Parenting – Page 2

Hush, hush my mind

Sharing some parts of my quiet time for today (Matthew 24; Luke 21; Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:2-10).

Ongoing war in Israel. Families and children being killed left and right.

Earthquake this morning at 8:24am.

A Filipino “drag queen” who used ‘Ama Namin’ in a party (and said ‘Thank you for coming to church’ after the performance) got jailed but is receiving tremendous financial and “moral” support.

I think news can either be alarming or sobering, burdensome or encouraging, depending on how I perceive and receive it.

Matthew 24:8 says “All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

I need to continually sort thru whatever I read, watch or listen to, and file them into little compartments or bin them out.

It can be overwhelming to think about what I’m thinking about. It drains me.

If things were all up to me, I could probably cocoon myself to death.

But as a wife and a mom, I cannot do that.

Giving birth (even with epidural) is painful, messy, beautiful.

The LORD prompts me to pray. He admonishes me that His Word is true. That He is a shield to all who find refuge in Him.

And yes, be transformed by the continual renewing of my mind.

Mental health is possible when the mind is filled not with news but with the truth of God’s Word.

A joyful perspective is possible when I am heavenly-minded.

Bring your kids to Jesus

Some people brought their small children to Jesus so he could touch them. But his followers told the people to stop bringing their children to him.

When Jesus saw this, he was displeased. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them. The kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these little children. I tell you the truth. You must accept the kingdom of God as a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” Then Jesus took the children in his arms. He put his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13‭-‬16 ICB https://bible.com/bible/1359/mrk.10.13-16.ICB

Note to self. God hasn’t called you to keep looking over your shoulder and see how other parents or experts are raising their kids.

While it helps to listen and glean from the wisdom of those who have “been there, done that” with exemplary results, God’s purpose for your children – and your family – is as unique as your fingerprints.

Raise your son not as a mini version of you – he isn’t, he shouldn’t be – but as God has designed him to be.

Children don’t come with operating manuals because they’re not supposed to be mechanical.
becomingBubba

Children don’t come with operating manuals because they’re not supposed to be mechanical.

Bring your son to Jesus, not just Sunday School! Pray for him, for yourself, for your family.

Pray WITH him. Oh, let him pray un-memorized prayers, prayers from his heart! Let him exercise his faith muscles.

Let him see in your life how real God is, that His love is tangible, His love comes softly, His love is gentle.

Let him experience God’s undivided attention, His listening heart, His compassion, His courage.

Let him know that God is saddened and angered by sin, that He disciplines those who are His and that the freedom He gives frees you to be good people, to do good deeds, not wayward ones.

Discipline. Disciple. Do you see it?

Whether you’re happily married or a solo parent, if you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit IS your partner in parenting. You are not alone!

Protect your children, by all means, protect them from the ways of the world and trends that bend the truth!

“Jesus IS the Way, the Truth and the Life,” is more than just a memory verse. It is foundational – for you, your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Rest in the Truth that, indeed, you and your children are not your own. You belong to Jesus. Bring your kids to Jesus!

Bring yourself, too.

On Badness

Imagine your 3 year-old being told, “You’re bad! You’re bad!” by a burly grown-up stranger.

I allow my toddler to explore, to be himself, and even at his age, I’ve already been setting healthy boundaries. Unfortunately, I can’t control how his threenager brain works and neither can I control his behavior 100% of the time.

When my little one kicked a stranger, he quickly ran to me and we quickly apologized.

The stranger turned his back on us and, with his booming voice, quipped “I will call the police.”

I whispered to my son, “You are not bad. What you did was bad. We only kick balls and bad people.”

By “bad people,” we mean criminals or the ones who take advantage of the weak.

“We only kick balls,” may sound funny for a grown-up like me. But for my toddler, I think he got the lesson. Besides, it wasn’t the first time I had to tell him that.

Maybe that particular grown-up was in the middle of something and so totally couldn’t be disturbed.

Maybe the grown-up realized his reaction was too much over a little person’s behavior.

Maybe he felt bullied.

Maybe he didn’t care.

Or maybe he DID care.

Still, while I agree that what my son did was a bad thing (with my sincerest apologies) I am honestly not happy nor thankful for a stranger to label my son bad.