News about my 10th baby

  We have gotten into the very busy part of summer here now. With our garden things coming ready, lots of weeding to do, animals to tend, berry picking time coming soon, company coming, and the children in summer camps.
 So this is to say I have decided to take a break from blogging and vlogging for a few weeks. But if I do manage to have some time and some inspiration to write, I certainly would jump on here quick and do that, otherwise the pressure is off me to try and do this weekly.
 Summers are short and sweet how they are this far north, so you really have to make the most of them and I want to make sure I have plenty of time for my family. As well as to be able to enjoy all the  things of summer. 

  Before I sign off here I just want to give you some advice and encouragement so you can make your summer a great one too!
 ~ Be there with and for your family.
 ~ And be aware of being all there -- giving your children your full attention. ( careful not to be distracted on your phone, etc..)
 ~ Be deliberate about putting God and the things of God into your lives on a daily biases.
~ If daily family devotions are not a regular a part of your lives, start this summer!
  ~ Make God a part of your normal conversation.
  ~ Make every moment a teachable moment.
​ ~ Be patient with your children, and slow to anger.
 ~ Be consistent and firm, yet loving in correction.
  ~ Think of new ways to connect with your children, & really be a part of their lives this summer.
 ~ Be careful only to say those things that will uplift, encourage, & inspire them to want to do their best to please you and God.
 ~ And don't forget to take time for you, to rest & rejuvenate, and connect with God so you can continue pouring into your family.
​
  Keep up the great work moms!
   May you have a blessed summer! And remember as always I love hearing from my readers. I want to hear your comments, questions, and prayer requests. And I will reply as soon as I can.
  In Him, Mae

  Hey, here is vlog for you this week!
  Making God the center of your life and homes 
I know I have talked about this in previous blog posts, but just felt a desire to talk about this again this morning on video. 
  How important that we make God first place in our lives, our homes, and in everything we do. God wants and desires that close relationship with us. And we wants not only to dwell in our hearts, but in right in our homes with us as go about our day, everyday.
  Hoping this little video will encourage and inspire you as you implement this in your home, and impart God to your children.
 In Him Mae

  Hey you moms! 
From my home to yours, here is another video blog posts.
  The title of this video says it all. Children can live without cell phones.
I know it hardly seems possible in the age we are living in. But our family of 9 children is living proof of of it! Our oldest son bought his first phone at the age of 18 1/2.
 So I did this video to be an encouragement to you, that if you want to raise your family that way as well, that it is completely possible! It truly is. Children can totally live without cellphones, i-pads, i-pods, i-phones, etc.... Now I'm not saying they don't need them for whatever reason, but they can live without them. 
 Be encouraged to dare to go against the flow for the sake of your dear children. ( I do know these devices are not all negative though. )
​Watch and enjoy!
  In Him, Mae
  

 Hey amazing moms! Here is another video blog post from my home to yours.
 I hope you enjoy! 
And may you be encouraged in your mothering to make the most of your reading moments with your children. Imagine if every time you read to your children, you read them only good Godly material that was edifying and built character, long lasting values, and drew them closer to the heart of God. WOW!
 May God be the center of your lives and in all that you do.
In Him, Mae

  Note: If you are in my area and you are looking for worth while and wholesome reading for your children or for yourself, then you will want to visit our library. You can check us out online and browse over 1000 of our books that way as well.
www.renfroelibrary.weebly.com

  To all you amazing fellow mothers hope you had a great day!
  Just want to encourage you in your high calling of motherhood. You are in one of the greatest roles there is. You have a job of great value. And you are blessed beyond measure.

   For more encouragement and inspiration just for you moms please visit my page Encouragement for mothers. I also  have a book for mothers full of encouraging and inspiring quotes. 
​ In Him, Mae 

  My first blog post after our newest baby!
 Hi to you all!
  In this video I talk about, and show off our new baby, Faith Irene. And tell about how she got her name. And how faith and peace go together.
 Hope you enjoy!
 And stayed tuned for more weekly blog posts. Now that I am up and going after our baby, I plan to do these video blog posts weekly again.
  In Him, Mae

  With Mother's Day just around the corner I thought I would share this acronym I put together for purposeful mothering.
 Mothering is a huge responsibility and one of the greatest roles we can have in life. In Christ, we can do this!
​    Purposeful Mothering
P - Parenting with a purpose and vision in my mind.
U - Utilizing and using what God has given us for the job He has given us to accomplish
R - Reason, routine, rules, and relationship ( remember rules without relationship breeds rebellion. )
P - Priority setting, portraying Christ in all things, pointing them to the Father
O - On the job 24/7, open and honest with our children
S-  Showing the Saviour by our lifestyle, serving others, spending quality time
E - Effective child training, pouring all our effort and energy into it knowing this is an eternal investment
F - Faithfully fulfilling our God-given destiny
U - unity - being and working in unity, and striving to have a strong family unit
L - Loving unconditionally, learning continually, and listening intently to our children​

​

​M -  Making the most of every moment, modelling a Christ-like life, mindful of the things that matter most
O - Others that a mother puts before her own needs
T- Teaching by example, training our children in the way they should go, taking every opportunity to talk about the goodness and faithfulness of God
H -  Holding our children's hearts, and drawing our children to the heart of God
E - Eternal investment, effort, and establishing lasting and meaningful relationships with our children
R -  Risking everything for the kingdom of God, Relentless - her love for her children will never die, resting in God
I - Investing our time and energy, investing in our children's future and souls, insisting on good attitudes
N - No moments are wasted, no time is lost, nothing is done in vain
G - Guiding our children, guarding our children's hearts, and                                                        giving our children our undivided attention

 I know how hard a job mothering is, and that we mothers need all the encouragement we can get. And as a fellow mom of 9 and raising my children for God as best I can, I want to be that encouragement for you.
You can do this. God made you for this.
Seek Him wisdom, guidance, and direction as you mothering your sweet blessings He has given you!
 Keep strong in Him,
Mae
 P.S. You can check out my little book I have made just for mothers to be an encouragement and inspiration for you. More Than a Mother.

 Here is our newest baby! A Girl!! Faith Irene, weighing 7 lb.s and 5 oz.s
Born via c-section on April 2nd, 2019.
Now we have 5 boys and 4 girls!
And I am now not only the youngest of 9, but also the mother of 9 too!
 The delivery went great. Wow, c-section is sure faster and easier than going through the long hard labor I have been use to. But the recovery process slower, and I am certainly more sore. But doing good. And baby is all healthy and eating and sleeping great!

 I was in the hospital for 2 days after the birth. The children sure were happy to have me and baby come home! You can see their joy and excitement in these photos. There is certainly nothing like a new baby in the house! And no better gift to give your children than the blessing a new brother or sister.

 Do you know what you're having?
  We never find out head of time if we are having a boy or girl, so the big gender reveal is at birth. Sometimes we have had a strong feeling one way or the other during pregnancy and we have been right. This time Paul felt it would be a boy, and though I had felt right off to begin with it was girl, I nearly lost that hope near the end due to him being so certain it was a boy. But she was a girl!
    The name Faith came to me shortly after I knew I was expecting. I had just had a miscarriage the month before. And when I found out I was expecting again, though I do not recall how it cam to me exactly, rather by a dream or just something that pooped in my head, it was like I was told by God we were going to have a baby girl and her name would be Faith. Something that was really neat was that I ended up with 3 wall hangings all about at that same time with the word Faith on them. I thought that was really cool. I have 5 in all now.
 Though along the pregnancy I did wonder if we would end up with a girl after-all. So I would often say I am holding out faith that this baby will be Faith.

  Since we were not completely sure our baby would be a girl we did not have a middle name ready, though I had played around with a couple names, but none I was really satisfied with. And honestly I really didn't hold out too much hope at that point for a girl anyway. Paul and the boys were all very confident we were having a boy. I was out numbed!
 So how and when did we get our middle name?
 Well the day she was born we started thinking of names. And asked others what they thought sounded good with Faith. We were given many great ideas, but really I wanted a name with a special meaning, something that meant life or restoring of life.
 With this new baby right from the beginning of pregnancy I was over joyed that God gave us new life again after loosing our son Clayton in April of 2017. I didn't know if He would bless us with another baby or not, though I was hoping. Especially with the baby being due in April was very special too. It was like God giving us a new date in April. One with good memories.
 So back to choosing a middle name.
​  We googled names that meant life or restoration of life. And there was several, but none really seemed right. Then in the evening after Paul had gone home for the night, he sends me a text and ask what i think of the name Irene. Now Irene is one of my middle names. I would never ever thought of using it. It just never came to me, and I certainly didn't know it had any special meaning. But guess what, Paul said he googled it and it means peace.
​ So what did I think of Irene knowing it means peace? I told him I thought it was great! So Faith Irene it was!

  And the more I thought about the name Irene and how it meant peace, the more I realized just how special, meaningful, and very appropriate it was. 
 Peace and faith go together wonderfully! It is when we have complete faith and trust in God that we will be at perfect peace. 
   Isaiah 26:3-4 KJV ) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever:for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
 
  And that is what God did for us after loosing Clayton. We had faith in Him, that even though we could not understand or know why this happened, we trusted Him just the same. And with that trust and deep faith in Christ, in return He gave us such deep peace and loving comfort. It was amazing the peace I felt right after our tragic loss. The pain still very real, but a deep and underlying  peace that one can not even begin to describe, and that only God can give.
 And God is still doing that for us. We keep trusting and believing that He is working all things for our good. And He keeps giving us peace and joy. Only in God!

  What are you going through that you wonder if you can even keep on going? What are you trusting God for? What is it that has you barley hanging on? Do you feel like you've almost lost all hope of anything ever changing in your circumstance?
  Please keep believing, keep trusting, and keep up your faith in God that He is in control and that He is working all things out for your good. ( Romans 8:28 ) 

 Keep your mind on God and the things of God. Keep in His Word. And he will give you peace and comfort. And a reason, a purpose, and hope to keep going!

  In Him, Mae
 P.S. Please feel free to contact me if you would like someone to talk to as you are going through a rough time in your life. I would love to be an encouragement and support to you. And offer the comfort God has given me.

 Hi, welcome to anther video blog post! I have lost track of which week this is since I've started doing my weekly video blog posts, but I guess that part is not really important. 
 This video will be the last one now for a couple weeks since we have our newest baby arriving via c-section on April 2nd, 2019. But I will do a written post soon as I can to share pictures and baby news.
 In this video you will hear about spring news, what I've been up to lately, our library, ladies Bibles studies, and upcoming baby news.
  Stay strong in the Lord!
​In Him, Mae
   

  If you're in our area, come check out our library. You can browse our books online as well at  www.renfroelibrary.weebly.com 
  I also hold Ladies Bible studies in our library every Thursday evening.

Good news everyone!
Our newest blessing is arriving April 3rd!
My due date was April 10th, but due to me being on blood thinners to prevent blood clots, the Dr.s want to induce a week early to prevent my going into labor on my own. With me being on blood thinners it needs to be a more controlled birth, and I will stop the blood thinner about 24 hours before delivery day.
 At my last week's appointment and sonogram our baby is laying transverse instead of head down so that throws a new twist do this delivery too. The Dr. said if the baby has not flipped head down by this next appointment that we would be looking at C-section instead of the induction.
   C-section is certainly all new to me so even just at the mention of that word I get scared. Just recently I got too talk to a couple moms who have had c-sections and they have put my mind to rest on a lot  of questions I had, so that has really helped me be more comfortable with the fact it may come to c-section. And to tell the truth induced labors are not much fun either!
 All my labors have been quite long and hard for me. There was a couple shorter ones. But otherwise labor has not been something I looked forward to because of how long and hard my labors were, and then my last 2 I was 42 weeks overdue and had to be induced. Induction seems to make for a harder and more intense labor experience. So a c-section could be a very welcome break for me! And give me an all new and better delivery experience. This would be the first for an epidural for me as well.

 For now I am enjoying the remaining days of my pregnancy. Only eight more! I am honestly not ready for it to be over that soon, I love this part too much!
 I have always loved pregnancy. I love the attention I get. I  enjoy maternity clothes. I love seeing my belly grow bigger and bigger. But I especially love the movements, the bumps and the kicks. And just the fact at how amazing it is to have a baby in the womb growing so perfectly and wonderfully. What a miracle it is. I love it all!
  And life it's self is a miracle. How easy it is to take our lives for granted. And how easy it is to think that we will always be here, until we are old anyway, right? But are days are all numbered. and each new day God grants us is a gift. Not to be taken for granted, but used wisely and for His glory knowing that it is a miracle we are here. And that God has a plan and a purpose for us.
 Our time is not to be wasted, but to be invested! All for His glory!
 In Him, Mae
P.S. I will post here soon as I can after baby arrives with the delivery news, and baby pictures.

 Welcome to week 3 blog post video!
 In this one I am talking about and encouraging mothers ( but not only mothers ) in spending quality time with their children. I know as a stay-at-home mom, we are at home with them all day. But from my past experiences we sometimes have to put out a special effort to really connect with our children in a purposeful and meaningful way.  In this video you will hear my heart on the matter, and little ways you can connect with your children.
 Below is a poem I just wrote after I made this video. I was laying a awake that night about 3:00 a.m., and thinking of a creative way to share about how we have to be very careful of social media, and gadgets that can steal our time from our precious children. I prayed for ideas for a poem. And then these lines started coming to my mind. So I quickly got up, and went out to the kitchen to write it down on scrap paper. Then the next morning I turned it into this image here. Hope you enjoy!
  I may have been a little crude with the wording. But if those things get out of hand, they sure can steal our time, and how annoying is that it!
 Be blessed and inspired!
In Him, Mae

 Hey everyone! After completing my Life Coach course this fall, and now a few months into doing the practicum part, where I get my practice coaching hours in, I have finally came up with my coaching niche. Super exciting! 
   I have two specific areas that I will be assisting my clients with through my life coaching. ​

 
 One niche is parent coaching. Narrowing that down more, it's Purposeful Parenting Coaching. And narrowing it a bit further, my focus is on mothers, helping them to find and achieve purposeful mothering in their parenting. I know first hand as a mom of 8 children, and now one more one the way, that mothering is a very hard job, as well as a very vital role, and one of the highest callings we can ever have. It has always been a passion of mine to be a support and encouragement to fellow moms. And now as a life coach I can do that  in a big way! We can use all the help we can get to raise these children God has blessed us with, to be strong men and women of God.
 

   My other niche is grief coaching. Helping women get back to a new normal, and get their life back on track after the sudden and tragic loss of a child or other loved one. Since loosing our 14 year-old son very suddenly in a tragic quad accident in April 2017, I know how hard this can be. But through God we have had joy again, and peace and comfort that only He can give. I want to be a support to you. And help you rest and trust in God through this. ​This is not the end of your story. He's got something beautiful for you!

  As of right now I am still a student life coach in need of several practice coaching hours, before I can receive my certification as a Christian Life Coach. So I am really looking for anyone that can benefit from either area, that I am focusing on in my life coaching, so that I can be a help to them and they can be a help to me! And it is all free. No worries!
 So if this is you, if you are feeling  a little lost in your mothering, or things are not going just as would like, and you seek new vision and purpose in your mothering, then contact me and I will see how I can best assist  you in making these changes happen.
 Or if you have recently gone through a loss and you can't see how you can go on again, and get your life back to a new normal. I will work with you to rediscover, or renew your vision and propose in life, and to find hope again. Even if your loss has been awhile in the pass, you still may feel you have never truly or completely recovered from that. I know our lives are never the same again after a loss, but I believe we can heal and go on victoriously!
   Please contact me with any questions you may have, and if you are interested in my coaching services. Coaching is almost all done over the phone, so I can do coaching with you regardless of where you live. But if you are near me, then we can do in-person coaching too!
Mae's Life Coaching
  God Bless! In Him, Mae