This was the quote of the day today on one of the blogs I subscribe too: "It's not what you do that matters it is what you don't do at the end of the day that really matters". This is just another way that the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me lately. My executive coach gave me this link and it is a very powerful video! Watch it!
It is sooo important to take time for those in our lives that are really important to us!! Do I want to focus my attention on my children or my iphone? Will it really matter tomorrow if I don't see what is happening on facebook or read an email? Not at all! I am so guilty of having my phone right by me in the car so I can check emails/texts when at a red light! So dumb! SLOW DOWN! That is the message I've been getting lately!! Let my soul have rest!!! How many times and ways do I need to get this message before I listen? I don't know! I'm trying! The real problem is that I have been going so fast for so long that I no longer know how to really slow down. Sure, maybe I will sit down and read for 15 minutes. That is not truly rest! That is not really refreshing my soul! It's a journey! I've heard the message, Lord! Now I just need to learn how to do it!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Holy Spirit Within
We are reading a book as part of our Family Ministry Team entitled "Spiritual Parenting" by Michelle Anthony. It's a great book and I would highly recommend it. An easy read but with some compelling take-aways.
Michelle states in the first chapter that "spiritual parenting is not perfect parenting-it's parenting from a spiritual perspective with eternity in mind". That didn't really hit home until later in the chapter she began talking about our children's behaviour. As parents we want our children to behave, correct? Yes, of course! But by raising them in a Christian home, exposing them to Christian environments don't they just choose to behave correctly? Can't we just correct them and mange their behavior? Michelle states that is not the case! This would be called "sin management" (p. 24). I really resonated with this statement: "the danger in merely focusing on our children's outward behavior without the inner transformation is that sometimes our children will align their behavior to our mandates to please us or receive approval" (p. 19).
Instead of trying to control our children's behavior by exposing them to Christian homes, environments and behavior modification, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit. He "is the one who makes their action congruent with their belief" (p. 24). We need to focus on the heart and not so much just their behavior! Without transformation from within by the Holy Spirit "we may have moral or obedient children, but we don't necessarily have spiritual children" (p. 19).
I wanted to see if this could really apply to my young children. So, one evening I had some alone time with my ten-year-old son and I asked him. "Hey Jacob, I want you to tell me honestly, why do you try to always get your good grades and why are you always such a good boy?" I really didn't know what his answer would be! However, I was so excited when he replied, "Mom, there is voice instead me telling me to do the right thing and always try my best". Wow! Clearly even without my teaching him, Jacob is aware of the Holy Spirit's voice instead of him!! What a huge blessing to me as a parent! So many times I feel like I'm such a failure as a parent!! Thank you Jesus for looking after my children even when I fail!!
Michelle states in the first chapter that "spiritual parenting is not perfect parenting-it's parenting from a spiritual perspective with eternity in mind". That didn't really hit home until later in the chapter she began talking about our children's behaviour. As parents we want our children to behave, correct? Yes, of course! But by raising them in a Christian home, exposing them to Christian environments don't they just choose to behave correctly? Can't we just correct them and mange their behavior? Michelle states that is not the case! This would be called "sin management" (p. 24). I really resonated with this statement: "the danger in merely focusing on our children's outward behavior without the inner transformation is that sometimes our children will align their behavior to our mandates to please us or receive approval" (p. 19).
Instead of trying to control our children's behavior by exposing them to Christian homes, environments and behavior modification, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit. He "is the one who makes their action congruent with their belief" (p. 24). We need to focus on the heart and not so much just their behavior! Without transformation from within by the Holy Spirit "we may have moral or obedient children, but we don't necessarily have spiritual children" (p. 19).
I wanted to see if this could really apply to my young children. So, one evening I had some alone time with my ten-year-old son and I asked him. "Hey Jacob, I want you to tell me honestly, why do you try to always get your good grades and why are you always such a good boy?" I really didn't know what his answer would be! However, I was so excited when he replied, "Mom, there is voice instead me telling me to do the right thing and always try my best". Wow! Clearly even without my teaching him, Jacob is aware of the Holy Spirit's voice instead of him!! What a huge blessing to me as a parent! So many times I feel like I'm such a failure as a parent!! Thank you Jesus for looking after my children even when I fail!!
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