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"Mommy, one time we were at Grandma's house. And it was so much fun to play with her tractor."
"Mommy, do you remember when Daddy had poison ivy? It's all better now! Jesus made it better!" "Mommy, look! Jesus put water back into Grammi's stream! Just like we asked Him to! He came down, and then he went back up!" After each of these quotes from my 3 year old, I just shook my head in amazement. So happy in her simple faith. So shocked at her memory. Some of these events happened almost a year prior! As Moms, we all know that the toddler years are some of the most critical development years in a person's life. These little people are constantly gathering more information and data than we will probably ever even know. And if we are not purposeful about it, then the information and thought process that is cemented in their minds is going to be useless, at least in light of eternity.
But that is not what any of us want for our children. We are raising soldiers for Christ, and soldiers need to be able to dig deep and know what they stand for.
Just like the tree in Psalm 1. 1. Fill Their Mind With Life! He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. {Psalm 1:3} We need to fill our children's river {mind} with life-giving water. We need to give them what they need to dig deep and find nourishing strength in the Word of God. And it's never to early to start! It is not enough to tell a child how they should act. We need to be training their little hearts in "why" they should act. We need to teach them to delight in the word of the Lord, and to meditate on it day and night. And then when they are older, they will be that blessed person that "walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, not stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful." Life gets hectic and busy - I know all about that! But this principle is so important, we as Moms really can't afford to put it on the back burner! We need to make it a priority in our lives, above laundry, dishes, sweeping and Facebook.
We Moms of today have a lot to fight against to stay on track with Jesus, and on track with being present for our kids and training their hearts all day long. It's hard, but the good news is that God is ready and waiting to give us the grace and strength to make the right decisions moment by moment and day by day!
2. It's a Bible Command! "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk in the way, and when you lie down and when you rise." {Deuteronomy 6:6-7} Although this is an Old Testament verse, I think the importance and the essence of it rings true through eternity. To make the discussion of God's Word and commands a part of daily life is as important for Moms in the 21st century as it was in 1400BC.
So, how do we do this, particularly when our children are young? Some of our favorite ways are Bible on CD and repetitious reading of the same passage until it's memorized.
My parents used to turn on Audio Bible tapes every night when us kids went to bed. We would fall asleep listening to God's word being read aloud. We loved it. Bibles verses put to song are also a great way to hide God's word in little toddler hearts. We like these 3 CDs, available on amazon. {affiliate link}
I have been amazed at a toddler's ability to memorize things they hear repeatedly. And we have found that stories are what our kids remember the best. So we've memorized portions of the Christmas story and the gospels with them. It really is so rewarding!
What is one of your favorite ways to teach the Word to your kids? I'd love to hear about it!
p.s. I have this verse printed and framed in our house, as a reminder to continually teach the Bible to our kids.
Get it 40% off using the code WALLSOFHOME here.
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What is a brave Mom?
Well I can tell you that it isn't me or you. At least it isn't us on our own. A truly brave Mom knows that the courage for the job of Motherhood does not come from within, but from without. A brave Mom gets her courage from God. A brave Mom is a woman of humility who wakes and immediately pleads with God to be her Strength and Tower of Refuge throughout the day. A brave Mom knows the joy of the Lord is her strength and prays for it daily.
A brave Mom sacrifices her own feelings, comfort and time for her family everyday. She does it without a thought, because she has strengthened herself in the Lord at the start of every day and makes herself rely on Him continually.
A brave Mom forces herself to combat anger and temper and run to Jesus instead of saying those nasty words. A brave Mom knows how to tell her children "no" and use the opportunity to train their hearts instead of just their obedience because she knows they will apply this lesson to their relationship with Jesus as they grow older. A brave Mom is not selfish, but mothers her children all day, with no thought to herself, but every thought on the future of her child and their future in Christ.
A brave Mom knows that she has not attained and makes mistakes daily.
A brave Mom knows how to humbly apologize, even to a 1 year old and always to God. A brave Mom turns her failures into pillars of strength in the structures of little hearts. A brave Mom is a Mom who seeks Jesus daily, hourly and more. A Mom who sacrifices and trains and falls and falls and gets back up again and says: "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me!" "The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!" "I will wait for the Lord; I will be strong and courageous and wait on the Lord!" I have not attained "Brave Mom" status yet, but I am learning that I must ask for it with every breath and like Jacob, not let go until God has blessed me with it! What about you? Will your join me in asking for God's strength to go brave and bold with your parenting? Our futures depend on it and our God is ABLE!! Be strong and courageous and do not be afraid for the LORD your God goes with you - He will never leave or forsake you!
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I am on a journey to know Jesus better, and be the wife, mommy and friend that God created me to be, all within the walls of my own little home. <3
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