The unlikely Mom

Welcome friends of Karen Ehman. If you didn't come here from there go there NOW. She's doing this awesome Christmas carnival and you can win some fantastic stuff!

If Karen is introducing us, hey, I'm Whitney. Thanks for popping by. I'm a Mom. When I used to introduce myself to people I'd start with that and then list a mini-resume to try and beef it up a bit. I want you to like me and be kind of impressed. Because I'm a pretty anemic Mom. I felt like my resume needed a little shine. Six years later, I'm good with being a Mom. Most days that singular job is more than I can pull off.

I didn't expect to like it much less love it-being a Mom. I knew that by some divine intervention I would love my children; I prayed I would like them. Because in general I don't really like kids. I think I have the spiritual gift of disciplining other people's children. Anybody else? If you've ever finished this sentence in your head, "what he really needs is a good..." you know what I'm talking about. No? Just me? Okay, please, please, please still be my friend.

So anyway, I knew I'd love my kids, but the dailiness of actually being a Mom, I wasn't' sure I'd like that.

This doesn't come naturally to me. I've seen natural Mom's. I had one. I hang out with a whole sorority of natural Mom's almost every day. For me, being a Mom (at least a good one, a Biblical one) takes a whole lot of Jesus. You know?

I forget until after noon to change my toddler's diaper-his OVERNIGHT diaper! We eat fast food a lot. My boys play their DS at the table when we go out to dinner. I've been called out by more than one of them for "not talking nice to Daddy." Seriously, do you feel so much better about yourself? (Subscribe now; I'm a daily dose of mommy-feel good!)

I have endured more sanctification in the last six years than I think I had in the ten prior. Nothing reveals my overabundance of flesh like three little boys. Motherhood doesn't hide a multitude of sins, in my case it highlights them. Where I should offer grace, a short fuse flares. Where they should hear gentleness, a snarky comment flies.

It would be so easy to stay focused on all my frailties. The list is so, so long. But as I sit here, counting contractions and awaiting the birth of our fourth son in six years I am filled to overflowing with joy, anticipation and sick cocktail of indigestion and back labor.  For all the difficulties of motherhood, it is inexplicably wonderful. There are a million reasons why but for me it is summed up in Hebrews 11:1.

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

In motherhood, God graces me with the ability to see the things hoped for-transformation, sanctification, mercies new everyday. I can see my boys years from now walking out their faith. I see a day when I don't lose my temper. I can see days when I'll inherit daughters. I can see fruits of the Spirit harvested in my children by their Dad's faithful family devotions.

Yes I love motherhood, but not because I'm a good Mom. I serve an always good God.

Tate, I promise to love you as lavishly as I can. I promise to always seek forgiveness of my sins even if it means making confession to you. I promise to show you how abundantly God redeems. I promise to help you be the man your Dad is. I promise to make sure you know this world does not revolve around you. I promise to help you know more than just Bible stories, but the God of the Bible. I promise I'll probably break like a thousand promises but I will love you forever. Just forgive me if there are moments (brief moments) when I don't like you so much. Just keeping' it real...

What if bible stories aren't enough?

Nearly 70% of church-raised high school graduates are walking away from their faith and the church after entering the college campus.

Let me put a face on that statistical reality. I will soon have four boys, Cooper, Dylan, Ryder and Tate. (Tate should make his arrival in mid to late December.) If this statistic holds true, two of my boys, possibly three, will abandon their faith after they leave our home.

It will be tossed aside like old cleats, high school trophies, too-small clothes-outgrown and unnecessary.

Think about it in terms of the children in your family. How will your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews fair? What about the kids in youth group or in nursery and children's church for that matter? Etch their faces in your minds. Time is moving faster, children maturing earlier and our culture becoming more and more antagonistic to Christ-followers.

I read statistics like this one and think, "not my kids." My kids will be different.

I've talked with parents whose children have walked away. Their kids knew the stories too. Their kids were shuffled to Sunday School, weeknight church programs, youth camps and bible studies. They played the sword drills. They could recite the right answers.

These were the kids the surveyed; the study conducted by a major evangelical denomination. These young adults were inside our church culture, raised in church-saturated homes. They weren't on the periphery. They are my kids, and probably yours too.

So what happens?

I'm still trying to master potty training and "please and thank you," so clearly I don't have the answers. But as I pray through this sobering reality God is whispering that not having all the answers doesn't mean I can ignore the question.

So what if bible stories aren't enough?

One of the reasons I'm a theology geek...

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a naive but optimistic college freshman attending my first day of class. I had signed up for Christian Ethics, 9 am Monday morning. I was anxious to study any theology class at my "Christian" college. My professor was young and engaging. He introduced himself and said,

"I hope none of you came to class hoping to have me blindly affirm all the things 'your Pastor' told you in church. We won't just regurgitate things we've heard preached from the pulpit. I expect you to take Scripture and prove your position. This isn't about bible stories, but applying Scripture to the gray areas of life and ethics."

He had me. I was exhilarated! This was going to be awesome! All of that quickly dissipated as he continued, however. Over the next 20-30 minutes he began to critique and criticize conservative evangelical theology. Those of us who dared challenge him, he would ridicule and belittle. I left completely deflated and more than intimidated. I now knew why no other freshmen had signed up for this class.

Over the course of that semester, I was tested in harder ways than I had ever been before or have been since. He was critical, argumentative, condescending and unbiblical.

It wasn't easy, but I survived. I didn't get through it because I was always prepared or always right. I didn't always speak in love. I said things I had to go back and retract. I spoke in haste rather than in Truth. There were times I was motivated to correct a wrong rather than protect the Truth.

I survived because I had a Dad who taught me to love the Word, not just the stories but the theology. I survived because despite my pride, which was often too present, I had been taught to love the Truth more than I loved my opinions. I had been taught to love Truth more than I loved being right. I had been taught that God didn't need me to defend Him, but He invites me to "stand firm" not for my glory but for His own. I had been taught these things by my favorite professor, my Dad, Dr. Alan Posey.

I talked to my Dad almost every day as I studied the Word, wrote papers and prepared my oral defense. He was a sounding board and a Truth-teller. I treasured his advice and counsel. He is a man who is zealous for the glory of God and the veracity of Scripture. He is wise and knowledgable. (And I quickly discovered the value of both.) He is gracious, patient and tender. The Sword is always safe in His hands. I am glad I am his daughter and his student.

I learned a lot during that fall semester 1996, but it wasn't in the classroom. It was in the hard stuff of Scripture under the shepherding of my ever-patient Dad.

This experience was one of those watermark moments in my life. It shaped me then and is shaping me now. More on that later...

Back from Back-to-School Hiatus

Hello friends. I'm back after taking off the month of August. With two of my babies in school, I needed to be readily available for them. Dylan is going to Pre-K for half a day with a noon pick up. Cooper is in 1st grade; I pick him up at 3:00. It feels in some ways like I spent the last month in my car. (Oh you mother's of teens, how do you do it?!) While entertaining a very active 2-year-old Ryder, home alone for the first time in his life, I've ben a busy gal. I had neglected to appreciate how much entertainment for Ryder and help for me Cooper and Dylan had been. Needless to say, we have all missed them.

We are all adjusting to this new season of life, and I have learned as much if not more than they have in the first few weeks of school. Motherhood is course with regular exams, isn't it? I am so excited to share some news with you about some of the things God is teaching me. I'll be tackling a huge project here in the coming months, and I'll need some faithful, fearless participants. Come back soon for an update! I'm so excited I can't type fast enough. God is up to some big stuff!

Hugs,
Whit

Twas the night before school...

Hello bloggy friends. Whit here. Sorry some of you have been looking for the final session of our "Because I Said So" summer series. I lost my flip (camera) which is sort of critical for uploading video. Dorky. Scatterbrained. Preggers mother of three. But the lost coin has been found! We'll be up and running tomorrow so check back then.

But for now, I am preparing to get up WAY earlier than I have all summer long to get two, count them, TWO boys ready for school. Dylan our chivalrous, charismatic four-year old heads off to Providence with big brother Cooper. Coop's entering first grade, and he is beyond ready. When did I age into a mother of, gasp!, two school-aged children?

And in case you missed it, we are preggers with number four. We also found out two weeks ago it's BOY number four. I'll post more on that later. I can't decide. Are we doing such a fine job that we've been entrusted with another, OR, is God giving us one more shot to finally get it right? I'm not sure I want to know the answer.

It takes a lot of Jesus for me to be a good Mom. Maybe He knew I needed a lot more sanctifying. That's the more likely reason.

Night, night.

"Because I Said So" - Session 5

Hey friends! It's Whit. I hope you guys are doing well. I can't wait to hear from you this week. This week's lesson is rather long. You may want to watch it in two sittings. This one stepped all over my toes and feelings. Forgive me in advance, but I hope the Spirit does some good work in each of us.

BISS Session 5 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

"Because I Said So" Session 4

Dearest friend,

I hope you are enjoying our summer journey. Please share this study with friends. Because each lesson is independent they can join at anytime, catch up at their leisure or just take in a lesson or two. I'd love to grow our little fellowship here.

There have been some questions about our assignments. The assignments are repeated week to week, and are the same for every week. My hope is that the Spirit will help you glean personal applications that are rich and worth mining for. I can't wait to hear from you.

For this weeks lesson share which of the areas you love the Lord with best-your heart, your soul, your mind, your might or your strength. Further, which area needs to be developed?

By the way, I am serving at our church's Kids camp this week. I will be out of the loop, so no lesson this week. I'll be back on Wednesday of next week with our next lesson! Can't wait!

"Because I Said So" - Session 4 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

"Because I Said So" Session 3

Hello dear friends.

I hope you all are doing well. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this week's lesson. When I started this study I truly expected God to stretch my heart and actions related to obedience. I'm learning that obedience is a healthy and natural by-product of passion for the glory of God. How about you?

"Because I Said So" Session 3 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

"Because I Said So" Weekly Assignments

Ladies,

I have wonderful news! We have nearly 80 women joining together for this summer's study. Because new friends are joining us everyday I decided to post this link so that you (and others) can download our weekly assignments anytime.

Feel free to follow this link: https://files.me.com/wpcapps/5it4gm

If for whatever reason this link doesn't work, email me. I'll send you the link personally.

"Because I Said So" - Session 2

Here is Session 2. For those of you who emailed me this week asking to join the study, I will be sending out the assignments later this evening. While at the beach our network went out so I was off-line most of the week. Thank you for your patience. I can't wait to hear what God is revealing to each of you!

BISS Session 2 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

"Because I Said So" Session 1

Dear friends,

As you may or may not know, I am leading a summer bible study called "Because I Said So." The study will look at the call of God for obedience and a few of His subsequent commands.

This study will:
-provide insight on why obedience is a hallmark of an intimate relationship with the Lord
-offer context on the larger call of obedience
-unpack some of the major areas of obedience that unlock keys for spiritual fruit

If you're a part of the group already, welcome! If you're just hearing about this...it's not too late. Our sessions will be uploaded weekly. Leave your email address in the comments below, and I will email you the weekly assignments that correspond to each session.

Thrilled to journey along side each of you. I long to be not just a hearer of the Word, but a doer as well!

P.S.About the video-
1. Sorry about the background. I'm a shade above "corpse;" I really should know better than to stand in front of a bone-colored wall!
2. I desperately needed a haircut. The weird (and annoying) flip is gone as of today.
3. We are evolving in our video technique. We'll work out the kinks as we go!
4. Grace, grace, grace!

Untitled from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

Teaching them to obey...

My one thing...

A Yeah God Day