Women of Reverence welcomes Jenni Lloyd as a guest blogger.
Jenni is a mother of five children. Three girls and two boys! She has a diploma in travel and tourism as well as a Bachelor of Commerce.
Jenni is also the eldest in her family with two younger siblings. She has been married to the love of her life, Michael for 24 years and they currently live in the busy city of Johannesburg and are pastors in their local church.
I have written about what I have learnt and am still learning of being a mother to five incredible special children. The blog is little stories documented for fun, sometimes a laugh or a tear as I lean so much on Jesus. I realize how much I need my Heavenly Father in this journey of parenting and being a mother, and with Him nothing is impossible and without Him, nothing makes sense. This is an honest and real reflection of my journey as a mother.
My blog link is www.5gems.wordpress.com
We have a wall of mirrors in our home – all shapes, designs and sizes. Often in the afternoons, when we are seated at the dining-room table doing homework, I see reflections of the outside garden in the mirrors, or sunlight that bounces off different objects in the garden, but one reflection I love to see are the little heads I have seated around me, doing homework and the general chit chat of the day at school. At times, it looks as though there are at least 20 kids in the home with these mirror reflections and believe me often sounds like it too with all the noise!
I also sometimes catch my little girls posing in front of the mirrors, pulling faces and talking to themselves. It is both so cute and funny to watch. I wonder what goes through their little minds. I hope that they see beauty, not just because they are beautiful in my eyes, but more that they have beauty within them. They have health, they have family, they have courage, kindness and hope, but more than anything they are loved by their Heavenly Father completely.
We have a story we read to them by Max Lucado called “You are Mine” – it is a wonderful story of His truth which is simple and never-changing: “It’s not what you have, it’s Whose you are.”
It is a truth that the lovable Wemmick, Punchinello, hears again at the knee of his creator in this faithful, fully illustrated sequel to You Are Special. Punchinello’s lesson in love will help you speak God’s heart to the heart of every child which is You are special, not because of the things you have, but because you are HIS! These books are gorgeous and are highly recommended to any parent or teacher.
In today’s world, we are so bombarded with falseness. We are faced with an on-going battle of what true beauty is. Is it only the reflection one sees in the mirror? As these mirrors reflect us in our physical form, my desire is for my children to look beyond that, to seek the deeper beauty that is long lasting. That what God has placed within them – the talents, giftings and dreams, but more than anything for Jesus to be evident in their every action.
“In a mirror is where we find a reflection of our appearances, but in a heart is where we find a reflection of the soul!”
Love
Jenni