Investing In Your Children

This weekend is our After-Easter Egg Hunt!  This is one of the most exciting annual events for our children’s ministry.  We are called to be good stewards of the children God gives us. What we do for our children is one of the most important investments we can make in this life.  We want our children to love God with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength.  But how do we accomplish such a big task?


Here are some suggestions to help raise our children “up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)

• Make God and your family your priority.  You will give your time to the things that matter most to you in life. What possibly could be more valuable than the most important relationships you will ever have?
• Tell your story.  Talk about what God has done and is doing in your life.  Share your testimony.  Share about your life experiences.  Your story is important in the lives of your children.
• Be an example... at home, at work, at church, in your spiritual disciplines.  Remember, everything you do, both good and bad, is the example you are teaching your children.
• Teach wisdom.  The Bible is God’s blueprint for life and godliness.  Let it be your guide. Speak and live the Word.
• Show grace. Teach them that grace is always greater than sin. Teach them that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.  Teach them that there is nothing that can separate them from the love of God.
• Encourage.  There is no greater motivator in the life of a child than encouragement.  Show them you and God believe in them!  God created them for a purpose.  Push them toward that purpose with positive regard.
• Pray together.  Pray often.  Take time each day to pray a blessing over your children.  Teach them when there is a need, go to God first. Teach them how to listen to God during times of prayer and how to hear His voice.
• Never give up.  Overwhelmed? Be faithful no matter what!  Parenting is probably the most important and most likely the most difficult calling you will ever have.  No matter how hard it gets, don’t give up.  If God calls you, He will equip you and give you strength to accomplish your calling!

Goals

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

Leslie and I are amazed at how fast the boys are growing. Each new season brings new growth in their lives. Time is flying by. We are sensing now more than ever before the need for setting goals for the parenting of our boys. God gave Leslie and me the stewardship of the young lives of Luke, Matthew, and Mark. Our responsibility is to train them in the way of the Lord and equip them for adulthood. For a life that glorifies God.

So how do we do it? Especially with the uniqueness of personality and variety of giftings our children have? It will require a set of goals, a plan of action, and quality time investing in their lives.

Goals and plans are important. They provide a sense of direction and purpose. They help us track our progress. They allow us to look ahead to a better future. They motivate us to action.

Do you have goals for your parenting? What about some personal goals? It is important to know where we are headed and where we are taking our children. Take time this spring to set some life goals that glorify God. Remember, that’s why each of us were created.

In closing, let me say a big thank you to all of those in our church who are volunteering to help out at this year’s Ascension Convention (www.theascensionconvention.com) this coming Easter weekend, April 1-3. There is no doubt that your involvement is making the difference in the lives of many teenagers lives. There is still time to sign up to help. I can’t wait to see what God has in store!

Pinewood Derby

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…
Ecclesiastes 9:10

For the past couple of weeks Matthew, our 7 year old, and I have been working on a pinewood derby car for a big race this weekend. We finally have the finished product: a bold gold race car, with blue metallic accessories, and lots and lots of decals. We had a blast planning and creating this work of art but it wasn’t without its challenges. We had to contend with dad’s lack of skill in the wood shop, a 7 year olds attention span, and countless trips back to the hobby shop to pick up things we forget (or broke) along the way. So with the fun of making a memory with my son, came some challenges along the way.

What did I learn? I’m glad you asked…

• Take extra time. You can’t rush memories. You can’t microwave real life. Some things with our families take time. Don’t rush. Pray for patience, relax, and enjoy the experience. Our families will produce a lifetime of memories. The question is will they be good ones or bad?
  
• Enjoy the challenges. Anything worth doing in life comes with challenges. Expect them, analyze them, pray about them, and with God’s help solve them.
  
• Learn about your child. I learned Matthew loves to play. Whether it was with the piles of saw dust, the spray paint, or playing tag or hide-n-seek while waiting for paint or glue to dry, my time playing with Matthew was just as important as the task at hand.

(I’m looking forward to sharing where we are and where we’re headed as a church family on Vision Weekend next Saturday and Sunday!)

Back To School

For many of our children the new school year began this week. I believe the first day of school should be a national holiday for all parents since they look forward to this day all summer long. ;-) But even beyond the rejoicing of parents everywhere it is an exciting time of year.

You get ready for school by going out and getting new supplies, new clothes, and new shoes. The kids are excited about seeing their friends they’ve missed over the summer. There is something special about going into a new grade and learning new things. There really is something wonderful about going back to school.

As adults we don’t always get that “wonder” this time of year. Other than getting into our Fall routine not much changes for us. Our lives pretty much stay the same while we watch our children grow and learn. What if, like our children, we went back to “school” this Fall? What if saw this Fall as a season of learning and growing?

The phrase “teach me” is found 16 times in the book of Psalms. (You can look up all of these references at www.biblegateway.com.) Proverbs 9:10 (NLT) says, “Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.” There is so much for us to learn about God from God. He desires us to know Him more. I believe the better we know God the better our lives will be. Let’s be like the psalm writer and invite God to teach us.
Just as we plan and prepare for our kids to go back to school, let’s plan and prepare our time of learning. Let’s set the schedule and get into the routine of learning this Fall. As we move into September there will be a wide variety of learning opportunities at Christian Life, especially on Wednesdays and Sundays. Make a commitment now for you and your family to learn and grow in God this Fall.