Really loving them?

Romans 12:9

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

I am really burdened for us parents today and the way we have been neglected by our kids. The kids go off in their rooms and they want to do their own thing. They ignore what we are saying and they don't want to listen. They act like we don't even care and they want to argue with us. When we do have a minute with them, it is in the car on the way to practice. The only quality time we get with our kids is that 5 minutes on the way to school or the ten minutes when we are telling them to clean the house. All they want to do is escape with gaming, t.v. and you tube videos. They have all these distractions with their friends and of course there are hours of homework that they have to do. It is so bad that they can't even have a conversation with us because they are so busy.

Where did our kids learn this from? Are our lives so busy that we don't even SEE our kids? Do we try to be with them? Do we give them so many things that they are distracted? Do we ever turn off the tv and just sit and have dinner with them? Do they know who WE are? We are called to REALLY love our kids, not just pretend. When we need to be available and not to fill up their every minute. We need to say “no” sometimes when they want to do other things and instead do things as a family or as parent/child. Of course there is work that we bring home, but we need to prioritize and spend time with our kids. We need to stop arguing with our spouse and show that everlasting loving commitment we made to each other. The devil wants us to be distracted and say “I cant do anything with my kid.” We need to take back our responsibility as parents. We need to HATE what is wrong and not bring it into our home. We need to hold on TIGHT to each other with hugs, communication, commitment and availability.

Love is the answer. We can't do this without Jesus. He was the perfect example of pouring out His love for us. He hasn't given up on us or our kids. He wants us to show our kids His perfect, all sufficient love. If we don't have that love, then that is where we need to start...on our knees asking Him to forgive us.

Lord, Forgive me for being so distracted with life that I don't even see You. You show yourself to me every day, but I escape in the t.v., the internet, the burdens of life. I miss my kids. They are all over the place and when I look deep down, I have been guilty of causing them to be distracted. I take them here and there, but I don't take them to the cross. I don't know how to help them bear their burdens, but you do. You know everything they need to get closer to you. Help me first of all to get my life right with you. Forgive me for pretending to love my children. Help me to lead them to you, and lead them to a life of Your LOVE that satisfies them. I hate what is wrong and I hold tight to what is right. Show me how to be steadfast in my commitment to you and to my spouse, and restore my relationship with my child. I thank you in advance for what you are gonna do. In Jesus precious name, Amen

Listening to God's Prompting

Listen to God's prompting

It is weird to think that my child is wrong and I am right , but he/she (I will just use he for the examples from now on) doesn't think he is wrong...Maybe neither of us is wrong, but we just have a difference of opinion...

Should I have asked him to to this place that I had planned for our fun and recreation? If I did ask, he would have said “NO” just because it is opposite if what I want to do. I want him to be well balanced and that means that sometimes he has to do things that he is insecure about so that he can experience new things and learn to be comfortable with them. Isn't my job as a parent to help him stretch and grow?

Lord, I give my child to you. I can't raise him myself, and thank you for my husband's help but ultimately it is you that raises him. Show me what to do. Does my child just like confrontation...that could be a good thing if he is on the right side, but he needs to make sense. He has to learn how to make sense and that can't happen all of a sudden. It takes time I can teach him how to make sense and that is part of my goal.

Would my child's life be easier with out me? Sometimes, but would it be better? NO, I am the training agent to prepare him for the real world...all that stuff he doesn't know and doesn't want to know.

You, God, are the same way. You show me and teach me. Do I hear You? Sometimes if I take time to listen. Do I do what the Holy Spirit tells me? Sometimes, but other times I totally ignore Your prompting. I miss so many opportunities to share Your love and don't share what You've been teaching me simply by not speaking. Would I be better off without You? Of course not, You made me. When I'm not doing Your will, I am being disobedient. Will You strike lightning down on me for that? You could, but You haven't done that yet. When I disobey, I miss an opportunity for your blessings and for you to be glorified. I miss opportunities to share Your love because I'm hoarding it with the guise of “not wanting to offend someone”. If You want me to say it, the timing will be right and I'm not offending You. Would I rather take the chance of offending someone else by saying something that God wants me to say, or would I rather offend God by not listening to the God's Holy Spirit prompting me?

Thank you Lord for not giving up on me. When You teach me, I want to listen and respond to your words. In the same way, I want my child to listen and learn from me. I get very frustrated when he ignores me. Teach us how to listen to You and learn from each other and how to do the right thing. I'm sorry when I keep silent and I offend you. Help me to follow Your prompting because then I will receive the joy of knowing I shared Your Word and that someone may be my child.

I Love you, In Jesus name,

Amen

Pouring out without complaining

Phil 2:14-18 Do everything without complaining and arguing so that no one can criticize you . Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in the world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firm to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I didn't run the race in vain and that my word was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice and I will share your joy.

Parenting isn't easy. It is hard not to argue and complain with our kids. We try to teach them to be content, but wonder if they will ever “get it”. Actually, we are suppose to learn from them too...their lives are innocent when they are young and they are very moldable. When we actually listen to them, they teach us how to love and accept others. When we learn to appreciate and accept our kids for who they are, we become content in our relationship with them. Sure we have a big responsibility to teach them not to be selfish and to care for others more than themselves, but when we look at life from a child's perspective, we are more likely to accept others for who they are and not criticize them.

Stand strong in your faith and don't back down. The race of raising our children is always before us and we must stay on the path, speaking truth and light to them. The race isn't over until Christ comes back and our responsibility is great, but it is a fun race. It is tiring, but it is full of funny times, and giggles, sweet kisses and hugs.

We should pour ourselves into our kids over and over just like a liquid offering. It is a sacrifice, but I think of the offering like gold stars pouring into them. They will shine bright and our life isn't in vain!! It is worth the work, worth the effort and full of grace and joy. We should be like that with our heavenly Father. He wants to shine his light into us and for us to be excited to meet with Him and gaze into His presence. His light will shine through us to our kids. This joy will permeate to their friends too.

Lord, Help me not to complain about being an active parent. I have a huge responsibility to train my children to be loving and accepting of others, but so often I don't even love and accept them as they are. Show me how to pour into them an offering of love and kindness so they will pour that into their friends. Yes, it is a sacrifice to teach them and train them in the way they should go, but it is worth it to see them spreading Your love!

We Love You, Jesus.

Amen