PARENTING GOAL

PARENTING GOAL

  • Encouragement, Kingdom Parenting

PARENTING GOAL

If we focus on being a perfect parent and handling everything just right, we will surely fail because Jesus is the only perfect human. However, our weaknesses, failures, wounds, and mistakes do not disqualify us from equipping our children with the truth that while we may have blown it, Holy Spirit is never impatient or annoyed with us. While Dad might be distracted or absent, Papa God is always eager for our attention and company. Where Mom may lack, He always provides. Where we stumble, He is able. How will children know this unless we actively teach them about the faithfulness of God? So, the next time you blow it, use it as an opportunity to teach your child how awesome and good Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit really are and that while we try, we are not always like Him, but praise God, He isn’t like us either!

THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE LOVES ME!

During church, we were told to pray for those who needed healing. I asked the Lord what He wanted me to know about a precious elderly lady. I could tell she loved Jesus but was struggling with receiving healing. I began to whisper in her ear how much she loved Jesus and how faithful she has been to Him over the years, and she would nod in agreement. I then began to tell her just how much HE loved HER, and she started to cry, weep, and come really unglued. There are so many Jesus-loving people in our church who have never experienced the personal love that Jesus and Papa God have for them personally! When we train our children to ask, “Papa, how do You feel about me?” We are literally changing the course of their lives. I was a believer for nearly 20 years before I realized the God of the Universe loved ME, not the world, but ME!!

HE IS ABLE

Isn’t this testimony beautiful? Be encouraged, mamas, that prayer and faith in our Almighty God works and that He cares more about your child than you ever could. “All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace” (Isaiah 54:13). 

“After my sons moved to Colorado, I began declaring this Scripture over them in my daily prayer times, believing that even though I could no longer be with them daily to teach them as I had before, that the Lord would be faithful to teach them. I want to share a testimony of how this happened recently. On their last visit, one of my sons told me that he had had a conversation with someone about his relationship with God and his belief in the Bible. This person told my son they didn’t think an old book should be telling us how to live our lives. My son didn’t argue with them or know what to say, but later, he said he got alone with Jesus and asked Him what He thought about that. He opened up his Bible in faith, asking God to speak to him (ok, so I did teach him that trick.) ‘Mom,’ he said, ‘the verse I opened up to was this, “the grass withers and the flowers fall but the Word of our God stands forever!” (Isaiah 40:8).’ That verse gave him all the peace and confidence he needed at that moment. I want to encourage Holy Spirit is a great teacher. He can go places we could never go and do things we could never do! I pray this is a special encouragement to someone today.”

JOY IS ESSENTIAL IN THIS HOUR

If you are having waves of stress from all the uncertainties in the world, can you imagine how children feel? JOY is essential in this hour!!!!!

RESTLESSNESS

How many of you feel strange unrest or restlessness? A feeling of wondering if you should move somewhere? We moved across the country in the middle of the shutdown, which was a super odd and unique thing to experience, but many months later, we all still have this strange restlessness. I was asking the Lord about it and heard Him say this, “You are longing for home (heaven).” Never before in our generation have we endured so much unrest in our land, and it is causing a longing for home. This isn’t a suicidal thought but rather a holy ache as we know Earth is not our home.

MODEL HIS LOVE

My friend said it beautifully: “God showed me that the purpose of my parenting is not to turn my children into models (in whichever field), but for me to model His love to them. After that, the rest will fall into place automatically.”

THE GOD WHO SEES

Someone needs to declare this over themselves today. “YOU ARE THE GOD WHO SEES MY NEED!” Say it until you have faith for it.

FATHER KNOWS BEST

Hudson likes to wear his sports pants every single day! He walked out of his room with them on AGAIN, and I told him he needed to dress nicer. As he walked away deflated, I heard God say, “Let it go!” I called him back and shared how his Father defended him and apologized. We hugged, and all was fine. He came to breakfast with a whole new outfit on. A tear rolled down my face as I realized that he was motivated by the Father’s love (not my expectations).

HE IS ALIVE

We were on the road, and I woke early like I usually do, so I snuck out to get some coffee. It was still dark out, and I enjoyed the quiet moment to myself. This profound wave of deep joy and gratefulness came over me (like you feel on Christmas morning), and I began to ponder what TODAY has meant in my life. Yesterday was BRUTAL. It was the day my Savior was beaten and whipped for my sins. As I tell the kids, He took their spanking. It is hard to picture my Jesus nailed to a cross with spikes piercing His hands and feet. Tomorrow is full of JOY. Death is defeated. He IS alive! But TODAY is the day Jesus was in hell. From death to resurrection, He spent His time in hell. Doing what? Gathering ALL of the keys that the enemy stole. He has a key for your relationships, finances, decisions, parenting, attitudes, transitions, desires, conflicts, dreams, problems, heartbreak, and destiny. There isn’t a single thing you are walking through that Christ doesn’t hold the key to. He died naked but rose with the keys – ALL of them.

Teach your children they are never without a solution to their problems. No matter how big or small, Jesus has a KEY for it! When your child is struggling with something together, ask, “Jesus, what is the name of the KEY You want me to use in this situation?” You might be surprised how easy yet powerful the keys unlock your situation. Matthew 16:19.

I MISS MY DAD

Years ago, Hudson was playing with his Legos in his room, and one by one, his sisters joined in the fun. There was so much joy breaking out in his room that I stopped doing my work to join them. I laid on his bed while they all played together, and it was heaven. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Hudson began kicking everyone out of his room. I called him up on the bed and asked what was going on. He wasn’t sure but felt overwhelmed that he had had a sudden flip-of-the-switch in his emotions. I asked if he wanted Jesus to shine His flashlight in his heart to show him what was going on, and he did. The tears began to flow, and he said, “I miss my dad.” All of the fun with Legos with not just one but four other girls triggered that he missed his dad. We were able to walk through forgiving his dad for not being there and asked Jesus how He felt about him. The saddest part of the story is that in the past, I would have normally disciplined him for his outburst against his sisters because he WAS rude, mean, and disrespectful! But his outward outburst was NOT the real issue. His heart was hurting. Do we really want to shut down, spank, time out, and discipline our children when they are grieving their dad? Do they need to grow in maturity with how to handle the hurt? YES! That is called growing up. But we are missing the mark when we place obeying perfectly over connecting with their hearts!

I am asked often with this testimony if I went back and disciplined him for being so rude. NO, not at all. His flesh was immature in getting his hurt out, but once the real issue was resolved, there was no need for discipline. AS discipline isn’t punishment (an eye for an eye) but TO GET to the heart, which God so clearly did. I did ask him to go back and apologize to his sisters for being rude, and it was easy for him to do as he KNEW he was wrong and could do it with ease since his heart was fully seen and heard. Then as a family, we talked about what just happened. Everyone was filled with compassion and kindness for him, and connection was deepened. There is a time for discipline, of course, but the goal should always be to get their heart (otherwise, it is nothing more than legalism, which focuses on outward performance).