The TV hit series "Desperate House Wives" really hit home with me. One character on the show has several young children. She always seems frazzled and at her wits end. It seems nearly impossible for her to control her children as they are loud and rowdy. No matter how much she does or how hard she tries, the work never finishes, her children are still out of control and she feels helpless and depressed.

In my own life I had been desperately searching for answers on how to raise a family peacefully. My children are 2 and 4 and we spent the past 4 years trying to get our son to be obedient - which wasn't working out too well!

There is always laundry to be done. The kitchen needs to be cleaned. My youngest throws half her food onto the floor instead of putting it into her mouth. Diapers need to be changed. Potty training never seems to end. The kids constantly fight and scream and torture one another. Bills need to be paid. Mom is losing her mind. Dad works all day and goes to school at night. Mom runs her own photography business. Things just seem to be chaotic and never ending. Depression and anxiety set in.

Somewhere along the line I questioned what I was personally doing to help or hurt the situation. Was I throwing bigger tantrums than the kids were? When they would scream and yell, I would do the same thing right back in effort to make them stop. If they weren't behaving the
way I thought they should, I would lose my cool. Then I asked "Is this they way Jesus treated children?" A profound "No way!" was the answer. Then why was I treating God's children in a way that wasn't peaceful and loving? Why did I have to get frustrated and angry every time my kids were losing it?

One day I made the conscious decision to slow down and be more patient with the kids.

Each day keeps getting better and better. I am able to control myself a little more each day. I now have notes posted all around the house to remind myself of the correct way to be thinking. I made several copies of the following three quotes and posted them all over the house. The essages are:

1. "Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick. Thus Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is intact, universal, and that man is pure and holy." SH 477:1. This one helps remind me that I need to be seeing myself and my children the way God sees us. Instead of thinking "my kids are so loud!" or "these kids are so naughty" I can think "These are God children, made in God's perfect, complete image and likeness." I have gotten into the habit now of clearing my thinking out loud. For
instance, if they do something naughty, I will sit them down and tell them " You are God's child. You can hear what God is telling you. You were made perfect and peaceful, etc etc." Then they become peaceful and run off and play nicely.

2. "Beloved Christian Scientists, keep your minds so filled with Truth and Love, that sin, disease, and death cannot enter. It is plain that noghing can be added to the mind already full." My p10:3 - by Mary Baker Eddy.
This one reminds me to watch what I'm letting into my thinking. If I am making sure Truth and Love are filling my thoughts, then the depressed thoughts and views can't enter.

3. "And we solemnly promise to watch and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us and to be merciful, just and pure." SH 497:24 This reminds me that we have promised with all our heart to think the way Christ Jesus did. It also reminds us of the golden rule. It helps remind me to keep my
thoughts pure and loving. We're not just wishing we'll do this, we "solemnly promise" to do this.


I finally don't feel like a desperate housewife any more. I feel as though I have control over my thoughts and actions. If I am doing what the three statements above tell me to do, then I can't help but be happy, healthy and at peace. I can't help but see myself and my children as God sees them. It doesn't come over night. You have to train your thought to stop thinking negative things and fill your mind with Truth and Love.

So the kids are still loud (although far less than before), the dishes still need to be washed, the floors are constantly getting dirty, and all the other typical things are going on. But I have my sanity back. I choose God. I choose good thoughts. I choose not to listen to mortal mind trying to get me to believe what I see. I chose not to feel helpless. I choose not to accept as fact each of the things the children do that aren't loving. Each day is better than the last because my
thoughts are turning more and more to God.

There are countless moms out there feeling overwhelmed. You don't have to feel helpless any longer. It took me a long time to realize I actually had more control over the situation than I thought. The more I keep my thoughts filled with Truth and Love, the more the entire family
is at peace.

UPDATE: This article was written summer 2005. Since then, I have completely turned my thoughts and life over to God. I am turning to Him for every situation in my life and am now in the full time healing ministry. It's a privledge to help other people learn that they too can turn to God for help any time and for anything. Our home is now a peaceful one. The children are much better behaved - and so are Mom and Dad! It's no longer chaos and discord, but peace and harmony from leaning on God.