Ashley O’Brien sent in a poem. Here it is for you to enjoy.
Ashley writes: “The Lord always gives me poems when a new baby is born. A new baby is the sweetest thing. They are also so inspiring as I look at the potential wrapped up in such a little human.
I wrote this poem after three girls in a row! We have our second little boy now.
I want to raise a man! Here is a picture of our little guy, Ryle.”
Ashley.lynn.obrien-at-gmail.com
Oh Lioness, who cuddles her child close,
How queenly you are with strength and beauty untouchable,
You fawn at the tiny cub at your breast,
You stare at the details of eyes, hair, and nose,
You are raising a king,
Royalty in his blood undeniable!
A mother love, foundational,
Praises erupt from your parting lips
As you bend to kiss the wisps of his hair,
God designed this child, every last detail
Down to the talents that lie dormant inside
And used you, oh Queen, as a vessel to carry him
And a vessel still as you nourish him.
You will teach him, discipline him,
Encourage him, guide him, equip him
As he grows from baby to boy to man.
Oh, how queenly you are as your raise a gentleman
To serve our sovereign God,
To love one woman until death,
To father with humble adoration,
To provide with honesty and integrity.
Oh mother, hold your child close,
Stare into his eyes and sense his spirit,
When he cries, go to him and whisper I-love-yous,
When he is scared, remind him he is brave,
When he is dejected, remind him of eternal joy,
When he is suffering, remind him he is not alone,
When the questions of life aren’t unanswered, remind him God works in mysteries,
When life gives hardships, remind him of God’s strength.
Look at your baby, you are raising a king,
It’s costly to fail, oh mother.
Remind yourself daily of your call to motherhood
And to this child specifically,
Of your duty to God and the men of the next generation.
They will search for a leader—
A good man with morals,
With wisdom,
With the ability to see right from wrong,
With masculine strength and a bold spirit,
A humbled heart who gives honor where honor is due,
Who is crowned with blessings from Above,
Who is a voice to the voiceless,
Who stands when others cower,
Raise this man.
Oh mother, you are raising a king.
Ashley O’Brien * Ashley.lynn.obrien-at-gmail.com
Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA
When you think about yourself all the time, you will be miserable. Pour out your life for others and you'll live a life of joy.
To be a wife is to serve. To be a mother is to serve. To be a woman is to serve. So why do we grumble and complain? Let’s serve with joy and extravagant love. This is the example of the Son of God, the glory of Heaven. He didn’t come to be served, but to serve and lay down his life. 
You will stay in bondage, ,misery, and bitterness until you forgive. Forgiveness sets you free.
Are you wilting in your home today? Perhaps you are barely making it through. You are just surviving.
God says: “Ye are the children of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1). What does this mean? I am a redeemed, blood-bought child of the King of the universe. Not any king, but the King of kings.
What can we Do? Dear ladies, we can trust our God. He is always faithful. Never failing. No matter what circumstance you are going through in your life right now, you can trust Him.
We are reminded in Ephesians 4:32 to: “Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.” Did you know that this means to your husband and children first? And, it’s even more than what we say; it’s HOW we say it. An unknown writer encourages us . . .
When Eve woke up to life, she was in her garden home. God had the home ready for her. This was to be her life. This is where she would bring life into the world and raise children to influence the world. This is where she would work and find fulfillment in all the gifts God had given her. It was not a place of restriction, but joy, freedom, and productivity.
God’s purpose for us is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18). That is also His purpose for our children.
Such a good reminder for moms in the home. Each day as we mother and nurture our children and face
I think you know that I love tablecloths. I loved being back in New Zealand where homemakers still use tablecloths, rather than eating from a naked table. This is at my sister-in-law’s home where every meal—breakfast, lunch, and supper were served on a lovely tablecloth. It adds that “special something” to the meal. These little extra things show our husbands and children that we care about them. 
I think you will have to agree with me that most of us live below the lifestyle that Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary. His death, the shedding of His precious blood, and rising from dead, not only save us from our sins, but enable us to live lives of victory and continual overcoming.
Your children constantly look at you during the course of the day. What kind of face to they see? Smiling and happy— or grouchy and frowning? Did you know that just as we are changed into the image of Jesus as we behold Him (2 Corinthians 3:18), our children are also changed into the image they see on our face! That’s scary, isn’t it? Isaiah 3:9 (HCSB) says: “The look on their faces testifies against them.”
Three times the Bible calls the brazen altar where the priests conducted the daily sacrifices “the table of the Lord.” It is interesting that God calls it a table.
God’s Word is true when it says: “You turn things upside down!” (Isaiah 29:16 (ESV). So much in our society today is the opposite to God’s original plan. It’s all turned upside down.
Honor and respect are fading from society. It’s part of the socialist thinking where everyone must be on equal terms. Many children no longer give honor to parents. Or students to teachers. And most wives today reject the idea of reverencing their husbands. Egalitarian marriages are common amongst Christians.
So challenging, but so true. Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” If we confess that our home belongs to God, it will be a house of prayer! Praying families are world-changing families. 
Raise them for maturity. Prepare them for manhood and responsibility. Even while in their youth teach them to work hard and embrace responsibility. Teach them while they are young that they will one day be the providers of their homes and families. They haven’t got time to flit around and waste their teen years. Sadly today, there are too many beautiful young women who are longing to get married and have children. They know how to run a a home. They are ready for motherhood. But where are the young men? Many young men in their mid and late twenties are still not ready to take on the responsibility of marriage and children! What has happened to manhood? Let’s raise young men who are courageous, strong, know how to work hard, who can “play the man,” who are full of vision, who are on fire and committed to God, and who are ready for marriage and children! Amen. 
Do we allow our emotions and attitudes to be dictated by our circumstances? That’s so easy to let happen, isn’t it?