I am very thankful for the Christmas Story. We can look into Mary's life as a model mom to really help us find encouragement. Quite simply, God helped her and carried her through alot.

1. Mary was inexperienced

… a virgin and initially was a betrothed bride = she didn't have it all together….

She had never been a mom AND had never been a wife before. She was not wealthy.

God LOVES to choose those of us who are human and do NOT have it all together. He also LOVES to use those who may seem insignificant and unworthy. (1 Cor. 1:27)

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

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The point was that she was chosen by God. The Creator of the world was entering thru inexperienced Mary...the Sovereign of the whole universe was about to be born thru her womb. She had no clue and was ill equipped but God was STILL able to use her life, give her the skills she needed as she PARTNERED with Him. (Luke 2)

For me personally….

When I was a new mom I realized that the full extent to my training for parenting was a year of nursery duty at church. Most weeks I wanted to cry with the kids and I counted the 60 minutes down in 7 minute clips. Wishing wishing church would end quickly...

Thankfully my hubby loved playing with the kids while I changed diapers. It was a good deal. I still remember those cloth diapers of the Stuarts baby….I WON'T gross you out with details.

The great thing about family living is that you get on-the-job training. As the LEAST likely…. God has sent us 6 kids now.

We as moms go up a HUGE learning curve…..It is STEEP.

BUT is that God can PARTNER with us moms….as He did Mary.

WE DON’T HAVE TO _have it all together_______ TO BE EFFECTIVE MOMS!

So we can say HELLLLLLLPPPPP when we need to or PLEASE HELP THIS CHILD LORD….when u feel like u r about to LOOSE IT.

God loves to help us...there is a song I sing to the kids based on

Psalm 46:1 God is my Refuge and My Strength. A very present help in trouble

2. Mary submitted and trusted….

Mary was quick to agree with God's plan for her life. In Luke 1:38 she said

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

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This continues to amaze me. She said YES LORD….

By doing so she lived a life with Jesus, the Son of the Living God. This role did come at a cost, she had to continually trust God for Jesus' life.

Then she stood there watching Him fulfill His calling on His life up there dying on the cross .I can't imagine the pain she went thru. She didn't not fully understand…its not like he never shared ahead of time some elements of what was going to happen...but how could she fully understand?

….but all the while she acted on her trust in God and submitted to God's will for her Son.

My Mom had to submit MY life to God…

and thru the years when I was rebellious and dating guys who were not part of God's plan for my life. I was constantly in trouble in school for cutting classes. I had truants as many of my friends and adapted their ways.

Funny part is... I never fully enjoyed it as I did it. It felt like it wasn't me.

One guy I dated pawned my mother's jewelry and took drugs...unbeknownst to me. He eventually went to jail and is now dead. I also didn’t realize he was dealing drugs as well.

…. My low self esteem constantly caused me to make foolish decisions.

I can't begin to tell you the needless pain I caused my parents….my mom still doesn't like to drive by my old High School where she visited the deans office so often for my antics….

Yet my mom continued to pray…. And pray and pray….. God's will for my life. Despite my behavior. I stand here today because God broke into my foolishness and is doing His thing now.

There is hope for any praying mom who has a rebellious child….

…ask God to send help when there is trouble. Keep believing God for them and trusting God to help them if trouble comes.

Psalm 46:1 God is my Refuge and My Strength. A very present help in trouble.

God promises to teach OUR CHILDREN…

And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.

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3. Mary depended on God's Grace ...

Mary didn't stop to say...Hey God, I could be killed you know. She didn't tell God how inconvenient it was since she wanted to live her own life. She DEPENDED on God's Grace to carry them. As a teen….I would image she didn't FULLY know what she would go thru when saying YES. But I would guess as a young betrothed virgin...she KNEW she'd have trouble ahead. She could have been stoned to death.

THEN, she had this BABY to care for. While she and Joseph were on the run for Jesus' life from King Herod. Luke 2:13-18

Grace is =

Grace is an undeserved free gift, undeserved favor, and undeserved love.

Pasted from <http://www.swagbucks.com/?t=w&p=1&b=1&f=0&q=God%27s+grace>

All mom's of babies and preschoolers need GRACE. RIGHT?

Grace is needed for physical stamina and wisdom to teach the kids basic things like how to eat, sleep….ALL NIGHT and eventually "go potty". A lot of patience is needed. I didn't realize how much I was being carried by grace until I looked back at the pregnancy and first year after the twins finally turned 2 and said "whew". Fatigue, discomfort, crying, long hours and hormones.

Grace WAS key when I was pregnant and so deliriously tired that I put a frozen chicken pot pie (yuck, that was dinner) in the oven because I was starving. Only problem was I left it in the sealed BOX , turned on the oven, when I did it AND went to bed and went to sleep. Something I never do.

Fortunately my husband was able to put out the FIRE in the oven. When they excitedly woke me up to tell me "Mom, the Chicken pot pie started a fire in the oven"...my only question was, "Did the Chicken Pot Pie Burn?"

When they told me it did I was sad and went back to sleep.

It wasn't until the next day when I realized God's Grace protected us….

God's Grace is My # 1 Parenting Strategy….

Yes in the early days I studied parenting diligently…

Shepherding A Child’s Heart

Parenting magazine,

Baby Wise,

What to Expect The First Year,

Growing Kids God's Way

and for the twins http://BreastfeedingMagazine.com

….you name it. But what I quickly realized was that they gave me knowledge...but I also need wisdom. And wisdom comes from God.

From experience I gain wisdom thru the years...but it seems issues grow with the kids=)

Then when you think you have it all together...another child appears and the learning curve begins again…new responsibility plus the older kids hit the teen years=)

God's grace is especially needed when moms have young babies and need sanity. So many times as a mom I quote to myself….

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

"… I literally tell myself and pray, “I am NOT CRACKING UP. I'm NOT cracking up”

I truly believe in my heart that God's Grace carries Moms past their experience, knowledge and wisdom. It helps them figure out things JUST when its needed. It fixes issues. Helps us stay sane. By God's grace HE teaches our kids. Which I remind Him all the time.

And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children.

Pasted from <http://bible.cc/isaiah/54-13.htm>

CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER:

Mary's life as a MOM was phenomenal. She really modeled a lot for us.. Her inexperience gives us hope, her submission and trust in God inspires us. Plus her ability to walk in grace can encourage us to be the moms our hearts so want to be.