On Shepherding A Child's Heart (Ch 1 and 2)...

I love how this book breaks down biblical truths and applies it to how we raise our children! I am trying to ingrain in my head that my child’s behavior results from an overflow of the heart; as a matter of fact all of our behaviors are simply the overflow of the heart. So you literally must get to the heart of the matter!

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

As water reflects a man’s face, so a man’s heart reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19

God does not look on outward appearances, but he looks at our heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) The book discusses how Jesus felt about the Pharisees who honored God with their lips, but hearts were far from them, and it wasn’t good. So, we as parents must learn how to get to the heart of the behavior. What is causing the behavior? Figure it out and then instruct from that issue, not the behavior. Unfortunately the book does not list every example that you will encounter, and it would be almost impossible to do this in that the reason a child does something is different from another child. Their hearts are different, but many of the basic principals are the same and in Chapter 2 you begin to learn what things shape a child’s heart and therefore behavior as they grow up. These life experiences effect the way a child responds to circumstances in the future.

Shaping influences are those events and circumstances in a child’s developmental years that prove to be catalyst for making him the person he is. (Tripp 10)

There are 6 different shaping influences discussed and are all things that make up family life, but it brought up a very important point at the end of the chapter dealing with mistakes we make in understanding shaping influences. One of them being the idea that your child is unaffected by their early childhood experiences; which to me was obvious, but important to note. The other is the idea that if you do everything humanly possible to control the shaping influence and shelter your child that you will have a golden child; the book calls this determinism.

Your children are responsible for the way they respond to your parenting (Tripp 16)

I have to understand that if I read all of the right books and do everything in my power to raise my children right in the eyes of the Lord, they may never choose to follow Him. Does this stop me from praying for my kids every night that their eyes would be open to the gospel and that the Lord would give them an understanding of His truth…I will NEVER stop praying that and my hope is that they will follow the Lord faithfully. Even more so I want God to be glorified in my family and I trust Him.

Chapter 2 also points you to great scripture that is necessary for biblical child rearing and I recommend reading all them; Deuteronomy 6, Ephesians 6, and Colossians 3.

In other news we have had a few "snow days" (more like ice days), but we made the most of it.


Then Riley watched Sleeping Beauty and became one herself...


Discussion Question: Why do we tend to simply correct behavior instead of getting to heart of the issue?

Mandy

On Shepherding A Child's Heart (Intro)...

I have started reading Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. I figured I would blog about every couple chapters about what God is teaching me as I read. After reading the first two chapters I am really excited about learning how to not simply correct behaviors but help God shape and mold my child’s heart in a way that would be pleasing to Him. This book is based on biblical truths and focuses on the heart.

I love in the preface when he mentions that as parents we are to display the Glory of God. This is huge! It reminds me of a sermon of John Pipers in which he states that before our children know God, we must be God to our children. Big responsibility right…I do believe it is the biggest. When I first heard that I thought it was absurd. How can a sinner like me be GOD to my child. Obviously we can’t literally be God, but we have the responsibility to be a loving and just ruler over our children until one day they follow a new…and much improved ruler…the God of this universe. We ultimately decide what is right and wrong and implement the punishment we deem appropriate (we are the authority). We need God’s guidance and help to make the right decisions and instruct in the right way.

There are a few places in the bible where God instructs children to obey their parents (Eph. 6:1-2 and Col. 3:20). God wants them to do it so I want to make sure that I, as a parent, instruct them in the way of the Lord.

You must direct your children on God’s behalf for their good. (Tripp xix)

The introduction also introduces “the parenting task” which includes authority, shepherding, the centrality of the gospel, internalization of the gospel, and mutuality as people under God.

In a sense I am overwhelmed because I feel so weak. I am always encouraged by 2 Corinthians 12:9-10…

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So as I raise and discipline my children and face moments of hardship or difficulties I will remember this and if there is anything good in me it is Christ. May our boast be in Him.

Mandy

Always Good for a Laugh...

Jeremiah will make you smile today!

I heart my kids...

Thank you God

For Blessing Me...

Also...cousin number 3 is on her way! We are praying for you Taylor Faith and Ashley!

A Reminder Not to Forget...

What the world seems to forget

We will not forget,

Who you are and what you’ve done for us.

-Jesus Culture

God amazes me. I can’t believe I doubt him. Sometimes I forget about how good He is and what He has done for me and my family. Never once has he failed us and not only has he not failed us he has been so gracious to us. There are times when I think that we will not be able to afford groceries or gas and then Jon will get to play unexpected Sunday or we get a gift card. Every time. I almost cry thinking about it because I can get so frustrated about our financial situation sometimes and then I think about the Lord and how good He is and I know that he loves us. Even if we lost our house and couldn’t buy groceries, we have Him…what a gift. What a gift. So I love that Jesus Culture song quoted above. It reminds me to not forget. Jesus Culture is my jam right now, and by jam it means what I rock out to while the kids are asleep and I am cleaning the kitchen. That's right I have some of my most intimate worship time cleaning the kitchen (and can you believe that I initially spelled cleaning with a "K"....kleaning...really, Mandy...).

One Christmas Photo...

If I had to choose one photo to sum up Christmas this year it would be this one...

Also, I thought it would be fun to show you what I posted on xanga on this same day in 2003... i went to the airport today. yeah. crenshaw- you should be an actor jessica-you rule at war and im glad you are my best friend peeps-dont talk to me about mafia...it makes me mad. jon- take the hat off...you bed head is amazing. victoria-hahaha. i'm glad you dont have the flu anymore kelly-do you have to flu? kyle-i'm praying for you. griggs-when are you coming to fayetteville? booch-i miss studying for calc with you. mal-i miss you sooooo much. missy- i got you message a bit late...i still wanna hang out but im about to go out of town :o( chris huff- sorry for destroying the perfect donut jessica has never pooped her pants!!! let's play mafia.

A Most Awkward Christmas Run...

So things started getting a little unusual when I went into Kroger to get some groceries (obviously) and heard Christmas music playing way to loud. Then as I walked behind the Starbucks stand I see that there is a guy playing the piano to the awfully loud Christmas music. It made me want to smile and I tried to hold it in…which, in turn, made me laugh out loud. Anyway, on to the real story.

So, after I get the kids to bed I decided to go on a run, because, strangely enough, it was 60 degrees. Now it was about 9:15 at night and I have a nice 1.2 mile loop that I run (hopefully more than once) so that I don’t venture to far from the house since it is late at night.  I do bring my cell phone and my ferocious dog with me just in case, but don’t worry I have taken self-defense and I have watched karate kid more than once. I have been considering running it the opposite way that I normally do because I imagine it will be like in MarioKart64 when you beat all of the levels you get a new cup that is the mirror image of all of the others…it’s mind blowing.  I didn’t see a single soul on the run. I did however see plenty of Christmas lights which was a nice, but also strange change of scenery. Which leads me to make a list of the most scary Christmas decorations to see on a jog at night by yourself…

1.  Two red candy canes at the porch entrance…the rest of the house was completely unlit…more like an entrance to hell than a “Merry Christmas” and one was a little crooked…which was weird.
2. Small Mr and Mrs. Clause swinging in a red swing. Only thing in the yard.
3. An inflatable frosty that has fallen over sideways…he is still smiling…it’s just weird.
4. There was a huge train inflatable… you may have seen one of these before…it has the cookie monster on it. Well, seems harmless until out the caboose pops a jack in the box that is an awkward looking kid!! I about pooped my pants.
5. No Christmas lights or lights period…it’s just dark and scary.

This leads me to a short discussion on Christmas inflatable’s. They can’t be cheap…right? Someone had five…FIVE in their yard. That had to have taken all of their savings. PLUS how much does it cost per hour to run those suckers?? It sounded like a plane was taking off in their front yard. Just curious.

After thinking about Christmas lights I saw a possum run across the street and I kid you not people when I tell you that that is the first time I have seen one alive. It made me laugh and then feel kind of nauseous and then I felt like it was following me.

Now to the strangest part of all… I was about 19 minutes and 38 seconds into the run when at the top of the hill lights start flashing that lit the entire sky. It was a bluish green light. I don’t know what the source was, but then all of the power went out on the street…houses and everything. I thought it was the end. I was prepared for the end of the world. I turned around and started running home. Called Jon and he said that the power was still on at our house and then the power came back on the street I was on. So false alarm on the end of the world thing. Merry Christmas, right?