Mom Monday......The Three Musketeers

I don't know about you, but one of my GREATEST DESIRES as a mom is for my children to love each other well (hmmmmm.....sounds like Someone else I know). There are not many other things that can bring my soul as much joy as when I see my children playing together well, being kind to each other, laughing, and caring for each other.  The opposite of that is also true that one of the things that grieves me and saddens me most is when my children have a day full of fighting, quarreling, etc....... Soooo, as a mom I am trying to do everything I can to help my children love each other. This is HARD WORK.  However, God's word says,   "All hard work brings a profit."        While I was out and about at Big Lots a few months ago I found these boxes that look like books. They were titled, "The Three Musketeers." Since I have 3 boys, I'm always a sucker for "Three Musketeer" anything. I bought the 3 boxes thinking of them as some sort of investment in my boy's lives,  encouraging them to follow the motto:   "All for ONE, and ONE for all!!!!"   or in God's words,   " How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in UNITY."   Not sure when exactly I would give them these boxes, I kept asking God to show me the right time.   After all, his word says,   " He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart: HE GENTLY LEADS THOSE THAT HAVE YOUNG." Isaiah 40:11   Believing it is HIM who is LEADING ME, I was given this idea to give the boxes  to them on Mother's day, letting them know the greatest gift they can give me as a mom  is for them to be the "Three Musketeers."   After giving them the boxes, a new idea popped into my head (" HE GENTLY LEADS THOSE THAT HAVE YOUNG."). We needed something to put into these boxes and so last Thursday we had our first "Three Musketeer Thursday."  I printed off a picture of the three musketeers on-line, and wrote on it their very first assignment and then put it in each of their boxes:   "Walk to Treat St. (and ice cream shop down the road) together with Barkly (our newfoundland dog) and tell the cashiers that you are "Jake, Max, and Zeke Link."  They will tell you what to do next. Be home at 5;30"   I had gone to Treat St. before them and purchased a small ice cream cone for each of them. I told the cashiers  they could get them ONLY AFTER they told the cashiers something they LOVED about each of their brothers. They also had free doggy cones so they were each to be given a cone to give to Barkly.   That began our first, once a month, 'Three Musketeer Thursday," just one more effort made to seek to bring unity to the LInk brotherhood.  They still fought that night. Ahhhhhhhhhh!!! May we keep making efforts, keep encouraging, disciplining, praying, persevering and  waiting until some day all our hard work as moms brings a profit of "good and pleasant unity." Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Link "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26