Parenting and Religion

Isn’t it funny how inspiration can come in bursts, from unexpected sources, and with no warning?
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not the most organized person. I am a first born female, who has more to do than organize and clean. The things that I do keep well organized, seem to always stay that way. My scrapbooking supplies, my writing, and even my school supplies (to some degree).
Clutter seems to grow in our house, an 8 room duplex with 8 people living in it. I get overwhelmed, and then feel paralyzed about what to do and how to do it.
Yesterday I found a Bible study in the “This Old School House” magazine. It’s a homeschooling magazine that a friend gave me a copy of. (I highly recommend it!) The Bible study was about organizing an area, a room, or even more. As I read the study and looked up the scriptures, I became inspired.
So, today, guess what I am doing?
Organizing!
That’s right, me….organizing my office and dining room.
They have to be done together, because half of what is in the dining room belongs in the office….see, I really am a true disorganized person!
Anyhow, the first step is to pray. I have been doing that, I have my coffee (vanilla spice from Duncan Donuts), and as soon as I publish this, I will begin to work…I guess I’ll be busy for a while, it is really bad! (Just ask anyone who has been to my house in the last month or so….clutter to the max!)

There are so many things going on in the world today, that when most of us middle aged or older people were children, we never would have imagined happening. With advances in technology that could make your head spin if you try to keep up, diseases that were never even heard of thirty years or so ago, and a world in such disawray and disagreement that you never know when a major war or attack will happen, or even where, there are some things we can pray about, seek God’s wisdom on, and make decisions about ahead of time.
One of those things is new medications and new immunizations.
I have never been big on having my kids receive every immunization available, and have gotten into many disagreements with doctors over my stand against certain ones. Then, I have also been praised and even applauded by pharmacists for standing against them.
I guess there isn’t even real agreement in the medical world about what is best, so what are we as Christian parents to do?
Ask God. Don’t think I am a fanatic or anything (even though I might be..lol), but I believe that He will lead us with peace and wisdom when it comes to doing what is best for our own kids. I also believe that just because I think something is best for my kids, doesn’t necessarily mean that the same thing is best for your kids.
Another thing that you might want to consider praying about and making a decision about now, is the government changes that will be taking place, I believe very soon.
There are things going on behind the scenes that we don’t know about. Where will you stand when your religious freedoms and liberties are threatened?
Being told that you may go to prison for reading the Bible to your children, or making them go to church, may actually happen within our lifetime. Where will you stand?
Using wisdom simply means that you pray, and let God speak to your heart on these and other matters.
Dan and I made decisions about how we would raise our kids before we had kids. We decided that we would never tell them they are ‘bad’, or talk down to them. We have been able to stick by it because we knew ahead of time what we would and would not do.
The same principle can be applied to anything in the future.
It is never too early to begin asking God what He will want you to do if……

Recently my six year old son asked me, “Doesn’t it seem strange that your youngest will be seven this year?” Now, either someone else told him to ask me that, or I talk about how fast my kids are growing up too often. Most likely the latter.
It’s true though. They grow up much faster than expected.
Dan and I have two sets of kids. The first group is the oldest four, ages from 15-23 in July. The second group is the last three, ages 6-12 in two weeks.
When I look at my older kids, I sometimes have flashbacks of when they were younger. It’s quite similar to that commercial where the little girl comes in and asks her dad for the keys to the car. He is seeing her at about age six, but when he throws her the keys, she is really about 18.
I have had similar flashbacks, and they have a way of opening the eyes to how fast life goes by.
I’m thankful for the flashbacks, they keep me in the frame of mind to enjoy each experience, each moment, whether good or bad. They remind me to remember on purpose, and to try to give my family my best.
When my kids are all grown, and raising their own children, I want them to remember their childhood with fondness. I want them to cherish the family time, the dinners together, the walks along trails, and the silly games. I want them to remember being little, while I still see them that way.
Cherish the time, it is short.

Keeping your marriage alive is not something that may always be easy, or that just happens. Dan and I were talking about some of the circumstances many couples find themselves in, and how the easy way may seem like the way to go sometimes, but it isn’t always the best way.
So often divorce may seem like the only thing to do. In rare instances it may be the best alternative, but not for nearly as many as do happen.
We had a marriage seminar at church recently, and the teacher made the point that most couples who divorce, do so because they don’t see a way out of things being the way they are ‘right now’.
When the hard times hit, and they do for every couple, having a agreement to do your part, praying together for the situation, and waiting it out, may help you not to give in to the quick fix temptation, which will really not fix anything, but will have the power to destroy much.
Having a marriage that is growing, staying close to each other, and making your relationship a priority, will go a long way in giving you both the ability to stick when things are not so easy.
Look at it this way, waiting may not be the easy way, but when things do change you will be glad you waited it out.
Marriage is supposed to a forever thing. Giving up too early can bring devastating results. When you make the decision together, to work things through, talk things out, and sometimes even wait, you are making the decision to increase your chances of living happily ever after.