Today’s MUM-e-Mail is the last in the “What Every Child Needs” series – “Give-Me-Hope Love”.

MUM-e-Mail

- a newsletter to enthuse, educate, and entertain
mothers of pre-schoolers and their supporters

February 2006

Mothering Maxim – Hope

Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.
– Hebrews 11:1 [CEV]

Mum Moment – Between Life and Hopelessness

Hope can come in many forms.

Hope can sometimes be the only thing between life and hopelessness. It’s the ray of sunshine on a dark and depressing day. Hope is the drive to live for today .. and even tomorrow.

Hope for a mother of a pre-schooler could be in the form of:

A cup of tea and a listening ear,
A box of crayons for a child,
A smile, hug, or ‘wuv oo’ from your child,
A job or a pay rise,
Ten minutes of quiet,
A gift voucher to buy food,
A warm jersey,
Time to smell the roses or look at the clouds,
Seeing growth and changes in your child,
A promise of a better education,
A long needed car repair,
A word of encouragement from an older mother,
And hope can come from you.

You give hope and encouragement to your children when you say “I love you.” “You’ve done well.” “Let’s try again”, or “Only three more big sleeps till we go to Grandad’s”.

You give hope when you phone or visit an 80 year old who lives by herself, to say “I’m thinking of you”.

Mum, you bring hope when you love the people you meet (in the supermarket, at the hairdresser, the mall or kindergarten) with the love of Christ.

And hope comes from God. Your sure hope is based in Christ Jesus, who died for you and gives you life in all its abundance. You know this hope because you know Jesus - the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 by Johanna Whittaker, Hamilton, NZ, 2003

From A Mother’s Heart

May words of life and hope come from my mouth today – for my children, for my spouse, for myself!

It’s as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.

Great Mums’ Walk is an exciting way to raise public awareness and financial support for your group and for MOPS New Zealand, while sharing the vision that mothering matters.

The week beginning 30 April 2006, New Zealand MOPS groups will join for the first time with groups from across the USA, Canada, Japan and other countries in taking part in the Great Mums’ Walk. With the first MOPS New Zealand conference in mid-2006, this is a perfect fundraising opportunity.

Organising the Walk is as simple as planning a park play day. For more information on the walk, contact Nickie Sheehan. Ph 04-388.7246, or e-mail sheehans@....

 Mum's Mail*

Thank you for the letters of support and encouragement for MUM-e-Mail – glad you like it. -jmw

Next time in MUM-e-Mail, we start ‘shining like stars’. Now, go hug your children …

Yours faithfully,

Johanna Whittaker

mumemail@...  - *letters*, feedback, questions, mother’s tips*, ideas welcome

on behalf of MOPS (NZ) Inc. www.MOPSNZ.bravehost.com
© 2006 by MOPS New Zealand Inc and MOPS International.