4.20.2012

Your Kids Need Jesus, Too!

A young man was raised in a Christian home. His father was a preacher, and would spend most of his time out doing his ministry and was never around. So consumed with helping others, he forgot about sharing the love of Christ with his own children. Now as an adult, he no longer wants anything to do with church. The pain of never truly having his father's love or attention, has taken its toll, and in his mind, Christianity was the thing that separated them.

I have heard the stories time and time again, where pastors or missionary kids no longer want to serve Christ. Their parents were so busy saving the lost, they forgot to save their own kids.

There are times in my life that I feel like I don't amount to much in the world's eyes. I am a stay at home mom, who has decided to put my children ahead of any type of career. There are times when I resent the fact of being at home. Then, there are times when I see the relationship that I have with my kids, and the type of relationship that they have with God, and it makes it all worth it to me. This is not to say that moms who work, can't juggle both! The reminder is, that we as parents need to take time for our kids. If we are so caught up in our work, ministry, or activities, and set aside no time for them, they will grow up feeling like they never knew us, and when they become adults, will have no time for us!

Set aside time each day to talk to your kids. Pray with them, hug them, and tell them you love them. Team them about Jesus, and show them daily how to follow Him. For, if you are too busy shining your light only to the world, your children may become lost!

Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

4.11.2012

I NEED you, Jesus!

I have been recently writing down a list of blessings and a list of needs. I try to keep track of all the wonderful things that God has done for me each day, and then I write down our needs and pray over them. As I glanced to the very beginning of my journal, I realized that as different needs were met, I had more needs that would take their place. God had faithfully taken care of many of our family needs, but there always seemed to be something else that replaced it. I became discouraged, and felt like I could just never get ahead! When would the needs ever end? If it wasn't one thing I needed, it was another, and I started to feel like all I was doing was begging for help! I then began to remind myself that as a human, we always need God. Each moment we are alive, we are dependent upon Him.

We as parents know what it is like to have someone depend on you for everything! As you bring home that newborn baby, there's not a thing it can do to survive without us. Left alone they would surely die. So, we take care of their every need. We put our heart and our soul into caring for them. We don't decide one day that even though the child constantly needs us, that we have just had enough and stop caring for them. We love them, and through the sleepless nights and exhausting tantrum days, we press on. Even as they get older, their needs may change, but there is a constant need.

Each moment we need God. We cannot live one moment without His breath of life. He knows that we need Him. He understands our fragile human form, our helpless nature, and that we are completely dependent upon Him! Don't be afraid to lean on Him and share your needs. He knows before we ask them; He knows we cannot do it ourselves. He never sleeps, cares for us through our daily tantrums, and knowing how helpless we truly are, would never ever think of leaving our side. Remember to thank God for all the daily blessings He has given you, but never think for a moment, that He doesn't want you to share all your needs with Him. As we enjoy helping, taking care of, and providing for the needs of our children, so does our heavenly father want to provide for our needs.

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."