Loving Your Children -- Part IV

Giving Your Time

Time is something that we can give to our children that doesn’t cost anything in the way of this world’s goods. And yet, it is so very misunderstood. Again, there is no verse in the Bible that commands us to give our time to our children, but the implications are that time is a very important thing we can give to them. I believe the best Scripture that makes this clear is Deuteronomy 6:5-9.

Verse 5 tells us that we must love the Lord with our whole heart, soul and strength. And then in verse 7 we are commanded to teach “these things” to our children diligently! We are to talk about them when we are in our homes, when we are out walking, when we go to bed and when we get up in the morning. This sounds like a lot of time to me! This means that we must be WITH our children in order to accomplish this task.

I do not claim to know all that is included in “these things”, but I believe that one of the things we are to talk about is God’s faithfulness in our lives and in the lives of our family – not just our present family, but to our ancestors and those in our extended family. In that same chapter, verses 20-25, we are told that if “your son” asks you about the meaning of the things he sees and hears they should be telling him of all that the Lord did for them (the Israelites) in delivering them from the Egyptians. And I think it is even wise and helpful for us to put things up around our homes (pictures, mementos, etc.) that will cause them to ask questions and give us opportunities to share things about their heritage. Praise the Lord if they have a Godly heritage, but if they don’t there is something else that you can do! That would be to have a prayer journal and keep track of your prayers and answers so that you can show them to your children frequently so that they can see God’s work in that area of your life and so they can know that you are busy establishing a Godly heritage to pass on to them and their children. The important thing is to let your children see that God is alive and active in our lives and that He works through His people and that He has a plan for them that He is bringing about through prayer and through their family heritage.

There is a lot that could be included here in this topic about time, but I just want to cover one more item at this time and that is in the area of something we all hear in the culture. If I could, I would ask how many of you have heard the idea that it is “not the quantity of the time, but the quality that matters”? I want to go on record right now that that statement is a lie and meant to deceive loving mothers who really desire to do the right thing, but also have other things that they desire to do with their time. That statement can make us feel very good about planning our time so that we fit in a fun time at the amusement park on Saturday or on a weekend trip when we are out the rest of the week doing things we enjoy or making money so that “our kids can have everything that they need to be accepted in this world”. There is no way that we can be obedient to the mandates in Deuteronomy 6 if we are out and about most of the week except for the time we are out having some “quality time” with our kids on the weekend. I am here to tell you that small children and even some older ones may not be able to put it into words, but they would much rather have your time and attention on a daily basis just being there and providing their needs, than to have all the “stuff” or the big “thrills” that the world can provide.
So, Moms, I pray that you will take these admonitions as coming from my heart to yours. If you can apply some of these Biblical principles, your life and the lives of your children will benefit greatly through living life at the pace that God, the Creator intended was best for us! Take a walk with your kids. Plan a picnic with them and look at all the flowers that are out this time of year. Let them “help” you bake some cookies. Just enjoy them and when the time comes that they leave your home, you will not have regrets and you will not be bemoaning the fact that the time was way too short because you were way too busy or way too otherwise occupied. You only have one opportunity to raise your children. Make it count for the Lord!!!

Let's Take a Break and Make Muffins

I thought it would be good and fun to take a break from the very serious things we have all been dealing with this week and just have lunch! If you were to come to my home for lunch, chances are VERY high that I would serve you muffins of some kind as part of that lunch! I love muffins and so I thought I would share a couple of recipes with you today just for fun!

Old Fashioned Blueberry Muffins
(no mixer needed)
½ cup milk
¼ cup salad oil
1 egg
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 – 1 ½ cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Stir milk, oil and egg together. Add dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Gently stir in blueberries. ( frozen blueberries may make the batter turn somewhat blue, but the flavor is not damaged!) Fill 12 muffins cups that have been greased. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Muffins
(Makes 10 large muffins or 22 regular muffins)
1 stick butter or margarine
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Cream the above.
3 eggs – add to above mixture
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup sour cream
Mix dry ingredients and add alternately with the sour cream.
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Stir into above batter and mix well. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups and set aside.
TOPPING for muffins:
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2 Tablespoons flour
Mix with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal.
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Add to above mixture and sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 25 minutes (depends on size of muffins). Check often after 15 min.

Loving Your Children -- Part III

Shielding Them

I am writing today on a topic that probably wouldn’t have come up this soon had it not been for the events that occurred on Monday, April, 16, 2007. It is hard to overlook this grave event and go on to any other topic. No, I am not going to write about the terribleness of what happened, but I am going to give my thoughts on how we as mothers and grandmothers can shield our children and grandchildren from the culture in which we live. Just as Jesus longed to gather the children in Jerusalem together “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 6:37), we need to gather our children and protect them from the wickedness of our culture!

I am sure that some of you are wondering how I am going to suggest that you shield your children from these things. Well, let me assure you that I am well aware that we cannot lock our kids or ourselves up in a room and throw away the key! I am suggesting, however, that we can do things that will give them the tools to be able to respond to events of this nature that WILL occur during their lifetimes. And if my predictions are correct, as I look back over the 59 years that I have been in this world, it appears to me that these events will occur with more and more frequency as we move along through this century!

First of all, don’t let your children have free reign over the television or computer! They don’t need to see any of the coverage of such events! (As far as that goes, we moms and grandmas don’t need to see all that much of the coverage either. Does it encourage or edify us to see all the details that the media thrusts upon us without warning? Does it cause us to think about things that are pure and honorable and lovely? Philippians 4:8) At this point, you might react with a comment about living in “the real world” and how children need to know what goes on in their world. I will respond with a question: Who determines what the real world is for your children? God’s Word says that “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) So if your children have fear, it is not from God. And to let them see any of the coverage of this type of event on the television (or to let them watch programming of any kind that instills fear) cannot be of God! So remember, when your friends or others say something about how maimed your children are going to be socially if they don’t know what is going on in the “real world”, let them know that the “real world” for your children is the one that God has helped you establish in your home through the guidance of His Word. And how do I know so much about this argument? It was used many times on our family as we raised our children and protected them from so many of the pitfalls that were prevalent during the ‘80’s and the ‘90’s.
I guess I won’t get to a second point today as I don’t want anyone to fall asleep reading when I know that many of you must work hard to carve out precious time to check on what is new on the computer. I will try to get back to this topic soon. Have a great week and don’t forget to pray for your children.

Loving Your Children - Part 2

Titus 2:3&4 “That the older women likewise…teach the young women to…love their children.”

“Pray without ceasing!” I Thessalonians 5:17. What does it mean to pray without ceasing? I wondered about that for many years, until I had children! There is something about raising children that taught me a lot about that verse!

God commands us to pray for all kinds of things, but until we have something for which we carry a great burden, praying is kind of perfunctory and usually done out of obligation or habit. I have thought for a long time that if having children doesn’t drive a Christian mother to pray, then we need to check to see if she is alive! Where does the burden come from? Well, as you look at the world around you and see what it is that your children will face as they grow up, it should strike you that without God’s personal intervention in their lives, there is little hope of maintaining a godly walk with the Lord. If we truly desire God to intervene and save their souls and give them strength to “stand” (Eph. 6:13), then we must spend much time on our knees.

There are many examples of godly mothers who spent time praying and saw God do great work in and through their children. God reminds us in James 5:17 that “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Who would we want to benefit from our prayers more than our children?

I think it is important that your children know that you are praying for them. I think if they realize the importance that you place on prayer for them, that in itself will have a great effect on them. AND let them know when you receive answers to your prayers. Children need to know that God answers prayer and what better way than to let them know what you are praying and when you receive the answers?

When you pray together, let them hear you pray for them. Hopefully, praying together is an important part of each day in your home. If you have a husband who isn’t interested in this aspect of life, then take it upon yourself to do it. Remember the example of Timothy in the Bible who was won and grew up with the prayers of his mother and grandmother. (By the way, Grandmas, the kids need to know that you are praying for them as well.)

Start each day with an emphasis on prayer. We used to pray as we walked out the door on our way to take them to school. If there is any place where they need to be covered by your prayers, it is at school – no matter the kind! This season in their lives REALLY spurred me on to pray! We had had the kids in home school and Christian School, but when we put them into public high school, that is when my burden to pray for them really peaked! I with a friend even started a Moms in Touch group to help get mothers together for prayer that God would protect the hearts of our children as well as that we might have opportunities to reach the hearts of their teachers! It was a wonderful blessing and we had opportunities at the school that we would have never otherwise had! Some teachers even came to us a few times to give us prayer requests!

This just touches the surface, but the important thing is that you need to pray for your children, Moms! And it never stops! There will never be a time when you can think that your job in that area is finished! NEVER underestimate what God will do in honor of the prayers of a godly mother!

Just to update my last entry – our grandson came through surgery well, Praise the Lord. We had a good little trip over spring break and enjoyed the time with our son as his son went through this little medical event. There is nothing so rewarding than to see one of your children adopting your same priority on prayer or any other spiritual priority.

REMEMBER: “Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season you WILL reap if you faint not!” Galatians 6:9