So, tonight I had a launching meeting for our Mom Heart group this year--so fun. When it was over at 10:00, Sarah and I laid on the couch and ate some hot lemon-blueberry cake with warm vanilla sauce over it, while watching Daniel Deronda.
I told her I still needed to put up a blog for tomorrow and she said,
"Just put up a random cute picture and say, "Blah!"
And so I did!
Have a lovely day!
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He cares for me.....
When I was first pregnant with Sarah, my oldest child, I was on pins and needles wondering if she would be ok. Having had one miscarriage to begin with, I spotted and bled up to Sarah's 5th month. Clay and I were on staff at the International Chapel in Vienna and my doctors spoke German to me, which I did not always understand. One day when we were on a trip to show Clay's mom the Austrian Alps, I started bleeding once again. Clay took his mom out to look at the little village where we were staying so that I could just get bed-rest.
I remember looking out a tiny window that was next to me and pouring my heart out to God. "Please, God, let this baby stay and be healthy," as tears poured out.
Just at that moment, a little bird hopped up on the window sill where I was looking out and praying. It came within 6 inches of me and just stayed there. All of a sudden, as though the Lord was speaking to me,
"Yet not a single sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Never be afraid, then—you are far more valuable than sparrows."
At that moment, I knew that He saw me and cared for me. My heart was filled with peace--and Sarah is here today as a picture of His faithfulness.
So, when I saw the mug above, at Dayspring, I got one for Joy and Sarah and me, and told them the story. I wanted it to remind them that God would be faithful to them!
I introduced some of you to Dayspring last month. It is the Christian arm of Hallmark and I love finding meaningful gifts for my family and my friends. Faith inspired gifts and home decor is lovely and has provided our family with some lovely pieces in our home. I am happy to be able to tell you about them. Here are some fun things on sale this month.
These lovely dishes, called Ever Grateful, are on sale now for 50% off.
This delicate necklace, based on Psalm 139:14, is a daily reminder of how God feels about you.
Click here to see Dayspring's collection of 2014 calendars and planners. Though not on sale, they are reasonably priced with many beautiful choices.
There is a one day sale today for this magnetic calendar for 70% off--from 26 to 7.99!
This calendar of words would inspire me each day. As you all know, I love words! :)
Many of Dayspring's boxed cards are on sale during August as well. You can stock up for loved ones and birthdays throughout the year. You can even pre-address the envelopes to save yourself that step later! I keep boxes of cards in my desk and in my suitcase when I travel so I can always leave someone some words of grace.
Enjoy!
The table had been prepared for my homecoming.
Way # 16 We take personal responsibility to keep our home neat and clean at all times.
Time changes from so much travel had left me so exhausted, I thought I would fall asleep standing up. An unusual 7 weeks of traveling, (2 family weddings) and a visit to Joy and 3 speaking engagements, had found me coming and going constantly to the airport to different sides of the country. Walking out to our meeting place at the airport, Joel whisked my bags from me, placed them in the car and then drove me the hour home from the airport.
"We packed you some cherries, Mom, cause we didn't know if you would be hungry," Joel informed me.
Home sweet home called my name as we drove into the driveway. As I walked in the door, candles were lit, music was wafting softly and the table was set with a warm bowl of soup and crusty herb bread. Fresh flowers and a welcome home sign greeted me in the sweep of entering the front door.
"Welcome home, mama. I bet you are ready to sleep in your own bed for a long while," Sarah commented as she put the last bowl of soup on the table.
I waited many years to know if all of my training and providing had gone into their hearts and minds, but now, the values they carried out each day in their own lives told me the lessons were all going to the core of their being, claiming them as their own.
Memory Verse: The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor.
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"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
May I be the first one to say how glad I am to be in this place. Finally, finally the fruit of my labor has come to fruition. My children have "caught" it.
They take initiative, when they are home, to make our own home inviting, a prepared sanctuary, a solace to my soul, a place that says welcome when I get home from necessary trips. Now, the values that I had in mind when I prepared my home in this way, year after year, month after month, day after day, have become their own standard of what a home should "speak" to people when they come here. And they do it without being told, because of all of the years of me training them and making them help me daily, straightening up, lighting candles, putting on music, making a meal, setting the table, over and over again.. Training takes lots and lots of practice and patience.
A mama has to be a servant leader to provide a wonderful sanctuary for her own children, so that they will want to be a part of continuing to make it sanctuary. What they "feel" and love will cause them to want to duplicate. And sometimes, the laboratory of life is a mess and you can't quite see what is being accomplished except just existing. Those days of ear infections, new babies, a broken washer, holidays, and life! But building the ideals into the warp and woof of life as the children grow with you, creates habits in their lives.
As a mom, you have to practice with your children, what you want them to possess as their own. A good piano teacher instructs her students in how to do the scales and then shows her student scales again and again, and then listens to her students do the scales, in order for her pupil to learn the basics to become a skilled pianist. Similarly, a mom has to instruct, show how to do something, watch her children learn to do it and then do the process all over again.
Whatever you want your children to learn to take initiative in (manners, hospitality, serving others, cleaning, working diligently), requires you to define what your goals and ideals are, and then putting into the daily schedule of your life, modeling, patiently instructing, encouraging and training.
Often, moms have said to me, "Your children were just naturally strong or smart,....," But each habit and value of excellence came at the expense of lots of hard work and investment on my behalf-sprinkled heavily with the grace of God. No one becomes excellent of character automatically from lectures. Wisdom and skill require time, instruction and practice.--modeling combined with gentle and patient instruction.
And so, one of the most important ways of training into our children is, "This is not just my house, it is your house. We take care of it by keeping it a place of life and beauty. How do you want others to see your home? What do we do to make it a place of refreshment for all who come here?" And then, you, the mom, make the standards every day, and you show them how to do all the tasks, and you give them responsibility.
I am not a detailed person, so working at this ordering of my home was learned as I trained my children, little by little.
Then when they are young adults, they all live the same ways in their own apartments and homes. All come home to say, "I love how we took care of our home and had beauty and order and feasts and fun." And so they do what they were taught to do all of their lives--they take initiative to keep it a place of beauty when they are home because it is the oxygen they breathed in and out each day of living here.
Don't be discouraged if it doesn't seem like your children are paying attention. They are and they will, in time, come to think of your standards as their own, as they participate in the rhythms you establish day after day. I promise, in time, when they are old, they will not depart from it. Stay faithful!
photo (18)
"Mama, one of the things that most distinguishes you is that you are always a hopeful person. No matter what would happen, you always pointed us to hope."
How surprised I was to hear this, as I have often felt that I was a struggler through the many challenges that threatened to overcome us in our lives.
Many years ago, I realized that children long to have a happy mother. Our children are growing up in a time when media spreads the gloom and doom of catastrophes, fears and threats. When the mama spreads light and thankfulness--and hope in the darkness, then children feel secure and safe. But when a mama lives darkly, the children harbor fear, insecurity and blame themselves for parent's being angry or sad. Hope is not natural--it is supernatural. Hope comes welling up from deep inside because of a belief that God is good. That He will win in the end. That there is always hope when God is present.
Women who choose hope and who choose to trust God are those who, instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle. But it is a choice of the will. Hope is not a feeling, it is a commitment to hold fast to what scripture reminds us is true about God.
I am hoping, (no pun intended!) to provide a short Bible study and some verses in a blog once a week with Biblical wisdom that will encourage. Knowing scripture, pondering and taking it into your soul, is what gives each of us food, fuel, to live the Christian life, as we listen to the Holy Spirit guide us through the wisdom we have learned. The only way to live well is to live in fellowship with God. Nothing else will satisfy.
We live in an imperfect world filled with disappointments, devastation, and difficulty. Without hope, our lives can feel absolutely purposeless sometimes. In my own life, I have struggled with hardships I never could have seen coming. My heart has been broken, my faith has been tested, and I have had to push myself in ways that I couldn't have imagined. Circumstances will come our way, and we will always have a choice to make. We can choose to give up, or we can choose hope.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13
Oh to allow the Holy Spirit to fill me to overflowing with hope.
Hope it not just wishful thinking. Hope is an assurance that our king has ultimately won the raging battle. Hope teaches us that this is the broken place where we have the honor of believing Him who is fighting on our behalf.
Hope anchors the soul and keeps us grounded.
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil." (Hebrews 6:19).
When we have nothing else to rely on, our hope in God is what connects us to what is true. As Romans 15:13, above, tells us, when we put our trust in God, we can overflow with hope. This hope from the Holy Spirit is such a powerful entity, it can make us truly unstoppable.
But faith is a choice that requires us to relinquish our fears, doubts and worries into the hands of God--like a child who says, "I will trust my mama and daddy because I know they are good and reliable." So we say, I will give this into His hands because I know He is good and loving and reliable.
Hope gives us the strength to take on our future. Hope can cure the incurable. No circumstance, no problem, no issue, no devastation is too large or too difficult for God to take on. However, we have to choose this hope. We must receive it. Sometimes, life can beat us down and make us feel absolutely defeated. But when we choose to carry the hope God has given us, we are able to overcome anything.
Faith is the assurance of thingshopedfor, (the conviction of things not seen.) Hebrews 11:1
My hope rests in God's character and ability to see me through. He who answers prayer. He who is always good. He who has overcome the world. He who has forgiven every sin. He who will never leave me or forsake me. I can leave my issues in the file drawer of heaven and know that He has the ability to work them out and to cause, "all things to work together for the good for them who love Him."
The God-given gift of hope is the best possible medicine for any hardship in life. My hope says that I am willing to wait on God's timing, God's way and God's will with a belief that I will look back and be amazed at the ways He showed his faithfulness. My hope is what carried me through health issues, struggles in my family, going five years without a salary, and so much more. Hope is the physician of each misery, and God has given us this gift to heal us from our pasts so that we may have a future that is full of joy and light.
Read all of these verses again.
What is the value of hope?
Where does it come from?
How does it guide us?
Do your children watch you in your tests of faith and see you walking in hope and trust as an example to them of how they will need to live their adult lives?
Prayer:
Precious Heavenly Father,
I humbly acknowledge that you are faithful and that you see me and know my battles. Lord, I want to choose to be a person of hope because of my faith in you. Please take my burdens into your own hands, and through the Holy Spirit, restore my heart to peace. Let my choice to praise you please you, because my spiritual service of worship is to hope in you each day. Thank you for your patience and love for me. I love you, too, sweet Lord.
I come to you in Jesus' name.
Birthday Breakfast--a long tradition!
I honestly do not deserve the sweet friends I have or the beloved children and husband I possess. So many of you wished me well, sent cards, left comments, facebook messages, lovely flowers and gifts and I feel so deeply grateful for each of you. But the story of my day is a sweet answer to the desires of my heart to not be alone but to have my sweet ones home to remember all that God has done in the last 60 years.
Don't neglect to celebrate!
A number of years ago, when I was far from my mom on mother's day, I called her to wish her happy day. She said, "Your flowers are pretty, but I would much rather have you. I think Daddy and I should have communicated more to you kids about how much we want to be with you to celebrate special times. I am lonely for my children."
Somehow that stuck in the back of my mind because since my birthday is in August, the past few years, most of my children have been at school, conferences, summer programs--but not home. It also happened that we have been out of town most Mother's Day weekends in the past few years speaking at conferences, and so there were times when I would feel the emptiness of not having my best friends, my children, be with me to celebrate.
As a child my father would mantra, "Please don't give me anything for (Christmas or birthday) but your love and respect!" And so gift-giving was underplayed at times. And it back-fired a bit for my mama.
As a mama, I have poured out my life daily with cooking, cleaning, training, educating, taking to lessons and so much more. So there are those little feelings inside me that whispered, once in a while, I want my children with me and I would love most to celebrate the occasion of this 60th birthday with them and Clay--and get to "feel" their love face to face.
So, I planned my own happy celebration. I flew all of the kids home (my birthday present to myself) and planned fun and sweet memories and feasting every day they were home.
But the lovely surprise came to me when they all bent over backwards to create fun, blessing, thoughtfulness in extravagant ways that I wasn't expecting. And so, my plan to bring them home to have fun together ended up blessing me more than I could have imagined!
Saturday morning began with Joy saying, "Mama, we have some wonderful morning snacks and a steaming cup of tea waiting for you in your study where you can open all of the cards and gifts from your sweet friends. We are all working on breakfast and your first presents, so enjoy and be patient! " and she closed the doors so I couldn't peek!
My library study with tea and presents!
She made sure to take me to my favorite room and create a relaxing start to my birthday. All of the kids took time to come in alone to sit and chat with me while I waited. I felt like a little girl all awash with anticipation of mysteries to be revealed. Breakfast was one of my favorite: Polish eggs (scrambled eggs with onions, turkey bacon, hash-browns and lots of cheese and sour cream) and with sides of , hash browns, decadent almond, cream cheese, and chocolate croissants from a favorite French bakery. Joel even made me a cappuccino on my new birthday present I had always wanted--a cappuccino maker!
The traditional birthday picture with everyone gathering around before we sit to eat--leading the birthday person in to spy the table!
(Poor Clay is almost always taking pics and so is not in them!)
LIttle did I know, the kids and Clay had all sorts of fun surprises up their sleeves. They wanted to find a way to spoil me all day long, and make me feel truly special. "Mom, you will receive 5 cycles of gifts throughout the day to properly appreciate your real personality."
S: spiritual
C.S. Lewis books, a James Avery cross necklace, charms to keep in my pocket to remind me to take joy each minute, and Elizabeth Gouge trilogy of spiritual books A: artistic
An English movie, a music play list, the lovliest of prints to represent so much of what I love--books, mamas and blue!
L: loving
a beautiful journal and all sorts of goodies
L: long-suffering
more books, trinkets for the house Y: yowza, yay (AKA-fun gifts!)
totally little things I loved--a double pen for underlining and using on my ipad, a scarf, a travel bag and more
I was surprised each two hours with memories, earrings, a beautiful scarf, more books, a beautiful journal with a bird painting--one of my fav's, and a lovely memory book, filled with well wishes, notes and blessings from so many friends that sweet Rachael, my daughter-in-law to be, had collected.
Words can not describe how truly grateful I am for the children and husband that God has given me. I keep telling everyone that I wish I could turn 60 all over again! This wonderful day of incredible memories ended with dear friends and family gathering for delicious, decadent chocolate cake at my home. It would have been amazing simply to have loved ones with me, but each person took the time to pray for me and share one of their favorite memories with me.
My family put in so much effort to spend this day making me feel appreciated, loved, and cared for. This year has been especially busy, hectic, and full of transition. With Joy going back to Biola today, Nathan getting engaged and bringing lovely Rachael home before they film their movie, Joel moving to Los Angeles a few months ago and composing and working 35 hour weeks at Apple, and Sarah preparing to leave for Wheaton after being away all summer, it seems there is always something new arising in our family. After so many years of ministry and hard work, it meant so much to have a day of restoration--and to manage to have all of them at home.
I am so very grateful for each and every person who took the time to spoil me and make this birthday truly unforgettable.
What has been your favorite birthday?
Thomas Pollack Anshutz
"I am a part of everything that I have read."
God made us people of words- Jesus calls himself "The Word." Words have power to give life, to inspire, to make wise, to teach, to transform and to redeem. How important it is that you become the conductor of godly influence in your children's lives by exposing them to the best people who have ever lived. Reading hundreds of biographies to my children established a foundation of understanding leadership and greatness because their souls were bathed in spiritual and character richness. I agree with Teddy Roosevelt, my children are indeed a part of everything that they read.
To have read them hundreds of books automatically meant I couldn't do other things--I used very little traditional "school" curriculum. It was a choice of faith. Everything I read about all studies of what created intelligence in children, what built vocabulary, what created great thinking, pointed to reading great books, insightful authors and capturing imaginations with great literature.
Because I wanted to expose my children to the best writers, stories and thinkers, I built their education on these principles. If I was going to homeschool, I wanted to capture the imaginations and interests of my children. But I also wanted to seek to cultivate what was best spiritually, morally, and mentally for my children. And so I took a step of faith and used read books instead of age-graded books.
Of course each year, each child would accomplish one grade of math according to their age, but apart from that and hand-writing appropriate materials, and simple short grammar lessons, all of the rest of our formal schooling was accomplished through reading outloud, discussing and writing about great books. I looked for boy books and girl books that all of my children could read and become inspired by living with the words of these stories. Today, I know you will love hearing about 2 newish books that my friend recently shared with me.
Have you ever wished there was a book that could inspire your "young man" with real live heroes? Eric Metaxas's new book, Seven Men, and the Secret of Their Greatness, is historical, inspiring and riveting. The perfect book to read as a family, little by little, to discuss each man and his decisions, attributes and decisions that influenced the outcome of his life.. (Or to give to a graduate, or read to your young son.) In this day and age, all of us need to hear biographies of really great men who finished well.
Young adults these days are facing a culture that is constantly changing it's moral compass and lacks models of integrity and courage. Eric Metaxas, New York Times best selling Author of Bonhoeffer, has just come out with this incredible book our whole family loved and I wholeheartedly endorse. 7 Men and The Secret of their Greatness, will not disappoint you!
It is a collection of short biographies of George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles Colson. You will find in it's pages seven Godly men who followed God's destiny for their lives and how each man's choices impacted history. I know you will enjoy it as much as we did. This is a book you'll want to add to your home library.
This Father's Day I gave my husband a book that has been long over due for Father's to share with their sons. As a mom, one of my roles is to scout out helps for my busy husband to use as a jumping off point for conversations.
I hit a gold mine when I came across a new book by best selling author Tommy Newberry and Curt Beavers, I Call Shotgun. This is a compilation of 64 letters written by 3 godly men to their sons. Just a few of the titles are... Value your time, Appreciate What You Have, Seek God First Everyday, Celebrate Other People's Success,
If you want to raise young men with godly character, intentionally influencing them is a must and this is a great way to start. This is a fabulous book for teenage sons and Dad's. (I am even sending it to Nathan and Joel to read!) I love the biblical principles laid out in such a personal way. It shares a father 's caring heart to mentor his son without being preachy. Moms, this is a great handbook for fathers who want to pass on wisdom to their sons and aren't sure how to go about it.
Guillaime Courtois
As long as I can remember, there have been giants in my life and in my land. Some are uglier and bigger than others, but all of them stand before me, threatening the stability and security of my life and seem greater than my ability to conquer them. A giant is a picture of those obstacles or issues that come into our lives that tempt us to live in fear, or that cause us to wonder where God has gone or that seem insurmountable. Those threatening issues that are gigantic to our heart, and cause us to worry and lose heart.
My giants are of different sizes and different threats:
Financial; fears of how a child will turn out or if my children will indeed end up loving the Lord; marriage stresses and pressures or misunderstandings; deep loneliness for me or another family member; medical problems that don't go away; relationship issues with family; sad and devastating circumstances in loved ones' lives; weariness; and often fear of the future.
There were also many instances of giants in scripture. In Numbers 13, we read the story of Moses sending out the heads of the families, twelve leaders, to spy out the land that God had promised to give to them. Even though these men indeed found the land to be a place of milk and honey as God had promised, these leaders of their families gave a bad report to their people and said, "The land was a land of milk and honey, but there were people who were very strong and very large. ,..., We were as grasshoppers in our own sight and so we became in their sight."their sight" (the sight of the giants). Consequently, because of the bad report, these men swayed the people to disbelieve in God's ability to provide for them, and so the result was 40 years wandering in the desert wilderness.
Grasshoppers, tiny insignificant bugs in comparison to the giants.
This is such a picture of me of what happens when we see giants and don't face them with God's strength. We become as grasshoppers in our hearts. We become small minded, fearful, ineffective. Then, God gives us over to our faithlessness and we end up "wandering in the wilderness." Faithlessness always leads to a wilderness of soul.
As I see it, in scripture, giants gave people a great opportunity to glorify God--to see His faithfulness, to believe in His goodness, to conquer. We really can't walk with God and have fear and disbelief at the same time. Our heart has only enough room for one of the other. I often think people say to me, "I feel like God is far off from me and doesn't even hear my prayers", when often, we have left His presence and companionship by disbelieving Him in the midst of our fears and being overwhelmed.
Caleb and Joshua had different eyes in their hearts--they saw the giants, but they saw God and His strength more clearly. They believed He could conquer and lead them in victory. Because of their faith, they were the only men who were allowed to go into the promised land after the 40 years of discipline were completed.
God's response to the disbelieving Israelites was this:
"Surely all the en who have seen my glory and y signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not listened to my voice."
Yikes--how often have I seen God's faithfulness in my own life and then looked at the next giant with fear and faithlessness as though God had never worked in my life! Sometimes I just get tired of giants and want to coast in my life. Am I testing and grumbling against Him when the giants come, or resting and waiting patiently for His solutions because I see Him in His glory and faithfulness and lovingkindness?
Here God says that disbelief is evil! He is the one who also told us, "Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.,..., Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11: 1, 6
We all know the story of David, too. Around 40, 000 soldiers, strong men, faced Goliath, the giant, and with their eyes, they saw someone who could not be defeated. Yet, David saw him and in the eyes of his heart, he immediately saw something different. His response to Goliath was, "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that He should taunt the armies of the living God?" ( I Samuel 17: 26; 45-46) He saw Goliath as an opportunity to show His faith in the one true God and in His strength. When he was killing Goliath, he said, "You come to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day, God will deliver you in my hands."
So that is how I am supposed to face my giants, see them as taunting God's realities in my life, but facing them in the name of the Lord of Hosts--the Lord who leads armies of angels, the strong and mighty God who is able to conquer all the giants in my life.
I am learning that God is stronger than all of my giants. That it is a waste of time to live by fear. That when I give my giants into His hands I can find rest for my soul as Jesus found rest in the boat in the middle of the storm.
But where does this battle take place? In my heart.
When I am alone in my bedroom pondering my issues, feeling darkness, but knowing that God sees me and sees the battle--that He knows when I choose to say, "I will believe--even though I don't feel faith, I will choose today to praise you--to put one foot in front of the other, to be grateful, by faith, for your presence, for this child, this circumstance--you see my heart--you alone--today I will believe in the Lord of hosts working amongst my giants to slay them.
Old giants will be defeated. New ones will come. But, this life, these giants, are the best way I have to live a story of faith and to show God's glory--this is the way I will model faith in my home, so that my children can learn how to face their giants.
Today, I will look my giants in the face and see God's shadow towering over them, the Lord of Hosts fighting for me--see God's purposes in the midst, learn to grow stronger and see them conquered as He has conquered so many in the past.
What are your giants? How are you facing them?
Livestrong
Working together with our children models the truth we are trying to teach them.
What a whirlwind week I have had with so many wonderful well-wishes, gifts, flowers and celebration of my 60th birthday. All of your letters, comments and cards have truly encouraged my heart and made me feel quite loved.
Saturday night, we gathered with some close friends and my sweet children and Clay. According to our tradition, everyone tells the birthday person why they appreciate them or how they have been blessed and then the birthday person gets prayed for and blessed by all who are at the celebration. We have practiced this for many years and we have seen our children's souls practically burst with the goodness of life-giving words and prayers just for them.
All of my children communicated the most wonderful blessings to me. Nathan said, "Mom, as I look back on my life, I am beginning to realize just how much time you invested in our lives. From daily devotions, manners, learning to do chores, educating us, correcting us, providing lessons and leadership opportunities and counseling us on every possible subject. I just want to thank you for investing so much time and giving up yourself to make my life strong. Everywhere I go, I hear your voice wisely telling me what to do."
As I have been pondering all of these wonderful words of life given to me this weekend, I have realized that investing in a child's life, mind, soul, heart, habits, education, takes lots and lots of time and training. But the daily training--NO not this, but this; no not this, but this, ........(a thousand and thousand times)! This is what it takes to shape a strong soul.
Self-actualization is a term that has come up in conversation a lot this week. All of my children have talked about how they grew into thinking they could bring light to their dark world because of the way we trained them and talked to them, over and over again. .This idea means giving your children a real sense, inside, of who they are, what they were created to do, understanding their amazing capacity to live life with redemption and influence by living in to God's will and owning His design for their lives.
We work with a cooperative spirit, freely giving and receiving help.
Way 15
"This week's Way, number 15, is all about giving your child a sense of being a servant leader. Part of perceiving oneself as a leader is thinking inside that God has made them to serve and that it is a glory of a person to serve well. But another aspect of this perception is building a strong family sense of community.
Each morning, after breakfast, I would put on lively music and have all of the kids do the same chore to restore our house to order before we began the day. We would all rock out together on the same songs while one put the dishes in the dishwasher, another swept, another straightened the room where we would be reading, etc. I would, as often as possible--(we all have grumpy, discombobulated days!)--but mostly, I would thank them.
Before we had guests, each of us would have an area of picking up, setting the table, putting up a personal welcome sign, (welcome, Joel!--or whatever), lighting candles. And I would tell them how much I appreciated them making our home so beautiful.
Our ministry conferences, each had tasks. Little ones would welcome moms with a basket of chocolate they would pass out. Older kids would run the book tables. Each year, all of them had to give a short talk, greeting, song or prayer at the conferences. "You all are the best book people will ever read. The Clarksons together, are used by God, to help mamas all over the world, to see how important it is to raise their children for God's glory and to build a strong generation.
As a matter of fact, having our children serve together for many, many years is one of the key components to the reason they all have a perception that God has also called them to impact their worlds for God's kingdom.They heard these messages in our devotionals, they heard us speak them to adults at conferences and they practiced right beside us, doing what we were teaching them.
Teaching the passages of Jesus when he laid down his life and served others, (feeding the 5 thousand and seeing how God used even a little boy to serve in a miraculous way, holding the children, healing lepers and those who were weak, etc.) and then I would often say to my children, "God is making you so strong inside. You are such a help to your little sister or you have worked so hard. Just like Jesus!" or "I couldn't do without your help." or "I know that God made you to be so strong inside--you are such a help and you have been so cooperative today. I couldn't have such a wonderful house without your help. Thanks so much."
A big part of our perception of serving when we are older and humbly helping others comes from practicing helping others and hearing about the importance of serving others when they are young.
Memory verse:
"Two are better than one, because they have good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.But woe to the one who falls when there was not another to pick him up." Ecc. 4:9-10
As you learn the truth of this way, have a grid to encourage your children that family is always to help each other, and that they are so very precious to be willing to serve others. Giving your child a self-image of perceiving that God wants to use them in their world, will shape their work and service the rest of their lives. Giving them practice to serve each other will build strong relationships between siblings when they grow up.
But here!
Celebrating my birthday week with all of my wonderful friends and family. All of my precious children are home and we are celebrating each day together--and all of the history we have made as a family.
There will be eating and talking and chocolate cake and hiking with a picnic in the mountains with fried chicken and pictures and movies and prayers and blessings--
And I am practicing expanding my lungs so I can blow out about a zillion candles.
Actually, this is a landmark year, my 60th, so I thought we should all celebrate us being a clan of Clarksons. And thanking God for the amazing ways He has been faithful and blessed our family.
Having time just to be with all of my peeps is the best thing in the world.
So, I will be absent a few days, but I am feeling quite blessed and enjoying each moment.
Charles de Bruyères
When you are taxed by your children, your friends, your husband, what flows out from the depths of your heart? Whatever you have cherished inside is what will flow out. When you are squeezed you will spill out what is in your heart. So it is essential to understand, what you are pouring in will surely spill out in your words, your eyes, your attitudes, your actions. Filling the inside of our souls with beauty, goodness, humility, faith and love of Christ must be intentional so that there will be substance of his life to spill over to others.
Proverbs warns us to guard our heart. "Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the well spring of life." Proverbs 4: 23
Jesus said that it is not the outside--the performance for others, the attempt to do righteous works, that determines what a man or woman is like. It is possible to fool others because of our behavior. But it is never possible to fool God. He sees what we are like on the inside,
"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Heart cleaning leaves us empty for heart-filling. Pouring in is something I must do on a regular basis, so that my heart is light, pure, filled with joy and love. This does not just happen accidentally. And of course, eventually, all of our children sniff hypocrisy pretty quickly--and by the time they are teens, they are fully aware of what our heart is revealing through time.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matt. 23: 27
I have had a number of sweet women in my home the past 7 weeks. Usually, the questions flow, "What did you do to cultivate godliness in your children? Exactly what did your daily schedule look like? What books did you read to them? How did you deal with their bad attitudes?"
But the beginning point of a mama spreading inspiration and faith starts with her cultivating her own heart. If she is reading scripture, pondering the heart of Christ, worshipping him and following His ways, then her children will draw the love and sweetness of Christ from her every day.
If a mama is engaging her mind in great books and growing and learning new ideas and stretching her own intellect, then her children will also be drawing from the interesting thoughts in which she has invested her mind.
If a mama is developing her character and taking small steps to become more self-disciplined, more of a servant leader, more patient, more generous with life-giving words, because of her obedience to Christ, then her children's souls will be sprinkled with the strength of her obedience.
If she engages herself in meeting the needs of others and reaches out with the redeeming message of Christ, her children will learn not just to hear words of the gospel, but to learn what it looks like to live the gospel.
A mom is a mentor--a coach in all things excellent in life. If she is not growing in excellence, she cannot pass on to her children what she herself has.
Don't worry so much about the right rules, the best formula, what are the right books to buy. Be concerned instead, for your soul--what are you planting there? What are you watering in the depths of your heart attitudes? Whatever you water will grow. Nothing in your heart will be long hidden--as all things hidden eventually will come to the fore.
So the starting point of your influence is the state of your own heart, mind and soul. If there is purity, wisdom, strength, faith, love and righteousness there, then when you pour out your life, those around you will be blessed indeed.
No money, things, training and activities can replace the importance of Children finding the very essence of Christ spilling out in our lives, from what we have carefully taken the time to place there inside.
I am leaving off of the 24 Family Ways right now, as I have taken so long to complete this series due to life and busyness and commitments. If you still want me to keep teaching these, let me know, as it seems interest has wained. I will keep making Mondays a mentoring time.
I would love to hear what you think! Be blessed and fill your heart this week with the eternal, the personal, the sweet and the strong!
