If you were unable to attend today (Saturday) to the Home Life Cafe, I ache for you. I pray that it was all because you didn't really need to go as bad as me and my family! It was such a blessing. I was so thankful that my hubby was able to give up one of his last Saturdays of no work to attend this. It will pay us back ten fold...I just know it!
Lately, I have been watching the Duggars on TV...you know the ones...the ones who have like 19 kids. I know a lot of people think they are nuts but I really applaud them. They might have this huge house, but really, they live quite simply and they are debt free. How many of us can say that? And what they teach their kids is priceless. They can do this because they are not selfish with their time...they don't just tell their kids to get out of their hair and go play...or plop them in front of the TV with endless video games and videos. The parents don't say "I have a show on at 9 so you need to be in bed". Alot of people criticize homeschooling...these kids are very smart and articulate. I saw an episode where the dad took all the girls out to the shop and showed them how to change oil and the mom took the boys and showed them how to do laundry and cook. How many of our parents did that with us? I think we've made things hard on ourselves by having too many options...especially for entertainment. If we lived simplier, I think our lives would be much easier. Having said that....
The main topic for today was The Family...we looked at passages about how we should value life as it is an act of God (Genesis 2:7) and a gift from God (Psalm 127:3) and that we should see our spouse and children as a precious gift of God in which we need to invest life and influence on. They talked about our differences and said "If we were both the same, one would be unnecessary". Very powerful. Sadly I have so many times felt like my kids were an incovienence instead of seeing them as a precious gift of God. I do not think I am alone in this. I remember when we thought about having a baby...awww...a baby...how hard can that be? Well, pretty hard, when you are selfish, for one. I don't know how many times I have thought, if I didn't have a child, this would be easier...or I could go here, or do this, or have money for this (I am being real here, so don't send hate mail). It's not about just having a baby...it's about being a parent...a teacher. I have been thinking about this so much lately and the Lord answered a prayer by going today. One topic they spoke on was how to "teach well". Parents are their children's most significant instructor...not their teachers...not their sunday school teachers. That means me. When I really began to think about this and look it all...it's very overwhelming. I can't believe all that entails our job description which doesn't end when they turn 18. Did any of you know this?! But I am SO grateful to be learning this at such a young age while my children are so young...while I still have time to change. The "teach well" section for me was the most powerful part of Saturday. Here is what I have written in my notes:
Deut. 6:7-9 Fill their days with truth and greatness of God
Eph 6:4 Raise them in godliness by what you say and what you do.
Teach:
- Intentionally - take great effort to get much of God into their mental grid
- Spontaneoulsy - take every opportunity to point your family to Christ
- Exemplary - get real and be their best example of life-size truth living
- Counter-culturally and culturally revelent - trust truth and use culture wisely (how to be IN the world of not OF the world)
- Creatively - get a pattern and lay the pavement
Psalm 78:4-8 Raise another generation of God seekers
- Understand what is at stake
- Understand that time is short
- Understand that your legacy is already in motion
Isn't that SO poweful? We have a lot of work to do don't we? And most of us don't come close to measuring up...I know that I am far from it.
They did a nice presentation on Loving Reproof...basically how to punish your children for disobedience vs. rebellion...super good stuff, but am really avoiding hate mail on this topic. I am very passionate about all the topics they have shared and I took good notes...so I am totally up for going through it with you if you missed it. It won't be nearly as good as what they put together but it's something. I'm telling you this stuff is so good that it makes me want to be a part of their ministry team...or some ministry team somewhere. I want to share this stuff with others. My passion was already stirred for it over a year ago and it gets stronger and stronger. I want to do the Lord's work...I want to live my life with my arms out saying "you lead....I follow"...I am ready to give up everything and take on anything. I can't help but think of these adoption clues God gave me and how He keeps setting us up in places where we hear about it TOGETHER...about how I never thought I wanted more than 2 children....and how God changes everything. It made me sad today that they said something about the Lord opening and closing wombs and how we should "see more children as more blessings"...I remember how ready I was for Brock to go off and have his procedure and what relief I felt when it was done...I had my 2 children...my 2 inconvieneces in life...and how I didn't want anymore of them to screw up MY plan. How selfish am I? I purchased a shirt that says "I am the wretch the song refers to". I think I need to wear it everyday! I wonder sometimes if we did the right thing or if that was all part of the plan for us to adopt down the road. I know God plans all things and He wouldn't have us go down that road for no reason. So I trust...I trust that the words we have been hearing touched my husband. God has such a big and mighty plan for our lives and I am so tickled by it. I can't wait to see what He delivers. Oh, how He has changed my heart...just when I thought I had changed so much and learned so much, He shows me how much farther I have to go.
"Change my heart O God...make it ever true...Change my heart O God....may I be like You. You are the potter...I am the clay. Mold me and make me...this is what I pray"
