Mother's Day - Mona's Testimony

Welcome back to Generations of Grace Podcast! We have a very special guest with us today, Sonya's mom and Chole's grandma, Mona. Sonya & Chole will be asking Mona different questions about her salvation, how to pray, and motherhood. You may have some questions about these things that can be answered according to the Word. How do I discipline? How do I prevent jealousy spreading throughout my children? How do I pray over my children to prosper and strengthen their faith? All these questions can be answered on today's episode.

If you have anymore questions please don't hesitate to reach out to us through messenger or our email @ scgog15@gmail.com

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Music by Mikhail Smusev from Pixabay

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:21

Hi everybody, welcome back to Generations of Grace podcast. We're so excited to have everyone here listening to us today. And we just get more excited each week that we record these. And one of these days we're gonna get completely over our nerves before we start, but we pray and we just push right on through it. So we're just gonna jump right into um what we're gonna talk about today. And we have something very special for everybody today. In honor of it being Mother's Day month, we decided to feature a mother. And we wanted, excuse me, we wanted to feature a mother that is very dear to my heart and to Chloe's heart and so many other people, also. It's going to be my mom and Chloe's grandmother. When we think of my mom, we think of the Proverbs 31 woman. And I don't know if a lot of y'all know much about the Proverbs 31 woman, which there is a whole just go and read it for yourself. But just to summarize, a Proverbs 31 woman is it's describing an ideal woman of strength, wisdom, virtue, and often called a woman a veiler. She is a hardworking entrepreneur, compassionate to the poor, a devoted wife and mother, and fears the Lord, focusing on godly character over outward appearance. And when we think of my mom, this is who we think of. She's been a great example of that. And we're just so excited to have her here today. And she's going to give us some insight on raising her own children and give us some tips and advice, and I'm sure share some scripture. And so, anyway, we'd like to welcome you today, Mona. Thank you. Thank you very much. It is oh, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 2:01

It is an honor to be here. And I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I am of you two for doing this podcast and sharing the gospel and sharing real life examples of what Jesus has brought you through because that's what we're here for is to share his love with others. So they have hope too.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

That's right. Amen. Yeah, we don't you don't have to be like, I think we've said it on several episodes before. You don't have to be some certified person to go out and do this. You just have to be willing to be obedient to the Lord and lay your life down for him and go share what he's done. So it's yes.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

I know when I think of grandma, I think of someone, well, just like Proverbs 31 woman, but also like she's a warrior because even though you don't always see it and everything, you know, because of the fruit that's produced within her life and the things that we've seen to pass down in generations of our family for all of us to come back. You know, she's been fighting this whole time. So I also think of a warrior. Even if you may not picture your grandma like that, but mine is. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

She's like the she's been like the patriarch of our family. And that's why we wanted to feature her today. And and we just thought a lot of people could get a lot of wisdom from her. So anyway, well, just to start out, let's we we're gonna cover a lot of things today, but let's just start with where you are in your life right now. Just tell tell the listeners a little bit about like, are you married, how many children you have, just stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

Yes, yes, I am married. Um, my husband and I have been married for 30, 30, almost 31 years. Awesome. Um, I uh I have five children. I was and they are wonderful children. I know all mothers think that, but mine truly are amazing. I had uh have had four of those since birth, and one of them I gained whenever he was a teenager. Uh, fun fact about my kids that I like to share is there's 20 years difference in the oldest and the youngest. Wow. So I feel like um that gave me some experience in different cultures, just you know, as we go through the ages and things, uh, different ways of raising children from the way we did many years ago, whenever you, Sonia, were a child to my last child.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

So speaking of that, so from what age to what age did you have children at home?

SPEAKER_03 4:11

Oh, you mean how old were they? Yeah, how old were you? How old was I? Okay. Okay. I had my very first child when I, like Chloe, was five days short of turning 17. Yeah. And my last child I had when I was almost 38. So I guess then he was with us until Mother's Day of Um, I think he was probably 18, not for sure, but I think he was 18 when 48.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

So about 51. So from 16 to 51 years of age, you had a child at home. Yes. So the majority of your life. Yeah, yeah. Wow, that understand emptiness. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

And so, Grandma, you said how you had um your firstborn around when you were sh just shy of 17. So can you kind of explain that experience for those that have gone through it or just feel alone? And like, how do you feel like you're not alone in those spaces?

SPEAKER_03 5:02

Yeah, I was very blessed. I had um my mother live nearby, my mom and dad, and my grandmother live next door. And um, my mom, of course, worked. You know, she was a lot of help to me whenever she wasn't working or just giving wisdom, or uh, and then they just wanted to come and love on the kids. But my grandmother was there every day, and I grew up going to my grandma's house about every day, and um, we just always spent time together, and she gave me a lot of wisdom and knowledge in taking care of a child because when I had my first child, I had never even been around little kids. I certainly didn't know anything about a baby. Um, of course, I didn't realize I didn't know anything, you know. I just thought I'm a mom and uh and I'm gonna do it the very best that I can. And you're so full of love for that baby that you don't even realize what you're lacking. You just think love can take care of everything. You don't know the details or anything like that. You're just floating on love, and and that's what motivates you to do everything that you do. And uh, but my grandmother was so good, and she was such a good teacher. Uh, she was able to teach me things without me really knowing I was being taught. Uh, she without making me know that I was young and inexperienced and oh, that's good and ignorant.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:19

But yeah, I was very blessed. I realize not everybody has that. Yeah, but uh I was very blessed to have a good support system.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Yeah. So what can you give for those women that don't have anyone that is blessed with that type of family? Because I was too like I had all you guys to help me and everything, because we all have mistakes in those areas. So, how can you encourage them to bring them closer to Christ when they have no one else on? That is the answer to get closer to Christ.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

That's right. Because when we have Jesus in our heart and the Holy Spirit is guiding us, He tells us everything that we need to know. He inspires us to do the right things to know uh how to take care of our children. And whether we have a support system or we don't, we need him first and foremost. That's right. And everything.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

And speaking of coming to know Jesus, do you can you remember your experience of when you you came to know Jesus or received your salvation? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:13

Um the very first experience I had, now I did not grow up going to church. Okay. Uh we would go once or twice a year, maybe, you know, for a whatever. And um but we had this sweet little pair of old ladies that and then they probably weren't even old then. But um, they were missionaries. And after they got out of I I'm not sure the college, I want to say they went to Mo Moody Bible College. I'm not sure if that's it or not. But they came to this area of the country to come out in the country where they can minister to children. And they would go to all the local schools and uh they had a little station wagon with a wooden panel down the side and they would pick up kids. They would bring you home after school. Uh that there came a time, you know, I grew up in the 60s, so there came a time where they wouldn't allow you to do that in school anymore. And uh, but there were neighbors that would uh let you come to their house, you know, and have it. And um I was actually uh just about I don't know, maybe a mile from my house is where that neighbor lived. And um, in fact, that house is actually falling in now. And whenever I drive by, I can see the upstairs and the window that I was sitting by whenever I gave my heart to Jesus. And it was it was so transforming for me that I felt so clean and so light, you know, whenever I first prayed that prayer to forgive me of my sins and I want to follow Jesus throughout the years as we grow up and we we are and you're not in church, you know, that's that was my church, was going there as they had their meetings. Yeah. And um I uh, you know, did the things that all kids do. I I uh you know, like you're like we can tell, I got pregnant very early.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:07

And uh just you're just trying to uh love the Lord the best way you know how, but you don't know anything. That's right. And you don't read the Bible, so you don't have the word in you. And or I didn't, and uh, and you just try to see whatever's going on in the world, and you're trying to fit in somehow to with that. Yeah, but I am so thankful that God, He just over time, He keeps drawing us to Him a little more, a little closer, a little closer, and we go through that sanctification process and uh till you finally start to get it, and you finally start to realize it's not me following the rules, it's me in love with him and doing these things because I love him and I do not want to hurt the heart of my savior.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

That's right. And I was listening to our previous episode about forgiveness this morning, and that's all that was coming to me was we had grace in those years that we didn't know anything, but also like as we continue to be sanctified and growing with him, all these issues that we have, and we all have our own issues, whether it's fear, anxiety, anger, depression, whatever that problem is, if you are just willing to be sanctified by the Lord and have that relationship with him, every single one of your issues will go away. Absolutely, even if it is unforgiveness, or um, like you said, like even me as a young mom, I thought I I didn't know how to do anything with a baby. I would I do I knew sports, I didn't know how to raise a baby. So, and like in those things, no matter what your situation is, you grow in deeper with him and you hunger and you thirst for him, he will fill you up and it will solve everything. Yes, and it seems mom and I say this all the time, and Maddie has said said it before too on her episode, but it's so simple how to have a relationship with him. It's not easy, but it is simple. Right. So just be willing to do that.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

So let's um talk a little bit about since it is Mother's Day, about you being a mom and raising your kids. And although I know I was probably very perfect, but no, I really wasn't. I've already told the listeners I was a rebellious teenager. Um, throughout the years, can you give us like being a prayer warrior for us? Did you just say, Lord, protect my children? Or could you give us a little insight on like what your prayers were like? Were there any certain scriptures that you prayed over us specifically? Um, you know, just some just some things about how your prayers worked for us. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:26

Um so your my prayers for my children kind of correlated with my relationship with the Lord and my the things that I was learning about how things work.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

And uh so originally, you know, it was for the first few years, uh, Father, please protect my children, put a protective hedge around them because I just wanted my children protected. Yes, you know. And um, then as time went on and I learned more about spiritual warfare, and I learned about my authority that I have in Jesus, about the things that he accomplished for us and he handed over to us to manage on his behalf, my prayers became very different. Now there was a time of immaturity in my prayers and my frustration, like whenever my it's I think teenagers are just hard. You know, I mean, we are we spend our entire life helping our children evolve into adults, but we don't always know in the beginning that we are trying to involve evolve them, help them grow into something that the Lord has called them to be. Yeah, we're just trying to help them to grow up. So our motives kind of change, you know, over time.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

It was just how you began to grow in the Lord that your prayers began to change for your children. And instead of just raising them here in this world, yes, you just wanted them to get away.

SPEAKER_03 12:49

So there was a level of immaturity in my prayers because I would get frustrated, especially when when they were teenagers, and they would just do whatever they wanted to do.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:00

And I would pray, you know, God, would you please just I want you to protect them? I know they're not being obedient. I want you to protect them, but would you please just make them, just make them sick if they do this? Or just make them, you know, do something to get their attention to where they're not gonna like it when they do those things. And then later on I realized that's kind of witchcrafty, yeah, you know, to say those things. You're like speaking a curse on someone or things like that. And so, you know, you have to repent of those things. And it's just like, how do I pray for my children?

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

And I take a and when they're in your home, you have authority over them. When they grow up and they go do, you know, they're now on their own, you don't have the same level of authority. That's right. You can still pray in the name of Jesus and you can still pray for those things, and you can take authority over the um the demons that try to influence them. But whenever they're in your home, you have authority over them. So I learned to pray in that authority. I always think of the image of the umbrella that you know we all see that has the umbrella is God, and then there's the father, the mother, and the children all under the umbrella. And if we ever step out of that, well, then we are uh we're exposed to whatever. Yes, yeah, yes, but as long as we're under the Lord, under his authority, well, we're protected. And that's where you want your children to be. But uh, so I learned how to pray differently to do spiritual battle, you know, for my children and ask ask the Lord to draw them to him because that's what we can ask for. He's not gonna make up anybody's mind for them. He's not going to, you know, if I pray, God make them do this or make them, he's not gonna make them do that.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Right.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

But he can create an environment where they have every opportunity to make the right choice. Yes. And he can he does draw us to him. So that's what I have learned to pray is draw them to you, give them, give them, uh, remove all obstacles that would keep them from coming. If there's something in their life that, and I pray this a lot now, if there's something in their life that is blocking answers to these prayers, expose it. So we know what it is and we know what to deal with. We know if if we need to repent or we know how to fight it, yeah, you know, to to take authority over it in Jesus' name. So that's kind of how my prayers have changed. I also like to use just scripture. I'll go through and pick out different scripture in the I have a notebook and uh I'll find one that really speaks to me when I'm reading it. So I will rewrite it as a personal prayer and um and do that.

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Speaking of that, of the scripture, I mean just right offhand, do you know a certain scripture that you that you uh that you would use over us or just one that you can think of or uh it changes changes.

SPEAKER_03 15:57

It depends on what the situation is and uh it and it changes all the time.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

That's good. And because with there are different situations, like you said, but there is scripture for it. Yes. And it may not be like specifically to a T, like on all these very things, but if you just read your word and put it together and seek him, he'll give you that scripture to pray over them. Absolutely. And what's I learned this from grandma too, what she just said was write it down. Yes, like make it personalized, write the scripture down word for word, but then uh make it personal for you or your children or your husband, whatever it may be. Because God doesn't want that works type relationship. Just hear verbatim, do it, okay, all done, poof. No, it's make it personalized that relationship and let it grow within you to grow throughout your children and teaching them that identity of who they are, to use that authority. Because if you don't know who you are, you can't use that authority that's been given to you. And so I love that that you're able to evolve and change your prayers from salvation is the most amazing gift ever, but there is more that you can grow deeper with, that you can share with your children. And I'm nervous for those teenage years, but yeah, I am very thankful that I'm able to learn this before their teenage years to get that a stronger foundation of who they are.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

And another thing about using scripture whenever you pray is the Bible says if we pray anything in accordance with his will, he will do it. Yeah, and that's his word.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

So if we pray in accordance with that, and our motives are not selfish, our motives are not anything other than we want the very best for our children, we want him them to know him. Yes, and that's the bottom line. We want our children and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren, we want everybody in our family and everywhere to know the love of Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

And speaking of that, that's kind of where I was starting with today when I was introducing mom. That's why we decided to have her on here today, is because we know that our family would not be where it is without mom and her prayers, because she's kind of who's what started all of this for us. Um, because we were not always where we are now. We were not that way. And then Chloe, do you want to share just a little bit about like how you used to feel about grandma?

SPEAKER_00 18:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

Um, and then how that all changed.

SPEAKER_00 18:19

Yeah. So I spoke on it on our last episode about uh struggling with unforgiveness. And it was used to growing up, I would think grandma was this nice little grandma, you know. But like, and then she was always making sure that we were having truth spoken into us. And I was very much living in the world and I was very selfish and very prideful and all these things. But grandma was always making sure that we were going to church and she would teach us things, kind of like how she said someone taught her, was she would teach us things without us realizing we were being taught. And it was so amazing because she would also use the things that we loved, like my sports and stuff, to teach us those things about the Bible. And I would always think, okay, yeah, if I ever need help with anything, I can go to grandma and she'll she'll speak truth to me and everything. But also in that time, I didn't understand relationship with the Lord and everything with that. And so I was very divided with her because of the own demons that I had in my life. I was like, I don't want to go to grandma because she's gonna tell me how it is. And I I'm not, I don't like that. But then I remember the Lord revealed to me, like, you need to ask for forgiveness because you have held these resentful things in your heart towards her when she was only being obedient. And this was after some sanctification process when I was learning more and everything. And I was like, oh, snap, that is true. All she was doing was telling me truth, and I just pushed her away. But I encourage you, if you have, if you don't know how to approach someone when they're struggling with something, be like, grandma, and go and tell them the truth no matter how angry they get or upset or how much they push you away. Because if you continue fighting on their behalf as a warrior of Christ with that authority, and they come around, they'll come to you and they'll apologize and they'll be like, That's true love. Thank you for standing in that place. And so there is healing that comes within all that as well.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Yes. Um, you just said something that reminded me, something that I kind of wanted to ask. And um, so mom, with that being said, because I know there was a time that all of us were not on board with you. Right. And you're a human person. So I know that you have feelings. Was that ever hard? Did you ever feel like the outsider because you were, you were, you love Jesus so much and you were trying to do everything right and speak truth to us, but you knew all of us were just like, oh, grandma's grandma's praying again, grandma's saying this again, mom's doing this again. She's was that hard? Like a personal, like, did it hit your emotions like in a hard way?

SPEAKER_03 20:42

Yes. Yes. There was, there were many times, you know, because you love your family and you want them to know what you have grown to know in the Lord, and you want them to see that, but they're just and and they make it personal, you know, like I'm the weird one.

SPEAKER_02 20:57

Yeah.

unknown 20:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

But I Which we just want to apologize right now for that because we are so thankful that she did not give up on us. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 21:05

Well, I love you all anyway. And I loved loved you at that time too. But yes, and I still have that, you know, I still have people like that. And I remember one time that I was just so frustrated with praying and praying and praying, and then seeing so much rebellion. And I was, I was just like, and I think I even said to one of my children that I'm just gonna quit praying for you. I just I just don't even know what else to do. I'm just gonna stop praying. And they said, Oh, mom, don't do that. Oh, and uh so, and of course I wasn't going to, you know, you just get frustrated and you just say something, you know. I would never had any intention of not praying for my children. I just wanted them to know I'm at the point of I don't know what else to do. But we do keep praying. And one of my motivations, because okay, in my own life, it would be very, very easy just to say, This is too hard. Yeah, I'm just gonna fall in with everybody else and do that. But then I would think about things like this. In Ephesians 6, 1 through 3, it says, Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land. And then there's another one in Deuteronomy 27, 16, cursed is he who dishonors his father and mother. Um Proverbs 30:17. Has anyone ever rolled their eyes at their parents? Listen to this. As for the eye that mocks the father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it. So whenever I knew my children were in rebellion, I did not want this stuff to happen to my children. Yes. You know, I didn't want them to not live long in the land because they have been disrespectful. So, you know, as you're raising your children, you set boundaries all the way along. But for me, some of those boundaries, if it would affect their um own life, you protect them from that. And you set those boundaries and you stand firm and you don't fall in, you don't give up, you don't stop praying. You just say, No, I'm gonna do everything that the Lord has given me the authority and the power to do through the Holy Spirit to protect my child even from themselves until they wake up and understand what the reality is.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Yeah, and that's that's great too, because like we don't always sometimes we just jump in our flesh and we we say things that we don't mean or we act in certain like disciplinary actions that we don't mean. But then whenever you begin to remember you have eyes to see, you have ears to hear, they don't have that yet. Right. So you have to stand in that gap and be like, wait, they don't they don't understand. So you need to have grace on them in that moment, and that is hard, but it's our job as parents to train mighty warriors in the kingdom. Yes, and so that moves into another question that I had for you, grandma, was kind of um so like you have four, five kids. Sorry, my mind went blank. And so they're all have very different personalities and they're all very different ages. So, how did you go about like different disciplinary actions with them? And that just because you may not have had like I know, like with my children, one, I can just look at them and they're done. But one, I'm like, I have to like change my tone and all that. So, how did you do that with all of your different kids and let them know that you still love them, even though you had to take different actions?

SPEAKER_03 24:32

Yeah. Well, we did not have the love language book back then. Oh, yeah. That would have been very helpful. Yeah, that would have. But um, I do know, you know, I thought being naive, being ignorant in the beginning, I had two. Whenever I had two children, I was getting ready to have the third. I knew my first two children were totally different in their personalities. So I would think, I wonder which one of these this third one will be like. Well, they were a whole new personality. And um and it, I don't care if you had a hundred or two hundred kids, they would all be different because God creates everybody for their own specific purpose. Yeah, nobody is the same, nobody. And um, you over time you just have to learn. And I didn't know this in the beginning. It's like whenever you're a new mother and you don't know anything, and I'm sure that's the way most of us are, we learn to do things as we go. And it's like you have a lot of those aha moments, you have a lot of those pondering moments, like Mary did when people would say things, you know, about Jesus or she would see him, something in him. You see that in your children. And as a young and mature mother, you have these dreams about, oh, I bet they're gonna be this or this or whatever. But um, all of our, I have learned that all of our motivation, and if I had to go back and do it all over again, I would look for what God created them to be. Yeah, and I would give them different experiences that allowed them to test different things to find out where their niche was and watch for those things and develop those things. You know, it's like uh your mom, Sonia, she has always enjoyed writing, writing, writing, writing, writing. Yes. And I've always thought she should be an author because it flows with her to write things and it's good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Right.

SPEAKER_03 26:24

And I really hope that's where she will. Yeah, you know, did you hear that, Mom? Take that idea. If I had, you know, back then had I had any idea about how I should nurture that, you know, I could have got her involved in more things or more, more, you know, training or whatever to help her with that. But um, I think it, you know, and do those things while the kids are little, let them have different experiences to find it. Like my oldest son, he is uh he's a horse whisperer, he is gifted at it. Yeah, but he didn't have a horse growing up, yeah, you know, to to ride around or train or work with. We had some work horses, but we and a little Shetland pony that my grandparents had, but we didn't, he didn't have that opportunity to have that experience to know how gifted he was at training. And um, and it's just different things, you know. All my kids have different skill sets and different um abilities that God put in them, those interests. But the the bottom line is everything we have is to glorify God. That's right. We need to use it like if if it it will take you into different uh environments where there's people that need to know God.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

That's good. I'm glad you're going there because if you were and I was.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

Yeah, because we all have talents and skills, but those are supposed to be used. Yes, kind of like kind of like if I did ever decide to write a book. Yeah. If I want to go write some smut book, that's not glorifying God. No, we need to be writing writing things that's going to glorify God or to help somebody. And yes, that's exactly it. Just because you have a talent or skill, it needs to be used to glorify God.

SPEAKER_03 27:57

But anyway, back to your question of the discipline. Yes. You find out you just have to do whatever it takes to get that child to be in line with the boundaries that have been set. Because the boundaries are for their own good.

SPEAKER_00 28:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 28:11

And uh, like you said, some children, you just say something and they do it. Well, let me just talk about these five kids. Okay. Okay. One is a rule follower. So I could just say, this is the rule. Yeah. Okay, that's what exactly what I'm gonna do. One was not a rule follower, but they were uh very sanguine and very pleasant and very sweet, but they would do exactly what they wanted to do. They were very non-confrontational, yeah. So if there was ever any confrontation, then everything got hid.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 28:46

Because we don't want to confront anything. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:49

One was very much um tell me why we have this rule. I need I need to understand completely why this rule was ever made, and I'll decide if it applies to me. And then one was uh I don't have any rules. We don't do rules. And then the other one was, can we negotiate the rules? Oh from I mean, see, that's five different kids, five different approaches to everything. Now, as someone trying to raise these kids, when you're in it, you might think, well, these are easier, these are tougher, you know, to do. But you're the mom of all of them. Yes. So you need to figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

And you need to find out how do you show the love of Christ to each child, make them feel valued. Yes, because jealousy will slip right in there anytime they see you doing something for the other that you're not doing for this one.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:41

Like this one may need a lot of explanation while this rule follower is like, why are you explaining it? You know, or whatever, you know. Or the one that that thinks, but I will tell you that my motive was always to know my child that for my children to know how deeply loved they were and to be comfortable for them. My motive was you can talk to me about anything. Yes. In my mind and my heart, that's what I was purposely putting out there. But because of the different personalities, it was interpreted differently. And and even now, you know, like the one that was uh non-confrontational would say, I was always afraid to talk to you, you know. And I'm thinking, how can you be afraid to talk to me? I was trying to be so open and and and everything. Yeah, but but that's just how it is, and that's why we need the Holy Spirit to help us and to tell us what how to do these things.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

And so, whenever if you do see your children like having that jealousy output and stuff, how would you approach that situation? I know it also goes back to what you just said about asking Holy Spirit and like their different personalities and everything, but like just off the top of your head, how would you talk to each?

SPEAKER_03 31:00

Well, you would just have to sit them down individually and try to have a private conversation with them so that they could ask their questions and they could understand and you could make them know how much you do love them. And there's and I've always told my kids, I love you all the same. I love you the same. Now we may communicate differently just because of the different personalities, and believe it or not, I have a personality too. So some things are easier, but I am going to purposely make the effort to adjust to um to accommodate whoever my audience is that I can, you know, if it's my child or anybody, yeah, I'm going to try to adjust to to uh make them feel comfortable.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

Yeah. And so I don't know if your kids did this or not, but like mine, I only had two. So mine is the older one knows the rules, and he's like that rule follower and everything. But so how do I go about he knows the rules, but he tries to parent his sister. That's common. That's common for his reviews. But like, how do I do it where it's like, thank you, like you're obeying the rules and everything, but like you're here to be a brother and help like live life with her and encourage her in the kingdom and stuff, but I'm the parent. So like I can do any advice for that because I just I was like, I don't, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 32:19

And and it's a balance too. You want your kids to relearn learn responsibility and you want them to be aware of others and how they can help them, not boss them. Yes, and uh they we just all need to know, you know, it's like even in the workplace, you've got bosses and you have leaders. Train them to be leaders, okay, train them to be to inspire, not to demand.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:40

And uh, and just talk to them about that, you know how that works.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:45

Okay. I did want to ask you when speaking about praying for your children, because I think that's one of the most important things. And like I said, I think that's how we all got here today, is because of your devoted prayers to us, um, and for us, I guess. Um, whenever so I'm sure that you've been praying for your children for years. Is there, and you do not have to mention specifically what it is, but is there a prayer you can think of or different prayers that you've prayed for specific children or grandchildren that you still have not seen manifest yet?

SPEAKER_03 33:17

Oh yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

Could you give us a roundabout? I'm just trying to show our listeners like how important prayer is and to not, because last week, I think it was last week, we covered on their hair off the roof episode how when you pray for someone, you're devoted to it. You fervently pray. So can you think like your longest prayer that you've prayed, like like 10 years, 15 years, five years? Like are you like there is a specific thing I can think that I've been praying for this long and still have not seen it happen, but I'm believing it's going to.

SPEAKER_03 33:43

Yeah. I can, I mean, I I can think of several different things. One in particular has been going on for almost 30 years. Oh wow. And uh, and I'm still believing because I see I see all the signs there, I see all the how God has prepared everything. It's just them getting on board. Yeah, I see. And uh, you know, it's and another thing about praying is in the beginning I thought I'll pray these things, and then it would happen. I would see it, it's like, oh yes. And I thought we have total victory here and everything. No, you keep praying because the enemy's coming against it, and you've got to continue to pray all the time about things and keep it growing and keep it moving. And you know, it's just like you guys doing this podcast. This is wonderful, this is an answer prayer, this is awesome. But you could quit at any time, you could get discouraged at any time, right? Or something could happen, you know. So we pray against those things and we pray for God to continue to anoint you and to give you the things that the listeners need to hear for him to be able to speak through you to them. That's okay. And I can tell you, you know, the Bible says pray without ceasing.

SPEAKER_02 34:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

And I can tell you that there were years that I would get up in the middle of the night because, you know, you wake up at three o'clock in the morning, and I've heard people say there's all kinds of different reasons for that, whether it's the enemy or whether it's the Lord. Yeah, I just decided, well, I'm just gonna pray anyway. That's right because it don't hurt anything to pray, and that's what I'm gonna do. And so I might pray for a couple of hours and then go back to sleep for an hour and get up and go to work. Or um, or just whenever the Lord puts it on your heart, but also I have learned to know that he is with me always. Yes, he will never leave me nor forsake me. He's with me right here. He was with me when I got up this morning, anywhere, anything I'm doing. And he's never gonna be away from me, and that I can talk to him anytime. So as I'm going throughout my day, I'm talking to him all the time. If I'm driving down the road, if I'm working in the garden, or no matter what I'm doing, if I'm sitting listening to something else, I'm talking to the Lord about it. Like, Lord, help me to understand that I didn't, I don't know what they're talking about. Yeah. And you know, if you're sitting in a in a sermon or something, you know, just ask for insight all the time and just know that he's with you. And anything that you would say if he's sitting right next to you, you can say it to him. Yes, because he's with you.

SPEAKER_00 36:07

And he says to pray without seizing, and that's a great example of doing that. And when you said when you see the victory, just continue to pray through it, because even like King David, it was the Lord's will for him to be keen and everything, but he did mess up because he wasn't he was in his own boredom and his own ways, and instead of pressing in and continuing to pray with without seizing, he fell back. But then there was true repentance. Yes, and so that's a good example.

SPEAKER_03 36:32

Yeah, and even with King David, he is the perfect example, you know. Like when we're raising our children, we just want things to go well with them. But sometimes they got to go through some things before they can step into that that calling that they have because they wouldn't even know what to do with it. Yeah, like David, he wouldn't even know how to be a king if he hadn't had to go through all these battles and everything. But he stayed true to God through a lot of it. He he didn't um I mean, most of us would think, you know, King Saul is being terrible to him. Why doesn't he just react to him? But he knew that God put him in that place and he was going to honor him because of that. Yeah, and that's what we got to teach our kids. Right. You know, you respect authority, you stay within the boundaries and you keep learning. Yeah, you may got a setback, or may you may not think this is fair. Over here, you're gonna have to know how to deal with what's not fair.

SPEAKER_00 37:26

Right. Because yeah, when King Saul was coming after him, trying to kill him, all that stuff, even everyone around uh David was telling him, Here's your chance, just go take him out. Like this is it's the Lord's will for you to do this, and there will be enemies coming after you, even people that truly love you. Because these people did love David that were giving him this advice. Yes. So when you are in that situation where you know it would be so easy just to step in and just take care of it, boom, all gone. Like that's just manipulating the word and just being oh well, the Lord doesn't want me to have this persecution.

SPEAKER_03 37:57

Okay, well, the Lord to be comfortable, right?

SPEAKER_00 38:00

Right. The Lord loves you and He's there to protect you, but maybe just have a different perspective of what can I learn from this through with the Lord and like what is He actually preparing me for? How can I be an example for others instead of just going the easy way out? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:15

And raising children is not easy, right? You know, you had I think it is a calling to to raise children. Yes, and I think it's like a a sacred thing to mother children, yes, and uh and I don't care if it's your own children or if you're into if helping with foster care or adoption or maybe you're teaching or uh through a class or uh just family or just a neighbor. Yep. It is a sacred calling to influence the life of a child. Yes, and that's why I think I mean I teach little kids now on Wednesday nights. Um, they're from five to eight years old. And to me, that's a um that's a it's very important that they know Jesus. And I don't want to just teach them Bible stories. No, no, no, not just I mean, they're all good, they're all beneficial and you learn things. I want them to know who Jesus is. Right. And to not just know about him, but to uh I want to lay groundwork for them to have their very own personal relationship with him because we can all hear stories, we can all get rewards because we answered a question or we came and got a star, you know, for attendance or whatever. But that means nothing in the end. Right. You know, we may do those things for fun, but they need to know what Jesus did for them and who he is now and in their future.

SPEAKER_00 39:33

Yeah, you know they need that strong foundation to build upon when they get older, and they're never too young to learn about who he is and like the reason why they were created and their calling and their purpose and us as mothers to help guide them into that calling, even if it's just out in the world. You don't have to be called to be a pastor, like yes, because even with Uncle Jason, like he's called, he's great with horses and it's such a wonderful calling. So you don't have to go out and just be a pastor to be doing the Lord's will, like he's gifted you with certain things within your life to use it for his glory. Right.

SPEAKER_02 40:08

Yes, that's that's very true. And and I think one of the reasons as we get ready to wrap up a little bit here, that we wanted mom on here today, and and I can do this, mom, because you're my mom, so I can brag about you, is because it is just so important that as a mother, I mean, there I have several people in my life that tell me, Well, I prayed for my kids and they just ain't changing. But are you really? This goes back to our turn off the roof episode. Are you really praying for your kids? Are you are you saying a prayer and then it didn't get answered? So okay, I give up. Are you spending, like mom said earlier, there was times she'd wake up in the night and spend two hours praying for her children or her grandchildren or whoever it may be. Are you spending the time truly praying for them and truly, truly wanting change and truly, you know, just seeking the Lord and trusting him to do what he needs to do? Or are we asking once or twice or spending two seconds on it? And that's why we wanted to ask mom, because we know that she has spent the time praying and we know that she has devoted her life to her children and and and wanted what was even though we didn't always see that she wanted what was best for us. We thought she was being controlling to us or whatever the thing may be. I I I covered that on another episode too, that now I know that she wanted to protect us and she speaks truth to us. You know, there was a few years back that I was going through some stuff and my mom was not who I wanted to talk to because I was not going to get a lot of sympathy or a lot of pity partying. I was going to get truth. But now I know, I mean, now when I want truth, or if I want prayer, my mom is the one that I go to.

SPEAKER_00 41:45

Because it's true love. And even if some people, some people get discouraged, like, oh, I can't go out and teach people the word of God and stuff because I'm gonna get judged seven times harder. Well, guess what? If you have kids, you're their teacher, you're their nurse, you're their mother, you're their helper. Like it's up to you to raise those kids into the kingdom. And that's up to you, however far you want to help take them. It's on you. So take responsibility in that. Right.

SPEAKER_03 42:09

Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

And mom, do you have anything else or any last words of advice or just anything that else that you would like to share with the listeners at all?

SPEAKER_03 42:18

Um, well, you know, I know we touched a little bit on discipline. Discipline should always be done out of love.

SPEAKER_00 42:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 42:25

And for the benefit of your child. And for the times that, and we've all had it where they're you're just so frustrated, you're just thinking, what in the world? Yeah. You know, and you might say the wrong things or do the wrong things, and and um you just need to always know it's the if you need to take a step back, do that and um make sure it's for their benefit, whatever you're doing. Don't waver on anything that is a firm boundary uh that um could cause them harm or cause a curse on their life or cause, you know, anything like don't waver on it. You know matter how much they fight you, and uh you can hang in there, right? You know, because it's gonna be God's will. And uh teach them uh to uh not necessarily depend on you, but to have their own relationship with the Lord. Yes, because uh that's who saved them, right? Not not anyone else. Yep. And uh and we want to be loved and we want to be needed, you know, as mothers and everything, but he's who we should be pointing every child to.

SPEAKER_02 43:32

I'm so glad that you said that because I don't think we're gonna do it now because we covered this, but you saying that we can't depend on you.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

When we started doing this podcast, one of the things Chloe and I had talked about, we were talking about titles for podcasts, and I started thinking about mom and how I used to think I I don't really believe mom could get me to heaven, but I always thought like she was the one that was going to do. Everything for me. And like if I needed something, I think my mom was like my the person that could just do it all for me. And I always felt comfortable with her around. Like if I was in a scary situation, instead of calling out to gun, I might think, oh, if my mom's here, then I'm gonna be protected, I'll be okay. And then I have learned since then that was not true. And then the woman that was idolizing her, and idolizing is not right. And um, so I had told Chloe, I said we should do an episode called Grandma Can't Get You to Heaven. Because it's true. Grandma can pray for you and and they can they can love you and they can teach you all the right things, but in the end, your salvation is between you and God and your your grandma, your mom, or whoever, because they're a strong Christian, is not going to get you there. Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

That's good. No one here on earth can be your safety. No, you have to make it personal with you.

SPEAKER_03 44:46

Yeah. Another thing I wanted to share that I think is so important is teach what well, what God calls us to do is to crucify our flesh, to die to our flesh. And we have these adorable little babies, they are so sweet and we love them so much, and we cuddle them and we hold them, and they smell so sweet and everything, but it doesn't take long to find out they want what they want.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

Right.

SPEAKER_03 45:11

And they will uh do, they will test the people around them. They don't even know they're doing, it's just nature. Yes, we test people around us to um find out what we have to do to get what we want, you know. So I know with my first baby, I thought being a good mom meant my baby didn't cry because he was happy. And uh I just did I mean I went way overboard taking care of him. I carried him on my hip till he was two and a half years old when your mom was born. And I couldn't do both of them. So and he made it just fine. But we got to be careful that we're not training our children to think life is just what they want. Right. Because the day comes whenever all of a sudden we're like, why is this child like this? Why do they not listen? Why do they just have want to have a fit? Why do they want to, you know, push so hard to have things their way? Because they've always had it their way.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

Right.

SPEAKER_03 46:07

So uh, and someone told me here a while back, I was having this conversation with someone, and they said, actually, whenever kids are about six months old, that's whenever you can start, you know, like you can hold them and cuddle them and do everything for them. But about six months old, you start teaching them a little bit of independence as they go along. It's okay to let them wait a little bit. It's okay, you know, for them not to get it just like they want it. And because the time, the longer we let children do this, and unfortunately, some children do this their entire life, they're just coddled all the time and they have they just feel so entitled to everything and they can't cope in the world. Right. But I think it's really important that as we see those opportunities, as they go through the different ages and age appropriate, yeah, teach them some independence, give them experiences that allows them, you know. I I was a bubble mom to put my kids in a bubble and protect them from everybody. And uh, but as but allow them some interaction and some experiences that you're there and you're supervising, and then talk to them about how it went. And you know, because they will tell you, well, so-and-so did this or so-and-so, you know, and it could be their Sunday school class at church, you know, so-and-so did this. And um, but just talk to them and guide them on the way that the Lord sees things, yes, you know, and teach them to not want things just their way, but to consider other people as they consider themselves. And that's that's quite a thing.

SPEAKER_00 47:35

Yeah. So, grandma, you want to wrap it up and pray over any moms who are listening and okay.

SPEAKER_03 47:42

Okay, bye-bye, dear Heavenly Father God, Lord, we love you so, so much. We're so thankful, Father, that we have the opportunity to be mothers or just be women who influence the lives of these precious children. Father, help us to see that that they belong to you and you've just given us the responsibility of stewarding their lives until they're uh big enough to do it for themselves, Lord, with your help. Help us to teach our children to put you first, to love you, to know about you, to know the truth about you, that they would never be deceived by the enemy. In the name of Jesus Christ, we plead the covenant blood of Jesus over all of these families, Lord, that are listening. May you draw them all to you, that they would know you and love you and serve you with their lives, that they would surrender their life to you, Father, that they would be in covenant with you and just benefit from all the wonderful blessings we have through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Father, I just pray for insight and understanding to the mothers who have struggled, Lord. And uh, I pray for unity in families and I pray for forgiveness, Lord. Help help these mothers to forgive those who have hurt them and uh just and help them to forgive their children, Lord, if their children have hurt them, and help the children to forgive, Lord. Put it on their hearts, Lord, that they would uh walk in forgiveness, there would be no bitterness, and there would be no foothold for the enemy to have any control in their lives. Just call to to all of our attention, Lord, anything that keeps us from being a blessing to you and a blessing to others. And um we just thank you for all that you've given us and all that you've blessed us with a special virtue. In Jesus' name, uh