Failure.

November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are many times I feel like a failure.  A failure at being a mother.  A failure at being a wife.  A failure at being a homemaker.  A failure at being a Christian. But then I remember.

I remember that I have a heavenly Father who loved me enough to send His son to die for me.

I remember that I have a loving church home.

I remember that I have 3 wonderful children.

I remember how blessed we are to have a beautiful house to call our home.

I remember Galatians 2:20.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

It so easy to think about all the ways we fail in life.  It’s easy to let it eat at us and make us depressed.  But we have to remember that we are not perfect – just saved by grace and remember that regardless of how we might feel like a failure – God sees us as someone worth loving and there is no way that can be considered a failure.

“My flesh and my heart faileth: [but] God [is] the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Psalms 73:26 (KJV)

Filed Under: Personal

Do You Pray Specifically?

October 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The last couple of weeks my ladies Sunday School class has been discussing prayer and the need to pray specifically.  I don’t know about you, but I haven’t always prayed specifically but in more general terms.  I pray for God’s will, I ask for God to provide for my family etc.  Nothing really specific.

“And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” Luke 18:1

Why don’t we pray specifically?

  • We don’t know what to pray for
  • We don’t believe that God will really answer
  • We don’t believe that God is listening
  • We think God already know our specific requests

Not all of these apply to me and they might not to you either.  I know what I should pray for.  I know that God is listening and will answer my prayers.  My reason for not praying specifically is due to pure laziness.  It is quicker to say a general prayer then it is to pray for specific requests.

This is where a prayer journal would come in handy.  I have started one, but haven’t really used it.  I need to. That’s my goal for this week – use my prayer journal and not to be lazy in my prayers.  I want to enrich my relationship with God and being lazy in my prayers will not do it.

Filed Under: Prayer

The Importance of Being Thankful

October 20, 2011 By 2 Comments

Living a life in gratitude and thanks can change your life for the better. Simply the act of giving thanks for the smallest things can change your outlook on your experience in this life. If you’re a wife and a mother this can be especially helpful to look on each happening in your life in a new and grateful way, even when you’re stressed out. We all go through ups and downs but if we can control our thoughts and the way we look at things to being thankful it will go far in helping us overcome almost anything.

Putting it in perspective — Think of a family who experiences a house fire. Their entire home and all the possessions inside are gone forever. Every picture, gone, every memory, gone. Yet, the family is alive, and they are overcome with joy and gratitude that they are still alive and healthy. They are often giddy with delight and happiness even as they lost everything else. It’s only later, that the loss of the things comes into play, and the family members find it harder to be as thankful as they were at first. Being thankful for even the air you breathe can take practice and focus.

Start the day right – Each morning take time, even one minute, to say a small prayer of thanks to God. Even if you just thank God that the baby didn’t wake up 20 times at night, or that you are fortunate enough to wake up at all, that’s good enough. Your mood will change from day to day, go with the flow and just find one thing to thank God for, so that you can start the day in gratitude.

Turn your thoughts – When you are having a bad day or moment, try switching your thoughts. Baby screaming all day? Try being thankful that your baby can scream and is alive. See the sheer joy in the fact that your baby is healthy enough to let out a good loud scream! I know it’s not that easy but it is very possible to change the way you think of things if you just try. Flipping your attitude from stress, or anger, to thankfulness will become second nature with practice.

Learning to be thankful that your husband is sitting on the couch with his feet up instead of helping you in the kitchen will take a lot of practice, but consider the alternatives. The alternative of not having him there at all is far too possible.  This is not to say you should not ask for help, but it is to say that looking on the bright side of any situation can make you feel a lot more calm and happy and even joyous about life. The importance of thankfulness in your life will literally be the difference between having a full and happy life or a lonely miserable one. God calls us to be thankful and joyous in life, but no one said it would be easy. Just remember that with God all things are possible.

Filed Under: Biblical Parenting Tagged With: , , ,

Meet My Daughter

September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This is just a quick little video my daughter and I made. I just thought it turned out so cute and really captures who she is.

Filed Under: Personal, Videos

50 Ways To Pray for Your Child

September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Pray for ChildrenIf there is one thing I have learned in the 7 years that I have been a mother it is that praying for your children is mandatory.  No matter how much I want to I cannot be with my children very single moment of their lives.  But the Lord can!

Many times as parents we feel powerless to help direct our children away from the pain of sin, especially as they get older, but you are not as powerless as you may think.  You can pray for your children. This is not a small thing to do. It is a very powerful and affective way to protect your children.

Praying for your children, especially the act of them seeing and knowing you are praying for them sets the right tone for their own lives. They will know that prayer is right and good and something they should do also. Children learn lessons by watching others as well as by experiencing consequences (bad or good) for their actions.

Even if your children still make poor choices, your prayers can serve to calm you as you ask for God’s protection. Sometimes we don’t know why God allows something bad to happen, but since He gives us free will, it is possible that your child needs to learn a bigger lesson than you can teach them by your example. Only God knows for sure. Rest assured though that children raised in the faith will come back home to their place as they get older.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” –Proverbs 22:6

It’s never too early to start praying for your child’s present and future.  Below are 50 ways you can pray for your children starting right now.

  1. That God give you the strength to be the parent you need to be
  2. That I always live a Godly life as an example to my children
  3. That I always live a life that is pleasing to the Lord
  4. That I am able to discern evil near my children in order that I might protect them
  5. That I am able to love my children unconditionally even as they err
  6. That I am always able to do the Lord’s will on behalf of my children
  7. That I am compassionate to my children and their friends
  8. That I am loving toward my children even when they disappoint me
  9. That I am patient in my dealings with my children when they do wrong
  10. That my children realize how blessed they are by the Lord
  11. That my children recognize the righteousness of Jesus Christ
  12. That the Lord has mercy on my children if they stray
  13. That the Lord has mercy upon me when I fail to be like Jesus
  14. That their spouse attempts to be like Jesus
  15. That their spouse does the Lord’s work
  16. That their spouse is faithful
  17. That their spouse is full of compassion
  18. That their spouse is godly
  19. That their spouse is humble
  20. That their spouse is never jealous
  21. That their spouse is patient
  22. That their spouse is prayerful
  23. That their spouse is repentant
  24. That their spouse is teachable in the ways of the Lord
  25. That they always live a life that is pleasing to the Lord
  26. That they are faithful
  27. That they are full of compassion
  28. That they are humble
  29. That they are loving
  30. That they are never jealous
  31. That they are patient
  32. That they are protected from evil
  33. That they are repentant
  34. That they are teachable in the ways of the Lord
  35. That they attempt to be like Jesus
  36. That they do the Lord’s will
  37. That they find joy in a career chosen by God
  38. That they give and receive love
  39. That they have a Christ centered marriage
  40. That they have faith in the Lord
  41. That they listen and can hear the voice of God
  42. That they live happy fulfilling lives
  43. That they live prayerful lives
  44. That they love the Lord
  45. That they love themselves
  46. That they make godly choices
  47. That they marry godly men or women
  48. That they receive the right education
  49. That we know the mercy of the Lord when necessary
  50. That … “They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.” — Isaiah 65:23
How do you pray for your children?
Filed Under: Biblical Parenting, Prayer Tagged With: , , , ,

Family Bible Study

September 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Family Bible StudyWe all know that family life can get quite hectic at times. Between school, work, housework, and just spending quality time with our kids we, as parents, often feel stretched too thin.  There are days when we have to sacrifice some things just to get time to put food on the table.

Time spent learning about the Bible is one thing should never be sacrificed.  By taking the time to incorporate a family Bible study time will make a such a huge impact in your children’s lives and will give them many of the necessary skills they will need in to survive in the outside world.

We all make sacrifices in our busy lives.  We run by the fast food restaurant when we don’t have time to make dinner.  Then there are times when we help our kids too much on a school project just to get it done quicker.  And of course, there are times when we are feeling a time crunch on the weekends and we skip church.  These are things we all do.

If you stop making time for studying God’s Word so will your children.  You children are learning from you.  By making time to study the Bible your will children will learn that it is something they always need to make time for as well.  One way to do this is to start a family Bible study.

The ideal situation would be to have a family Bible study everyday but that is not always possible, especially in the beginning.  I would recommend start a weekly family Bible study to start out with.  Choose one night a week and stick with it.  In the beginning I am sure that you will be met with the screams and groans of your kids not wanting to participate.  Just make sure you make the studies consistent and to use a variety of different study methods to help everyone become interested.

Your family Bible study should revolve around the Bible but remember the Bible is not the only teaching tool you can use.  At your first Bible study start with a familiar Bible Story, such as Noah’s Ark, Creation, or Can and Able.  Ask each member of the family to write down or voice their opinion of the story. What would they have done in the same situation?

It is a good idea to make notes of your family Bible studies for future reference.  By taking notes you can keep a record of studies you have already done, what type of teaching tool worked and what type didn’t, etc.  You will be glad you took notes down the road.

Some other teaching tools you can use during your family Bible study are spiritual movies, songs, current events, and hot topics that your children are dealing with daily.  As you plan the lessons, be sure that your instruction is biblically based so that kids get the correct knowledge from the Bible. With so many options for teaching methods, you are sure to find one the family will like, but more importantly, one they can learn from.

Don’t just stick to well known stories every time either. Pick an obscure story from the Bible to lead a discussion. These stories will peak their interest. As the family learns and prays together, over time, you’ll see that everyone will begin to put the life lessons from the Bible into practice in real life as well. These study sessions will also help to pave the way for a God-fearing adult life for your children and a stronger bond within the entire family.

Do you have family Bible study time in your house?  How do you structure your family Bible study time?

Filed Under: Family Bible Study Tagged With: , , ,