Kids r Readers 2: Trouble with Money (Berenstain Bears)

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bears money

I grew up totally loving the Berenstain Bears and all their lovely adventures.  And now that I’m a parent I would love to share these tales with my boys and have them love them too!

Grownups do have money worries – with insurance, mortgages, health coverage, gifts, food, diapers, etc.  But, how do we teach our children about money and possessions and what God has to say about them?

In this children’s book Papa and Mama bear notice that their cubs didn’t make good choices when it came to the money that they had and how they used it.  They spent it on frivolous items at the mall.  Fleeting joys.  They teach about saving for a rainy day – but that isn’t exactly what the Bible teaches us.  The cubs don’t keep the money for themselves, they instead give it to Papa Bear so he won’t have to worry.  Generosity is a loving characteristic.

Here are some teaching points about money when reading this book to your children:

1.  God is more concerned with our eternity than our financial status.  Ecc 5.10

2.  We are not to be OVERLY concerned and worried with the cares of this world.  Matthew 6.24, 31-33, Hebrews 13.5

3.  Our money is not meant to be hoarded, but spent wisely and given generously. Deut 15.10, Deut 16.17, Luke 6.38, 2 Cor 9.6-8

4.  God gets the first of everything.  Prov 3.9-10

5.  The gospel is more than money because you can’t take money with you into eternity. 1 Tim 6-7-10

6. God owns everything. Our lives are about stewardship. 1 Chron 29.14-17

New Series: Kids r Readers 2

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The Little Squeegy Bug

 

bug 2
It is no secret that I love books, writing, and reading. Most books I read are biographical or non-fiction, with the occasional classic or fiction.
Being a Mom now of 2 boys (14m and 1m) I want to also instill in them a love for books and all things adventure, reading, characters, etc. Books can open up an entire new world for them (and kids of all ages).
But, also being a believer, I want to instill a love of God’s truth in my boys from an early age. I don’t want them, however, to just read Christian books, but look at Literature through the eyes of the Word. Tony Reinke taught me well with his book Lit!
So, here begins a series of books that I will read to our boys and take a few points of how to turn them back to truth – especially if that truth isn’t apparent.
The first book is The Little Squeegy Bug by Bill Martin, Jr.
Why I chose this book: It was on the table at our local library in the children’s section.
Synopsis: A “squeegy bug” doesn’t know what he is supposed to be and sets out on a journey to find out who he is.
Age: 3-7yo
Truths to teach your children:
1. We are meant to find God’s purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 1:5 is a great purpose verse and is easy for children to learn (especially the first half). And we don’t have to be prophets for us to have a purpose. All of us, created by God, have a purpose – to live for His glory. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism says “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever”.
2. God created you! Whatever God’s purpose is for you – He created you to do just that. He is sovereign over everything (kids can learn big words) and He is creator. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks Who made you? God did! Genesis 1:26-31 and Psalm 139 are perfect Scriptures to teach that truth!
3. Godly friends help you be who God created you to be. God did not make us to live in isolation. He made us to be in relationship. Not only with Him but also with others. Friends are very important to our story. Proverbs 17:17 is also a good verse for memory work and how to live out the Word.

Competition Doesn’t Belong in Motherhood or the Gospel

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Motherhood is a crazy race that many of us women run daily – with the bottles, diapers, car-pooling, homeschooling (if that’s your thing), soccer practice, ballet, etc. It is so easy for us to compare our lives with others and realize we either are better or that we don’t quite measure up. Here is a little bit of what I’m reading, listening to, and learning about this dangerous cycle.

I was reading this morning in Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman. My husband later asked me what I read in it that was encouraging me. I had to struggle not to compare myself with others or be sarcastic (which he appreciated) and I told him about these two dangers she points out:

1. I’m a terrible housewife (pg 31). Those days when I’m giving in to laziness, playing too many candy crush saga games, or right now when I have more legitimate excuses like contractions or exhaustion from being three weeks from my due date, I usually complain like this when the Mister arrives home: “I didn’t get this done. But, someone else would have had a 4 course meal on the table, all the laundry done, and the kids dressed in new outfits.” Or it would be something like, “Love, I’ve been exhausted all day – only one load of laundry got done.” My tendency is to compare myself with others when I want to hide my own sinful habits and ask for sympathy instead.

2. I’m an amazing housewife (pg 32). Honestly, I don’t fall into this category that much right now. Because I don’t have it down. I think this tendency will come when I lose this baby weight (from two back to back babies), have perfect stylish clothes on, have my schedule down, don’t cry very much, hormones are back to normal, and cook healthy foods for myself and others. But, I know so many others who do have this tendency. One of the ways I do see myself doing this is Sunday after Sunday I don’t ever see Little Mister’s nursery number put up on the screen. I seem to take pride in the fact that he is such a good toddler in the nursery.

Both of them are pride – and both have them need to be put to death by the blood of Jesus on the cross.

And here is where we fall short: not only do we compare ourselves with other moms, but we also compare ourselves in our place in the gospel story. That is how the connection came to me this morning. We often look at our lives and our homes/jobs/ministries and compare them with others and see that we don’t struggle with sin near as much as ______ does.

As I was driving to a park to walk this morning with Little Buddy, I replayed my friend Daniel Renstrom’s Amazing Love (on Jesus Wants My Heart, a stellar family worship album). Such a conviction of sin:

No condemnation now I dread

Jesus and all in Him is mine

Alive in Him, my living head

And clothed in righteousness divine

Bold I approach the eternal throne

And claim the crown through Christ my own

No matter the size of the crown that is mine when I get to heaven – it won’t be because of anything I’ve done. It will be because of the amazing love with Christ lavished on me. I didn’t (and still don’t) deserve anything of his merit or grace. He is gracious to me beyond anything I could ever do to deserve his love. I am in the same boat with all the people that I compare myself to.

As part of Mister’s prayer this morning as we started our day was a sweet sentiment of the love that Little Buddy will have for me as he gets older – that he won’t compare me with other moms, etc. I love that sentiment, but know that it is somewhat unrealistic. I compared my mom to other moms all the time – not that it was fair or right, but that’s what my sinful heart did. I pray that I can be the Mom that not only my two little buddy’s need – but one that will find my only boast in the Gospel of Jesus.

W&BT #1: Name Above All Names Week 5

On the first page of this chapter in Begg’s and Ferguson’s book, Name Above All Names, I have scribbled, “this chapter resends hope to me on every page”.  What an encouraging page to head back to after having read it many weeks ago – especially on a day when my pregnancy hormones are crazy and it seems like every email or text I receive just hits me in the wrong way.  HOPE

Here are some thoughts from the chapter on Jesus: Son of Man:

1.  “We are struck by how deeply embedded some of their character traits seem to be” (pg 103). As a parent – do you wonder what traits you are passing to your children?  I think about that often now that I have two loveable boys of our own.  My husband often says that is one of the hardest jobs in parenting: seeing your sin looking back at you.  I think my parents did a good job of raising me – but as an adult I see where some of my traits come from and it is scary to think that I too could pass on some less than desirable or Godly traits to my boys.  This is where hope comes in.  God is a God of bringing hope and change into a family.  Just because your family is one way doesn’t mean that those traits and cycles have to continue to the next generation.  Sebastian’s life verse ends in hope for the children in the coming generation – the good of the Lord (Jer 32:39)  Do you parent or live like there is hope in breaking the sin cycle in your family?

2.  “The kingdom of God will overwhelm all other kingdoms.  The Kingdom of God will be established and will endure forevermore” (pg 105).  I already dislike seeing ads for the Presidential race in 2016.  Good that a new president will be coming either way, but not looking forward to the next 2+ years where the backbiting and slander will happen everywhere.  And when the bad news comes on the news or as I watch previews for certain coming shows or movies – previews that revel in betrayal, sin, murder, affairs – I know that God is still on His throne and He will make all things right in His time.  That brings me hope.

3.  “The Son of Man is coming to the source of ultimate authority.  It resides exclusively in the Ancient of Days, who is seated on the throne.” (pg 107).  I’ve learned recently from Rob Rienow that any question of sin or dysfunction in this life is really a question of authority.  Who is the ultimate authority in your life?  Who is the ultimate authority in this world?  If our answer is not God – we are wrong.  Some will think and say and live and believe that they are their ultimate source of authority – but God created and gave life to everyone of us, so He is our ultimate authority.  That is very hope-giving to me.

4.  “The remarkable thing about this picture of Jesus is that He is never isolated from His people” (pg 108).  I’ve actually thought much about this in light of some of the “suffering” and tears I’ve had over the last two months.  Not all of my tears are hormone related.  And one of the things that brings me the most comfort is that Jesus suffered.  He had people slander him.  Yet He believed and taught and lived truth and was planted firmly in the hand of God His Father.  This brings me hope when I am going through trials.

5.  “Kingdom grace brings more than forgiveness.  It brings freedom from the powers of darkness and restoration to new life” (pg 118).  My husband would probably like me to frame that quote.  It was probably one of the most powerful in this whole book to me.  Grace is the only thing that sets us free from the tyranny of listening to others, or repeating harmful lies to ourselves, by letting others’ thoughts control us, or by living in destructive habits that control our lives.  Walk in light.  Dwell in freedom.

Struggles of Life’s Calling Part 2

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So, last week I wrote a post that got the most hits ever on this blog about struggling with being a mom.

I wanted to do a follow-up to it, so I wouldn’t leave you hanging.  The last of that blog says to fight for joy.  How do  you fight for joy when you are not liking where God has you in life?

Here are some of things I do – I hope you find them encouraging.  And please, let me know how you fight for joy!

1.  Pray.  And I’m not going to be super spiritual and say that I do that first – but sometimes I do – even if it is a plea to be patient!  Or to be gentle!  God is faithful to hear our prayers!  Pray!

2.  Talk to your husband.  Especially if you are a mom, you need to have an open communication with your spouse.  Was is an easy conversation with my Sweet Mister when I read him that blog I wrote – no.  It wasn’t easy for him to hear.  But, it was so good for him to know.  He is a great listener.  We talked through some things – and believer, this pregnant mamma was crying – but it was good.

3.  Have friends you can be real with and won’t just give you Bible verses and tell you to get over it.  Friends and Christian community is vital to being a mom.  Friends who will listen to you and share their struggles as well and pray with you and tell you that you aren’t losing your mind is something you need.  Be transparent.  And I hope you have a church body or friends that won’t judge you for being transparent.  Some friends in churches around the country have said they don’t have that.  A former pastor has a chart that talks about counseling church members.  He says when they are going through a hard time – the church’s response is to comfort and console – not admonish.  Now, there is a time for admonishment – but most of the time people get that timing wrong.

4.  Get in the Word.  If you are struggling – a great place to go is Psalms.  The Psalms is a real, gentle, transparent book.  And the Word will admonish – but the Word will also encourage and teach.

5.  Choose Joy.  I love the Nancy Leigh DeMoss titles Choosing Gratitude.  It is an amazing find – especially if you are going through a difficult time.  The afternoon I wrote the previous blog post was a good time for me to mentally count my blessings: Elijah, Eric, being a SAHM, having a cute little boy with watery-blue eyes and his daddy’s fine hair.  Whatever you are struggling with – count your blessings in that area.  It will change your mind about the situation!

6.  Take some time off!  I’m blessed to be around folks and my husband who will take Eli and give me a morning off.  I love it.  But, also, having that morning off makes me realize that I love my son and I love being around him.  Call a friend, your mother, a pastor’s wife, somebody!  A mental break is great for any mom!

7.  Do something that takes your mind off of your struggles.  For me, it is writing.  If I want something mindless to do – then I want to play a game on the iPad.  But, I usually like to sit and journal, write a blog, or write something!

8.  Sometimes, even after all that, you may still struggle with the calling that has been placed on your life for being a mom.  But, by the fact that you have children – you are a Mom.  That is your calling!  But, hope in your gospel that you’ve been given through the Cross of Christ.

What do you do that helps you when you are struggling!

One Sobering Thought in Praying for Our Son

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I’m in the middle of a prayer-writing project in Ephesians.  Will hopfeully get it off to my editor by the time I find out if the next baby we have will be a boy or a girl.  Exciting times.

But, also, this has proved to be a very sobering time for me.  Much of Ephesians is about the dichotomy between life and death, between darkness and light, the difference between believers and unbelievers, adopted son and daughters or forever separated.

As I’ve been praying these for E – I know he is a believer so they are easier to pray with assurance that these verses of new life apply to him.  As I pray for little e, I do not have that same assurance.

Mister and I can pray for our little e.  We can train him up.  We can desire that he be saved.  But, that is all we can do.  The saving comes to God.  I don’t know for sure that God called and adopted our little boy before the foundations of the world.  All I can do is wait and see – and live with the knowledge that all God does is good and for His own glory and live my life in such a way that it would point our son to Christ.

The proverbs are sayings of wisdom not necessarily to be taken as divine promises.  And how many people do you know have sons and daughters they have raised in The Lord but they reject Christ.  And how many spouses pray for their entire lives for their husbands or wives to come to know Christ, but they never do.

God is our eternal Father and sent Jesus to save some.  There will be some in hell.  I can pray with all my might  that our little boy will be one of the elect, chosen in Christ – but God is the knower of all things.

I will pray and live to that end.

Book Review: Rob Rienow’s Limited Church Unlimited Kingdom

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I’ve learned over the years that there are many people out there who think they have a handle on Family Ministry, but really just know what not to do or think they have ideas.  I don’t know much about this relatively new (to the modern church world) arena, but I have found one author I like and respect in this area: Rob Rienow.  He is the founder for Visionary Family and Visionary Marriage.  I’ve read several of his other books or writings.  This one is no different: true to what it says.

Let me explain.  In the first few chapters, Rob compels his readers to make sure they know what to do with Scripture.  To let Scripture speak for itself, know it, apply it, and know that the Word of God is true and sufficient – even for determining how to run ministries in your church.  And Rob doesn’t stop with just the first few chapters.  He then proceeds to complete the rest of the book using this method.  He lets Scripture be the driving force behind the remainder of his new book, Limited Church Unlimited Kingdom.

He goes through the Old Testament through the New Testament, Early Church, Reformation to present day in how the family has acted (and in specifics what the Word commands for families).  Rienow gives some great advice on the children in worship services discussion, shouldn’t parents have the main discipleship in their children’s lives, and what role does youth ministry have.  These are all important topics in this family ministry discussion these days.

What I appreciated most about Rienow’s book is that he stated at the beginning of the book that the Word demands that it have full authority (it is sufficient and perfect) and should also tell us how to do our local church ministries.  Then, he actually does it.  He doesn’t then go on to make up his own thoughts – he sticks with what Scripture says and bases his book on that.

Good man.  Good book.

Prayers for Our Children

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This past week I did a lot of driving as I was back and forth the length of I-4 in Florida.  This provided me time to listen to Z88.  I was listening to a Mark Schultz song and after sobbing, swo=iping tears, trying not to wreck due to my blurred vision through tears, I prayed aloud these three things for my son who was in the back seat.

1.  I want him to know and love God.

As I read, pray through, and study Psalm 119 this year, I am seeing a lot of cohesiveness between knowing the truths of God and trusting them and being blessed by them.  In John’s gospel, Jesus says that His sheep know His voice and elsewhere in Scripture God says that if we love God we will obey His commands (and we have to know them to obey them).  I don’t really knnnowhich comes first: the knowing or the loving.  Either way, we would not seek to know this love or know the Lover if the Lover had not first loved us.  All of this life and a relationship with Him is because of grace.  We know HIm because He has revealed Himself to us (Psalm 19, Gen 1, Rom 1, Rom 8).  We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 1)  We, as sinners, do not freely choose to love.  But, I pray, that God in His foreknowledge, has predestined my Son to be His (Eph 1).  Mister and I will raise our son (and any future children we might have if  the Lord wills) in light of this (Prov 22.6, Deut 6).  But, in the grand scheme of things, God has made the decision and knows if our son is one of His.  We will see in time if Little Mister desires the things of God and runs hard after Jesus – knowing and loving Him.

2.  I want him to love and be loved.

I want Little Buddy to know what it means to be loved and to love deeply.  Is there pain in doing that?  Yes!  But you see and experience the world in a much brighter and better way  when you know you are loved unconditionally and you are able to love to your fullest measure with one person.  Do I know if it is in God’s plans for the LB to be married one day and have children of his own?  No.  But, again, we trust in God’s perfect plan and we will strive to raise him in such a manner that he will make a great husband and father one day.  And if he is never married, then those traits will be good of a man of God!

3.  I want him to see and change the world!

One of the bestEST aspects of my time being single (the other one is discipling many girls and living life with them) was the fact that I got to travel a TON!  I was usually travling on my day off, weekends, or weeks or mission trips.  I loved the freedom God allowed me so much time being single so I could see more of the world  He created.  That is one thing that the Mister and I love doing together – traveling.  It started in our courtship and continued to our honeymoon (a two week, two country road trip) and continues now.  I want LB to love to be in the car, plane, or train or boat or rikshaw or what have you! I want him to see God’s beauty in the Rockies or in Alaska or in Thailand or in Mexico or in NYC or in PEI or in China or in South America or in South Africa.  I want him to know the beauty of sunsets and sunrices on every continent and in many different time zones.  I want him to see the waves from every ocean that is on the face of the earth.  I want him to go in search of wonder and explore all that God has created.  I want him to go and learn to love cultures of every kind and see the beauty and diversity that God has filled this earth – and that seeing those sites would cause him to yearn for heaven.  I want him to desire the nations for the glory of God.

What are your prayers for your children?

Not So Tenderhearted Moments

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This comes after a night of very little sleep for both me and the little mister.  So, its just one of those days.  But, even on one of those days, I must take every thought captive to the Risen Christ.
I have so many dreams.  I won’t share them with you on here.  Some of you know some, some are tucked very tightly in my brain and heart that not even my husband knows about them, I feel like sometimes if i tell them then none of it will happen and I’ll just look silly.  Or unfulfilled.  Or discontent.
As the Mister came home for lunch today , I had had a morning of an irritable crying 4 month old.  For those who know the little mister, that is not typical, but when it happens I often don’t know what to do.  I said to him in my I’m a great Mommy voice – Today is the day I don’t want to be a mommy.
Now before all of you Moms hate me or quit reading my blog or give me all this advice, know it was a moment of weakness and I was venting and crying to my husband, who completely understands that I wouldn’t trade the cute little mister for anything, but it was just a moment.
I told him that I was just trying to post a blog and he was fussy – though he was warm, fed, and clean.  I finally got the blog published much later – as he finally went down for an afternoon nap.
As I was driving around Central Florida listening to Z88 (love the station) they read a verse – that we need to be “tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ Jesus forgave us.”  I prayed right then that God would give me grace to be tenderhearted toward our sweet little boy.  Tenderhearted because even when I throw temper tantrums at God He is tenderhearted toward me.
And then the song by Francesca Battistelli  came on – Its Your Life – and these lyrics stood out to me: “Every day the choices you make, say what you are and who your heart beats for, its an open door, its your life.”
I know that I would never trade all the dreams in the world for one second of time with my little mister.  So I pray that God would change my heart in a million ways to either fulfill those dreams in new ways, the same ways, or completely give me other dreams.
What do you do with your dreams?

Keeping Purity

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This year I am working my way through Psalm 119.  Thankful the Holy Spirit works in new ways every time you read the Word.  This time reading through this long psalm I have a son, a little boy with a curious mind.  I read Psalm 119.9 in a whole new light.

“How can a young man keep his way pure, but keeping it according to Your Word.”

These are some thoughts about parenting about that verse:

1.  You, as parents of young boys, have direct influence over what they see and therefore engage with their minds.  This world has so much to bombard our minds with – beginning at such an early age.  Most children in the world these days have access to kindles, ipads, iphones, etc.  Televisions blare many hours a day in the majority of homes with small children.  What influences your child?  The Bible says we are Christian parents have a duty to actively participate and be in charge of the parenting and shaping of their minds – every minute of it.  Deuteronomy 6:4-14 commands to always DO parenting.

2.  Fill their minds with Scripture.  As I am driving around with my 4 month infant, I am usually playing Andrew Peterson’s Slugs and Bugs CD.  Those songs are stuck in my head all day.  What do I want to be stuck in his head all day as he grows and matures?  I want the Word.  When his dad and I correct him or discipline him, I want Scripture to motivate our disciplining and help shape his little mind and heart.  We pray and claim the promises of God that if his mind is filled with Scripture, he will keep his way pure.  God’s promises are true.

3.  We pray.  As we parent, we don’t do it on our own.  I’ve tried.  I’ve tried going days without praying and filling my mind with the Word.  It doesn’t work.  I’m more anxious, fearful, and irritable (with both my son and my husband).  We can’t parent without praying without ceasing and just resting in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And after all these things, we accept and live in grace.  We will fail.  Our kids, no matter how cute, cuddly, and irrististably snuggly, but their sinners – just like their parents.  Every one of us.  We all stand and parent and live and love in need of grace.

Thankful.