Home
We Believe
> Members
> > Kathy Colledge
Join
Webring
Articles
Links
Newsletter

Kathy Colledge

Homepages: Welcome to Kathy's Place
Brynn's Nursing Nook

Kathy's Thoughts on Gentle Mothering

Gentle mothering is responding to your child's needs with love and kindness. It means keeping your child close to you, even at night, in the family bed. Breastfeeding on demand with child-led weaning is part of gentle mothering. Gentle mothers practice attachment parenting. As part of gentle mothering, I believe in disciplining children with love, maintaining their self-esteem, with the focus on teaching them good behavior. It means sharing my values with my children, and teaching them to love God. It means praying with my children, and teaching them to speak to God.

I feel that gentle mothering is important because our children learn to love and trust from their relationship with their mother and father. When they have their needs responded to in a loving way, they feel good about themselves, and see themselves as lovable, valuable individuals. They will learn to love God as they see their parents doing. They will grow up with the confidence to live their lives according to God's plan.

God responds to our needs when we pray. God is always there for us. God blesses us with children, and wants us to love them as He loves us. God is gentle and kind, and wants us to be the same way with our children. He gave us the greatest gift of all - that of heavenly salvation!

Kathy's Testimony

I was saved on August 17, 1996. All my life I had attended Sunday school and later church in the Baptist church, and later on as an adult at the Gospel Hall. I had always read the Bible, and loved God, but had not committed myself to God. For some reason, I could not accept the Lord into my heart. I think it was hard for me to humble myself, and admit that I was a sinner in need of salvation.

In 1996 I was going through divorce and a custody battle with my ex-husband. I was at the lowest point of my life, and felt ready to give up. During the summer the Gospel Hall was holding tent meetings, which I attended with a close friend of mine, her husband and children, and my own children. The preacher was very kind, and an excellent speaker. He spent extra time with me, talking to me about accepting the Lord into my heart as my personal Savior. He urged me to give it serious thought, as he felt that it would really help me, particularly in the circumstances that I was in. I had come to a point where I realized that only God could help me. I knew that I was a poor sinner and needed the Lord's salvation.

On August 17, 1996, I was reading my Bible, and praying and suddenly I knew that I was saved! I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior! Tears of joy ran down my cheeks. The verse I was reading when I became saved was Matthew 11:28 - "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest".

My life changed after that. Instead of feeling depressed and lost and sad, I felt happy. The fierce rage that I had previously felt toward my ex-husband melted away and was replaced with peace and acceptance. I was at last able to move forward with my life, knowing that I would someday be in Heaven with God. I eventually remarried, a kind and gentle Christian man who loves me and my children. Coincidentally, two years after my salvation, to the day, on August 17, 1998, my baby girl Brynn was born!