Devotion #15- Heart Tattoo Part 3

 

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7

 

Here are some ideas that have worked in our home to encourage a heightened awareness of God.   If you are interested in finding out more about these ideas and resources please leave me a comment and I would be more than happy to provide more information.

·         Spontaneous prayer offered during the day with the kids about everyday things such as finding a parking space, or a lost item, praise about a beautiful day, or prayer for people involved in an accident that we happen to encounter while driving.

·         Short morning devotions at breakfast- we are using Our Together-Time Bible by: Gwen Ellis right now. This also helps to get my attitude right in the morning!

·         Daily catechism-this is a summary of the principles of Christianity in a question and answer format especially for young children. We are using the one called First Catechism Teaching Children Bible Truths. I am amazed at what my four year old has learned by doing this.

·         Bible activities- I especially like the Favorite Bible Stories series. I purchased several of these at LifeWay.

·         Mealtime and bedtime prayers- I savor ones offered from the heart- especially ones offered from the heart of my four year old.

·         Weekly scripture memory- my daughter is in a local Awana program which has weekly assignments and a weekly verse to memorize and recite each week.

·         Post scripture to be memorized for the whole family on some sort of bulletin board,  wipe board, or flip chart. I received a mini shoebox filled with scripture cards for free from Samaritan's Purse that provides a scripture verse for every week of the year. Contact them at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/contact-us to find out more about it.

·         Christian music- we are loving Toby Mac's Eye on It right now and the girls love to sing along in the car. I have several Hidden in My Heart scripture lullaby CDs and I play them while the girls sleep so that they are getting scripture lodged into their souls and hearts. They are wonderful for adults to listen to as well!

·         Be mindful of and available for conversations where Jesus and Christian principles can be discussed. These happen more than you might think if you listen for them. It happens often for us during school pick up, bath time, and when we tuck the kids in at night.

·         Be an example of how to live for God yourself. I have a daily quiet time during my 22 month olds nap. My four year old is often doing some sort of Bible activity during this time. One day she got out my Bible and my Bible study book and put them on my favorite spot on the couch in the living room where I like to have my special time. I couldn't believe that she had paid attention to all those details so closely. Little ones are always watching us!

·         Be  involved in service with your kids. I like to visit a particular nursing home with my girls and we always discuss that the reason that we go is to share God's love with the people who we visit there.

·         Take meals to others. While preparing and taking the meal talk to your children about why you are doing it.

·         Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes- we have loved this yearly holiday tradition and while shopping for our child we discuss what we are doing and why. Check out their website for more information: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/about-us/.

First, let me caution you that you don't have to do all these things. These aren't meant to serve as a one size fits all for how to have spiritually minded kids. These are just some things that have worked for our family. Second, I didn't start out doing all these things at once. It has been a trial and error process of finding out what works for us. Do these things work out perfectly on a daily basis? No! Are there days when things get missed or when I fall short of my job as spiritual teacher? A big Yes! There are times when halfway into our catechism discussion my four year old will ask a totally unrelated question (like last week!) when she asked how many more months until her Birthday comes. But that's okay. Spiritually equipping our children is a marathon and not a sprint. God knows our heart. He knows our limitations. He doesn't expect perfection and He can use it all, even the not so perfect. The main thing is that we are willing and that we make an effort. That is all He really wants from us- to be willing to be used by Him for a purpose bigger than ourselves- an eternal purpose, a willingness to live intentionally focused on making God the center of our family. I am trying in my small, limited human way to love my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is God, through His spirit, who allows me to even attempt this impossibility otherwise. That is how much He loves. How could I return that kind of love with anything less?

 

 

 

 

 

Chains and Shackles

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

prone to leave the God I love."

From the Hymn: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

 

We must stay vigilant to the reappearance of idols in our lives. I find myself clearing them out only to find them coming back in different forms. John Calvin once said, "Man's nature is a perpetual factory of idols." Without even knowing it or realizing it, I flirt with new ones. I am freed only to forget quickly the pain I left behind and I find myself trying on new chains and shackles that appear prettier and shinier than my old ones until the Holy Spirit gently opens my eyes and tugs at my heart and wakes me up to my mindless cravings and I realize how empty and ugly the fake promise is that I am being offered. It is that same old trick from that same old garden and I keep falling for it over and over again. The same trick with a newer, more modern facade- yet still deadly. How ugly is the reality of deception. How broken is the human heart. Mine is no exception.

Devotion #14- Heart Tattoo Part 2

" Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:5-7

 

So how do we diligently teach our children truth the way we are called to in Deuteronomy? I have to admit that it seemed a daunting task to me even a year ago. I didn't know where to start and I was tempted to shirk my responsibility letting it fall to the Sunday School teachers at church. That was until my eyes were opened to these verses in Deuteronomy and I realized that this was the real reason that I was called to stay home- to be there to tell my children about Jesus in all of those ordinary everyday moments. Right along with my daily tasks I am to point my children to Jesus whenever I can, however I can, and as often as I can.

I want to fill my children with as much truth as possible. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will be able to bring scripture to the minds of my children whenever it is needed because I will have helped to lay the foundation for it to be there in the first place. I love how my sister expressed it recently one day when we were talking about this and she said, "My job is to deliver truth and God's job is to make it grow and to connect the dots."  She has seen evidence of that when my six year old niece asked her why she was dressed up to go out on a date with her Daddy. My sister replied that she wanted to look nice for him and my niece replied, "Oh, I get it! You want to honor him!" My sister had never made that connection for her but scripture on honoring had been taught which allowed the connection to be made nonetheless. Our children understand and perceive more spiritually than we will ever know. That is why it is so important to act on that right now and not let time continue to pass. The window of sensitivity is closing even as we speak and we don't have time to waste. We must feel the sense of urgency.

Before we dive into some sort of scripture or Bible teaching program though we need to look at our own personal relationship with Jesus first. We can't teach our children about a love that we don't have. We have to get ourselves right with Jesus first. Any attempt on our part will be fake if we don't and will be perceived as such. Beth Moore in her DVD study called The Law of Love Lessons from the Pages of Deuteronomy says that, "Loving must proceed the living," meaning that our life must be lived as an outpouring of the love that we have for Jesus. If we genuinely love Him we will want to tell others and share with others what He has done for us including our children. We will want to do for others as He has done for us. We can't fake that kind of love. Others will naturally want what we have and will see it as real and genuine, especially our children.

At this preschool age hearts are exceptionally tender for the things of God. I have witnessed it often as my daughter prays spontaneously and talks about Jesus throughout the day. The home environment had to be conducive though to encourage this heightened awareness of God.

Stay tuned to the next devotion where I share specific ways that have worked in our home to diligently teach God's word and to help us keep our focus on Him.

 

 

Chore Dice

Earlier in the week my Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group made these and I wanted to share the idea with you.  We were given painted wooden cubes. I'm sure that you can find plain ones at a craft store and then paint them yourself. We then cut out pictures of different chores/activities. We used Modge Podge to attach the pictures which creates a cool glossy effect. My dice has a laundy folding icon which can also mean that my daughter needs to put her own clothes away, a picture of lunch which will mean that my daughter needs to assemble her lunch for school, a gardening icon which will mean that she can help pull weeds (she loves doing this!), a taking out the trash ion (we will need to work toward this one!), a vacuuming icon which I told her meant that if she makes a mess on the kitchen floor she can use my hand vacuum to clean it up, and an icon of dishes which will mean that she can help unload the dishwasher. You can have the child roll a chore, they can choose one off the cube, or you can place the cube somewhere for them to see what their chore is for the day or that morning. My daughter was thrilled when I picked her up from childcare during the meeting to see that I had made something for her. I'm looking forward to giving my daughter more responsibilies around the house. She already does a good job of keeping her room neat, putting away toys, and doing things that involve her, but I think it is important for her to do more things to help out the family. I want her to understand that we all work together as a family to make sure that things get done around our house and that mom isn't a maid. I would hate to have to apologize to her husband some day why she can't get it together in her own home!

It's All Okay

I'm wired the way that You intended for me. Questioning that and not embracing that is questioning You and telling You, the Creator, that You messed up and failed somehow. So what that I always feel a little removed from this planet. So what that my favorite days are being domestic in my home and caring for my family's needs. So what that I'm ordinary and not exciting and that I may never travel to faraway lands. I may never get to do exotic things. So what that I get excited about hemming my kids' clothes and shopping clothing sales for them while I sometimes sheepishly buy the cheap Wal-Mart shirt as I am about to enter the checkout lane. So what that I would live in Birkenstocks if I could get away with it. It's all okay. I'm okay. You've made me that way and  for that I thank you God. You never make mistakes.

 

Devotion #13- Heart Tattoo

 

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you  today shall be on your heart." Deuteronomy 6:5-6 

Sometimes it is so easy to get overwhelmed with my job as a mom. The day to day needs are urgent and time consuming. I could simply miss out on the big picture, the real reason that I am doing this. I could effortlessly lose my joy and not to mention my sanity during these early years of mothering. During those difficult moments I focus on the fact that my children are on loan from God and that ultimately my most important job as a mom is to teach them about Him.

This past fall, I completed an in-depth Bible study with a Community Bible Study group on Deuteronomy.  I know, I know- it sounds incredibly dull but hang with me here. I felt the same way prior to the study and was actually disappointed when I initially found out that this was the book we were studying for the next sixteen weeks! Throughout the course of my study though I discovered that no other book is quoted more by Jesus which lead me to conclude that it is really important for me to know it as well as to pass on this truth to my children. Also during a recent refresher on Deuteronomy through  a lecture study by Beth Moore which I highly recommend,  I found out that the book of Deuteronomy is essentially a commentary given by God on the entire Bible. The Hebrew name for Deuteronomy actually means "to explain" or "make something plain."  I am all for simplification in this stage of my life and to think that God provided one for me in His word is amazing!

Now I am not a tattoo girl, my typically sweet Dad is very dogmatic on this point,  but if  I were these pivotal words from Deuteronomy 6:5 would make their way onto my body as a representation of where they should be internally- on my heart and soul forever. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." The chapter continues with, "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart." Then the chapter goes on to talk about teaching our children, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Essentially we are to teach our children about Jesus all the time. There is nothing more important.

After providing the simplification in writing in His word, God then goes one step further in providing a model for us to see the simplification in the flesh- Jesus! When Jesus was asked in Matthew 22:36 what was the greatest commandment he replied from Deuteronomy 6:5, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments."

So all this to say that if I fail miserably in all other aspects of my life but hold fast to these, my life has been a success. If when I leave this world my children know these principles, I will have been a successful parent. Being the coolest mom doesn't matter. Being the most athletic mom doesn't matter. Being the mom who is the most creative doesn't matter. Being the mom who cooks the best meals or makes the fanciest Birthday cakes doesn't matter. When I meet my maker face to face and receive my, "Well done good and faithful servant" it will only depend on these two things: Do I love God with everything I am and have and do I love others? It can't get much simpler or more direct than that for someone easily confused  who can quickly lose their focus like me.

So what does "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise" actually look like for real moms? Stay tuned for the next devotion!

Resurrection Eggs

 

 

We have been loving this as a daily reminder about the true meaning of Easter. I know that there are ways you can make these filled eggs yourself, but I went ahead and bought a set online from a Christian bookstore. I wanted the set to be sturdy and last for a while and I was concerned that if I made my own, it would end up falling apart at some point. It saved me time too! Each day we read a scripture that relates to the Easter story and then open up an egg to see what the symbol is for the day that goes with the scripture. My preschooler is the perfect age for this activity as she is excited every morning to open up an egg and read the scripture. I would encourage those with small children to try this family activity. I love having a spiritual focus with my girls first thing in the morning and they are such little sponges. My feeling is that the more scripture I can fill their hearts and minds with the better!