​The experience of becoming a first-time mother has put a lot of things into perspective for me. It amazes me how our bodies react to the baby growing inside us: morning sickness (that name is so deceiving), sore boobs, bleeding gums, stuffy nose, headaches, itchy legs, utter exhaustion, and so much more. I really had no idea how difficult it could be! With symptoms like these it would be so difficult not to have the support of someone you love. My husband has been my rock through this experience: he has taken on extra chores around the house (including emptying the litter box *I was thrilled to give that up*), cooked for me, listened to me complain, and helped me when I felt sick. The fact that many of the mothers that come to New Beginnings do not have support from anyone when they call us breaks my heart now more than ever.

Many of our mothers, prior to coming to New Beginnings, did not have the opportunity, Christian encouragement, or resources to continue their education.  One of the best books I have read is called A Framework for Understanding Poverty written by Ruby Payne.  The author illustrates that poverty is often a result of a lack of resources, and that education can change the current prevalence of poverty.  In fact, she goes on to say, "An education is key to getting out of, and staying out of, poverty."  Education has the potential to break the cycle of poverty.

However, there is a caveat.  More than 20 years of experience has shown us that mothers will often doubt their ability to continue their education because life events have eroded their self-confidence.  As we know, self-doubt is a tough feeling to overcome, but by centering the focus on God's love for us, mothers learn that with Christ anything is possible.

We know that the educational attainment of a mother predicts the educational attainment of her child.  For this reason, New Beginnings maintains an education fund in which we help mothers pay for the cost of tuition, school supplies, laptops, and transportation to school.  Your gifts are life-changing for the mothers – they are finally given an opportunity to succeed with God by their side.  To help your gift go further, the Siebert Foundation will match gifts given to education dollar for dollar.

I hope I didn't scare you away. Are you still there?  If so, stay with me. I promise this quiz is easy – all you have to do is make a mental check next to the statements that apply to you. 

​You might be wondering why I am so curious to learn whether you know how to get a library card. The purpose of this quiz is to illustrate a point. If you are falling more into the purple box, odds are you grew up in generational poverty. If you are falling into the green box, more than likely you grew up middle class. Some of us might assume everyone knows how to get a library card – seems easy enough. The reality is that if you don’t know how to do some of the things in the purple box, you cannot possibly expect others to know the hidden rules of middle class.  As you may have guessed, there is even a different set of “hidden rules” for wealth - all of which I did not know (but we won’t get into that)! 

​As Christians, we aim to meet people where they are at, and build our relationship with that person both interpersonally and emotionally. More importantly, we take that relationship a step further by sharing the saving message of God’s grace. Life isn’t always about understanding one another fully, but rather about forming relationships and meeting people where they are at. We don’t have to understand all of the hidden rules, but we should aim to acknowledge them. Let’s not always expect everyone to be like us, let’s not jump to conclusions about who they are, and let’s not judge on the basis of having little or having lots. When we do those things, we lose out on unique opportunities to help others grow (and probably grow ourselves too). 

​Have you shown kindness to others recently? A few weeks ago, I went through the Starbucks drive-thru for my daily dose of caffeine. When I reached the window to pay, I was told that the woman ahead of me already covered the cost of my coffee! I was so astonished by her kindness that I passed that joy along to the next person in line. I was hoping that the acts of kindness continued in the same way all day.

​New Beginnings recently finished the boutique design project, and we are thrilled that it is finished! When I suggested that we transform our dingy basement into a beautiful, welcoming space, I failed to consider two things. The first is how difficult and time-consuming it would be, and the second is how much patience I would need to see the project through to completion.

​“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought nearby the blood of Christ.” – Ephesians 2:13

​I still remember the first time my parents demonstrated tough love. I was about 5 or 6 years old, and I absolutely loved making mud pies in the backyard. You know, mix some dirt, water, grass, leaves, and sticks in a bucket like a mud pie! Other kids did this too, right? In any event, my dad disliked the fact that when I was done mixing my mud pie that I would dump it all over the lawn. What a mess! He told me not to make any more mud pies and that if I did there would be consequences. Can you guess what happened?

 I made another mud pie, and this time my dad caught me mid-stir. This marked the first time that I was “grounded.” I do not even remember what “grounded” meant for me at five years old, but I do remember that I never made a mud pie again after that. 

​Why does this matter? Well, I am using this story to illustrate a point. Tough love works. It is difficult for a parent to do, but it is a necessary learning tool for the child. Tough love does not just apply to children; it applies to us as well. We see numerous examples of the consequences of choices in the Bible – the most obvious, of course, is the story of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Additionally, the story of David and Bathsheba also illustrates this point very clearly. If you recall, (long story short) David saw Bathsheba from afar and made the choice to sleep with her.  Bathsheba became pregnant, and David did everything he could think of to cover up his sin. As a result of his sin, Bathsheba’s husband was killed, and David’s son died as a consequence for his actions (2 Samuel 11 & 12). 

​At New Beginnings, the most difficult part of our job is to demonstrate tough love. The mothers come to New Beginnings for a reason – they need a new start for themselves and their child. Often times, the mothers who need us, need us because of some of the poor choices they have made in their past. As a part of preparation for a life centered on Christ’s love, we must demonstrate His love, which sometimes consists of tough love. Please continue to pray for the mothers and children at New Beginnings. 

​This is a question I asked my staff at a recent brainstorming session. Often times, in this competitive world, we tend to focus on the negatives. What needs improvement? How can we do better? How can we avoid this mistake again? Let me tell you – this can get exhausting! As staff members at New Beginnings, we are often forced to contend with tough situations and daunting tasks, but despite all of that, each of us brings a unique set of gifts and talents to the ministry. In other words, God placed us all in our positions for a reason.

​Because God has placed us in our positions, it is important to take some time to focus on the positive. Focus on what we do right. So, I asked everyone: “what gifts and talents do you have that contribute to the success of the work you do.” I was surprised to hear that some staff members had difficulty coming up with a list of gifts and talents that they possess. Ultimately, everyone gave a short list with the top gift being “a genuine care for others.”  (Whew! it seems like we are all in the right profession!) Some of the other gifts that we came up with were nurturing, ability to set boundaries, visionaries, and genuine. 

​I think this is a good list, but I see so much more: 

​
I want to take a moment to commend the staff at New Beginnings for the good work they do. You all work together to create a phenomenal team with a unique set of gifts and talents. Thank you God for the blessings you have given all of us, and thank you Lord for the opportunity we have to serve others. Only through you can we do great things. 

​Did you know that according to recent research in metro-Milwaukee, about 72% of families in poverty were headed by single mothers in 2009? Research also shows that generationally-poor children are more likely to continue in a cycle of poverty, which results in an increased likelihood of dropping out of school and an inability to obtain employment with self-sustaining wages. These numbers are scary.
 
In addition, a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel highlighted the fact that babies born to African-Americans in Milwaukee are dying at a rate that exceeds three times that of babies born to Caucasians. The reason for the disparity is unknown, however the article indicates that premature birth is the cause of about 60% of infant deaths and that chronic stress has been shown to be a key cause of premature births. Chronic stress in the lives of Milwaukee African Americans comes from such sources as poverty, uncertain supplies of food and housing, unemployment and violence.

​The model of New Beginnings was created to combat these scary statistics! New Beginnings actively works to reduce the stress in the lives of its mothers by providing them with secure housing while they take advantage of the provided opportunities to increase their education and vocational skills. 

​By focusing on educational tracks that lead to a professional career with a median salary of around $50,000, New Beginnings prepares mothers for a self-sufficient life. Additionally, once mothers are equipped with a self-sustaining career, the stressors of affording secure housing, purchasing food and supplies, and unemployment are substantially alleviated. By coupling faith-based programming with educational advancement and preparation, New Beginnings prepares mothers for a self-sufficient life rooted in Christ. 

By supporting the ministry of New Beginnings, you put a dent in the statistics. Every mother that succeeds at New Beginnings breaks the cycle of poverty for herself, her child, and future generations. There is power in ONE person. Together we provide strength in numbers. The statistics are scary, but together we can work to break the cycle! To donate or get involved, please visit www.homeformothers.com.  

SINFUL HUMANS CAN BE SELFISH
 
In this world, it is so easy to get caught up in ourselves, our life, our actions; what WE did. Success always seems to be internalized as something WE accomplished. Let’s address the other extreme – blaming God for our misfortune. What an interesting change of heart! I think we all can recognize how easy it is to praise our fortunes as our own, but blame our bad luck on God. Don’t let yourself become infected with self-pride, but rather be a humble servant of Christ.
 
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (Romans 12:3). 

LIVE TO THANK JESUS!
I am sure that not many of us have thought of our life as an assignment from God. But God tells us that we are all called for His purpose. Ah yes, Romans 8:28 may be coming to mind now… (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose).
So let’s ask the WELS question: What does this mean? 

​LIVE YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Whether your talents and gifts are money, time, or a specific talent, use it to glorify God and His purpose for your life. Ultimately, use your gifts to bless others, but never forget to say, “Thank you Jesus”!
Do you have a gift or talent that you could use to serve the mothers and babies at New Beginnings?