I don’t know about you but I’m already dreading the “What are we going to do today?” question that will inevitably come out of at least one of my children’s mouths every single morning this summer! I start out with really great summer plans…first, the children will go through their Summer Bridge Workbooks to keep up on your academics, then we will do something fun, yet educational and end the day at the pool…there will be no fighting, every meal will be healthy and homemade and we will never even think of uttering “I’m bored!”
Yes, well, I’m going to dash that dream right now. It’s not going to happen…at least in my home. I think I can keep up that routine for maybe a day! But not to feel like a complete failure I did find this really great list of activities to do with children where we can at least start the day off on the right foot!
This Sunday grades 1st-6thgrade will meet together for a Remember & Celebrate Service!
We will be celebrating the Festival of Harvest. Discuss with your children some of the festivals and feasts Jewish people celebrated in Biblical times and still celebrate today. What kinds of celebrations do Christians have nowadays to remember God’s greatness?
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
Ok, get ready for the tears! I never like when TJ talks about how much time we have left with our children in the home. Jed always says he’s going to live at home and work at Yogurtland and truly I want more for him but I’m secretly kind of liking that idea! This talk by Reggie Joiner is so real and convicting as he talks about how much time we have with our kids and how impactful we are and should be. Here is the overview: From the moment a child comes into our lives, we are figuratively packing their bags with tools to carry once they leave the home.
During the 1,000 weeks between infancy and graduation, we have the potential to influence our kids’ “now” to change the direction of their future. In this message, guest speaker Reggie Joiner teaches us how to examine the time we have left in parenting, and to place greater value on what happens to our child over time. You’ll learn six principles of intentional parenting, including love, words, stories, work, fun, and tribes. Find out why redefining how we parent is key to our success in leading a purpose-driven family.
“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth” (Psalm 127:4).
This week Chris, Livi, and I watched a great Christian movie on Netflix called Like Arrows. It’s about Biblical parenting. In this movie about Biblical parenting, the parents realize how critical intentionality and focus are when shaping and molding their kids’ lives. The movie pairs itself with a parenting course called Art of Parenting. The online video series for Art of Parenting is available for free here.
As we look forward to this Sunday’s lesson for the kids, the Israelites crossing the Jordan, we are reminded how crucial our role is as parents to lead our kids daily to the Lord. The Red Sea generation turned from God and sent their kids over the Jordan. in large part, without them. May we be parents so close to Christ that our kids will follow Him as they follow us.
You are doing important work! I pray the Lord gives you the grace and wisdom you need to minister in the lives of each of your children as unto Him.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6
More, more, more! That is our society’s mantra! Unfortunately, our churches are becoming places that enable this type of consumerism. And as parents, we feed into it too! Our kids want…so we give! But are we teaching our kids true faith or are we just entertaining them? If we are just feeding our children Bible stories, worship songs and trying to keep the gospel entertaining we are raising consumers of faith.
They never internalize their faith and so they don’t know what they truly believe. This is why they leave the One and Only Truth when they get older and have to “feed” themselves. False teachers are out there who make it their mission in life to take our children away from the Truth! This video by The Bible Project is an eye-opener that’s for sure! It seems so easy to help our children see and understand the truth but we are fighting against a sinful nature and a world that wants to distract our children.
“A home is a kingdom of its own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The chaos of life does not stop at the doorstep at my house! It should, I wish it would. Each one of us carries the baggage of the day inside and the inside becomes as crazy as the outside. Where is the peace and quiet? Where is the sanctuary? I literally have to leave the house to find a place to rest. No wonder we are all so anxious and our tempers are shorter then they should be.
When I’m searching for a subject to write my parent devotional on I pray that God reveals to me what I need to work on in my own life and also in the lives of our Family Tree families. This article from Family Life came just in time! I can’t wait to implement this into our family. Our family is a work in progress let me tell you, but we are working on it. I hope this article blesses your family!
The saddest look on a child’s face is when they are asked to do a chore! Poor, poor child! Now not all kids are like this but I can honestly say it’s the majority. When I was growing up, before we could even think of leaving the house, my chores had to be done. Chores may be a “bad” word to some kids but if they started doing chores that were more age-appropriate they could possibly have a bit more fun. It’s also important to remind them that a family works together to take care of the blessings God gives us…a home, cars, clothes.
This is also a great foundation for when your children grow up and live on their own! Focus on the Family published great articles about finding the appropriate chores for your children’s age and tips on how to get them to do chores. Reward systems work well but do whatever is most comfortable for you and your family. I personally think there are some chores you do because you are apart of the family and there are some you do that is above and beyond that…those you might be paid a shiny nickel!
