Mentoring Moms

This past Friday, Feb. 24th, we had our 2nd Mentoring Moms bible study of the year. As always, it was a sweet time with the mommies. The topic was "Creative Prayer and Encouragement...Not Just Surviving but Thriving! We looked at the word creativity, which means: approaching a need, a task, or an idea from a new perspective. We talked about how we need to look to God, our Creator, for His vision and direction for our ministry of being a wife and mother. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Who better to turn to for creative prayer and encouragement then God! 
Three points we talked about to help us do this were: 
1. It takes our time. We shouldn't be to busy to raise our children in the ways of the Lord. Take time to pursue and draw out from the hearts of our children. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
2. It takes humility. Putting others first. We want to pray for a change that benefits the one were praying for not a change that makes our lives easier. Philippians 2:4. Also, in our words, be encouraging, build our husbands and children up for success. Ephesians 5:29
3. It takes faith and trust. We pray for God to write  our story of motherhood but of course we're not going to know what each new day will bring but we can believe by faith that the author and finisher of our faith does and with His help we can face each day with an assurance that He will give us all we need.


We talked about what the lack of prayer and encouragement can look like in our lives and used Pharaoh as an example. God did many miraculous signs in his midst but Pharaoh didn't take any of it to heart. He was unyielding and refused to change (Exodus 7:13-14;23). So to as moms we can become hardened to the wants and needs of our families if we neglect seeing and searching for the Lord. We need to let the word of God keep our hearts pliable towards our husbands and children and especially towards God.


Lastly, we looked at surviving vs. thriving. The word survive means: to live, but the word thrive means: To grow and flourish. We looked at Jeremiah 17:5-8 and compared the woman who trusts in herself to live versus the women who trusts in the Lord to guide her life.


Praise God that He is the one who will give us the creativity to reach our husbands and children's hearts through prayer and encouragement so we can help them to thrive in the Lord, and in that we will see ourselves grow and flourish as well.
In Him, Sarah Esquivel

"Proverbs 31 Woman" Night

"She extends her hands to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20
Last Monday night we were inspired as women to take this scripture to heart and be doers of the word not just hearers only. We were blessed with a sweet time of fellowship over an abundance of dessert. We had a short devotion where we looked at the Proverbs 31 Woman as being a woman who understood the core of her calling. She was a woman who was focused on looking upward to God for direction so that she in turn could reach outward to those God put before her.
We looked at ways to help meet the spiritual and practical needs of those who who are homeless. We then proceeded to arrange "care kits" to keep in our cars and distribute as needs would arise. These "care kits" consisted of a water bottle, two granola bars, a can of vienna sausages,  a mini boxed cereal, a handy wipe, and most importantly two laminated scriptures with Romans 10:9 and John 3:16 on them.
It was a wonderful way to start off our first Proverbs 31 of the year by being others focused and being encouraged to look out not only for our needs but the needs of others.
In Him, Sarah Esquivel

                              Even the kids got involved!