The truth is a peaceful home is constant work. We need consistency, self-control, a solid sense of purpose and love. We also need many practical skills to accomplish what we were designed to do.
The home is the primary, most important and most active mission base in any culture. It is a constant work to manage it well. We all need encouragement and instruction on a regular basis to help us keep our focus, because our family worth it.
At least 3 times a week I say to myself, “I really want to blog about this!” Not because I think I am an expert on anything, but because there are some things I think are important, or I just get excited about!
But by the end of the day, when my main priorities are done, you know, housework,
meals (This is actually Olivia cooking with the kids ),
Mother’s Day is the day set aside to honor those who have loved us and raised us, either physically or spiritually. But many women hate days like Mother’s Day because it hurts. It may hurt because there is no mom to honor, either because she has physically passed from this earth, or maybe she is not one worthy of honor. As we parent three children who are learning to heal from the pain of being rejected by their birth mother, we get to see that pain up close. The pain is real!
There are 3 things I want my kids to know more than anything:
1. Who God is and what He really said.
Which is why we read and memorize Scripture. As we read, study and memorize the Holy Spirit will reveal more and more truth to us. You can’t really grow in truth if you only hear a sermon once a week. As we learn whole chapters at a time we are learning verses in context. This makes it easier when we do hear preaching or teaching on a verse to have discernment whether or not it is being taught in the context of all of God’s word, and it also gives us a deeper understanding for the groundwork already laid.
A little honesty and a confessing of sins from Olivia. She gave me permission to share this publicly, because this is something we all struggle with!
Long week. Discovered (again) it isn’t the grand stand, the ultimate martyrdom that’ll kills you. It’s the hundred little battles, fought daily, mostly unseen and unheard; those little battles lost.
The devil is a patient adversary. He knows it’s the tiny trips, the secret sins that do you in. They break you. A little jealousy here, a little lust there. “I’m not hurting anyone…” Secret sin. Hiding under a cloak of piety.
It’s been funny watching my little kids try to secretly make plans for Mother’s Day. After all they have been through I am so grateful their hearts are still tender and willing to love. This is our third Mother’s Day together.
The thing I can’t get them to understand is that all I really want is for all my family, big kids and little kids, to be gathered around my table to eat… drink… and laugh! There really is little more that I desire than to be with my family and enjoy being together… to walk in harmony together. That most likely won’t happen this year as there are still some struggles… BUT I am blessed beyond measure and I WILL enjoy the goodness of the Lord.
The children and I are working through the New Testament in the mornings. It is a very slow go as it takes me about a week to get through one chapter because we talk about it… a LOT.
Many times our reading will lead into other studies, such as it did last week. We’ve been reading about the sower, which lead to some study on roots, seeds, growth, etc… and what 60 fold and 100 fold meant.
Most marriages can not survive with it and children will NEVER thrive with it. Families, friendships and churches are destroyed because of it. It is the curse of a critical spirit.
What is a critical spirit?
Criticism can be anything from belittling, condemning, demanding, fault-finding, nagging, sarcasm, and scolding disapprovingly. A critical spirit is an obsessive attitude of fault-finding and judging others unfairly.
It isn’t the the gifts under the tree that will bind your child’s heart to you, nor will those gifts stir the fondest memories when they are older.
Extravagance at the expense of sincere communication will not instill a desire to trust and confide in you.
Bling can never replace fellowship. And there is nothing sweeter than having true, sincere, lifelong fellowship with your children.
We all have one… most likely more than one. You know, those people in your life that you HAVE TO love, or at least get along with. It may be an in-law, a sibling, an aunt, a parent, people at work or church or maybe even a child.
They are those people that seem to be so full of pride, making their way known to all, being selfish as they put their needs ahead of everyone else. Or they may be that one who is always complaining, finding fault in people or even manipulating others so they come out on top.
