Friday, 23 August 2013

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List of Great Moms Past and Present



There is a lot of learning to do to be a mom, yet, no university offers a degree on how to be an effective mom. There is no formal preparation for a career as a mom, unlike a career in many other fields.

It is not easy being a mom. We can get discouraged, drained and disheartened at times. We need inspiration from someone who has been there and can show the way, leading us by their examples.

In my journey as a mom, I am researching and looking up to those great moms of the past and present. I want to learn from them - their experiences, their successes, their mistakes and failures.  Thus, I am making a list of great moms. Among them are:

1. Sarah Edwards



She is the wife of Jonathan Edwards, a great theologian in American history. She personifies the perfect wife and mother in Proverbs 31:10-31. I have written a post about her here.

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

10 [b]A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

2. Mdm. Kwa Geok Choo

She is the wife of the late ex-Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. I am learning a lot from the speech of our Prime Minister, from the eulogy by her husbands and her children. She is not perfect, as we can see from the eulogies given to her. Her imperfection brought me comfort for my own imperfections. But she is an amazing woman and mom, and there are a lot that I can learn and draw inspiration from:

Extracts of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech from Singapore National Day 2008

"I remember my own experience. I’m a beneficiary of this. My mother was a lawyer. But every day she came home to have lunch with us. So every day we come home from school, three of us, my mother is there, we have lunch. Nowadays you would call it quality time. This was before people invented such big words. All it meant was she had time for us, we had time to talk to her."

"And it was a tremendous help. She avoided going out at night for functions. She had to go for, accompany my father, but business functions, very seldom. What it meant is less takings as a lawyer, less work, less conveyancing, but she decided her children were more important to her. And she acted on that and I think she was happy with that. And we’re definitely very grateful for that."

Eulogy by Founding Father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew

Eulogy by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Eulogy by Mr Lee Hsien Yang

Eulogy by Dr Lee Wei Ling

Eulogy by Li Shengwu

Eulogy by Li Xiuqi

3. Mary Maxwell Gates

Mary Maxwell Gates is the mother of Bill Gates. This is what's written about her, which inspired me:

"My mother, who was filled with pride the day I was admitted here-never stopped pressing me to do more for others. A few days before my wedding, she hosted a bridal event, at which she read aloud a letter about marriage that she had written to Melinda. My mother was very ill with cancer at the time, but she saw one more opportunity to deliver her message, and at the close of the letter she said: “From those to whom much is given, much is expected. - (Luke 12:48)” ~Harvard University, 2007"

Source: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eimh45ehjl/bill-gates-from-those-to-whom-much-is-given-much-is-expected/

You can read more about her here:

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eimh45ehjl/bill-gates-from-those-to-whom-much-is-given-much-is-expected/

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124061372413054653

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940610&slug=1914904

https://books.google.dk/books?id=ubYgIB0TgUYC&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=bill+gates+mother&source=bl&ots=9TF9c7TVQA&sig=KE0olNuyY555X-wiBmvsH4AG55I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CKkBEOgBMBlqFQoTCMTLxbn95ccCFcf-LAodYx4Jqg#v=onepage&q=bill%20gates%20mother&f=false

4. Kristine Barnett

A great mom who did not give up on her son, who doctors said would never talk, but gave her all and persevered on... A good reminder to all of us whose kids are labelled with autism, ADHD, etc. There is a purpose for every child, we just need to find it and affirm it, instead of trying to change our child.

This is a story of how we can build self-motivation in our child. We need to focus on what they are interested in and nuture that.

You can read more about her story here:


5. Josh McDowell

I have included a man here, because there may be readers who are father, also because there are things I can learn from him as a mom. I am reading his book called "The Father Connection: How You Can Make The Difference In Your Child's Self-Esteem and Sense of Purpose". It is available from Amazon:


6. Michelle

You can read her blog Joyful Heart.

7. Joy Foley

She provides many inspirations on my journey in motherhood. You can read her blog Grace Full Mama.

8. Christina Fox

You can read her blog To Show Them Jesus.

9. My own mother

Though my mum is a very simple woman and has not much education, my own mum's devotion and love for my father and our family, giving her all without any complaints is a source of inspiration to me.

For example, she will without fail make dinner everyday. She worked tirelessly around the house with three kids cheerfully. Even though I have a long education and a Master degree, and in the eyes of the world, I am seen more accomplished, but in so many aspects, I could not hold a candle to her.

I will come back to this list to update it from time-to-time. If you know of any great moms in the past or present, it would be great if you could share your experience.

10. May Oh

https://4wordwomen.org/one-womans-tale-to-having-it-all/

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