"What is our goal? Is it to pack child care into as little time as possible? We can easily fall into a habit of seeing our motherly duties as drudgery rather than as a blessing. We do things because we have to, not because we want to. We take care of daily necessities like food and clothing, but after that we want to do our own thing, and we consider any request from our children an interruption."
"The best time to enjoy our children and spend time with them is right now - before this hour passes. When we know we are in a special time of life that will not come again, we want to."
"God cares more how our hearts look than how our houses look. We ruin our best years with our children by bellyaching about messes."
Just a few quotes from Prayers and Peanut Butter by Barbara Classen, another encouraging book about mothering. This has been the perfect book to read a page or two when sitting down feeding the baby. It is good to know that there is other mothers who struggle with the same shortcomings as me and yet are striving to be "joyful mothers of children".
Those quotes hit home for me. I've been a mom for 20 years and have 7 children. I need to get the book and read some of it each day before the children raise.
ReplyDeleteDionne
Thank you Gina. I needed that :) I think every mother needs to be reminded of these things from time to time. I'll be sure to add the book to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteSitting at the computer after a particularily difficult day and am thankful for those quotes. Thank you.
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