Do it in Love!

My sister-in-law is keeping me accountable. She emailed me in love saying...where are the daily posts!!!

First lesson learned post:

My son is amazing. He is 11 years old and loves the Lord. Not only does he love the Lord, he understands and believes what He says in the Bible. I also need to mention that he is very confident in his faith. I say this because he has many conversations with his friends and non-friends at school during lunch hour.

They are studying evolution in his science class and Logan balks at the whole theory. This causes some intense discussions and debates. Logan is very verbal and replays each discussion thoroughly with us when he gets home from school. I have to say the kid knows his stuff, but the delivery is somewhat aggressive.

We asked him if it was more important for him to win the debate or for his friends to come to know the Truth in Christ? If we win for the sake of winning we glorify ourselves. But on the otherhand, if we tell the Truth in love we glorify God. It was a lesson in love, not creation vs. evolution.

We see God working in our son and he is starting to show his God-given gifts. It is our job as parents to teach him how to use his gifts to glorify God. Pride is something we all struggle with and it is no different for an eleven year old. We told him to keep talking to his friends at school but do it in love. God willing the hearts of his friends will change but for us we are excited to see how God will change Logan.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:16

God is Good!

Hello Again

It has been awhile since I have written and I am finally glad to be back at it. Life has given our family a bit of a twist. We have been emotionally involved with our dear friend and the absolute destruction of her family from sexual abuse. It is still a bad situation but we continue to see the Lord protecting them.

It just made me realize a few things about how I viewed myself as a Christian parent. I suppose it is back to that underlining question of what is my purpose. I always thought as long as I stayed home with my kids, monitored their friends, coached their teams, kept them under constant surveillance etc.... they would live safe and happy lives. How naive. How totally wrong I was to think I had any control.

I finally realized how little I truly pray for my kids. I guess I feel I don't need any help......Wow! I need to remember that the God of the Universe loves my children and has an amazing plan for them. I need to be in the Word more with them and make sure they know Truth. I also need to give them time to be in the Word and prayer on their own. Everyday should be an opportunity to learn more about our God. To really get to know Him.

It is time to keep me accountable. I am going to attempt to Blog our daily God lessons. I am so excited to let God lead each lesson and allow God to reveal Himself to us as a family. Our kids go to a public school so I know a teaching moment will be available at least everyday around 3:00.

God is in control....can I get an "Amen!"

We All Have a Purpose

My question to my self has been "Beth what is your purpose here?"  After getting my children's book published I had to learn how to market the dagnabit thing.  I checked out other author's websites and blogs and social networking sites.  I found out that every author had a reason to market their book.  To sell it! I know this is not rocket science, but bear with me.  That realization made me think of why I wrote this children's book.  The fact that I hate selling things means that it wasn't to sell books and the fact that I could go work for our family company if I wanted to go to work and make money.  Nope, don't want to do that.  Then the question still remains.  What was my purpose?  Why write a book at all?  I had to recall why I love writing for children and why it has to be about Jesus.  I want them to know that God is real and He loves them.

Do your kids really know this truth?  Do you look at their little feet and wonder what walk they will be on in their life.  Are they going to walk with Jesus or walk with the world?  And do they know the difference?  Are we as parents believing the world about how to raise our children?  Do our everyday actions match our beliefs?  Do we walk the walk for our children to see?

I truly believe God has given me the gift of teaching children.  I relate with them better then with adults.  I look at them and realize that God created them for His Glory.   

My desire is that I truly understand how loved I am by my God that He died for me so that I could live.  Because if I truly understand this type of love and forgiveness then maybe I can teach my children and all the children God puts in front of me.  I want them to know that God's arms are stretched out wide and ready to embrace them. 

We are so blessed.

If I had a million dollars!

So Beth and I were chatting last night and we asked each other.... if you had all the money you needed and then some, how would you change your life? Have you ever REALLY stopped to consider life in a non money needing sort of way? It was such a great reality check because if you are anything like me, life is a battle to get the money we need to pay the bills, buy groceries and squeeze in a Christmas present for our immediate family. But when you take a step back and consider your purpose, what you want to accomplish in your time here on Earth, and the legacy you want to leave behind, does it have to do with making money?

We can't ignore our financial responsibilities, however are we kindof on the path we would want to be? If not, can we be creative in getting there? Life is short. Pray hard!!! Make the most of yourself and just be the best you you can be today!!!

In the name of Love!

With two little people that we made and a wonderful 84 year old Grandmother who helped make me, my husband and our 4 year old Burnese Mountain Dog, life is never dull. I obviously am the caretaker and I have to tell you that I feel as though I am truly being blessed right now (in a mind losing, energy sucking, fly paper feeling sort of way:) )

Really, we were able to spend yesterday at Walmart and then at home putting up the Christmas tree and when it was time for bed, my 3 year old and 19 month old little girls were both in the mood to not be in bed... surprise surprise! Instead of wanting to scream my lungs out with frustration, I took the opportunity to hold the little one and wrap my legs around the other on the couch, stare into the white lights on the tree, smell the fresh pine scent, and cherrish the young life in my arms (and legs). Life is precious, the lives we make, the breaths we take and the moments that take our breath away. I thought of a friend of mine who recently lost her 10 month old, and while tears rolled down my cheeks, I thought how can I "get the most out of this moment, suck it all in, hold on so tight?" What can you do? How do you rellish, cherrish, enjoy, memorize, indulge and all those other things that older people tell you to do when you are complaining?

Life is today, this morning, tonight. An everchanging series of interactions, intended actions, reactions, silence, noise, thoughts, words, emotions, exertions, moments..... all linked together.

As I was washing my grandmothers hair in the sink today, my back was aching, my daughter was whining, the dog was barking, and I just wanted to sit down and stop being bothered. I thought that I will be old one day and I hope that my daughter or granddaughter will love me enough to wash my hair, put up with my habits and noises, and let me experience life with them. It's all for love!

God's Gift to me this Holiday Season

This Holiday Season is turning out to be a bit different then all the rest for me. In a great and terrible way! Anyone with me? Family, family, family....love them or not really love them, they "belong" to us! But does that mean that we HAVE to actively participate in what we think we should be doing? So that our family is "normal" and we do what "normal" families do for the holidays?

In my own personal circle, people who have mean streaks in them (one person actually) is actively participating in her own selfish out-lashing. This is causing a physical separation between 4 generations..... as seemingly sad as this is, I have to say that after about a week or so of reflection and not even a phone call on Thanksgiving from family that lives 10 minutes away.... I'm ok with it!

Let me tell you why. My life has consisted of longing for and looking for love... and from my background and perspective, this void should have been filled by my parents. Hence, all of my thoughts, actions, words, energy has been put towards creating a relationship with my father and his girlfriend (of 15 years that he hasn't married). Although I would never choose her as a friend of mine, my quest for "family" has put me through all kinds of unnecessary drama (I'm sure that none of you have ever suffered this). Well, she has thrown another one of her "fits"(consisting of "I'm not speaking to you and I'm going to say all sorts of mean things about you to your father"), and for the first time, I'm not torn into pieces, and wallowing in the fact that I am not "celebrating the holidays" with my birth father and his partner.

Instead, I am choosing to see this as God's hand in bringing me out of the illusion that I need a close, loving relationship with my parents to be happy, complete, fulfilled, whatever you want to call it. After all, I can only control me and my actions, not those of others. I believe that God has a plan for me and is assisting me in not putting my time, energy, and talents into relationships that are not beneficial for me or my husband and children. This event has opened my eyes to the fact that I don't need to do what I've always done, simply because I've always done it. We grow, we change, our lives change and our priorities change and today I am thanking God for opening my eyes to a healthier, happier holiday season with those people that I really love and care about and am not just obligated to "love"!

History in Our Public School

I learned so much about Christianity from my son's 6th grade history book (sarcasm intended). The chapters were on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.  Who knew that Christian zealots conquered the Roman Empire and Jesus was arrested for treason?  He was an outspoken political figure speaking out against the government.  All I can say is Wow!  The book also outlined other religions that surfaced at the same time as Christianity.  The one that also brought hope and was the same as Christianity was Muslim.  Mohammad and Jesus similar leaders of the people. 

I couldn't believe what I was reading.  My son and I actually chuckled a little going over the information.  After I absorbed the seriousness of the text I felt saddened and blessed at the same time.  Blessed because my son knew the Truth and saw through the lies.  Saddened because most of the kids in his class were hearing these "facts" about Christianity and believing them.  The school was actually teaching a false Jesus and a false Truth.  It is not a coincidence this lesson immediately followed their lesson on evolution.  Do I think that the teachers had an agenda to sway the minds of these kids? No.  What it sounded like to me (coming from my son) the teachers were just as clueless and mislead.  They didn't know the Truth.  And believe me when I say, "someone" has an agenda.

Sisters in Christ know the Truth.  Read and study God's Word.  Teach your kids.  Nothing is more important than knowing Truth as a family.  Do your children know who Jesus is?  What He did for them?  Do they know that the God of Abraham is their God too?  Do they know that they were chosen before the foundation of the world?  Do they know their God?  Do you as a family believe God?

Get to know your God and read His Word.  If you don't teach them, "someone" will. 

Just a thought.......