Leaping in the Womb: Ten Biblical Mothering Characteristic Traits to Acquire

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Foreword

In this well-written, thought-provoking, and easy-to-read book, you will find incredible insight and wisdom that offers a better way to deal with the challenges you may encounter as a mother. As Christian women and mothers, we must not take lightly the responsibilities with which God has entrusted us.

The realization that you were chosen by God to bring life into this world should motivate you with a desire to do your very best to love and nurture your children. It should also motivate you to seek wisdom from God and His Word, for He loves your babies and children even more than you do and delights in blessing precious families.

The author of this book is a woman I have known for some time. Wise beyond her years, she delights in being a woman who reflects the heart of God in all she does. She is a woman on a mission to share with love, clarity, and understanding the treasures God has taught her along the way—things that will help others so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. So whether you are a new mother, a mother to be, or someone who just needs a little help and encouragement, I know you will gain insight and hope as you read, ponder, and apply these principles. I am proud of her godliness and her walk as a Christian woman.

Love and blessings from your spiritual mother,

Prophetess Victoria E. Hodge

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for saving my soul. It is His love that motivates me with a passion to share my heart on the role of parenting. It is my prayer that my personal story will help and encourage you to grow and mature in your role as a parent.

I also would like to thank my parents for their years of dedication as they raised me. To my natural mother, Rebecca McKenzie, thank you for the values you taught me through the years. They’ve been monumental in my efforts to raise my children. I see the importance of your advice as I strive to instill life-changing values in your grandchildren. To my natural father, Jean Claude Bonhomme, thank you for the wonderful lessons you taught me. There is an old saying that the measure of good parenting is not to simply look at the job you have done with your children but to be able to see the fruit in your grandchildren as well. You have done a fabulous job as my parents, and I owe it to you to do the same for my children. To my grandmother, Marie C. Bonhomme, thank you for being a valuable source of strength for my parents as they raised me. Your presence in our home was always warm and comforting.

Along with my mother, the Lord has planted several beautiful women in my life who I would also like to thank. To my spiritual mother, Prophetess Victoria E. Hodge, you have been a beacon of light to me. Thank you for your guidance, direction, and willingness to listen at all times. Your advice is always biblically sound and exactly what I needed to make wise decisions. You are truly a woman of God, and I have been blessed to be one of your spiritual children.

Pastor Patricia Lampkin, thank you for your prayers and encouragement. You are indeed a Titus woman. To my mother-in-law, Evangelist Carlita V. Lynch, thank you for rearing the wonderful man of God I have been blessed to marry. You are truly a woman of God, and I admire your strength. Evangelist Janet Stanley, I thank you for your continued support. Your efforts to always be there for my family are very much appreciated. Evangelist Karen Walker, you have never stopped telling us that we are destined for greatness. Thank you for continually speaking life to us and believing what God is doing in our lives.

Apostle Dr. Elise Banks, thank you for your many prayers. From the time we were first acquainted, you were willing to give me advice and listen. I thank you for your mentorship. To my Ninnin, Marie F. Bonhomme, you are the best aunt anyone could ask for. Thank you for also helping to raise me and my sons. You have gone above and beyond the expected role of an aunt and stepped in as a mother. Because of your love, selflessness, and giving nature, you are one of the very few people I trust with the well-being of my children.

To my wonderful husband, I am so fortunate that God chose you to unlock the potential within me. Thank you for being a true man of God and for seeing what lies within. There is no other man—besides Jesus Christ—I would want as a role model for our children.

Last, but not least, I cannot move forward without thanking my beautiful children. I am so godly proud to be your mother. You have inspired me to be stronger, better, and wiser in all of my endeavors. I love you!

Preface

Leaping in the Womb was written for two reasons: to help you mature in your role as a parent while you develop a deeper personal relationship with Christ and to develop your abilities to raise your children as you study their various character traits. Babies begin to discover the world around them when they are still in utero. Their senses begin to develop in the womb, and they continue to explore with touch, taste, hearing, and vision after they are born. Soon they become accustomed to expressing emotion and experiencing cause and effect. Parenting can be a difficult job if you are not equipped to embark upon the journey or if you lack the necessary tools to help you along the way. It is our responsibility as parents to foster the divine relationship between God and our children. Jeremiah 1:4-5 says, The LORD’s word came to me: ‘Before I created you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart; I made you a prophet to the nations.’

As you read Leaping in the Womb, purpose in your heart to uphold and nurture the relationship between God and your child. Teach your child, at a young age, the importance of his or her relationship with Christ. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple (Ps. 127:4).

It is comforting to know that God knew your child before you did. Therefore, it is imperative to allow God to be a part of the process as you parent. God wants to be the center or the focal point of your life and your child’s life. It is His desire to be your guide and reference point along the way.

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward (Ps. 127:3).

Introduction

I stood in the doctor’s office with my husband and our firstborn son with tears streaming down my face. We had not encountered this particular test before, and the news was devastating. As a mother, I tried to filter the information I was receiving through my faith, but I would be lying if I told you I was not overwhelmed by such news.

Cancer! After two ultrasounds, the doctor explained how a tissue mass in our one-month-old infant son, Will, could possibly be cancerous. Aside from the tragedy of the outright loss of a child, the worst news any parent can hear is that a child has a serious physical ailment. I looked at my husband to discern what he was feeling, but his blank stare revealed nothing. He was far more composed than me, but clearly we were both in shock. We now faced several options. Should we continue to monitor the tissue mass every two weeks? Should we seek a second opinion? Should we schedule our baby for surgery to remove the mass? It was a decision we had to make quickly because time was of the essence. We thanked the doctor, and he exited on that note, having previously let us know he wanted to hear from us soon concerning our decision.

My husband and I decided to go to the medical records office to get the images so we could get a second opinion, but before we left the hospital, we felt a strong unction to return to the doctor and ask him to rearrange his schedule for Will’s surgery. The doctor was booked for two months, but he was willing to accommodate us because Will was only one month old. The reality of the situation was that anything malignant can grow rapidly, and we had no time to waste.

While I was still wiping my tears, trying to process all of the information, I heard our older son, Claude—who was twenty months old at the time—ask, Mom, can I go outside? I looked at his expression, and all I could do was smile. He loves the outdoors, and hearing his calm voice in the midst of our test was all I needed to relax. At that very moment, I realized how awesome it is to have children who can keep you grounded and down to earth. There is never a dull moment! Whether it is playing, praying, laughing, or crying, it takes balance to be a mother. On that particular day, I simply wanted to focus on the news we received, but I had to quickly shift gears to entertain Claude and keep him happy.

The doctor’s office called us a few days later to give us the date for Will’s surgery. By this time, we had already been praying, fasting, and asking prayer warriors to touch and agree with us. We believed God for a good report—that the mass would be benign. On the day of the surgery, we arrived at 7:30 a.m. The Lord had already given us peace about the situation, so that made it easier for us to hand our son to the medical staff for his operation. We prayed one last time, kissed him on his chubby cheeks, and watched as he was carried off in someone else’s arms. It wasn’t the exciting feeling of watching and waving as he headed off to school for the first time. In this case, he was going to have surgery, and there was nothing I could do as his mother to change that reality in the natural. Although someone else now had him in her arms, I knew that ultimately he was in God’s hands.

We sat in the waiting room and watched the plasma screen display his case number. That was now the only way we could keep track of our son. As the status of his case changed from pre-op to intra-op, I had to remind myself that I had already done everything I could do. Now it was just a matter of waiting. At 10:24 a.m., the doctor called us and gave us the best news ever: the lump was benign. What a beautiful ending after such a rough beginning!

I am not a perfect mother, nor do I know everything, but I count myself fortunate enough to be equipped with some skills that have eased my transition into motherhood. Every day is Mother’s Day, and whether you are planning for your first child, are having a second or third child, or have already stopped having children, there is a transition for each stage. It is emotional, spiritual, mental, physical, and financial. Without certain skills to pave the way, you can find that things can quickly spiral out of control. These skills were essential for getting me through my son’s surgery.

Having said that, I dedicate this book to all the moms who have been tried in their roles as mothers. To moms who wear many hats and juggle many balls to keep their homes together. To moms who have sat by a hospital bed, believing the best outcome for their children. To moms who have lost a child but have never known why. To moms who are doing it all by themselves without any support. To moms who witness a child going down the wrong path and praying that he or she finds the way back. To moms who watch a child going the right way and pray that he or she can help someone else do the same. To moms who pray without ceasing and to those who don’t yet know how to pray.

As we study mothers in the Bible, I hope this book will give you some of the characteristics of great mothers, like the desire to find the selflessness to sacrifice and the perseverance to handle the journey. I hope it gives you the insightfulness to make sound decisions, the discretion to know what should be spoken and what should be pondered in your heart, and the understanding to know what is right and what is wrong. I also hope it helps you find the judgment to know what to believe and what to discard; the knowledge to glean information from the right sources; the wisdom to apply that knowledge; and the discipline to watch over your household and the patience to balance it all simultaneously.

Chapter 1

Selflessness—It’s No Longer about You!

Do you