Multitasking Moms

Every week I have the wonderful privilege and challenge to lead other women in a study of the book of Luke. If I am ever on your mind on Thursday, perhaps the Lord is telling you to pray for our bible study. I'd love it if you would pray for me and with me! Also, I had a great opportunity to share a short message with the ladies at a baby shower last weekend at our church. Here it is. I hope this is a help and encouragement to my other mom friends as well.

“Multitasking Mama”

Have you ever…

Talked on the phone, made dinner, and jiggled a baby on your hip at the same time?

Nursed a baby while helping an older child in the bathtub?

Taken your shower with another child or 2 in the tub for their bath?

Practiced spelling words or math facts with your child while you were driving?

Read a book to your child while you were waiting in line or for an appointment somewhere?

We can see from God’s word that He has made us to function on many levels and do so successfully and with His blessing. Here are a few verses to direct our attention to God’s daily "multitask" plans for our lives.

Dt. 6: 4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Eph. 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Prov. 21:5 Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

Col. 3:12-17 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

These verses give me instruction to teach the word of God while walking, sitting, when you get up in the morning and when you lie down at night. We are to practice many different disciplines such as compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness, and patience. God gave us each 24 hours in each day, and He does want us to sleep, so His instructions are not impossible!

Here’s a few of my suggestions and some from other pastors and teachers.
1) Act out or sign bible verses and sing bible verse songs (you can do this with your kids while you walk, make dinner, or clean house) Here's a sign language dictionary.
2) Learn bible verses in a rhythm… Nathaniel likes to chant and clap. We often swing on the playground while rhythmically reciting verses, or say each word as we climb up and down our flights of stairs in our apartment.
3) Look for opportunities to teach your kids about God’s attributes, for example- the grocery store can be a place to learn about God’s creativity, God’s care for us, or our responsibility for stewardship of our money.
4) Use discipline as a time to show and explain to your children about God’s righteous standard and our failures to meet up to His standards. Then love them, hug them, pray with them, and explain Christ’s mercy and in doing so you will have shown and explained the good news of the gospel. If your kids disobey like mine does, you will have multiple opportunities to do this every day!
5) Listen to scripture from a CD or audio download, which you can do especially while you drive, cook, exercise, or do housework:
www.peasantprincess.com (great sermon series on marriage, can download to listen on your computer or MP3 player)
www.marshillchurch.org (many great sermons come from this church, I liked the series on Proverbs)
www.gnpcb.org/esv/browse (listen to any portion of the ESV bible either from your computer or download as MP3)
www.audiotreasure.com/indexKJV.htm (listen to any portion of the KJV bible on the computer or download as MP3)
www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ (listen to different sermons, seminars, etc. all with deep, biblical theology)
christianaudio.com/free_download.php (free book to download as an MP3 each month)

John Piper says it well when he speaks of one of the main purposes of the family:

"A parent ought to have in mind from the beginning: the way I hold this child, and the way I spank this child, and the way I affirm this child and the way I demand things from the child; should be telling them who God is and showing them who God is and giving them a feel for who God is; both in His sweet and tender side and in His tough and powerful and just and wrathful side. A child ought to see right through mom and dad eventually to God."

I encourage you to fill your lives, your days, with intentional work for the Lord. It’s not a matter of cramming many little details into a chaotic day. Pray for and seek out ways to fill your one spiritual plate with delicious, satisfying, and divine nourishment for your soul and your children’s souls.

One caution, though, be careful not to multi-task in a way that is illegal!
Feeding and Driving February 27, 2009 KETTERING, Ohio -- A Dayton mother is facing charges for breast feeding her daughter while driving her other children to school. Ms.C was pulled over by Kettering police Thursday while taking her other children to school. Police say C could have injured her child and others because she was breast feeding and talking on the cell phone while driving the vehicle. C was issued citations for child endangering and violating the child restraint law. C told News Center 7 Friday, "If my child's hungry, I'm going to feed it." C said she will take the advice of the officers into consideration, but she may breast feed her baby while driving in the future if she feels that it is necessary. She could face up to 180 days in jail and fines for the child endangering citation.