It’s time to get back in gear for another school year. I want to offer some encouragement and support for both you and your kids as you face these first few days of getting back in the swing of things. Along with the excitement of a new school year comes the anxiety of what the year will hold. Recognizing your kids may have a few start-of-school-jitters, consider the following.
Pray with your kids. Take a moment before you start the first day of school to ask the Lord to bless the coming year. Seek God’s peace, wisdom and strength as the kids engage in new friendships and experience new classes and teachers. We want our kids to recognize they can pray about anything, and praying together on the first day of school helps them learn by example as well as calms their spirits. Continue this as a routine throughout the year.
Celebrate the Beginning of School. Make the beginning of school a happy and exciting time by celebrating the first day or first week. Bake the kid’s favorite treat and serve it up after they have finished their first day of classes. Allow them to talk about their day. Ask them if they made any new friends. Encourage them to tell you about their teachers, their classes and even the school lunches or playground. Let your kids catch your excitement about school and the potential for growth, both in knowledge and relationships.
Create a Fun Homework Environment. Designate a certain spot that will serve as the homework or school work area. Make it fun and inviting with all the supplies your kids may need (paper, pens, pencils, sharpeners, etc..). Talk about schedules and how you all will handle the schoolwork routine in the afternoon. This is a good time to think through television and computer times, and establish some boundaries in these areas. You may also want to designate a delightful and cozy reading nook area in your house where kids can go to have some comfy and quiet time to relax and read. A big cozy chair, a bath tub with pillows or a window seat can all make a special place for reading.
Guard the Calendar. Each new school year offers new opportunities to fill the calendar. Prayerfully consider both yours and your kid’s involvement. Put a limit on the amount of after-school activities for each child and choose wisely which activities are best suited for each of your kids. Don’t do everything, do the right things. Just because everyone else is doing certain activities or sports, doesn’t mean your family must do them too. Lean toward volunteering for activities which utilize your gifts and talents. Take one year at a time and realize you don’t have to sign up for everything this year.
Proverbs reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your hearts and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” These are good words for us to keep in forefront of our minds as we lead and encourage our kids for another year of school. Most importantly remember that God is your refuge and your strength, a very present help in time of need. Help the kids to hope in Him, by continually sharing verses like this with your kids.
May God bless the new school year for you and your family!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Go for the Gold
Gold! That’s all that is on their minds right now. They swim for it, run for it, shoot for it and jump for it! Each athlete has singleness of purpose and a focus to do their best in the Olympics. I don’t know about you, but at our house we are glued to the television each night as we watch with anticipation and delight to see the athletes compete and go for the coveted gold medal.
Just as the athletes have singleness in purpose for their event, we too as followers of Christ have an eternal singleness of purpose. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (I Corinthians 9:24 – 27)
The writer of Hebrews gives us another illustration of the race we are running, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith, Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1, 2)
What keeps the Olympic athlete going? Her eyes are on the gold. What keeps us going? Our eyes are on Jesus, who gave his life for us. He loves us and forgives us and equips us for the journey. The Olympics offer us a great opportunity to talk with our kids about our eternal goal and honoring Christ with our life. Just as an Olympic athlete represents his or her country, so we represent Christ. May we live lives of singular purpose as we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength.
Just as the athletes have singleness in purpose for their event, we too as followers of Christ have an eternal singleness of purpose. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (I Corinthians 9:24 – 27)
The writer of Hebrews gives us another illustration of the race we are running, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith, Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1, 2)
What keeps the Olympic athlete going? Her eyes are on the gold. What keeps us going? Our eyes are on Jesus, who gave his life for us. He loves us and forgives us and equips us for the journey. The Olympics offer us a great opportunity to talk with our kids about our eternal goal and honoring Christ with our life. Just as an Olympic athlete represents his or her country, so we represent Christ. May we live lives of singular purpose as we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength.
Monday, August 11, 2008
It's all about Relationships
This weekend was a busy one, but a blessed one. It was filled with the beauty of relating to one another. Saturday I spent a few hours with a small reunion of campers from a Joni and Friends Family camp. It was a joy to see the precious, angelic faces of the special needs campers. They were thrilled to see each other. They hugged, and smiled and laughed; they simply enjoyed being together again. Oh the beauty of the pure love these dear campers have for one another! It wasn’t about who has what or who shops where, but here in the center of Dallas all they cared about was relationships. My heart is always filled with joy when I am surrounded by special needs people!
As I arrived home from the Joni and Friends gathering, I was able to spend some time with my college daughter Joy and her friend Kimberly. Sitting and visiting around the kitchen table is one of my favorite past-times, yet in the hustle and bustle of daily schedules I don’t make as much time as I should for these refreshing moments. Before we knew it, we realized it was time to get going and get dressed for a wedding we were all to attend.
Aynsley and Jason’s wedding was not only a celebration of their love for each other, but of their mutual love for Christ. It was obvious through the music and testimony in the ceremony that Jesus was the center of their lives. The decorations and bouquets were all creatively and lovingly made by the bride. It was a beautiful event in every way, but most importantly it glowed with love for each other and for Christ.
After the wedding, Curt and I rushed over to a dinner party for a wonderful missionary couple who serve in Northern Italy. Okay, now you may be thinking Northern Italy, wouldn’t we all want to be missionaries there? It’s not an easy job. The coldness to a relationship with Christ which pervades Europe is a barrier few of us would choose to face. Hillary and Terrence Luker are an incredible, faith-walking couple. As they build relationships with the people in Italy, they share Christ’s love and the message of a relationship with him. Please pray for their work. When Curt and I finally left the dinner party near the midnight hour, we both reminisced with joy about the conversation around the dinner table (thanks to Kelly Cunningham, our incredible host), and the miraculous work the Lord is doing in the lives of the Luker family.
I told you it was a busy weekend, and yet it was a glorious weekend about relationships.
Often we get caught up in schedules or rules or whatever distracts us from loving others and we don’t really look at people, listen to them and love them. This weekend was a tangible reminder to me of God’s two greatest commands: love God and love people. Let’s keep those at the forefront of our hearts and minds this week as we deal with life, kids and agendas.
As I arrived home from the Joni and Friends gathering, I was able to spend some time with my college daughter Joy and her friend Kimberly. Sitting and visiting around the kitchen table is one of my favorite past-times, yet in the hustle and bustle of daily schedules I don’t make as much time as I should for these refreshing moments. Before we knew it, we realized it was time to get going and get dressed for a wedding we were all to attend.
Aynsley and Jason’s wedding was not only a celebration of their love for each other, but of their mutual love for Christ. It was obvious through the music and testimony in the ceremony that Jesus was the center of their lives. The decorations and bouquets were all creatively and lovingly made by the bride. It was a beautiful event in every way, but most importantly it glowed with love for each other and for Christ.
After the wedding, Curt and I rushed over to a dinner party for a wonderful missionary couple who serve in Northern Italy. Okay, now you may be thinking Northern Italy, wouldn’t we all want to be missionaries there? It’s not an easy job. The coldness to a relationship with Christ which pervades Europe is a barrier few of us would choose to face. Hillary and Terrence Luker are an incredible, faith-walking couple. As they build relationships with the people in Italy, they share Christ’s love and the message of a relationship with him. Please pray for their work. When Curt and I finally left the dinner party near the midnight hour, we both reminisced with joy about the conversation around the dinner table (thanks to Kelly Cunningham, our incredible host), and the miraculous work the Lord is doing in the lives of the Luker family.
I told you it was a busy weekend, and yet it was a glorious weekend about relationships.
Often we get caught up in schedules or rules or whatever distracts us from loving others and we don’t really look at people, listen to them and love them. This weekend was a tangible reminder to me of God’s two greatest commands: love God and love people. Let’s keep those at the forefront of our hearts and minds this week as we deal with life, kids and agendas.
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Dog Days of Summer
How’s the heat in your neck of the woods? Here in Texas it got up to 107 yesterday and we can expect more of the same today. We are definitely in the midst of the Dog Days of Summer. It’s during this time of they year that the heat seems to wear us down and make us perhaps slightly irritable (okay more than slightly – we can become down right mean). I want to encourage you to be sure to stay well-hydrated during this time, and I mean hydrated physically as well as spiritually.
Please make sure you are getting plenty of water every day to help you survive the heat. Let’s also make sure we are getting plenty of Living Water as well. By that I mean let’s spend some time daily in God’s word and prayer. As we abide in the Lord, the Bible tells us we will bear much fruit. Just as the summer foliage begins to wilt when it doesn’t have water, we also tend to wilt or become short-tempered without the help of God’s Holy Spirit.
The fruit of God’s spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Now when I’m hot and tired, those qualities are not my natural tendency – how about you? But they are God’s natural tendency and we can ask Him to help us. The apostle Paul said “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Not only are we to seek God’s help in having these qualities, but we must also intentionally pursue them.
Today, let’s deliberately choose to clothe ourselves with kindness, and let’s encourage our kids to do the same. What does kindness look like? Sharing a smile with someone who needs it. Bringing water to someone who is thirsty. Listening to another person. Offering a word of encouragement. Holding the door open for others. Writing a kind note to a family member. Asking the question, “How can I help you?”
As we act kindly toward others, looking to God for the ability and strength, our souls are refreshed. May God pour his kindness through us to help others. Our kindness can be a cup of cold water to bring joy to a thirsty soul this summer.
Please make sure you are getting plenty of water every day to help you survive the heat. Let’s also make sure we are getting plenty of Living Water as well. By that I mean let’s spend some time daily in God’s word and prayer. As we abide in the Lord, the Bible tells us we will bear much fruit. Just as the summer foliage begins to wilt when it doesn’t have water, we also tend to wilt or become short-tempered without the help of God’s Holy Spirit.
The fruit of God’s spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Now when I’m hot and tired, those qualities are not my natural tendency – how about you? But they are God’s natural tendency and we can ask Him to help us. The apostle Paul said “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Not only are we to seek God’s help in having these qualities, but we must also intentionally pursue them.
Today, let’s deliberately choose to clothe ourselves with kindness, and let’s encourage our kids to do the same. What does kindness look like? Sharing a smile with someone who needs it. Bringing water to someone who is thirsty. Listening to another person. Offering a word of encouragement. Holding the door open for others. Writing a kind note to a family member. Asking the question, “How can I help you?”
As we act kindly toward others, looking to God for the ability and strength, our souls are refreshed. May God pour his kindness through us to help others. Our kindness can be a cup of cold water to bring joy to a thirsty soul this summer.
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Blessing of Books
Let’s continually encourage our kids to love reading. During the summer months we can take a little more time to enhance their interest in a good book. Take a weekly visit to the library with the family. Most libraries offer a summer reading program to motivate young readers. Every once in a while, just for fun take a trip to a half price book store in your area. I used to hand each of my kids a $5 bill and tell them to pick out what they wanted. This not only helped them with math and budgeting, but also made a bit of a game out of finding prize books for a good price. When we got home we showed each other our purchases and gloried at how much we were able to buy at a small price.
You may want to create some new and different reading areas in the house. A bath tub filled with pillows, or a large box with blankets can make fun and unique reading nooks. At times we draped a sheet over the kitchen table and made the area underneath the table our “Reading Castle.” You can also give your kids rewards for reading, just like the library does. They can earn play money or tickets for a certain amount of books or reading hours. The play cash or tickets can be used for new books or a movie day or television time.
Consider playing the “Choose 4 You” reading game. Put each family member’s name in a basket, and then allow everyone to draw a name. The assignment is to choose a book for the other person to read. Explain that they must think about finding an age appropriate book according to their interests. You can either go to the library or a bookstore to pick out the book for the other person. After an allotted amount of time, meet together as a family and tell about the books which were received and read. This little game encourages not only reading, but caring about other’s interests.
Declare a “Stretch Day” where you encourage each of the kids to stretch out of the genre they typically like to read and explore another type of book. For instance if your daughter is a big fiction reader, then encourage her to stretch into reading a biography or a book about horses. If your son only likes to read books about baseball, then encourage him to stretch himself and explore books about hiking or a fiction book about outer-space. Help your kids to see there is a wide variety of books to be explored.
Think about theme weeks for your family reading. Choose a theme for the week and focus on books around that topic. One week you could choose bugs or animals, then plants and flowers, then kings, queens and castles. As you center on a theme you can also do other activities, games and field trips which enhance the theme. As you share your enthusiasm for reading, your kids will catch it. Let’s be deliberate to make reading fun.
Lady Montague said, “No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.”
Happy Reading!
You may want to create some new and different reading areas in the house. A bath tub filled with pillows, or a large box with blankets can make fun and unique reading nooks. At times we draped a sheet over the kitchen table and made the area underneath the table our “Reading Castle.” You can also give your kids rewards for reading, just like the library does. They can earn play money or tickets for a certain amount of books or reading hours. The play cash or tickets can be used for new books or a movie day or television time.
Consider playing the “Choose 4 You” reading game. Put each family member’s name in a basket, and then allow everyone to draw a name. The assignment is to choose a book for the other person to read. Explain that they must think about finding an age appropriate book according to their interests. You can either go to the library or a bookstore to pick out the book for the other person. After an allotted amount of time, meet together as a family and tell about the books which were received and read. This little game encourages not only reading, but caring about other’s interests.
Declare a “Stretch Day” where you encourage each of the kids to stretch out of the genre they typically like to read and explore another type of book. For instance if your daughter is a big fiction reader, then encourage her to stretch into reading a biography or a book about horses. If your son only likes to read books about baseball, then encourage him to stretch himself and explore books about hiking or a fiction book about outer-space. Help your kids to see there is a wide variety of books to be explored.
Think about theme weeks for your family reading. Choose a theme for the week and focus on books around that topic. One week you could choose bugs or animals, then plants and flowers, then kings, queens and castles. As you center on a theme you can also do other activities, games and field trips which enhance the theme. As you share your enthusiasm for reading, your kids will catch it. Let’s be deliberate to make reading fun.
Lady Montague said, “No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.”
Happy Reading!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Avoiding God Complacency
Today I’m in the hill country of Texas on vacation. We love to come here every once in a while to retreat from city life and enjoy the beauty of God’s great creation. One of the things we enjoy seeing is the lovely and quiet deer which inhabit much of this area. In past years, we would see them here and there and rejoice in a deer sighting. This particular trip we have seen deer everywhere. Every time we step out our door, there they are. Although I love seeing them, I must admit the excitement is gone since we see them all the time. Now we think to ourselves, Oh it’s just another deer. I guess you could say we have become “deer-complacent.”
As Christians we can be in danger of being “God-complacent” thinking to ourselves, Oh I’ve heard that Bible story or read that verse a million times. If we are not careful we can lose our zeal toward the things of God, because as we relax it all becomes so familiar. Let’s determine to continually go back to that first love and enjoy God’s word afresh. The Bible is a living and vibrant word and there is always something new we can learn, even from those old familiar stories. Ask God for a fresh wind and a renewed desire for what his word can teach you. One way to grow deeper in love with his word is to meditate on it and memorize it. I encourage you to take one passage today and really grapple with it in your heart and mind. Memorize it, chew on it, and share its profound truth with your kids.
Possibly one of the greatest examples we can show our kids is our own renewed interest and love of God’s word. So instead of having the attitude of Oh this story again, we can say to our kids “I’m so excited! Let me share with you what I learned from God’s word today!”
Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
As Christians we can be in danger of being “God-complacent” thinking to ourselves, Oh I’ve heard that Bible story or read that verse a million times. If we are not careful we can lose our zeal toward the things of God, because as we relax it all becomes so familiar. Let’s determine to continually go back to that first love and enjoy God’s word afresh. The Bible is a living and vibrant word and there is always something new we can learn, even from those old familiar stories. Ask God for a fresh wind and a renewed desire for what his word can teach you. One way to grow deeper in love with his word is to meditate on it and memorize it. I encourage you to take one passage today and really grapple with it in your heart and mind. Memorize it, chew on it, and share its profound truth with your kids.
Possibly one of the greatest examples we can show our kids is our own renewed interest and love of God’s word. So instead of having the attitude of Oh this story again, we can say to our kids “I’m so excited! Let me share with you what I learned from God’s word today!”
Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Learn Something New this Summer
Not too long ago my daughter and I went to park with blank canvases and paint brushes in hand. Side by side, we began painting pictures of the beauty which surrounded us. The last time I can remember trying my skill at painting was in Junior High art class years and years ago (and no I’m not going to reveal how very many years ago that was!)
It honestly felt good to try something new and unleash an area of creativity that I had not explored in a while. Now I’m hooked. I love to paint. Since I express myself through words day in day out as a writer, painting gives me an opportunity to unleash thoughts through art. It is a stretch for me, and I’m not very good but I’m enjoying learning something new.
When is the last time you stretched yourself to learn something new? Allow summer to be a time to explore a new skill, sport, craft or talent. As a family, why not try a new sport? Kick around a soccer ball, play tennis, go hiking or climbing, consider skating. Think about a new craft such as drawing, scrap-booking, knitting or sewing. Stretch beyond your comfort zone and consider learning a new language, developing your photography skills, writing an article for a local paper, taking piano, guitar or voice lessons.
Don’t be afraid to explore the hidden talents which are waiting to be unleashed in both your kids and yourself. During the school year, life becomes hectic and busy, but the change of pace during summer allows us to stretch, learn and grow in new areas. So step out of your comfort zone and into new possibilities. By the way, I purchased the Rosetta Stone Spanish program and plan to download it today. Gracias!
A few motivating quotes:
“Don’t stand shivering upon the bank; plunge in at once, and have it over with.” Sam Glick
“He who doesn’t climb the mountain cannot see the view.”
“The business of life is to go forward.” Samuel Johnson
“Progress is the only alternative to falling. We must advance or we shall decline. To prevent decay we must grow.” John Wilmot
It honestly felt good to try something new and unleash an area of creativity that I had not explored in a while. Now I’m hooked. I love to paint. Since I express myself through words day in day out as a writer, painting gives me an opportunity to unleash thoughts through art. It is a stretch for me, and I’m not very good but I’m enjoying learning something new.
When is the last time you stretched yourself to learn something new? Allow summer to be a time to explore a new skill, sport, craft or talent. As a family, why not try a new sport? Kick around a soccer ball, play tennis, go hiking or climbing, consider skating. Think about a new craft such as drawing, scrap-booking, knitting or sewing. Stretch beyond your comfort zone and consider learning a new language, developing your photography skills, writing an article for a local paper, taking piano, guitar or voice lessons.
Don’t be afraid to explore the hidden talents which are waiting to be unleashed in both your kids and yourself. During the school year, life becomes hectic and busy, but the change of pace during summer allows us to stretch, learn and grow in new areas. So step out of your comfort zone and into new possibilities. By the way, I purchased the Rosetta Stone Spanish program and plan to download it today. Gracias!
A few motivating quotes:
“Don’t stand shivering upon the bank; plunge in at once, and have it over with.” Sam Glick
“He who doesn’t climb the mountain cannot see the view.”
“The business of life is to go forward.” Samuel Johnson
“Progress is the only alternative to falling. We must advance or we shall decline. To prevent decay we must grow.” John Wilmot
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