I saw this idea today on a website and thought it was such a good idea! It would be a great way to incorporate even Awana verses. I love that it involves the whole family and gives a very simple way to learn verses. Begin this early! You will be amazed at how quickly your little ones will catch on!!
http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/
Friday, January 13, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Can I Raise Good Kids?
I just started a new book. It's another parenting book, but the title intrigued me. The small group that my friend and I just finished did a good one on the gospel and this parenting book seems to dovetail nicely into it by focusing on the gospel in light of parenting. Sounds perfect, huh? The book is called "Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids With the Love of Jesus". Boy, have I bitten off more than I can chew with this book.
The introduction and first chapter in the book more of less rocked my world...in a bad way. The more I read, the more I thought, "Boy, I don't know if I agree with this book at all! I don't like the direction we're going!" Some of the suggested conversations to have with your child crossed me and felt very silly and unrealistic. I agreed with the basic premise of the book, but was not enjoying the material as a whole. But, reading another person's view on parenting has to be met with a Berean mindset. I may NOT agree with everything this HUMAN writes. But what does GOD say? Am I willing to be challenged in my thoughts and beliefs? I have determined to finish the book.
Today I read Chapter 2 and found myself in tears. The Lord sure knows when to give me material and when to hinder me until I'm ready to listen. Today, I must have been ready to receive His message. It isn't for my kids. It's for ME. The chapter starts off with what I believe to be the most vivid account of Creation I've ever read. If nothing else speaks to me in this book, the beginning of Chapter 2 was incredible to read. I wish I could just type it all for you here so you could read it for yourself. But then the next section sent me, again, into a defensive mode of reading. The author shares that we need to understand that our children are NOT good. Scripture teaches they aren't good (Romans 3:10). When they obey, it's only by the grace of God. Not because they themselves CHOSE to obey (be good). Do I agree? Yes. Do I think I need to cram "You're not good. Only God is good. The only reason you obeyed is because of God's working in your life" down their throats? NO! This is my struggle.
But she goes on...and it gets good. Really good. There is a profound difference in human obedience and Christian righteousness. Human obedience is the kind of obedience that is good for society and our family. Even unregenerate parents teach their children obedience - to them, their teachers, the laws of society, civic duty, etc. What about Christian righteousness? Christian righteousness is "that level of goodness that can withstand the scrutiny of a perfectly holy God and earn the benediction, 'You are good!' It is perfect obedience in both outward conformity (human obedience) and inward desire. It is goodness for the sake of God's great glory motivated by a pure and zealous love for God and neighbor. It is the right action at the right time for the right reason. A record of this kind of goodness can never be earned; it can only be bestowed by grace through faith."
Do you understand that? Do you understand how that changes the way you parent? We can't make our children righteous! They are not good! They need the grace of God to bestow this level of obedience on them - a Christian righteousness - that goes beyond any kind of human obedience we can force upon them or teach them. Our children need God's grace! Oh, how this brings me to my knees to pray for the salvation of my children and utterly changes the way I parent them in terms of obedience.
The chapter went on to even relate this to our own goodness as Christian parents. Do you parent perfectly? I don't. Do you have pure motives when you train your children in righteousness? I sure don't. I want them to obey because it makes me look good and I am not interrupted in continuing whatever it is I want to do at the moment. It's inconvenient when children disobey and are naughty. Guess what? We are not good parents! If you had a sticker chart for your parenting, would you earn a sticker every day? Did you have a good attitude when you parented today? Did you show grace? Did you share the gospel with your children today as you parented them? How are your rewards on that chart? How we need the grace of God in our lives! In our parenting, in our training, in our daily conversations with our children - "there is NONE righteous, no not ONE!" But because of Christ's work on the cross, we are justified. We are righteous in His sight! He doesn't see our failures and frown or our successes and give us a thumbs up. He sees CHRIST! Justification isn't just Christ seeing you "just as if you had never sinned". It's Him seeing you "just as if you had always obeyed." Doesn't that just blow your mind?
Here's how the chapter ends. Meditate on this in light of everything:
"Raising good kids is utterly impossible unless they are drawn by the Holy Spirit to put their faith in the goodness of another. You cannot raise good kids, because you are not a good parent. There is only one good Parent, and he had had one good Son. Together, this Father and Son accomplished everything that needed to be done to rescue us and our children from certain destruction. When we put our faith in him, he bestows the benediction upon us: 'These are My beloved children, with whom I am well pleased.' Give this grace to your children: tell them who they really are, tell them what they need to do, and then tell them to taste and see that the Lord is good. Give this grace to yourself, too."
So, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the [boy or girl] who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8
The introduction and first chapter in the book more of less rocked my world...in a bad way. The more I read, the more I thought, "Boy, I don't know if I agree with this book at all! I don't like the direction we're going!" Some of the suggested conversations to have with your child crossed me and felt very silly and unrealistic. I agreed with the basic premise of the book, but was not enjoying the material as a whole. But, reading another person's view on parenting has to be met with a Berean mindset. I may NOT agree with everything this HUMAN writes. But what does GOD say? Am I willing to be challenged in my thoughts and beliefs? I have determined to finish the book.
Today I read Chapter 2 and found myself in tears. The Lord sure knows when to give me material and when to hinder me until I'm ready to listen. Today, I must have been ready to receive His message. It isn't for my kids. It's for ME. The chapter starts off with what I believe to be the most vivid account of Creation I've ever read. If nothing else speaks to me in this book, the beginning of Chapter 2 was incredible to read. I wish I could just type it all for you here so you could read it for yourself. But then the next section sent me, again, into a defensive mode of reading. The author shares that we need to understand that our children are NOT good. Scripture teaches they aren't good (Romans 3:10). When they obey, it's only by the grace of God. Not because they themselves CHOSE to obey (be good). Do I agree? Yes. Do I think I need to cram "You're not good. Only God is good. The only reason you obeyed is because of God's working in your life" down their throats? NO! This is my struggle.
But she goes on...and it gets good. Really good. There is a profound difference in human obedience and Christian righteousness. Human obedience is the kind of obedience that is good for society and our family. Even unregenerate parents teach their children obedience - to them, their teachers, the laws of society, civic duty, etc. What about Christian righteousness? Christian righteousness is "that level of goodness that can withstand the scrutiny of a perfectly holy God and earn the benediction, 'You are good!' It is perfect obedience in both outward conformity (human obedience) and inward desire. It is goodness for the sake of God's great glory motivated by a pure and zealous love for God and neighbor. It is the right action at the right time for the right reason. A record of this kind of goodness can never be earned; it can only be bestowed by grace through faith."
Do you understand that? Do you understand how that changes the way you parent? We can't make our children righteous! They are not good! They need the grace of God to bestow this level of obedience on them - a Christian righteousness - that goes beyond any kind of human obedience we can force upon them or teach them. Our children need God's grace! Oh, how this brings me to my knees to pray for the salvation of my children and utterly changes the way I parent them in terms of obedience.
The chapter went on to even relate this to our own goodness as Christian parents. Do you parent perfectly? I don't. Do you have pure motives when you train your children in righteousness? I sure don't. I want them to obey because it makes me look good and I am not interrupted in continuing whatever it is I want to do at the moment. It's inconvenient when children disobey and are naughty. Guess what? We are not good parents! If you had a sticker chart for your parenting, would you earn a sticker every day? Did you have a good attitude when you parented today? Did you show grace? Did you share the gospel with your children today as you parented them? How are your rewards on that chart? How we need the grace of God in our lives! In our parenting, in our training, in our daily conversations with our children - "there is NONE righteous, no not ONE!" But because of Christ's work on the cross, we are justified. We are righteous in His sight! He doesn't see our failures and frown or our successes and give us a thumbs up. He sees CHRIST! Justification isn't just Christ seeing you "just as if you had never sinned". It's Him seeing you "just as if you had always obeyed." Doesn't that just blow your mind?
Here's how the chapter ends. Meditate on this in light of everything:
"Raising good kids is utterly impossible unless they are drawn by the Holy Spirit to put their faith in the goodness of another. You cannot raise good kids, because you are not a good parent. There is only one good Parent, and he had had one good Son. Together, this Father and Son accomplished everything that needed to be done to rescue us and our children from certain destruction. When we put our faith in him, he bestows the benediction upon us: 'These are My beloved children, with whom I am well pleased.' Give this grace to your children: tell them who they really are, tell them what they need to do, and then tell them to taste and see that the Lord is good. Give this grace to yourself, too."
So, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the [boy or girl] who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8
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