Saturday, December 17, 2011

My Experience With The Gabby Moms

At the end of 2010, my friend CARIE introduced me to TEACH Magazine, which is now called Eternal Encouragement. The publisher, Lorrie Flem, was beginning a new program called The Gabby Moms, where specific mom bloggers would read and review one of Lorrie’s products each month. I was thrilled to have been accepted into the program, and my first review for them was posted in January 2011. If you’ve been following my blog at all this past year, you’ve most likely read one of my reviews of her products, and have seen how much they have been an encouragement to me.

I am very glad I joined the Gabby Moms. Being involved in the beginning phases of a new program definitely has its pros and cons; but, overall, it has been a very rewarding experience for me to be a part of it. However, after much prayer and thought, I decided not re-join The Gabby Moms program for 2012 - mostly because of time constraints. I have been very busy this past year with various activities and commitments and, quoting my Dad, “I want to be exhausted for the Lord, but I don’t want to be burned out.” While it is important for us to remain faithful in service for the Lord, it is also important to remember our PRIORITIES. Here is what Lorrie Flem has taught me about priorities:
As wives and mothers, the list of our responsibilities is long and it can be difficult to sort them all out. But the truth is they are clearly laid out for us in God’s Word and are not decisions that we have to make. It is all spelled out for us in Scripture. Look in Titus 2, Proverbs 31, 1 Corinthians 11, and 1 Timothy 5 to see just what our priorities are to be. Our priorities are to be:

• My LORD
• My husband
• My children
• My home
• My parents, in-laws, extended family, church, friends, and neighbors
• My outside ministries
This past year, with all of the craziness in doing for the Lord and doing for others, I think my outside ministries became a higher priority for me than anything else, and I intend to remedy that. So, I have begun to condense my commitments into only a few. That way, I can concentrate more specifically on the commitments I have, without getting stressed out; and I also want to be sure I don’t neglect those first five priorities!

If you are considering being a Gabby Mom in the future, or you are new to the program for 2012, I think you will find it to be a truly rewarding experience. Lorrie’s materials are very thought-provoking, and I have definitely learned a lot from her this past year. Just remember to keep your priorities straight as you serve the Lord in this way, or in any other capacity.

NOTE: In 2012, I will still be involved with Eternal Encouragement Magazine, but in a different way. I have been asked to be one of the columnists for the new online version of Eternal Encouragement. I'm very excited about this opportunity, and feel honored to have been asked.


7 comments:

  1. Totally agree with you and love your dad's quote. Wisdom speaking there from both of you.
    Appreciate you!

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  2. I am very excited to join the Gabby Moms and look forward to working with each woman. Thank you for your views on the GM. :)

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  3. Yes, Vicky, pick your projects carefully.
    dad

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  4. You will be greatly missed as a Gabby Mom! I am thankful you will be writing for EE Etc.
    I need the reminder about priorities, sometimes I get them mixed up and have to re-evaluate :)

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  5. Thanks, Cindy. I look forward to this new adventure. I will be sure to check in on all the blogs once in awhile so I can read more about Lorrie's new products. It has been a pleasure working with you.

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  6. Love your dad's quote!!
    I'm sorry to be losing you with Gabby Moms, but looking forward to being a columnist with you for Etc.!

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  7. That's great, Betsy! I look forward to reading your articles!

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