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Defining Your Mission and Vision
April 6th, 2011Author: Janet Mease (wife of our Passionate Purposeful contributing author Rick Mease)
My husband Rick and I teach a small group class on discipling your children. We were looking for a way to show the families in our group how to make a mission statement of purpose for their own family. God brought to mind a book by Pamela Hoover Heim entitled: Leading Women’s Ministries: A Guide to Effectiveness and Excellence in Serving Women. The book contains explanations about making both vision and mission statement for ministry. In the chapter called “Focusing on Vision & Missions”, Pamela stated that she had come across the work of church growth specialists Bob Logan and Steve Ogne, who developed what they called the “Vision Tree” to show how various aspects of organizing and doing ministry relate to each other. She added that best-selling author Stephen Covey also uses a tree diagram to illustrate how principles, mission, and roles connect in living out relationships. From these examples, Pamela drew her “MinisTREE” for her own women’s ministry and book.
I have taken those explanations and have formed them into ‘Your Family Tree’, to help our families make and define their own personalized family mission statements. Here it is as follows:
Your Family Tree: Defining Your Mission, Vision, Goals, Activities, and Results
Envision a tree:
1. The roots: your family’s beliefs—your fundamental, unchanging convictions.
• What does your family firmly believe?
• Out of your roots—your beliefs—will come your mission (or purpose) statement.
2. The trunk: your family’s mission statement or purpose
• What is your family’s stated purpose? What is its reason for existence?
Examples:
“We exist to bring glory to God.”
“Our family’s purpose is to love God and love others.”
3. The limbs: your family’s vision
Ponder:
• Where do you see your family right now? What frustrates, concerns, saddens, frightens, encourages, or inspires you about your family?
• What would you like to see instead of the current reality?
Now set the course:
• What are two or three broad areas that you can give your focused attention to that will accomplish your mission?
Examples:
If your family mission statement is to “Bring Glory to God,” your vision may be “We Bring Glory to God by Loving Him and Loving Others.”
If your family mission statement is to “Love God and Love Others,” your vision may be “We Love God by Obeying Him and We Love Others by Serving Them.”
4. The branches: your family’s goals
• Goals are tangible, practical ways to fulfill your mission. They are to be changed or added to each week or month.
Examples:
If your vision is “to Love God and to Love Others,” then a practical goal to love God could be “Keep His commands” and a practical goal to love others could be to “Show Kindness.”
If your vision is to “Obey God and Serve Others,” then a practical goal to obey God could be to “Obey Your Authority” and a practical goal to serve others could be to “Regarding Others as More Important than Yourself” Phil. 2:3.
5. The leaves: your family’s activities that accomplish your goals.
• Try out new activities; be creative and adventurous.
Examples:
If your goal is to “Keep God’s Commands,” then a family activity that could accomplish that goal could be memorizing a verse each week as a family. Post it on the refrigerator, mirror, or popular spot to gather.
If your goal is to “Show Kindness,” then a family activity that could accomplish that goal could be showing kindness by taking your neighbor’s trash cans down the night before garbage pickup or baking cookies and taking them to a new family at church.
6. The fruit: the results of your purpose/mission.
• Outcomes show in tangible ways whether or not you’re achieving your goals and making progress on accomplishing your mission.
• Look for fruit—God working within your family.
Next Week’s Author: Kelly Patchin
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
December 1st, 2010
Author: Lynn Winters
Lynn and her husband live in Benicia, California and attend New Harbor Community Church. Lynn has been married to her wonderful husband Roger for 34 amazing years. She enjoys cooking, quilting and reading. She and her entire family love the outdoors and boating. Lynn works full-time outside the home. She has been involved in children, youth and women’s ministries for over 20 years. Her greatest treasures are her adult children Joni, Hans, RJ and Carrie and her very precious grandchildren, Justin 7, Abby 5, and Dalton 2. Passing on their Christian Heritage is one passion she and her Husband love to share with family and friends.
Let very heart prepare Him room …
Who doesn’t have a favorite Christmas Carol, maybe two, three, or more? Our family has a few that we play over and over as we prepare our home for Christmas. One of our favorites is a song written by Ronny Milsap in 1986 called, “It’s Christmas”. It has a few lines we especially love… the snow is on the ground the families all in town….Love is flowing free… all the worlds at peace it’s Christmas. Another favorite, Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him Room…that’s our favorite line, let every heart prepare Him room.
Christmas can be very overwhelming for some for many reasons. The loss of a loved one, finances, job, health issues, marital issues and maybe you would even like to see it just pass quietly and quickly by. For others, you warmly embrace everything Christmas brings, the planning the shopping, baking, decorating and the countless other things we do to make it the most wonderful Christmas ever! While you may be in the “pass by quickly group” or the “embrace it all group”. (I‘ve been in both and sometimes in the same year!) We can prepare our hearts. Luke 1:37 says, For nothing is impossible with God. Prepare your heart for His love and let him have his way with you this Christmas.
Last year our family wanted to prepare better for this year to share more of our faith with our family and friends by making Christmas more meaningful for everyone. Trim down the traditions so to speak. Someone had given me the book “Christmas Jars” by Jason F Wright and I thought it was a great little book. Then I asked my step Mom to read it also, which she enjoyed it and loved the idea of it too. It started all kinds of ideas flowing to change how we celebrated Christmas day with our family and friends….first we played a Christmas trivia game that we made up all the questions having to do with why we as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We also had some trivia about Christmas carols. We had questions for every age and even fun little prizes we purchased at the dollar store. Justin, our six-year-old grandson, read us the Christmas story from the Bible as he sat next to his Papa GG and Uncle Ken. (That was our last Christmas with Papa GG he went home to be with Jesus on 1/27/2010.) Justin shared he wants to read it again this year and Abby wants to act it out.
Then as the evening was winding down we shared about the Christmas Jars, we made the jars look very pretty with shiny red ribbon and a tag that explained what to do and when we would meet again. We lined them up on the fireplace mantle. Everyone was invited to take a jar if they wanted and collect all their change for the next eleven months. The following Thanksgiving, we would decide as a family which charity to donate it to. Last week, we met for Thanksgiving and everyone had filled the jars with change! We all agreed to give it to a local charity in Solano County, Ca. It was fun and it brought us all a little closer knowing we were doing something special for others. Everyone prepared all year long for that day and it was delightful and exciting to talk about what we could do with it. I know I have family and friends who learned a little more about Jesus this past year as they saved their change. The rest of us, well we learned more about giving to others…..So as this Christmas season gets closer, let every heart prepare Him room.
Merry Christmas and God bless you all.
Next Week’s Author: Laura Kuehn
Worry
November 18th, 2010
Author: Keri Bruins
Keri is a follower of Christ, a wife of 11 years to a wonderful, patient man, a mom to three fun, bright, noisy children, a friend, a crafty-type, and a recovering Diet-Coke addict.
When I was younger, I wasn’t a worrier. I was never prone to anxiety or fears or being scared.
Then, I had children.
Once I became a mother, a different side of me came out.
I became a worrier.
I worried about my children: I was worried whenever they came down with a fever, worried that they’d never learn to share as toddlers, worried about what the future would hold for them.
I worried that something would happen to my husband or I and that we wouldn’t be around for our children. I also worried about my ability to be a good parent. I didn’t want to do anything to “mess them up”.
Worry and anxiety became a problem for me.
It was ever-present, and managed to suck the joy out of many aspects of life.
As a Christian, I knew what the Bible said about worry.
I knew Matthew 6:25-27. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
I knew God didn’t want me to worry…but I continued my cycle of worry and anxiety.
What I didn’t realize was that my worry equaled a lack of faith.
Then I participated in a Beth Moore bible study entitled “Believing God”.
This study didn’t focus on believing in God, but rather believing God.
As Christians, we are commanded to believe God.
We must believe that He is who He says He is,
and that He can do what He says He can do.
For me, this was life changing.
I had never had a problem believing in God.
But by worrying, I wasn’t believing Him.
By worrying, I wasn’t believing what He told me (over and over) in the Bible.
I memorized Philippians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation):
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
I say this verse to myself at times I feel prone to worry or be anxious.
It reminds me that God commands me not to worry.
It reminds me that I am not in control.
And it reminds me to believe what he says:
I will experience God’s peace, and God’s peace is mind-blowing.
*********
Other great verses on worry:
-1 Peter 5:7
-Isaiah 41:10
-Deuteronomy 33:25
-Ephesians 3:20
-Psalm 94:19
Next Week’s Author: Linda Wright
Lean Not on Your Own Understanding
August 25th, 2010
Author: Jann Zeilenga
Jann grew up in a Christian home and has been a Christ follower for as long as she can remember. Her goals as a teenager were to marry a wonderful Christian man, have children and become a teacher. God granted her one blessing after another. She married her soul mate Bob, 38 years ago. Together they had a wonderful son Rich and dear daughter Laura. Laura married a great guy named Casey and they gave Jann and Bob two precious grandchildren, Presley and Toby. Jann has enjoyed teaching and impacting the lives of mostly kindergarten and first grade students for 27 years. Jann is also most happy and proud to be Melanie’s “Auntie Jann”.
Have you ever watched your child disobey, make poor choices or seem to get stuck in neutral in their relationship with the Lord? I have and I found myself thinking, “Where did I go wrong Lord? I began to present my case to the Lord. I told God how my husband and I had sacrificed financially to send our children to Christian schools, how we took them to church every Sunday, how we taught them to pray, how we told them bedtime Bible stories and how we instilled Christian morals and values in them. I explained to God that I had been clinging to His promise in Proverbs 22:6 that states, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” I felt that my husband and I had trained our children in the fear of the Lord to the best of our ability. I just did not understand why I was not always seeing the results that I had expected. I guess I thought that there was a Biblical formula or equation for producing Godly children. Do this and this and this and you’ll get the human equivalent of perfect Christian children?
While I was despairing and mulling these thoughts over in my mind God prompted me to listen to a Christian radio talk show program on my way to work. It was from Focus on the Family and I can’t give credit to the speaker, but the wise counsel that I received from the program gave me such comfort. The speaker said that as parents we often fall into the trap of focusing on how our children are doing in their spiritual life. If they are doing well we sometimes take credit for that when actually that was not of our own doing. In the same way, if our children are not doing well in their Christian walk, we tend to blame and place judgment on ourselves as parents. The speaker went on to say that our job as parents is not to focus on where our children are at in their relationship with the Lord, but where WE are in our walk with the Lord.
Our job as Christian parents is to listen to God’s voice. The enemy loves for us to dwell on our past failures and parenting mistakes. However, God’s voice is one of encouragement, hope and comfort. When we listen to His voice and submit to Him, we allow God to lead us, to calm us and to draw us to Him. So what does God ask of us as parents and His people? Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” And as far as understanding the things of this life, I have learned that trying to understand God’s plan is futile. God only wants us to trust Him with all our heart, soul and mind. We will never completely understand God’s ways. In Psalm 139:6 we find that “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain…” this means we need to place our hope and our trust in God and God alone. My prayer for each reader is that you will, “ Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5 & 6.
Next Week’s Author: Melanie Robbins
Back to School with Great Enthusiasm! But wait…..don’t forget to pray!
August 18th, 2010
Author: Lynn Winters
Lynn and her husband live in Benicia, California and attend New Harbor Community Church. Lynn has been married to her wonderful husband Roger for 34 amazing years. She enjoys cooking, quilting and reading. She and her entire family love the outdoors and boating. Lynn works full-time outside the home. She has been involved in children, youth and women’s ministries for over 20 years. Her greatest treasures are her adult children Joni, Hans, RJ and Carrie and her very precious grandchildren, Justin 7, Abby 5, and Dalton 2. Passing on their Christian Heritage is one passion she and her Husband love to share with family and friends.
My sweet, bubbly little granddaughter is preparing to begin kindergarten with such great anticipation that just being around her gets me excited! Abby gets up in the morning asking how many more days until school starts! She said she has dreamed about this day for a long time! She literally is so happy to be going to school she cannot contain all that enthusiasm she has inside her. She has planned her wardrobe down to what shoes and socks she will be wearing, what pretties will be in her hair, and what she will take in her backpack. She knows for sure her teacher is very nice! In her world, she is more than ready for that very first day of school!
On the other hand, not all children are like that. For example, Abby’s mommy was not at all like that. She was very quiet and studious; she liked to think things through very meticulously. She was concerned about what school was really all about and if the teachers were going to be nice. She wondered what the other children were going to be like. Would she make friends? Would other kids like her? Could she read well enough? Was she ready to go to school all by herself? I asked myself if I was ready to give her over to strangers.
With all of Abby’s enthusiasm, it started me thinking about all our children who will be starting the 2010-2011 school year. It may be pre-school, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, or maybe even adult education courses. It may be private school, public school, or maybe home school. No matter what school each of them attends, they are beginning to embark on their own educational journey.
You know your children, you love them, you study them, and you nurture them daily. They are very precious gifts from God chosen especially for us. Each child is uniquely gifted and created by Him with a very special purpose and plan for their lives.
With that said, Dear Passionate Purposeful Parents, I am asking that we all join in prayer today for all of our children as they begin a new school year. May our Lord and Savior guide and direct their paths, keep them from any harm, and protect them from the evils of this world. At the same time, we also ask that He provide them with their own individual physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Allow us as parents, families, and friends to be an encouragement to one another by being loving and kind to each other. May we do our very best to be a good witness to all children that we meet. Pray continually, as that is what the Lord would have us all do. Be an encouragement to others around you, as we have no idea what life challenges others may be facing.
Below are just a couple of scriptures we can personalize for our children.
Joshua 1:9
Eph. 4:14-21
Phil. 1:9-10
Phil. 4:4-8
1 Cor. 15:33
1 Cor. 15:58
Next Week’s Author: Jann Zeilenga
Memories from my heart
March 10th, 2010
Author: Lynn Winters
Lynn and her husband live in Benicia, California and they attend New Harbor Community Church. Lynn has been married to her wonderful husband Roger for 33 amazing years. Enjoys cooking, quilting and reading. She and her entire family love the outdoors and boating. Lynn works full time outside the home. Has been involved in children, youth and women’s ministries for over 20 years. Her greatest treasures are her adult children Joni, Hans, RJ and Carrie and her very precious grandchildren, Justin 6, Abby 4, and Dalton 1. Passing on their Christian Heritage is one passion she and her Husband love to share with family and friends.
My dad passed away January 27, 2010. That was one day in my life that the world seemed to stand still. The events leading up to him leaving this journey here on earth to be with his Savior in heaven have had a very strong impact on my life. You see, my Dad was like our super hero, not that he could fly or leap over big buildings in a single bound, but super hero in that I thought he would live much longer than his 75 years. I do not think any of us were prepared to plan a celebration of life service for him but that is exactly what we did.
My Dad was quite a character he had some very strong opinions about almost any topic. If you knew my Dad, you knew he loved to talk and tell stories. He won all the fights he’d ever been in and he was always right. We all accepted that about my Dad but you see there was more to my Dad then the talking and the stories. My Dad came from a bed of brokenness and built himself into a strong tower. I say “built himself” because he did things his way in his time. My Dad made some major mistakes in his life doing things his way and he recognized a need for some changes. I choose to believe that process began when he was in his mid fifties. In his sixties, I began to notice those changes. He talked less, shared more about his life experiences, and listened more. He was gentler and kinder to those around him. He was available to help anyone who asked for his help and he never said no. He would babysit his great grandchildren as they were a priority in his life. He and Maryanne also went back to Illinois to help care for his mother when she was ill. My Dad was a good caregiver. I had two surgeries and each time my Dad came to take care of me.
My Dad was baptized when he was 70 years old. After that we saw even more changes in him. My Dad was quiet about his faith. He had friends who encouraged him in his faith and they studied the bible together. They did things together and enjoyed one another’s company. He was so grateful that God brought friends into their lives. Those friends helped to change my Dad’s life and those same friends will be there to support his wife Maryanne.
My Dad was not one to say “I love you” but the days before he died if you said, “I love you” he said, “I love you too”.
One of the doctors told us that my Dad let her know he was a Christian! She said she was amazed that he shared that. She was so blessed that he shared that with her because she too is a born again Christian.
When a nurse came into his room and asked, “Can I get you anything Mr. Henry”? He said how about another 20 years? We all laughed and cried at that comment. You see my Dad was preparing himself because he knew he was not going back to his home. That was on a Tuesday. I stayed with my Dad that night not wanting to leave him and wanting to talk. He did not say much when we talked but I knew he could hear me. I prayed with him and talked to him. I let him know my brothers and I loved him very much that his whole family loves him.
As Maryanne and I sat with my Dad on Wednesday morning, my Dad not able to move much he was lying very still but he was talking in a very quiet voice, and not making sense to us. He seemed to be having a conversation with someone. We listened and watched as my Dad lifted both arms began to sit up in his bed. With both arms raised up high; he softly said, “I’m ok now, I’m ready God, you can take me now.” Those were the last words we heard my Dad speak. He died several hours later with his family around him and just after Maryanne had everyone hold hands and pray together one more time.
My Dad left this world to go to heaven where we will see him again. My faith is stronger because of those last few days with my Dad. I miss him terribly but for now, I am grateful that he had a saving grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that each of us who knows Jesus keeps praying for unsaved family and friends. It was prayer that changed my Dad and it will be prayer that brings those you love to Jesus so they can experience God’s grace and love too.
Next Week’s Author: Tyler Robbins
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Love Those Children
November 12th, 2009
Author: Lynn Winters
Lynn and her husband live in Benicia California and they attend New Harbor Community Church. Lynn has been married to her wonderful husband Roger for 33 amazing years. Enjoys cooking, quilting and reading. She and her entire family love the outdoors and boating. Lynn works full time outside the home. Has been involved in children, youth and women’s ministries for over 20 years. Her greatest treasures are her adult children Joni, Hans, RJ and Carrie and her very precious grandchildren, Justin 6, Abby 4, and Dalton 1. Passing on their Christian Heritage is one passion she and her Husband love to share with family and friends.
When Melanie first approached me about writing an article for PPP my first response was let me “pray” about it. Then my very next thought was “I couldn’t possibly have anything of value that PPP readers could learn from me.” I pondered a few other negative thoughts for a moment before the Holy Spirit nudged me with another thought. Are you kidding?? Look how much the Lord has done for you and how much mercy he has had on you! With that said, I am grateful to Melanie for giving me the opportunity to think about how much the Lord has done for me and how much mercy he continues to have on me past, present, and future and the same for you.
PPP to me is about passing on to others the wisdom and knowledge we’ve gained from God’s word, and sharing those experiences with others. I have shared each and every article with someone in my life. And have applied some very good teachings to my life because of PPP. I love to hear when someone I sent it to then sent it to someone else!
I have worked in children’s ministries for the last ten years as an Awanna leader and then Cubbie director. My own personal mission statement in working with children in any program has always been that the children feel loved and valued. I want them to know just how special they are and how much they are loved by God. That mission statement is active and alive in my own life with my three precious and beautiful grandchildren, Justin 6, Abby 4, and Roger Dalton 1. My prayer is that they continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. That they truly know how much the Lord had done for them. So that one day they will tell others how much the Lord can do for them too.
In Cubbies we share the Gospel message. We teach God’s word with great stories from the Bible. We memorize scripture, play games, sing praise songs and do crafts. Prayer is always a part of that time too and I can’t tell you what a privilege it has been to pray with so many children. Over the years I have had quite a few cubbie parents pray with their children to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior while they were in Cubbies. Those children’s names are written in the book of Life and also written on my heart. I remember Nathan sharing with all of us at cubbies when he invited Jesus into his heart when he prayed with his Mom on July 6, 2004. He was very excited to share with me at cubbies what he and his mom prayed.
During their Cubbie time Blake, Rachel, and Rachel (we had three that year)
Isabel, Katy, Olivia, all asked Jesus into their hearts. My grandson Justin also prayed with his Mom, my daughter, to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior in July of 2007. Last year, Malachi came into cubbies and proudly and loudly shared his testimony with all of us! In September 2009 I had the privilege of praying with my own sweet granddaughter Abby. She told me one night after cubbies that she wanted a new heart. When I asked her why she wanted a new heart she told me because hers had sin in it and it’s ugly. We prayed and she confessed her sins. She had a long list and wanted to tell Jesus everything. She then asked Jesus in to her heart and was very, very thankful she got a new heart.
Our children grow up so fast, and our time with them is so precious. Seize the opportunities to teach them to pray, and to remember how much the Lord has done for them! I use the prayer calendar every day and I laminate them and give them away as little gifts. I love to pray the word of God, just insert the name of who you are praying for. This is one of my favorite Prayers Eph. 3:14-21.
I am so grateful the Lord has allowed me to witness children making choices to follow Jesus.
Co-Parenting? Sign Me Up!
August 19th, 2009
This week a good friend sent me the following reflection that had been passed on to her by another friend.
“As a mom, I have an opportunity to bring out the best in my children. But it consistently means I have to bring out the best in me. I can’t model impatient behavior and expect my kids to learn patience. I can’t model a self-focused lifestyle and expect my kids to learn how to serve others. Nor can I model an ultra-busy schedule and expect my kids to find time for God in theirs.”
This really hit home for me this week. Nothing has been more convicting than to see my faults and flaws, sins and moments of weakness reflected back through my children. The “Let’s go, let’s go!” I hear my 3-year-old mutter from the backseat at cars stopped in front of us for a red light. A sighed “You’re making me frustrated” from my oldest to youngest son while they play together. This is my impatience, my anger that my children are reflecting, mimicking, and sadly, learning from my actions.
Being a parent has this added responsibility. Not only are my sins detrimental for me, but for the little offspring sponges that God has given me as well. Few things pain me more than thinking that I might be responsible for a bad habit, negative attitude, or ungodly response in my children.
But I have hope.
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
Psalms 25:4-5, 8-10
I don’t have to parent my children alone. God wants to parent my children with me. Every moment. Every day. Every tantrum. Every giggle. Every umpteenth spilled snack. Every kiss goodnight.
Co-sleeping? I’ll pass. Co-parenting with Christ? Sign me up.
I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).
And the Nominees Are….
June 10th, 2009
Author: Kate Bayless
I’ve decided on my nominee for the Most Necessary Parenting Virtue contest and my vote goes to PATIENCE. Day in and day out, when I face struggles, frustrations and difficulties in my parenting, it can almost always be traced back to a lack of patience. I love my children dearly, but that love isn’t shown as clearly when I’ve lost my patience. My end goals for discipline and training are lost if I lose patience in the process and can’t outlast my three-year-old’s tantrum. My desire to develop an inquisitive learner is hampered when I run out of patience for my son’s endless collection of “Why?” questions. My attempts to teach a skill or value are unsuccessful if my patience runs thin.
One of the amazing things I have found about being a parent is how it gives me new eyes for how God views humanity, views me. I am that disobedient toddler. I am that trying teenager. I am that person who, were God a mortal being, would have long ago worn out the patience afforded me. And yet God is ever faithful, ever forgiving, ever patient. Time and time again.
In 1 Timothy 1:15-16, Paul says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (NIV, emphasis mine).
Thinking of this verse reminds me of three things. First, it is humbling to remember that I am really in the same position as my three-year-old. There is someone’s patience that I am continually testing just as my son tests mine. Second, it causes gratitude to well in my heart that God has not run out of patience with me. Finally, it reminds that God has set the example, the standard before me – unlimited patience – and that the only way that I can hope to strive for that is with His help.
So how do you maintain your patience as a parent? What has been the biggest help as you strive to demonstrate unlimited patience with your children?
Next Week’s Author: Tyler Robbins
Where Does Wisdom Come From?
April 1st, 2009
Author: Liz
While trying to prepare a post for PPP this week I kept reflecting on Proverbs. Proverbs is probably my most favorite book of the Bible because it’s filled with great one-liners. One verse that I like to joke about is Proverbs 6:9 “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?”
While my kids don’t always appreciate my humor I hope one day they will appreciate the book of Proverbs. It’s stuffed full of wisdom for them and for me.
Solomon, who was known for his wisdom, was passing his knowledge on to his son. The whole purpose of the book was laid out right in the first chapter. Proverbs 1: 7 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline”. He goes on to encourage his son to embrace wisdom, warns him against enticements and rejecting wisdom. He expounds on the moral benefits of wisdom, gives advice on friendships, finances and work ethics.
As a parent looking for ways to raise my children in the current culture there are many places to seek advice. There is an absolute plethora of parenting books written by secular as well as Christian authors. I think reading parenting books falls under the category of seeking a mentor. There is nothing wrong with looking for good advice. Advice comes from a variety of sources. It can arrive completely unsolicted from parents, in-laws or friends. Many of us seek advice from trusted friends or neighbors. Whatever the source of the advice we need to weigh it carefully and discern if it is godly wisdom. Proverbs 14: 15 states that “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” As parents we all agonize about making the right choices for our children. Proverbs 1:4 explains that the book of Proverbs is “for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young”. I want to impart knowledge to my children. I want to be a source of wisdom for them. But I also want them to know, as they grow older, that He is the source of wisdom and knowledge. Proverbs 2: 6 says this “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”.
My encouragement to you today is to spend some time in Proverbs. Whenever my quiet time or devotional time is a bit hurried I often flip Proverbs open to whatever day of the month it is (there are 31 Chapters of Proverbs). I can always find a new bit of wisdom that “pops” out at me.
