A blessing for a birthday gift....

 Today I read an article about a favorite birthday gift.  The article was written by a person who said her favorite birthday gift ever was a blessing from her grandmother.  This grandmother, year after year, would tell this little poem to each child on their birthday.  

Many happy returns on the day of thy birth,

May sunshine and gladness be given.

May God in His mercy prepare you on earth

For a beautiful birthday in heaven. (Jacobs and Lincoln)

The author of the article said she waited all day for the blessing.  Sometimes her grandmother would call, sometimes she would give the blessing when she saw the child that day, or sometimes it was given at the family birthday party.  She said it was the same gift every year and one that she carried with her all year and now gives to her family.  

I just thought this was a great idea and an idea for a family tradition that could be used by us. 

"Our grandchildren need hopeful, encouraging, inspiring words from the people they love.  I pray the Lord will give us the eyes to see the significance of even the smallest word of encouragement.  May we renew our efforts to share simple, special moments with our grandchildren and reassure them that they are loved and never alone." Kay Swatkowski

Praying aloud with your spouse and grandkids...

 I want to share with you all a couple of ideas for praying at night before the lights go out with your spouse and or your children and grandchildren.

    Gail and I began praying together aloud as a couple at night before we went to sleep many years ago.  Someone wisely gave us this advice when we were a young couple.  We have kept doing this now for fifty years.  It has been a wonderful thing to do. By praying aloud and together you know what your spouse is thinking and concerned about.  It helps you to know their thoughts.  It lets you pray in agreement for your concerns. There have been a few times that we were struggling in our relationship and it was very difficult to pray together.  But having committed to doing this we were able to settle our differences and mend our relationship before we prayed.  Just couldn't sleep on the couch!

    We also prayed aloud with our children as we tucked them in and are now trying to do the same with our grandkids when they get to stay all night at our house.  We usually pray and then let the child pray.  This is such a blessing!!!  Sometimes the grandchild will be in our bedroom on the floor in a sleeping bag and we all three get to pray aloud before we go to sleep.  Such a huge honor to have the grandchildren praying with us.  Sometimes we may have several grandchildren staying with us and I am glad to be able to have it be bedtime.  Sometimes I want to just say goodnight and turn off the light!!! I am tired!  But (I am preaching to me) don't miss an opportunity to pray with them, to know their hearts, to hear their prayers to our God!  This is an honor and privilege and a way to help the grandchildren cement their relationship with our Lord!

Hope these ideas can help your marriage and family! God Bless You!

My thoughts about Halloween...

 Thoughts about Halloween from an old granma.....Just saying....

It is that time of year again already.  Just want to tell you the older I get the more I feel the need to steer clear of this holiday.  It has such a dark spiritual feel to me.

I can think back to enjoying Halloween as a child.  One year, now to my horror, I was dressed as a witch and we had a party at my grandmother's basement.  Now it bothers me that I was dressed like that.  You see, I do not want in any way to open myself up to let the devil have a foothold in my life.  

Your actions now can affect not only you but your children or grandchildren.

We also need to be watchful about what we let into our homes.  Is there anything in them that would attract Satan and his evil spirits?  It is a good idea every once in a while to look around and clean things out that don't honor God.  

As Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Let us do all we can to keep them clean and honoring to Him. I Cor. 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.   

I am asking you to listen to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit in your life. Don't harden your heart but seek what God has for you as you decide to celebrate or not celebrate this holiday. 

A couple of questions you could ask yourself are:

Would I do this if Jesus was with me?  

Will this action honor God? 

 Will this help or hurt my Christian witness?

Will this activity help me to grow spiritually?

Just saying .......because I love and care about you all. 

TRUTH....LIES

One of my granddaughters recently posted this picture on her Facebook page.   It brought me a lot of joy to see that she saw the value of this sign:

Then my grandmother's devotion this morning addressed these issues.  There are so many thoughts we let roll around in our minds that are not true.  No one likes me.  No one loves me.  Everyone else has friends but me. God only loves perfect people.  I should make everyone happy all the time.  It doesn't matter what I think or how I feel.  It is all my fault.. . . . . . 

Many of us believe lies about ourselves or God because of our past.  Maybe we have someone who has abused or neglected us.  Or maybe we don't know the Truth of God's Word.  Maybe we have had a spiritual battle and have let Satan have the victory.  These 'things/battles' can cause us great pain and distress.  

At these times - when you have these thoughts and struggles - remember that God is with you.  These are lies and we can be free from them.  First, surrender your life to Christ and accept His salvation. Then accept the freedom from the 'lies' that you have been delivered or are thinking.  Correct the faulty beliefs.  Don't accept them.  Remember YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD.  YOU ARE HIS PRECIOUS CHILD!

Remember no one is perfect.  We are all sinners. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  

We can have forgiveness for our sins when we ask.  I John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from unrighteousness.

Know God's Word and stand by it.  Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.  

Guard your thoughts.  2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every lofty opinion, raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Don't conform to the world but be transformed and changed through Christ and the Bible. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  

Think about those things that are true and pure and good.  Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.  

KNOW YOU ARE LOVED AND VALUED!!

Winning the Heart of Your Child

 I just recently finished up this book.  The title originally caught my eye because I  have always thought that those parents who had successful relationships with their children had their children's hearts.  Now as a grandparent I too want to know how to have my grandchildren's hearts.  I want to share with you a few ideas from the book that I hope you will find helpful.  

The author said that the parents are the most important people in their children's lives in their early years.  Then when they hit the teen years they look to others such as their peers, the culture, and other adults, and you as the parents take the fourth most important position for influence.  Don't fight this but use it....to win the keys to your child's heart.

1.  Widen the circle of influence for your children.  Let them be around good coaches, teachers, Godly families, next-door neighbors, relatives, youth pastors, mentors, and friends who care about your child and are willing to steer him or her in the right direction. 

2.  Time is not on your side so use your time wisely.  Don't wait to spend time with your kids, as they grow up soon and are gone.  Get to know your children.  There should be a number of quality times! Step into their world and listen to their hearts.  If your child seems busy and not interested in spending time with you then take the little amount of time they might give you and use it as best you can.  Relate to them on their level. What are they interested in? Seize the small moments along with the big elaborate times together.   

3.  Be dedicated and involved in your children's lives.  Carve out time to listen to your kids. Set aside your cell phone and turn off the radio so they can have your full attention as you visit. Intentionally schedule a time to do something special with your child such as going out to eat, shop, or to go get coffee. Kids do need boundaries and correction. When your child does something wrong actively listen and communicate with your child before jumping in to correct him. 

4. Be consistent! Consistently love, be consistent with boundaries and appropriate discipline, and consistently spend time with your children.

5.  Tell your kids you love them and show them you do.  Affirm and encourage your kids.  Tell them you believe in them and their strengths.  Our words matter but our tone is also important. Ask your child to forgive you when you mess up in your parenting.  "There is power and freedom in seeking forgiveness.  It teaches our children how to forgive." (pg. 149)

6. Don't let fear of failure or inadequacy slip into your mind as you parent. Don't compare yourself or your family to other families.  God has put each parent in the place he is in.  Look at God and what He has for you. When you as a parent give in to fear it inhibits your parenting. You are a good mom or dad.  Listen to the voice of TRUTH!

7. Blend love and discipline for influence.  You as the parent as important.  You can influence your kids.  Think in the long term.  Have love, healthy boundaries, and consistent parenting in every season of your children's lives. 

Parenting is a big job and can have its difficulties.  Hang in there.  Seek God and His ways.  Keep moving forward!    And be sure you kids Know Christ and are saved!!

Comparison....don't do it

 

What do you see? Spatulas!!  Each is a different size, and each is created differently to do a specific job.  

We are the same way! You and I are each different from each other and have different jobs to do.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to do our job to the best of our abilities.  We need to keep our eyes focused on the goals set before us.  

We must not COMPARE ourselves with others. God has a plan and a direction for you.  He has made you for such a time as this to do His will. Don't give in to the devil's schemes to feel that you can't do good enough.  You can! God put you where you are! You can do it!!!! Listen to the voice of Truth!

Grace and Justice

 I am so blessed to be able to teach Sunday school again!  Our class is using the Answers in Genesis materials.  A few weeks ago the lesson was on the Israelites and their sin in making the golden calf from Exodus 32.  The lesson book talked about the grace that was shown by God when he did not kill all the Israelites for their sinful ways.  He showed favor to the unworthy.  He spared them from death.  

Then it talked about justice - that God is perfectly righteous in His treatment of his creatures. He is just. It is one of God's attributes.  The sins of the Israelites called for a just action from God even though God had given them His grace.  So God had many of those who continued in their rebellious ways killed by the sword and then others were destroyed by a plague.

It seems that today we want only grace.  When justice takes place we think we are being taken advantage of or treated unfairly.  Step back. Look at the bigger picture.  Be thankful for grace and favor when it is given you BUT also accept justice and the punishment that is given when it is deserved.