Faith in Parenting

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

What are your favorite parts of the holiday season? Which parts are “work” to you, and which parts are soul-satisfying?

I used to think that putting up the tree was a hassle; I could never get the lights right! And I can tell you that tonight is no different; the tree is technically upright, but there are whole sections unlit!

And guess what? That’s really okay. I’ll figure it out tomorrow or Monday; it will get done. For now, it looks beautiful anyway just as it is.

So how about you? What parts of the Christmas celebrations tend to stress you out? What’s really important to you in how your family celebrates Christmas, and what would you rather skip this year? How can you incorporate more of “the good stuff” and less of anything that feels like drudgery?

Here are some suggestions for simplifying your holiday season:

• Decide up front which traditions mean the most to you and which ones you’re doing simply because you’ve always done them.
• Try to include at least one “favorite” from each family member’s list.
• Communicate with your extended family about gift-giving. I know this is a tough one, but being up front about your wishes can save you a lot of time and money.
• Plan ahead for any gifts you want to make this year, and be honest about how long they will take to complete. (Don’t forget to incorporate the time you’ll spend gathering supplies, too!)
• Wrap gifts as you purchase them. This eliminates the risk of hiding something and later forgetting where you put it!
• Set a date for mailing gifts to out-of-town recipients.
• Don’t forget to include at least one date night during the holiday season, and schedule some mini-breaks for yourself, as well!

Think about it… If we really believe Jesus is the reason for the season, can we continue to fret over details like Christmas lights? It’s perfectly okay if some of your traditional celebrations - like hanging lights outside or baking homemade treats for your neighbors - don’t get done “on time” this year - or even at all! What’s really important is the preparation in your heart.

On this week’s support call, we took a walk through some of our favorite holiday traditions and explored ways that we can use those activities to reinforce lessons of faith for our kids. If you weren’t able to join us, you can listen to the entire call right here on the site.

Some of the activities we talked about were decorating the Christmas tree, baking, and making holiday decorations. Here are some questions you can ask your kids as you do these activities:

• While Hanging Christmas Lights Remind your kids that we are to be the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14-16)
• While Decorating the Tree Ask your children why some people use a angel on top of the tree and some families use a star. What do these symbolize?
• While Baking Ask your children about the spices you’re using. What other spices or seasonings are they familiar with? Then talk about how we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).
• Making Snowflakes Remind your children that just as each snowflake is unique, each person is a unique creation, made in God’s image, and yet unlike any other person on earth!

For more ideas, listen to the recording of this week’s call, or check out the book The Adventure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel.

Sometimes we think that passing on our faith to our children has to happen at a certain place and time - for example, in church, or during intentional, regular family devotions. It’s true that our children learn about our faith in those settings, but in reality, the “baton” gets passed much more throughout the course of our everyday lives.

That’s what we’re going to talk about this week during our “Tuesdays at 2:00” support call: Sharing Christ in the Midst of Our Everyday Holiday Traditions

Here are the directions for joining us on the call:

• Date: Tuesday, November 20, 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.

On today’s Tuesdays at 2:00 support call, we shared ideas for using the Thanksgiving holiday to teach our children about giving thanks to God. We covered so many great ideas, I’m going to break them down into two blog posts.

Today I’ll focus on volunteering opportunities surrounding this holiday, since that was what we discussed first. Tomorrow I’ll add some tips for how you can use the day of the holiday to help your kids give thanks to God.

Remember, too, that you can listen to the call in its entirety any time.

Ideas for Volunteering as a Family:

• Call a local soup kitchen and volunteer to help make or serve the meal for Thanksgiving Day. Even if you’re unable to be present on the day of the holiday, they’re sure to need assistance both beforehand and after.
• Bring your kids grocery shopping with you and ask them what their favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is. Purchase double ingredients for that item and donate one set to the local food bank. (They may even have a drop-off box right there at the store.)
• Call a women’s shelter or family assistance program and ask how many people will be present for the holiday. Then make and drop off a special dessert, such as pumpkin pie. It’s super easy to make (I use refrigerated pie crust and follow the recipe on the back of Libby’s canned pumpkin!), and it’s also something you can do the day before, since it needs to chill for a few hours.
• If your child’s school is having a food drive, volunteer to help load the truck or deliver the goods. This is a great family activity and really makes an impact on the kids when they see where the food is actually going.

What other ideas do you have? Use the comments area to share your ideas and experiences with giving to others at Thanksgiving.

Listen to the Call: Teaching Our Kids to Give Thanks to God at Thanksgiving

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away? What are your plans? Will you be cooking this year? Traveling? Enjoying a quiet holiday at home with your immediate family?

Whatever your plans are, spend a few minutes thinking about how you’ll intentionally convey the message to your kids that Thanksgiving is about more than just good eats, but about thanking the Lord for His provision in our lives.

That’s the topic for this week’s Tuesdays at 2:00 - Thanksgiving Traditions That Turn Our Attention Back to the One We Want to Thank. I hope you’ll plan to join us. The call is completely free, aside from any long distance charges you may incur dialing in.

Here are the directions for accessing the weekly support call:

• Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2007
• Time: 2:00-2:35 PM (ET)
• Telephone Number: (641) 715-3200
• Access Code: 229468#

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly. I look forward to talking with you!

Blessings,

Jennifer

It’s hard to believe October is here already. It seems like I was just saying to a friend, “Yeah, I am looking forward to school starting again. I think we could all use the routine.” You may have spoken similar words yourself back in the heat of August.

Well, how is the routine going? Are the routines of the school year proving to be helpful to you, or stressful?

Today I want to share a word with you, a word about that very thing. It’s from Matthew 11:28-30. You may be familiar with this passage, which in the NIV is written as: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Now, take a look at how it’s written in The Message Bible:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

“The unforced rhythms of grace.” Does that explain your life, Mom? Where, where, are the unforced rhythms of grace in our lives?

Well, actually, they’re really there. Take a look. I imagine that unforced rhythms of grace might be found at bedtime, when you’re reading to your kids. Or in the moments when you’re sitting outside in the sunshine, watching your preschooler ride her bike up and down the sidewalk, up and down, and then up and down again.

There are many rhythms to our days, especially as moms caring for young children. Let’s seek them out and ask the Lord to show Himself there, in the surrender to the everyday.

Lord, Sometimes being a mom feels tiresome. We love it, and we know we’re so blessed! But some days it takes more energy than we can muster ourselves to go through the repeated tasks and routines with enthusiasm and joy. Fill us, Lord, with your joy. Prepare us and teach us to find YOU, right there in the routines of everyday life. Bless us by your hand as we seek to raise up these little ones to know you.

~Amen

This is a great question! Many of us bring a lot of formal routines to our prayer life, and to what we teach our children about prayer. These ideas include thinking we “have to” have our eyes closed when we pray, or kneel, or begin with “Father,” or close with “In Jesus’ Name.”

And for many of us, as adults, these routines are helpful. Closing your eyes and bowing your head may make it easier for you to shut out the busyness of your day. And you may feel more reverent of the Lord when you’re on your knees. That’s absolutely valid! And, I might add, these are practices that we do want to introduce our children to at some point.

But I’d also encourage you to consider timeliness. There will be times when it feels right to get on your knees together as a family. When I’m teaching Sunday School (to four-year-olds), I’ll often make a big show about spreading our arms out wide and then folding them in our laps for prayer, because it helps mark the transition for the kids between the time that we’re going around the circle and sharing prayer requests, and the time that we’re actually going to the Lord in prayer.

But that doesn’t mean that we always have to have our hands folded, our heads bowed, and our eyes closed.

My son has a book that really illustrates this concept, and it’s one that we like to read together as a family. It’s called Am I Praying?, by Jeannie St. John Taylor. The main character, a little boy named Erik, experiences lots of tumultuous ups and downs during the course of a field trip to the zoo. First he’s excited to go, then he forgets his lunch box, then he gets lost, and finally - because he forgot his lunchbox - his mom arrives at the zoo and finds him sitting in the main office. What’s so great about it is that it illustrates to children that we can pray to God in many different ways, whether we’re talking out loud, in our minds, literally crying out to God, or rejoicing. No matter how or why we communicate with God - it’s still prayer!

Log onto your local library’s web site and see if they have a copy of it, or click on the link below to order it online. It’s a great way to help your kids discover all the ways they can - and do - communicate with the Lord over the course of an ordinary day, whether their hands are folded and their eyes closed or not.

(And I have to tell you, too, that when I looked up the book on Amazon just now to get the link for you, I discovered that Jeannie St. John Taylor has some other great books about little Erik, like Am I Trusting? and How I Pray for My Friends. I can’t wait to check them out!)