We are making every effort to use our time to pour into the girls; each of them. The girls have always cherished our date outings and now, they are more important than ever. I had some special time with Punya on Sunday morning when everyone else went off to church. We built boxes with linking straws, sorted by color and then she helped me get, an already prepared, lunch on the table.
Sunday afternoons we savor as a family, resting and replenishing on the Sabbath. This Sunday Livi and I escaped alone together. We went to Target to get a few things for Punya. All our size 3 & 4 pants and shorts are just not going to work for this peanut; size 2 were needed. Livi didn't care what we did, she enjoyed chatting and choosing and being the apple of my eye.
Tonight Meg and I went to Hobby Lobby, the girl "needs" farm stuff. Her and her buddy have this plan to purchase their own land, build a barn and fill it with animals. The plans delight her to no end! We discussed brushes that were needed to paint the barn, we found just the right "sign" to point to their property and she showed me a packet of stickers I could get her for her birthday IF I wasn't going to buy a live animal. (She was gracious and said stickers would be a fine second place.) We held hands, laughed, skipped; enjoyed being together.
Jon is also taking special times with each of them. Today he and Livi walked five blocks up the hill to mail two letters. They were alone and she had full dibs to the shoulder ride! She planned her time with him and since 10:30 a.m. this morning was counting down the minutes for his arrival home. This shoulder ride was MUCH anticipated. (Just wish I had snapped a picture!)
I'm not sure about your kids, but our kids are not involved in many activities. We have been meticulous about where their time AND our time, as a family, goes. We agree whole-heartedly with Voddie Baucham that every child is to be discipled by their parents. How can we disciple them if we are too busy for them OR they are too busy with what we have signed them up for.
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
We know that when we leave our home we are entering the mission field. We are making it a point to pray for those we meet in the store when we get to the car. SO, tonight Meg and I were blessed to pray for baby Jillil who will be born in August; mom checked us out at Target AND at Office Max Duncan first declined he had anything for prayer BUT as we were gathering to leave he whispered quickly, "Will you pray my knee pain is healed in the next five minutes?" Friends, this is "impressing them on your children..." we are intentionally living life radically for Christ that our lives reflect our values and our lives are our testimony. Our girls need to be by our side to see, hear and be discipled by us; their parents.
sermonaudio.com
"The Centrality of the Home in the Evangelism and Discipleship of our Children "
(specifically starting at 10:45)
This is tough stuff... V. Baucham came to faith in college, he had an amazing professional football career ahead of him and he turned it down to follow the Lord's calling. He is passionate about family, children and using every ounce of his life for God's glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment