Your Feet are Beautiful......

We had an incredible time last night delivering gifts and groceries to needy families in Fort Worth in partnership with Beautiful Feet Ministries. We were all moved and I think our children were impacted forever by seeing God work and what it means to truly be the hands and feet of Christ. Here's what one mom had to say about the night:

Kym-

All I can say is that I'm speechless tonight and SO THANKFUL we were able to participate in delivery - loved that God worked that out for us. It was a huge perspective check for our family, one that left us in tears. We so live in a bubble - and it's time to get out more and help people who REALLY need it. I think what blessed us most was to hear them talking about how good God is. I asked if I could pray for them and they said "yes, of course!" and then we all held hands. The son of the grandmother we were there for said, "Now I would like to pray for your family." My prayer sounded like a baby Christian compared to his- his faith was strong and you could tell he had experienced more things than I could even fathom with the Lord. Then, I was moved by the prayers my children prayed in the car on the way home for that family. Count us in for next year! And please let us know if you do anything in between.

Another mom recounts her experience like this:

My family was able to engage with 4 families and they were so thankful for the few things we gave them. One though, has my heart. She is about my age and has three teenage kids, and is deaf. She was home alone and I signed a little to her and my kids signed and sang 'Jesus Loves Me." We embraced several times and sobbed together. In her deaf language she said in my ear "best Christmas ever." She kept hugging me and my kids. I found some paper and wrote "what do you need?" and she wrote "clothes for my kids." I am going to see if I can take her and grant her that wish sometime this week.

I hope that inspires you and your family to get out of your "bubble" and share the love of Christ with others. There's no better Christmas gift you could give, and that's a legacy that will last for generations.

Isaiah 52: 7 says, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation."

Merry Christmas to all of you! I am blessed by all you do for your families and your communities. Thank you for being a legacy mom.

Kym

Two Gifts for the Price of One!

I have a favor to ask of you. If you believe in what we do at Legacy Moms, there is something that you can do to help us continue our ministry and it won't cost you a dime! As you are doing your Christmas shopping, would you consider buying at least one gift online through our Amazon Affiliate store? It is super-easy and for every item you purchase, Amazon gives Legacy Moms a referral fee! Here's how it works: simply go to our store at www.legacymoms.org/pages/store.html and you will see at the top of the page some "featured products" which are some books we recommend. Scroll down a bit and you will see a search box that says "search Amazon" with the words "Beth Moore" in the box (as an example of something you might search). Just type in whatever it is you are looking for; maybe it is something broad like "bikes" or something specific like "Mario Kart Wii game". That's it! Think of our page as a "doorway" into all of the hundreds of Amazon stores. Once you go through our door, we get a referral fee for anything you purchase! You can find books, toys, electronics, perfume, appliances...just about anything! You buy a gift for a loved one and give a gift to Legacy Moms at the same time. It's like getting two gifts for the price of one! Please tell your friends and family as well and help us continue our ministry to moms!

Thanks so much and have a very Merry Christmas!

Kym

Teaching the true meaning of Christmas

In Matthew 24:40, Jesus said, "'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

At Legacy Moms, we believe that one of the best ways we can leave a Godly legacy is by serving others and putting our faith into action, and by doing so, teaching our children to follow our example. That's why this year, Legacy Moms is partnering with Beautiful Feet Ministries in Fort Worth to provide Christmas presents, coats, and other items for needy families who otherwise would not be having much of a Christmas. This is a hands-on opportunity for your family to serve a family in need and actually deliver the gifts yourself, and meet and minister to the family you are helping. If you are not available to that, you can still adopt a family and purchase and wrap the gifts, and someone else will deliver them to the family. If you are not familiar with Beautiful Feet, it is a place where the homeless and needy people in the inner city can get food, clothing, shelter and be taught the word of God. My family has served there and fed the homeless the past couple of years, and it is a wonderful organization. You can check out their website at www.thefeet.org . We will be meeting at Beautiful Feet on Friday, Dec. 18 where they will give you a map to the home you have selected, and a they will give you a box of food items for that family's Christmas dinner...you just bring the gifts! We have already gotten 17 families adopted by Legacy Moms just like you, but there are many, many more that need gifts. Please contact me at kym@legacymoms.org and let me know if you would like to join us, and I will work with you to select a family for you adopt and get you more detailed information!

Many blessings to you and your sweet family,

Kym

Journal Questions for Gratitude

At our last meeting, we talked about how you can begin to harvest gratitude in the heart of your family, even in the midst of difficult times. One of our points was that we need to remember (literally, make a "memorial") of the stories that inspire us to feel gratitude to God. We all have those "God" moments; times when we feel so blessed by something small but meaningful to us, or that answered prayer, or that time that God intervened in our life in a miraculous way, yet many times we forget those moments quickly and can become just like the Israelites wandering around and complaining in our daily life. We need to write those "gratitude" stories down, go back to them when our faith is shaky, and share those stories with our children.
For our journaling time, I gave a list of questions to help you remember some of your own stories, and I promised to post them to here. So here they are:


What “little moment” happened today with your kids that you need to remember forever?
When do you feel the most complete and secure?
What childhood memory still makes you smile today?
When did you experience so much love and joy that you thought your heart would burst?
What did God provide for you that you thought was impossible?
What “thing” did you mistakenly believe would bring you happiness, and how did God give you more than you knew to ask for?
What lesson did you learn the hard way – but glad you did?
What heartache turned out to be a blessing in disguise?

“You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I will sing for joy because of what you have done.” Psalm 92:4

Encouraging Good Character in a Meaningful Way

Do you consider yourself to be a "good-finder?" You know, a "good-finder" is the kind of mom who looks for the things that her kids are doing well and offers praise and a word of encouragement. Well, that can be easier said than done (especially if you have toddlers or teens!) Many times, we as moms spend much of our time noticing the wrong things our kids are doing, figuring out how to fix the problem, or at the very least to suppress the negative behavior and attitudes. Of course, one of our duties as moms is to correct and train our children when they are wrong, but how often we forget that one of the best ways to do that is by ENCOURAGING the right behavior and attitudes! And when we find creative and meaningful ways to encourage good character, that's when we really make impact and touch our child's heart.

Here is a story from one of our team members, Jenny Hickl, that I think you'll enjoy:

For several years my family raised chickens in the backyard. Their antics were a great source of entertainment as they learned to catch bugs, established their pecking order and spread their wings to try and fly (the longest recorded flight of a chicken is 10 ft). We always named the chicks. There was Speedy who wasn’t all that fast, Robin who turned out to be a rooster and, much to our chagrin, learned how to crow a 5 weeks, Star, Sparkle, Chick – you get the idea.
Our job was to watch over the young chickens for a couple of months until they were old enough to go to a friend’s farm. Of all of the chickens that passed through our hands, none of them captured our affections quite like Buttercup. Buttercup was a dark golden hen with black laced feathers. She followed us around the yard and my youngest daughter even taught her to sit on our shoulders like a parrot. When it was time for that batch of chicks to go to the farm, we were all a little down.
A few months later, I came across a ceramic chicken that resembled Buttercup. Thinking to amuse my children, I brought it home. They loved it. Now, when one of the kids shows remarkable character, “Buttercup” turns up in their room with a note of congratulations. It is the highest award anyone in our home can earn and is highly coveted.

There are several aspects of the Hickls' "Buttercup Award" that has made it successful for their family:
1. It is personal – Born out of an experience unique to their family. This particular award means something to only the people in their family; so there is a fun "insiders" quality to it. It builds a "team mentality" in your family.
2. It is meaningful – Not overused so when someone receives it, it is a big deal!
3. It is specific – The award is given for a specific action or attitude with a note explaining and congratulating them for what they have done.
4. It was inexpensive – The ceramic chicken only cost Jenny a mere $6.88, but the meaning behind it is priceless!

So how about a character award in your family? I would encourage you to be creative and think of your own "unique" award that you can use to recognize and celebrate your children when they go above-and-beyond. Let us know what you come up with!

Thanks Hickl family, for letting us "in" on your special family tradition! I have a feeling your example will inspire many families to be "good-finders" more often! ; ) You all deserve a "Buttercup!"

God Bless,

Kym

The Cure for Truth Decay

As our children enter another year of school, one of the many concerns on a mom's mind is, "Will my child be influenced by the wrong crowd? Will he be able to stand up for his faith in the midst of temptation?" What it really comes down to is, "Have I instilled in my children enough Biblical truth, that they can discern truth from a lie, and make good choices based on what they believe?"

The fact is, we are living in a world of rampant truth decay. We can spend years trying to instill Biblical truth and morality into our children, but the fact of the matter is that as our children get older, they are going to get mixed-messages about truth, The Bible, what scripture actually says, and salvation, that can confuse them and make them just another statistic.

Several years ago, I read a study by the Barna Group that revealed that 83% of teenagers say that moral truth is based on circumstances, 53% said they believe Jesus sinned when he was on earth, and 61% said that they believe you can get to heaven by being a good person. Even more shocking is that only 9% of teens who said they were Christians said they believe there are moral absolutes. How can this be? And what, if anything, can we as moms do to prevent this?

It starts by teaching our children a Biblical worldview from an early age. What does that mean? It means that God's word is not just for Sunday, and it's not just some stories about people that lived a long time ago. God's word applies to every area of our life, and it applies as much today as it did a hundred years ago. God's word is Truth, and there are moral absolutes and the lines between right and wrong are there for us in scripture. We need to know scripture and use it as a filter through which we pass everything to see if it measures up or not.

We must teach our kids to understand that they are going to be told things by the media, peers, maybe even teachers, or (God forbid) people in authority over them that do not line-up with scripture, and to be ready for it. Keep in mind that not all teachers are in classrooms and not all preachers stand in front of congregations. I challenge you to sit down and watch a couple of hours of some of your child's favorite TV shows and the commercials in-between. Listen to the music they listen to. How many times is a message taught or implied that is contrary to scripture? You might be surprised. It might be subtle, but how many times a day is your child hearing this? At some point, if we bombard our children with mixed messages, those messages are going to drown out truth, and by allowing so much exposure to those things, you (by default) are implying approval.

As Christian moms, lets make sure we are part of the solution and not part of the problem. The cure for truth decay is to make sure that we are teaching our children sound, solid, Biblical truth, and that we teach them and model for them how to live that truth out in day-to-day life. We can't isolate our children, but we MUST insulate them until a time they have the ability to correctly discern biblical truth from a lie. Then we teach them to be discerning consumers and be in God's Word, and to not just be hearers of word, but doers.

Finally, lets not forget the power of prayer! God promises that He will equip us to do what He has called us to do. Ask Him, and He will show you how to raise your child in a way that honors Him.

Blessings,

Kym

Space and Grace for Father's Day

I recently watched a couple of re-runs of "John and Kate Plus Eight" for the first time. Yes, I know, I am way behind. I know this show has been around for years, but with all the hype I thought I would check out a few episodes and see what all the fuss was about. (By the way, this blog post is not a commentary on the current controversy surrounding them.) What struck me was the condescending and "mothery" way that she talked to her husband in both episodes I watched. This is no judgement of her, because quite frankly, I can't imagine how snappy and irritable I would be after chasing eight kids around everyday. But it did make me wonder how often I get into my "mommy-mode" and talk to my own husband like he is a child. I think we are all guilty of it from time to time. We get so used to telling little people what to do all day, that we become "Queen of the Household" and demand (either in word or in attitude) that everything within the home and regarding childcare be done EXACTLY as "The Queen" wants it. Then we treat our husbands like they are fools if they dare do something in a way that we deem as "wrong."

Let me give some examples that may look familiar to you. Wife changes the kids clothes after he dresses them because their clothes don't match. Moms sighs loudly and/or rolls her eyes when he tries to feed the baby because he isn't doing it right. Husband does the laundry and wife complains that he mixed the colors or got fuzz from the towels all over her favorite black shirt.

When Sam and I were newlyweds, almost every time he made the bed, I would go back and "fix it" so that it looked "right." I wanted the comforter smooth, and the decorative pillows set in just the right order, and when he made the bed, he didn't make it look the way I did, so I would go in after him and re-do it. You know what happened? He quit making the bed! In his mind, why bother if I was going to re-do anyway? And I can tell you that he hasn't made our bed in about 13 years! If I don't make it, it doesn't get made!

When we get in mommy-mode with our husbands, I truly believe we are setting ourselves up for trouble. We get into a cycle that can ruin a marriage. When the wife constantly criticizes or “corrects” the husband’s’ efforts around the house, he will simply quit trying. He will just withdraw and quit doing things to help. Then, the wife slowly starts to resent her husband because she is doing everything. She may think to her herself, “How can he just sit there and watch ESPN while I do everything!” The wife then over time starts to lose respect for her husband, and once that is gone, romance and intimacy seem to fall apart also. The wife may think, “Yeah, like I’m going to meet your needs tonight after you haven’t done one thing to help me today!” She may even feel that she is no longer even attracted to her husband, which would be normal since she is acting more like his mother than his wife.
At that point, when a man isn’t getting his intimacy needs met, he is even less motivated to help his wife and so the cycle just continues. Psychologists say that when spouses get into a "parent-child" relationship, it is headed for disaster because the "child" will eventually rebel and leave (either emotionally or physically.)
I just don't think God intended for us as women to treat our husbands like they are children. Isn't it amazing that some men can run companies, manage difficult situations, and make life-and-death decisions at work, but at home they can't remember where the bowls go, how to change a diaper, or how to cut the kids' sandwiches the way they like it? Is it possible we have created this with our micro-managing and nagging?

I wish I could say that I learned my lesson from the bed-making incident and that I have never corrected my husband again. But sadly, I too fail in this area. However, I am trying to do better. Here is proof:

• I stood by and bit my tongue when my husband dressed our then 5-year old daughter Jordan in Capri pants and short boots. I wanted to tell him that she looked ridiculous but I resisted the urge.


• I once thanked him for helping me fold the laundry even though the towels were folded too big to fit in our little cabinet. I wondered if he ever noticed the way I fold the towels, but I just crammed them in the way they were and figured he’d notice when he went to get a towel. Later he said, “Hey, sorry I didn’t do the towels right.” I just smiled and said, “that’s okay.”


• I have repeatedly over the years walked in the kitchen in the morning to find dirty bowls or plates filled with water and just sitting in the sink. Sam’s theory is that if it is full of water it will be easier for me to get the food off. My theory is that just rinsing the food out would take just as much time and not be so gross the next morning. But, I have learned to appreciate that it at least made it to the sink. It could be sitting there with dried food. (However, in the interest of full disclosure, this area is still one that I struggle with "commenting on" from time-to-time!)


• I have witnessed him take off a pair of jeans that he has decided aren’t dirty and throw them in the top of his closet or drape them on something in our room. Sometimes those jeans stay there for several days. (I call this his "clothes purgatory" because it is an area where they are too clean to put in the hamper, but too dirty to hang back up.) Sometimes this happens with multiple jeans but I don’t nag because I know that he will either decide to wear them, hang them up, or he will run out of clean jeans before laundry day. When that happens, he then remembers to put them in the hamper if he wants them washed.

So, for Father's Day, I am thinking that maybe we should all give our husbands a little space to do things their own way, and grace if they fail to do it right. Who knows? Maybe all this space and grace will give him the freedom to actually become the Dad God intended him to be, and you might just realize that you do have a partner you can respect and trust! So when I see you around town and your kids look like ragamuffins, it's okay! I'll know what happened.

God Bless,

Kym

The Best Summer Ever!

I hear it every year around this time. Moms declaring, “Man, this time of year is sooooo busy! I can’t wait for summer!” Then five minutes later they mention all the stuff they are planning to keep their kids busy in over the summer because they fear having their kids home all day for three months! (“Gasp…what would we do all day???) They mention everything from sports camps, art lessons, season passes to water parks, etc.. I even know one mom that would enroll her kids in 4 or 5 different churches’ VBS programs so that her kids would be occupied for a month or so!

We live in a busy society…and there are lots of “good” things out there for us and for our kids to do. There will always be better classes available , better teams to compete on, more birthday parties to attend, ministries to do, camps to attend, social activities to schedule, etc. (And we wonder why moms seems so tired and burnt out these days.) The point is, these are all good things, but sometimes we have to learn when to say “no” for the sake of our family. I also know that a lot of moms are worried about this summer in particular because their budgets are tight and they can’t fill their days with all the activities that they usually do.

Here’s the good news: you can have the “best summer ever” without spending a lot of money, and without scheduling a lot of camps and classes. This summer, instead of planning to fill our children’s days, let’s focus on filling their HEARTS instead! How do we do that? Well, first figure out what your goal really is. Does your schedule reflect your goal? If your ultimate goal is to raise, healthy, happy children who Love the Lord and know how to love and serve others, then the place to start this training is in a healthy, Christian home. This is their first classroom, and the Bible is the textbook and we as parents are their teachers. Building a healthy family is not a one semester course, it is something that requires, time, patience, repetition and on-going practice. Many parents think that if they are sending their kids to Christian camps and church activities that they have done their part in filling their child's heart. These things are GREAT and should definitely support what you are trying to accomplish. But the fact is, you as the mom are one of the most influential teachers your child will ever have. Summer is the perfect time for you to invest in your children and work on your relationship with them and building a strong family unit.

So let me share with you just a couple of quick suggestions that can get your summer off to a great start. These suggestions will help provide the links that bond you together and create memories in the minds of your child that reaffirms who they are and that they have value to the rest of the family, fill their hearts, and create lasting memories.

1. Plan FAMILY activities as a family. Bring everyone together not only for the activity, but for the planning of the activity as well. Ask your children to list out some things that they would really like to do as a family this summer. You might be surprised at their answers. Sure, they might say, “Take a trip to Disneyworld,” but they might mention things like flying a kite together, going on a picnic, having a silly-string fight, etc.. Make a list of these things and try to do as many of them that you can. When your children look back at their childhood, they will remember very little about the day-to-day routine…..the meals they ate, what they wore, the chores they did, the classes they took, the friends they had over, but they will remember those special family times.
One hint: these activities need to be planned in advance and placed on the calendar. If you are like us, if you don’t set aside time to spend together as a family doing something fun, the summer seems to get filled-up with other stuff and then you wonder where the time has gone. Keep in mind that although it is fun to invite other families or friends, it is very important that your family have time just alone with each other.

2. Plan dates between a parent and child. Make sure it is something fun and that the conversation is positive. Use the time to reaffirm your love for them and point out the strengths you see in their character. Do not use the time to discuss problems. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. In fact, your child will relish the uninterrupted time with you more than the actual activity.
3. Find ways to inject humor into your daily routine. Loosen-up and find ways to find the humor even in the mundane things. Tell your kids jokes, draw funny pictures, have a pillow fight, or just be silly.
4. Serve others as a family. Have your kids help you prepare and deliver a meal for someone, clean up the playroom after being at a friend’s house without anyone knowing your are doing it, gathering items for charity. I like to challenge my kids to find one “secret” thing that they can do to serve their siblings. They might make another’s bed, do a chore for them, or write them an encouraging note. This goes a long way in creating strong sibling relationships.
5. Play board or card games with your kids. Take turns choosing which game to play.
6. Continue to have bedtime routines even as your kids enter the teen years. Don’t let the loosened schedule of summer days take away from the special moments that happen at bedtime. We like to gather as a family and have a family devotional. Sometimes the older kids like to lead it as well.
7. Share family photos and memorabilia with your children. They love to hear stories from the past and research shows that when your share family history with your kids it strengthens the bond between family members. Tell them stories about when you were a kid and what you like to do.
8. Make family mealtimes a time to share. Encourage your kids to share their feelings, opinions, etc.… We love to give a question and have everyone go around and share. For example, “Everyone take a turn and tell me what you love about Daddy.”
9. Take walks together. This is a great time for conversation and planting seeds of truth in their hearts because you have their focus, especially when teaching boys! (I think boys listen better when they are moving.)

10. Read an exciting book together as a family. It doesn't have to take long, but a few pages a day and you can finish a great classic book by the end of the summer.

11. Encourage everyone to share age-appropriate prayer requests and pray for them as a family. This is also a great way to teach them early the difference between a prayer request and idle gossip. Develop a “team” concept when it comes to teaching these character traits by using your last name. We say, “Carters don’t gossip, Carters try to find ways to serve others,” etc.. This inspires your children to be a part of the team.

God gave us the gift of family and we should cherish it and treat it as a precious thing. God designed the family to be a place that is nurturing, a place for training, and place for each member to express unconditional love to the others. Before we can effectively reach out and serve others as Christ commands, we must first learn to minister to the people in our own home. By doing that, we can influence many generations to come. We have such a small window of time to invest in our children. My prayer is that you will embrace your role as "Mommy" and see it as a calling and a privilege instead of something to endure. I hope that next fall your kids' hearts are so full and your family is so strong that they will say, “I HAD THE BEST SUMMER, EVER!”

Many blessings to you and your family!

Get to know a real Legacy Mom...Tricia York

This installment of "Get to Know" is a little different from those in the past. There is someone on our team that I want you to know because she encompasses everything that we are called to be as Christian wives and mothers. If you have ever sat at Tricia York's table at Legacy Moms, then you know her for her infectious laugh, her amazing wit and sense of humor, and a beauty and joy that shines from the inside-out. Well, as you may have heard, Tricia is facing the biggest trial of her life right now. Her beloved husband, Jimmy, went home to be with the Lord just a few short weeks ago. Jimmy was the Married Life Pastor at Fellowship Church, and was a loved and respected husband, father, friend, pastor and mentor. In these past few weeks, I have seen a strength of character in Tricia that I have never witnessed before in anyone....ever. I told Sam the other day that I want to be just like Tricia York when I grow up, because as a 31-year-old widow with two small children, she has her priorities straight and has taught me what it means to trust in the Lord, not just when it is easy, but when nothing makes sense. As a leadership team at Legacy Moms, we are pulling together to love on her and to try to collect funds to ease some financial burden from her. Many of you have asked how you can help. A fund has been set up to help Tricia and her boys, and if you feel led, I would encourage you to donate to that fund. Here is the info:

Jimmy York Memorial Fund
People’s Bank
Colleyville Branch:
5712 Colleyville Blvd.
Colleyville TX, 76034
817-605-3250

Grapevine Branch:
601 W. Northwest Hwy.
Grapevine, TX 76051
817-251-2820

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a blog post that Tricia wrote just a few short days after Jimmy's passing. This is the kind of person she is: in the midst of grief and suffering, she is wanting to make sure that everyone she comes in contact with knows Jesus as their savior. If that isn't a true Legacy Mom, then I don't know what one is. Here is her post:

Jimmy Michael York 1975- 2009
Words cannot begin to express my gratitude for all of your prayers and support for me and my family during this devastating time. Your outpouring of love and support has absolutely overwhelmed me. Please know that we feel all of your prayers and God has been (and ALWAYS will be!) faithful to answer them. His love is sustaining all of us as we try to cope with the loss of one of the greatest men this world has ever known. I have never been more proud of my husband than I am today. Each one of you have shared your stories about how Jimmy has touched your life and it makes my heart smile to know that all of you got to truly see the amazing man that he was. His legacy will continue on through your memories and stories. His ministry will continue, even though he is no longer physically here to carry it out. Jimmy's passion each and every day was to help heal broken marriages and to teach young married people how to create an amazing one. He not only talked the talk, he walked the walk. He was the best husband a woman could ever ask for and he lived out what he taught on stage. If there is anything that he would want any of you to take from his passing, it would be to put God first in your life. When you do that, everything else just falls into place. Jimmy had such a passion for men being true men of God. He challenged husbands each and every day to live up to the role that God called them to. He believed in his heart that we could change the world if we could change men and how they lead their families. My prayer is that if you don't know Christ personally, that you would come to know Him. I have now witnessed how quickly life can be taken from you. We are not promised tomorrow. We are not promised five minutes from now. The time to turn your life to Christ is right now. Jesus Christ is the ONLY thing that will give you joy, peace, love, passion and purpose. I wouldn't want a single person that knew Jimmy to not know that truth. He lived his life to point others to Christ and I want his ministry to continue. I have peace because I know without a shadow of a doubt that Jimmy is walking with the Lord at this very moment. I hurt for me and my family because he will be so DEARLY missed, but I don't hurt for Jimmy because I know who he belongs to and where he is. I pray that no one that encountered him or our family walks away from us not knowing that truth. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. They are appreciated more than you will ever know. May God bless all of you and your marriages.


Tricia, we love you. I am quite sure that I can picture Jimmy's winning smile right now and the light he always had in his eyes when he spoke about you. I know he would be so proud of how you are doing. Your boys have an incredible Mom...and the legacy of a dad that just "got it." Thanks for sharing yourself with us, we are blessed by you.


God Bless!

Journal Questions for Feb.

Here are the husband/wife discussion questions for this month. For those of you that heard the lesson, I encourage you to have honest, open discussions about these issues, and start working on them for the next month to prepare for our next session. Use these questions for your Legacy Moms journal as well.

*Do I understand and demonstrate in my lifestyle and behavior that nakedness is not just biological, but also spiritual?

*Am I dressing and behaving in a way that tells my children that biblical modesty is something I value?

*Do my entertainment choices meet the standard set in Phil. 4:8?

*Do I discuss with my children the values and messages that are portrayed in the things we watch and listen to?

* Am I getting Biblical Truth in front of my kids and teaching them a Christian worldview, or am I letting someone else decide what my kids need to know and when?

E-mail me and let me know how it goes this month. Looking forward to seeing you on the last Monday night of February! Get there early if you want a seat, we filled up last night!

Blessings!

Get to know......LISA LANGSTON

Hi there!

Well, if you have been following our blog then you know that I have been highlighting some of the wonderful women that make up our Leadership Team at Legacy Moms. I am really excited to introduce you to Lisa, but if you have been coming long to our group, my guess is you have already gotten to know her! She is such an integral part of our team and does so much behind-the-scenes that it would be improssible for me to list it all. In fact, when I first presented the "idea" of Legacy Moms to that little group of women in my living room, Lisa was the first one to jump in and say, "I am IN...I'll do anything, even sweep floors if that is what it takes." What a sign of things to come! She is truly a servant and serves in humility and love and I know God is so pleased with the way she serves Him. What a treasure she is to us, and you will be blessed to get to know her as well. So here is my interview with Lisa:

Tell me about your family.
Team Langston consists of my husband, Dean, my almost 9-year old son, Jakob, and my 7 year old daughter, Avy. We love Friday night family nights, working and playing on our 1.5 acres, anything outdoors and most sports. We have 2 dogs and a dwarf hamster.

What sort of things are you involved in besides Legacy Moms?
I care for children in my home and that keeps me very busy. I also organize many things for my neighborhood as well as serve at my kiddos school once a week.

What is the most rewarding part of being involved in LM for you?
Watching GOD work in WOMEN……meeting new women who are wanting to leave a legacy for their children, learning from women that have gone before me, building relationships with women that will last forever, seeing and hearing testimonies of what Legacy Moms and God has done in women’s lives that will definitely leave a legacy.

When did you become a Christian?
I became a Christian in May of 1999. I was 27 years old. Thank goodness it’s never too late to make that life changing choice!

Finish these statements:

If you see me around town it would most likely be at: Walmart or Quiktrip or driving the large van with many kids to preschool, gym class, or library!

My kids get embarrassed when I: sing and dance in public

My favorite part of being a mom is: There are so many, but the top ones are the hugs when not expected, ‘I love you’s’, hearing sweet prayers from their mouths, the ‘aha’ moments when all the training comes together….usually just in time when all hope is almost lost!

The most challenging part of being a mom is: Trying not to worry when they are not in your hands, the consistent training, keeping the energy to do all that needs to be done.

The best advice I have ever received was: Proverbs 22:6, but I have received so many pieces of training to support that scripture from Legacy Moms….siblings are best friends, train your child’s heart, priorities of life: God, spouse, children, everything else.

My favorite saying: Right now…."I love you too much to argue."

My family would describe me as:
Dean – good mother, good teacher, caring, servant, puts others first, bad duster (honest!)
Jakob – same things dad said Avy - pretty

The lesson God has been teaching me lately is: Get in His Word, share Him with everyone.

When my kids are grown, the thing I hope that they remember about me the most is: I had so much love for them, that I shared Christ with them in all that I did and said, and if I slacked in any area, it was because I was sharing Him with someone else. I can only hope!!!

The one thing that no parenting book can prepare you for is: all the emotions and feelings that go along with it! Only one book can help you get through it all.

Thank you Lisa!