I wanted to download some pictures from Christmas to put on my blog and facebook, but realized there are very few and none of the kids actually opening any of their gifts. I was so busy opening packaging, installing batteries, making sure there were no little hair brushes or other toy pieces in the discarded wrapping paper and then disposing of said paper, that there was not a free moment to take a picture. I am the youngest of 4 children and I always thought that the reason my parents had very few snapshots of me growing up was because the things I did just wasn't new and exciting to them anymore, since they had been through it 3 times before. But now I realize that when there are more kids there is just always more to take your attention, so there is less time for things like taking pictures. So, even though I loved watching my kids open their gifts, all I have is pictures of them playing with the gifts after the wrappings had all been sent down to the garbage. But as I sat watching them laugh and play side by side, their little golden heads and sparkling eyes together, I realized that a picture wouldn't really capture the feeling of us being a family on Christmas morning and that one day in the future, I will hopefully get to look at them sitting side by side on the couch as adults watching their little golden-haired, sparkling-eyed kids open their presents.
Surprising as it may seem, this reminds me of yet another Sara Groves song. I really don't write my entries to purposely coincide with her songs, it just seems like my life coincides with them...And I hate to say that there will probably be many more to come, because Josh just got me the newest Sara Groves CD, along with the only 2 older ones I did not have.
This Peace by Sara Groves
So many words to say, but I'm opting for silence
So many days to live
I thinking I'm sitting this one out
Cause something I've been chasing finally stopped to let me catch it
Something I've been longing for and dreaming about
It's a whisper in my ear
It's a shiver up my spine
It's the gratitude I feel for all that's right
It's a mystery appeal that's been granted me tonight
This peace
It's something so elusive
Something close but far away
It's the home that I can't live in yet somewhere in outer space
And sometimes I barely miss it when I walk into the room
The curtains are still swaying and I feel the air move
And it whispers in my ear and it shivers up my spine
It's the gratitude I feel for all that's right
It's a mystery appeal that's been granted me tonight
This peace
No time to grab a camera
No time to write it down
Just time enough to breathe it in
And linger
It's a whisper in my ear
It's a shiver up my spine
It's the gratitude I feel for all that's right
It's a mystery appeal that's been granted me tonight
This peace
This peace
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
2009 Christmas Letter
I don't normally mail our letter to people who are local, since those live away from us are the ones who need an update of our year. But since I have this blog, I thought I could post it here for anyone who is interested.
Dear Family and Friends,
We have realized time passes us all by so fast! Elias is now in kindergarten and Bella has grown almost as tall as Elias and she is becoming quite a self-proclaimed princess! We passed by the baby department of Target the other day and couldn’t believe that our days of shopping there and the toddler department are over.
The year started calmly. Bella turned 3. Elias was attending preschool ½ a day and turned 5 in March. Josh & I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary in April. But when school ended, we were a buzz of activity.
We traveled A LOT this summer. We visited with some family & a few friends. We went to Kentucky to celebrate our 10th year reunion from college in June and we went to Oakland to celebrate my 15th year reunion from high school. Elias had his first real sleep over with a friend and, during one of our stays with family, learned to ride a bike without training wheels. Isabella is learning quickly on her bike and I don’t think she’ll need her training wheels too much longer. They both improved their swim skills & were much more comfortable in the water compared to last year.
The biggest change in our lives this year occurred when Elias started kindergarten this fall. After a busy & carefree summer, the routine was welcome and an adjustment all at the same time. Bella took Elias’ absence harder than we expected, since he had been gone a few hours a day for preschool last year, but she bounced back pretty quickly. Elias was excited to start “real school” & did well immediately. He has learned so much already this year and we are proud of how hard he is working and how well he is behaving. Isabella is learning right along with him. She picks up so much, just by sitting with us while we are working on Elias’ homework. Elias began playing soccer weeks after school started, so we also had to include games & practices into our schedule. He did very well & his coach said he was very teachable & would do well in the sport if he keeps playing. We loved cheering for his team, but would have loved it more if it hadn’t rained at almost every game!
Bella has been changing so much also. She loves to play on the computer & is very mechanical. She often is more interested in understanding how things work, than simply playing with them. She constantly wants to wear dresses and she changes her clothes constantly. She dances around & says she’s a girl (pronounced more like gal) & has to do girly things. Of course, when Elias and Josh are wrestling, she is always ready to join in! She is small, but she is very scrappy! She can definitely hold her own in a wrestling match!
Josh and I are still volunteering with our church and with Compassion International. Josh has just completed his first year of employment at Northrop Grumman and never gets enough sleep. I am still enjoying being home and have enjoyed the extra time with Bella while Elias is at school. I volunteer at Elias’ school one day a week & also help with parties and field trips. I feel very blessed to be able to volunteer at the school. There never seems to be enough time in the day, but we are glad that we healthy and able to do so much.
We send this hoping that your Christmas and coming year are filled with “tidings of comfort and joy”.
Merry Christmas,
Josh, Jennifer, Elias and Isabella
Dear Family and Friends,
We have realized time passes us all by so fast! Elias is now in kindergarten and Bella has grown almost as tall as Elias and she is becoming quite a self-proclaimed princess! We passed by the baby department of Target the other day and couldn’t believe that our days of shopping there and the toddler department are over.
The year started calmly. Bella turned 3. Elias was attending preschool ½ a day and turned 5 in March. Josh & I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary in April. But when school ended, we were a buzz of activity.
We traveled A LOT this summer. We visited with some family & a few friends. We went to Kentucky to celebrate our 10th year reunion from college in June and we went to Oakland to celebrate my 15th year reunion from high school. Elias had his first real sleep over with a friend and, during one of our stays with family, learned to ride a bike without training wheels. Isabella is learning quickly on her bike and I don’t think she’ll need her training wheels too much longer. They both improved their swim skills & were much more comfortable in the water compared to last year.
The biggest change in our lives this year occurred when Elias started kindergarten this fall. After a busy & carefree summer, the routine was welcome and an adjustment all at the same time. Bella took Elias’ absence harder than we expected, since he had been gone a few hours a day for preschool last year, but she bounced back pretty quickly. Elias was excited to start “real school” & did well immediately. He has learned so much already this year and we are proud of how hard he is working and how well he is behaving. Isabella is learning right along with him. She picks up so much, just by sitting with us while we are working on Elias’ homework. Elias began playing soccer weeks after school started, so we also had to include games & practices into our schedule. He did very well & his coach said he was very teachable & would do well in the sport if he keeps playing. We loved cheering for his team, but would have loved it more if it hadn’t rained at almost every game!
Bella has been changing so much also. She loves to play on the computer & is very mechanical. She often is more interested in understanding how things work, than simply playing with them. She constantly wants to wear dresses and she changes her clothes constantly. She dances around & says she’s a girl (pronounced more like gal) & has to do girly things. Of course, when Elias and Josh are wrestling, she is always ready to join in! She is small, but she is very scrappy! She can definitely hold her own in a wrestling match!
Josh and I are still volunteering with our church and with Compassion International. Josh has just completed his first year of employment at Northrop Grumman and never gets enough sleep. I am still enjoying being home and have enjoyed the extra time with Bella while Elias is at school. I volunteer at Elias’ school one day a week & also help with parties and field trips. I feel very blessed to be able to volunteer at the school. There never seems to be enough time in the day, but we are glad that we healthy and able to do so much.
We send this hoping that your Christmas and coming year are filled with “tidings of comfort and joy”.
Merry Christmas,
Josh, Jennifer, Elias and Isabella
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Kids for Rent
Between the hours of 6-8 a.m. you can rent two adorable and funny children. They will come complete with a cute set of jammies and if you act quickly, we will even throw in a few sippy cups of chocolate milk.
If you think this offer might be for you, give me a call or, even better, simply stop by and pick the children up the night before.*
*Expect no sleep after rental time begins and bickering to commence immediately upon children awakening. No refunds will be offered for this enlightening parental experience. If there are any questions or concerns, do not call me, because I will be "sleeping in" until the children are returned at 8 a.m..
Monday, December 21, 2009
When the Saints Go Marching In, I Want To Be One Of Them
I have been reading a lot lately. I sometimes get so caught up in books that I am thinking about the characters even while I am washing the dishes or blow drying my hair. I finished the 500 page book "Redeeming Love" in a little over 2 days over the weekend. It was a beautiful and heart wrenching story and really reminded me of the love God has for us. But after I read the book, I realized that I had not read my Bible at all during the time that I was reading it. The plot for the book I read was loosely based on the book of Hosea in the Bible and it naturally made me curious to go check the story of that minor prophet again. As I was reading it, I realized that I am amazed when people tell me that they read through the entire Bible a few times a year, or even once a year, and yet, I read pages of novels at record paces all the time. Now I am not saying that I don't read my Bible, but I definitely keep a novel I'm reading on a short tether and open it often! The books I read are often Christian Fiction and the noble Christian characters are often portrayed as reading large amounts of scripture on a regular basis. And there I sit reading about someone else reading scripture while neglecting to do it myself. (Of couse, the female characters often have the unfortunate flaw of not being able to eat when they are perplexed and becoming too thin, which is also something that I don't do!) I think that novels though can make us realize how God really is in our midst and if we were to write out our life story like a novel, we could see how God does work throughout our lives and that people really are as wonderful and as horrible as people on the pages. As I read the novel over the weekend, I thought about all the women who are today being treated like the main character did and it really grieved my heart anew. That is one of the reasons I work with Compassion. I want the weak and unprotected to have someone come to their rescue. It brings my heart some peace to know that there will be girls out there who will not be sold into prostitution because they are no longer a burden to the families finances or there will be a boy who will learn what it means to love his wife like Christ loves the church because of their participation in the Compassion Program. Sometimes when I am exposed to real and horrific stories of some of these children's circumstances before they were registered, I wish I didn't have to know or that I could believe things like this only happened to people in books, but I know that I can't. If I hide my head, it won't go away. I can only help one child at a time.
I heard the following song many times, but when I saw Sara Groves perform it live with scenes from her trips overseas, I thought my heart would break. I have been planning on going on a trip with Compassion for several years, but the kids have always been too young. Now that they are older, I feel like it is time for me to go, but I don't want to go without Josh. The reason is that I don't know if I can handle the realm of emotions I will experience without him being there with me. I know that probably sounds odd, especially since I have been working with Compassion for about 5 years now. But I know myself. I know that when I went to the Holacaust Museum in D.C. that I grieved over the tragedy of the event for weeks after. I would find myself crying as I drove to work or showered. And that was in the past and something where there has been a resolution of sorts. It will be more difficult to see first-hand that equal tragedies are occurring today all over the world. Even though I know they are and have seen and heard a lot about it, I am sure it will be nothing like being there personally.
When the Saints Go Marching In by Sara Groves
Lord I have a heavy burden
of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire
shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who've gone before
and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul
I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sister standing by the dying man's side
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door (in rescue)
I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
and when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I heard the following song many times, but when I saw Sara Groves perform it live with scenes from her trips overseas, I thought my heart would break. I have been planning on going on a trip with Compassion for several years, but the kids have always been too young. Now that they are older, I feel like it is time for me to go, but I don't want to go without Josh. The reason is that I don't know if I can handle the realm of emotions I will experience without him being there with me. I know that probably sounds odd, especially since I have been working with Compassion for about 5 years now. But I know myself. I know that when I went to the Holacaust Museum in D.C. that I grieved over the tragedy of the event for weeks after. I would find myself crying as I drove to work or showered. And that was in the past and something where there has been a resolution of sorts. It will be more difficult to see first-hand that equal tragedies are occurring today all over the world. Even though I know they are and have seen and heard a lot about it, I am sure it will be nothing like being there personally.
When the Saints Go Marching In by Sara Groves
Lord I have a heavy burden
of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire
shut up in my bones
and I cannot let it go
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who've gone before
and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul
I see the young missionary and the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sister standing by the dying man's side
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down the door (in rescue)
I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
and when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Christmas
Well, I sat down originally to say that I was ready for Christmas, in all the usual ways - our Christmas letters have been written and sent, the presents have been purchased and wrapped, the stockings are hung on our entertainment center with care, etc. But it just felt empty. It just sounded wrong to say that I was ready for Christmas because I have bought gifts or decorated. But am ready for Christmas in the true sense? Have I thought about the miracle of Jesus' birth? Have I talked to the kids about why this holiday holds such special meaning in our house? This year, as the kids have gotten older and Elias has went to school, the push to emphasize Santa has became greater. Now, I don't want to squash my kids belief in the magic of Christmas, but I also have issues with lying to them about their really being a Santa. So, every time we are in a store and someone asks them if they are being good so Santa will put them on the "good" list, I tell them (once we are in the car, of course) that God is the one who watches over us and we want to do things to please Him and not because we want gifts. It is difficult to balance letting them have their make-believe and also letting them know that God and Jesus are real and Christmas is not about getting gifts. And, because Jesus has blessed us with a great gift, we can give gifts to one another. So yesterday in the car, Bella and I hear the song "Santa Claus is coming to town" and she says, "He's not really coming to town because he isn't really real." I had a moment where I thought, "Am I being too much of a stickler about this Santa business?". I have never really told them there is not a Santa and we watch all the movies that have Santa in them, so I was sort of surprised that she said it so matter-of-fact. But she thinks very concretely, so I don't want to confuse her by denying what she said. I just said in response, "Some like to have fun during Christmas and make-believe that Santa's real." I can just hear my kids going to school and telling all the kids that Santa isn't real.
In the past, we usually gave them one gift from Santa and the rest came from us. The gift from Santa was usually the big, exciting one that they really wanted. This year, we decided to change that. We are going to put Santa's name on the small gifts in their their stocking, since historically, Saint Nicholas was said to put his gifts of food in people's stockings as they hung out to dry. We got the new Veggie Tales movie that is about the story of St. Nicholas and so the kids know that is where the tradition of hanging stockings originated. That way, we can still have a little bit of Santa, but they aren't thinking they have to ask Santa for the gifts they have dreamt of having. We brought one of Elias' schoolmates home from school the other day and conversation came to Christmas and gifts and Santa. I was pleased with Elias' comment during this conversation with his little friend. He said, "If you want to get a gift for Christmas, you pray to Jesus or our heavenly Father for it and then he gives your mommy and daddy the money to get it." Of course, his theology isn't completely accurate, since God doesn't always provide every gift we ever ask for, but I was pleased to see that his thinking in regards to Christmas is on the right track. I was also glad that he wasn't afraid to go against the flow and speak up about God's role in our lives. Of course, I know this will change as he gets older and social pressure gets greater, but I am glad that he feels free to speak up at least for now. Navigating all this is so much trickier than I expected. I knew we would have difficulty trying to explain things like bigotry or sex, but I never thought that something as simple as Santa would take so much concentrated effort! I definitely don't think I have things all figured out, but I just pray that God will give me the wisdom when I need it.
In the past, we usually gave them one gift from Santa and the rest came from us. The gift from Santa was usually the big, exciting one that they really wanted. This year, we decided to change that. We are going to put Santa's name on the small gifts in their their stocking, since historically, Saint Nicholas was said to put his gifts of food in people's stockings as they hung out to dry. We got the new Veggie Tales movie that is about the story of St. Nicholas and so the kids know that is where the tradition of hanging stockings originated. That way, we can still have a little bit of Santa, but they aren't thinking they have to ask Santa for the gifts they have dreamt of having. We brought one of Elias' schoolmates home from school the other day and conversation came to Christmas and gifts and Santa. I was pleased with Elias' comment during this conversation with his little friend. He said, "If you want to get a gift for Christmas, you pray to Jesus or our heavenly Father for it and then he gives your mommy and daddy the money to get it." Of course, his theology isn't completely accurate, since God doesn't always provide every gift we ever ask for, but I was pleased to see that his thinking in regards to Christmas is on the right track. I was also glad that he wasn't afraid to go against the flow and speak up about God's role in our lives. Of course, I know this will change as he gets older and social pressure gets greater, but I am glad that he feels free to speak up at least for now. Navigating all this is so much trickier than I expected. I knew we would have difficulty trying to explain things like bigotry or sex, but I never thought that something as simple as Santa would take so much concentrated effort! I definitely don't think I have things all figured out, but I just pray that God will give me the wisdom when I need it.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Bella's "Booty" Shop is open
Bella has opened up a beauty shop, pronounced "booty" shop, in our home. You can come visit her any time and she will make you "bootiful" free of charge.
There are just a few rules:
1. You can have no less than 5 hair accessories in your hair at any given time and they can be of any assorted style, shape, and size.
2. Do not complain about your scalp becoming raw from her diligent brushing of your beautiful locks.
3. Never expect to have input into how your hair actually looks when she is finished and do not expect her to change it, even if it is covering your face and making your nose itch.
If you would like to book your appointment, she is always looking for new victims...I mean, clients.
There are just a few rules:
1. You can have no less than 5 hair accessories in your hair at any given time and they can be of any assorted style, shape, and size.
2. Do not complain about your scalp becoming raw from her diligent brushing of your beautiful locks.
3. Never expect to have input into how your hair actually looks when she is finished and do not expect her to change it, even if it is covering your face and making your nose itch.
If you would like to book your appointment, she is always looking for new victims...I mean, clients.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
10 Random Thoughts
My blog is called Random Thoughts, so here are 10 random thoughts of today.
1. I don't understand how when we are busy and gone most of the weekend, our house is more of a mess than when we are in it all day.
2. Think I had a confirmed "sugar high" tonight at a cookie exchange. I had a weird buzzy feeling in my head and felt quite ill after eating one bite of about 15 cookies (though I did eat the entire half of a buckeye and an entire oreo truffle - which is now my all-time favorite dessert).
3. I have an amazing husband. He not only encourages me to go out, but also takes care of things marvelously at home and with the kids while I am gone.
4. Parenting requires consistent effort and sometimes I just want to sit and read a book. I just wonder why things have to constantly be a battle - I have a dream of being able to have a day where everything I say or ask will receive a "Yes, mommy" and it be done. Is that too much to ask?
5. I frustrate myself most of the time when I am in a group of women because of my big mouth and often regret opening my mouth so much and/or being so opinionated. But the next time I am in a group, I do it again. For some reason, the more uncomfortable I am in a group, the more I talk.
6. Even when I try to not spend a lot, little costs so quickly add up. I get frustrated because I look back and know that I used to be so much more thrifty.
7. Bella and Elias have been in swim suits the entire weekend around the house and Bella was very upset that she couldn't wear hers to church. My kids are constantly changing clothes and clothes are a constant debate in our house. So if anyone ever sees my kids wearing something outrageous one day, just know that I just didn't feel like having the fight over it that day!
8. I wish that I didn't get mail everyday. I feel like I fight this never-ending pile all the time, even though the majority of my bills are on automatic bill pay.
9. I think every year that I need to start on my Christmas letter and picture mailing earlier, but I am always getting it done at the last minute.
10. Continually wonder why when I feel the most stressed about all that I need to do, I actually do less.
1. I don't understand how when we are busy and gone most of the weekend, our house is more of a mess than when we are in it all day.
2. Think I had a confirmed "sugar high" tonight at a cookie exchange. I had a weird buzzy feeling in my head and felt quite ill after eating one bite of about 15 cookies (though I did eat the entire half of a buckeye and an entire oreo truffle - which is now my all-time favorite dessert).
3. I have an amazing husband. He not only encourages me to go out, but also takes care of things marvelously at home and with the kids while I am gone.
4. Parenting requires consistent effort and sometimes I just want to sit and read a book. I just wonder why things have to constantly be a battle - I have a dream of being able to have a day where everything I say or ask will receive a "Yes, mommy" and it be done. Is that too much to ask?
5. I frustrate myself most of the time when I am in a group of women because of my big mouth and often regret opening my mouth so much and/or being so opinionated. But the next time I am in a group, I do it again. For some reason, the more uncomfortable I am in a group, the more I talk.
6. Even when I try to not spend a lot, little costs so quickly add up. I get frustrated because I look back and know that I used to be so much more thrifty.
7. Bella and Elias have been in swim suits the entire weekend around the house and Bella was very upset that she couldn't wear hers to church. My kids are constantly changing clothes and clothes are a constant debate in our house. So if anyone ever sees my kids wearing something outrageous one day, just know that I just didn't feel like having the fight over it that day!
8. I wish that I didn't get mail everyday. I feel like I fight this never-ending pile all the time, even though the majority of my bills are on automatic bill pay.
9. I think every year that I need to start on my Christmas letter and picture mailing earlier, but I am always getting it done at the last minute.
10. Continually wonder why when I feel the most stressed about all that I need to do, I actually do less.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
In view of God's mercy
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's MERCY, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God
I am reading a book called "Effective Parenting in a Defective World" by Chip Ingram. It is a very good book and I highly recommend it. His main point is that we raise our kids to be happy and successful and to avoid the things that are bad for them. Instead, we should be teaching them God's character and to love Jesus. He talks about teaching obedience and he points out that eventually you want your child to obey, not just out of obligation, but out of love and respect. Then I was reading Romans later that same day and I came across the verse above and the word mercy jumped off the page at me. The word mercy doesn't seem like it is the best fit logically - unless you already know the nature of our relationship with God. It could have said, "In view of God's commands..." or "In view of God's power..." or "In view of God's authority...". But it doesn't. It says, "In view of God's MERCY...". So, to put it in my own words, Paul is saying, "God is not making us become living sacrifices. He already has offered us more than we could hope for by giving us his mercy. So, come on, give God everything because he loves you." It is similar to the way I hope our children will obey one day - not because they are afraid of us or not because we tell them to, but because they love us and respect us. I had a friend in high school who, in my eyes, had an ideal mother. My friend often treated her mother terribly. She was often lying and disobeying her. It sometimes would make me angry with her. I would tell her all the time how lucky she was to have a mother who cared for her so much. She just saw her mother as getting in the way of what she wanted to do. She never listened to her mother and it was a running joke with her that if she really wanted to do anything, she had to ask at least 4 times because the first three times she would always get a "no". When she became an adult, she has had trouble with being under restrictions or authority. It has had some serious impact on her life, like job and marital problems. I used to tell her that she didn't know how lucky she was to have the mother she did and that she should obey her more. She would agree that she had a great mother, but then she would justify her disobedience with saying, "That is just how I am and my mother knows it!". I never really thought that because she never learned to adhere to authority as a child, it has caused unfaithfulness in her relationship with God, but after reading this book, I think it does. Of course, we all make our own decisions and we each have the Holy Spirit speaking into our hearts, despite our up-bringing. It is our choice to listen. But I know I have sometimes had the attitude, "This is just how I am and God knows it!"
I often get lazy and let my kids get away with stuff for a while, telling them to do something, but not assuring they do it. But then I get mad when they don't listen when I do get serious and I raise my voice for them to listen. I knew this wasn't the best parenting technique, but I never thought about how it could affect their relationship with God. The author, Chip Ingram, says, "Do you understand that obedience is God's channel of blessing?....If we don't teach our children to obey, we're setting them up to miss out on God's blessings. We're denying them the training they will one day need to hear God's still, small voice and act on it. When God whispers, 'This relationship is bad for you' or 'Don't get in the car with those guys', they'll keep running...They won't really believe the voice is serious...If a child can't learn to obey a parent who is visible, he'll never learn to obey a God who isn't."
This little blurb about this book doesn't quite do the book justice, but it has definitely made me change my parenting this week. I know nothing I do can guarantee that my kids will follow God's direction, but I definitely want to know that I have tried my hardest to teach them the best way I can.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's MERCY, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God
I am reading a book called "Effective Parenting in a Defective World" by Chip Ingram. It is a very good book and I highly recommend it. His main point is that we raise our kids to be happy and successful and to avoid the things that are bad for them. Instead, we should be teaching them God's character and to love Jesus. He talks about teaching obedience and he points out that eventually you want your child to obey, not just out of obligation, but out of love and respect. Then I was reading Romans later that same day and I came across the verse above and the word mercy jumped off the page at me. The word mercy doesn't seem like it is the best fit logically - unless you already know the nature of our relationship with God. It could have said, "In view of God's commands..." or "In view of God's power..." or "In view of God's authority...". But it doesn't. It says, "In view of God's MERCY...". So, to put it in my own words, Paul is saying, "God is not making us become living sacrifices. He already has offered us more than we could hope for by giving us his mercy. So, come on, give God everything because he loves you." It is similar to the way I hope our children will obey one day - not because they are afraid of us or not because we tell them to, but because they love us and respect us. I had a friend in high school who, in my eyes, had an ideal mother. My friend often treated her mother terribly. She was often lying and disobeying her. It sometimes would make me angry with her. I would tell her all the time how lucky she was to have a mother who cared for her so much. She just saw her mother as getting in the way of what she wanted to do. She never listened to her mother and it was a running joke with her that if she really wanted to do anything, she had to ask at least 4 times because the first three times she would always get a "no". When she became an adult, she has had trouble with being under restrictions or authority. It has had some serious impact on her life, like job and marital problems. I used to tell her that she didn't know how lucky she was to have the mother she did and that she should obey her more. She would agree that she had a great mother, but then she would justify her disobedience with saying, "That is just how I am and my mother knows it!". I never really thought that because she never learned to adhere to authority as a child, it has caused unfaithfulness in her relationship with God, but after reading this book, I think it does. Of course, we all make our own decisions and we each have the Holy Spirit speaking into our hearts, despite our up-bringing. It is our choice to listen. But I know I have sometimes had the attitude, "This is just how I am and God knows it!"
I often get lazy and let my kids get away with stuff for a while, telling them to do something, but not assuring they do it. But then I get mad when they don't listen when I do get serious and I raise my voice for them to listen. I knew this wasn't the best parenting technique, but I never thought about how it could affect their relationship with God. The author, Chip Ingram, says, "Do you understand that obedience is God's channel of blessing?....If we don't teach our children to obey, we're setting them up to miss out on God's blessings. We're denying them the training they will one day need to hear God's still, small voice and act on it. When God whispers, 'This relationship is bad for you' or 'Don't get in the car with those guys', they'll keep running...They won't really believe the voice is serious...If a child can't learn to obey a parent who is visible, he'll never learn to obey a God who isn't."
This little blurb about this book doesn't quite do the book justice, but it has definitely made me change my parenting this week. I know nothing I do can guarantee that my kids will follow God's direction, but I definitely want to know that I have tried my hardest to teach them the best way I can.
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