What's the Point?: Being Intentional

Now I don’t know about all you other moms out there, but even with all the praying, Bible reading, and self-examining that goes on around here, there is still a WHOLE lot of improvement needed!! I am almost finished with Weird, (ooh that reminds me to do a post on my summer books because, yep that’s right I finished them all YAY) and in the book he talks about what target we are aiming for in raising our children. Here is one of my favorite paragraphs:

“God didn’t call us to be dead in the center of what the world calls success. In fact, if our kids are successful in every normal way, they can still miss God’s main mark. Jesus said, “ What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”(Luke 9:25). If we raise our children to become well-adjusted, materially comfortable, professionally successful adults, but they don’t know the One who created them or live for Him, then all the success in the world is for nothing. Psalm 127 tells us that sons are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. What if we’re pointing our arrows in the wrong direction?

Normal is to strive for the center of what the world lives like.

Weird is to live to be in the center of God’s will.”

Wow, now that will really make you rethink your parenting won’t it? He goes on to say that “being a good parent is impossible unless we rely on God for strength patience, guidance, wisdom, and discernment - and teach our kids how to do the same. “

Over the past year and a half, spiritual warfare has become very real to me. I had heard the verse 1 Peter 5:8 many times before that says Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I never really understood the reality of this though until recently. In the book Groeschel says, “if we are not intentional about imparting a spiritual legacy to our children, I can promise you that our spiritual enemy is plotting full-time how he can divert our kids from God’s best to anything destructive.” I could never have said that any better but agree whole-heartedly. I am praying that each day I can be intentional about putting off a little more of my short temper, harsh words, bitterness, etc and pore on God’s grace. It’s the only thing that will get me through and help me to be what God has called me to be to my sons, which is a reflection of His own son, Jesus. I sure wish this could happen over night, but definitely looks like its gonna be a long road ahead. :)

I had to share with y’all what I found in Grady’s room this week when rest time was over. He came out and told me that I had to come check it out.

“Mom, I’ve got music in there. It’s from my Leapster. The habitat is great in there.” To which I replied, “What is a habitat?” He quickly explained, “Mom, it’s when you go over to somebody else’s house and sit on a rug and listen to music and that’s what all my trucks are doing. Now come on I saved us each a seat. Isn’t it a great habitat?”

Absolutely priceless!!!! (Please note that he had pulled out my rarely used yoga mat from his spare closet to use as his rug)