The Mothers Of Boys Society

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14a ESV

Have you ever had a day when you have one child sitting and reading, and then you have another one that is taking apart the flash light , and then another one that is crawling through the house growling as loud as he can because he is a hungry tiger? I have!

It can be so easy to tell the child that is growling and the one that is taking things apart to sit and read like his brother, but why? Each child is different. Each child is unique and that is okay. God made each one wonderfully. They each have a different personality. I think it is awesome.

We need to be careful that we don’t try to shape our sons into what WE want them to be but we need to direct them into what GOD wants them to be.

What ways do you encourage your son’s unique personality?

Wee Babe wakes in the ebony of night, his peaceful room suddenly enveloped in sobs of panic. I enter the dark and quietly pat his back, placing him into his favorite sleeping position. The quiet keeps its’ beat in rhythm with my hand taps on baby’s tummy and soon his even breathing tells me he has drifted back to sleep.

I can feel the Spirit nudging in the quiet as I begin to pray over his crib, the whispered words floating above the room. They hover thick like a flannel blanket, reaching across the space: wall to wall, ceiling to floor wrapping us in the still of prayer. This is Holy Ground. God meets us in this season.

As I finish the prayers over one I automatically move across the room to another child’s peaceful dreaming, and then the few steps down the hall to the girls’ room. I touch each one, laying my hands on their foreheads and hands, heart beating prayers in sacred rhythms ushered before the throne of holy breath. These little ones dream sweet dreams without care as I meet our Creator here in this place, a partnership on their lives’ behalf. A mother who is bowing before the Mighty One.

As I kneel down beside youngest girl’s bed, the lower bunk requires more than a bending or hunching of back, I feel my knees meet carpet.

A mother’s heart in full submission.

A face layed low.

Hands outstretched.

The God of the cosmos bends His ear to hear the words a mother prays over her children. He hears these words spoken with hushed breath. He hears the heart-longings so deeply treasured and stored that no human words could form. He hears the Spirit’s prayers where only my groans can escape. I can barely stand beneath the weight of it. I am nothing as a mother without Him. Even on my best days, when I know it all and no one lost an eye, no broken limbs or hearts; even at the end of those days I know I am nothing as a mom without Him.

On this day, when fatigue reigned, the migraine and crink in my neck would not give, when I hollered too loudly, was too firm in redirecting childish fits of temper and found my own anger boiling over the edge; each time I royally screw up this thing called, “motherhood”…God hears me. He knows when I blow it. He knows the intentions of my heart throughout the day and into the night. The God who knows me, still bends His ear to listen to what I say.

My voice matters to Him.

My prayers do make a difference.

So I keep praying into the wee hours and still of night. I mess up and start over, fess up and begin new, and He hears.

“The purest form of love is given with no expectation of return. Measured by this standard, earnest prayer for others is a magnificent act of love.” -David Hubbard

In what Holy Ground season is God meeting you?

Photo by: Jezamama

I am sitting here tonight a little weary about my own parenting style.  As our friend Kendra Smiley would say, BE THE PARENT!!

(Good practical book by the way)  I so often find myself allowing my boys to retort, “No, I don’t want to!”  Instead of dealing immediately with his disobedience the first time, I simply reply “Yes, you will, right now”.  This, of course, is followed by more whining from my 3 year old sons.  Round and round we go from there…..

WAIT, STOP, THIS IS NOT WORKING!

A combination of laziness, weakness, and pride on my part is to blame for this episode of bad parenting.

I am sometimes too lazy to deal out the discipline needed.  It is a lot of work to put your day on hold and patiently walk a kid through the proper discipline necessary for the latest disobedience.  However, as with most sin, laziness now creates an abundance of work later.  ( Why can’t I remember this?)  Now, because I did not jump on this sin the first time, I have to discipline my son multiple times to regain control of his attitude.  He thinks I might let him get by with it since I have before, so it is going to take a while to convince him now.  Not only that, but I have now confused him by being inconsistent.

Another contributing sin is weakness where I ought to be strong.  I love my boys dearly and absolutely hate to discipline them.  When they act out in disobedience, I often wilt and try to skip over discipline to get out of it myself.  This once again compounds the problem when I finally “man up” and address the problem.

My pride also causes me to choose NOT to discipline because I allow myself to get angry.  I take it as an insult to my own parenting skills that they would disobey.  I repeat my command over and over again with a sinful heart that just cannot believe they would not obey me.   Even though my Bible tells me that they were born with sinful hearts. (Psalm 51:5) I should expect that my children will disobey me, and then follow through with Biblical discipline.

Writing this post has really helped me reflect on some corrections in discipline……starting tomorrow morning things will be different again, and hopefully we can begin to get on track.  I have a feeling there are some others reading this post who might have also taken the same wrong road.  

Care to join me in getting out of the ditch and back on the narrow?

“May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown…” Psalms 144:12

Interesting concept, no?  In their youth…like plants full grown?  Not thirty is the new twenty, but sixteen is the new thirty-five?  Unthinkable!  That sons at eighteen might actually act like men?  That sons at thirteen might actually be drawn out into responsibility and spiritual leadership?  That sons might at fifteen be responsible and pure and helpful?  Contributing even to their families well-being?

No…

Impossible, right?

According to Pam Forster, mother of three sons and author of Plants Grown Up, “our sons can be as ‘plants grown up’ in their youth. This means that in their teens their lives can be bearing fruit!  Gone is the myth that the teen years must be years of turmoil and rebellion! They can be years of harvest, years when a mature plant begins to bear fruit for its Master!”

The purpose of Plants Grown Up is to “provide specific projects that will encourage the growth of deep godly character in our sons.”  And we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity we’ve been given to get this book in your hands!

Confession:  I am not a crafty person.  The posts on the M.O.B. Society where there’s crafting and scavenger hunting and projecting???  Yea…Erin does those.  She’s the amazing craft-master.  Not me.  Not ever.  Just not in me.  That’s why the very fact that I’m the one writing this post should get your attention.  Plants Grown Up is filled with specific projects based on godly character qualities broken up into applications appropriate for any age boy.  And I absolutely love it!  It’s with my whole-hearted approval that I recommend this wonderful resource to you.  Plants Grown Up deals with such character traits as:

• Leadership
• Honesty
• Courage
• Bible skills
• Scriptural manhood
• Teaching skills
• Self-control
• Faithfulness
• Perseverance
• Godliness
• Brotherly kindness (Oh praise the LORD!)
• Charity
• And much more!

You must buy this book.  Why?  Because starting in September we’ll be hosting a monthly link-up for Plants Grown Up!  That’s right! Right here on the M.O.B. Society…an opportunity for you to share on your blog or in the comments how God is using this awesome book in the lives of your boys.

It gets even better!  The Forsters have graciously allowed us to offer YOU, our M.O.B. Society readers, a $6 discount on the purchase of Plants Grown Up!  Just enter in the word “MOB” at checkout to receive your discount!  How easy is that?

We’re so excited for you to get your own copy in your hands!  You will not regret investing in this book friends. Even if you don’t/can’t participate in the link-up each month, Plants Grown Up will be a valuable asset to your boy-raising library! (But we hope you WILL join us…here’s how!)

To join us for the Plants Grown Up link-up each week, simply:

1. Buy your own copy of the book (of course!)  Don’t forget to claim your $6 discount by typing in “MOB” at checkout!
2. Add the picture to your blog side-bar and title it “Link-up at the M.O.B. Society!”  Use this page as your URL for the picture please.
3. Watch for us to announce the date of the first link-up sometime in early September…ahem…there might be a giveaway of the book that day too! (But seriously…don’t wait to get your own copy…if you win give it to someone else trying to raise godly men.)
4. Write a post on the day of the link-up and then come on over that day!  Link-up your Plants Grown Up post and then sit back with some coffee (or hot beverage of your choice) and read what God is doing in other boy-raising families like yours.

Go grab your copy of Plants Grown Up now!  Click here to order and claim your $6 discount at checkout!

What other resource out there has ALL of this is one book?  Really?  It’s just too good…too perfect for moms who hope to raise godly sons, to pass up.

This might be long but it is TOTALLY worth reading to the end (hint, hint – a chance at free stuff!) 

As moms, I think it is safe to say we are in the biggest adventure of our lives. Maybe even more so as moms of boys, as they are discovering the glory of adventure themselves and taking us along for the ride! 

That’s why we at the MOB Society were thrilled to learn of a brand new, fun, biblically-based AND educational book from Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis) with Karen Hansel that is all about adventure! 

So what exactly is Charlie and Trike in the Grand Canyon Adventure all about? 

A brief description: 

In this first presentation of the Green Notebook Series, Charlie and his triceratops buddy, Trike, set off with a burly one-eyed tour guide and a passel of mules to hike deep into Grand Canyon. But there’s trouble on the trail when Charlie goes off on his own to dig for fossils. What’s more, Charlie’s convinced the tour guide is a thief, but any plans to catch him are quickly foiled. Once in the Canyon, Trike does his best to explain to his friend the worldwide Flood and why we can trust the Bible. Finally, with the help of the tour guide, Charlie sees and understands the truth in a way that will change his life forever. 

When this book arrived on our doorstep, my boys were intrigued by the large hardcover book with a fun monkey and dinosaur on the cover. The book is geared at children ages 4-8, but even my two-year-old was eager to read it with me. 

And what we found when we opened it was even better than we were expecting! 

Along with gorgeous illustrations and fun characters, the Grand Canyon Adventure is a wonderful history and geology lesson and provides many surprises along the way: fold-out maps, journal entries, informational flaps to discover and a fun poster. My little adventurers kept going back to the maps – they were fascinated! 

We loved so many things about this book, but the most important aspect was the biblical explanation of the formation of the Grand Canyon. We may talk about the Flood with our children, but putting the story with something they can actually see and explore TODAY brings it to life for them. 

And isn’t that is our job as parents? Bringing faith and God off the page and making it alive and tangible for our children. I am so thankful for beautiful, well-done resources like this book to help us along the way! 

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We’re thinking some of you might like to check out this super fun book, so how about a little adventure contest?! 

HERE is how it works: 

It might seem a little complicated, but we want to give EVERYONE a chance to win so stick with us! 

We KNOW that boys of any age are drawn to adventure and we want to hear about those explorers, so tell us about your favorite adventure – or failed adventure! – with your boys in one of the following ways: 

*Bloggers:Post your story on your blog, link back to this post and link up here (with your post permalink) no later than 9:00 am CST Friday, Sept. 3rd. 

*Facebook users: Post your story on the MOB Society Wall – Start your post with OUR GRAND ADVENTURE to make it easy to find! 

We will be choosing one winner from each section based on YOUR VOTES! You can vote as many times as you want by: 

*Reading through the blog posts linked on this site and telling us your favorite by NUMBER in the comments for this post. (Example: I vote for post #1!) 

*Browsing the stories posted on our Facebook Wall and “liking” your favorites. Then come back here and tell us you “liked” a post in the comments! 

The blog post and Facebook post with the most votes will each receive a free copy of the Grand Canyon Adventure! 

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What if you don’t want to write a story? 

You can STILL WIN! 

You’ll want to vote often because we will choose two random winners from those who comment on this post to each win a book as well! 

In that case, here are a few extra chances to enter: 

*Follow @masterbooks4u on Twitter (2 entries – leave 2 comments!) 

*Tweet about this contest/giveaway, mentioning @TheMobSociety, @masterbooks4u and the link to this post (4 entries – leave 4 comments!) 

*Post about this contest/giveaway on Facebook (4 entries – leave 4 comments!) 

*Buy the book on Amazon (20 entries – leave 20 comments!) 

Comments close Friday, September 3rd at 5:00 p.m. CST. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. 

OK! Did you get all of that? Good! Now share YOUR adventure and get people over here to vote for it! 

Thank you to Master Books and New Leaf Publishing for providing the review and giveaway books and for hosting this fun event!

 As school rolls around (officially) and I begin to plan our homeschool lessons a few things I’ve noticed about my children and our days together you might also enjoy:

Touch - My boys are not happy unless it’s hands on! Most boys are tactile. They love to build, sculpt, paint, and always knock it down! Word of advice – don’t be discouraged when they want to knock something down! Take your pictures fast before destruction mode kicks in. Crafts are definitely not just for girls. We save Huggies boxes, toilet paper rolls, and empty water bottles because you never know when a rainy day will strike and it’s time to build something “cool”! Or pull out blankets and sheets to build forts.

Sight – My 2^nd grader wants to see everything. “Will you show me” is asked during every lesson. And not because he’s stalling, but the boy is visual. Most males are visual! I make sure we have a lot of reference books and internet ready images to provide visuals. Kid friendly magazines are great to have handy for “down time” or car rides. Word of advice – prepare your internet stuff before rather than Google images together. Unfortunately, inappropriate images pop up regardless of your search request.

Sound – My youngest son is definitely more auditory. He loves music, sounds, movement, instruments, etc. But everyone benefits from a “dance party”. Right about that time the boys are worked up enough and about to step over the line into the “ugly mommy end zone” – I turn up a favorite song as loud as I can and they boogie. Nothing is funnier than these moments. Easily turning potential time outs into hysterical enjoyment. Especially when daddy is around to bust out the Running Man. Word of advice – keep music easily available just to flip a switch and surprise them. Planning out dance time and hunting to find something can lead to your frustration.

Taste – My boys love snacks, what child doesn’t? (what mom doesn’t) We like to get creative and make snacks together. Put aside the prepackaged goldfish and spend some quality time in the kitchen. Word of advice – your son isn’t a chef so expect a mess and take into consideration time to cook. There are great memories to be had when you allow them in the kitchen and give them a spoon!

Above I underlined and wrote “most” because I have read a great book – Wild Things, the art of nurturing boys and it truly opened my eyes to see how I can relate better to my boys and how to better teach them!

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”

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Today’s giveaway is from our new friends, Skinny Kidz Belts.  If your little guy has a tiny rear, like mine you need this belt!

It’s a miracle tool for moms with boys who lose their drawers when running!  No more hunting for pants with adjustable waistlines…just grab your skinny kidz belt and worry no more about those horrible wardrobe malfunctions!

To enter, simply subscribe to the M.O.B. Society.  You can do this three different ways:

1. By email
2. In a reader
3. On Facebook

My sons try to rescue me on a daily basis. Sometimes at inconvenient times.

Up to my elbows in soap suds over the sink and they swoop into the kitchen, “Is ‘dere an emergency, mama? You need to be rescued?”

Vacuuming the living room and little bodies leap from sofa to sofa, “Watch us fly mama, look, Look!”

Putting away laundry, and blankets are appropriated and promptly tied around necks, transformed into capes. “We help you, mama! You need help?”

Any chore is automatically transformed into an act of bravery by my two favorite super heroes.

When I watch the eagerness with which they rush to my side; when I see the delight glinting in their eyes; when I sense the commitment in their spirits to rescue the right from the wrong, I see the fingerprints of the only true Hero. I recognize Him underneath their capes, and masks, and spiderweb shooters.

Psalm 146:7-9

⁷ He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,

⁸ the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.

⁹ The Lord watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

This is the DNA built into our boys. And part of the explanation for why they thrive on stories of web slingers, muscle men, and caped avengers. Let’s revel in the stories together with them; spin beautiful heroic tales. Because these can be the ultimate road map for directing our sons back to what true heroism looks like. Right up to the point of being willing to give up all of who we are to save all of someone else.

Do you have a super hero you’d like to tell us about? Let’s relish in their courageous antics together. Come and link up your own super hero story, share a photo of your little wonder, and let’s celebrate the art of raising super heroes!

Just enter the web address of the post you’d like to share, include a photo of your hero, and a link back to this MOB Society Post, and let’s swap the joy of being mothers to our own personal super heroes!

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Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

I’m going to let you in on a secret…

There are days when I feel completely overwhelmed and exhausted with the constant demands of mothering. No days off, no vacations, no sick days, and no excuses. The list of tasks is long and the days seem even longer. The problem–this thought process is all about me and my “stuff.”

When I stop looking inward long enough to ponder spiritual things, my perspective changes. I have recently realized that I am standing on holy ground. God is at work molding and making me into the woman, wife, and mom He desires me to be. The most amazing thing is that at the same time He is shaping me, God is at work in my son’s life. He is revealing His character and wooing my son’s heart toward Him. Holy work is being done all around me and half of the time I’m too busy looking inward to notice!

In Exodus 3:10, Moses receives his instruction from God in the form of the burning bush to go to Pharoah so that he may bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses replies, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) Do you ever feel like Moses? I often think a very similar thought about mothering, “Who am I that I should be this precious boy’s mother? Who am I that I should teach about patience, kindness, loving your neighbor, and all of those other things we, as Christ-followers, are called to do, but I so terribly fail at?” Some days, no, make that most days, I feel so inadequate in this holy calling.

If we continue to read, we see God’s reply to Moses. Verse 12 begins “But I will be with you…” Um, hello….He is with us! We aren’t alone! God is with us every step of the way! He wants us to partner with Him in the holy task of mothering. Moses continues to make excuses for why he is inadequate in his own eyes to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. For every excuse Moses made, God had an answer that would show His power through Moses. And show His power He did!

Ladies, Do not lose sight of what is really going on in your crazy household! Among the tantrums, ball practice, forgotten homework, and missed curfews God is at work. He has called you to partner with Him as you work to raise the next generation for Christ. Mothering is a high and holy calling.

You are standing on holy ground. 

Stories are often the best way to capture a boy’s attention, the best way to drive home a moral point, and are also just good fun.  With so many kid’s books tied into popular cartoons or shows, I fear our kids are missing out on enjoying and learning from classic books.  Our boys would be served and shaped better by spending more time with stories of boys taking on manly responsibilities than by emulating the funny, wise-cracking, sarcastic hero of shows popular right now.  (And -um, I know of what I speak, because the one popular cartoon I allow my boy to watch has a sarcastic hero. I kind of like him…)

I know as a homeschool mom, I can get bogged down with trying to tie everything together, to plan the perfect unit study.  But, often you will be best served by just sitting down and reading a good book together.  Simple.  Anyone can do this!  Sit down, read, enjoy and discuss.  Books on audio from the library count, too!

There are so many classic children’s books that highlight character, choosing right from wrong and growing into manliness.  A few classics a boy-heart might enjoy include;

• Peter Pan- “All children, except one, grow up.” Who can resist such an opening line?  There is something for mom here, too.. “Look at her in her chair, where she has fallen asleep…Her hand moves restlessly on her breast as if she had a pain there. Some like Peter best and some like Wendy best, but I like her [mother] best.” Peter Pan, chapter 16
• Old Yeller.  The Disney Movie was well done, but there are deeper man-truths in the book, and also, a sequel.
• The Summer of the Monkeys and Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.  Yes, mom will cry-and your boy might too.  Real men have real feelings, a good lesson.
• Encyclopedia Brown.  Maybe not classic, yet…but good, clean fun and good role modeling of being honest, fair and helping others.
• The Secret Garden.  Not automatically a ‘girl’ book, there are some boy characters..one a bit spoiled -to not be like, and one strong, intelligent hard working boy to emulate.
• Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  The book in the Little House series your boy will like the best.

Moms, our little boys are looking for heroes.  Don’t let let it be a dubious one, but set out before them a feast for the mind  by sharing classic books with them.  Read or listen with them, and then tell them who you admire and why.  Tell them who your heroes were when you were their age.  Encourage them to be heroes. There really is “no frigate like a book…”

“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.

Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Deuteronomy 11:17 & 18 NIV

I love these verses.  We are told to ‘commit ourselves wholeheartedly” to God’s word and teach them to our children.  I believe these verses are also talking about the importance of teachable moments; seizing an opportunity to talk with our children about God’s truths.  However, today I wanted to talk about a different aspect.

Many of us are familiar with Bible stories.  I hesitate to call them stories, because I struggled for so long to reconcile a Biblical story that was true with a story that was fictional.  I prefer to call them adventures because believe me, if I use the word adventure in a sentence, my son will listen with rapt attention.  (Truthfully, that’s how we get through grocery shopping.  It is our scavenger hunt adventure.)

Still, how am I supposed to get my son to SIT STILL while I read him a Bible adventure?

I struggled with this for a long time.  My daughter will sit for hours as I read, but my son, well he wants to play.  So why not incorporate PLAY into our Bible adventures?  Here’s one that we use all the time, Daniel and the Lion’s Den.  You can find this adventure in Daniel 6.  I also like The Jesus Storybook Bible’s retelling of this adventure.  Here’s what we used,

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy329/kristinapetrella/melissaanddougandnoahsark008.jpg

Two lions and two lego men. 

(The lions actually belonged to my husband when he was a child for this very purpose.)

From there, we just retell the adventure using one Lego man as Daniel, one as the king, and then the lions of course.  Another fun thing to do (if you are not opposed to holes in your yard) is to dig a hole in your yard as a pit.  Then you can put the lions in it and send Daniel down into it.  The more you can involve your son, the better.

Another important thing is to let these toys be ones they can play with often.  Don’t put them on a shelf and make them “Bible time” toys, because after a few retellings of the adventure, I’m sure your son will begin acting out his own adventure of how God saved Daniel!

Fisher Price also sells a nativity set, a Noah’s ark set, and Playmobil sells a nativity, however the Playmobil set is very delicate.  Unfortunately we can only play with that set under CONSTANT supervision which makes it not so much fun. 

Are there any other Bible Adventures you can think of to use toys to retell them?

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We LOVE teaching our boys scripture!  And we’ve partnered with a cool new group called the Rizers to bring you some rockin new tunes that will do just that!  Listen to the video below to hear the heart of how and why this new group came to be.

To enter, simply subscribe to the M.O.B. Society. You can do this three different ways:

1. By email
2. In a reader
3. On Facebook

PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOUR COMMENT HAS YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS ENTERED IN.  IF IT DOESN’T, AND YOU’RE PICKED TO WIN, WE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE SOMEONE ELSE