Mitherhood is the best and most challenging thing inhave ever encountered in my life. No matter how smart, witty or even charming you are, every mother has to go through stages of frustration , challenges and difficulty in handling your child. Especially in this day and age where mothers have been preoccupied with work and worldly pleasures, we have neglected our mothers' instinct and have depended so much on ..... Technology ( tv as a nanny) and househelp.
When i had caitlyn, i have realized and appreciated so many things about motherhood and how God has designed mothers. I appreciate how out master architect has designed everything in our lives - how we got pregnant, how He deaigned marriage and how we rear our children. If we all go back to God's design, how uncomplicated the world will be.
I have some rules i live by in raising my children. I believe that God is our master arhitect and should be the center of our marriage, our family, our child rearing and our work. By achoring our life in God's promises and going back to His design, we will uncomplicate our complicated lives.
1. Pray.
We often times react to everything that happens in our life. We are so reactive. But when we react, we say things we should not say and we do things irrationally. We need to learn to abide in the vine and allow God to work in us. We need to allow God to speak to us about His purpose and design. We need to pray and go back to the vine - connect to the source to make good and wise decisions.
2. Prioritize
Many times we have prioritiZed our work over our family. It shouldnt be the case. Many time i myself fall into this failure. But the more i do this, the more i realize i have been depending on my own strenghh and capabilities and not on Gods. Our children dont need toys and extravagantvtravels. They need time and attention. They need dinner time together where webtalk about what happens in our day and what we are goig through. They need time to share stories, jpkes, dreams, future plans and even emotions. They need time.
3. Plan
I am a major planner. Inplan everything. From the route going to a place to my life's direction to mu child's day schedule, i plan. Ive been plannig all my life. And it has given me security and stability. Withhout my plan , i feel so lost. Without the end in my mind, i feel unmotivated. Plan.
4. Positive thinking
Have you been around parents who just complain about everytjing their chcildren are going through? Their teachers , their doctors, their school, their yaya , their friends - except them are at fault. Isnt that unhealthy?? Focus on the positive. Lifes too short.
5. Listen
Children say the darnest thing. But they do tell yiu what you dont see. My nephews and nieces for that matter share so many things to me that i myself have never realized. They are intelligent and remarkable persons and i thank God for them. Listening is one of the complex skill for a person - but it tales somebody who is mature in life to realize the importance of listening to others - especially to their children.
6. Synergize
In our marriage, dek and i have always balanced each other- hlgave each other stabilty anf strength which meant to so much in our family and work. Its our teamwork that enable us to go through the roughest strong and come out victorious. Now talk anout having a helpmeet. Dek is an epitomy of helpmeet and i jope i am to him.
7. Sharpen the sae
Life long learning is our goal at Oaktridge and it sure is our goal in our family. Being open to criticism and improvement will enable all of us in the family learn from our mistakes and move forward. And it sure is our family's rule for our lifetime.

Everyday has been a day to experience God's prevailing love and His faithfulness. Many times we have lost of faith in God and have refused to anchor our lives on Him. Many times we have put our confidence on our own capabilities and even luck and have stopped trusting and kneeling for God's grace and mercy. Being an anxious person, I have wrestled with God everyday again and again. But His answer to me is the same, "anchor your life on My promises". So tonight, I want to stop, and rest in Him. I want to rest in His goodness and trust Him. I want Him to be the reality of the Goodland- the Land of Canaan. In Genesis, God simply wants His people to stop whatever they are doing and enjoy Him. But instead, they became too busy in their work and have turned their backs on God. Today, I just want to rest and stop and enjoy His goodness. Stop worrying about people, what people think, what people perceives the school, parents' complains, other schools' lies and just simply rest in His goodness. I claim and declare the Lord's victory! I declare that Oakridge is the Lord's and will simply receive blessing upon blessing from Him. Not by might , but by the Spirit.
Tonight, I can hear the Lord remind me about the battle of Jericho. It was not won by might, nor by power. But simply but by the Spirit of Jehovah. Tonight, I claim the same principle and apply it to Oakridge. Oakridge afterall is the Lord's.

Battle of Jericho - Story Summary:

The battle of Jericho featured one of the most astounding miracles in the Bible, proving that God stood with the Israelites.

After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua, son of Nun, to be the leader of the Israelite people. They set about to conquer the land ofCanaan, under the Lord's guidance. God said to Joshua,"Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, NIV).

Spies from the Israelites sneaked into the walled city of Jericho and stayed at the house of Rahab, a prostitute. But Rahab had faith in God. She hid the spies from the king's soldiers, and when the time was right, she helped the spies escape out a window and down a rope, since her house was built into the city wall.

Rahab made the spies swear an oath. She promised not to give their plans away, and in return they swore to spare Rahab and her family when the battle of Jericho began. She was to tie a scarlet cord in her window as a sign of their protection.

Meanwhile, the Israelite people continued to move into Canaan. God commanded Joshua to have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant into the center of the Jordan River, which was at flood stage. As soon as they stepped into the river, the water stopped flowing. It piled up in heaps upstream and downstream, so the people could cross on dry ground. God performed a miracle for Joshua, just as he had done for Moses, by parting the Red Sea.

God had a strange plan for the battle of Jericho. He told Joshua to have the armed men march around the city once each day, for six days. The priests were to carry the ark, blowing trumpets, but the soldiers were to keep silent.

On the seventh day, the assembly marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. Joshua told them that by God's order, every living thing in the city must be destroyed, except Rahab and her family. All articles of silver, gold, bronze and iron were to go into the Lord's treasury.

At Joshua's command, the men gave a great shout, and Jericho's walls fell down flat! The Israelite army rushed in and conquered the city. Only Rahab and her family were spared.

Points of Interest from the Battle of Jericho Story:

• Joshua felt unqualified for the monumental task of taking over for Moses, but God promised to be with him every step of the way, just as he had been for Moses. This same God is with us today, protecting and guiding us.

• Rahab the prostitute made the right choice. She went with God, instead of the evil people of Jericho. Joshua spared Rahab and her family in the battle of Jericho. In the New Testament, we learn that God favored her by making Rahab one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.

• Joshua's strict obedience to God is a key lesson from this story. At every turn Joshua did exactly as he was told and the Israelites prospered under his leadership. An ongoing theme in the Old Testament is that when the Jews obeyed God, they did well. When they disobeyed, the consequences were bad. The same is true for us today.

• As Moses' apprentice, Joshua learned firsthand that he wouldn't always understand God's ways. Human nature sometimes made Joshua want to question God's plans, but instead he chose to obey and watch what happened. Joshua is an excellent example of humility before God.