job worth while. The most important reward is the faith that one day we will see our children praising the God who made them, loving their Savior and enjoying fellowship in His Church.

I can so often get caught up in the things that I want to get done (bathrooms cleaned, house organized) that I forget what I am mothering for. I'm not mothering to make my house look like no children live there or because I'm going to get some great big paycheck (neither of these things are likely to happen). I'm mothering because God has called me to the task and it is a delight to serve my family for Him. I hope that I can remember this daily, moment by moment. It is not easy but it is worth it.

A Son

Two years ago around now I was just getting home from going to the mall with my CG ladies. We had just gotten our picture taken with all our kids- it was crazy (8 ladies and 10 kids most under 3). I was sure I was going to go into labor on a 5 (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, etc) so as the afternoon progressed and there were no contractions I was struggling for faith to still be pregnant because I was convinced I'd have to wait another 5 days (I was already 9 days late).

I put some music on and began praying. The song, I Need Thee by Jars of Clay was on and little did I know that God would answer my prayers and bring our boy that day but also use that little boy to remind me again and again how much I need the Lord.

Is is hard to believe that Jotham is 2 already. I'll agree with the saying, "The days are long but the years are quick." We are so grateful that God brought Jotham into our lives.

Since it is his birthday I think I can talk about him a little bit. He brings us such joy everyday. I love his white blond hair and his eyes that light up when he smiles. I love his little deep voice and the cute things he says. I love his obsession with all things sport related. Though I so often become focused on where he needs to grow in obeying, Erik is faithful to point out the grace on his life. He is very joyful. He loves his Mommy and Daddy and Sisters. He responds very well to most instructions (given that he is two).

Our prayer is that God will continue to draw Jotham to himself and raise him up to be a God-fearing servant leader. His name means, "The Lord is Perfect." We pray that Jotham always believes this is true.

This picture was taken a few months ago but it so cute I wanted to include it.

Quote of the Day

At our monthly Family Room meeting the following quote was given. I never want to forget it so I'm posting it here (for myself more than anyone else).

"You cannot sin so much as God can forgive. If it comes to a pitched battle between sin and grace, you shall not be so bad as God shall be good. I will prove it to you. You can only sin as a man, but God can forgive as a God. You sin as a finite creature, but the Lord forgives as the infinite creator." Charles Spurgeon

I read this and I am effected at what a wonderful God we have. My sin is often so great and to think that God's goodness is so much greater. What grace, what mercy we have in Christ!

Ice Cream

My friend Jonalee took these picture of Karis when we went out for ice cream with them the other night. They were so cute I wanted to share them. Thanks Earles for sharing your lives with us- we are grateful for you.

Favorite Friends

A friend of mine recently posted on how difficult it is to get a picture of her three kids together. I agree this is difficult. But I never imagined how difficult it would be to get a picture of my kids favorite friends all together- especially considering they are stuffed animals. Jotham keep pulling his bear out of the picture, so I have a bunch with his hand in it and Karis kept putting other things (airplanes, other animals, etc.) into the picture.

But here they are: Doggie, Buster (most often called Bear) and the yet to be named pink Monkey. The kids sleep with these every night and really adore them. So I wanted to get a picture of them before they get in even worse condition. If you got real close you'd notice that Doggie's tail is very worn because Karis loves to smell it and rub it on her nose and Bear's one ear is wet and worn from Jotham rubbing it on his lip while he sucks his thumb. Pretty gross- I know- I won't tell you how often I actually wash these because then you'd be even more grossed out but I figure I am helping build their immunities.

Doggie was given to Karis by my friend Joy when she was 9 months old because Joy thought she ought to introduce my child to animals (since I'm not a big fan). Karis immediately loved him and within days would not sleep without him. This is actually a replacement Bear. The first Bear was given to Jotham by friend Christine, when Jotham was 3 or 4 months old he left him a Chinese restaurant. Christine then sent him another one (she is so kind). Monkey was chosen by Karis as a gift for Mercia, she was chosen because she has a long tail and Karis wants Mercia "to suck her thumb, and rub the tail on her nose."

Karis also sleeps with Buddy, George & 3 other bears (all the same, all called Mush) and Jotham sleeps with a doggie (which was actually a backup for Karis' dog) and a basketball. But these friends are their absolute "don't go away with these Mom and certainly don't leave them someplace on vacation" favorites.

Isaiah 43 and our Awesome God

I've mentioned before on the blog to pray for Micah Davis. As of yesterday Micah was given only 1-2 weeks to live. This morning as I was praying for Micah and his family I was lead to these verses in Isaiah 43:1-7

"But now thus says the Lord,he who created you, O Jacob,he who formed you, O Israel:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom,Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes,and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you;I will bring your offspring from the east,and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up,and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name,whom I created for my glory,whom I formed and made.”

What an awesome God we have. He has redeemed us and he calls us by name. When Micah goes home he will not be going to someplace scary where he is a stranger. No, heaven is our home. He will be going to be the one who formed him, who knows him and loves more than anyone on earth ever could. Micah is precious in God's eyes and He loves him. Micah will go from this world that is perishing to an eternal kingdom, welcomed into the arms of his Savior. Our hearts grieve for the loss to come but how can we not rejoice that Micah will know no pain, no heartache, no suffering, only eternal joy in the arms of the Beloved.

Forgiveness

After a long night and morning again with Mercia I was pretty tired this afternoon and I was counting down the moments till naptime. I had two down and 1 to go at 12:30. Karis and I came downstairs to clean up and had a "situation." I was asking her to clean-up, she wasn't exactly joyful about it, I wasn't joyful about her not being joyful. Then there was some confusion as to my direction about cleaning up the books and somehow more book wound up on the floor. My next statement in just a whiny voice as Karis, "Karis, What are you doing?" Anyway, I was angry. As I was putting Karis down for a nap a few moments later and I was convicted and I sought her forgiveness for being angry with her. She got up real close to me and said, "Mommy, no matter how many times you get angry I'll always forgive you." And she gave me a big hug. Such kindness and mercy from my 3 year old!

Breakfast At the Sheffer

Well Mercia has entered the world of eating (sort of). I gave her a little bit of rice cereal the past few mornings (she probaby only swallowed 1/4 teaspoon-but she is learning). I think more than the food she is enjoying sitting at the table with us in her high chair. I had to switch up the seating arrangments to fit everyone at the table but they looked so cute all lined up that I had to snatch a picture.

Truth for my Weary Soul

Yesterday I put out email asking for prayer for me. I was feeling pretty hopeless in my role as wife and mom. I am so thankful for the prayers of others which really do sustain me. I was also given some really helpful verses. Thank you ladies!

Lamentations 3:22-24 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“therefore I will hope in him.”

Psalm 29:11 11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (thanks Jenn for not mentioning my name on your blog about this :)

Psalm 119:57 The Lord is my portion... (thanks Helen for your great Blog entry on this)

Psalm 16:6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

Prayer Request Update

For those of you who actually read this blog (all 4 of you :) I thought I'd update you on ways you could pray for us in this season.

Erik- he is healing well. He start physical therapy tomorrow and has a followup with the surgeon on Thursday. Pray that he is a "good" patient and doesn't do too much.

Mercia- she has another ear infection. This is the third time she has been on antibiotics in a month. Please pray that this round works. She is pretty miserable at times. Last night she cried inconsolably for long time.

Jotham- allergy boy is very joyful but has a rash all over and leaves his disgusting snot all over the house whenever he sneezes.

Jerusha- tired and in need of faith. :)

Karis- she said you can pray for her sickness (of course she is not sick but likes to think she is).

ACL Surgery- thanks for your prayers

Erik got his ACL reconstructive surgery today. We are so thankful for our wonderful doctor. Dr. Thal did a great job. In addition to repairing Erik's ACL he also had to repair a torn meniscus. This means that Erik will be on crutches for the next few weeks. Please pray for a speedy and full recovery and that the kids are gentle with Daddy over the next few weeks.

* Jotham and Daddy enjoying some basketball on TV together. Hopefully someday they'll be able to enjoy it together on the court.

Big Boy & Big Girl

I mentioned in an earlier post that Karis & Jotham went to York last weekend. They had a great time with Grammer and PPaw and were very excited to also spend some time with their second cousins, Kayli & Laney. Here are a few pictures from their time.

Eating Ice Cream with Kayli.

Karis taking over Laney's little lovey.

Our little boy, who lacks self control while eating.

Pray for Micah

I'd like to introduce you to Micah. Micah is a sweet little bundle of joy. He loves to laugh. He loves chocolate and anything sweet. He loves his orange crocs. Micah just turned 3 years old. Micah also has a rare form of brain cancer (ATRT). He has battled this cancer for over a year now and unfortunately his tumor continues to grow. Please pray for him and his family. If you want to learn more about him you can check his family's blog.

Willing Savior

I've been meditating the last few days on my unbelief toward God in the midst of temptation. I'm realizing that deep in my heart I view God as a harsh taskmaster and Christ as a begrudging savior. And yet this is totally opposed to everything the Bible teaches. Even in the old testament where there is a strong emphasis on God's law the true picture that is shown is of a God who is in constant pursuit of his children always trying to bring them back to himself. The pattern of people turning away from God, God revealing to them their need for him though discipline, their turning back and God pouring out his mercy is repeated over and over. Lamentations 3:22 says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end" We named our daughter Mercia Anew so we could be reminded of this truth, God pours out his mercy over and over to us in new ways.

So why am I tempted to believe these lies about my God and Savior? Maybe because I forget that God is nothing like I am. I am that hard taskmaster to those around (my children, husband, friends). Holding up a standard that I can't even keep and then scorning those who fall short. And I am begrudging to those who need help. When my children ask me for the 10th time for juice I am not joyfully getting up to fill that cup one more time. I am thinking why do I have to do this again. THIS IS NOT CHRIST. He is NOT standing far off waiting for me to fall and then saying, "There you go again, you need help - again. I guess I'll forgive you of that sin again. I did have die for you- don't forget I made a great sacrifice for you." He does not hold salvation over my head gloating. He is anything but this.

Jesus WILLINGLY laid down his life for me. No one took his life from him, he laid it down (John 10:18). Begrudge is defined as to give with reluctance. Jesus does not give with reluctance. He gives freely to all, over and over and over again. He seeks out what is lost so that he can restore it. We are his children and it is in love that he seeks us out.

So when I am tempted toward unbelief I need to be reminded that God is a kind and gentle Father who loves me and desires good things for me. That even in the midst of my unbelief he is lovingly calling me to him, saying "Jerusha, trust me. Put your faith in what is true and good, not in circumstances around you." I need to remember that I do not have a begrudging, reluctant Savior- that is not Jesus. I have a Savior who is delighted that he can save me, He more than willingly gave up all for me so that I might have all in Him. Oh- how good He is!

All Alone

This weekend Karis and Jotham went to have a sleepover at Grammer & PPaw's house in York (Thank you Grammer & PPaw for serving us). So Erik & I were left with just Mercia. It was strange to have such a quiet house. We missed our big girl & boy but it was also fun to spend some quality time with Mercia and get some bigger house projects done before Erik gets his ACL surgery on Wednesday. I think Mercia enjoyed her time with Mommy & Daddy but missed those little blurs that are always running around her.

Favorites

Here is a picture of Karis doing two of her favorite things. Playing Dressup and playing with Aubreigh.

Quote of the Day

I recently read an article by Daniel Doriani called, "Birth Dearth or Bring on the Babies? Biblical Perspective on Family Planning." It was a great article, very thought provoking. The article ends with this great quote:

"When you have children, you life is not your own. They demand, distract, disrupt, and detract from all adult order. But when you have children, your lives are richer, funnier, fuller, better."

Show Honor

Romans 12:20 says, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." I think from time to time I'd like to honor someone on our blog. The lady I'd like to start with my dear friend Jenn. What can I say that can adequately describe the grace that this lady is to me!

On May 21, 2002 I meet this wonderful friend. We had just moved to the area and were attending our first care group at Earles home. It was a ladies meeting and I can still picture the room. Jenn was several months pregnant with her first child. In the weeks that followed we spent an enormous amount of time together mostly as couples. As couples, there was an immediate connection. But I would say that as ladies Jenn & I had to work at our friendship. When we first met, she had just stopped working, I was just starting. She was really into scrap booking, I had never even tried. The only thing we clearly had in common was a love for our Savior and our church. And through that love for our Savior we have a developed a love for each other.

In the five years that I have known her I have experienced the blessing of fellowship and the richness of a true friend. Jenn is one of the most real people I know. She is quick to confess what is going on in heart, even when it is really ugly. In this she receives the grace for change that God promises (James 5:16). Jenn is gifted in hospitality, opening her home for meetings, play groups, ladies teas, scrap booking events. Whenever she does these things it is clear she loves to use her home as a place to bless others. I could one with listing the many evidences of God's grace on her life and character but instead I'll share a recent story.

On December 18th, I was pregnant with our baby Mercia. When my water unexpectedly broke that afternoon Jenn was the first person I called (Erik was home with me already :) ). We laughed on the phone and I know she delighted in the excitement of all that was to come. After getting to the hospital and learning that our baby was breech and I would need a C-Section, I told Erik call Jenn. When he did she was the one asking the doctor about other options. Her care for us was further evidences by her starting a prayer chain, picking up my mother in law and driving up to the hospital at 11 pm at night, then organizing 6 weeks of meals for us, all while taking care of her own 3 children. She is a phenomenal mom and wife. My children adore her, Karis lights up every time she see her. And I am so grateful to have her in my life.

*The picture is of Jenn holding Mercia on recent walk we took. It should be noted that she pulled a wagon with three kids AND pushed a stroller with two while I tried to get my disobeying son to come. :)