February 2010 CWM Interview
Welcome
Prayer Partner Needed
CWM Coaching Tips
Blog/Online Bible Study
Interview
Final Thoughts
Welcome
We have had many CWMs join us
from all over the world. Welcome to the CWM
community where you will supported and encouraged.
Many of you have filled out the CWM survey
that is found on the home page of www.christianworkingmom.com.
In fact, it is well over 2,300 CWMs and counting.
The results of the survey can be found in
the book I have written The Voices of Christian
Working Moms. You can click on the banner
below to find out how to purchase the book.
Just a word about the survey,
many of you leave comments at the bottom of
the survey and I read them all. The survey
is intentionally kept anonymous and therefore
I can’t respond. Many of the comments
are encouraging and uplifting and I want to
thank you for those very much. Sometimes I
wonder if the CWM website and newsletters
are an encouragement to Moms. Your feedback
keeps me going. The CWM website began as a
passion God had given me. I intend for the
website and community to continue for as long
as God allows and there is money to cover
the operating expenses. The website, newsletters,
etc. are funded on a shoestring budget and
the shoestring gets short at times. So, if
you are interested in sponsoring an issue
of the newsletter or helping out financially
just let me know. You can email me at Kimberly@kimberlychastain.com.
Thanks for allowing me to visit your inbox
twice a month. I truly feel it is a gift from
God.
A special thanks to Catrin for
sharing her wisdom and encouragement this
month. I love learning from other Godly women.
Prayer Partner Needed
I have heard many wonderful
stories of how prayer partners have ministered
to one another. Several of our prayer partners
are even in different countries. Prayer and
God’s answers to prayers knows no bounds.
I have a CWM requesting a prayer partner.
If you are interested, please send an email
to Kimberly@kimberlychastain.com
and put Prayer partner in the subject heading
and I will get you in touch with another CWM.
You two can pray for one another’s needs.
CWM Coaching Tips
Are you ready to dig deeper
into God’s Word? Do you need something
that is short, but meaty? Then, CWM Coaching
Tips are for you. You can have a tip emailed
to you daily that will include a scripture
verse and ways to apply it to your life. To
find out more go to: www.christianworkingmom.com/cwmtips.htm.
Blog/Online Bible Study
Come visit the CWM Blog at http://christianworkingmoms.blogspot.com.
Encourage other women and post questions you
might have. May we, as the Bible teaches,
encourage and share one another’s burdens.
Related to that I have added another category
to the CWM Blog – Prayer Requests. I
know that we need to be careful what we post
on the blog. Feel free to post your requests
and God certainly knows who you are. We can
agree to lift one another up in prayer. Also,
this month I added a new online Bible Study.
You can find it at http://cwmbiblestudy.blogspot.com.
Please read the Bible study and then post
your comments so we can learn from one another.
CWM Interview
Catrin is a 37 year old CWM
who lives in Washington State in the United
States. She has been married for seventeen
years and has 4 children: an 11 year old girl,
a 10 year old girl, a 3 year old boy, and
a 1 ½ year old girl. (Is your laundry
ever done? – note from Kimberly) Catrin
is a software engineer.
Catrin shares what she enjoys
about being a CWM: For many years we struggled
financially, which put a lot of strain on
our lives. It was very hard to see past the
bills and debts, to put our faith in God’s
plan. As time has passed, and many prayers
were anxiously prayed, God’s plan really
took us on some winding paths! Looking back
at the steps to where I am now, it is very
clear that God was at work the whole way along!
From losing a job, to returning to school,
to moving for my husband’s work, to
graduating, and actually finding the job I
have now and even the house we now live in,
along with the actual, rare gifts for my work:
the odds are so strange that everything worked
out the way it did; I can only declare that
God has plans for me as a CWM above and beyond
my motherly & wifely roles.
Now, with a good job, a great
husband, and fantastic kids, we are able to
be not only blessed and living abundantly
ourselves, but able to bless and support others
too! God is so good!
God actually lead me to a job
that I really enjoy, that is less than 15
minute commute, allows me to take my work
home with me when my school kids have non-student
days, is flexible for sick days and appointments,
and allows me to set a schedule that gives
me the chance to pick up my kids from the
school bus. What a blessing! I’ve also
met other Christians at work (a strong minority!),
which have also been an encouragement and
blessing.
I don’t know the whole
plan for my life, or what the future may bring,
but I am blessed! I can feel that I’m
growing closer to God with every year, and
I hope that I am following God’s path
in every aspect of my life!
Catrin shares she struggles
with the following as a CWM: There are DEFINITELY
days when I debate whether staying at home
would be a better thing for my family. In
particular, it is hard not to compare myself
to other stay-at-home moms, or my kids to
stay-at-home-mom’s kids. There are plenty
of books, magazines and commercials to heap-on
more guilt too. I certainly want the best
for my kids in particular. I want to give
them the best of me too, and work is tiring.
It’s hard not to think “what-if”
all the time. But when I think about the way
God has lead me to where I am now, and about
the gifts He has blessed me with, I am certain
that God is in charge of my life.
Catrin’s favorite Bible
Verse: Matthew 6: 25-34 (in particular 31-34)
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink;
or about your body, what you will wear. Is
not life more important than food, and the
body more important than clothes? 26Look at
the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap
or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable
than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add
a single hour to his life[b]? 28"And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the
lilies of the field grow. They do not labor
or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon
in all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass
of the field, which is here today and tomorrow
is thrown into the fire, will he not much
more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So
do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we
wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly Father knows that
you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well. 34Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own.
I have been trying to put that
“into action”. I attended a “working
mom’s” evening fellowship group,
and one speaker made the point that our lives
are a series of “seasons”, and
that each season has different priorities.
I remind myself of that very often. My current
season is NOT a season for catching up on
photo albums, of a ‘perfect’ house,
of hobbies, of fancy travel, or of comparing
my kids’ achievements to others. This
current season IS my season for taking lots
of pictures, tickling my toddler’s toes,
playing dominoes for the 100th time, attending
every school concert, and checking backpacks
for assignments. Besides, it will be much
more fun to go through photos in the ‘quiet’
years to come, to put them into albums then.
God has been teaching Catrin
several things currently: Our Sunday class
is studying 1 Timothy, and our church sermons
are following through Acts. An interesting
combination of messages from our Sunday class
in 1Tim 4 and the church sermon in Acts 5
last Sunday has really impressed upon me the
urgency of reaching the lost. Both my family
and my husband’s family is primarily
non-believing (atheist or agnostic), and we
consider this our ‘mission field’…
so I am feeling an urgency to be more bold
and to ask God for the right words and the
right timing to help plant seeds in our family
members.
Tied with that message, in particular
with 1 Tim 4:1-5, along with Mark 4:1-8 (the
parable of the sower and seeds), I was really
given a desperate desire to instruct my own
kids in our daily lives, to know and understand
the Truth of the Bible, so make sure their
‘roots’ are deep and strong, so
that when it is time for them to stand up
in the world on their own, that they will
not falter and be lead astray, but will be
equipped to stand firm, discern the Truth
from deceptions, and follow God their whole
lives!!
Words of Encouragement for
other Christian Working Moms:
Proverbs 22:6
Train [a] a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
Being a mom is a tough assignment,
not to be taken lightly. You are the first
and foremost teacher and example to your children;
the future disciples to carry on God’s
work. But (praise God!), you are not alone!
Anything else you would like
to share:
I enjoy the CWM ministry that you have started,
and would love to see more interaction with
other CWM’s on the blog, on facebook,
or elsewhere. It is an important fellowship
and encouragement that we all need now and
then (and always!)
I couldn’t agree with
Catrin more that we need more interaction
on the CWM blog and Facebook to encourage
and support one another. I know we have a
lot of women who read the blog, but don’t
post. Come join us and share your wisdom with
others. Catrin, I have now heard the passage
from Matthew from at least 3 different people
recently. I think God is definitely trying
to get my attention. Learning to trust and
not be anxious is something God is continually
working on in my life. Thanks again for taking
time out of your busy schedule to share with
us.
Final Thoughts
Something I read in a Christian
magazine recently said one of the biggest
mistakes we make as Christian parents is not
apologizing or asking our children for forgiveness.
We are certainly not perfect and need to admit
when we blow it. We are modeling for our children
how to ask God for forgiveness as well. May
God continue to use all CWMs to be a witness
for Him at home and work.
