Gossip: it’s a Jungle out there!

Do you ever reflect on your own middle or high school experiences? Peer pressure, finding your squad of similar minded teens was a process. You felt exposed, insecure and yet your mom or dad would encourage hopeful surprises at school.

I don’t believe any of us would like to go back to the jungle of hormones, posturing by others and unfortunate gossip or lies from the most insecure; the mouthy or physically challenging bully!

One time in that jungle was enough. The strategies to navigate the lions, tigers and panthers came with time, testing of others intentions, and giving peace a chance.

In this day and age, the social media addition to peer formation extends the aggravation of FOMO ( fear of missing out) or joy of finding those amazing, compassionate, supportive girls and guys that help mold you into who God knows you are.

The enemy uses these challenging times to destroy us and our kids, but we, as parents, can be diligent in prayer over their day. Prayer breaks through into the battle of good and evil. It is power in the name of Jesus! When we show our kids how we go to the only source of truth in prayer and praise, we bring His truth to action. We can use the same coping techniques as big kids ourselves!

We can allow the kids to vent as we drive a country road or travel into the mountains for slice of cherry pie. ( This has been my go-to peaceful drive.) Time spent together brings a great listener, not providing solutions unless asked and we can remind our teens they are loved and treasured.

As the kids get older, we can’t be their rescuer, we have to lead them to deepen their own faith in God. we have to train them to seek Him!

Scripture is the power of God in His Words. Ephesians 6 reminds us to put on the full armor of God, including the Sword of the Spirit; Scripture, the Word of God is the key weapon.

Ephesians 6:10-18 MSG
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. [13-18] Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

So whether you are single, married, with kids or not, don’t give up like you may have in middle or high school. This world may have unkindness and gossip meant to destroy you, however, you can open your mindset, heart to His love and let Him give you the tools to be brave and strong! March on your army of kids, family and friends may just join you with Jesus!

Psalm 31:19-24 MSG
What a stack of blessing you have piled up for those who worship you, Ready and waiting for all who run to you to escape an unkind world. You hide them safely away from the opposition. As you slam the door on those oily, mocking faces, you silence the poisonous gossip. Blessed God! His love is the wonder of the world. Trapped by a siege, I panicked. “Out of sight, out of mind,” I said. But you heard me say it, you heard and listened. [23] Love God, all you saints; God takes care of all who stay close to him, But he pays back in full those arrogant enough to go it alone. [24] Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon.

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What do you really need?

Have you ever thought of yourself as thinking too deeply? Maybe you feel like you have the right interpretation for people or for situations and yet maybe in the confusion of daily life you realize it really is simpler than your harebrained ideas.

The truth is, the Lord has the whole world in His hands! The Lord has you in His hands. He molded you and needs you to give Him the reins of your life over to Him. Will you?

I just heard this song by Brian Fowler, “What I really need”. The message in the lyrics is so simple. What we really need is God! We don’t necessarily need answers to questions we need his Presence. We need time spent with him. We must actively pursue a relationship with Jesus then clarity will happen.

What I really need by Bryan Fowler

Instead of the mindless battle in our mind, which tends to make things more complicated. I need help, you need help, we need Jesus!

What we really need is hope! Not hope in anything of this world, but hope and faith in God, the Creator of all things, to complete the work He started in us and in this world.

So what are you doing to deepen your relationship with Jesus or maybe for the first time to seek Jesus! Seek the Holy Spirit, your Creator God, the Father of all things!

Forget time spent with social media, trying to keep up with appearances and turn to Jesus. Stop wasting time when all you really need is him.

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Open the Sails

Stepping into a sailboat and getting ready to sail an ocean is not in my comfort zone. There is something about gale-force winds, waves as high as houses, unpredictable weather patterns, and hurricanes that make me shudder.

In sailing, there are times to Trim the sails (pull them in), and times to Ease the sails (let the sails out). Luffing is when the whole sail is flogging, or let out too much and is flapping in the wind not being effective. There needs to be a confident, wise Captain at the wheel directing the crew or the boat may sink.

Life can feel like the same chaotic unstable adventure. We have moments when we follow the captain (Jesus) and life seems to be on calm water and the sunrises are beautiful!

Our lives have times of great joy, like when we were young, we may have learned “Jesus loves Me” as a children’s song. We may have been blessed with parents, or grandparents that sat with us at bedtime reading from the Bible, stories of David and the giant Goliath. Maybe we had a friend who asked us to go to a church kids’ event or summer Christian camp.

Maybe you are new to the beautiful message of Jesus, who died a sinners death for all of us, He is the bridge between God and each of His children, US! He intercedes for us to His Father after we have accepted Him as Savior and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. Today can be a life-transforming day to seek HIM as Lord of our lives!

We may have accepted Jesus as Savior in the past, and we meant the action to believe Jesus can help us and loves us. But then life happened, and things around us were not as clear, perhaps there was division in family, brokenness, divorce, mental health, or violence and we put aside the idea that we were loved by Jesus! Human beings in our lives may have been disappointing and we are living in doubt of His love.

Even David wrote in Psalm 51 of his struggles with life and staying connected to God. David still called out to His Father God for advice as you will read here.

Psalm 51:10 NLT Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Psalm 51:11- 15 NLT Do not banish me from your Presence;
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you. ¹³Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
    and they will return to you. ¹⁴Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
    then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. ¹⁵Unseal my lips, O Lord,
    that my mouth may praise you.

David Leonard released a new song, Light a Fire, it is such a powerful message of hope and restoration found in the Jesus of our youth, He is a God who restores the broken and brings New Life from the ashes of the past. Enjoy this amazing song!

Let today be the day, you step into the boat with Jesus. Let Him calm the waves and direct the storm. Awake your soul. Set Sail with Him (Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) as the captain of your ship. Open the sails and let Him direct the course of your life. The waves may be choppy at times but you are no longer alone.

Identity at war

Only a slight glance at current media or news reels will show us that the world would say our identity is in crisis. Our Identities are in crisis when we forget who created us in His image and we forfeit the plans and purposes He had for us at our creation.

There are many voices vying for our attention. The Enemy of our souls, the devil wants to take our identity and our purpose before we can make a difference for God‘s kingdom. He was dethroned when he was thrown out of Heaven.

Lucifer, the most beautiful angel was thrown out of heaven because he wanted to be bigger than God and he took along with him a portion of the angels who believe the same things.That began a battle of good and evil, the enemy was jealous of Adam and Eve and their relationship with God.

The serpent in the garden brought doubt to the minds of Adam and Eve at the tree of knowledge.

We have a similar struggle and the enemy knows the details of our greatest insecurities. Who’s voice are you listening to?

We get to choose just like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Again, I say whose voice are we listening to? Do we want to believe our identity in the devil who wants to detour God‘s plan for our lives or do we want to believe the One who created us beautifully and perfectly in his image and has our lives in the palm of His hand?

Psalm 139:17-18 NLT
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! [18] I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

I am so grateful for amazing women who share their God given wisdom and prophetic gifts such as Jane Hamon.

“We were created to be like God! He put His nature inside us so we could be His ambassadors, His representatives on planet earth. Everything He is was deposited into us in seed form. Tom likes to say His DNA was put into us—His Divine Nature Attributes. So when the devil came to Eve and said “God doesn’t want you to be like Him,” he perpetrated spiritual identity theft. Eve forgot that she already was like Him. Her true identity was that she was made in the image of God! She was created to be His daughter, His friend and His companion. This is why Jesus came to earth: to reconcile us to God, our Father, and to remind us who we really are. Demons will always try to separate us from our Father’s love by getting us to question who God is, what He says in His Word and whom He has created us to be. Excerpt From: Discernment by
Jane Hamon

We are given free will to choose who we will serve, the enemy or God? Knowledge brings wisdom, the wisdom found when we meditate on what the Lord says and we seek His wisdom first, can change the trajectory of our lives.

We must decide as individuals who we listen to, and we must share the wisdom of the Word of God with our kids and others.

Our kids are counting on our willingness to teach them the best wisdom for their lives presently and for eternity. We can’t give up that role to anyone in community.

Go to the one who created you and all nature! He is the Rock on which we must build our foundation of truth and identity!

Stones

While I was listening to Stones by Kim Walker Smith, I took six medium stones and wrote a scripture reference, drew a cross, for example: We walk by faith in Jesus, As for my house we serve the Lord, No King but Jesus, etc, then I anointed each with frankincense essential oil with a cross and prayed over my house as I placed each stone at the corners of our home. Glory to God!

Stones in the Bible are a memorial to God after He has moved in the lives of His children. They exemplify God and His faithfulness.

Not in my strength do I cover my home but by the authority of Christ who is the Holy Spirit inside of me!

Stones by Kim Walker Smith

Psalm 55:19,22 GNT God, who has ruled from eternity, will hear me and defeat them; for they refuse to change, and they do not fear him. [22] Leave your troubles with the LORD, and he will defend you; he never lets honest people be defeated.

As for me, I will trust the Lord! Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the news; personal life or world events. We may feel fear creeping in but we are called to something bigger. The scriptures are filled with wisdom. There is perfect truth from God for every day.

This is a great scripture to memorize from the Message Bible, rewrite it on a post it note, make it a screenshot on your phone.

1 John 4:4-6 MSG
My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world’s language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.

For our lives and those of our family, those we love, we can take actions in faith of Jesus such as covering our home in His truth. We can say aloud the truth of God; His Word.

Father, May our faith grow in You alone. We want more of you! May we meditate on Your Word. May we open our lives to the Holy Spirit. We want to give You all parts of our life. In Jesus Name, Amen!

1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

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Life is a test, Speak Life

Just as in high school, you can get test anxiety and fret over the multiple choice answers. Your test prep in the Bible, the wisdom of your favorite teacher and the compassion of wisdom shared can impact your future.

Life boils down to multiple choices, turn to the left or the right, choose joy or conflict, choose pride or humility, choose to be the one with the last word or listen and consider another’s heartfelt communication.

Today I spent time asking God for wisdom in relationships. I was reminded of a solid truth, I get to make a choice to bring life or death to any person by my words and actions. I get to choose and you get to choose to speak life or death.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 ESV
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. [16] If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. [17] But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, [18] I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.

It is a daily sometimes moment to moment process of speaking life or death. The power of the tongue can not be underestimated.

Our excuses of I am tired, hungry, I feel ignored and lonely, or no one cares about me, can be the impetus for our speaking without thinking.

After all, every person has spoken without thinking. I know I have had to learn to restrain my comments and ask the Holy Spirit to help me express the truth without destroying others. Sometimes, I have to receive the truth from someone else and seriously consider if their comment and opinion has merit. Many times, I need to ask forgiveness and humbly work at restoring relationships.

Can you relate to this quick speaking impulse? It is like a Wild West movie with a quick draw from your holster. The weapon of life and death is not the gun but the tongue.

The need to have the last word is a problem in our world and in personal relationships. The best place to gain a healthy insight and solution is working on our relationship with God. When we seek His solutions, obey their content, we will find more of His life giving perspective.

The fruit of living in obedience to God is our character can be molded into more life giving responses. His pouring into our lives by the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to pour out to others more life. Generational habits can be changed, more of God in us and in our relationships leads to chains of oppression, codependency and other dysfunctional patterns broken, by the power of Jesus.

We must choose the One true God, we must turn from any idols that obstruct this relationship to our Creator God.

Asking another student for the exam answers is cheating your own life of the best source. No other person or thing should be worshiped over Him. Idols destroy our connection to God, He alone is worthy to be praised.

Scripture is clear, we get to choose who or what we serve. We can be blessed by our choice for God or cursed for seeking the wrong source.

19] I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, [20] loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Life and death, blessing or curses are your free will options. Our choice effects generations, so love GOD, the best Teacher, OBEY his voice, hold fast to Him, He is life just as He was to Abraham.

Don’t flunk the Final exam! There is no cheating, we each stand before Him with our lives. Your willingness to get extra guidance from the Great Teacher, Jesus and spend time gaining the best knowledge will be rewarded. This is a promise not only for you but for future generations.

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Boast

Boast in yourself, it is the way of the world. Tell everyone all the wonderful things you do and how you matter. One person speaks over the other, always itching to have the last word.

2 Corinthians 3:1-6,8-9,12,14,16-18 NLT
Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! [2] The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. [3] Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

Each day we must choose to be more like Jesus, to show patience, compassion and relate with open eyes and Hearts. Actually, open ears to hear would be a key sense to include.

Two ears, one mouth is for a purpose. More listening, less eagerness to tear down another person created in the Image of God.

The world would say truth of God is irrelevant because we all have our opinions, idols, and no one should step on another.

Here’s the problem, there is only One King who has stood the test of time, He is Jesus the lover of your soul, He loves you, He died for you a sinners death on the cross for you. He believes in your ability to love like He does. But you must get to know who He is and then He will transform your attitude. Boast in Him and let Him direct your words.

[4] We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. [5] It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. [6] He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

So let’s stop boasting in ourselves, let’s bring our lives, our faults, our joys to Him and let Him write on the tablet of our hearts, you are treasured, known, His delight and Let the Spirit of God do amazing things in your relationships.

Your scripture reminds us the Holy Spirit gives life, we want to trust Your plan. Help us with our unbelief. We want to put to death the false teachings of the world.

8] Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? [9] If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!

This new way of life, brings confidence, and boldness as you walk with Him.

[12] Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. [14] But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.

Whenever someone turns to the Lord, their eyes are opened, the obstacles to wisdom and truth are no longer a block to life over death.

16] But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. [17] For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [18] So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Lord, Holy Spirit, make us more like You, help to a remove the veil that blocks our face; our eyes need to see You, our ears need to tune into Your voice, change our lives for Your glory.

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Exposure hurts but leads to new life

Exposure to the Light and truth can be painful especially when we watch injustice abound. Those who know how to hide their sin can seem to get away with things. I have to be reminded that God sees all things.

Watching someone you love still stand for truth, boldly speaking for the underdog, is an interesting perspective. No one wants to witness conflict but standing on the Rock even when we may be faulted for our imperfect witness as a Christian is a growing opportunity. We can use every misspoken word or action to learn self control, be a better witness and speak truth in the future. We are still works in progress. God sees our heart, our perfection is complete in Him alone.

Philippians 1:6 says and I paraphrase, “He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion”. Aren’t you humbled to think he takes our imperfections and wants to guide us to completion in Him?

Faith grows in the midst of trial. Romans 5:6-9, reminds me hope builds endurance, and He will strengthen us. I want those I love to learn resilience and deepen their tenacity seeking Jesus first, and remembering He loves them, sees their efforts and will continue to mold them into who He knows they can be. So regardless the voices that surround, as a parent, or in life, I must intercessary pray and trust God for their journey.

Proverbs 10:9,12,18-22 NLT
People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. [12] Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

18] Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. [19] Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

20] The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. [21] The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense. [22] The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

Don’t be stuck in fear or feel unprepared, spend time meditating on God and His Word, He will equip you for the journey. He is for you not against you.

Spirit move by Bethel Music and Kalley Heiligenthal

I love this song, Spirit move, it’s lyrics remind you we can have a life transformed by the goodness of God. Today, submit to His authority, call on Jesus, repent and move with the Holy Spirit!

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Parenting is not for wimps

Your life may have been difficult. Perhaps, your parents struggled to be the best example of love and nurturing qualities. We are all broken people. We are on a journey!

Our life experience can grow our ability to love, be patient, and compassionate, have self-control, and be the best parent. These are some of the key qualities of raising children. However, the most important key is being a parent who puts God first. This parent understands their sinful nature, seeks God for every step, submits to the authority of God, asks forgiveness of God and others when they fall short in words or actions, and shares the wisdom found in scripture with their kids.

Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. You are not given a human guide to follow. However, you are given the most important guide that stands the test of time, this guide is for every stage of life, it is true no matter the generation, its truth never fades.

Where can you find this amazing guide for life and parenting? The Bible is filled with wisdom from the Lord. John 1 talks about the Word coming alive, Hebrews 4:12 shares, the Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, and James 1:21 shares that the Word has the power to save as we use it aloud declaring its wisdom.

I remember being single, then newly married, and watching people with children. I would observe the relationships at stores, in nature, and at restaurants, and I would think, I want to make a difference for a child.

I may have even thought as I saw a strong-willed child sass their parent, Wow I couldn’t let my kid get away with that behavior.

Once I had children I realized how in my own strength, I can be prideful, selfish, and demanding my way. I needed to work on my relationship with my Father God, discover the truth in the Bible, and seek like-minded women who are older and can share with me what they have learned from the joys and challenges of parenting. The best place to gain this wisdom I have found was in women who love Jesus, walk in humility, see their need for Him, and share their lives freely with younger moms.

No matter your stage in life, God is a Father to the Fatherless, if you were abandoned if you were mistreated by your parents, He is true to His promises.

Psalm 27:10 -13 Although my father and my mother have abandoned me, Yet the LORD will take me up [adopt me as His child]. [11] Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me on a level path Because of my enemies [who lie in wait]. [12] Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, For false witnesses have come against me; They breathe out violence. [13] I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

We must not despair and we must not give up learning how to be a better parents. We come with our own baggage of good and misplaced parenting, our own hurts, our abandonment, and our trauma. Hurt people hurt people unless they seek to be healed. We must give all these hurts to our Father and let Him heal and restore our lives.

When we take this step of faith in the unseen yet amazing, trustworthy, Almighty God we can break the chains of past trauma and generational mistakes and start a new path of love, compassion, forgiveness, and restoration in the God who creates us and wants to give us the world full of promise and purposes.

Helpful scriptures to memorize and post in your home or car: Proverbs 15:1, Galatians 5, Colossians 3:20-21, Matthew 6, Psalm 130

Proverbs 15:1 NLT
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

Galatians 5:14-15 NLT
For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [15] But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Colossians 3:20-21 NLT
Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. [21] Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

Matthew 6:9-15 NLT
Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. [10] May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us today the food we need, [12] and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. [13] And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. [14] “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. [15] But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Keeping our minds, souls, and spirits fixed on His truth can change the trajectory of our lives and those in our family for generations but we need God’s help to heal and restore.

Psalm 103:6-18 MSG
GOD makes everything come out right; He puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. GOD is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, He’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, GOD feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. GOD’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear Him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever He said.

Times ticking

Our impact with our children sharing life experiences; the mistakes and the successes, have a small window of impact as an intentional parent. We must share an absolute truth: our identity must be in Christ alone.

Before we know it, the eye rolls start, the convenient ignoring of our communication or even the disrespectful, angry outbursts of contempt can replace a cooperative, loving relationship.

Unfortunately, way to soon the world influences and culture will attempt to taint the best emotionally sound perspective that includes wisdom from God.

Our voices will seem drowned out by the media, music, our kids peers, social media and many other forces. What a scary thought! Our time is running out.

“There are 936 weeks of time with your kids until they are independent. What are you doing with each week?”, a podcast quote from Doug Fields regarding “Intentional parenting”.

Mr. Fields also shared 5 Cs of parenting: confidence, character, conviction, Acts of service, and competence.

This begs the question for me and for you, what are you doing with the weeks you are blessed to parent your treasured children?

My second question, how am I responding to my relationship with Jesus, my Father God and being open to an amazing walk with Him?

Brandon Lake shared a song, “Just Like Heaven”, it really touched my soul as I listened intentionally to the lyrics. Here’s a sample: Doesn’t it sound like Heaven
When You’re singing over me
There’s not a voice more constant
Your melodies, they never cease
Here I will stand in Your presence
In my true identity
Doesn’t it sound like, yeah, it sounds like
Just like Heaven

What if we treasured our children as much as God treasures us, His kids. To think He sings over us ( Zephaniah 3:17). Our true identity is found in Him.

So don’t waste another day, make the changes necessary for treasuring your kids, there’s only around 936 weeks from their birth to 18 so realize we can make a difference.

Proverbs 22:6 AMP
Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

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