What does it mean to follow JESUS?
Question to ask your kids: What are the four Gospels? Answer: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Question to ask your kids: How many times do you think Jesus said, “Follow Me,” in the four Gospels? Answer: 13
Tell your kids: Jesus used the words, “Follow Me,” to call His disciples.
Question to ask your kids: How many disciples did Jesus have? Answer: 12
Bible Study on Jesus calling the 12 disciples to follow Him from the four gospels (you could have your kids act this out)
Simon Peter (Fisherman) and Andrew (Fisherman) (Matthew 4:18-20)
18 Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
James (Fisherman) and John (Fisherman) (Matthew 4:21-22)
21 Jesus saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father,
mending their nets. He called them,
22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
Philip and Nathanael/Bartholomew (John 1:43-51)
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets,
wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Matthew/Levi (Tax Collector) (Matthew 9:9)
9 Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. He said to him, “Follow Me.” So, he arose and followed Him.
The Twelve Chosen (Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-19)
13 Jesus went up on the mountain and prayed and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
16 Simon and Andrew,
17 James and John, that is, “Sons of Thunder”;
18 Philip, Nathanael/Bartholomew, Matthew/Levi, Thomas, James, Thaddaeus/Jude, Simon the Canaanite/Zealot;
19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Question to ask your kids: What does it mean to follow Jesus? Answers: May vary, but some answers may be
to love like Jesus loved, to walk like Jesus walked, to talk like Jesus talked, to live like Jesus lived, to obey like Jesus obeyed (discuss what they share)
Game to play with your kids: Follow the leader https://www.considerable.com/entertainment/games/follow-the-leader/
Song to sing with your kids: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8jvfdDtoqY
Prayer to pray with your kids: Heavenly Father, Thank You for sending Your son, Jesus, to not only die on the cross for our sins, but to show us how to love, walk, talk, live, and obey. Please help us to follow Jesus and share Him with others. Amen.
Sunday, January 9, 2022
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Remain Faithful to God's Word
One of my favorite examples of discipleship in the Bible is Timothy. Timothy was a unique person in that his mom, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, were devout Jews, but his father was a Greek Gentile. Timothy's mom and grandma taught Timothy the Scriptures when he was a child (2nd Timothy 1:5). Along Paul's first missionary journey, Paul met Timothy and shared the gospel with Timothy and Timothy became a believer in Jesus Christ (Acts 14). Timothy joined Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-3) and became Paul's son in the faith (1st Timothy 1:2) and co-worker for the gospel (1st Thessalonians 3:2).
Paul wrote two letters to Timothy (1st and 2nd Timothy). In these letters, Paul gave Timothy wisdom and advice on how to remain faithful to God and His Word amidst persecution and false teachers. In 2nd Timothy 3:10-17, we see Paul warning Timothy that persecution was inevitable as a follower of Christ and that deceivers and imposters would come into the Church. Paul also encouraged Timothy to stand firm in his faith and in God's Word, which he had known from childhood.
14 - But as for you, you must continue to remain faithful to what you have been taught/what you have learned and firmly believe to be true [God's Word], for you know that you can trust those who taught you/you have learned from.
15 - From childhood you have known the holy/sacred Scriptures [God's Word], which has given you the wisdom to receive salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 - All Scripture is God-breathed/inspired by God,
and is profitable for:
doctrine/instruction/teaching what is true/right,
reproof/rebuke/conviction of what is wrong,
correction of sin in our lives,
and training in righteousness/what is right
17 - so that the man/servant of God may be thoroughly equipped/prepared for every good work
and will be complete/perfect.
When I look at this passage of Scripture as well as cross-references, I see 10 things:
1) Eunice (Timothy's mom) and Lois (Timothy's grandma) had built a trustworthy relationship with Timothy.
Paul also built a trustworthy relationship with Timothy.
2) Eunice and Lois taught Timothy God's Word as a child.
3) That teaching made Timothy ready to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ when Paul shared it.
4) Paul encouraged Timothy to remain faithful to God's Word no matter what.
5) God's Word is breathed out/inspired by God. Men wrote what God instructed them to write (2nd Peter 1:21).
6) God's Word teaches us what is right.
7) God's Word exposes our sin/what is wrong.
8) God's Word corrects us of our sin.
9) God's Word trains us in righteousness/right living.
10) God's Word equips up for every good word God has called us to do.
How do we apply this in our lives and in the lives of our children?
1) Build and cultivate a relationship built on love and trust with your kids.
2) Teach them the Scriptures from childhood (it's never too late to start).
3) Pray for them to be ready to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ when it is shared with them.
4) Encourage them to remain faithful to God and His Word no matter what.
Heavenly Father,
I pray for each parent or guardian or person who is reading this devotional right now. Everyone has a level of influence with children and people in their lives. I pray that we would build relationships of love and trust with our kids and others. I pray that we would teach them the Scriptures. I pray that their hearts would be fertile soil ready to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ when it is shared with them. I pray that we would be encouraged and encourage others to remain faithful to You and Your Word no matter what. To You be all the glory!
Amen.
Paul wrote two letters to Timothy (1st and 2nd Timothy). In these letters, Paul gave Timothy wisdom and advice on how to remain faithful to God and His Word amidst persecution and false teachers. In 2nd Timothy 3:10-17, we see Paul warning Timothy that persecution was inevitable as a follower of Christ and that deceivers and imposters would come into the Church. Paul also encouraged Timothy to stand firm in his faith and in God's Word, which he had known from childhood.
14 - But as for you, you must continue to remain faithful to what you have been taught/what you have learned and firmly believe to be true [God's Word], for you know that you can trust those who taught you/you have learned from.
15 - From childhood you have known the holy/sacred Scriptures [God's Word], which has given you the wisdom to receive salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 - All Scripture is God-breathed/inspired by God,
and is profitable for:
doctrine/instruction/teaching what is true/right,
reproof/rebuke/conviction of what is wrong,
correction of sin in our lives,
and training in righteousness/what is right
17 - so that the man/servant of God may be thoroughly equipped/prepared for every good work
and will be complete/perfect.
When I look at this passage of Scripture as well as cross-references, I see 10 things:
1) Eunice (Timothy's mom) and Lois (Timothy's grandma) had built a trustworthy relationship with Timothy.
Paul also built a trustworthy relationship with Timothy.
2) Eunice and Lois taught Timothy God's Word as a child.
3) That teaching made Timothy ready to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ when Paul shared it.
4) Paul encouraged Timothy to remain faithful to God's Word no matter what.
5) God's Word is breathed out/inspired by God. Men wrote what God instructed them to write (2nd Peter 1:21).
6) God's Word teaches us what is right.
7) God's Word exposes our sin/what is wrong.
8) God's Word corrects us of our sin.
9) God's Word trains us in righteousness/right living.
10) God's Word equips up for every good word God has called us to do.
How do we apply this in our lives and in the lives of our children?
1) Build and cultivate a relationship built on love and trust with your kids.
2) Teach them the Scriptures from childhood (it's never too late to start).
3) Pray for them to be ready to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ when it is shared with them.
4) Encourage them to remain faithful to God and His Word no matter what.
Heavenly Father,
I pray for each parent or guardian or person who is reading this devotional right now. Everyone has a level of influence with children and people in their lives. I pray that we would build relationships of love and trust with our kids and others. I pray that we would teach them the Scriptures. I pray that their hearts would be fertile soil ready to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ when it is shared with them. I pray that we would be encouraged and encourage others to remain faithful to You and Your Word no matter what. To You be all the glory!
Amen.
Friday, July 23, 2021
Character Study - Complaining
COMPLAINING
Definition to Look Up:
complain:
Verse(s) to Memorize:
Philippians 2:14-15:
Scripture to Read/Study:
The Life and Attitude of the Israelites as they Wandered the Wilderness:
After the Israelites, who were God’s chosen people, were miraculously freed from Egyptian slavery by God via Moses, they went in search of the Promised Land, but they were forced to wander in the Wilderness for forty years because they would not quit complaining against God.
Exodus 15:23-24:
23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
Exodus 16:2-3:
2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Numbers 21:4-9:
4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Questions to Answer:
Who were the Israelites?
Give some examples of times they complained.
Give some examples of their punishments for complaining?
Application to Plan: What is the key thing you learned from this lesson?
How can you apply what you learned from this lesson?
Prayer to Pray:
Definition to Look Up:
complain:
Verse(s) to Memorize:
Philippians 2:14-15:
Scripture to Read/Study:
The Life and Attitude of the Israelites as they Wandered the Wilderness:
After the Israelites, who were God’s chosen people, were miraculously freed from Egyptian slavery by God via Moses, they went in search of the Promised Land, but they were forced to wander in the Wilderness for forty years because they would not quit complaining against God.
Exodus 15:23-24:
23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
Exodus 16:2-3:
2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Numbers 21:4-9:
4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Questions to Answer:
Who were the Israelites?
Give some examples of times they complained.
Give some examples of their punishments for complaining?
Application to Plan: What is the key thing you learned from this lesson?
How can you apply what you learned from this lesson?
Prayer to Pray:
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Be a Student of Your Children
Now you may be looking at the title of this blog entry and thinking, "Be a student of your children? Aren't my children the students?" Yes, they are the students in many ways. They look up to you to teach them everything from how to eat to how to walk to how to read to how to drive a car. But, I believe we are also to be students of our children.
One of the most quoted verses when it comes to parenting is Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Upon further study of that verse, I have learned 2 things:
1) It is a principle, not a promise, and
2) It doesn't just mean to train them up in the LORD (which is the most important thing), but it also means to train them up in their special and specific callings and giftings from God.
What I mean by it being a principle and not a promise is that we do not have a 100% guarantee that if we train them up in the LORD that they will always follow Him. That in no way means that we should not train them up in the LORD (see Deut 6:4-9 and Eph 6:4).
Again, we should train them up in the LORD, but we also need to train them up in their special callings and giftings from God. How do we know what those specific callings and giftings are? By being a student of our children. This means that we are actively involved in their lives and watching to see their God-given bents, interests, gifts, and callings. If we see that our child shows more interest in history than math, we should help them look into a path that involves history (ie teacher, lawyer, politician) and not push them into engineering just because we are an engineer and think it is the best career ever. If we see that our child is more into music than athletics, we should encourage and equip them in music and not push them into football just because we are a die-hard NFL fan. These are simple examples, but so many parents make goals for their children that have nothing to do with each individual child.
Be a student of your children and train them up in the LORD and in the bents, interests, gifts, and callings He has given them, and when they are old, they will not depart from it.
One of the most quoted verses when it comes to parenting is Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Upon further study of that verse, I have learned 2 things:
1) It is a principle, not a promise, and
2) It doesn't just mean to train them up in the LORD (which is the most important thing), but it also means to train them up in their special and specific callings and giftings from God.
What I mean by it being a principle and not a promise is that we do not have a 100% guarantee that if we train them up in the LORD that they will always follow Him. That in no way means that we should not train them up in the LORD (see Deut 6:4-9 and Eph 6:4).
Again, we should train them up in the LORD, but we also need to train them up in their special callings and giftings from God. How do we know what those specific callings and giftings are? By being a student of our children. This means that we are actively involved in their lives and watching to see their God-given bents, interests, gifts, and callings. If we see that our child shows more interest in history than math, we should help them look into a path that involves history (ie teacher, lawyer, politician) and not push them into engineering just because we are an engineer and think it is the best career ever. If we see that our child is more into music than athletics, we should encourage and equip them in music and not push them into football just because we are a die-hard NFL fan. These are simple examples, but so many parents make goals for their children that have nothing to do with each individual child.
Be a student of your children and train them up in the LORD and in the bents, interests, gifts, and callings He has given them, and when they are old, they will not depart from it.
Friday, July 16, 2021
Object Lesson - Cookies
I love cookies! To me there is almost nothing better than a homemade cookie, whether it be the classic chocolate chip or a seasonal gingersnap or a snickerdoodle. I love pulling out my trusty red Kitcheaid mixer, measuring cups and spoons, spatula, and ingredients and whipping up a batch of deliciousness, especially with my kids.
The other day, I read a great devotional from Proverbs 31 about life and how even the hard things are an important part of it. The author used this great analogy, so I cannot take the credit, but it was too good not to share. I am hoping us parents can use it with our kids. I've added more details to make it easier to do.
Pull out your mixer, measuring cups, and spoons, spatula, and ingredients, and grab your kids for this great object lesson.
Using the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, start with 2 sticks of softened butter. Talk to your kids about how butter is a fat and how sometimes we go through "fat times" which are times of plenty and blessing. You could share some times that you have seen God provide.
Add 3/4 cup of white sugar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Talk to your kids about how the sugar is like the "sweet times" which are times of super blessings. You could share some times that you have seen God do some sweet things. Mix that all up.
Then add 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla and mix. Talk to your kids about how we don't eat raw eggs and how sometimes we go through some pretty "raw times," that hurt pretty badly. You could talk about times in your life that hurt. You can also talk to them about how the vanilla represents "super sweet times". Share some super sweet times like your kids being born.
Then you add 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. Flour, baking soda, and baking powder are not fun to eat plain. They are pretty dry and tasteless, even yucky. They represent the "dry times" or "yucky times". Talk to your kids about those times in life. The salt represents "salty times" Those would be the really hard times. Talk with your kids about those.
Last, but of course not least, add in a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and mix. They represent the everyday sweet things that happen. Hopefully there are lots of "semisweet moments" sprinkled into your days. Making cookies could be one of those "semisweet moments."
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy! Remind them that God works all things together for the good (Romans 8:28). He puts all the "ingredients" into our "recipe" and it turns out as a good thing.
The other day, I read a great devotional from Proverbs 31 about life and how even the hard things are an important part of it. The author used this great analogy, so I cannot take the credit, but it was too good not to share. I am hoping us parents can use it with our kids. I've added more details to make it easier to do.
Pull out your mixer, measuring cups, and spoons, spatula, and ingredients, and grab your kids for this great object lesson.
Using the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, start with 2 sticks of softened butter. Talk to your kids about how butter is a fat and how sometimes we go through "fat times" which are times of plenty and blessing. You could share some times that you have seen God provide.
Add 3/4 cup of white sugar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Talk to your kids about how the sugar is like the "sweet times" which are times of super blessings. You could share some times that you have seen God do some sweet things. Mix that all up.
Then add 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla and mix. Talk to your kids about how we don't eat raw eggs and how sometimes we go through some pretty "raw times," that hurt pretty badly. You could talk about times in your life that hurt. You can also talk to them about how the vanilla represents "super sweet times". Share some super sweet times like your kids being born.
Then you add 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. Flour, baking soda, and baking powder are not fun to eat plain. They are pretty dry and tasteless, even yucky. They represent the "dry times" or "yucky times". Talk to your kids about those times in life. The salt represents "salty times" Those would be the really hard times. Talk with your kids about those.
Last, but of course not least, add in a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and mix. They represent the everyday sweet things that happen. Hopefully there are lots of "semisweet moments" sprinkled into your days. Making cookies could be one of those "semisweet moments."
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy! Remind them that God works all things together for the good (Romans 8:28). He puts all the "ingredients" into our "recipe" and it turns out as a good thing.
Monday, July 5, 2021
Family Meals
Family meals are crucial.
There are countless reasons why family meals are important, but I believe the number one reason is because it builds family relationships. All throughout Scripture, we see the value of "breaking bread".
Meals are not just about the food that's eaten, but about the fellowship that happens. It's about praying together, talking about our days, and extending love and respect to each other.
Whether it is a homecooked meal from scratch, a semi-homemade meal, sandwiches, cereal, takeout, or even eating in a restaurant, again, it's not about the food, but about being together.
Whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, a holiday feast, or a quick snack, it's not about the time of day, it's about the quality time.
Something fun that we like to do at our family meals is a game called "High/Low". Basically, you share the best part of your day ("high") and the worst part of your day ("low"). This is a simple yet deep game that gives everyone a chance to share what is going on with them. It also affords an opportunity to praise God for our "highs" and pray to God about our "lows".
We have also done devotionals at the table. A great resource for this is Adventures in Odyssey Meal Time Devotions.
It's great because it has:
A Mealtime Prayer
An Appetizer, which gets the topic rolling and asks a question
A Main Course, which is Scripture reading
Table Talk, which is more questions
Vitamins and Minerals, which is a Scripture verse (you could encourage them to memorize)
How do you prioritize family meals?
What do they look like?
Do you do anything fun or unique at meals?
There are countless reasons why family meals are important, but I believe the number one reason is because it builds family relationships. All throughout Scripture, we see the value of "breaking bread".
Meals are not just about the food that's eaten, but about the fellowship that happens. It's about praying together, talking about our days, and extending love and respect to each other.
Whether it is a homecooked meal from scratch, a semi-homemade meal, sandwiches, cereal, takeout, or even eating in a restaurant, again, it's not about the food, but about being together.
Whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, a holiday feast, or a quick snack, it's not about the time of day, it's about the quality time.
Something fun that we like to do at our family meals is a game called "High/Low". Basically, you share the best part of your day ("high") and the worst part of your day ("low"). This is a simple yet deep game that gives everyone a chance to share what is going on with them. It also affords an opportunity to praise God for our "highs" and pray to God about our "lows".
We have also done devotionals at the table. A great resource for this is Adventures in Odyssey Meal Time Devotions.
It's great because it has:
A Mealtime Prayer
An Appetizer, which gets the topic rolling and asks a question
A Main Course, which is Scripture reading
Table Talk, which is more questions
Vitamins and Minerals, which is a Scripture verse (you could encourage them to memorize)
How do you prioritize family meals?
What do they look like?
Do you do anything fun or unique at meals?
Praying for Our Children
There is no greater impact we can have on our kids than prayer. There are countless books and resources on praying for our kids. I have no doubt read and used most of them throughout the years.
Some of my favorite resources are:
The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodie Berndt
Additionally, I just took our Family Mission Statement - https://mightyacorns613.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-family-mission-statement.html - and turned it into a Daily Prayer Guide.
Some of my favorite resources are:
The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodie Berndt
Additionally, I just took our Family Mission Statement - https://mightyacorns613.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-family-mission-statement.html - and turned it into a Daily Prayer Guide.
I like this because it is specific to our family. Priscilla Shirer says, "Specific prayers get specific answers."
I would love to hear what resources you love for praying and how you pray for your children.
A Family Mission Statement
For years I have been hearing about creating a family mission statement. It always intrigued me because I am all about trying to find a focus for what I am doing and keeping my eyes on that. Anyone who knows me knows that I love acronyms. I prayed about this for a long time and decided that I wanted to use our last name, Webber, to create our mission statement using the letters in our name. I sat down and wrote every verb that I could think of that started with those letters that sounded like it would go along with something that could be a core value of our mission.
Wait, Walk
Educate, Encourage, Enjoy, Enter, Examine, Expect, Extend
Behave, Believe, Bless
Radiate, Raise, Rejoice, Remember, Reproduce, Remember, Rest
Then, I narrowed them down to these:
Walk with God
Enjoy and Examine God's Word
Believe that God Can Do the Impossible
Behave Like a Christian
Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving
Reproduce Other Believers in Jesus
After that, I found Bible verses to be the foundational truths of each part of the mission.
I typed it all up, prettied it all up, and printed out our Webber Family Mission Statement.
I am sharing it with you in hopes that it will motivate you to make yours as well. God Bless!
Wait, Walk
Educate, Encourage, Enjoy, Enter, Examine, Expect, Extend
Behave, Believe, Bless
Radiate, Raise, Rejoice, Remember, Reproduce, Remember, Rest
Then, I narrowed them down to these:
Walk with God
Enjoy and Examine God's Word
Believe that God Can Do the Impossible
Behave Like a Christian
Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving
Reproduce Other Believers in Jesus
After that, I found Bible verses to be the foundational truths of each part of the mission.
I typed it all up, prettied it all up, and printed out our Webber Family Mission Statement.
Redeeming Devices
One of the major modern parenting issues is technology and devices. There is an entire spectrum from "My kid will never have a device" to "My kid has unlimited devices".
This is not a post on if and/or when a child should or should not get a device. This is a post on how to redeem devices.
There is an amazing verse in the Bible that we actually have up in our school room as well as in the forefront of my mind.
Ephesians 5:15-16
So pay very careful attention, then, how you live. Don't live like unwise fools, but live like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity [Redeeming the time], because the days are evil.
I believe this verse shows us that we should make the most of every opportunity [redeem the time]. I believe this also includes devices.
One way that I have been redeeming devices with my 15-year-old son is by praying that God will give me a passage of Scripture to send to him each day. And God has been faithful every single day since I have started praying. I send him the Scripture with some insights and application and prayer and an "I love you" every day.
Here is what I sent him today:
2nd Timothy 3:14-17
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Stay faithful in and to God's Word, which you have known from childhood. Let it teach you, correct you, and guide you that you may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work that God has for you. Love you.
I pray that this is an encouragement and applicable thing for you. Let's go out and redeem the time. God bless!
This is not a post on if and/or when a child should or should not get a device. This is a post on how to redeem devices.
There is an amazing verse in the Bible that we actually have up in our school room as well as in the forefront of my mind.
Ephesians 5:15-16
So pay very careful attention, then, how you live. Don't live like unwise fools, but live like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity [Redeeming the time], because the days are evil.
I believe this verse shows us that we should make the most of every opportunity [redeem the time]. I believe this also includes devices.
One way that I have been redeeming devices with my 15-year-old son is by praying that God will give me a passage of Scripture to send to him each day. And God has been faithful every single day since I have started praying. I send him the Scripture with some insights and application and prayer and an "I love you" every day.
Here is what I sent him today:
2nd Timothy 3:14-17
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Stay faithful in and to God's Word, which you have known from childhood. Let it teach you, correct you, and guide you that you may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work that God has for you. Love you.
I pray that this is an encouragement and applicable thing for you. Let's go out and redeem the time. God bless!
Friday, May 28, 2021
Allowances
DISCLAIMER: This is just how we do allowances.
There is no perfect way to do allowances. In fact, some families don't even do allowances.
You do you and what works best for your family. This is just what we do.
We give allowances based on age because as they get older, they have more (intense) chores.
Ex. Our 5-year-old gets $5.00 a week, our 10-year-old gets $10.00 a week, and our 15-year-old gets $15.00 a week. We start at the age of 5 because they don't really understand before that.
Out of their allowance, they tithe 10%, give 10% to our church's children's building fund, and save 30% in a long-term savings account. The rest (50%) is theirs to spend how they wish (or save as short-term savings).
I'll use my middle child, who is 10, as an example, because the math is super easy.
At the age of 10, our son gets $10.00 a week (if he does all of his chores).
Out of that $10.00, 10% ($1.00) is tithed to our church.
Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase.
He committed to give 10% to our church's children's building fund so that is another $1.00.
2nd Corinthians 9:7 - So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
He puts 30% ($3.00) into his savings account, which he cannot touch until necessary.
Proverbs 13:16 - Every prudent man acts with knowledge.
He gets to keep 50% ($5.00) as his discretionary money to spend on whatever strikes his fancy (usually video game bucks).
Ecclesiastes 9:7 - Go, eat your bread with joy, for God has already accepted your works.
Now, you may be wondering how they earn their allowance. They have to do ALL of their chores. It's an all-or-nothing situation.
Again, I'll use my middle child, as an example.
His chores are: doing his own laundry (washing, drying, folding, putting away), cleaning his room throughout the week, changing his sheets weekly, vacuuming his room weekly, vacuuming his set of stairs weekly, cleaning his bathroom, cleaning the playroom, and any other odds and ends that help make the house run smoothly (dishes, wiping the kitchen table down, living room tidying, taking out trash and recycling, and anything else that is asked of him).
The reasons we like doing allowances are:
1) It rewards their hard work (my husband wouldn't go to work if they didn't give him a paycheck).
2) It teaches them how to manage their money (we don't want them to first learn how to tithe and save when they are adults).
3) They have to buy their treats along the way (no more "Mommy, will you buy me..." If they have their money, they can get it).
How do you do allowances? Please share. If you don't, please feel free to share that also.
There is no perfect way to do allowances. In fact, some families don't even do allowances.
You do you and what works best for your family. This is just what we do.
We give allowances based on age because as they get older, they have more (intense) chores.
Ex. Our 5-year-old gets $5.00 a week, our 10-year-old gets $10.00 a week, and our 15-year-old gets $15.00 a week. We start at the age of 5 because they don't really understand before that.
Out of their allowance, they tithe 10%, give 10% to our church's children's building fund, and save 30% in a long-term savings account. The rest (50%) is theirs to spend how they wish (or save as short-term savings).
I'll use my middle child, who is 10, as an example, because the math is super easy.
At the age of 10, our son gets $10.00 a week (if he does all of his chores).
Out of that $10.00, 10% ($1.00) is tithed to our church.
Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase.
He committed to give 10% to our church's children's building fund so that is another $1.00.
2nd Corinthians 9:7 - So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
He puts 30% ($3.00) into his savings account, which he cannot touch until necessary.
Proverbs 13:16 - Every prudent man acts with knowledge.
He gets to keep 50% ($5.00) as his discretionary money to spend on whatever strikes his fancy (usually video game bucks).
Ecclesiastes 9:7 - Go, eat your bread with joy, for God has already accepted your works.
Now, you may be wondering how they earn their allowance. They have to do ALL of their chores. It's an all-or-nothing situation.
Again, I'll use my middle child, as an example.
His chores are: doing his own laundry (washing, drying, folding, putting away), cleaning his room throughout the week, changing his sheets weekly, vacuuming his room weekly, vacuuming his set of stairs weekly, cleaning his bathroom, cleaning the playroom, and any other odds and ends that help make the house run smoothly (dishes, wiping the kitchen table down, living room tidying, taking out trash and recycling, and anything else that is asked of him).
The reasons we like doing allowances are:
1) It rewards their hard work (my husband wouldn't go to work if they didn't give him a paycheck).
2) It teaches them how to manage their money (we don't want them to first learn how to tithe and save when they are adults).
3) They have to buy their treats along the way (no more "Mommy, will you buy me..." If they have their money, they can get it).
How do you do allowances? Please share. If you don't, please feel free to share that also.
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Life Verses
What is a life verse? A life verse is a verse that you make your foundation for your life. Of course the entire Bible should be our foundation for life, but a life verse is a special word from the Lord that cements your life and your purpose as you follow God throughout your life.
My personal life verse is 2nd Corinthians 12:9 - And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
When our first son was on his way, we sat for hours praying and picking out names for him. When we settled on Luke, which I loved because it was from the Bible and meant "bringer of light," his life verse came very easily.
Luke's life verse is Matthew 5:16 - Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.
Our second son's name came very easily. One day I said, "I love the name Nathan," and my husband said, "Me too." It was easy-peasy. Coming up with his life verse didn't come during the pregnancy like it did with Luke's. After the death of his twin sister, each day I would say a verse over him and me.
Nathan's life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
Our daughter's name is Alexis Faith, which means "defender of faith." When she passed away, my faith was tested more than any other time in my life so far. We wanted a Bible verse on her headstone, and looking at "faith" in the Bible, the most fitting one became her life verse.
Alexis' life verse is Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Our third son's name was the hardest name to figure out. I guess when you have lots of one gender it gets harder. Once we unanimously agreed on Benjamin, I found his life verse pretty easily.
Benjamin's life verse is Deuteronomy 33:12 - Of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all the day long; and He shall dwell between his shoulders."
I hope this has encouraged you to prayerfully consider a life verse for yourself and/or your children.
I would love to hear yours. :)
Friday, September 11, 2020
Appreciation
D.L. Moody said, "Character is what a man is in the dark."
Instilling Godly character into our kids is crucial. Character is who they truly are.
After reading and highlighting so much of an awesome book,
Parenting With Scripture, by Kara Durbin,
I decided to make Character Studies for my kids and I am going to share one with you today.
Basically, you look up the definition of the character trait. Then, there is a verse to memorize.
Then, there is a passage of Scripture that illuminates the character trait in action.
After reading the passage, there are Observation and Application questions to go through.
Lastly, a place for prayer is given to encourage a time of prayer.
The first one is on Appreciation. Who doesn't appreciate being appreciated?
But what I have realized that more important than being appreciated by others
is having an attitude of appreciation toward God and others.
APPRECIATION
Word to Look Up: appreciation:
_________________________________________________________________________
Verse(s) to
Memorize: Psalm 100:4:
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Scripture to Read/Study:
Luke 17:11-19:
11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem
that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 Then as He entered a certain village,
there met Him ten men
who were lepers, who stood afar off.
13 And they lifted up their
voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show
yourselves to the priests.”
And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was
healed, returned,
and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 and fell down on his
face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
18 Were there not any found who returned
to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your
way. Your faith has made you well.”
Questions to
Answer:
Who are the key people in this lesson?
_________________________________________________________________________
Describe 9 Lepers: ________________________________________________________
Describe 1 Leper:
_________________________________________________________
What happens?
_________________________________________________________________________
How does the 1 leper stand out?
_________________________________________________________________________
What does Jesus say to him?
_________________________________________________________________________
Application to
Plan:
What is the key thing you learned from this lesson?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
How can you apply what you learned from this lesson?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Prayer to Pray:
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
If you need an easier-to-print PDF version, please e-mail me at mightyacorns613@hotmail.com
Monday, September 7, 2020
Be Humble
Help/Serve Others
Mark 9:35 – “If anyone desires to be first,
he shall be last of all and
servant of all.” – Jesus
Mark 10:43-45 – 43 Whoever desires to become great among you
shall be your servant.
44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 For even the Son
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
“Me first,” is not just something that
little kids say.
It’s a heart attitude that many people struggle with.
Jesus told His disciples if they
wanted to be first, they should be last and serve everyone.
How can you turn from “me first” to
“me last”? How can you serve others?
Use Your Gifts for Others, Not Yourself
1st Peter 4:10 – Each of you should use whatever gift you have
received
to serve others.
God has given everyone different gifts,
not to use for themselves, but for others.
What gifts has God given you? How can
you use them for others?
Mimic/Model Jesus to Others
Philippians 2:3-11 – 3 Let nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit,
but in
lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let
each of you look out not only for his own interests,
but
also for the interests of others.
5 Let
this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being
in the form of God,
did not consider it robbery to be equal with
God,
7 but made
Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a bondservant,
and coming in the
likeness of men.
8 And
being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself and became obedient
to the point
of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore
God also has highly exalted Him
and given
Him the name which is above every name,
10 that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of
those in heaven, and of those on earth,
and of those under the earth,
11 and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
When we come to Jesus as believers, we
are to be like Jesus.
Jesus was a humble servant.
How are you mimicking Jesus to others?
How can you model Jesus to others?
Be Honest With Others About Your Mistakes
and Sins
James 5:16 – Confess your sins to one
another, and pray for one another,
that you may be healed.
We all sin (Romans 3:23).
We don’t have
to hide that from others and try to look like we are awesome.
How can you humble yourself and share
your mistakes and sins with others?
Listen to Others
Proverbs 12:15 – The wise listen to
advice.
Humble people listen to others. How can
you be a better listener?
Edify/Build Up Others
Romans 15:2 – Each of us should be
concerned for our neighbors’ good,
to build them up (edify them).
Humble people look for ways to build up
others. How can you build others up?
Sunday, August 30, 2020
SALT and LIGHT
Believers Are SALT and LIGHT
(Matthew 5:13-16)
13 “You are the SALT of the earth;
but if the SALT loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the LIGHT of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they LIGHT a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a lampstand, and it gives LIGHT to all who are in the house.
16 Let your LIGHT so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
In the most famous sermon ever preached, Jesus told believers that they were:
The SALT of the earth and
The LIGHT of the world.
For a fun object lesson, you can get out some black construction paper
and write a message or picture or scribble scrabble on it with glue.
Then, pour SALT over it (like you would glitter).
It gives kids the image of taking the SALT into the dark world.
You can also take your kids into a dark room and give them a candle or
a tea light and show them how the LIGHT pierces the darkness.
Remember that we can't be the LIGHT without THE TRUE LIGHT [JESUS] in us.
Friday, August 28, 2020
P.R.A.Y.
This week, I am reading through the Sermon on the Mount along with my church through a method called F260 (which I love and highly encourage). Part of the Sermon on the Mount was Jesus telling how to pray through a very familiar and often memorized passage called "The Lord's Prayer." Now this prayer was not meant to just be memorized and repeated, but was to be a model of prayer. There is a great acronym (you know how I love those) that helps me remember how to pray and is great to teach our kids.
P - Praise
R - Repent
A - Ask
Y - Yield
P - Praise God for who is He and what He has done in my life.
God has so many names and so many attributes/qualities/characteristics.
He is Accessible, Creative, Eternal, Forgiving, Gracious, Holy, Immutable (Never Changes),
Just, Light, Merciful, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Peace, Righteous, Sovereign.
I could go on an on with names and qualities of God.
Ex. "God, You are Accessible. I can come boldly to You anytime, anywhere, with anyone,
about anything. I am so thankful that because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross,
I do not have to go through someone else to get to You."
Of course, you can probably sit and write a long list of all the things God has done in your life.
That is thanksgiving or giving thanks to God.
Ex. "Lord, I am so thankful for how You have provided for my family during this time.
Thank You!"
"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name." (Matthew 6:9)
God has so many names and so many attributes/qualities/characteristics.
He is Accessible, Creative, Eternal, Forgiving, Gracious, Holy, Immutable (Never Changes),
Just, Light, Merciful, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Peace, Righteous, Sovereign.
I could go on an on with names and qualities of God.
Ex. "God, You are Accessible. I can come boldly to You anytime, anywhere, with anyone,
about anything. I am so thankful that because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross,
I do not have to go through someone else to get to You."
Of course, you can probably sit and write a long list of all the things God has done in your life.
That is thanksgiving or giving thanks to God.
Ex. "Lord, I am so thankful for how You have provided for my family during this time.
Thank You!"
"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name." (Matthew 6:9)
R - Repent of my sins to God.
I don't know about you, but I haven't lived a single day without sinning.
If I do, I will let you know (but then that would be pride and that's a sin LOL!).
Sometimes I am very aware of my sins, but at times, I need God to reveal them to me.
Ex. "Father, Please search me and show me any sins in my heart, my mind, my words,
my attitude, my actions, my temptations, my walk. Please forgive me for ___________.
I am having a hard time forgiving __________. Please help me forgive them."
"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:12-13)
I don't know about you, but I haven't lived a single day without sinning.
If I do, I will let you know (but then that would be pride and that's a sin LOL!).
Sometimes I am very aware of my sins, but at times, I need God to reveal them to me.
Ex. "Father, Please search me and show me any sins in my heart, my mind, my words,
my attitude, my actions, my temptations, my walk. Please forgive me for ___________.
I am having a hard time forgiving __________. Please help me forgive them."
"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:12-13)
A - Ask/Petition God.
I would assume this is the part of prayer most of us are "good at."
We bring our list to God and ask Him to meet those needs.
This is when we pray for ourselves, our (future) spouse, our (future) marriage,
our (future) kids, our (future) parenting, our family, our home, our finances, our school,
our friends, our neighbors, our church, our ministries, missionaries, our country, our world,
lost people, sick people, and needy people.
Ex. "Lord, I pray for ___________ and their need for __________."
"Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11)
I would assume this is the part of prayer most of us are "good at."
We bring our list to God and ask Him to meet those needs.
This is when we pray for ourselves, our (future) spouse, our (future) marriage,
our (future) kids, our (future) parenting, our family, our home, our finances, our school,
our friends, our neighbors, our church, our ministries, missionaries, our country, our world,
lost people, sick people, and needy people.
Ex. "Lord, I pray for ___________ and their need for __________."
"Give us this day our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11)
Y - Yield your plans/will to God's.
"Prayer connects my heart/will/plans to God's heart/will/plans."
Ex. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." (Matthew 6:10, 13)
"Prayer connects my heart/will/plans to God's heart/will/plans."
Ex. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." (Matthew 6:10, 13)
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Immanuel, God With Us
We are living in some different times than we are used
to.
For most people, these times are hard and confusing and maybe even scary.
You might be doing school in a way that you have never done before.
You might not be able to participate in activities you have previously enjoyed.
It’s okay to admit that it’s not the best of times.
But something that gives me great comfort, especially in
difficult times,
is remembering that God is with us.
Matthew 1:23 – “Behold, the virgin shall be with
child, and bear a Son,
and they shall call His name "Immanuel,"
which is translated, "God with us."
Jesus had a lot of names.
The cool thing about His names is that they described His character and His actions.
In this verse we see that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.
John 1:14 – And the Word [Jesus] became flesh and
dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
Okay, this verse always gives me “glory bumps” as a dear friend of mine calls them.
God became a human and dwelt (a fancy word for lived) among people
and they got to see God’s glory and grace and truth through Him. WOW!
I always think it would have been cool to have lived when Jesus walked the
earth.
The awesome thing is that when you become a believer
in Jesus,
He dwells (lives) with you 24/7. How cool is that?
When you wake up, He is with you.
When you are reading your Bible and praying, He is with you.
When you are doing math, He is with you.
When you are playing with your brother or sister, He is with you.
When you are doing your chores, He is with you.
When you are sleeping, He is with you.
He is always with you!!!
I challenge and encourage you to take time this week
to remember that
God is always with you.
Lord,
You are Immanuel, God with me.
Thank You
that You are always with me.
Please help me to remember that as I go
through my week.
I love You!
Amen.
Friday, August 21, 2020
The 3 Rs of Homeschooling (Not What You Are Thinking)
This year starts our 10th year of homeschooling (not counting what we did before Kindergarten). In a decade of home educating, I would like to think I've learned a few things along with my kiddos. LOL! Lately, God has really put it on my heart to focus on the 3 Rs of homeschooling.
It's not what you are thinking.
The 3 Rs of Homeschooling:
1) Relationships
Other than God calling me to homeschooling, which was reason enough, one of the biggest reasons
we started homeschooling and continue homeschooling is to build relationships, both vertical and
horizontal. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we see The Great Commandment:
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
(Matthew 22:36-40)
Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together,
perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him,
“Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is:
‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
(Mark 12:28-31)
So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
(Luke 10:27)
This actually isn't just in the New Testament. You can find loving the Lord all throughout the Bible
especially in The Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
The part about loving your neighbor as yourself is also in the Old Testament in Leviticus 19:18:
"But you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."
It is our greatest desire to love God with everything we have and then love others.
It is our next greatest desire for our kids to love God with everything they have and love others.
2) Rhythm
I don't know about you, but I am naturally a person who thrives on structure, routine, and order.
I love charts, checklists, calendars, planners, and all things that can make me more organized.
Over the years, I have learned that it is really hard to get not just myself, but my husband, my kids,
and anyone else to stick to a "at this time we do this" routine.
Instead, I have been finding that it is better to have a rhythm to our life and our days.
What does this mean? Well, we wake up, have time to get going for the day, eat breakfast,
do some chores, start school, have breaks as needed, have food as needed (LOL), stop for lunch,
finish up school, have breaks as needed, have food as needed (LOL), have room time, eat dinner,
have family time, get ready for bed, do family devotions, read books, and go to bed.
Having a rhythm keeps everyone from being stressed out about calendars, clocks, time limits, etc.
It leaves room to breathe and room for flexibility. It's awesome.
3) Responsibility
As a mom it is super easy to want to do too much for our kids. I am guilty of that myself.
I have learned over the years that the more I do for my kids, the less they do for themselves.
We are working on taking as much responsibility for ourselves as possible.
This is not just with our actions, but also with our attitudes and responses to things.
Obviously a 4-year-old can't clean an entire bathroom by himself, but he can collect towels for the
laundry. A 9-year-old can't do all of the yardwork by himself, but he can pick up sticks and pull
weeds. A 14-year-old can do a lot (even if they don't agree LOL).
It is my prayer this year that we will build our relationships with the Lord, each other, and others.
It is my prayer that we will find and maintain a rhythm for our days and this season.
It is my prayer that we will each take responsibility for our tasks and our attitudes.
I hope this has helped. :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
The "Perfect" Time to Pray
"When should I pray?"
For years I have asked myself and others this question. Honestly at times, I didn't feel like I was being a Super Christian (what even is that anyways?) since I wasn't getting up before the sun and spending hours in prayer.
Some well-meaning people have told me over the years, "It says in the Scripture to have your time with God in the morning." Well, that is somewhat true. But I'll let you in on a little secret, it says many, many other things about prayer time in the Bible. Here we go.
1st Thessalonians 5:16 - Pray without ceasing/continually/constantly/at all times.
Based on this verse, we should always have a heart and attitude of prayer. I think of this as a 24/7 Bluetooth to God. LOL! We can and should talk to Him anytime. That means we can and should pray in the morning, in the evening, in the middle of the day, in the middle of the night (I am seriously thinking of Dr. Seuss right now.)
Mark 1:35 - Very early in the morning, a long while before daylight (while it was still dark),
He [Jesus] went out and He prayed.
Yes, there it is. Jesus got up super early in the morning before the sun even woke up and He prayed. But wait, there's more (cue infomercial for prayer).
He [Jesus] went out and He prayed.
Yes, there it is. Jesus got up super early in the morning before the sun even woke up and He prayed. But wait, there's more (cue infomercial for prayer).
Matthew 14:23 - He [Jesus] went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.
Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Well, well, well. It looks like Jesus was praying in the afternoon up until evening. (Pause for applause for all those who are not early risers.) But wait, there's more.
Luke 6:12 - He [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer.
Again, we see Jesus praying on a mountain (I love praying in the mountains myself). Here we see Him praying all night.
Okay, forgive me for any times I came across as snarky, but I am trying to make a point. The point is, the "perfect" time to pray is anytime. Whether you are a person who is up with the crack of dawn praying, or you are more like me spending your afternoon when the kids are all quiet praying, or you are a night owl who prays at night, it all counts. It's truly about our heart being connected to God's heart. And one last silly statement, God is always awake. :)
Monday, August 17, 2020
How to Be an Amazing TEACHER
Talk to God (AKA Pray)
Eat the Word (AKA Read
the Bible)
Assess what needs to be
done that day
Communicate to them what
needs to be done that day
Help your kids help
themselves
Enjoy learning with them
Recreate when you are
done with school
Talk to God (AKA Pray)
I highly encourage you to pray both individually and
as a family/school before you start your academics. This prepares not just your
minds, but your hearts.
Eat the Word (AKA Read the Bible)
I highly encourage you to read the Bible both
individually and as a family/school before you start your academics. This is
not for head information, but for heart transformation. I encourage reading through
the Proverbs, Psalms, the Gospels, and/or James.
Assess what needs to be done that day
I don’t know about you, but I love knowing what I
need to get done. It gets my mind ready to tackle the day. PS I love lists and
charts.
Communicate to them what needs to be
done that day
Again, it’s not enough that you as the teacher know
what needs to get done, but it’s very important to communicate it to your kids.
Again, lists and charts help here. I love letting my kids mark off with a
highlighter as they get stuff done to encourage them. Who doesn’t love the satisfaction
of marking off a to-do list?
Help your kids help themselves
I am thinking of the interaction between Jerry
Maguire and Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire here. But it actually is true.
By helping them help themselves I mean that you can and should help your kids
if they truly need it. However, sometimes the best help you can give them is letting
them figure it out themselves. I know this is hard for us mommas, but in the
long run, it does help them.
Enjoy learning with them
I am a lifelong learner and I believe everyone is
also. When we need to know how to do something, we read or watch or hang out
with someone to learn how to do it. Let your kids see you love learning new
things (even when it is hard and you get frustrated). Also, I highly encourage
you to have them read their school work to you or you read it to them (kids
love being read to). Watch lessons with them as you are able. I have thoroughly
enjoyed learning history and science with my kids through the years.
Recreate when you are done with school
I personally love having something fun to look forward
to after working hard. For my boys, they love some video game time or outside
time. Reward them with whatever their “currency” is for a job well done.
I hope these tips help you to be an amazing TEACHER
to your kids.
Thursday, August 13, 2020
J.O.Y.
Are you struggling to find JOY?
Do you feel like you even know what JOY is?
Do you struggle to explain to your children what JOY is?
Do you feel like you even know what JOY is?
Do you struggle to explain to your children what JOY is?
Well, it is my prayer and hope that this short little post will encourage and equip you to experience and explain what true JOY is.
First of all, JOY and happiness are not the same thing.
Happiness is based on what happens to us. Happiness is temporary and fleeting.
Joy is based on something (actually Someone) that (actually Who) is eternal and unending.
Happiness is based on what happens to us. Happiness is temporary and fleeting.
Joy is based on something (actually Someone) that (actually Who) is eternal and unending.
True, everlasting, unending, eternal JOY comes from the Lord.
JOY comes from His presence (Psalm 16:11).
JOY comes from the hope only He can give (Romans 15:13).
The JOY of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
The enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy our joy,
but Jesus came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10).
The JOY of the Lord helps us to endure in tribulations (Romans 12:12).
Because God is always with us, we can and should be JOYful at all times
(1st Thessalonians 5:16).
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
I heard a great acronym (I am a sucker for acronyms) for JOY a long time ago.
J - Jesus
O - Others
Y - Yourself
We've already seen that true JOY comes from having a relationship with Jesus.
Second to that comes putting Others before yourself. Jesus said that after loving God (#1), we should love others as we love ourselves (#2) (Matthew 22:37-39). Something that always stands out to me is that Jesus didn't have to tell us to love ourselves. He already knows how in love with ourselves we are. LOL! There are countless Scriptures about putting others before ourselves (perhaps that will be a future blog).
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