Our Choice, His Work

Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."  It is repeated in Matthew 22:37 verbatim except for the word 'strength' becomes the word 'mind'.  And again, it is repeated in Luke 10:27, but this time it ends "...with all your strength and mind", thereby combining the two previous words.  I think the progression of the final words of that scripture is important.

Our discipleship memory verse this week was Deuteronomy 6:5 and the day after we had our little lesson, the scripture we read is Jesus Calling, which we do each morning, was none other than Deuteronomy 6:5.  I did not plan that, but God did!  The three of us were amazed as we drove to school and reflected on how God was speaking to us through the repetition of that verse in our lives.

As we talked about how to show that we lived out of Deut. 6:5 and what that looked like, we talked a lot about the strength and mind part.  We have to make a daily decision to show that we love God, it takes strength of character, strength to sustain it in hard situations and it takes a change of mind set.  What do you think about through the day, what controls our mind and decisions?  Whatever controls our minds threatens or intends to become our master.  But if we truly live out Deut. 6:5, our motivations and behaviors are different.  It is a choice we make and God answers and affirms that choice.

Both my kids have had moments with God lately where He was clearly speaking to them on things that were inconsistent in their lives and I was privileged to watch these events.  For Cole, it was an understanding that what fills his mind can either separate him or attach him to God and for Emma it was a desire from God for her to meet Him in prayer.  Both came through a repetition of scripture, lessons taught at school and lessons at church.  God speaks to us and our kids and often it is through a theme that repeats around them.  What a joy to be able to point to what God is telling them and have Him call them by name.  As parents, they are entrusted to us so that we will do just that; point to what God wants and then allow Him to do the work in their hearts.  If we bring them to His feet in a loving and grace-filled way, He will do the work only He is able to do.

By His Grace

D3: Love God!

John 17 is the longest recorded prayer Jesus prayed.  It was prayed shortly before his crucifixion so it holds significant weight as a final prayer.  This prayer serves as the base for my next three discipleship lessons with my kids.  It is also the guidance for our three top priorities as disciples of Jesus.

The first section of John 17 focuses on Jesus' love of God.  So I actually went back to the beginning with my kids.  We read through the 10 commandments in Deuteronomy 5 and then skipped a little ahead, and after Moses explained the 10 commandments he underscored it with Deuteronomy 6:5.  So after all the commandments given, the most important concept to take away is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."  (Deut. 6:5)

We then talked about if we lived every moment reflecting our true and sincere love for God what would that look like?  How would our actions immediately be love actions?  How would we treat others?  What would change in our daily lives?

We talked about when Moses left the mountain and the fact that he felt ill-equipped to carry out the task of leading the Israelites.  But God went with him.  Moses did not want to leave His presence but God promised to be with Him.  Exodus 33:14 says, Then He replied, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."  God promises to go with us but and our first priority must be our love for Him. 

Then in true kid's discipleship fashion, we drew a picture to represent our concept for the week.

 

 

The bottom corners of the triangle will be our next two lessons.  We ended with our week's memory verse Deut. 6:5.

 

By His Grace



Foundation to Dwelling

As the days roll on and I am unable to stop the growth of my children, I tend to ask myself if what we do as a family and the things that I have tried to set up as tradition are sinking in.  Will they want to continue our traditions or will they completely turn their back on our familial foundations?  And as we disciple our kids and make deposits in their foundation, will they remember those and will they hold on to those or will they also turn their back on God?

The important thing that God pointed out to me in the midst of my conviction last week was this: how our children treat their foundation, how often they check it, how often they draw from it, is truly, in the end, up to Him.  We are called to make deposits, to point to Him, to use His word as the blueprint, to love them well with care and discipline.  But in the end, they belong to Him and have only been entrusted to us.  So while our deposits are of utmost importance, of final important is that we trust Him to reach their hearts.

Ephesians 2:22 says, "You also are being built together for God's dwelling in the Spirit."  I loved this!  We are helping to build our children through discipleship and modeling, but they are being built for His dwelling!  Not for our pride, not as a reflection of our walk and relationship with God, but as a place for God to dwell.  And, where He dwells, things happen.

As we took out our ornaments and house decor this past weekend, I actually released control and my kids unpacked and started to put out the ornaments.  For the first time, in my poor recollection of memories, they remembered the meaning of most things and did most of the decorating on their own, with me watching and enjoying every second.  What they had heard and seen in previous years, came out as tradition that blessed this mom's heart.  It was encouraging to me, that as I attempt to be obedient in the path He has shown me for discipling my kids, the deposits and lessons really only make a bigger place for God to do His work, which is the work that will count in their lives.  The bigger the foundation, the bigger the dwelling, I hope!

By His Grace

Hinder God?

God has been convicting me.  As we rolled through Thanksgiving week, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my kids.  Then our first week back at school we have short days so, more free time with my kids.  We talked about God and prayer, did our little devotions, but did we do our structured discipleship?  Nope.  Bummer.  You know what God asked me?  Get ready and please don't shoot the messenger.  He asked me where my deepest love was placed, in Him or my kids.  Whoa.

I truly love the Lord and seek Him and try to do His will, but I also love my kids with every fiber of my being.  And, God has given them to me to bring up in His ways, to disciple them on the path He so clearly laid out for me.  It comes down to my own identity; do I find that in Christ or in my kids.  I am choosing Christ and take His challenge to model that to my kids and remain so thankful that He has entrusted them to me and that I get to have them in my house for this brief time.

I want everything I have ever blogged or written for my kids, but I need to be that conduit for God and not hinder His plan as I get caught up in shuttling, giggling, dancing, checking homework, and laughing.  Yes, all of that is great and has its place in our lives and He is in the midst, but I am striving to not lose sight of the short time I have with them to teach them His ways and His path.  Acts 11:17 spoke to me on this topic.  It says, "Therefore if God gave then the same gift that he gave to us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?"  Now this was pointed at the church in conflict and confusion over the entrance of Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven.  However, as God's word is alive and relevant, it also spoke to me as a challenge in my discipleship journey with my kids.  Will I hinder God in my children's lives?  Or will I put them on a journey to somewhere rooted in Him?  By faith and by grace I will not be an hindrance.  Thank you Lord for your correction and strength.

By His Grace

Baseball Prayer

Little prayers, big prayers, it doesn't matter, just pray!  Our kids need to remember that God wants all of them, their hearts and their minds in all circumstances.  As I continually remind my kids to develop a prayer life, what has resonated most is the idea of just quickly saying Jesus before any situation.

This past weekend, Cole, my 10 year old son, was in the championship baseball game, which was amazing in and of itself since eight weeks ago the closest thing the team resembled was the Bad News Bears.  They led the whole game until the final inning when the other team pulled ahead, but we had the last at bat and Cole was the leadoff hitter.  As his Daddy/Coach gave him instruction and reassurance I could see the stress on his face.  As he stood by himself, waiting, I went to the fence, called him over and said, "Just do what you can do and when you step up to bat say, Jesus."  They did not win the game, but Cole got on base and when I asked him if he had prayed he said, "Yes, and I did it again on third.  It was calming." 

God wants our kids all the time.  Acts 7:5 says, "He didn't give him an inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, but He promised to give it to him as a possession."  God wants to be our possession, not our Sunday habit, not our nightly prayers, not a special time that we look forward to everyday.  He wants us to live and move and find our entire being in Him.  The more times our kids repeat Jesus during the day, the more often they are taking Him as a possession and learning to find their life in Him.  Even on the baseball field.

By His Grace

D2: Pray

As disciples of Jesus we are to be in relationship with Him.  What creates a relationship?  Conversation!  Conversation is a slow dying art with the constant technology in our world today.  But Jesus taught us to pray, so my second discipleship lesson for my kids was on prayer.  Using Story Thru the Bible I read the story found in Matthew 6:5-13 and Luke 11:1-13.  The disciples asked Jesus how to pray and He presented the Lord's prayer. 

We talked about what Jesus tells us about prayer and what His example of prayer looks like: Be clear, say what you mean, mean what you say, be honest, be authentic, don't be scared, these are all true conversation rules, right?  But as our kids lose the art of conversation, they may lose the art of prayer.  It is a discipline, a practice, something you have to learn.  So, I learned a cheat sheet many years ago that I shared with them.

Prayer can be created through the acronym ACTS: Adore, Confess, Thanks, Supplication (or ask for what you need).  My kids wrote this in their journals, along with our memory verse, then drew a picture of a phone, to remember to call God any and all the time.  If they develop a relationship through conversation with Him then they will seek what He has for them, thus fulfilling Luke 11:9, our memory verse.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find knock and the door will be opened to you."

So my challenge to them?  Each situation during the day, see if you can remember to say Jesus in your head and see if it changes your outlook in that situation?  Constant Prayer!

By His Grace

How's The Foundation?

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock.  The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house.  Yet, it did not collapse, because its foundation was on the rock."  (Matthew 7:24-25)  So, how's your foundation?

I read this story the other day and I was struck by the idea of a foundation.  In our houses, the foundation needs to be checked and inspected.  But do we inspect our spiritual foundation on a regular basis?  Are there cracks in our foundation?  Have termites begun to infest and eat away at it?  The awesome thing about attempting to be a proactive parent is, hopefully, our kids have started with a strong foundation; a belief in Christ and a home that models His commands.  But foundations are at risk daily.  Without care, they can decay.  A small sin, when given a little foothold, can eat away at the foundation until it is totally destroyed.  So, how do we help our kids first, realize their foundation and then, regularly inspect it?

As a beginning, they need to understand where they came from, what their origin is.  When Jesus was about to be arrested and the disciples were deciding whether to fight or not, He (Jesus) says something very poignant. ' "My kingdom is not of this world," said Jesus.  "If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews.  As it is, My kingdom does not have origin here."'  (John 18:36) 

Jesus' kingdom does not have its origin here.  Where do our kids believe their origin is, where they came from?  Mine believe their origin is in Redwood City, which is where they were physically born.  How do our kids shift their focus to believing their origin is in Jesus, in His kingdom.  Origins are found by consistent, persistent, grace-filled discipling.  Our kids need to know all that God has in store for them.  And that knowledge and shift of origin will come only through the reading of His word, praying, fellowship, and worship.  We, as parents, have the opportunity to put all of those items in our kids' paths and as they learn those spiritual disciples they are learning to inspect their foundations, to find where something may be out of order.  We know that Jesus is the cornerstone, the one the builders rejected, as it repeats in Luke 20:17.  On the whole idea of inspecting our foundations, I looked up the definition for cornerstone. 

Cornerstone:  Foundation Stone or Rock
First stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

I love the last bit.  Think about it for a minute.  With Jesus as our cornerstone, He becomes the point that all other things in our lives reference to, which in turn determines our structure or the way we walk with Him and through this world.

Kids love Legos, at least mine do.  And they learn with stories and actions and illustrations.  So, take some Legos, or in the case of older children, have some graph paper and a pencil.  Have them start with a single square and then build or draw around it, the best building they can draw or build.  What would happen if that square was removed or decayed?  Would the structure stand?  That's what Jesus wants to be for them, that all important stone.

"So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. "  (Ephesians 2:19-21)  Our children need to develop the habits of spiritual disciplines just as we had and have to continue.  Have you always read your bible?  Gone to church?  Prayed?  Worshipped?  These all had to be learned in the some way, shape or form.  These, and only these, provide the foundation from which all other things in their life will build on and reference back to through the winds, rains and storms that are bound to come.
"Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.  What house will you build for Me?  What place will be My home?  (Isaiah 66:1-2)

By His Grace

Leave It Behind

When Jesus called His disciples He asked them to leave everything behind and follow Him.  As my kids and I focused our talks each morning on the retelling of Jesus calling His disciples and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, the concept of leaving things behind kept coming up.  We know our kids aren't being asked to leave a job, a home, a life behind, as the twelve were, so what are they being called to leave behind as they learn to follow Jesus?

We talked a lot about the idea that what we leave behind is a daily decision.  For my two kids, what resonated with them was the leaving behind of hurts, anger, frustration, worry, sadness, and all those other negative feelings they encounter each day.  It's the whole turn the other cheek concept, but turning the other cheek in such a way that they have made a choice in that moment for Jesus.  They have made a choice in the moment they leave something behind to be a disciple.  And the practice of this strengthens their and our walk with the Lord.  Ask your kids, "What can you leave behind today?".   "What will you be faced with today that will give you the opportunity to leave something behind to be a disciple?"  The concept of leaving something behind for God and focusing on it, helps us and our kids learn to walk in closer relationship with Him.  Which begs the question, what keeps us and our kids from putting God first?

It's so easy in the information age to put all kinds of things first.  There are thousands of messages begging for our kids hearts daily and they need to be equipped to filter them, put God first, and leave things behind daily.  I have been doing a bible study by Vicki Courtney called, 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son.  One of those conversations fit into the whole idea that what we can't leave behind keeps us from God.  Vicki titles the conversation, what you don't learn to control will become your master.

My son, Cole, is a video game player, but we do enforce screen time limits and screen time means any screen; TV, computer, iTouch, DS.  When we started time limits we talked about what we think about most is what stops us from thinking about God.  Ugh, so here we go with the yuck.  This past weekend Cole had used up his screen time and as I headed off to do errands we talked about him finding other activities for the rest of the day.  When I returned a couple hours later he was on the couch playing his DS.  No, he wasn't alone for two hours and yes I should have communicated the expectation with his Dad, but he is 10 years old now and some responsibility for yourself is important.  What I wanted to do was scream at him.  What I did say was, "Please tell me you have not been here for two hours?"  Yes, he pretty much had been there for two hours.

But, God is good.  I went up to my room while he changed for his afternoon activity and I prayed and tried hard to think of a scripture.  The Vicki Courtney conversation came to mind and the scripture Romans 12:2.  So I sat in Cole's room and explained that God wants his heart and mind and when it is focused elsewhere it is not His.  We talked about the fact that when he forgets stuff at home and school, he is probably thinking about a video game instead of what is needed at the time and he admitted that this was true.  We talked about how he was giving his heart and mind to video games instead of to God.  We then went off to his activity, which was at a church, and as we walked through the youth room, do you know what was written bigger than life on the chalk board wall?
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will"  Romans 12:2!

How awesome is God?  We looked at each other, smiled and said together, God wants our hearts and minds.  God showed up in Cole's life exactly when he needed Him.  Leaving things behind to be a disciple can be a hard concept for kids.  It sets them apart from their friends, and it can make them stand out at times.  But when the Lord speaks to them, their soft, pliable hearts hear Him.  Our job as parents is to tee it up for the Lord by teaching them to be His disciples.

By His Grace

D-1: Jesus Calls

In order for our children to find God's purpose for their lives, to make Him their hub and central focus from which all other things function, they must first understand that He called them to be disciples.

I picked up a book called Story Thru the Bible which provides stories and discussion questions around a myriad of key learnings and lessons in the bible.  Kids learn by stories and repeating stories, in fact, they really love to tell stories.  Just the other night my daughter had a new, sweet friend stay the night for the first time and our dinner table was filled with stories.  Emma would tell a story about our dog and then her friend would tell a story about her dog and then grandma's dog and then the stories morphed into things about family life and vacations.  It was an insightful way for them to get to know each other and the events that took place before they came into each other's lives.  There are details in stories that change the listeners perception and this provides the opportunity for kids to learn many things from the same story while committing the story to memory.  How cool would it be if our kids moved through life telling the stories of God?  Radical, as a dear friend of mine would say!

So I began a discipleship journey with my kids and what follows is a synopsis of lesson one: Jesus Calls.  So we begin in Luke 5:1-11.  This passage is the point in scripture where Jesus calls Simon Peter, James and John to be His disciples.  A brief overview: Jesus was teaching the crowds and so many had gathering he had to get into a boat (Simon Peter's boat) and cast out a little way so more people could see and hear Him.  When He finished, He came ashore and told Simon Peter, James, and John to put their nets out again.  They had previously experienced a bad day of fishing and were doubtful as to why to repeat a previous failure, but they put their nets out and came up with a huge catch, so much so their nets were tearing. Then, Jesus calls them to follow Him and they leave everything behind and follow Him.

I asked my kids a lot of questions about the story, many from the Story Thru the Bible book itself.  Through the questions we were able to dive into the detail of the story.  Here is a sampling:
-Why were the crowds following Jesus?
-Why would He get into the boat?  Who's boat was it?
-Do you think Simon Peter was concerned about his boat?
-Had Simon Peter had a good fishing day?  What do you think he thought when Jesus asked him to put his nets back in?  Did he doubt?
-What does 'leave everything behind' mean?  What if Daddy had to do exactly that?

A fun discussion ensued, we even talked about the size of the Sea of Galilee.  We circled back to discipleship, what does it mean to be a disciple?  We each have a 'discipleship journal', so we opened them and wrote what the kids said it meant to be a disciple.  They said we show God's love and care, we read the bible, and we commit love actions, which is our family's umbrella for the fruits of the spirit in action.  Fruits of the spirit led me to John 15.  If we are to be disciples and commit love actions to show the world we are disciples, we have to get our nourishment from God.  Just as we need food and water, the branch of a plant needs the center, or the vine, to feed it.  We cannot grow to be disciples without spending time getting food from the vine.  We drew a picture of a branch, vine and soil in our journals and talked about Jesus being our vine and source.  We wrote John 15:5 in our journals as our memory verse.
"I am the vine; you are the branches,  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."

In closing, each of my kids retold the story of Jesus calling the disciples and then we retold it again throughout the week.  I shared with them two more scriptures that underscored what we had talked about, they wrote their locations in their journals and we talked about what they meant in terms of being disciples of Jesus.
2 John 1:9: "Anyone who does not remain in Christ's teaching but goes beyond it does not have God.  The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son."
Proverbs 27:19: "As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person."

What a sweet discussion!  Be real with your kids, it is not easy to be a disciple.  But we know and believe that God is our vine and we must train ourselves to find our source there, in Him.  I want people to see Jesus in my children, I desire for them to live in His peace and joy regardless of what situation they are in, so I will persevere in discipling them and look for times He provides to talk to them about the topic of being a disciple.  They are tasked with looking at their journal each night to remind them that Jesus called them.

I would love to hear from anyone who tries this!  What did your kids say?  Did God move?  He will, you know!

By His Grace

 

Make Disciples, Seriously?

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nationsMk 16:15; Lk 24:47 baptizing Ac 28:16 them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20
This was Jesus' final command and a major focus of His ministry. He spoke to crowds and crowds of people as they followed Him through the course of His ministry. He used illustrations and parables for the crowds as well as the Pharisees and naysayers, but as crowds dispersed and He sought solitude, He took His disciples aside and explained His teachings in depth, so they understood it, so they could live it, so they could ultimately teach it to others.

I was lucky enough to go through a 'discipleship' two years ago. The specific discipleship journey I participated in was created by Ray and Anne Ortlund. Check them out, amazing people. Their vision was to disciple small groups (men by men and women by women) who would, in turn, disciple their own groups. This month I began leading my second group of people through the discipleship journey created by Ray and Anne. What has struck me over the last two years is that our children also need to be discipled, in a systematic, age appropriate way, so they also learn to be disciples of Jesus.

In my 'journey to somewhere' with my kids, my desired 'somewhere' is a central focus on Him. This is not to diminish the parenting needed to help them in school, guide them in studying, encourage them to persevere in sports, make sure they eat healthy, ensure they get enough sleep, and everything else we do each day. But a life lived with God in the center is the hub which all those things should rotate around.  So why do we put the spiritual development of our children on the back burner or minimize it to little conversations or teachable moments?  Don't we sneak spiritual development in at mealtimes or nighttime prayers or wait for a bump in the road to talk to them about what Jesus would do?  Why don't we get together with like minded moms and share our challenges and ideas on the spiritual development of our children? Disclaimer: If you are discipling your children in a meaningful, consistent and effective manner then I take back what I just said.  But, aren't most of us in the previous category, at least half of the time or more? Aren't we caught up in grades, homework, shuttling, feeding, washing, and the myriad of other tasks that make our to do list each day. You know why we are caught up in the list? Why we default to the daily grind? Because we are scared! Please admit it. Join me in the fear, it will make me, and you, feel better!  

After my discipleship journey, the expectation was that I disciple a group as I had been discipled. Wow, did I sit on that until the last possible minute! I listened to the Lord whisper in my ear all summer, reminding me of the commitment I had made to sharing what I had learned, to lead my own group. So what did I do?  Yep, I waited, hoping that all the women who He had me praying for would already be committed to a study for the Fall, then I sent an email talking about discipleship, the intense commitment level and all the reading we would do and to just get back to me if that sounded like something they wanted in their life.  Ha!  I exaggerate a little, but I was hopeful that everyone was committed elsewhere. Well, I ended up with a group and was terrified! Who was I to lead this group?

Don't you think Jesus' disciples felt the same way? Do you think they felt like they had learned everything they needed to know and were totally prepped to lead the charge and assume Jesus' ministry? They still doubted. Peter, the beloved disciple, denied Him three times during the passion week.   That denial is actually the culmination of Peter's doubting which can be traced throughout the gospels.  But Peter went on to disciple others.  After Jesus ascended, the disciples had to have been shaking in their boots, at a minimum, and they were most definitely mourning the loss of Jesus.  As they looked around that table I imagine them thinking, "Who's gonna step up now?".  Then you know what they did? They banded together, they prayed together, they supported each other, they relied on each other and their foundational belief in Jesus and His ministry.  "Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.  Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house.  They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved."  Acts 2:44,46-47

You know what that required? Faith. "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."  James 2:26  This is an important scripture and idea.  Do we live it, take it at its root, take God's commands and move forward in action and faith?  "Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it."  Proverbs 22:6  I desire a life for my children where God is their center, their hub, the thing that everything else moves around. My faith and that desire has gotten my scared little 'you know what' off my couch to 'disciple' my kids. You can too! Faith, sister, faith.
Watch for the specific discipleship lessons I am doing with my kids. They are based on Anne's curriculum, made age appropriate for my kids.  Well, they are made as appropriate as this fearful Mom is able.
By HIS Grace

The Parenting Paradox

Give and take, push and pull, giving is receiving, to be or not to be, that is the question.  Our life is filled with dualities, things that seem contrary to each other but exist in the same time, experience, or situation.  To me, the dualities of life is like living in a paradox and parenting is the ultimate paradox.

My last post was February 11, 2012 and it was about the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) that I had set for myself, with the Lord's prodding, to disciple my children.  I struggled and convinced myself that I was ill-equipped, then I started, then I stopped, then I started, then I stopped, then He urged again and again.  And now, I have begun and will share our journey with you, but first let's talk about living in paradox.

It is now early October of yet another school year and what that means is, yes, my kids are still going to school each day.  Which means that I made it through the first month of them leaving me, again.  I never want them to go back to school but I want them to learn and grow.  I don't want them to want to go to other people's houses, but I want them to live in community with others.  I don't want them to experience disappointment or loss, but I want them to have life experiences that shape their hearts.  I don't want them to ever get hurt but I want them to try new things and take responsible risks.  I, basically, don't want them to ever leave, but I am excited to see what God has in store for their lives.  In the end, as in the beginning, they are His, but it's the paradox that often bogs me down.

Parenting is a paradox...

Parenting is a series of small things that break your heart aligned with another series of things that touch your heart.  The challenge is enjoying your time with your kids, while developing and parenting their little hearts and skills in order for them to ultimately leave you.  Ugh.  What God had been reminding me all spring and has most recently continued to drill into my 'sometimes' thick head, is that He is the author of paradox.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul writes, "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness,'"  and a little later, at the end of verse 10 in the same chapter he says, "For when I am weak, then I am strong."  What I love about God is that He is the ultimate paradox.  He repeatedly tells us in His word that in our weakness, He is strong.  So paradoxically, when we are weak, we will find our strength, in Him.  So when we submit to Him then we will find His intention for us.  Additionally, Jesus spoke in illustrations that were often times paradoxical and challenged the way the Jews and Gentiles of the day thought.

In Matthew 20 we find the parable of the vineyard workers.  In the parable, the vineyard owner hires workers at different times of the day and at the end of the day, he pays all workers the same, regardless of the time they worked in the vineyard.  "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."  (Matthew 20:16)  A challenge to the thinking of the day and current thinking for sure.  Then later in the same chapter Jesus' disciples argue about who will sit on His right in the kingdom of heaven and again He challenges their thinking by saying, "On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave."  (Matthew 20:26,27)  Later, He repeats himself after He has made the triumphant entry and the Pharisees are trying to confound Him.  "The greatest among you will be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."  Matthew 23:11,12

God is the author of paradox

Because God is the author of paradox, I know that in the push and pull of parenting, He has a plan.  One of my favorite verses, which I must remind myself of all the time is, " For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  (Matthew 6:21)  I know that the desire of my heart is to parent my children into the path God intends for their lives.  I also know He is in control and at least this one desire of mine lines up with His desire for my children.  I might have a couple other treasures in my heart that align with His but for now let's focus on this one.  Even when I feel weak and unable to disciple them, even when I fight against what He wants from me, even when I am crying in my bed because school has started again and I miss them, even in those moments, He is my strength for the journey.  In that I can rest and be strong.

By His Grace

More Than You Need

A BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is scary because you can't see the details that lead to the final goal.  A BHAG could also be something that you want to do but don't know what the end result will be or what the final outcome looks like.  Being honest, I have been struggling with the BHAG of discipling my kids for the year.  A false start last summer has made me wary.  Then I read Exodus and found my inspiration and the voice of the Lord.  Yes, Exodus!

We all know what happens in the beginning of Exodus; the plagues, the Israelites leaving Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and more.  But what struck me this time was toward the end of the book.    The Israelites were now free from Egyptian rule and the Lord wanted to dwell among His people.  Exodus 25:8 says, "They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.  We know through Christ's death we are now the Lord's dwelling place, His tabernacle and sanctuary and He also desires the same for our kids.  He wants to dwell in them.  Now, in Exodus, the Lord gives very detailed instructions on how to build the sanctuary, but remember they had never seen a tabernacle or sanctuary.  They had been in Egypt with the pyramids so, building a tabernacle would have been a BHAG for sure!  The building of the tabernacle was a step of faith and the Lord had a detailed plan for it, as well as a goal and a benefit for His people.  The goal was for God to dwell with His people (Exodus 25:8) and the awesome benefit of the process is found in Exodus 34:10b.  It says, "All the people you live among will see the Lord's work, for what I am doing with you is awe-inspiring."  Wow!  Stay with me here, building a tabernacle had to be awe-inspiring because they had no idea of the ultimate beauty they would behold, they had never seen one.  But they followed God's instructions to the letter and watched it come together before their eyes, all to His glory.  I am not sure what discipleship for my kids looks like in every detail or every moment, but I know that if I trust in God and follow His direction to the letter, what I witness will be awe-inspiring!

And it gets better!  God had a plan, of course.  He gave specific people specific skills that were used in the creation of the tabernacle.  In Exodus 36:2 it says, "And Moses summoned Beazalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom, everyone who heart moved him, to come to the work and do it."  I may not have all the wisdom but I know that my heart is moved to disciple my kids.  So it is time for me to come to the work and do it.  And the Lord did not stop with the building of the tabernacle encouragement there.  In Exodus 36:7 it says, "The materials were sufficient for them to do the work.  There was more than enough."  Thank you, Lord!  I have all the materials I need, in fact I have more than enough, if I rely on Him and submit myself to His voice and plan.  We are mothers and parents for a reason and that is to enable God to dwell in our children.  I want them to know and understand Him and His will, what He has for them, how to listen to His voice and to submit to His law and plan.

I was challenged by the Lord in the beginning of Exodus also.  I have resisted beginning this journey because I was afraid, felt ill-equipped and just dug my human heels in the ground.  When Pharaoh was being presented with the opportunity to let the people go, he would say yes to Moses and then his heart would be hardened.  Through each plague in Exodus chapters 7-11, it repeats after each plague: Pharaoh's heart was hardened.  We harden our heart toward the Lord also, when it is something we do not want to do or are unsure about, just as I did in beginning the discipleship process with my kids.  So, I have submitted and will begin! Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."   I am trusting in Him to lead the lessons, inspire me and my kids and watch a sanctuary be built in each of my kids.  We are beginning with what a disciple is and we are studying the bible through stories, which will appeal more to my kids.  I will continue to blog the lessons and activities that we complete so you can have your own discipleship experience with your own kids.  It promises to be awe-inspiring!

Only By His Grace

BHAG!

Have you ever heard the term BHAG?  I learned it about a year ago .  It stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  The way it was presented to me, and the way I presented it to a small group recently, is when God interrupts our stability with an out of the blue idea that is not sourced in human creativity.  That is a BHAG!  Can't we say that God's promises and covenant with us as believers are BHAGs?  We believe in God's promises but they are not created in our human understanding and thoughts. 

I have been reading the story of Abraham.  In Genesis 12:1-3 the Lord tells Abram, soon to be Abraham, to leave his land and go to a foreign land where he will..."make you into a great nation."  Then in Genesis 12:7, God also tells Abram, "I will give this land to your offspring."  Now, Abram was married to Sarai and Sarai was barren.  But still, Abram believed they would have offspring.  Years go by and still no offspring to begin the great nation so Sarai has Abram produce an offspring through their slave girl, Haggai, and Haggai gives birth to Ishmael.

Okay, BHAGs are BHAGs because they are not birthed in human creativity, but when we have a BHAG or promise from God, isn't it easy to look humanly at our surroundings and just help God out a little.  I have a dear friend who likes to help God out and last year she clearly heard God say, "Get out of the warehouse!"  God was challenging her to trust Him and to let Him execute the plan he had for her.  We want to help move things along, but we do not see things as God sees them.  Sarai believed God's promise to Abram but as time passed anxiousness set in and she found a way to 'fulfill' the promise within their current human circumstances.  The problem is God does not view things through our human circumstances or environment.

Then in Genesis 17 God reconfirms his plan for Abram and even changes his name to Abraham, and Sarai's name to Sarah, as a testament to His plan for them to produce offspring.  Abraham was 99 years old at the time and feeling the weight of his years he looks through his human view of the current circumstances and suggests a plan of action to God.  "If only Ishmael were acceptable to You!"  (Genesis 17:18)  He was trying to meet God's BHAG for his life within his current circumstances and through his human view of the situation.  But he missed the fact that God is not human and sees through a completely different lens, one with no limits and no ceilings, one full of divine inspiration.

The deal is "...to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us..." (Ephesians 3:20)  When we look at our environment and circumstances and forget who God is, we cripple the opportunity for BHAGs.  God has a BHAG for each of us, but He does not need our help in achieving it.  He needs our willingness, our obedience and our step of faith.  Abraham could not possible see how he would become the father of nations and although he tried to help along the way, he finally gave up and let God.  Once his son Isaac was born, God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, which would mean no father of nations for him.  But in this case, instead of looking for another way, in his human view, he went forward in faith.  As they walked to the altar, Isaac asks where the lamb is to sacrifice, Abraham simply answers with, "God Himself will provide..." (Genesis 22:8)  Abraham had learned to trust God for His promise and not to try to help God along the way.  He was a different person than he had been earlier in his life.

As the year begins, what BHAG has God presented to you?  Maybe a parenting BHAG?  I know that God has a plan for me to intentionally disciple my kids this year.  Now I do not have a super clear curriculum and I do not see the end of the journey or how it will impact our family, but I am trying to listen daily and put together a lesson at a time.  I am truly seeking the Lord in this process and know he will provide, but BHAGs can be scary.  Any challenge is scary, isn't it?  But I rest in Ephesians 3:20 and hope you will either join me or find a parenting BHAG of your own.  Allow God to interrupt your stability this year and don't try to help him along the way.  Get on the faith bus and see where it leads.  You never know the heavenly stories you will have to tell next January!

By His Grace