In my devotion today on Crosswalk and Proverbs 31 Ministries, I talked about a situation where I felt frustrated and completely helpless as a mom. So I asked for God’s help and He came through with a powerful promise to help my son become a can-do kid, and help me become a can-do mom!
Andrew moved beyond who he was to who he could become with God’s help. He learned (and is still learning) that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength, (Phil. 4:13). It’s a spiritual lesson that’s become part of his spiritual legacy. A lesson that’s lasted for years. He was four when it happened and he just turned eleven yesterday!
Monday we talked here about our calling to teach God’s truths to our kids in everyday moments. All throughout January, I’ll be sharing on my blog about becoming a D6 family based on God’s instructions in Deuteronomy 6:5-9. I’ll also be partnering with the D6 conference/ministry each weekday to give away resources to encourage you and your kids along the way.
My story in today’s devotion a D6 moment when I saw what it meant to live out the principles in Deuteronomy 6 – to pass on God’s promises as we go along. God showed me real life application of His Word in the middle of a motherhood meltdown.
And the lesson lingered. It’s been applicable in the days that followed. A year or so afterwards, we were getting ready to leave for school and Joshua offered to help Andrew feed the dogs. Andrew smiled and said, “No thanks. I don’t need help. I’m a can-do kid!”
Just yesterday Andrew was struggling with anxiety. I shared how I have worries, too, and described how I write them down and give them to God. We talked about living in today and not tomorrow until it gets here. Then I read him the devotion and reminded him that he’s a can-do kid who can trust God with His concerns. Then we prayed Philippians 4:13, claiming once again that he can do all things through Christ who gives Him strength. He smiled so big and thanked me for reminding him.
My prayer today is that God will show us all D6 moments with our children so we can help them become can-do kids in Christ!
I also wanted to share promises God used with Gideon in Judges 6 to help him become a can-do kid:
- I am with you. v.12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
- Focus on the strength you have. v.14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
- You can do it! Remember, I am with you. v.16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”
I didn’t realize it then, but as I look back I see practical ways I applied this process and these promises with Andrew that day in the kitchen:
- I drew his attention away from something he couldn’t do and focused it toward something he could do.
- I showed him how to do it, and then I did it with him.
- Once he gained his confidence, I stepped back and watched as he completed his assignment with success.
- We celebrated the reality of his new name and talked about how good it felt to do new things.
God is so good! I love that these steps we can take with our children in various situations as we become a Can-Do Moms who are raising Can-Do Kids!
Copyright 2009. Renee Swope – All rights reserved.
We’re giving away two D6-mom resources today, that includeone copy of “Revolutionary Parenting” and one copy of my “Mining for Gold in the Heart of Your Child“ CD and chart to be selected from your comments today. Be sure to include your email in your comment so we can contact you if you win the give-away. Here are some things I’d love to know:
Has there been a time when you were able to share a promise or spiritual truth with your child in an everyday life moment? What hinders you or helps you look for those teachable moments? Are there other ways you are passing on your faith to your child? I’d love to hear your thoughts, stories and/or questions.
Every Friday, we’ll be giving away two tickets to the D6 Conference. So be sure to come back for more encouragement and resources from D6 and Proverbs 31 Ministries!
Be sure to include your email so we can contact you if you win the give-away.
Thank you so much for this post!! I have a child who is 7 and cannot tie his shoes and is constantly saying “I Cannot do this”. Among other things he struggles with doing. This helps me so much and gives me hope in that I can show him things he can do and not get so frustrated which in turn makes me sad and like a helpless parent. As the saying goes “Leave it in Gods hands and he will provide”. Again, thank you so much for your guidance and help.
I have a son who is reluctant to step out and stretch himself. The challenge is getting him to understand that God and we always expect his best. We struggle with our frustration with this challenge on a daily basis.
I have a 16 year old who believes the best way to handle life is to “do only as much as you have to” – NEVER do more than is expressly required, don’t stand out or strive for excellence and yet, won’t try things if he is not confident that he can do them well(perfectly) – he doesn’t like to make mistakes and re-try. I try to use life to bring God and scriptural truths home to him, but he is very resistant right now – so I leave him in God’s hands for I know that “I” cannot bring him to God, only God can cause him to awaken to His truth and to seek and see Him. I never did as much encouraging of him as I thought when he was younger. I was a single mother and caught up in trying to make ends meet and being overwhelmed by my circumstances. But, thanks to God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice, I have been saved and I CAN DO all things through Christ who strengthens me. His grace is sufficient to overcome my inabilities as a parent. Barbara-Ann D’Aguilar
Renee–
I’m struggling this morning with my oldest daughter, who’s in kindergarten. She’s argumentative by nature and we’re working on that, but this morning it was to the nth degree. Her motto seemed to be, ‘no matter what it is, it’s not what I wanted.’ She argued and fell apart over everything from her clothes to her toast to her boots. I know we all have bad mornings, but I also know that this is a heart issue. It just came out in a much bigger way this morning. I’m praying and searching for the right way to help her change her attitude and her heart. Perhaps developing in her an attitude of gratitude? That came to me as I prayed this morning, but not sure yet whether that was God’s suggestion or my own! Coveting prayers and suggestions,
Holly
[email protected]
a much needed lesson for me today. If I am a can’t do mom then how do I teach my children to be “can-do” kids. Be careful little ears what you hear…I am going to do my best to be the Can-do Mom that they need me to be and instead of getting frustrated and overwhelmed with all of the things I think I can’t get done today, I know I can!
Oh forgot, my email is [email protected]
Caroline
Blessings to you, Renee:
Sometimes I am that child who is reluctant to try something new because I find such comfort in what I already know. I worry that this has rubbed off on my kids too! I want to be an example of trusting in Christ, knowing that I CAN DO all things because of Him, and Him alone!
Thanks for your message today; it hit home and encouraged me to be more of an encouragement to my kids!
Suzanne Bethurum
[email protected]
Hi Renee,
I just read your encouraging words and can relate to the “I can’t do it” drama of a child. I have a 7 year old girl that can get pretty emotional about the silliest things, including socks…. But that is part of the fun of having a child, which can be frustrating. But through encouragement and worship our family stays strong along with a huge dose of laughter…
Thank you, I look forward to reading more of your stories in the future.
Caroline
Renee,
Thank you once again for sharing the truths you have learned along the way. I used the Phillipians verse with my son. His timed math fact tests have been a struggle. He knows them, but he gets flustered when he gets into a timed situation. We prayed this verse for him.
[email protected]
Thanks Renee for this post! I just had a D6 moment last night with my 12 year daughter. She is a tender hearted child with a very big temper. As she moves to her teenage years the attitude of course is growing. I had several moments of discipline for that attitude last night. Before she went to bed she came and sat at the end of my bed and said "I don't know what to do?". I asked, "about what". My temper and attitude. We had a lengthy discussion about just what you discribed in your post. How you alone can't do it. But in Christ all things are possible. We talked about prayer and it's power. She didn't understand how praying could help her. So we talked about how and when to pray about her attitude. It's something I think she is going to continue to struggle with. But I know God can help her through it. And as long as we keep our eyes on him, I know she will prevail! Thanks so much for your website and daily devotions. They keep my thoughts in check everyday! ><>
Hi Renee,
As you know I have been utilizing your “Mining for Gold” principles for some time now. I think that my biggest struggle is just seeing the gold. My son is sooooo very strong-willed and too often I get sucked down into the muck and mud of his poor choices and bad behaviors and I forget to look for the good that creeps in from time to time. I am praying about this a lot and trying to do better. Please continue to pray for us!
I was chatting to my kids as we drove about how God provides for us. They talked about the “things” that God was providing for our family. As we turned the corner to go through a drive through for lunch we saw a homeless couple standing at the side of the road. As children do they asked what the sign said that they were holding, why they didn’t have a home, why the were hungry. Difficult questions to answer and yet my seven year old didn’t miss a beat as he uggested we buy them lunch and take it to them.
I smiled as I thought about how the conversation before not only allowed for a “Jesus moment “but gave my children an opportunity to “live” as Jesus did.
We bought lunch took it to the family and as we drove away, my daughter asked me if Jesus was smiling…a tear slid down my cheek as I turned and answered YES!
In a moment where I thought I was teaching my children they reminded me that in everything we do it is for His pleasure!
It was an experience I will never forget.
Morning! I get the P31 devotions each day and I was glued to yours this morning and for the first time I decided to venture to one of the links and it was your blog. Oh, how I was blessed!! I wanted to find out what D6 was all about and it took me to yesterdays writing and the You Tube clip and I was blessed again. I have 3 children and the majority of the time they are can-do kids but they have moments and I thank you for sharing your story. I will definetly be visitng your blog again and I thank Jesus for using you to reach so many moms.
Wow!! this truly is God-sent!! I’ve been searching,waiting, and praying for a ministry such as this. A guide/support group to help me see practical ways in which to instill in my 3 children Godly values that will equip them to confront all the issues and pressures that they will face in adulthood. I realize the importance of scripture memory and the value of just praying for the future of our children. so thank you for D6!!!
I keep verses on the mirror so we can read them while brushing our teeth. One of the many verses I like is Heb 13:5. I will never leave you or forsake. That is a promise that we know God will be with us whenever or whatever we do.
Thank you for your devotions, they really speak to my heart.
Hello Renee
I am a mother of a 7 year old with a mild case Cerebral Palsy and a very busy 3 year old. Our roles are reversed. Ellie (7) has a hard time keeping up with her little brother and get’s the “I can’t”. Right now Ellie has a cast on her left foot to help with her CP and having a hard time with snow pants (lovely MN winter). Today was better than the last few, but with your story about Andrew helps us to always trust in God and his word.
Thank you for sharing your Andrew and for giving me inspiration to keep God in EVERYTHING we do.
Lori
Hi Renee!
Thanks so much for your post today and for the reminder that we, as parents, have the primary responsibility for instilling God’s Word in the hearts of our children while they are young. I have always tried to use the everyday situations we encounter to remind my children of God’s Word and what it says about particular situations – sometimes, because of the busy-ness of life, I get a little lax in pointing out how God’s Word applies to everything we encounter. So, I appreciate the reminder!
You asked for us to recount a time when we were able to share a promise or spiritual truth with our child in an everyday life moment. My son, who is now 13, has many characteristics that are on the autism spectrum (Asperger’s) but has not been “officially” diagnosed with Asperger’s because he has other characteristics that are not typical of children with autism. He attends a private, Christian school, and struggles with certain aspects of school-work and socializing. He often feels like he doesn’t “fit in.” On several different occasions, when he has felt particularly frustrated and discouraged about not “fitting in” at school, I have been able to remind him of Psalm 139 – that he is fearfully and wonderfully made and that God made him just the way he is on purpose. God put him together that way for a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) and I remind him that God has special plans for him using the exact gifts and talents that he has. What a wonderful and gracious God we have that He would put these promises and reminders in His Word just for us to know that nothing is by accident and that He has a perfect plan for everything and everyone!
I really appreciate your D6 focus right now and look forward to more lessons and ideas on how to implement them!
Blessings on your day! Teri
Thank you! I love your story of helping your son!!
Good Morning,
I continue to instill my son (who is now 5) the same truths that my mother instilled in me. Ever since he learned how to talk and began to form the words "I can't" in his mouth – I quickly corrected him.
At first I would tell him that in our house "I can't" is a naughty word and instead we say "Mommy, I need help."
As he grew older he began to understand that "I can't" really wasn't a bad word & asked me to explain it. So I told him (and continue to this day) that really there is no such thing as "I can't"… Instead it's "I can, if I try". It's to the point now where he will correct himself whenever he begins to say the words "I can't". He even corrects me when I mistakenly say those words. lol… It's great to watch him take on most challenges that are set before him & usually when he gets stumped – he knows how to now ask for help instead of giving up.
Renee I loved this devotion today. I have two boys who are completely different. Our Gideon, age 6, is very outgoing while our Ken, is very laid back and kind of in his big brother’s shadow. We are trying to encourage Ken on the things that he does well and he loves the praise. There are teachable moments in everything, even when us parents blow it. I want to thank you all at P31 for your encouragement to us Moms.
Praise the Lord for leading me to your site today! I have four children (age 5 and under) and am always looking for sound Christian parenting advice and suggestions.
I think the thing that hinders me most in constantly sharing the truth of God’s Word with my children is my own lack of Scripture memorization. I am relatively new to in-depth Bible study and am still trying to hide God’s promises in my own heart and mind. This year as I read Scripture, I am highlighting God’s promises in yellow, and His attributes/character in orange, so I can more easily reference and absorb them any time I open up my Bible. I pray that it will help me impart them on my children more often! But I, myself, must know my Scripture first, in order to be able to past the Truth on to my children in everyday situations.
So most of the time I use songs or hymns, which often times contain (or are based on) direct Scripture. I love music and songs stick with me so easily. This morning my 5 year old said she wanted to stay home with us today instead of going to Kindergarten, so as we waited for the bus, I showered her with songs, such as This is the Day (that the Lord has made). It put a smile on her face and helped her put on the right attitude as she headed off for a day at public school.
I look forward to visiting your site often. Thanks for what you do!
Thank you so much for sharing your hearts and your stories. I love reading them and I know you are all encouraging one another, too! I am praying for each mom, grandmother, and friend who stops by today. Share what is on your heart and we will try to answer lots of your great questions and talk about things you bring up as we go along. If we don’t cover it all in Jan, we’ll keep talking in the months that follow.
Be sure you leave your email in your comment, too, so we can contact you if you win a give-away.
Remember, YOU are a can-do mom/kid too!
Renee
Renee! You just described MY 4-year old. He has two older siblings that are quite independent and instead of emulating them, he is discouraged by their success. Thank you for sharing and offering some tips for supporting our children.
Jude 2,
Emily
This has turned on so many different lightbulbs in my head. I shared with my bible study group last Sunday night that one of my goals is to grasp the “teaching” moments and not be frustrated when my kids disrupt what I am involved in at the time. I feel that my boys, in their own way, are hungry for God’s will. My 7yo said that his #1 wish for Christmas was to “hear” God, then #2 a PS2! That kinda frightened me bc I realized that he is starting to grasp things of the heart and I really don’t want to mess up. This “can do” attitude is going to be a great thing for ME along with my 2 boys. I so look forward to what God lays on your heart to share with us.
Wow! When I read your devotion today it was an answer to my prayers. For the last two mornings my eleven year old son has struggled with getting ready for school. He has some eczema on his face and it has flared up for the last couple of mornings. Upon noticing how he looks he then becomes extrememly frustrated and then the tears begin. Which in turn makes it a lot worse. As I prayed for my son asking Jesus to provide him with strength and peace I also encouraged him to go in his room to pray and just relax. Getting himself together in order to hop on the bus in time. Each day he made it. And so yesterday after school I gave him a card letting him know just how proud I am of him for finding strength and getting himself together. Wishing him that tomorrow would bring a better morning. I am happy to report that indeed today was a better morning for him and in turn for me. It is so hard for us parents to see our children struggle. Even though we know that struggles are an important part of our lives as Christians. Thank you for perfect timing with your blogs. I am excited to learn more about D6 and to read through Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Good morning, Renee – I have come across this information at the right time. My 8th grade son is having the hardest time with his very “mean” teacher and strongly feels that the only way to take care of the situation is to get out of her class. This has been my frustration for almost 2 months now. I prayed for God to show me the ways to deal with this better as a Mom and to give me the tools to help my child. I have not arrived by chance, but by divine intervention. Praise God!
I was so thankful for the P31 devotional today. My 5 year old tends to use that lovely phrase often, and of course his younger brother has picked up on it too. I will be looking for things to encourange them in so they can learn to think of themselves as Can-Do Kids!
One of my daily desires is to teach my kids God lessons in everyday situations. Deuteronomy 6 is one of my favorite passages as a mom! Because of the hectic pace of life I often don’t take time for those special teaching moments. Yesterday my son was on a talking tangent about Star Wars. I took that moment to tell him that what goes into our minds is what we become. The most important thing we can put into our minds is God’s word so we can become more like Jesus.
Angie
[email protected]
My nine year old daughter spent the last few months on the playground with a girl being mean. We talked about it often and prayed for her. We would pray on the way to school everyday and the bible verse we memorized was Exodus 14:14, Be still and quiet , I will fight for you. A few months later after a hard day on the playground the little girl called to say she was sorry. You should have seen the look in my daughters eyes. That led us onto another discussion concerning God’s timetable and his plans for us. One door opened another for discussions and our praying ritual on the way to school has continued and has been such a blessing.
[email protected]
This is just what I needed today after my five year old complained about everything and was totally unhappy for the third day in a row. I said a little prayer and said that I didn’t know what I needed to do to help her have better days and I was struggling thinking that I needed to make changes in me. Thank you for always being such an encouragement.
Thank you for your story,
As a mom of 5 I have been in this situation with my daughter. She has a reading disability and needed a lot of encouragement to achieve the simple tasks her siblings were doing all around her. She was also doing gymnastics and was afraid of the vault. An understandable fear since her coach wanted her to run at it with all her might and throw her body over it without any caution. This seemed like an impossible task and we feared her unable to continue with the sport. We prayed together before every practice and God lead me to relate her situation to Goliath and the Giant (vault). Using the scripture I a can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, my daughters confidence was lifted and she conquered her fear. As God often does, he didn’t just get her over the vault but went on to help her win first place at her first meet in the vault competition. My daughter is about 10 years older now and her favorite verse is still, I can do all things through Christ……. She has used it to overcome any challenges in her life including her reading disability. She now is an avid reader and a full time college student while still in her senior year of high school. Praise God for the struggles our small children go through and the opportunities God gives us to train them in His ways. They make such a difference in their future lives and who they will be as adults living for Christ.
I love the stories and lessons that you have to offer. I have been blessed many times reading your emails and website.
As a mother of 5, this made me stop and think that I need to focus on what each of the kids can do instead of what others think they should be able to do.
Renee, great words once again. First of all I’m thankful for your message that I can be a “can-do Mom” needed to hear that today!!
But as far as my kids I think the amazing thing for me is the desire they have to want to know and their ability to remember. My oldest is almost 6 and next in line just turned 4 and they surprise me at times. Our MOPS mentor once spoke about making faith part of your daily life and don’t “dumb” it down for kids. If the spirit is working they will get it! That is so true. Just the other day my five year old came and asked me to open my Bible so we could read about the 10 plagues. He wanted to know and has talked about it since even when he has disobeyed. I am homeschooling him now and have had moments of “I can’t” but we too have referred to Phil. and in those moments we have the oppportunity to pause and pray, which has been a blessing. It usually comes at a time when I’m feeling like “I can’t” too.
It is just an honor and blessing to see their faith grow and watch them make connections. And at the same time mine is grownig too. Really it’s not because we are doing anything special or outlandish, but simply trying to live our faith and share it with them on a daily basis in the big things and the small.
Blessings, Jill
Thank you for this information! Just last night I was helping my daughter Shelby with her math homework. I asked her to get out the worksheet and lets look at it, she says to me I can’t do it! I said sure you can. No mom I can’t do it. She says this a lot when it comes to school work. She has struggled the last couple years and I have struggled with ways to help her. I continually pray for her. This mornings post is going to help me a lot. We got through the math worksheet and she did very well and when it was all finished I said to her see you can do it. She was excited and I was proud of her. God is continually giving me little gifts for my life like this blog. Thank you so much!
Hello,
Low self-concept and fear of failing seem to plague our whole family. It is difficult to watch our sons “give up”…some who are teen and pre-teen. (Even our eldest son who is past teen years struggles at times.) They seem held back by fears. At that age they don’t verbalize well what is truly in their heart and it often comes out in angry bursts of frustration. My heart aches for them because I know they have it in them to do well…with God’s help but I don’t know how to let them know that in a way they will accept.
How do you encourage them without being embroiled in the frustration of their seeming lack of interest?…It’s as if they don’t care. They hide behind video games and things that they know they can do well and avoid challenges to become all that they can be.
My children are older…do these things work for them? Is it too late to input into their lives a “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” attitude?
And when a parent such as myself has been pulling the load of trying to train the kids and get them to do what is right…and yet feels like such a failure myself…when one gets so weary from the journey…how do we get encouraged again?
Maybe sometimes it “mom” that needs the “can-do” attitude…that is my case…how I long for an encouraging word from someone who really believes in me…and from God Himself.
Looking for Gods’ shalom!
[email protected]
Great devotional on Prov 31. I have an Andrew who is much the same way. He is a twin and his brother really doesn’t get frustrated or care when he can’t do most things. So it is a challenge to encourage my Andrew to try things over and over to learn how to do something. I loved the sugesstion to try something different. I usually try hand over hand help or he does part I finish it. I love to see his face light up when he does something he thinks he can’t do. I have tried to use the same scripture to help him know that God is with him in all things he tries to do.
They are singers and love to memorize and learn by song, especially Andrew. We are also in the process of using the “Right Choice Bible” as a devotional for them. They look forward to it and ask for it everyday.
Heather Mikelson
[email protected]
Has there been a time when you were able to share a promise or spiritual truth with your child in an everyday life moment?
The truth is that difficulties in our lives are great opportunities to share God with our children, but sometimes we shy away from those areas because we don’t want our children to see us as weak or unstable. My husband and I went through a difficult situation for several years. He was in an job where there were some dishonest practices going on, although he was innocent. He tried his best to defend himself, but it appeared he may be brought to trial and had little defense. There was a very real possibility that he would be tried, found guilty and sent to jail-for a crime he had no part of. During that time, we felt it was best for our kids to be sheltered from the issues as we felt they wouldn’t understand and would just cause them to be fearful, so we waited.
When the trial had finally come to an end ( a mere 4 1/2 years later!) we were able to share with them the hardship we faced, along with the fear and the real emotions we were feeling. Above all else, we were able to share with them how God used this unfortunate event to bring their father to Christ, how He took care of us and worked through us, and how faithful God is to His children. We pointed out how many of God’s promises were proven true during the hardship, and reminded them of the awesome promise of Salvation through Jesus Christ.
Several weeks after that, my then 15 year old son made a commitment to the Lord and did an “about-face” in his life!
Since then, God has been using our children as vessels of His light for others. Our home is one that is centered on the Lord, and I am anxious to see how the Lord will work in our family to bring Him honor and glory as HE continues to be faithful to all of His promises to us.
He can be trusted in any situation because He NEVER breaks a promise. He is there, He has your best in mind, and He loves you unconditionally. How great is that?
Thanks for your insight. It becomes so discouraging when you can’t find the right words to give to your child to encourage him. I’m praying to be a “can do” family.
I just found your blog today for the first time, and in a very timely way! I have 3 girls, ages 6,9, and 12. We continually have a problem with losing important things like Brownie vests, party invitations, etc. I was really stressing over a few lost things this morning and the verses you mentioned, esp Phil 4:13 were so encouraging. My girls need to feel strengthened at the beginning of our day, not discouraged, so thank you for lifting my spirits Godward!
I try to use Jesus and the Bible whenever I can especially when they are afraid like ‘ the Lord has plans for us to prosper…’ The problem that hinders me is that I need to learn more verses off hand and the ones that I do remember are more for repermanding like ‘take the log out of your own eye before taking the splinter out of your brothers’………I feel the best way to past on my faith is just in the way I live and interact with others. Thats a big one. In a society that is rude and selfish I need to show my kids the opposite. My one child tends to be selfish at home but at school I find she sticks up for friends, tries not to gossip and is kind to everyone. Something I’m saying is getting through!!
Good morning! I loved your devotional and it has come right on time as I struggle to encourage my oldest son to “never give up”. Last year my 8 yr old son was accused of writing a mean message to another student. We talked about the situation and he tearfully told me that he didn’t do it. I told him to remember that God is our avenger and we prayed. The teacher soon found out that it wasn’t my son who wrote the message when the real culprit later confessed. It was very hard to see my son go through this, but I am thankful that my son learned that he can depend on the Lord in any situation, good or bad.
Renee..
May I share on behalf of my precious daughter in law? Our family has been shaken to its core when over the holidays my son left this wonderful girl and my 3 year old grandson for a woman he met on the Internet. We have had a D6 family for generations but Satan’s hold on my son began with pornography and has been festering. Now it has come to a head an spilled its putrifying effects on so many people.
Through these last few days my daughter in law has been consistent in her devotional time with their son. She points him to God and calmly explains how sin has affected his daddy and how sin means we disobey God and His word. From the depths of her sorrow, she has been able to show godly strength when dealing with our grandson and continuously teaches him God’s truth and scripture even in the midst of this ordeal. She is pouring God’s word into him faithfully as they sit, as they walk, as they lie down, as they rise up. She is able to contain her grief in my grandson’s presence and has displayed a strong faith in the Lord which is the greatest ‘can-do’ example I can think of.
We live states away and wouldn’t be able to attend any type of conference but I wanted you and others who read this blog to know God is Faithful. He honors obedience to Him and His word. No matter what happens in our lives our children must see that our faith is real, that it is practical, that it ‘works’ in all situations so they can pick up the torch and carry that light even when some who go before them have dropped it so miserably. We covet the prayers of God’s people throughout this land.
Good Morning,
The Lord has blessed me with opportunity to homeschool my 3 children. I praise the Lord for this, especially since my husband had a not so good experience with homeschool himself as a child.
To add to the blessing, my dh is an unbeliever.
There are many times that I become afraid that the children would rather follow after daddy.
But His grace is sufficient. My heart is filled with joy, when I hear them playing with “the sword of the spirit”… or when one of them encourages the other to have the same attitude of Christ Jesus.
Praise the Lord. I can sow the seeds, and He will always give the increase. Though not perfect in my seedsowing 😀
One area we are working on this month is specifically kindness, as one fruit of the spirit. It amazes me the lessons we learn together, and how each seed grows in their hearts.
My children question this week has been “what kind of fruit is growing in your garden?” A phrase I used when talking about the fruit of the Spirit 😀
So many times I do not measure up as the “spiritual” parent. Unfortunately, there are probably times it is hard to tell the believing parent from the unbelieving parent. But at all times God is good! Sometimes, I wonder why I have been blessed with my 3… but the Lord has been good to me. And there is no error in His ways!
With purpose,
Anonymous
Hi! Thanks for sharing your personal story of helping your son! I have a friend who is really struggling right now with her 7 yr old son and I am going to pass it along to her! My son has just turned 2 and we are so excited to be able to see him learning about God and the Bible. We are currently teaching him through the use of songs. He learns them so quickly!! Then we talk about what the song means. It is hard to know how much he actually understands, but at least we know he is hearing it! His favorite right now is Bee Humble. What a good lesson for all of us!
Thank you so much for your story about your son. I know what you mean. I have a 7 year old son and two step sons 6 and 4. Sometimes it hard for all of them to try new tasks. The 4 year old just started pre-K and has had some issues getting settled in. The other main issue we have is the children talking hateful to each other. We have recently started using scripture for them to understand that Jesus does not like hateful words. We have started using WWJD..everytime one of them talks or acts in a hateful manner, we ask them, “Would Jesus say that, would Jesus like those hateful words?” It has really seems to help. Hopefully God will continue to put words in our mouths as parents and actions in our body to raise our children to be Godly people and pass it on to the next generations!
Good morning Renee!
I too have a child who is reluctant in trying anything he might remotely be close to failing. As God has taken me on a journey of running, he has been watching. After attending a few races, God opened an opportunity to simply share what I have been learning through the same scripture verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” But honestly, it’s the moments where I don’t feel the pressure to have to impart wisdom that will make or break my child, but one that comes so naturally from my words and actions because it’s so real in my life. It’s then I know for sure it’s the Lord working, and that is when my child can see faith fleshed out.
On a practical note, one of the phrases I find myself repeating often is, “Emma, you need to brush your teeth a little bit longer”. One night, I found myself saying, “Emma, why don’t you try singing a song while you brush your teeth, that way you’ll know when your time is up?” Honestly, it came out half-heartedly, a moment when I was thinking about something else, not consciously giving eye-contact, or giving any confidence that it could work. For three days now, I’ve been beautiful blessed with a hummed rendition of “Angels We Have Heard On High”, and it’s the most beautiful sound. AND her teeth are sparkling! Thank you Jesus!
One concept my husband and I are discussing currently is how to instill encouragement in our son (currently playing Upwards basketball), yet simultaneously balancing it with the right lessons in being humble as well as a teammate. His confidence is WAY TOO bolstered at the moment and it comes out in a belittling fashion (He’s one with a matter-of-fact manner, not realizing his knowledge comes across rude and arrogant at times). I do believe there are verses in Proverbs to direct us to, just can’t think of them off-hand.
Thanks for this post Renee!
Praise the Lord for leading me to your site today! I have four children (age 5 and under) and am always looking for sound Christian parenting advice and suggestions.
I think the thing that hinders me most in constantly sharing the truth of God’s Word with my children is my own lack of Scripture memorization. I am relatively new to in-depth Bible study and am still trying to hide God’s promises in my own heart and mind. This year as I read Scripture, I am highlighting God’s promises in yellow, and His attributes/character in orange, so I can more easily reference and absorb them any time I open up my Bible. I pray that it will help me impart them on my children more often! But I, myself, must know my Scripture first, in order to be able to past the Truth on to my children in everyday situations.
So most of the time I use songs or hymns, which often times contain (or are based on) direct Scripture. I love music and songs stick with me so easily. This morning my 5 year old said she wanted to stay home with us today instead of going to Kindergarten, so as we waited for the bus, I showered her with songs, such as This is the Day (that the Lord has made). It put a smile on her face and helped her put on the right attitude as she headed off for a day at public school.
I look forward to visiting your site often. Thanks for what you do!
Renee, great words once again. First of all I’m thankful for your message that I can be a “can-do Mom” needed to hear that today!!
But as far as my kids I think the amazing thing for me is the desire they have to want to know and their ability to remember. My oldest is almost 6 and next in line just turned 4 and they surprise me at times. Our MOPS mentor once spoke about making faith part of your daily life and don’t “dumb” it down for kids. If the spirit is working they will get it! That is so true. Just the other day my five year old came and asked me to open my Bible so we could read about the 10 plagues. He wanted to know and has talked about it since even when he has disobeyed. I am homeschooling him now and have had moments of “I can’t” but we too have referred to Phil. and in those moments we have the oppportunity to pause and pray, which has been a blessing. It usually comes at a time when I’m feeling like “I can’t” too.
It is just an honor and blessing to see their faith grow and watch them make connections. And at the same time mine is grownig too. Really it’s not because we are doing anything special or outlandish, but simply trying to live our faith and share it with them on a daily basis in the big things and the small.
Blessings, Jill
Hi! Thanks for sharing your personal story of helping your son! I have a friend who is really struggling right now with her 7 yr old son and I am going to pass it along to her! My son has just turned 2 and we are so excited to be able to see him learning about God and the Bible. We are currently teaching him through the use of songs. He learns them so quickly!! Then we talk about what the song means. It is hard to know how much he actually understands, but at least we know he is hearing it! His favorite right now is Bee Humble. What a good lesson for all of us!