Use Every Means Possible to Bring Your Children to Jesus

Please take the time to read these very wise words from JC Ryle's sermon on parenting:

"Without the blessing of the Lord, your best efforts will do no good. He has the hearts of all men in His hands, and unless He touches the hearts of your children by His Spirit, you will wear yourself out for nothing. Therefore, water the seed you sow in their minds with unceasing prayer. 

The Lord is far more willing to hear than we are to pray; far more ready to give blessings than we are to ask them--and, oh, how He love to be petitioned for our children. And I set this matter of prayer before you, as the capstone and seal of all you do. I believe the child of many prayers is seldom cast away. 

10 Ways to Teach Your Children Godly Character This Summer

Today I wanted  to share a few ways to teach your children godly character through the summer.
 
This might be your first year that you purposefully decide to try to instill more character in them--or you just might feel your children need to focus more on it! (Don't we all feel that way sometimes?) Our children are definitely not perfect and we always should be trying to reach their hearts with the truth of God's word.

Let No Christian Parent Fall Into the Delusion

 

How Are We Investing in Our Children's Souls?

Parents, one day our kid will stand before King Jesus and the top priority wont be their:

social status,

bench press,

looks,

points per game,

hobbies, 

scholarships, 

or class rank.

How to Help Your Child Set New Year's Goals

Don't you love a new start?

Our kids do too!

Just how we as adults take time and plan and prepare for a new year it is also sometimes beneficial to help your children to set new year goals as well.

12 Important Prayers For Your Children

Jesus prayed to His Father. Jesus prayed for His disciples. Jesus prays for you and me. How much more should we pray for our children.

Mothers: "How Will This Affect Their Souls?"

Train with this thought continually before your eyes—that the soul of your child is the first thing to be considered.

Precious, no doubt, are these little ones in your eyes; but if you truly love them, then often think about their souls. Nothing should concern you as greatly as their eternal destiny. No part of them should be so dear to you as that part which will never die. The world, with all its glory, will pass away; "The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." But the spirit which dwells in those little creatures, whom you love so well, will outlive them all, and whether they spend eternity in happiness or misery will depend a lot on you (speaking from man’s perspective).

This is the thought that should be uppermost on your mind in all that you do for your children. In every step you take about them, in every plan, and scheme, and arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out that mighty question, "How will this affect their souls?"

To love the soul is to really love. To pet and pamper and indulge your child, as if this world was all he had to look forward to, and this life the only period of happiness—to do this is not true love, but cruelty. It is treating him like some beast of the earth, which has only one world to look to, and nothing after death. It is hiding from him that grand truth, which he ought to be made to learn from his very infancy—that the number one goal of his life is the salvation of his soul.

~The Duties of Parents, JC Ryle

(19th Century Preacher)

And finally, dear friend, do you know the Lord and if you are going to heaven? Please read this to be sure.

If you need help learning God's Word be sure to find a good Bible.

We'd also love for you to join our Titus 2 group!

Note: This post contains affiliate links--thanks for your support.

Mothers, Don't Neglect Their Souls

I recently read a quote from Richard Baxter as give these urgent words to mothers regarding their children:

"It is in your hands to do them the greatest kindness or cruelty in all the world: help them to know God and to be saved, and you do more for them than if you helped them to be lords or princes...

If you neglect their souls, and breed them in ignorance, worldliness, ungodliness, and sin, you betray them to the devil, the enemy of their souls, even as truly as if you sold them to him; you sell them to be slaves to Satan; you betray them to him that will deceive them and abuse them in this life, and torment them in the next."

How Far a Word of Praise Will Go

"Parents do not realize how far a word of praise will go with children. 

Praise is sunshine to a child, and there is no child who does not need it. 

Praise spurs a child on to earnest effort. 

How to Pray for Your Adult Children

As a mother of 9 children I do not take praying lightly.

I know how important it is to keep praying for your children--no matter how old they are. Prayer is so important when they are young and even when they are well into their adult years.

Slow Down and Encourage Your Children

"Parents do not realize how far a word of praise will go with children. Praise is sunshine to a child, and there is no child who does not need it. Praise spurs a child on to earnest effort. 

Titus 2 Time: What Does the Bible Say about a Foolish Person?

I wanted to start doing some more Bible studies here so that we can look closely at the Word and think about it through the week. I am going to share some that I have done at home with the kids that I already have on hand. They will be simple, one post, and to the point! If we want to be wise women who fear the Lord we have to know His Word and study it.

Today I want to look into some Bible verses about the foolish man. It is so important to learn about what God views as foolish so that we don't make the mistakes that a foolish person does. It is wise to read these verses and apply them to your life and then also help your children to learn them too. 

What To Do When Your Older Children Make Bad Choices

"My older child is making bad choices - they are not listening to me and are choosing to live in sin. What should I do?"

Is your child making bad choices?

Maybe they are smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or running with a bad crowd?

You are not alone.

God loves you and wants to help you through this difficult time of parenting.

Train Them Up Kid's Bible Study Journal

Have you been wanting to help your children grow in their learning of Scripture?


"Train up a child in the way he should go: even when he is old he will not depart from it. " ~Proverbs 22:6

Did you know that when a child writes something down it helps them to retain that knowledge more than they would have by just hearing it?

Do You Have a Prodigal Child?

"Please help me, I have a prodigal child and I am not sure what to do. I want to get mad and just give up but I know that is not the answer. I feel at a loss. This child was raised their whole life in a Christian home as a Christian, but now is doing everything they know that they shouldn't do. It breaks our hearts."

It is not easy when a child rejects God and it can definitely be heartbreaking for their parents, family, friends, and all who are involved.

Fun Audiobooks for Your Family Road Trip

Are you planning a family road trip soon?

My daughter just came back from a road trip to Florida and had such a great time there seeing the sights. She and a few friends drove down there and it took them a total of 19 hours! Can you imagine the drive with little children? 

We all know what it is like to have a car full of kids and wanting the time to go by quicker for them (and us). There is nothing worst than having nothing planned and a long trip in front of you mixed with some grumpy or impatient children--that can quickly become a  path for grumpy and impatient parents, wouldn't you agree?

So today we wanted to share a few favorite picks that will not only entertain but some will also help inspire them in their faith and educate at the same time! A road trip full of peace and quiet and adventure is a huge blessing!

So let's begin:

1. Jonathan Park Adventure Series

2. Heirloom Audio Series

3. The Pilgrim's Progress and Little Pilgrim's Progress

4. Winnie-the-Pooh

5. Charlotte's Web

6. Little House on the Prairie

7. Amazing Grace

8. The Brinkman Adventures

9. Black Beauty

10. The Green Ember Series

11. Old Yeller

12. The Kingdom Series

13. Anne of Green Gables

14. Silas Marner 

15. Adventures in Odyssey Series

16. Lamplighter Theater

17. The Railway Children

18. Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys Series

I hope this list was a blessing to you!

What would you add to this list?

Note: This post contains affiliate links--thanks for your support!

Unrealistic Expectations in the Home

Does your husband irritate you?

Do your children drive you crazy?

Is your home a crazy mess?

Sometimes all of these things can happen at once---and it can feel like everything is crashing down on you! But one thing I have learned over the 25 years of being a wife and mother is that changing my perspective on everything can make a big difference.

"Eliminate the poison of unrealistic expectations in your home."

-Stephen & Alex Kendrick

First off, we need to be able to be sober-minded women (1 Peter 5:8) and definitely avoid getting overly stressed out or having a pity party for ourselves. We need to watch over our thought life vigilantly and make sure that there aren't any unrealistic thoughts or expectations that have creeped in. In other words we need to take every thought captive!



Unrealistic expectations can seep into areas like:



YOUR MARRIAGE

-thinking that you need to have the perfect marriage.
-wanting your marriage to be like somebody else's (like a friends or someone's on Facebook)
-letting everything about your spouse irritate you


YOUR CHILDREN

-thinking that your children need to be perfect
-thinking that you need to be the perfect mom
-irritated with your children when they fail or for little "childish" things



YOUR HOME

-always thinking your home needs to be picture perfect
-thinking your home should never get messy (and no one better get it messy)
-thinking you are a failure when jobs are not done


We need to remind ourselves that there are no perfect homes, marriages, or children. That we are all just sinners in need of a great and mighty Savior and that we need Him greatly.


QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES:

1. Is my thought life bringing glory to God?

2. Am I having unrealistic expectations about this situation?

3. Is this going to matter next week, next month, next year?

4. Are my standards too high and not even biblical?

5. How would God want me to handle this?



It is vital to remember to capture every thought to Jesus Christ so that even our thought life would bring glory to Him.

We need to pray for flexibility in knowing that when things don't go our way that we can extend patience,  grace, and mercy.

We especially need humility to ask for forgiveness when we are wrong or do wrong and restore our relationships as God would want us to.



Dear Lord, please help us not to have unrealistic expectations in our home. Help us not to be self-focused but instead be Christ-focused in Your Word. I know that when we think about our short comings we know that we cannot expect people around me to be perfect. Help us to love and serve them the way that you would want us to. Please create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. Thank you for all that you have done and what you are going to do in our lives. In Jesus' name we pray--Amen. 

Do you need more encouragement on this topic?

We highly recommend this book!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links---thanks for your support!

5 Ways to Love & Connect With Your Teenager

In the past year we had 5 teenagers in our home.

It has been fun and definitely a season of change.

My 16 year old son just recently got his driver's license. What a fun ride that has been in more ways than one! He is very mature for his age and this week he is looking to buy a car on his own with the money he has saved from his part time job. He can't wait to become a man and do all the things he has been dreaming of his whole life. He turns 17 in two months and I sometimes feel like my days with him are just slipping through my fingers.

Having a houseful of teens has changed our lives so much. It is a blessing to see how they are growing and being able to help them with what they are struggling with.

Here are a few things I have learned along the way that I am sharing and praciting, and maybe they will help you as you raise your teen:

1. Listen to them. 

When our children were younger they just needed to be fed, clothed, and played with but now that they are older we spend a lot of time listening to them and what they are doing at work and how they are dealing with friends, temptations, and so forth. This is how we love them--by being there. We are an available listening ear that is there for them. We want them to know that we value them so we take the time to hear their hearts.

2. Lead them to God.

As we listen to them we lead them to God. We want them to know that God's ways are best and are a protection in our lives. As teenagers they need even more guidance now, just in a different way.

3. Pray for them

When I get time I try to talk to a child alone and ask them how they are doing. This is a great time for them to share their hearts with me privately without the rest of the family listening. When we are done I like to take their hand and pray for them personally. I want them to know that I care about them enough to do that and will always do it for them. I also follow up and ask them how they are doing in near future.


4. Don't give up on them. 

I have heard from so many of you who want to give up on your teen, but don't do it. They need you now more than ever and we need to remember that a spiritual battle is being fought. Their is a war on our children's souls and we need to be vigilant and by their side. Chase after them if we need to and love them with God's love that always hopes.

5. Trust God. 

Sometimes your teen will make a bad decision or do something you won't agree with. This is where you need to trust God and release them in His hands if you haven't already. Know that He loves them more than you do and He holds their life in His hands. Keep being a godly role model and do what you know you need to do as a parent--love, guide, counsel, be available, and keep pointing them to Him.


These are just a few tips, but if you need more encouragement in this area, we highly recommend The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers: The Secret to Loving Teens Effectively by Dr. Gary Chapman:

In this adaptation of the #1 New York Times bestseller The 5 Love Languages(more than 10 million copies sold), Dr. Gary Chapman explores the world in which teenagers live, explains their developmental changes, and gives tools to help you identify and appropriately communicate in your teen's love language.

Get practical tips for how to:

• Express love to your teen effectively
• Navigate the key issues in your teen’s life, including anger and independence
• Set boundaries that are enforced with discipline and consequences
• Support and love your teen when he or she fails

Get ready to discover how the principles of the five love languages can really work in the life of your teenage and family.

You can find this book HERE.




What tips would you add?


Note: This post contains affiliate links--thanks for your support!

Fighting for Your Family's Future

"Sometimes our families are drowning right in front of us and we are not even there.

If you are trying to raise a family in this generation you know that we are living in a crazy, crazy culture.

And to keep the family together, to keep the integrity of the family is a challenge.

There are forces tearing our families apart left and right,

families are disintegrating all around us,

many families are struggling to stay together,

children are struggling to connect with their parents,

parents are struggling to stay together in their marriage,

spouses that are at each other's throats,

in-laws that can't get along all the time,

there is extreme pressure on families together to stay together in this day and age."

Dear friend, are you fighting for your family's future?

If we are honest, we all are. 

Please take the time to watch this important message below:




I had the chance to listen to this sermon last weekend and it is SO worth listening to!

Pastor Mark covers the following crucial topics:

1. The Battle for the Heart

2. The Battle for the Head

3. 9 Ways How We Exasperate Our Children

4. Training & Instruction of Children

“The family is the most important institution of the world, 

if the home goes, the nation is going to go.”

~ Billy Graham

I hope it is a blessing to you as you build up your homes!

If you need more encouragement on this topic, we recommend our book How to Build a Strong Christian Home:

Most of us love our families very much but we struggle in so many different ways, and sometimes we just need a little help and guidance to become the family we know the Lord wants us to become. 

Our families are a blessing and worth the patience, love, and time to invest in building a strong Christian home for God's glory and we can do this one step at a time.

YOU CAN FIND THIS BOOK HERE. 
















Note: This post contains affiliate links--thanks for your support!

5 Best Tips for Potty-Training Your Child

Many of you know that I had little Isabella in my 40's. She was such a blessing since we had not had a girl born in our home for eleven years prior to that! It was so nice to go out and buy all the girl things and pink outfits again (especially after having five boys).

But what I forgot about was the potty training business--it had been almost a decade since I had done the other 8 children so I had to brush up on my potty training skills!

Now not every child is the same--some learn faster and some take longer. I think what makes a whole world of difference is moms attitude going in.

If you want to know the truth, it used to be something that I dreaded--something I wanted over as quickly as possible but I now know that my attitude can make or break the whole process. I had read somewhere about looking at this time as a special time spent with your child and I was determined to make this time around special with my daughter this time around.

So we are a week in and she pretty much got the hang of it after day 2. She is still working on going #2 (many children actually take longer in this area). But it has been such a fun time and I am so glad that we tackled this now before school begins.

HERE ARE MY 5 TOP TIPS FOR POTTY TRAINING YOUR CHILD



1. PRAY.

This is the biggie---we can do nothing without God, not even potty train! I always pray that God would help us and make it easier. That He would give me wisdom and have patience with my child when the going gets tough (or when #2 hits the floor and I have to clean it up). He is good and faithful and has never let me down.

2. ARE THEY READY?

Now just because your aunt told you to potty train your child when they turned two or one or whatever, that doesn't mean you have to listen to them. The big question you need to ask yourself is if your child is ready.  If they are not ready, your efforts could end in a big fail so it is better often times to wait if possible. Another question I ask myself is does this fit my schedule right now.  If I am very busy or it is a stressful time in life I will put it off until it is more convenient for me and when I am more available to be home to give potty training my all. I have found that for me, waiting until my children are three helps the training to go quicker.

3. PREPARE

Now that you are ready and they are ready you need to buy all the stuff. Here is what I got:

-A POTTY CHAIR (or two)

We used this Fisher Price Custom Comfort Pink Potty Training Seat. It is adjustable in height and has been working fabulously for her. It might be helpful to have two for another level of your home or to take in the car as a travel potty or for outdoors. When I potty trained the twins we had two and set them side by side while I taught them both! You can also get the kind that attach to the seat as well. 

-FUN UNDERWEAR

There are so many cute types of underwear for small children--this helps them to "feel" when an accident happens and get them out of diapers quicker. Make sure you have enough to get through all the mishaps of potty training!


-PULL-UPS (training underwear)

Many moms feel that pull-ups can confuse your children but all of mine have done wonderfully with them and it gives me peace of mind to know that there is easy cleanup and no mess as well. I am so grateful for them! I was surprised to see that they now sell a "cooling" pull-up (when the child goes he will feel a cooling sensation), but I personally wonder how safe they are so I opted not get them.


-LEG WARMERS

If you are potty training in cool weather it might help to have leg warmers for your little one so they don't get cold while they are sitting and waiting to go!





-WATERPROOF MATTRESS COVER

You will want to buy a mattress protector if they are using a regular sized bed and not a toddler bed. Just make sure it is 100% waterproof--you definitely want to protect it from getting wet!


-A POTTY TRAINING BOOK

This Princess Potty Time book was a cute tool to help her get started--it is interactive where you pull on tabs to "pull" down the toilet paper and "lift" the lid of the potty and so forth. I also let her watch some cartoon videos on Youtube while she was sitting and waiting so that would reinforce what she was learning to do--I believe it helped immensely!

I would also have some cleaning spray and towels/wipes on hand to clean up accidents. I am trying to go more natural in cleaning products so I use Seventh Generation since they have it at my local store and is only a few dollar a bottle.

I put a little toy bin next to her potty to hold her little books and special toys for her to look at while she is sitting on the potty and waiting to go.

Don't forget the toilet paper! Just be careful they don't go crazy with the toilet paper and try to wrap their whole bodies in it while you are not looking (ask me how I know)!

- A STOOL

Don't forget a child size stool if your child is using the adult toilet and it comes in handy for washing their hands afterwards too. 

I also like to use my iPhone as an alarm 20 minutes or every hour to place her on the potty--that has been so helpful to remind me to stop what I am doing and get her on the toilet before she has to go. An online mom told me about this little gadget called The Potty Watch to help your little one. I had never seen one of these before--they are supposed to help remind your child when to go. I suppose that would help if your child tends to get really distracted while they are playing and ignore the signs that they have to go.

Has anyone here tried it?

Now back to the points:


4. HAVE PATIENCE

Yes, I did mention this already in #1 but this is the biggy because you will definitely want to rush it. Just try to be patient. Have fun with it. Talk to them. Enjoy them. Take the potty outside into the living room or other rooms if you need to. Let them watch a potty video on a tablet to help the time to go by.  And remember that this won't last forever!

5. REWARD THEM

Now I have heard conflicting views on this but I have to say that I always reward them! I like to give little M & M's each time they go and smother them in praises. Three if they go #1 and a few more if they go #2.If you don't want to go that route I know that other moms like to do stickers and charts.

If you need more tips or encouragement on potty training I highly recommend the book Potty Train in a Weekend:

Are you ready to potty train your child quickly and with success? This best-selling book is the answer. Becky Mansfield, child development expert at YourModernFamily.com shows you exactly how to do it successfully. It is the only complete guide to potty training that you will need. You can train your child earlier and faster than you thought possible! 

In this book, you will learn... 
*Signs of readiness
*The secret to potty training in three days
*What to do when they won't poop on the potty 
*How to handle regression
*What to do when your child is not at home
*Should you use charts and rewards?
*What is the best way to potty train a boy?
*How to potty train at night 

You will not be going back and forth between diapers, pull-ups and underwear anymore. This book has been marked as the best potty training book by multiple speakers around the world. It has been read by tens of thousands of parents and they all say one thing: It is the only guide you will need for potty training success. It is filled with all of the information and tools that you need to start potty training and complete it in three days.

                                                                   YOU CAN FIND THIS BOOK HERE. 

























I hope these tips are a blessing to you!


What tips would you add?

Please share them in the comments below!


Note: This post contains affiliate links--thanks for your support!