Grace for the work-in-progress woman
Rev. 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him
and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
He’s knocking today. Will you answer?
Jen 🙂
I’m trying something new today over at The Sunday Community.
I may also be linking up at any of these lovely blogs.
Imagine waking up every morning, trudging out to your backyard, and building a fire to offer a burnt sacrifice on a stone altar placed there.
You head back out again later in the day when you choose self over others, and again after that unkind thought, and again after snapping at a loved one. In and out of the house, offering sacrifices for sins committed throughout the day – it’s an exercise in futility.
Today we would call such behavior crazy, wouldn’t we?
Of course we would because we no longer offer burnt sacrifices like the Israelites did in the Old Testament …or do we?
Earlier this week, I read these words:
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; Heb. 10:11
“Daily,” the priests stood at their posts; “time after time” they offered the “same” sacrifices for the same sins. Such repetition calls attention to the never-ending nature of their tasks.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary explains that at the time the letter to the Hebrews was written, the Jewish Christians continued to offer sacrifices at the temple.
For those who believed in Christ and His resurrection, such offerings should have been rendered meaningless by His atonement as the final sacrifice.
So, why were they still trudging back and forth to the altar of sacrifice, so to speak?
They knew of the gospel, the good news that abolished the old system and established a new covenant built on the cornerstone of Grace, but they struggled to let go of their old ways.
At first glance, I was tempted to think, how silly of them – they’re doing so much work and it’s all meaningless!
But lately the Lord has been opening my eyes to an alarming truth: I sometimes offer my own daily sacrifices, often without even realizing it.
Just think about it for a moment.
**This post has a new home. Click here to read the rest!
Do you have toddlers or preschoolers in the home? I’m planning to teach our two preschoolers at home this year, for reasons like teaching the faith and values that our family upholds as true and also for financial reasons.
While I’m really excited to exercise my teacher muscles by homsechooling our preschoolers, I’m also feeling a little overwhelmed since preschool is not exactly my specialty.
So, lately I’ve spent a good deal of time on Pinterest and Google trying to gather up the best free preschool resources out there – from curriculum, to themed units, to printables, to hands-on activities, and more.
So, on today’s Mama Monday, I thought I would share these free preschool resources with you so that you don’t have to spend all of the time I did on collecting them! 🙂 I won’t have room to mention everything I’ve pinned while searching, so if you want even more material to consider, look at my Learning at Home board on Pinterest.
Motherhood on a Dime offers this FREE, faith-based preschool curriculum online for homeschoolers, and it looks to suit our family’s needs. The free curriculum includes basic plans for daily instruction (based on a four-day school week) as well as printables. I plan to use the free version of this curriculum as my foundation and supplement it with some of the activities and ideas listed in the categories below. Note: the creator of this program also has a paid option format that includes better graphics and more printables. The paid option is still very inexpensive (less than $15 )for an entire school-year’s worth of plans!
I plan to use this free fall printable pack from Homeschool Creations as a supplementary material for this season along with the curriculum mentioned above. Homeschool Creations offers many other printable packs as well. 1+1+1=1 is another amazing printable packs resource with everything from princesses and my little pony to solar systems and star wars. These two free preschool resources make both teaching and learning fun! 🙂
My children are not yet coordinated enough to form actual letters (although our daughter is close), so we’ll be working on some pre-writing skills before anything else. I picked this floral printable for my daughter and these printables will work well for both children as well as these from 3 Dinosaurs . I love the idea that this mom had to put the printables or workbook pages into sheet protectors in a binder so that you can use dry erase markers with them. You could even let your preschooler decorate the front of his or her binder to personalize it. Use them over and over again! 🙂 Once they grasp the concept, I plan to introduce alphabet letter formation. The Measured Mom offers these writing stations as homeschool alternatives to using printables alone. You could use the same methods with shapes and numbers, as well.
I love the idea of starting out with my children’s names as well as other names in the house. You can read about name kits at Fun-a-day. If you’re intersted in a montessori method for introducing letters, Living Montessori Now offers excellent advice. Hands on as we grow has a list of 50 fun activities for learning both upper case and lower case letters. At Crystal and Co. you can find instructions for fun letter-of-the week crafts, too, as well as other free preschool resources.
DLKT offers a number of counting and number worksheets here. Turtle Diary offers these printable options. What I think will most appeal to our preschool boy and girl will be more hands-on activities like this paper tube one from Learn With Play at Home and a method using easter eggs from Reading Confetti.
Although our preschoolers already know most of their shapes, we still need to do some reviewing in this area. Hands on as we grow demonstrates how to be hands-on when learning shapes. Shape puzzles are another great resource as children can both handle the shape itself and also learn how it fits into the board. I also like this crafty approach to shape matching from education.com. Creative Family Fun offers 12 fun ways to learn shapes. Also, you can find printables for shapes here at Aussie Childcare Network. Printables are one of my favorite free preschool resources! 🙂
Although our daughter is pretty solid on her colors, our son could use more help. So, we’ll be continuing to practice our colors through the preschool years in our homeschool. I’m working on a home-made version of Go Fish using colors for our preschoolers, so when it’s done I’ll be sure to share with you. 🙂 Toddler Approved provides these hands-on learning methods for colors. Inspiration Laboratories has a great idea for creating a color rainbow that I think our preschoolers would love. We also plan to sort buttons, pom-poms, beads, etc. by color and create patterns, as well as learn colors through reading some books we have about colors.
I plan to use youtube for much of our music, but I also like these printable nursery rhymes from Aussie Childcare Network. DLKT offers these printables for making nursery rhyme characters to use as puppets or for a felt board.
I plan to incorporate Bible lessons into our home preschool, but I’d like to save this topic for a future post as I plan to review a few options in detail. So, check back later for those options. 🙂
Here are more free preschool resources – printables for the alphabet:
Pinterest – while I already knew of some of these free online resources, much of the additional material I found on pinterest. 🙂
Library books – the best way to teach your children (aside from play) is through reading to them. You can find books on almost any theme or subject you plan to teach. Libraries are great resources for supplementing the books you already have at home.
Youtube – a quick search for alphabet songs, shape songs, days of the week songs, and more reveals that the options on youtube are endless… and best of all, free! 🙂 You can also teach nursery rhymes and other preschool favorites such as “Five Little Speckled Frogs.”
PBS/Netflix – Leap Frog, Word World, and Super Why are all educational animated shows that focus on letter learning, although Leap Frog has some that focus on numbers and shapes as well. We have a subscription to Netflix’s online streaming service, so I plan to use many of these programs through Netflix. The advantage to using Netflix over PBS is that I don’t have to wait for an episode to air. Instead, I can hand-pick episodes to coordinate with themes we might be exploring that week.
Online learning – the internet offers a wealth of free online resources for learning games. Check out our top ten educational websites – many are suitable for preschoolers.
Dollar Store Deals – I wrote a whole post on items you can find at the dollar store to use in teaching preschoolers or toddlers, complete with ideas on how to use them!
Toys – we have a few toys that I have set aside specifically for our preschool use (I do not keep these toys in their regular toy box, which makes them special since they can’t play with them whenever they want). Any toy that says a letter’s name aloud and repeats the sound the letter makes can be a good tool to use when your preschooler just doesn’t want to sit and work with paper. You probably already have a few of these “educational” toys laying around the house, so don’t feel the need to go out and buy new ones. 🙂
Additionally, much of the time spent during preschool should be free play, when children have time to pretend play using blocks, legos, dress-up clothes, kitchens, etc. You can also use toys you already have at home to enhance themed lessons. Finally, puzzles can be great resources for learning shapes, colors, letters, and numbers, etc.
I hope this helps to get you started on planning for your toddler/preschool years, whether you intend to teach formally by homeschooling or just as your children are interested.
Jen 🙂
I’m also linking up at any of the blogs here!
Sharing with: How Do You Do It?,
It’s more than a bad hair day and more than spilled milk. It’s one of “those” days, the ones you really do weep over, when wave after wave of some trial (new or old) sweeps over you as you struggle just to keep your head above water.
And just as you gain your feet, another waves swells up before you. In the midst of such trials, we can do little else than cry out for mercy, for deliverance.
Sometimes “those” days last longer than just a day or two, or even a week. Sometimes, we experience whole seasons of “those” days, whole seasons of trial, and illness, and heartache. Whole seasons of waiting on the Lord.
If you read regularly here, you know our family has been in the midst of such a season for a while now. I’ve been wanting to share with you all some of my “discussions” with the Lord about this spot He has us in, but I’ve honestly been confused about the message He’s trying to give me.
I don’t want to wallow in self-pity, but I do want to allow myself the grace to rest and recover when needed. I want to keep using those Grace-colored glasses He’s been teaching me about.
You see, it’s not just the practical and physical difficulties of a trial that make life on one of those days oh-so-difficult, but it’s the emotions that come along for the ride, too. I’m frustrated by the condition of my physical body and even by the condition of my fragile emotions. I’m feeling guilty that I cannot do the things I normally do, nor fill the roles I normally fill – mom, wife, friend, leader.
What I really wanted to give you was a how-to post: how to survive when Mom can’t be mom, but this is what came out instead…
I do have a few ideas about that one, a few tips the Lord has been helping me with.
1. For instance, He’s been telling me to lower my expectations.
So what if the twins watch an extra hour of cartoons? So what if beds go unmade and the soccer shirts aren’t clean on game day? If at the of the day, we’re all fed and alive, then we’re surviving!
2. What about Teamwork – be a team with your spouse? Yes, that’s a good tip, too.
When I feel overwhelmed by circumstances in life, I often fight against my husband instead of with him. In return, I reap the added burden of marital strife to an already trying situation. So, teamwork is good, blaming my husband for my own limitations and frustrations is bad. Okay, I got that. 🙂
3. Resist Satan’s Lies – tip number three.
Of course, I know that in spite of my guilty feelings, I’m doing the best I can and that’s enough for the Lord. Of course I know that He promises to be my Deliverer.
But sometimes I just don’t want to wait for deliverance. I’d rather try to fix it myself, right?
Are you with me here?
4. Lean on the Lord for both physical and emotional strength. That’s another good one, right?
Chin up, soldier because God is on your side. If God is for us, who can be against us? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And all of the other platitudes we like to sprinkle about when someone is suffering a trial.
These statements and verses are all true – they really are -but sometimes they do little to comfort the weary soul.
Sometimes… instead of lifting us up, those verses and sayings make us feel like crummy Christians.
Because if I’m not “counting it all joy” every single day of this trial, then I’m once again failing somehow, am I not?
And what about “count your blessings,” which goes right along with “think of those less fortunate”? You know some days that really works for me. Most of the time, I can see all of the good things around me that the Lord has blessed me with. I can find the silver linings. I know that my temporary suffering pales in the face of what others have gone through before me, namely Jesus.
But other days I can count my blessings, think of others, and still feel frail. Some days I know I’m not clinging to joy, I’m not embracing peace, because I have no strength left to do so!
So while I sit and think on all of these good things I feel I should be doing to try to help myself in this season of trial, the waves grow all the stronger and more ominous around me.
Crashing, crashing, always crashing, this storm in my soul.
I feel like Jacob, wrestling with the Lord, and I wonder, what’s wrong with me?
Why can I not seem to overcome? Am I not obedient enough? Not trusting enough? Not hopeful enough? Have I sinned in some way I’m not aware of?
Then, I read this post here about not having a formula for success in the midst of trial but just “hanging on for dear life” and this post here about resting in the mud, in the mess of it, because He’s willing to sit right there with us. I began to wonder if I was seeing it all wrong, if I was trying to earn favor rather than be willing to receive favor.
I’m beginning to hear a new song from the Lord, a refrain of comfort to my weary soul. His song tells of a Shelter in the storm, strength found less in doing and more in waiting, a peace gained not from a change in circumstance but from His very presence.
In my devotion time this week I feasted on these lines that seemed to be meant just for me:
“We must learn to wait on the Lord and look for His return…. As you wait on Him, you will discover that this attitude renews your spiritual strength, clears your perspective, and reduces your giant-sized problems to manageable size. Let David’s words become your marching orders: ‘Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’” [Excerpt from Joy of Living Bible Studies: Hebrews, pg. 102]
In the original language, this word wait is qavah (pronounced kaw-vaw’) and is a verb meaning to look for, to wait for, to hope for. I found it even more interesting that the original meaning was one of binding together by twisting, as in a rope. (And here I am, dangling at the end of mine.)
I found that this verb is very active, not an idle sitting by the wayside, but an expectant waiting. We are to actively be on the “look out” for the Lord to work on our behalf. While we wait, qavah, we are also to be strong.
The phrase “be strong” from the Hebrew word chazaq (prounounced khaw-zak’) is also a verb. In essence, this chazaq is an also act, something done rather than a state of being. It was used numerous times in the Old Testament to describe a scene of supernatural strength: David vs. Goliath, Samson’s final act, Joshua’s entrance into the Promised Land. [NASB, Hebrew-Greek Keyword Study Bible]
So this being strong is an act that comes not from any natural or human means, but only from the Lord. Thus, it’s impossible for us to “be strong” in the chazaq sense on our own.
So, how does that look, practically speaking? I mean, how can I wait and be strong without striving and stressing?
I can be quick to meet Satan’s lies with truth from the Word. I can earnestly seek moments of joy in a day full of trials. I can watch to find His hand already at work in the situation and trust that it’s happening even if I can’t yet see it. I can speak words of hope.
I can earnestly seek moments of joy in a day full of trials. I can watch to find His hand already at work in the situation and trust that it’s happening even if I can’t yet see it. I can speak words of hope.
I can watch to find His hand already at work in the situation and trust that it’s happening even if I can’t yet see it. I can speak words of hope.
I can speak words of hope.
But it’s more than that, isn’t it? Because some days I don’t have it in me.
That’s the key right there – it’s not in me to wait and be strong. What is naturally in me is to despair, to cry “Mercy, Father, it’s too much!”
And maybe sometimes that’s just the best place to be: at the Father’s feet, completely undone, utterly dependent on Him alone. No strength of our own left. Completely at His mercy. Humbled and low-down. At the end of the proverbial rope.
I’ll be honest, that’s a really hard place to sit in.
I much prefer to jump up and busy myself doing something because at least then I feel useful. But what if that’s not what He desires? What if what He most desires is to hear me admit, I can’t do it, Father – I’m not capable – I need help?
I think the most difficult aspect of learning to walk a road of suffering is understanding when to “be still” and when to “soldier on.”
I still don’t have it figured out. I seem to pendulum swing between the two, trying to find that balance.
Some days I’m all “onward Christian soldiers” and others I’m moaning about like an Israelite, lost in the desert. 🙂
It’s all part of His work in progress in me.
So this is the heart of my struggle, really: what is it you require of me, Lord?
Here’s how I believe He’s answering me:
Daughter of mine, wait for Me. Listen for My voice. When it’s time to get up and walk, I will tell you. And when it’s time for you to sit and take rest at my feet, I will tell you. And when it’s time for me to carry you because you have absolutely nothing left to give, then I will carry you. Stop trying so hard and just rest in my embrace. No squirming now, not yet. Sit. Relax. Cry if you need to. Confess if you need to. Question if you need to. I’m big enough to handle all of that and more. Just let Me hold you because that’s all I really want. You, beloved daughter. I want you. Take heart; rescue WILL come, for I am the Faithful One, God of all Hope and Comfort. But for now, just wait.
Because the truth is that our Father God loves with a perfect love, so much more perfect than ours, and our best comfort is found in waiting on the Lord!
Which one of us mothers would look at wounded, heartbroken child and chide her for her tears? I’m not talking about tantrum tears or even repentance tears, but tears of helplessness and hurt. Does their sorrow not bring forth our very compassion?
And which one of us mothers would fail to come rushing to the aid of a child calling urgently for help? Which one of us would refuse to comfort and console? Which of us would leave that child to struggle alone?
We would not.
We cannot because our love compels us to respond. If this is the way we imperfect humans feel about our children, how much more so does our Father God have compassion for us, His beloved, chosen ones?
With that perspective, those crashing waves don’t seem so ominous anymore. They still knock me down from time to time, but maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly where I need to be.
Perhaps those waves of trial aren’t reaching up at my waist in order to suck me under and drown me, but to push me to a better shore. If I would just quit fighting them, give in, and ride the momentum, I’d find myself safely on the other side.
And there I can find the rest my soul is so desperate for.
My sister in Christ, if you’re struggling in the surf of suffering today, take heart.
You are not alone. Rescue is near. He welcomes you into His embrace and asks that you just sit a while.
Listen for His voice.
And keep waiting on the Lord.
Jen 🙂
If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy:
http://sarahjofairchild.wordpress.com/2013/09/05/just-one-of-those-days-again/
I’ll also be linking up at any of these places.
Sharing with: Grace and Truth
Our children don’t spend a lot of time on the computer, as a rule, but when they do, I like it to be as educational as possible. Over the years, we’ve found some children’s websites that are great and some, well…not so great. The educational content needs to be high, but so does the entertainment value (from a child’s perspective).
We really like educational websites for kids that include a variety of options, such as material to read or listen to, games to play, printables, and videos. We absolutely loooove websites that have all of the above in the form of free content! 🙂
Since we’re doing preschool at home this year with our four-year-old twins, I thought I would gather our favorite learning websites (in no particular order) all together in one spot. Our Top 10 Educational Websites for Kids
best educational websites for kids
Many of these educational websites for kids also have links to downloadable apps for those with mobile devices.
If you’d like ideas for board and card games your children might enjoy, be sure to read Our Big List of Favorite Games. I hope you enjoy exploring some of these sites with your children!
What are your favorite educational websites for children?
Jen 🙂
If you have toddlers or preschoolers at home, you might also enjoy this list of free resources!
Today I saw red.
I was so angry at the injustice that I burst into tears. That’s my response, ya know, when the going gets so tough that all kinds of nastiness is about to spew forth from my lips.
But I know I’m held to a higher standard than the world; I know the tongue is sharper than any two-edged sword. I know letting those words escape would be wrong. So I gulp the words down and they rise up as tears instead.
You see, there was this insurance claim for a broken bone, which happened during our family vacation (see the story about Buttkill Falls). And even though we followed every step that we should have, even though we did everything according to procedure, the insurance company still refuses to pay.
It’s really not just the fact that this month we’re already short, and the medical center has already removed money from our account. After all, I know Our Provider can handle dollars and cents.
It’s not even just that my tailbone still hurts and now I’m miserable with a cold, too.
It’s the incredible injustice of knowing you did everything right, yet still you suffer.
I asked the Lord, “Why? Hasn’t enough gone wrong already in the last few weeks?” And the truth is that it really has been an incredibly crazy few weeks for us. One trial after another. When it rains it pours. That kind of few weeks. The kind of weeks that string into one long line of day after day of some new problem to cope with – problems with
The kind of weeks that string into one long line of day after day of some new problem to cope with – problems with ministry, problems in the home, problems with old, leaky pipes, problems with finances, problems with health.
You cling to His promises and try to face each new challenge with a trusting heart. But it all sort of piles up on you until you feel like you can’t breathe anymore and you want to beg for rescue, cry out for mercy.
It feels unfair.
And whenever I get to that point, the point when I’m telling the Lord He’s not being fair to me, He has only to say one word…
It wasn’t fair to Him, either.
He did everything right and nothing wrong, yet He suffered even unto death for my sin, my wrongdoing, my evil.
Oh, the shame! The shame of having questioned. The shame of telling myself my petty, short-term suffering is unbearable, that it shouldn’t be required of me. The shame of my sinful pride.
And the perspective!
The perspective of realizing there are so many others suffering much, much worse evils around the world. People struggling just to survive. People dying for their faith. People dying without any Hope.
The perspective of remembering Who is on my side – how could I forget? Has He not proven Himself faithful time and time again? And still I doubt, like Peter who saw the 5,000 fed, yet feared the wind and the waves, walking toward Christ, yet slowly sinking.
The perspective of remembering Who is on my side – how could I forget? Has He not proven Himself faithful time and time again? And still I doubt, like Peter who saw the 5,000 fed, yet feared the wind and the waves, walking toward Christ, yet slowly sinking.
So, I saw red today.
My face turned red. Tears fell. I shouted angrily at the Lord, even if only in my mind.
And then He showed me Red.
Red blood dripping from the sacrificial Lamb, the perfect Son of God who deserved only glory, not death.
My salvation and my forgiveness.
The One who understands true suffering.
Forgive me, Father, for my faith is weak and I sometimes doubt.
But You, You are good.
Even when I am not.
And You love me, even when I fail to love You.
Thanks for reminding me that I’m a work in progress, and that work is not yet complete.
Jen 🙂
Okay, I’m pretty sure I bent the Five Minute Friday rules again today, and this is way more personal than what I’m comfortable sharing. In fact, I’m downright embarrassed and a little afraid. But… when I sat down to write, this is what came out at the end of a long day, concluding a long week. And I can’t hide it away as I would like to, or I wouldn’t be a truth-teller.
My friends, we all have sinned. And we all doubt. Even missionary kids. Even ministers’ wives. Even faith bloggers. 🙂 If you’re struggling today, I want you to know that you’re not alone. And that He loves you anyway. Just listen to the words of the song below.
Read more encouraging words from another blogger who’s having “one of those days” here.
I’ve read a lot lately about hospitality and how important it is for Christians to be reaching out to those in their community. One of the easiest ways for our family to entertain guests is to host a game night. We love playing games of all sorts, and game night gives us an opportunity to develop relationships with others in a relaxing environment.
Perhaps my favorite reason for hosting a game night is that there is no need to prepare a fancy meal for lots of people – just have each family bring a snack to share. You provide the dishes, and beverages. ( Honestly, ours are usually disposable – paper plates and plastic cups.) You don’t even need any special decorations, just table space! It’s the perfect way for someone like me, who is not gifted in the area of hospitality, to have people over. 🙂
However, sometimes hosting Game Night involves entertaining young children as well as adults. Even if you are having a family game night with just your family and attempting to play a game older children might enjoy, you still need something for younger children to do. Parents can’t play if kids aren’t occupied. 🙂
10 Tips for Hosting Game Night with Young Children in Tow:
I hope these tips inspire you to try out family game night or to host friends or neighbors for a game night party of your own! It really is possible to host and still have fun even when young children are involved, as long as you know what to expect and how to help the kids have fun as well. If you’ve never hosted a game night before, I suggest starting small with another couple or family that you know well. Then, you can work up to multiples couples or families at once! Game night really is a great way to build fellowship with neighbors, with friends, with family, with small groups, with Sunday school classes, and more. Why wait?
Jen 🙂
I may be linking up at any of the blogs listed on my Favorite Link-ups tab.
If you had the choice and neither time nor money were factors, which would you choose: fine dining or fast food? A professionally cooked steak or a microwaved burger? While I crave the occasional french fry or milkshake like any other person, given the choice between the two, I would rather eat a meal of real food than the more convenient alternative.
However, I can’t always say the same about my spiritual food.
Too often I let fast-food type nuggets of truth pass for quiet time with the Lord.
A quick prayer offered here and there.
A verse I saw on facebook.
Even a well-written, Christ-honoring blog post.
Don’t get me wrong, all of these convenient options are good; we should be continually praying and consistently abiding in Him. I know that finding Mary moments in our Martha world is difficult, especially with little ones in the home! Those brief snacks help us to do just that.
But which of us mamas would feed our little blessings a steady diet of fast-food only?
We wouldn’t! In fact, we often work hard to make sure they get what they need nutritionally. We do things like sneak in veggies, plead with picky eaters, and sometimes even resort to the bribery of dessert because we know they need to eat those green beans! 🙂
“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine!” He desires us to drink deeply of the Living Water, not to live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. He wants to see real growth so that we might experience that abundant life that He planned for us from the beginning. He offers real spiritual food, the kind that satisfies.
And don’t we feel the difference, friends?
When I snack on spiritual fast food, I might feel okay for a little while. I can check “quiet time” right off of my list. I might even maintain a patient and loving demeanor for a time.
But the truth is those little snacks are not enough to carry me through a long day and the next…and the next…and the next. The temptation to substitute the quick, convenient alternative for a real meal eventually leaves me running on empty. And if I carry that pattern out for a few days, that outward facade is sure to slip. I become grouchy, impatient, unloving, and downright selfish. I’m dissatisfied with life.
Even my blessings become burdens.
On the other hand, when I take the time to really dine with the Lord, I feel so alive, don’t you? His presence provides me with a jolt of energy and grace that lasts a good while longer, and the benefits only multiply if I dine on His spiritual food consistently!
Might we experience a deeper walk?
Would the fruits of the Spirit come more easily? Would grace reign in our hearts and homes?
My goal for the week is to choose the feast consistently, to be steadfast in my pursuit of real spiritual food. I want to be satisfied in Him, not empty.
Will you join me, friends?
As a mama of four, I know what I’m asking is far from easy! I’ve spent those long days unshowered and unfed. I’ve trudged through those sleep-deprived trenches, just desperate to survive, never mind thriving. And some days, yes, a fast-food option really is the best spiritual food we can manage.
“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you
the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,
is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature,
who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Hebrews 5: 12-14
My brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s not be spiritual babes, content to feed on what is easy or convenient. Instead, let’s accept the challenge to dig deeper, to run to the banquet He prepares before us.
Choose the best spiritual food, the Bread of Life.
Will you dine with the Father this week?
Jen 🙂
Everyday Worship…
It’s not about church or silence or lengthy prayer or even calm quiet with Him.
It’s about living and loving and serving amidst othe chaos of snotty noses and dirty dishes and kids who just can’t seem to get along.
My everyday worship looks more like…
Doing dishes with a song in my heart, or teaching my preschoolers about patience.
Folding laundry even though my eyes are sleepy, or listening to a kid-story that I’ve already heard a few times too many.
Looking up from my work and into their eyes.
Stopping to hug my husband even if I’m in the middle of something.
All this and more makes up my everyday worship.
It’s counting my blessings in the midst of real pain or confusion or doubt because the blessings are many.
It’s choosing to be purposeful in my parenting but still at peace.
It’s dancing in the car with the Christian radio station turned up. Little hands waving in the air to the beat and grins plastered on their faces.
It’s feeling the sting of conviction when that small voice asks, “Are you happy, Mommy?” when she knows I am not. And choosing to let go and embrace real joy.
It’s planning family fun night even when I’d rather just relax.
It’s the heart-swell of awe and thankfulness that comes from seeing something truly beautiful, be it a mountain or the ocean or a sunset, or a preschooler’s delight over a firefly captured in her hand.
My everyday worship.
It doesn’t just happen at church, folks.
Jen 🙂
I learned so much about worship and living out my purpose in everyday faithfulness in the seemingly small things from this book by Rick Warren (affiliate link):
It’s the longest hour of the day, that chaotic stretch of time when naps have ended but supper isn’t ready yet and Daddy won’t be home for another sixty minutes.
In our home, it’s often a time of crankiness and whining and neediness and hunger and all too often, a time of mom’s frustration.
The older boys are home from school, so the seven-year-old needs help with homework and the teen needs a permission slip signed. The twins are rubbing sleep from their eyes and asking for snacks or juice or just to be held. I’m trying to find the motivation to start supper preparations, but one twin is clinging to my leg and the other is crying for some unknown reason in the next room.
What’s a mama to do?
I’m ashamed to say that this mom’s reaction can often be a sharp, “Everyone. BE. PATIENT!!” followed by a mini-rant of my own about how I only have two hands and they are both full and can’t they just wait for a few minutes because I can’t help everyone at one time!
Why is it that a request to be patient or wait creates the exact opposite effect than what parents desire to see in their children?
I think most children who hear “be patient” or “just wait” see it as an immediate no.
They feel we have not acknowledged their needs and are, in effect, just ignoring them. So, they ask again…and again…and again…almost infinitely.
As an adult who sometimes (ok, maybe often) struggles with impatience herself, I feel for my children when they have to wait. However, I know that they need to learn patience in order to survive in the real world, and preschoolers are the perfect age to start practicing patience.
The reason I say “practice” is that patience, like any other virtue, takes time to learn. Patience is also something we must intentionally teach to our children, not something they will magically acquire on their own.
And in this day and age, I think we can all agree that patience seems to be lacking in our society!
*This post makes use of affiliate links. For more information, please visit Being Confident of This’s About page. Thank you for supporting the ministry of this site!
I know you saw this one coming! 🙂 Young children are excellent imitators, and unfortunately sometimes that backfires on us parents. Our middle child was a very impatient little guy, even from birth. During his toddler years, I spent many days questioning my ability to parent him to adulthood, seriously.
One day, he was even more impatient than usual, and I found myself throwing a little fit right back at him, asking why he couldn’t just BE PATIENT. As soon as the whiny words left my mouth, I realized I was being just as impatient with him as he was being with me. How could he possibly learn to be patient when his mama was not?
Another way to provide models for your children is to read books about being patient with them. This one is a favorite with our youngest two children!
When multiple children (or even just one particularly persistent child) make requests at the same time and you already have your hands full, what is your response? As you read above, my first response is typically frustration over my inability to help all four children at the same time. What if, instead of a frustrated command to be patient, my children heard me talk excitedly about an opportunity to practice a new skill?
What if instead of frowning or scowling, I smiled at them (even if I’m not smiling on the inside) and said, “Let’s practice being patient! Who can do a really good job waiting quietly for mommy while she finishes this job? We’ll use our words instead of whining, and we’ll wait until mommy’s hands are free. Who can practice patience for me?”
Or, what if we used the word “choose,” especially with children who are older. Instead of a pert command to be patient, I can remind them that they have a choice about their feelings. They can choose patience rather than frustration. (And so can the mama!)
Although preschoolers are experts at wanting things, they are also fairly easy to distract (in comparison to older children). Ask your children to find another activity while they are waiting. Although you might make a few suggestions, put the responsibility for occupying themselves on their shoulders, not yours.
When I’m cooking supper, I might say something like, “Why don’t you practice patience by coloring while you wait for mommy.” If they don’t like my suggestion, then I let them know it will be up to them to find something to do.
While preschoolers are beginning to grasp the concept of time, they really can’t understand what minutes or hours or days are yet. In their minds, ten minutes might as well be two hours, and that feels like a long time for a preschooler!
Even worse is the indefinite response of “Just wait.” However, if you relate those minutes or hours to scheduled events they are already familiar with, then they can understand how long they will have to wait.
For example, if we are going to the playground later in the day, but one of my children wants to leave now, then I would tell them we’re going after nap-time. Use phrases like after this song, when you wake up from sleeping, after snack, when I finish this basket of laundry, and so forth, that give them more tangible ideas of the time frame they are dealing with. If it’s going to be a particularly long wait, I give them multiple time markers, as in: first mommy has to vacuum the floor, then we’ll pick up toys, and then we get to go to the park.
I wish I would have known about this kind of kid-friendly timer when our children were younger, but I’m considering purchasing one still for our youngest boy, who has some special needs. I like how it gives a visual cue (other than numbers) as well as an auditory cue, and it would save me from answering repeated questions about “How many more minutes?” 🙂
Let’s see if this scenario sounds familiar. “Mommy can I watch cartoons? Can I have more milk? Can I have a cookie? Can I? Can I? Can I?” Preschoolers have many wants. As a mom, I know it’s not healthy for me to indulge all of those wants.
So, while I’m imposing limits, instead of just saying no or wait (for an indefinite amount of time), I like to remind them of what they have already had. “You already watched cartoons. Now it’s time to play.” “You already had a glass of milk, but you may have water.” “I already played with you this morning, but I’ll play with you again after nap-time.”
I don’t know who wrote the “Clean Up” song, but that person deserves an award! It’s like magic! You don’t even have to tell children to pick up toys because when they hear it, they automatically know what to do. The lesser known “Have Patience” song (by Music Machine) can have a similar effect if you use it consistently.
First of all, singing in general, tends to lighten the mood. Second, the song reminds children of the behavior you would like to see. You can find the “Have Patience” song here. I only sing the chorus with the kids (and it is fun to speed it up as you repeat!).
You can also buy your own copy for use at home, in the car, etc. It’s currently on my wishlist!
At this age, children are often eager to please, so positive reinforcement usually works more effectively than negative. If you see your children actively practicing patience, then tell them how much you appreciate their hard work (because it IS hard to wait, isn’t it?)! Praise often enough that they are encouraged to continue practicing patience up to the very end.
For example, if halfway through a waiting period, I notice my daughter growing restless or whining, I will praise her for the good job she has done so far and ask her to continue. I might even draw her attention to how little time is left. Many times, the magic is in the phrasing!
Patience is a virtue worth instilling in young hearts, but it’s not an easy task. Learning patience takes time and consistency. It also takes a mama who is willing to look at herself and ask, “Am I a patient person?”
Of course, we cannot expect perfection. I’m going to suggest that we learn to be content with imperfect progress in the area of patience (to borrow a phrase from Lysa Terkeurst’s book Unlgued).
As long as we are consistently moving forward in the bigger picture (even if sometimes we move back), then we are progressively working toward patience in our homes.
And in my opinion, a patient family is a peaceful family!
Jen 🙂
When is it most difficult for your children to have patience?