Faith in Parenting

Micah 5:2

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times. ”

Luke 2:1-7

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Reflections:

Isn’t it interesting to see how God works out the minute details of our lives? Think of a time when you were delayed getting somewhere, and even felt distressed and anxious about the fact that you were running late, only to find that you ended up arriving at exactly the time you needed to, and that God had really ordained all those interruptions that looked like obstacles. Sometimes what looks to us like pure chaos is really part of the plan God has designed for our lives, but we can’t quite recognize it until we see the full picture.

The story of Jesus’ birth is a lot like that. Micah prophesied that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Yet Mary and Joseph weren’t even from there. And of course they must have been familiar with the Old Testament prophesies concerning the coming Messiah - that He would come from Bethlehem¹. Even while they trusted the Lord with everything that was happening to them, Mary and Joseph must have wondered if there was some mistake.

But then they received news that they were to go to Bethlehem to register for the census. Bethlehem! How they must have rejoiced and said to one another, “See, He is really doing this!”

What is He whispering to your heart today? What looks like chaos? What seems out of place or looks like it’s happening out of order? Could it be that God himself is laying the plans for something amazing in your life? Look for it. He’s there, in the details, bringing all things together for His good purpose.

There’s a verse from Romans that you may already be familiar with. It’s Romans 8:28. In the Revised Standard Version, it goes like this: “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”

I love that it says “with.” He’s working for good with those who love him.

This Christmas season, ask Him how He wants to work for good in your life. Where are you most cooperating with what He wants to do? Where are you resisting? Trust in Him and ask Him to reveal to you the good and trustworthy plans He has for your life.

Are you familiar with Jeremiah 29:11? It says “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” For you, friend.

Christmas, with all its glory and excitement, it yet another personal, intimate reminder from the Lord that He has had plans for this entire world from the very beginning - and He has plans for you as well.

References:
¹Rebecca, Bauer Hayford. Just 25 Days ‘Til Christmas. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2004. 42-43.

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

Luke 1:30-35

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Reflections:

Lord, help us to see the Bible as one complete story. Help us to see in our hearts how You planned Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection - not as a last resort - but as part of your intentional plan to communicate the very personal and enduring love you have for each one of us.

In addition, help us to see where we fit into the story even today. What unimaginable tasks might you be calling each of us to in this season in our lives? Will we, like Mary, respond with complete trust and obedience, or will we choose to ignore your precious tug on our hearts, calling each of us into a deeper relationship with you?

Show us what that means, too, Father! Reveal your presence in our lives and turn our minds first to you when we need to talk. Remind us that you are always present and always listening! ~Amen.

Are you looking for a simple way to make your own Advent calendars? Here are some easy ideas:

• Print out your own Advent calendar template and let the kids color or decorate it for themselves. This template is one that I made based on a Christmas card we received several years ago. As you open each window, you read another segment of the Christmas story.
• Make an Advent chain. Staple together strips of green and red construction paper to make a chain. If you want, you can write Bible verses on each link, or perhaps a simple idea for serving someone else during Advent. (For example, “Set the table.” “Make your sister’s bed today.”)
• Make a chocolate Advent calendar using Hershey kisses!

It’s one of the Advent ideas we talked about on this week’s “Tuesdays at 2:00” support call. It’s basically a tree branch where you hang symbols - simple ornaments made out of paper and crayons - that represent the lineage of Jesus as part of your family’s preparation for Christmas.

See, from God’s point of view, the preparation for Christ’s coming began all the way back in the Old Testament, with Abraham!

The idea for a Jesse Tree is actually based on the verse Isaiah 11:1, which reads “A shoot shall come out of the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”

Teaching our children about the history leading up to Christ’s time on earth is a neat way to prepare our hearts for His coming.

The Reformed Church in America has several resources available online to help you prepare a Jesse Tree of your own:

• Making a Jesse Tree - includes printable copies of each symbol/ornament
• Jesse Tree Family Devotions - includes family devotions for each night during Advent

Remember, too, to just have fun with your family’s Advent devotions. Your kids will likely learn much more by making their own imperfect, child-like ornaments and symbols, than if you were to stress yourself out over trying to make some type of permanent, laminated display. Our goal through these activities is to connect with one another and share our faith, so let’s focus our energy on enjoying the process!

This week we enjoyed a great discussion of various Advent Activities for Families, from traditional Advent calendars, to Jesse trees, to weekly Advent devotions. You can listen to an abbreviated version of the support call here on the site.

In addition, I’ll be putting some of the ideas we talked about up on the blog over the next several days, along with links to resources you can use.

As well, if I can be of assistance with your family’s Advent devotions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Blessings,

Jennifer

Listen to This Week’s “Tuesdays at 2:00″ Support Call: Advent Activities for Families

Advent, which begins this Sunday, is a season of preparation for Christmas; and it’s about much more than trimming the tree and finishing your shopping. It’s about preparing your heart to receive the Savior.

As moms, we can sometimes get so caught up in wanting to do something “right” that we never get around to doing it. Advent devotions can be like that; we have the best of intentions, and yet the weeks go by and we don’t quite get into the practice of establishing a routine for Advent devotions.

This season, I want to encourage you that there’s no right or wrong way to go about preparing your heart and your family for the true meaning of Christmas. What matters is that we do something and that we invite the Holy Spirit to teach us.

That’s what we’re going to talk about on this week’s Tuesdays at 2:00 support call: Ideas for Planning Your Family’s Advent Devotions. We’ll be sharing ideas and coming up with a basic outline for what we want to cover on the four Sundays in Advent.

But remember; there’s no single right or wrong way to get Advent devotions started. These are just ideas!

To join us, simply dial (641) 715-3200 at 2:00 this Tuesday, and enter the access code 229468#. Participation is free, other than any long-distance charges you may incur.

Directions for Joining Us on the Weekly Support Call:

• Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2007
• Time: 2:00-2:35 PM (ET)
• Telephone Number: (641) 715-3200
• Access Code: 229468#

As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Blessings,

Jennifer

Yesterday I shared with you some of ideas for volunteering around Thanksgiving as a way to teach our kids to be grateful. Today, I want to focus on ways we can help our kids to see the actual day of Thanksgiving not just as a delicious meal, but also an opportunity to give thanks to God for all He has given us.

These tips came out of this week’s Tuesdays at 2:00 discussion, which you can listen to in its entirety here on the site.

Ways to Incorporate Lessons About Thanks During the Actual Thanksgiving Meal:

• Have the kids make place cards for each guest. Then have everyone at the table write down (on the back of the card) one thing they’re thankful for, and share.
• Record what each person shares in a Thanksgiving journal. This keepsake could be as simple as a plain notebook decorated - by the kids - with leaves on the front.
• Agree to memorize a verse or passage of Scripture and recite it together at the dinner table. Friends of ours, who have invited us to dinner this year, have asked us to memorize Psalm 100.

How about you? What do you do as a family to incorporate the faith message behind this holiday celebration? Let us know by leaving a “comment” below.

In addition, feel free to listen to the Tuesdays at 2:00 call from this week for more ideas about how to teach our kids to give thanks to God at Thanksgiving.

This week’s topic was dealing with our feelings of “failure” as moms. We all have them! Those times when we question our course of action or wonder whether we’re doing this “right.” I’m especially grateful to the women on today’s call who shared their own experiences with these all-too-common feelings.

If you were unable to join us today, you can listen to the call in its entirety right here on the Web site.

One thing we talked about was a three-step plan of action for dealing with our feelings of failure:

1. Ask yourself whether you really feel this way in your heart, or whether these feelings of failure are perhaps coming from outside yourself (other moms, our culture, etc.). Julie Barnhill, author of the book One Tough Mother, suggests asking yourself, “Does this really matter in the light of Eternity?” That’s an excellent way to separate what really matters from what doesn’t!
2. If your response is “Yes,” then ask yourself what you are willing/able to do about it at this time. Realize, too, that taking baby-steps in the right direction is probably going to be a whole lot more effective - and lasting - than trying to accomplish a complete 180 overnight.
3. If the answer is “No,” ask yourself how you can take steps toward letting go of the issue.

In addition, something powerful that came up during the call was that we all have different gifts as moms! I’d encourage you to spend some time this week thinking about what it is that your kids get because they have you for a mom, that they might not otherwise have. God put them in your family, with you as their Mommy, intentionally! And He has equipped you with specific and unique gifts to share.

Finally, I shared with the moms on the call two verses that I think speak to this issue. The first is 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, where Paul is explaining that it is through his weakness that God’s strength shines. That’s true for us as Moms, too! Instead of hiding our weaknesses, we should consider how God might use them to show His strength in our lives.

The other verse is one that Lisa Welchel shared on Saturday at the Hearts at Home conference. It’s 2 Timothy 1:12b, “…I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”

In other words, I know that it is Jesus himself in whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard and protect my children, whom I have entrusted to Him.

That’s huge! Yes, we fall short as moms. We do. We simply can’t be perfect. But we’ve already entrusted our children to Him, and He will equip us! Amen!

Listen to the Call: Dealing With Those Times When We Feel Like a Failure as Moms

This week’s topic was Scripture that has a personally encouraging message for us as moms. If you didn’t have a chance to be in on the call, feel free to listen to the audio download here on the site.

Here are Scripture verses we discussed:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Philippians4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Philippians 1:6 …[H]e who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Psalm 121:1-4 I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

If you have your own Bible, consider spending a few moments highlighting, underlining, or placing a star next to these verses. It’s so encouraging just to be able to open up the Word at the end of a rough day and hear what God is saying to your heart!

And if you don’t have your own Bible, please contact me, and I will help you acquire one.

Many Blessings,

Jennifer

Listen to the Call: Bible Verses to Personally Encourage Moms, October 23, 2007

Ever have “one of those days?” (Who am I kidding? Who hasn’t!) Raising kids is tough work! And in case you haven’t noticed, we’re not actually perfect as human beings. We fail all the time. And our Lord knows that about us. Thankfully, He has given us His Word to equip us, support us, encourage us, and instruct us. So how does that apply to us as moms?

That’s what we’re going to talk about this week during our “Tuesdays at 2:00″ support call.

If you have a favorite Bible verse that has personally encouraged you in the past, bring it along. However, if there isn’t a particular verse that comes to mind right away, don’t worry! Hopefully by the end of the support call you’ll be leaving with a few gems to encourage you the next time you encounter “one of those days.”

Here are the directions for accessing the weekly support call:

• Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007
• Time: 2:00-2:35 PM (ET)
• Telephone Number: (641) 715-3200
• Access Code: 229468#

As always, if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Hope to “see” you there!

Blessings,

Jennifer