Jean Stockdale...

Lifestyles of the Meek and Humble

At a sweet fellowship of moms last week, the conversation quickly turned (imagine that!) to talking about mothering-my favorite topic. One of the moms made the point that she did not want to bring up the Bible and use it just when her child did something wrong. Good point!! We don't want to use the Bible as a club. We don't want to use it as a weapon in our arsenal of discipline. She was exactly right. It is so much more. The Bible is so much more. It is an instruction book, an external guide for living, an love letter from the heart of God to His beloved, a warning, a standard of holiness, a divine revelation, a mirror, a stronghold, a refuge, a hiding place. It is so much more than we can ever comprehend. My mom friend gave us a good word, one that we as moms need to be reminded of often. The Bible is God's Holy Word to us and we need to be His living epistle. Our children should see the message of this Book being fleshed out in us on a daily basis. Our Christian testimony should be expressed through our words and our deeds. The Bible is not just something we pull out to show our children when they do wrong. It should be our life and our breath. It should be our constant resource "for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (II Tim. 3:16-17). It is not just for when we do wrong, it is for whatever we do. Consequently, as moms we must study to show ourselves approved of God so that we do not have to be ashamed by our inability to accurately handle the Word of God. Whatever we do, we are to do it heartily as for the Lord rather than men (Col. 3:23). Especially when it comes to being a godly wife and mother.

So the Bible is not to be pulled out just when our children disobey us and used as a club. It is to be our daily lifestyle. It is our hope for personal holiness and practical righteousness. That is what our children need to see in us. Then we can say to them, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ." (See I Cor. 11:1). Paul was saying, "Watch my life. See my lifestyle. Imitate it. I am walking after Christ. Come and walk with me and I will show you the way." That is what we want to be to our children.

This lifestyle is so much more than pretending to be spiritual or cheap imitation. It is Christ in us, the hope of glory.

What is in a Name?

Proverbs 22:1a says, "A good name is to be more desired than great riches." Last name Jas and Patti invited Craig and I to come and see the finished nursery for Baby Love. It is beautiful and furnished with everything except a little boy named DECLAN STOCKDALE. That's right. Our Baby Love has officially been named-at least his first name has been chosen. Declan. It means "full of goodness." I cannot think of a more precious moniker for the next Stockdale man than to be known as "full of goodness."

In today's modern culture we typically think of names in terms of what suits the last name. It needs to sound right to the ear and feel right as it rolls off the tongue. It should not have any negative connotations or remind us of someone we did not like in elementary school. It just needs to fit. But in the Bible, names had great significance and often pointed to a future prophecy concerning the individual. In Bible times, the name was inseparable from the character. So baby Declan, may you fulfill the true meaning of your name and be full of goodness and grace, a man of godly character.

Standing on Holy Ground

I am in the empty nest stage of mothering. We have raised our boys and released them into the adult world. For 20 plus years, Craig and I poured our lives into those boys and the end result has been more than satisfying! Thank you, Jesus, for the great work you have done in the lives of these fine men! So this entry is written from the rear-view mirror of my perspective. I am looking over my shoulder through the eyes of experience and reflecting on what God did.

While I was actively mothering, and believe me...I was actively involved, I was always overwhelmed with the relentless demands of the occupation of mothering. No days off, no vacations, no sick days, no excuses and for heaven sake, there is no whining in mothering. Why, you ask? Because nobody cares! No one cares if you are sick or tired or bone weary. Stop whining. Just do it. Make beds. Clean house. Read stories. Bake cookies. Pack lunches. You know the drill. Get to it. Few moms are more invested in mothering than I was. But as I look back, I wish that I had understood at the time that I was standing on holy ground. God was at work in dramatic ways. He was molding and making me into the woman, wife and mom He desired. And He was at work in my boys. He was working out the purpose and plan He had for them. Holy work was being done. Divine appointments were being met. Supernatural things were being accomplished. Who knew? Most of the time I was just trying to keep from being sucked over the edge! I was hanging on for dear life trying to hold life and limb together. But now, looking back in the rear-view mirror, God has given me much greater clarity. He was at work. I was standing on holy ground. Home was much more than a shelter from the storm, it was His holy sanctuary for raising precious boys into godly men. Mom, today you are standing on holy ground.

Mom, don't lose sight of what is really going on in your chaotic and crazy household. God is at work. He is using you to grow the next generation for Christ. You are in partnership with God, working divine realities into the lives of your children. Mothering is a holy occupation. It is not a thankless, hopeless waste of time. It is not what you do while you wait on a real job. It is not something tacked onto an already busy life. It is a calling, a high calling, a holy calling. You are standing on holy ground.

A Sneak Peak

Craig and I got a sneak peek of our grandson! That's right. We got to see him. Patti and Jason invited us to come and see the 4D ultrasound. And we saw him. Baby love, as we affectionately call him. And is he ever cute?!?!? The technology is amazing. We could clearly see his fingers and toes. Faint wisps of hair showed up on his tiny head. We watched as he flexed his fingers and then curled them tightly into a fist. We held our breathe as he blinked, so as to not miss a single moment of viewing this miracle of miracles. We saw him take several practice breathes as he prepares to make his debut in a few short months. We actually saw him pick up the umbilicol cord and move it. He sucked in his bottom lip and he lifted his chin. He tucked one arm behind his head and rested on it. Oh, the wonder of it all. Listening to Patti coo to her unborn son and hearing Jason talk to his unborn baby sent Craig and I over the moon! All too soon it was over and we found ourselves back in the waiting room, giggling over his chubby cheeks and upturned nose and looking at his pictures. Baby Love is set to come on June 16th, although all of us know that God will ordain the moment in time that he is ushered into this life. Patti and Jason are eagerly awaiting his arrival with great expectations. His room is ready. All we need is a baby to put in it.

Watching my baby have a baby is just about more than I can take. In God's divine providence, He is working out His purpose and plan for Jason and Patti. God is so good.

Patti is suffering from terrible back pain which is causing a noticeable limp and creating great discomfort. She has seen a physical therapist who diagnosed a pulled muscle that probably will not heal until the baby is delivered. As God prompts you, please pray for her comfort and well-being. I will keep you posted, especially as his arrival draws near. Thank you all for your concern for me and my family.

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Oh how I pray the glory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is being demonstrated in your life today! Craig and I had a wonderful day yesterday as we worshiped together...well, almost. Jason and Patti were going to meet us at the 9:30 service. Knowing the sanctuary would be crowded, Craig dropped me at the door and handed me the cell phone. I would be able to save 4 seats together and then call Jas and tell him where I was. Craig was confident he could find me in the crowd. In theory, it sounded good. I found 4 seats and sat down to call Jason, when I spotted him and Patti walking in the door. I rushed to greet them, directed them to our seats and then returned to the door to wait on Craig. Wouldn't you know that he came in a different door, which lead to a cat and mouse game of trying to find each other. The game, which is usually fun for the cat but not so much for the mouse, did not end well for us! After looking for each other for about 10 minutes, the service began. I returned to my seat, assuming Craig had taken a seat elsewhere. As the service began and the hope of finding me in the crowd dimmed, he had run into our good friends, Roy and Renae Terrell, and sat with them! So Craig and I worshiped together....just apart! After the service, Dawson and Kathryn and both moms met us for lunch. It was a glorious day. Especially because of the truth that Jesus Christ died for our sins, he was was buried and raised triumphantly from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He ever lives to make intercession for us. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Run Hard

I have finished teaching the Moms Ministry for the summer. It is always a time of great transition for me. For the last seven months, I have been teaching nearly every Thursday. My days have revolved around studying and preparing a weekly lesson for my moms. On top of that, in the last 9 months I have written 2 Bibles studies . So on top of studying to prepare a lesson, I have been working on a Bible study, writing up to 8 hours a day. Now, suddenly, it is over...at least for a few days. I am about to gear up and start writing another Bible study. I still am not sure what I will write for the semester that will begin in September, but I must make a decision and get to it soon. I have a grand-baby coming. Have I mentioned that lately? I have a grand-baby...a boy, coming in June and I need to get a head-start on my writing so I can be the best grandmother-not just in the country-but in the whole world. That is my goal! And it is a very noble one if I do say so myself. Anyways, I will soon be back to writing and I will post the title and content of my next study. In the meantime I want to encourage all of you to stay in the Word of God and walk in obedience to the Spirit of God. That is the essence of the Christian life.

Many thanks to the moms at First Baptist Collierville for inviting me to come to their share day. What a blessing to hear these moms share what God has taught them through the study of the Word of God. Blessings, dear ones.

I will try to post every few days and write an encouraging word. All moms need encouragement from the Spirit of God and instruction from the Word of God. We battle against the world, the flesh and the devil and we need to be regularly reminded of God's faithfulness. That is my job...to encourage you to press on and run well. I am running just ahead of most of you. I am passing the baton back to you and cheering you to run. Run hard. Run well. Lay aside the encumbrances of this world and run. Run well. Get rid of the besetting sins that will entangle you and cause you to stumbe and run. Run hard. Run well. I am running with you. Can you hear my voice? I am cheering you on to the finish line! Run well.

So, sweet moms, press on. Run well. Fix your eyes on Jesus and run well. Finish strong.