christianparenting

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.

I have two new (healthy) addictions. Discovery’s new channel, Planet Green, and Swaptree. Which actually plays into each other quite well because Swaptree promotes less consumer purchasing and therefore is the greener way to buy books. Thanks to “A Little Greener Every Day” for the heads up on Planet Green!

By the way, neither one is paying me to write this  just really like them.

On planet green I’ve been watching “Greensburg” a show about a small town that was completely destroyed by a montrous tornado and they are rebuilding green. I also like “Wasted” which makes me want to go pack up my family live on a commune to reduce our carbon foot print, which I’m sure is quite large.

As for Swaptree, don’t get me started. My husband couldn’t believe it when he found me camped out in front of the computer searching for more books for my want list at midnight. Normally I’m snoring like nobody’s business by nine (sometimes earlier) but that’s what happens when you have three kids.

Anyway, on Swaptree you list the books you want to trade and the ones you want and if yours matches someone elses you can set up a trade. All you pay is postage, which you can even print on Swaptree. I’ve already shipped one out and have two books to go out tomorrow which means three are headed to me. So exciting. I know, I’m a dork.

My son and I are waiting for one book to come up that we’ve both been eager to read. Still can’t believe I read the same books as my son.

Anyway, I need to go list more books now. I made a special trip to the basement to rummage through old boxes of books to trade.

Any suggestions on good books for my wish list?

Check out lots of great posts and blogs (including my “Ode to Hand-me-downs”) at http://thesocalledme.net/archives/carnival-family-life/

My oldest is in third grade in the local public school (which is a great one, by the way) and this year he’s had quite a few writing assignments.

The most recent was a big essay which started with a thesis statement. When I stopped in to see the teacher she raved about his essay and said she would make me a copy and was making herself a copy to keep for further years (the original goes to his forth grade teacher). I was (and still am) a very proud mama!

His thesis statement was, “Have you ever wondered if there was a program for kids where you learn about God and have fun at the same time?” He then goes on to tell about our church’s Children’s Ministries (which I’m the director of so I was even prouder.)

Not only did he tell about all the fun but he told about the lessons, the service projects and kids inviting their friends and family so they learn about God and become a part of our church.

It was so sweet and touching to see that it mattered to him, that he gets what we do and why we do it.

It was also pretty amazing to think of my third grade son sitting and sharing these things with his teacher and his class. He has been outspoken about his faith since he started school and has invited many friends to our different ministries, some whose families have gotten involved or have at least started seeking.

It’s amazing to see God at work in the lives of my children and once again I’m just grateful that he’s alowd me on for the ride.

One thing I think every Christian parent struggles with is the amount we let our children into this scary world.

It would seem so much safer to just keep them by you at all times, to limit contact with the outside world. To protect them from the snares out there.

But then how are they learning to be a light? How are they learning to hold onto their faith and rely on God and follow him out of temptation? How about the kids in school or our neighbors who don’t know God but might learn from my kids?

But then again, what happens when they are out there as a light and they get swayed themselves. Except someday, no matter how much protecting I do they will leave my little nest and I have to hope that I have trained them well enough to live in the real world and not be too influenced by others. Somehow I think locking them in the house is not going to accomplish that, though I so wish I could.

What a big responsibility, what a challenge. I wish I could offer answers but now I have many questions.

Yet once again, I have hope that I serve God who loves my children and who is in control.

I’ve been reading “What Every Mom Needs” by Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall (put out by MOPs).

I was struck by one comment from a mother in a bit about what moms feel their needs are. She said, “I need hope most. I need hope to get me through the day…I need hope that my son will grow to be a responsible adult, in spite of my parenting mistakes. I need hope that he will learn what I want to teach him and will take these values to heart. But most of all, I need hope that God will handle everything.”

How true.

I have alway struggled with my identity as a mom, with not being good enough or not matching up to the mom who seems to have it all together.

A couple of years ago I attended a women’s retreat through the EPC. The speaker helped me see that I myself am a child of God and my identity is in Christ.

She also stated something that struck me, gave me an overwhelming responsibility but also a sense of hope.

She stated that our children are God’s children, that he has given us the privelage of raising them but they are his.

It gives me hope that we’re not doing this parenting thing alone. My children also have a heavenly father who loves them infinately more than I could, who is always watching over them and who has a plan for them.

Thank you God, that I can have hope.

I always think it’s funny to see how differently my children react to getting hurt.

When my oldest gets a little bruise he’s ready to go to the hospital, no exageration, until he finally does something, forgetting he’s hurt and realizes he’s ok. Either that, or  he has a high percentage of miraculous healings.

My middle son (7 years) seems to have the ability to bounce. Last night at Tae Kwon Do (At Holmes TKDo and Martial Arts Center) they were doing laps and he tripped, landed on his knees and bounced along, got a bandaid for his skinned knee and jumped right into the laps again.

This is also my son who wanted absolutely no help in learning to ride his bike. In fact when I tried to help he just yelled that I made him fall. So, Mr. Independant would ride a couple feet, fall, hop back on and try again for a couple hours until he was finally riding. The neighbors and I watched him keep trying from the windows.

My daughter (4 years) can go either way, depending on how much attention she wants. If she’s busy playing, she’ll just continue on. But when she wants sympathy she know how to use those big eyes and get all she needs.

It’s amazing how different they are. Guess God wanted to keep me on my toes.