Monthly Archives: May 2020

Building a Godly legacy- Children that will love the Lord

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How heavy is your burden for your children and grandchildren that they would be dynamic followers of the Lord Jesus Christ? Not that they would merely spend eternity in heaven and not hell, but that they would love the Lord with all their heart soul mind and strength. The Lord is clear in how we do this.

“… The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they might. 

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,…” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). 

Notice the first command is to “thou” (you). God’s Word is to have a treasured place in our hearts (Matt 6:21), and we live it out as examples before our children. Then we purposefully teach it to our children at a minimum in our daily family Bible time. Our life affirms what we are teaching them.

A man I was sharing Christ with this week’s most significant problem with Christianity was all the hypocrites. That will be our children’s difficulty, too, if they see Dad as a hypocrite. 

We live it, because “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:17).

Are You Guilty of Heresy?

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Have you ever wondered if you might be guilty of heresy (belief or opinion contrary to orthodox Christian doctrine)? To most, that might be a shocking thought, but there is an expression that heresy is some aspect of truth carried to an extreme. 

Here is an example that I’m inclined to think is common today. “Jesus is my very best friend. He loves me so much. He understands that I make mistakes. Sure, He doesn’t want me to make wrong choices, but He knows I’m a normal man with passions and desires…” 

Do you recognize that as breaking the first Commandment by making and worshipping this “custom-created god? “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth” (Deuteronomy 5:6-8). 

It is easy to change God into someone that He isn’t. One that doesn’t hate and punish sin. Yes, He forgives, but He is holy and righteous and doesn’t ignore sin. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (1 Peter 1:15).

When David counted his troops, it cost 70,000 (1 Chronicles 21:14) men their lives when God chastened him. May we not presume upon God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Unfaithful wife

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It happens, and is never expected–his wife is unfaithful. Crazy emotions flood the husband: jealousy, fury, betrayal, hurt, devastation, and rejection. Thankfully, most have not been in that situation, but many likely have known a dad who has experienced it. It is a heartbreak situation and often destroys the home. 

However, what about the dad who mentally or visually cheats on his wife through Internet sites designed to give men a thrill? One doesn’t have to go to those sites but can have plenty of “eye candy” at stores, around town, and even at church these days, which prompts impure thoughts. 

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

My brothers, fear of God, is a necessary thing.

Want to be thrilled with your wife’s love?

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I didn’t know that a husband and wife could hate each other to that level. Their marriage didn’t get “there” overnight. It took years of unresolved offenses piling up until the “dam” broke loose. They were both to blame, but God held the husband to the greater responsibility. How do I know that? Because God gives husbands greater authority and therefore holds them responsible for its use.

That husband once told me, “But you don’t know my wife.” Likely others might say the same thing about their wives, but they shouldn’t count on the Lord’s sympathy. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus died a horrible death to purchase His bride with His blood. I am commanded by God to love my wife to the extent of dying for her. One thing about a dead man hanging on the cross—he isn’t going to argue or get angry.

Do you want to treasure your wife? Invest in her. The more you invest, the more she feels valued, and the more you will treasure her. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 5:21). Why not invest to the point of being thrilled with your love for her?

(BTW: The dad I mentioned above is dead now due to a serious health problem. Coincidental? I don’t think so. I believe God took him out.)

Grandma’s Lessons: Back to the Basics, Part One

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As our family steps back into the role of helping our son Christopher with five of his children ages 2 to 7 while his wife, Anna Marie, is in Washington state with her family undergoing chemotherapy, we are again reminded of the basics that allow life to run smoothly.

Mom, you are critical to the heartbeat of your home. When you are tired, it falls apart. You let things go that should be done. You feel discouraged. You are impatient and frustrated. You aren’t the happy, upbeat mom you want to be. You snap at your children when you would like to be smiling at them. You yell at them when you wish you would be whispering your love to them. It doesn’t have to be this way!

Bedtime/Wake Up Time

If you are to be the mom who gets the sleep you need, you must discipline yourself to go to bed at night at a time that allows you to awake rested. For most of us that choice doesn’t happen automatically. We are way too prone to enjoy the quiet of the night after the children are in bed, putting off the call of sleep. It isn’t worth it, though. Too much is at stake.

When you go to bed early, you can wake up having slept the hours your body needs so that it is energized and strong throughout the day. If you carefully plan your bedtime and wake up time, you have the potential to accomplish two vital tasks before the children require your attention: time with the Lord and exercise.

Time with the Lord

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” (Psalm 63:1). When you wake before the children for time in the Word and prayer, you prepare yourself for the day in the most important way possible. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). 

Growing in your relationship with the Lord and learning all that His Word teaches about how to handle relationships, anger, fear, worry, and the multitude of difficulties you face allows you to not only walk through your day abiding in the Vine but also discipling your children. Plus a time of focused prayer prepares your heart for what lies ahead in the coming hours of busyness with whatever your day holds.

Exercise

Too many moms say they are too busy to exercise and can’t fit it in their day. Could I encourage you that you are too busy not to exercise? Your body must be fit and strong to accomplish all of that busyness. You must have the energy to keep up with your children and to have the patience to engage with them gently and lovingly at 7:30 p.m. the same way you might at 7:30 a.m. You can find an exercise program that you can consistently do at home in the morning before the children wake up.

Determine the Time

From the time your children are up in the morning, work backward to determine when you need to set your alarm to get up. Do you need two hours for Bible and prayer time, exercise, and a shower? More? Less? From that wake up time, work backward again. How much sleep do you need to function well all day? 8 hours? 8.5 hours? 7.5 hours? Now set that bedtime and discipline yourself to be in bed going to sleep at that time.

I challenge you if this is not your method of life to try it for one month. I am sure you will be delighted with the differences you see in yourself, in your family, and in your home. If you need help with this, Managers of Their Homes is a resource to guide you.

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Posted in: Mom's Corner