Faith in Parenting

Moms, I hope you get a chance this weekend to reflect on the true importance of your role as a mom.  In fact, take a moment to sit down and make a list of the roles you fill.  I don’t just mean “chauffeur” and “cook.”  I mean the roles you play beneath the surface when no one is looking:  encourager, counselor, Spiritual guide, prayer warrior, friend, compass. The list goes on!

May you get a sense this Mother’s Day of the true value of your work.  May you know that you are appreciated and loved, and most of all, that you are fulfilling God’s calling on your life.  ~Amen!

As you might imagine, my husband didn’t really have time to go shopping for souvenirs in Africa!  So he brought back different rocks for each of us, and he wrote “Psalm 18:2″ on them.  “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

This is an easy verse to memorize and then build into a spur-of-the moment devotion with your kids.  Sometime when you’re taking a walk, hiking, or skipping rocks into a steam, talk about what the Lord means to you personally, how He’s proven himself to be your Rock, your Deliverer, and the One in whom you take refuge daily.  ~Amen!

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Sorry for the absence! I was blogging on my husband’s blog while he was in Africa! He’s back now, and you can check out the blog at http://christopherbwolf.wordpress.com.

Meanwhile, I’ll be catching up here this week.  Sorry for the lapse!

Blessings,
Jen

This is a great verse to share with your kids the next time they express fear of the unknown.  Maybe your son is anxious about his first sleepover, or your daughter is worried about attending a new dance school.  Our kids enter into situations that are “new” to them all the time, but it’s not always comfortable.  Reminding them - and ourselves, for that matter! - that God himself goes ahead of them and will be with them is incredibly reassuring.

So the next time you’re presented with a “what if…” from one of your kids, consider sharing this verse and turning the moment into a quick One-Minute Devotional opportunity!

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Some Thoughts for All of Us: Boy, this is tough to remember sometimes, isn’t it? I mean, how many times do we find ourselves worrying? Worrying about what will happen tomorrow, whether we will have enough money, or whether we’ll be asked to face something we can not yet imagine.

Let’s do something - let’s really memorize this verse, and repeat it in those moments when worries come creeping upon us.  The Lord himself goes before us and will be with us.  ~Amen!

Don’t you just love kids’ questions? The other day, my 5-year-old asked me if I wished for her and her brother before they were born. And it led to such a neat conversation! I got to explain how much I prayed for each of them before they were born, and how I trusted God to use me to bring into the world the exact children He wanted me to raise. (And look - He did!)

It was also an ideal opportunity for incorporating these two verses, and turning her natural inquiry into a quick one-minute devotion opportunity.

You can do the same thing. The next time your kids spontaneously ask you about the day they were born, share with them how purposefully God created them, knitting each cell together until they grew into the little person they are right at this moment!

Psalm 139: 13-14 -

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

Some Thoughts for Moms: Guess what? Today is my son’s 9th birthday! And I can’t help but think of these verses today. Isn’t it just amazing to think that God created our children, knit them together? I’m not too crafty myself, but people who knit tell me it’s an intricate process that requires a lot of patience and thought. What a joy it is to see the intricacies of God’s creation through our children! “I know that full well.”

May you be blessed to see this verse from a new perspective and be encouraged in the Lord through the lives of your children. ~Amen!

Come to Our Next Free Parent Support Call:

Date: Thursday, April 3, 2008

Time: 8:00-8:30 pm (ET)

Phone Number: (218) 486-1300

Access Code: 669379

Cost: F*R*E*E

The next Faith in Parenting Support Call will take place this Thursday, April 3, 2008, at 8:00 pm (ET). (Note: That would be 7:00 pm CT, 6:00 pm MT, and 5:00 pm PT.)

To participate, simply call (218) 486-1300 and enter the access code 669379. The call is free, other than any regular long distance charges you may incur.

This month’s discussion topic is how we, as moms, can fuel ourselves Spiritually in the midst of raising our children.

I hope you’ll join us! Feel free to invite a friend, as well. And if you’d like to know more about these free parenting support calls, click on “Parent Support Calls” to your right.

You can also listen to the most recently recorded calls when you click on the sidebar link labeled “Support Call Archive.”

“See” you Thursday night!

Blessings,

Jennifer

The verse Ephesians 4:32, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you, is a great choice for a quick one-minute devotion because it’s so applicable to our daily lives. Once you have this verse in your mind, you’re going to find lots of situations where it just naturally applies, and - ideally - that’s the time to slip in your one-minute devotion. Right there in that teachable moment.

For example, let’s say your kids are arguing. Remind them that God wants us to be kind to another and forgive one another; and then ask them why they think that is. They might say, “Because He wants us to love one another,” or “Because he want us to get along.” That’s certainly true! But it’s also a good time to point out to our kids that forgiving one another is one way we can acknowledge the extent to which God has forgiven us.

Pretty easy, right? Because sharing Christ doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t even have to be well-planned or come from a formal devotional book.  Simply put the message into your own words, and look for an opportunity to share it with your kids this week.

Blessings,

Jennifer