Testimony Tuesday

Now that my sweet hubby has fixed our Internet/Computer issue, I can do Testimony Tuesday again. (In case you are new--this is where I just share something that God has taught me/showed me/done recently.)

Well as I have mentioned, I am taking a Women's Discipleship class right now and we are on the topic of children. Now I don't know if God is testing me or if Satan has been attacking me or if it is some combination of the both that will hopefully end in me growing in my role as a Godly mother...but I have NEEDED to hear the past couple of weeks something fierce! It has been renewing to my soul and attitude. I am not even kidding when today I literally felt like this just heavy feeling finally broke and fell away today. Praise the Lord!

I am going to cover four of the things we have covered that I have really been focusing on...there is so much I can't possibly put it all on here.

1. Guarding your children's hearts. Lilly and Reid are at an age right now where they can't guard their own hearts-and so Matt and I need to do that for them. I know that means that my kids don't watch some shows and movies, won't play some video games, and won't go certain places. And that is fine with me. It also means that I will establish healthy boundaries for them because I love and value their hearts. It is funny as I am typing this I am realizing that our Pastor has been on a series and he has said over and over and over--"God is most concerned with the condition of your heart." My philosophy is...if it is important to God, it needs to be important to me too. I know what you are thinking. Genius. Ha. I digress.


2. "Fight for the heart of your child. The most important way to do this is to build a relationship on trust. A child's trust in me is affected when I...

• Discipline in anger


• Use words that communicate rejection


• Ignore their voices


• Don't try to understand who they really are


• Break my promises"

---Gina Franske, a guest speaker that came and spoke to our group. I really think this last one is key. Especially in the day to day "little" things. If I tell Lilly I am going to read a book with her in five minutes. In five minutes, I am going to read a book with her.

3. I need to be intentional. A priority is pre-decision about your time. (I LOVE that last sentence by the way.) I think that if I am not intentional about doing something, it is soooo easy for me to get busy or distracted and not do it. Or put it off. I have really been working on deciding what my priorities are and physically adding them to our schedule. Giving them a place on our schedule just like I would an appointment or a meeting. We are also trying to start doing things now that we would like to happen in the future. (I.e. family dinner time without tv)

4. We were given this assignment: Think about what you want your child(ren) to be like when he/she grows up and make a list of what you see your children becoming. This is your prayer list for your children. (Which you can totally do for yourself, too.) I will add just a few examples from the speaker and from my list.

• That God would call them to salvation at an early age.


• That they would love and be passionate about the Lord and His Word.


• That they would stay in the center of His will and walk closely with Him all the days of their lives.


• That their hearts will be obedient, disciplined, thankful, and pleasing to God. That their hearts will run after things that are holy and pleasing to God and their hearts would will run just as quickly from evil and ungodliness.


• That God would protect them from the evil one in each area of their lives.


• Other things include purity, future spouse, respectful, Godly friends, spiritual leaders, friends with each other (siblings), etc.