Parenting and Religion

When I was at work today, I had a convesation with a young woman I work with. She was telling me about someone she knows who professes to be a Christian, allways talks about God and salvation to her, but she says she blocks it out because the woman is a hypocrit.
The woman who witnesses to her doesn’t let her kids paticipate in Halloween, or St Patricks Day, with the reasoning that celebrating Halloween is celebrating a satanic holiday, and celebrating St Patricks Day is celebrating Leprechauns, which she says are also evil.
She does however, allow her kids to watch horror movies, such as Friday the Thirteenth, and the Saw movies (I have no idea what those are), and Nightmare on Elm St.
The young woman doesn’t understand the double standard.
How can you not allow your kids to celebrate Halloween, but they can watch movies that are full of murder, horror, and other evil things?
I got to thinking about it, and I know that I have been guilty of similar double standards over the years.
I think this conversation was good for me because it made me evaluate my own parenting rules, and what I allow, and what I don’t or haven’t.
As I have gotten older, I have noticed that I don’t make decisions based on fear as much as I did when I was younger, and I also am more likely to evaluate my reasons for certain rules, rather than make rules because everyone else thinks I should.
I want to be a good witness to my faith.
I want people to look at my life and see that I live what I say I believe, even in my parenting.
I know I have made mistakes, and I will make more before my kids are all grown up.
But I am doing the best I know how to do, and I did the best I knew how to when my older kids were younger.
Life goes on, and God has a way of making everything work out for our good, even when we make mistakes.
Thank God for that!

Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday. This year it just seems too early for it to real be Easter yet. But it reality, for the Christian, every day is a day to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I read a blog by someone yesterday (Good Friday), that said every year she is sad on Good Friday. When we stop and let the knowledge of what Jesus went through for us really sink in, it does have the effect of making us sad. We are sad because we are the guilty ones, and He took our punishment, our consequences for our sin, and He wore them at the cross. He took our past failures, our future mistakes, and our broken relationship with God our Father, and made a way for restored relationship.
Then, Sunday came. We all know what happened on Sunday- Jesus rose from the dead.
This is our celebration, the fact that though we were once dead to sin, we can now be alive in Christ.
Some people make it seem so complicated.
But it is really so simple.
We only have to say “I accept your gift of sacrifice for me Jesus, I accept your forgiveness of my sins, and I accept you as my Lord (the boss of my life), my savior The one who saved me from hell, and eternal death), and my Redeemer (the one who brought relationship with the Father back to me). Thank you, AMEN!”
The key is to mean it from your heart, and be determined to live for Christ….after all Tomorrow is Sunday, what better time to celebrate Resurrection?

I just heard on Fox News, that there are medications on their way to the USA, from China, that are tainted. Once again, China is poisoning us…..
Of course I am way off to wonder if all the things we have encountered recently from China could be being done on purpose…..I should slap myself for thinking such a thing.

Anyhow, before you give your kids any new medication, check the lable to make sure it isn’t made in China.

Sandra Williams from Parenting Under The Stars has tagged me to answer five questions about blogging. After I answer my questions, I will tag five people who blog, and they will answer on thier blogs.

Here are the questions:
*How long have you been blogging?
*What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?
*Are You trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?
*Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.
*Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE with in the online world.

How long have you been blogging?
I have been blogging on and off for about 3 years, but steadily for one year.

What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?
Honestly, I am most inspired by my kids. I have always written journals, or other creative things, but when I saw my kids begin writing online, using myspace.com and xanga.com- I was very interested.
My husband inspires me to write from my heart, and let God use me.
My mom is also a great mentor and inspiration She keeps a journal, a prayer journal, and has always encouraged me to use my gifts.
Another inspiration to me is the ladies at the momwriters group I belong to. They are always encouraging each other, no matter what the writing venue is.

Are You trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?
I began doing it for fun, but am now making money at it. I would do it just for fun….but I would rather have fun and make money. My other writing ventures are strictly for money. (and I have fun!)

Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.
1) I love the convenience, I can write and work from home.
2) I love meeting people from all over the world, and I hope to touch many lives.
3) It gives a sort of freedom to say things I might not say to a person face to face, and enables me to express myself with more grace than I can verbally.

Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE with in the online world.
1) I struggle with impersonal relationships. I feel hindered from getting to really know people.
2) The way it is so easy to be phony and hard to know when someone is.
3) I don’t like meeting people, developing online friendships, and then never hearing from them again.

Now to tag others:
Country Gal at livingruralonline.com
Bryan Comer at sympathypain.com
April Gilford at Life As A Christian
Woman
Valerie at Just Thinking
Sandra Hamlett at Money In the Pocket

Have fun answering, and hopefully playing tag will help us get in shape. (imagine that??)

So often we hear of people we never thought it would happen to, getting divorced. It is more common now for couples to give it up, than to work it out.
What about the kids caught in the middle?
There are some kids who will be affected in more emotional ways than others.
With Christians and divorce, there is the possibility of them questioning God’s love for them. “After all, if mom and dad stopped loving each other, couldn’t they and God stop loving me?”
Keeping lines of communication open, allowing them to express themselves by letting them vent and talk, and not making them feel guilty for any emotions they may be going through, will go a long way in making them feel secure.
When kids are allowed to say what they feel, without being made to feel guilty,they are able to cope with those feelings in a more positive way.
If they are old enough, let them have a say in things concerning them, if possible. If they help decide on who they will live with (Older kids ) and visitation, they may feel more in control and be able to adjust better.
Never berate or talk down your ex. Kids are not stupid, and if a parent is being talked about in a bad light, often the kids will see through it. It is important to keep relationships with both parents going as strong as possible. This means allowing the kids to care for and verbally express their feelings- even about your ex.
Pray with the kids. Pray with them for strength, courage, wisdom, peace, and strong relationships for them.
Make sure they know that you will always love them, and so will the other parent.
Divorce is often a cause of adults being so self centered, the kids emotions are forgotten about and disregarded.
If you are a divorced parent, or becoming one- be encouraged that you can still keep your faith, and have a wonderful family life, with a lot of prayer, a lot of attention given to communication, and being there for your kids.
It is a hard time for adults, but it is the parents responsibility to make it as easy an adjustment for our kids as possible.
Praying and talking- two things that may hold your family together, even if separated.

I just read this tragic story of the accidental death of a 10 year old boy.
It seems he and his friends saw a cartoon where someone was buried head first in sand, and escaped… a cartoon!
He wasn’t as lucky as the cartoon character, and now his friends have to live their lives knowing they killed a friend.
His parents have to live their lives knowing they lost their son, because of a stupid cartoon.
How awful!
There have always been stunts that could seriously harm or kill real people on cartoons. But from what I remember, most of the things were so outrageous, that no kid could really try them,
successfully.
Being the parents, it is our responsibilty to know what they are watching, and explain things that may be hurt them or someone else.
Also, as parents, we can’t have our eyes on them every moment, so we need to constantly be holding them up in prayer.
We will never understand why some things happen, and we may not be able to prevent some of the things that may come our way- but we can be wise by keeping on top of what is going on in our kids lives. And we can be graceful and compassionate with others who are going through the pain of something such as this, without passing judgement.
Every parent who reads of this tragedy will feel the pain of these parents. And maybe someof us will take stock of our own family lives; making it a priority to hug our kids, pray for them, love them, and maybe make them stop waching such stupid things on television.

accidental death, caartoon behavior, compassion, death of children

I was reading Romans 7 and 8 today, and something stood out to me. In the Amplified Bible, Rom. 8:3, it says “For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [[a]the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit].”
Imagine, the flesh being defined as “the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit”.
I am amazed at how awesome it is to get revelation (clarity) on this.
As Christians (people who have been reconciled to God by the sacrifice of His son, and our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Savior), we don’t have to walk according to our entire nature without the Holy Spirit.
We can walk according to the Spirit, which brings life;rather than walking according to the flesh, which brings death.
As Christian parents, it is up to us to teach our kids how to do this.
It is our job to teach them not only how to believe, and how to live a Christian life- but also how to make the decision to walk according to the Spirit, rather than giving in to the flesh.
This means we don’t have to go by what we feel, or what we want- but we can be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, and walk in the faith that God will work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure.
Walking in the flesh is easy. All you have to do is whatever you want to, and whatever feels right.
Relying on the Holy Spirit may not come so easy or natural, but it is well worth doing. It will help us stay out of trouble, do what is right even when we don’t want to, and enjoy living a life of integrity.
Let’s teach our kids that living a life of walking in the Spirit, fullfills.
Living a life of walking in the flesh (without the Holy Spirit), kills.

Changes occur every day, whether we are ready for them or not, and whether we want them or not. It is a fact of life.
If you are like me, expected changes are easier to accept than unexpected ones.
For instance, I know my kids are going to grow up and move away- hopefully not too soon, and hopefully some of them will live close to us. But the fact is, they will all grow up and leave home.
This is one thing I can prepare myself for, one kid at a time. I am working on accepting the second leaving, and I think I am ready.
It is, however, harder to think of the third one leaving.
He has wander lust….wanting to move away for summer, and find a job. He will only be 17.
That is my hard thing to think about right now.
The thing is, I was out of my parents house at 17, married to Dan.
Shawn isn’t getting married (he definitely isn’t ready for that, and there is no girl that I am aware of), but he is one constant in our home. He is dependable, helpful, encouraging, and just plain nice to have around.
He hasn’t seriously talked to us about finding a way to go this summmer, he has only hinted to me, loudly at times. I think I need to prepare myself. My mommy emotions can so easily get in the way, and I really want to be sensitive to what God wants for this kid.
He does too. His desire is to be doing what the Lord wants, and in the right timing.
Change- inevitable and at times difficult, but worth preparing for.

I wrote a few weeks ago, about a man who has been the stay home dad for his kids. His name is John, and he is struggling with some disease that causes his blood vessels to burst. Please visit his wife’s blog, “How’s John Doing Anyway?”
He is once again in the hospital, with a huge blood clot.
The need for prayer support is great, and we can agree in the name of Jesus for God to show up strong for them.

Parenting can be hard, especially when going through illness, or grief. It is so important for us to remain strong in the Lord, and be in the Word daily. God gives us grace to go through whatever we have to go through, being in fellowship with Him, and with other believers, not only feeds our faith, it strengthens us and enables us to go on- trusting Him, and looking for the best. With our eyes of faith being opened to the point of knowing and trusting Him to see us through. With our understanding that He really does know the end from the beginning, and He will cause all things to work together for our good, if we know Him and are called according to His purposes ( doing what we know He wants us to be doing).
Life can be hard, here and now. But this is not all there is. Please pray for it to become easier for John and ‘K’ (his wife). Please pray for their kids to be protected from fear. And please, keep in fellowship, and pray for your own familly…be walking in the grace God gives, and you will make it through whatever comes your way, with Him.

For many of us, becoming parents was once a dream that we thought we might never have as our reality. We struggled with infertility or other problems that made it look like we may never have our own biological children. The tears, heartache and stress of trying to conceive, making their mark on our marriages, our bodies, and our faith.
I have been there. And I remember it well.
That’s why I thought I would suggest reading this story.
Our plans are not always God’s plans. No matter how we think we want things, He always knows best.
For all of you struggling with this now, I offer you my prayers.
There are many avenues we can take on our way to parenthood, this story presents one of them.