Last year at a dinner at MOMcon in Kansas City I found myself sitting next to a new friend, Kasey Johnson. Delightful is truly how I describe her. She is a woman about solutions but with a soft edge that is encouraging not guilt-enducing. I knew I could glean some tips from her and I think you will find some guidance of your own in her new book Mom Essentials: 10 Words Successful Mothers Live By. If you’d like to win a copy comment below. Here are words from Kasey Johnson:
I love looking at baby books and I love giving them to other women to complete. I wish I had been better about keeping track of my boys’ growth and early years but I have to be honest – it just didn’t happen. If my boys have to write a report about the first time they walked, talked or rolled over we’re probably going to be guessing at the actual date and time, but I can say with certainty that each event happened and I remember them clearly!
The thing about “firsts” is that they don’t quit happening simply because the baby books stop providing blanks to fill in. My boys create new situations, responses and ideas each day. How I respond and deal with each one is different because sometimes it’s the first time I’ve been in that moment with that child.
Sometimes I think moms need a “book of firsts” too. I remember the first time I let my son cry himself to sleep. My husband and I laid in our bed, holding hands while the tears ran down my face. My baby was fed, safe and clean – but he was sad and away from me and this time I wasn’t running to his rescue…it was a tough first to survive but I did it!
If I’m being honest, I know I have a lot of firsts waiting for me during the length of my parenting career. Things like their first date, first kiss, first car, first dorm…the list goes on and on.
So instead of feeling overwhelmed by my big book of firsts, I’ve decided to get myself prepared.
I can’t predict the future but I can get prepared. I can’t control my children’s every move but I can control myself. I don’t know all the answers but I know who has all the answers – God.
There are three themes within Mom Essentials. They are: put together, shaped up and equipped. I believe these themes are applicable to all mothers because they continue in cycles throughout our lives and they each have their own kind of “first”.
· In order for God to put me together I first have to recognize that He gave me certain skills and traits that are exactly what my family needs and God’s not done putting me together – piece by piece.
· Some people say the first step to getting in shape is admitting we don’t have everything perfect already. Allowing scripture and God to shape my life brings me freedom to be real and to enjoy the growth process.
· Most of us feel equipped to complete a job after we’ve been trained. The thing about parenthood is that training happens WHILE on the job! When I allow the promises of scripture to train me and help me care for my family I can enjoy a new kind of confidence and strength.
My children aren’t finished with their “firsts” and neither am I. I can take this one day at a time, knowing God is on my side and He’s going to help me stay focused on the essentials without being distracted by the extras.
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Kasey Johnson is learning daily how to ignore the extras in life and focus on the essentials. As an educator, author, speaker, blogger, wife and mother, Kasey understands the balancing act we sustain as mothers. Visit her blog, www.smarter-moms.com, to learn more about her ministry. And don’t forget to comment below for a chance to win a copy of her new book Mom Essentials.
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