Safety Principle

            The safety instructions on a plane, “First put the oxygen mask over your own mouth and nose before you begin to help others” is a wonderful metaphor for parenting our children in their spiritual lives.

            This is a crucial principle we need to adhere to in our parenting. Just as we would protect our children by caring for ourselves in the case of the loss of cabin pressure in the plane,

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we must diligently seek to care for our spiritual lives before attempting to spiritually care for the lives of our children.

            As young moms, it is more often hard to impossible to have consistent times for your Bible study and prayer time.  If you are a stickler for structure, you will soon loose your mind in your attempt to have consistent quiet time.  My suggestion is you become creative.

            As your child is sitting in her highchair, read from her Bible board books.  Don’t consider the “story” is just for her.  Truths from God’s Word can penetrate to the core of our being.  Consider the Bible verse discussed in the story and make application of it.

            Keep a duplicate basket of books, devotionals and Bibles in your car. 

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Once your children are in their car seats and you have the air condition on (hey we live in Florida where air condition is used year round) you can begin your Bible reading or prayer time. 

            Just as the oxygen mask doesn’t have to stay on long before you help someone else, you don’t have a time allotment you are trying to meet or exceed.  You are simply looking for the power of God’s Word to penetrate your heart and give you what you need to follow the Lord that day.

            Keep in mind that the Israelites were instructed to only pick up enough manna for the day; otherwise it would be filled with maggots and rot.   We should gather enough of God’s Word to be able to share it and/or apply it.  Your children will be blessed by the short phrases you gather to repeat with them throughout the day.

            After being in God’s Word (whether in your home or in your car or at the park or in the library) you will provide the spiritual safety boundary for your children.  You can help your children best when you yourself have heard from the Lord in His Word and through prayer.

Challenge:   Today see how many creative places you can find to read God’s Word and pray.  Repeat the verse or concept to your child throughout the day and watch as God’s Word begins to make a profound difference in your lives.

Alive and Active!

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

The other day I was sitting with two of my little ones looking for a bible story to read when I stumbled upon what I thought would be a good story.  That is when my 7 year old daughter chimed in “but mamma we just read that one”....  Humm I thought, then I realized something I hadn’t thought of before.  She didn’t know, my little Abigail didn’t know one of the best, most amazing secrets of all time, because I hadn’t told her yet! 

I smiled, and at that moment I got to share with my daughter that the bible isn’t like any other book we read, I explained that it is alive and active.  I shared with her that we are to always have our hearts ready to learn something new from God's Word.  And even to pray before reading the bible to prepare our hearts for what God may teach us.  I also explained that God’s Word is personal and that it teaches us in the different stages and ages of life we are in.  So when she reads her bible she will be learning things for her age just as her mommy and daddy will be learning appropriate lessons at our age...  

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.  2 Timothy 3:16

Have you shared with your children this special truth?  If not, maybe now is the time?

Thank you Lord for this beautiful realization.  Lord I pray that You fill us with Your wisdom as we explain precious truths to our children.  Help us to remind them that in whatever situation they are in, our Bible has the answers, the comfort, and the truth they need.  May we continue to teach our children that the Bible is not just another book, it is THE instruction book for our lifetime!   Amen.

Silly Games...Serious Truths

Lately, my oldest Doodlebug has been encouraged by his Sunday school teachers to memorize scripture verses. Each week he comes home with a new verse and a craft and worksheets to complete. It’s so funny because we are also a part of a homeschool learning co-op that greatly focuses on memorization and the ability of young kids to learn great amounts of information…especially to the tune of a song.

This program, Classical Conversations, has greatly challenged my thinking of the capacity of young children to learn all sorts of information (history facts, math laws, new languages, etc.). I was delighted when his Sunday school teachers applied this same concept to learning the Bible. When I think about it, I still remember the ABC bible verses that I learned back when I was in elementary school….A: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 B: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Acts 16:31 C: Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Ephesians 6:1…The list goes on and on…all the way to Z.

The funny thing is that I found the challenge of memorizing these verses fun when I was a little sprout. I would proudly recite my verses for a sticker or a trip to the blessing box during children’s church. I had no idea that some of these very scriptures that I learned as a child would end up being a life line for me as I reached adult-hood. The older I got, the more these verses came alive to me in not just my head, but also my heart.

The best gift we can give our children is a knowledge of who the Lord is (and how to have a personal relationship with Him) and a knowledge of His word. I want to encourage you as fellow moms to teach Scripture to your children. Help them commit God’s truth to memory. At our house, we use silly hand motions and dramatic gestures to help our children retain this valuable information. To my surprise, while we were teaching these movements to our six year old, our wee little ones were storing this information also and reciting it for family. What a beautiful sight!

My biggest advice would be to have fun with it, plant the seed of His word in your child’s heart, and watch God make it grow. J

Verses to consider:

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:19

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:11

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.  Proverbs 22:6

A "New" Resolution or a "Finished" Resolution

You can hold me accountable.  My New Year’s resolutions have been challenged with the thought, “Just FINISH what you are already doing!”  I am inventorying all that I am already doing or have done and haven’t finished.

In the midst of my inventory I am again studying Nehemiah (if I didn’t struggle with short term memory loss I probably wouldn’t have the need to keep studying the same book.)  As I looked again at Nehemiah chapter 8, several parenting points challenge me.

1all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey.

2 … Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. 3He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.

5Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

6Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

8They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

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The parenting points that resonated were: read God’s Word to my children; teach them the importance of God’s Word; and help them understand the Word of God.  Yes, these are three things we have done with our children, but here is where the New Year’s resolution comes into play.

I need to continue and finish what I have already started.  Our only one at home (even though she is 15) needs to daily hear the Word of God from her parents.  We need to continue to give value and credence to the power and holiness of God’s Word and not allow it to be so familiar (through stacks of Bibles in our home, texts and phone apps) that it robs her and me of the deep respect it deserves. And finally, I don’t have to assume she understands it just because she heard it. I must explain and provide opportunities for there to be discussion about the “words” we read.

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     My new years resolution is to make reading and discussing God’s Word with our child a priority every day of 2013.  No, this isn’t a new resolution; this is the resolution I need to finish!!  Hold me accountable.

What If?

        How often have you asked, "What if?" or “What’s does my future hold?”  I stand amazed at how God’s Word is living and active.  I HAVE read God’s Word through numerous times…and yet some times I look at His Words and I’m sure I’ve never seen it before.  This week was no exception.

         I was challenged to place two chapters side by side and compare their differences.  Particularly, to find the verses I could claim for my family this week.

         The two chapters were Edom’s future in Isaiah 34 and Israel’s future in Isaiah 35.  I chose Isaiah 35: 3 and 4. 

Strengthen the feeble hands,

Steady the knees that give way;

Say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong

do not fear;

your God will come, He will come with vengeance;

with divine retribution

He will come to save you.”

         I have needed these verses to encourage our oldest.  My beautiful bride daughter has been facing the reality of stress in the work place.  She is such a thinker. She can’t seem to shake the “What if?” question.

         I know (and she knows) that God will provide all she needs to glorify Him in her work place.  These verses were the reminder that she need not worry or fear, rather she can commit her hands, her knees and her heart to Gods’ ability to be strong, be present, to respond with vengeance and He will save her.

         God’s Word far exceeds my ability to parent.  I have found the ultimate parenting skills in His Word.  My challenge to you is the same as I received earlier this week.  Place Isaiah 34 and 35 beside one another and compare Edom and Israel’s future then find the verse(s) you can claim for your family this week.

My Valentine's Gift to you!

     Moms are you thinking about Valentines Day?  Its only 4 days from today…  

Have you bought cards or made them with your children?

image found here: Pinterest valentine

For you who read my Christmas post, you know I am challenged in the area of gift buying.  However, I have found another perfect gift for you to share with your Valentines, no matter what their ages…

God’s Word!  Ask God to lead you in His Word.  Find those special verses that you can share with your husband, your children or a friend.

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God’s Word will not return void (Isaiah 55: 10 – 11.) It will gently shape us (Hebrews 4: 12.) It will guide us (Psalm 119:105,) and it will last forever (Mark 13: 31.)

Momma’s be creative. Give this best gift ever!

Father, How blessed we are that YOU would want to be our Valentine!  

Thank you for your amazing WORD.  

Words that are true and are life. Words that we can share with our children our husbands our friends our neighbors and our world.  

Help us to find creative ways to share your word.  

Help us to fall more deeply in love with YOU, our living word – our perfect Valentine!!  

In Jesus sweet name, Amen.