So Sorry

I must apologize.  I see that I haven't written since April!  This spring has been very difficult.  The kids, my husband, and I were all very ill for a very long time.  We also lost a baby, though very early on.  Everything has been so stressful and chaotic that it was all we could do just to get through each day. As of June things started to settle down.  I'm sure I gleaned some wisdom about raising kids this spring.  However, probably the most important accomplishment was that we all made it through alive!  Isn't that the case sometimes?  We're just happy to have made it through. :)

Raising Kids for Eternity - Why would I ask the Lord into my heart?

We were driving.  Yes, I realize that almost all of my stories that center around conversations either occur in the car or at the dinner table.  So, I'm sorry for the redundancy of the situation, but this conversation was rather new.

We were driving when Gabe said, "Mom I asked my friend if he was a Christian.  He said, 'yes.'  So, I asked him if he knew God, and he said, 'no.'  So, he's not really a Christian."

Which prompted me to ask, "Gabe, do you know God?"

Without any hesitation he responded emphatically, "Yes!"

"Well how do you know?  I mean, you can't even see Him."  (Perhaps not the time to be playing devil's advocate, but I feel it is important that my children know why they believe what they believe."

Gabe said, "I can't see Him now, but I'll see Him in heaven.  Hey Mom, where's heaven?"

And the conversation goes on from there concerning outer space, the sky, expansion of outer space, the red shift (yes, that one was from me), and red giants - none of which really had to do with heaven.  I did zoom back around to ask him, "Gabe have you ever asked Jesus into your heart?"  He said, "no."  I asked him if he wanted to, and he also said, "no."  Now, Isaac and I had this same conversation at 4 years old and even at 8 years old and so far none of my children feel the need to ask Jesus into their hearts.

Lest you think I'm raising heathens, I felt exactly the same way at their age and I still do today.  I have known the Lord from a very very young age.  I cannot tell you the date I became saved and neither can my mother.  I remember my mom teaching me to confess and repent of my sins when I was either 3 or 4, because I still to this day remember lying in bed crying with my mom kneeling beside my bed while we were praying.  I didn't want God to know that I had whacked my brother Matthew.  But I was very aware that what I did was wrong and that I needed God to forgive me.  Was I saved at 3?  Perhaps, but I have no record of me actually asking Jesus into my heart.  My mom told me that when I was 6 I struggled when that question was posed to me.   She had enrolled me in vacation Bible school at the local baptist church.  I didn't attend there, but it was much closer than the church we went to every Sunday so it was much more convenient.  Apparently, I was told repeatedly that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart.  I was even asked if I had already asked Jesus into my heart and told them, "no."  Truth is, I hadn't, and I wasn't going to because I didn't feel I needed to.

For those of you who don't know me, I have an extremely strong will.  Even from a very young age, I had an extremely strong will.  But I always had a reason.  I rarely act without thought or give consideration to my actions and their consequences.  Even then, I had a reason for not asking Jesus into my heart.  I truly believed he was already there!  I never asked my mom to be my mom or my dad to be my dad.  Neither did I feel the need to ask God to be my God.  I just assumed that He was and is and that I belong to Him.  I accept His rules, His truth, His salvation, and that I desperately need Him.  I also truly love Him.

And so I contemplate whether or not to push my kids to say, "Jesus please come into my heart and save me because I am a sinner."  When I was 12 I professed my faith publicly at church and was baptized because I wanted to, but I was saved long before that day.  I want my children to know God, to love Him, and to grow closer to Him each and every day.  I want them to have that relationship with Him.  I desire for the Holy Spirit to dwell within them and for them to deny themselves so that they can live sold out for Christ. 

I know that for many, uttering those words of invitation are very important because they have lived a life apart from Christ and they need to stop and change directions.  None of us are sinless, we all need Christ to save us.  And we all need the Holy Spirit to indwell us and guide us.  But as church people push for dates and times and phrases, is that the message I should be personally sending my kids?  I don't have a date or time to give when asked, "When did you become a Christian?"  I can't even begin to tell you or guess.  I have no idea.  I don't remember life without God, and I am so thankful I had parents who introduced Him to me at an exceedingly young age.  So I really wonder, as I raise my kids, should I push them to say those words, or do I accept that they know the Lord to the best of their ability and love Him even now?  I suppose I'll have to pray about it.

Please consider signing this peition:

Please consider signing this peition: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/immediate-action-requested-romeikes%E2%80%94grant-permanent-legal-status-persecuted-german-homeschool-family/06vqtgCp?m=t

It is in regards to a homeschool family from Germany who have been permitted to stay, but now the Obama administration will be deporting them soon.  Germany is a country that forbids its population to homeschool and they would likely have their children removed from them if they return and continue to homeschool - which is why they came to the US in the first place.  You can read more about them here:  http://www.hslda.org/courtreport/V26N2/V26N201.asp

It should be noted that they were granted the right to stay by the court process in the US.  However, Obama's administration intervened single handedly through ICE in order to deport this family back to Germany specifically stating, "ICE argues that the U.S. law recognizes the “broad power of the state to prohibit or regulate homeschooling,” and that this, among other things, should disqualify the granting of asylum. ICE writes that Germany’s harsh treatment of homeschoolers is merely prosecution, rather than persecution. ICE lawyers write that “[e]ven were such fear[s] objectively reasonable, these sanctions would only amount to prosecution.”"

Yeah - I'm really not a fan of this administration.  Please help this family and sign the petition.  Here are the specific directions if you get confused.

http://www.hslda.org/legal/cases/Romeike/petition.asp?src=email130405

 

"Stealing" our Kids from an Eternity with the Lord

I put "stealing" in quotes because in all reality, the Devil cannot steal our children.  No one can steal a child out of the Lord's Hand.  However, that doesn't mean that the Devil doesn't try lead our children astray and attempt to dispel the Truth.

We have had sick kids in the house the past few days.  Puking and diarrhea have kept the washer going day and night.  So, I am trying to keep them resting and stationary - on top of blankets that are easy to wash.  So, I put on cartoons.  They love them, keep them seated, and I don't have to fight to keep the kids resting.  I'm really strict about what the kids watch and generally G rated cartoons are pretty safe...generally. 

Even though I'm not sitting right with them, I try to always have an idea of what is on TV.  The other morning when I let them watch the "Backyardagains" this is what came on:

The Gods of Mount Olympus

Pablo: Come on, let's go above the clouds to a place that's way up high. Where ancient gods control the world from their thrones up in the sky.
Tyrone: I'm not sure that we'll be welcome.
Pablo: Aw, come on, don't be a wimpus.
Tyrone: Wimpus?!
Pablo: Come on with me and we'll go see...the gods of Mount Olympus. Up above on Mount Olympus is a world all soft and white. Where we'll ask the gods to stop the rain and be back before tonight.
Tyrone: I agree, it would be better if the sun were out again.
Pablo: So, may I suggest an heroic quest?
Tyrone: A heroic task!
Pablo: Let's go and ask the gods of Mount Olympus. We should take with us an offering, something that might appease. Cause the gods are often grumpy and they can be hard to please.
Tyrone: We could teach them basketball!
Pablo: Now you're talkin'!
Tyrone: Count me in, my dear companion, you don't have to ask me twice. Let's go and find this Tasha, she might even be nice.
Both: It'll be a great adventure playing basketball in the sky!
Pablo: So come on, let's go...
Both: Together, we'll go...
Tyrone: Where the rain don't fall.
Pablo: And the wind don't blow.
Both: And they can't say no to some guys from below the clouds of Mount Olympus! So come with me and we'll go and see the gods of Mount Olympus!
 
Ironically, the Backyardagins website posted this for me, so I didn't even have to guess about what was being said.  You can find the link here http://backyardigans.wikia.com/wiki/The_Gods_of_Mount_Olympus .

I have a lot to say about this kind of thing.  I'm sure many parents think it is no big deal, but I can assure you that my children were confused.  The younger kids asked, "Isn't there only One God?"  "You can climb a mountain to visit God?"  Certainly this led to good conversation because I was watching it with them.  But what if I hadn't been?  What lingering misconceptions would have been planted in their minds?  You see the Devil is out looking to destroy our children.  1 Peter 5:8 reads, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

I don't take this kind of thing lightly.  We changed the channel immediately.  I know, I'm "radical."  But to be very honest, maybe more Christian parents need to be radical too.  If we keep turning a blind eye to all the little seeds the Devil attempts to plant in our children's minds, then we have no right to be surprised when they grow up disregarding the Truth.

Raising Kids for Eternity - The Baby Years

Every day I think about how I'm preparing my children for eternity, and though I know I haven't written in a very long while, it isn't for lack of ideas, but rather for lack of time.

Our littlest girl, Annie (9 months today), is a very darling loving child - with me.  She loves me and I love her.  She gives me very little grief and is seemingly always content.  However, this little girl morphs into some strange beast when I'm not with her.  Isaac can bring her some comfort and Susie does her best to soothe her when she's upset.  But outside of those two, she finds no solace.  She'll scream her head off when someone else picks her up, but as soon as she's in my arms, everything is right in the world, all screaming ceases and she'll smile at her former "abductor."  I used to feel so badly about her reaction.  She made other adults feel terrible and I got some not so nice looks from others who believed that babies should be a lot more adaptable than Annie is.

Thankfully, my mother continually allayed my worry and reminded me that God created babies this way.  They are SUPPOSED to bond with their mothers.  Annie is a very jovial child when she is with me, and there is no other place she wants to be.  I've decided not only to accept it, but also to embrace her behavior.  In a country where we place such high value on freedom and independence, we are all to quick to forget our need for God.  Not that I am God, but in Annie's world, she is forming an opinion of a loving God based upon my love and care for her.  Just as she longs to be with me and find joy interacting with me, I pray that as she grows she forms an even greater attachment with God.  I want her to run to Him and to long to be with Him, and I even want her to be unhappy when she steps out of His Will.  Somehow, I get the idea that the way Annie feels towards me now, is very similar to how we should feel towards God.  Heaven will eventually be the fulfillment of longing to walk with God and be with Him physically each and every day (not that we aren't now, but it is much more difficult on earth than it will be in Heaven).

So, to all those people who feel that Annie is a problem child who seemingly can't get enough of her mother, I am sorry you feel that way.  But it is true. She always wants to be with me, and it is my hope and prayer that I am setting her up to feel the same way about God.


(On another note - I have become quite tired because she wakes up every 3 hours at night for a feeding.  So I went to my go to doctor online, Doctor Sears, to read up on what he has to say.  I'm not sure if this man is a Christian, but I suspect that he may be.  Here is a WONDERFUL article about babies and sleeping at night.  http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/8-infant-sleep-facts-every-parent-should-know  The gist of what he says is that babies need parenting, even in the night.  And we shouldn't expect them to sleep through the entire night as the movement in the 70's seems to suggest they should.  God didn't design babies that way and it is more than okay to rock them to sleep, to nurse them when they're hungry, and to generally care for them and love them even through the night.  He emphasizes that you need to set them up for success, but until a child is 1-2 years old, expecting them to sleep all night is unrealistic and perhaps not even safe.)

I find it strange that society continually tries to minimize the role of a mother.  Maybe we need a lot more moms putting their kids first - teaching them, loving them, caring for them, and disciplining them with love.  I'll be the first to admit, working while my children were young is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes I ever made.  I may not be perfect, but my children need me.  Thankfully, I have a husband who supports my desire to stay at home and focus on our children.  There is no way I could do it without him.  Even though society continually slams traditional roles within the family as well as mothers who stay at home to care for the children and the home, we have found that as we embrace more traditional roles, our lives have never been happier or more fulfilling.  Could it be that perhaps God designed families to work this way?  And that He designed women for motherhood and men for fatherhood?  Maybe He gave women an extra dose of patience and sensitivity to deal with the every day demands of raising children and men the strength and endurance to work outside of the home on a farm, in the business world, or the military?  Maybe, just maybe, God made us different for different purposes.  I know there is no one size fits all, but we'd be wise to consider how we were designed before we jump on society's bandwagon.

Raising Kids for Eternity: What I meant to say...

This is going to be very short.  My latest thought process has been on "Raising Kids for Eternity."  Ever since Annie was born and I've been at home, this has been the most pressing thought on my mind.  I know what I want to do, I have an idea of how to do it, but I've not been able to explain why this thought continues to persist.  I'm sure many people just chalk it up to me being a little weird, or spiritual, or religions, or whatever label you want to put on it.

However, the other day a friend of mine posted this short clip by Francis Chan.  I've watched a few of his clips, read a couple of his books, and generally agree with his insight.  I think he's hit the nail on the head with most Christian principles.  I'm sure somewhere he's made a mistake, because he's only human, but he has the gift of being able to explain things in a way that others can understand.

I wish I had that same gift.  Often I have impressions from God.  My spirit seems to understand what God wants me to do, but I lack the ability to articulate it to others outside of my immediate family.  If I were able to express why eternity is so much on my mind, not only for me, but also for my children, this is what I would have meant to say: Francis Chan Rope Illustration

Be sure to click on the blue text above to watch the clip. :)

Raising Kids for Eternity - Passionate Kids!

With every dear friend, family member, or neighbor that passes on, I am reminded that we were not created for this world.  And it is ever more imperative that I, as a mother, am very mindful that we have "little" spirits in this house that need to be guided, directed, and prepared for eternal life.


David.  That is the David who was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).  I'm glad I wasn't his mom.  I'm pretty sure that if I was, I would have taken the song and dance out of his life - not intentionally - but out of the guise of insisting he behave. 

I realized this great flaw as I was praying all alone.  When I talk to God straight from my spirit, I am overcome with emotion (except I don't let it overcome me to the point where others can see it).  For whatever reason, I have placed great value on controlling my emotions, my speech, my thoughts, and my behavior.  I think about things before I say them.  I rarely do something or react without carefully weighing my options.  Few thoughts go through my head unchecked.  And I know I have parented my children similarly.  I place great emphasis on thinking, making wise choices, putting things in perspective and looking at the facts.  So when my children sing too loudly or clap too enthusiastically or laugh too uncontrollably, I will often intervene - not in a way that crushes their spirit but in a way that just puts them into check...until a few days ago.

I was driving in the car with Susie (4), Ben (2), and Annie (5 months).  Out of the blue, Ben starts belting out "Jesus Loves Me."  Within minutes Susie joins him and they proceed to get stuck on the chorus.  Like a broken record they sang it over and over and over for a minimum of 10 minutes. They started clapping, dancing in their car seats - even Annie joined in making cooing noises of her own.  Luckily, when my parenting side wanted them to calm down, my spirit insisted I let them continue. 

And then I realized, if I want my children to passionately love the Lord as David did, I have to be very careful not to take that passion out of their hearts!  That same feeling that wells up inside my kids also wells up inside of me, but for whatever reason I muster all the energy I can find to keep it inside.  You won't find me dancing in the streets, weeping while I sing, or openly pouring out my heart.  Maybe when I'm confident no one is looking, but never for others to see.  Yet God loves our passion for Him and He desires to see us be passionate for Him. 

I prayed for my children, long before they were conceived, that they would love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and strength.  So when they laugh exuberantly, sing at the top of their lungs, jump for joy, or dance (safely) in the streets I need to remember that passionate people can love God passionately.  Our emotions were made for just that purpose! 

While I still very much enjoy children who behave, who respond to correction quickly, and who display self control, I understand that God hears our prayers and quite possibly gave me exactly what I asked for - passionate children who love God passionately.  I need to embrace it more and squash it less.  I'm pretty sure when we're in Heaven, God will delight in our passion for Him!