My seven-year-old loves to read her Illustrated Children's Bible on her own each morning before breakfast. From the kitchen, I'll often hear commentary like "oh boy, here they go again." She's discovering that the Israelites weren't always so grateful. In fact, they were usually downright selfish complainers. God had just delivered them from slavery in Egypt and was providing for their physical needs in the wilderness, as He led them to the Promised Land. Yet, they still found reasons to moan and groan. Our kids are prone to the same type of behavior. They have safe, warm homes with rooms full of toys and plenty of food to eat. Video games. Friends. Loving parents. But somehow they're not satisfied. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells ... Read More...
When Mothering Becomes Idolatry
It doesn't seem like that long ago when I was playing dolls with my sister and swinging carefree on our swing set in the backyard. Now I am not merely playing house anymore; I am trying to find a way to manage my own real life household. Sometimes when the kids are getting out of control, there are messes to clean up and dinner needs to be made, I look around and wonder "now who's going to take care of this?" Then it dawns on me and I realize, oh that would be me! While I am comfortably past the phase where I stumbled around in that new mom sleep deprived stupor, I still long for the days when I was someone else's responsibility instead of the other way around. I took it all for granted: the trips to the playground, library and pool; the ... Read More...
What You Should Hope In To Raise Faithful Children
I had one of those days recently where I was constantly frustrated by my children's behavior. You know, where you expect your kids not to act like kids? I couldn't figure out why, at the ages of 10 and 7, they hadn't overcome certain character flaws that I- a woman approaching her forties- still has difficulty with. Then, I slipped into this line of thinking: "Hey, I homeschool. Where are these stinkin' attitudes coming from??" In this day and age, it's important and necessary to protect our children from worldly influences so their faith has the best chance of taking root. According to the Barna Group, the overwhelming majority of adults have their moral and spiritual foundations already in place by age ... Read More...
3 Benefits Of Doing Devotions With Your Family
Disclaimer: I was provided a set of David C Cook Family Devotions for reviewing and hosting a giveaway. All opinions, however, are my own and have not been influenced by the author/publisher in any way. Few tasks are of greater importance than teaching your children about God. With all the things vying for our kids' hearts and minds, it's vital that we make this a priority when they're young. In order for their faith to grow strong roots, we must be consistent in opening up the Word of God with them and giving them practical applications of Scripture. A meaningful devotional, based on biblical truth, can also help build our kids' faith. While they shouldn't take the place of Scripture, devotions can be a great addition to daily Bible ... Read More...
Why It’s Okay That You’re Not Enough For Your Kids
I have always been a perfectionist. I guess it comes with being the oldest child, especially growing up in a family that tried to maintain a wonderful outward appearance while crumbling apart on the inside. I've carried that legacy, or should I say bondage, right into my own family. I have never felt so inadequate as the day a nurse handed me my newborn son, and I looked at him and literally thought "Now what am I supposed to do with this?" You would think that ten years later and with another child under my belt, I'd feel equal to the task of mothering. But I still struggle with my mommy alter-ego. You know, the one who shows up to point out everything you're doing wrong. She keeps me down and focused on how NOTHING I do measures ... Read More...
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