Well, today Emmie and I are starting a Mother/Daughter devotion book together. She has been doing one all summer with her two best friends, and I am really proud of how much time they spend preparing and reviewing together. As Emmie was ordering the next book for her group, she asked if I wanted to do one together. I told her I thought it was a wonderful idea, that I would LOVE to do that and for her to find a few and then we would choose. Emmie and I have a pretty close relationship, but I can feel her slipping away from me.....we have been arguing more often lately and I don't like it.......she is growing up so fast and although I need to let her spread her wings......... it scares me. It scares me because of the world today. I trust Emmie.......and I trust she will make wise decisions ALONG with some bad ones. All I can do is keep an open relationship with her, try and guide her along the way, listen when needed, remind her of her strong Christian values and not to let her friends (and boys) influence her into doing anything she doesn't believe is right, and for her to know that whatever may happen......I will always, ALWAYS love her. There is no doubt in my mind that Emmie has the potential to do whatever she wants in life to become a successful young woman.........but we all know that staying on the right path is challenging and hard. I pray that God will stay strong in her heart, that he will protect her and guide her. I pray that I can stay focused as her Mother, and that we will continue to grow with each other during her journey to adulthood. I love you, my beautiful daughter.......my Lulu! ;)
31 comments:
I love how you change you site... How neat..
Well I will have to say .. I am one to really protect my children..I don't like what other children do and I want my children to make smart decisions.. I know they have to make mistakes to learn...I know they will be successful in whatever they choose to do..
Now I know what my mother went through..
Have a Great Evening..
Kim
ooh, love the new look! Great post about your beautiful daughter.
Both of you have such gorgeous hair! You look marvelous together...Love that she wanted to do a book with you. I know about the teenage thing and arguing, I am right there with you. Trying with Gods help and wisdom to do this teen thing right. Like you and Emmie my son and I are pretty close as well. Most of the feelings you have wrote I feel about my 15 year old...
have a great week.
Love the new look! Enjoy these special years and time with your daughter.
love the new look (as always)...I know you have done a wonderful job raising Emmie to this point, and instilled in her wonderful values...she will make wonderful decisions and knows you will be there by her side no matter what!!
What a heart warming post.It is obvious that God has done great things in helping you raise Emmie.She is a wonderfully smart and wise young lady.I do not think there are to many teenage ers who would ask their mom to do a daily devotional with them, that says a lot right there.
I am sure it is hard to see her growing and spreading her wings.But for her knowing you are ALWAYS there to atch her is worth everything.
You are both very lucky to have the kind of realtionship you have.
Blessings...
Mr.Brian
Stef,
I am drooling away over here. This is just beautiful. I love it. And I have seen you and Emmie together and you have an amazing mother-daughter relationship. She's just growing up. It is really hard and scarey. It will be ok though. She is going to be a wise, loving and spiritual woman who looks to God (just like her Mom).
Love your new blog look.
I'm curious about the book you chose. My oldest daughter is ten...I'm wondering if we could do the same book, or if it's too "old" for her. I love the idea of sharing a devotional together just mother/daughter.
Steffie,
I love the new look.
I know where you are coming from. My 13 year old came to me last night and asked me if he could ask me something and I would not tell anyone else.
We had a talk, I gave him my advise and now I wait. Nothing major, but of course, major in a 13 year old's life.
That is such a great idea, and the fact that it was Emmie's suggestion is such a cool thing! You two have a wonderful relationship (even with its ups and downs) and I am confident you always will. You are a great mom, Stef! (and Emmie is an incredible young lady)...
And, YES! I love your blog's new look too -- it's beautiful!
Oh baby, do I know what you are saying! Ashlyn is 14 and I am trying so hard to let her grow up. Most of the kids she hangs out with are good kids and part of our youth group, but still. I had my heart crushed when I was a teenager, and I could not bear for her to be hurt like that. But I know I've got to let her spread her wings, but it's hard! When I look at her, she's still my little baby!
Wow I love your new blog look. How do you get the photos at the top of the page?
You and Emmie seem to share a special mother daughter relationship. The teenage years pose so many challenges, but in the end I know it will bring you guys closer together.
I love your new blog look! The devotion book is a great idea.
I am totally loving your new blog look and also your new blog title! Oh how I love that name! You are now "the whip" for sure. These colors are so sophisticated and perfect for you.
I love that Emmie asked you to do a bible study with her. Both of you will grow through this study and will make your bond even stronger. :)
Love the New Look! I can totally relate. It is hard to realize that time goes by too fast and you just feel like they are slipping away. As a parent it is instinct to to want them to make the less mistakes possible. All we can do is guide them in the correct path. It is up to them to make the final desicion. It will be ok!
I love the new look!! I had several names picked for my children ... after seven years you have a long list! My DH has several cousins, and the family is really close. They have used all my names by the time we started the adoption. I love the name Grace. It was one of the first names I picked (and one of the first the cousins picked!).
I belive you have a wonderful daughter. While I was reading your post I was recalling life at her age. Everything was so dramatic to me. I was struggling between the kid in me and growing up. Things will get better! She is SO much smater than I was!!!
My mom and I are the very best of friends and always have been. The teenage years were challenging though and had we not have had such a strong relationship (like you and Emmie) it would have been so much harder. We had our moments that we now laugh about.
It is so special that Emmie asked you do do the devotion book with her and that she and her friends do them. Bless you girls!!!!!
Forgot to say that I love the new blog look!
Many teens test the waters. When the water gets rough you will always be there as her life preserver.
I love the new look, soft, serene and pretty.
I love that picture! It very good of both of you, also, I accidently deleted the post on the comment you left where it says how to do like, "19 thoughtful thought"
Could you tell me again! Sorry. Love the new blog do!
Would you please let the teen thing use your computer to post her smart carn Sunday. I aint not feeling no smarts over here.I dont gots smarts with out my smart card Sunday.
LOLOLOL
Someone has to give you a hard time.
It sounds like you and Emmie have an amazing relationship. Your bond and your faith will get you through the teenage years. I am right behind you with my 11 year old daughter who is going on 26 (all in a good way!). A mother/daughter devotional sounds like a wonderful idea. I am going to check into that.
BTW, LOVE the name you have chosen for your newest daughter and your new look! :D
My daughter from China will by my first, so I don't have any motherly advise or experience to help, but my mother would always tell me -I trust you, I don't trust the other people in the world.- Somehow, that made me strong and I knew she trusted me to make the best decision I knew how. I think it worked;)
Good golly I just read my 1st post,I should not respond at 3:00 a.m. to blogs.I write like I am drunk.
Again let teen thing post smart card Sunday now Monday and headed for Tuesday. Cuz Mr.Brian taint feeling so smart without it.I always enjoy it.
Ok now I will stop harping you about it.
Just don't want you to forget what it is that makes me so darn fun.
Have a splendid week my little naughty friend.
1. Love the new look.
2. Love the name Olivia Grace.
3. The mother/daughter devotional is a GREAT idea that can only help the two of you.
4. Here's my two cents (coming from the teenager's point of view): for me, the most important thing was to know that even when I messed up, made poor choices, etc. that my parents were still there and they still loved me. They allowed me (within reason, of course) to make my own choices, but I knew I'd have to follow through with my choice. Did my Mom and I have our difference? Of course!!! BUT, with much love, patience, and prayer, we made it through. The teenage years aren't easy, especially if you're trying to live for Him. But, He is forever faithful, and will guide you through. Now I'm stepping off my soapbox! ;)
As the our the new leader of our church's mother-daughter ministry...I so wish that all of our moms and daughters would spend the time to do devotionals together. It makes such a difference and there is so much great material out there to help us along. You are doing such a great job with your kids!!! I've got some other great resources when you get done with that one and you want to continue:)
Emmie surely knows that you love her. I pray that God will keep her safe as she faces the crucial years ahead.
you do have one terrific daughter and i am so excited for the two of you to start a devo together ... you have a wonderful door of communication open between you and it is so important to continue to build a bridge that will hold strong during the teenage years... i love you both...
Great new look. Love that pic of you and Emmie. I really hope I can be a Mom like you are. Amazing you are.
That is beautiful and you are a wonderful mother. I think every daughter has to give every mother a bit of grief every so often. I did and looking back I was a very "good" girl...aka boring. Boring is what every mother dreams of for their daughter and it isn't a bad thing (for all of you pre-teens out there reading this) I am grateful to God and my mother for helping me out of some of the trouble that I found myself in at times. We have to make mistakes, that is only human of us and makes us a better person in the end. I hope you have a smooth ride through the teen years. Its tough, even with the best of kids. They seem to all get to that point at some time when parents are on a different planet but knowing you are still in sight and not going anywhere is what keeps them grounded and secure enough that they can spread their wings and fly. Emmie is lucky to have such a wonderful Mom!
Hey doll, well ain't you purdy?! I love,love (did I say love) your oh so fab new look! You are terrific. I love that you and Emmie have such a close relationship. I never had that with my mom. Still don't. You are so amazing. I just adore you to pieces. Good job mom!
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