christianparenting

VBS is done but the first day of school is just around the corner (two weeks and two days to be exact, can you tell I’m counting!!!) We’re heading to the beach today for a day of fun, not so much relaxation with three young children, gone are the days of reading books and lounging in my beach chair.

My mother and I are packing up, the boys have waxed their skim boards (praying for no broken legs or arms) and my daughter will soon be choosing her bathing suit and ensemble, at least we’ve made some headway on the dressing situation mostly because Daddy had a little talk with her, and then later me.

I’m really looking forward to this little break though it’s only a day trip, it’s nice to get away. Poor hubby has to work so we’ll have to do something with him another day.

Hopefully we’ll enjoy not just the fun activities but God’s creation as well. The tide will be going down so maybe we’ll get a glimpse of some tiny see creatures in the tide pools and around the rock jettis. I’m so proud to have children who appreciate nature and will hopefully grow up learning to take care of it.

It’s funny because as the boys grow and I try to teach them they start to tell me about the animals and their environment. Gotta love Animal Planet!

I want a shirt that says “I survived VBS” on the front and “VBS Rocks” on the back. I just survived another week as VBS director and lived to tell the story. The awesome part is it’s a good story.

Thought I’d reflect a bit on my week before it leaves my brain.

First off - my kids and many of the children who’s parents were volunteers learned a valuable lesson on service. They got a look at VBS not just from the perspective of a child having an awesome time but of the work and mission of it.

They got to paint, decorate, color. They were there early and late and brought work home to do. They invited their friends, catching on to the mission of sharing the gospel.

So not only did they have a fun time, they had an opportunity to serve and be a part of it in another way as well. Hopefully as they grow they will learn the importance of serving God and not just coming to church to be catered to.

I pray this will be a lesson learned early because I know I have followed my own parents and grandparents example in this and now I’m passing on the torch and praying they run with it!

Apparently five is the magic number because my daughter turned five the beginning of this month and has changed her behavior for the sole fact that she is five.

The major struggle (will one of the major struggles) with her has been sleeping in her own bed, or anywhere but mine! Sure, she could fall asleep elsewhere but was bound to crawl in with us in the wee hours of the morning when we’re too tired to kick her out because we have to be up the next morning…. etc.

But when she turned five we tucked her in to her own bed and she stayed there all night!! She came down and announced it to us all smiles in the morning. I was a bit more smiley as well since I had slept a little sounder not being prodded and poked my loving daughter.

She also believes she is taller and more grown up since she turned five, which is fine. Just glad she turned the corner to this magic age and to sounder sleeping nights. 

My head is swimming with chlorine and my hair, only the previously dyed part I was trying to grow out, is lightening so now you can really see my roots and it had a bit of a skunkish effect.

But it’s ok. The swim club is open which keeps my kids social, active and happy. This is also our first year with my boys on the swim team. Luckily they’re only doing half the season as they were last minute recruits. I have to say, they’re loving it.

I’m really enjoying seeing them be a bit more athletic, my husband and I are more artistic and musical than great athletes, and being a part of the team. I think it is and is going to be a great experience for them and they look so cute in their little swim suits!

I’m also loving the new crowd of moms that I’m telling about our upcoming VBS. Hopefully we’ll see some of their kids out. Usually by August the moms are looking for a break anyway, I’m just a glutton for punishment by taking on all their kids for the week.

Actually, I’ve been thrilled to have a lot of our neighborhood families join us for VBS. Their kids have fun, learn God’s word and have an opportunity to meet Jesus. We’ve also seen whole families come to Christ or take beginning steps into our church family through VBS which is wonderful. Can’t wait to see what God will do this year.

But right now, just need to get through swim season. Time to get them suited up!

Seems my four year old daughter (almost five, just a couple more days) is averaging about four outfits a day. For me, being a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl, this is new, confusing and frustrating territory, as I’ve posted about before (No, You’re Not Wearing High Heels!).

On Saturday she started off putting on jeans and a t-shirts (my girl:)) because she was going to roller-blade and didn’t want to hurt her knees, smart choice. Rollerblading (with the beginner ones, made to fit over her sneakers) lasted about five minutes.

Time to change again. This time, same t-shirt but flowered shorts. Outfit got dirty playing outside.

Time to change again. This time she picked out a “really cute” top and spent no less than half and hour picking out pants that we rolled up to look like capris to match it because she did not want to wear shorts or a skirt. But then she decided she didn’t want to be seen in her new outfit.

Time to change again. Now she picks very bright shorts and a shirt (the shirt was paisley and the shorts were flowered, all very bright, big prints) that she says match because they have similar colors but I’m just glad she picked this outfit quickly so I’m not about to argue.

I guess you could say she changed five times if you count bedtime, which also takes careful wardrobe decisions, luckily Daddy handled that one.

Once again this is new territory, my boys are so easy. My oldest just wears whatever is clean, though sometimes I need to remind him to go find clean clothes and my middle son just wants to wear as little clothing as possible. Today he’s running around in his swim team suit (not quite itsy, bitsy speedo but those very tight fitting shorts) I think because it’s the closest he can get to running around in his underwear, which he seems to prefer. Boys are so easy.

I don’t always do what I say but one thing I’m striving to do is always encourage my children.

I try hard to bite my tongue and not criticize but rather praise to build their self confidence. There are others who may criticize, but as their mom I want to be their biggest fan. I want to praise their artwork like a masterpiece, listen to their song and give them a standing ovation, and especially catch them doing something good and praise them for it.

Some thing are obvious to praise but with others I need to make the conscious effort to give praise. For instance today, they all had their first swim lesson of the year. I decided to make it a point of telling them all how wonderful they did. We can praise the little day to day things as well as the major events.

 I try and encourage them in their personal walk with God as well. Not that I want them to do it to make me happy, but just to let them know that I see and I think they’re on the right track. Like when I pick my son up from school and he tells me what he read in his Bible and how it’s helped him (he packs his Bible in his bookbag and yes it’s public school:).

Sometimes it’s just nice to hear that you’re doing well or that someone is watching and notices you. I’m going to try and harder to praise and encourage my children.

You can see my first published articles here.

You can actually reads them by clicking below…

Poolside Chats, Workplace Prayers and MySpace

Costumes, Candy and New Friends

Loving Local Families

These article were published in a calendar put out by the EPC called “Going Missional.”

It was published in an effort to share ideas to reach our neighbors. To care for them, minister to them and share the Gospel with them.

I believe that not only can we be missional as churches; we can be so as families.

We can love our neighbors. We can serve them. We can demonstrate Christ’s love to them through our actions.

As parents we can teach our children to be lights by setting an example of how to do so.

Thanks to Planet Green and this post from the ”A Little Greener Everyday” blog I’ve been thinking a lot more about living simply. My last post was about my daughter and her friend being entertained by a potato (by the way, today they’ve been entertained by our dog and pillows, go figure).

I’ve been thinking about our stewardship of what God has given us. It can’t be good stewardship to always be wanting more, to want the latest and greatest thing on the market to make our lives easier. In fact, so many of these great technologies have done harm to the world we live in which I feel we need to be good stewards of as well.

We’re commanded not to covet, true it references adultery, but I think too much of our lives is spent wanting what others have.

I’ve been talking to my husband and friends lately about living simplar lives. There are so many ways to do this from consuming less to just scheduling less. Why do we need to go, go, go and buy, buy, buy?

If we as parents live our lives this way how are we teaching our children to be thankful for what God has given them? When do we have time to be still before God?

These are just some of the things I’ve been pondering and would encourage you to think about as well.

How can we be better stewards of the time, money, world and everything else that God had given us?

What do two preschool girls need to keep them entertained for an afternoon.

Baby dolls?

A Hannah Montana Concert?

Paints?

Movies?

A moonbounce?

A box of dress up clothes?

How about two potatoes?

My daughter and her friend were playing so nicely and quietly so I walked over to see what they were doing. They were sitting on the floor rolling potatoes back and forth while the mounds of toys we’ve aquired sat by, untouched.

It’s always this way, from the first Christmas when they play with the wrapping paper and boxes. Yet we keep wanting to give our children the best and max out our cards buying the latest craze only to have it sit on a shelf or lay in the bottom of the toybox.

Someday we parents will learn. Maybe we can follow their example to a simpler life.