Take Root and Write

This Little Light of Mine . . .

The earth trembled under their feet and the thunder roared through the skies--proclaiming its immense power. Suddenly, darkness began to completely blind their eyes. Their eyes instantly pried wide open, but they were unable to see a thing. Their hands extended outward as they feared they would hit a wall that was planted right in front of them. They each began to frantically search for any sort of light to enable them to find their way out of the crowded room, where minutes earlier they were enjoying a show.

The earth trembled a second time and this time it violently moved their bodies; they knew they had to get out. One  man was able to find a light that was firmly attached to his keychain. He flicked the light switch on and it brightened up the area. Quickly, he hid the light for all to see and cuffed his hand over it to enable him to only see and make his way out. He never left the light on too long for fear that others would see it; he wanted the light only to himself.

Many Christians have this same mentality, they find Christ and began to see through His light and into a dark world. However, instead of sharing His light with others and enabling them to see as well, they keep His light to themselves and only use it to help them walk through darkness.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus says: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV). We are commanded to be that light in a dark world, not to be a light unto ourselves and hide it from all to see.

Digging Deeper

"What does that mean?" my daughter questioned as I read her a particular verse in the Bible.

I took a deep breath and paused; inwardly, I debated how to respond. I could bypass her answer and continue on reading the Bible to her (which would be much easier and less time-consuming) or I could stop  right where I was and probe deeper into God's Word and give her some background into what this passage was really talking about. If questioned, most of us would like to say that we would respond in the latter manner; however, how many of us actually do?

I am the first to admit that sometimes I have had a long day at work and at home. When I finally get to reading God's Word to my children before bedtime, the last thing I feel like doing is getting into a deep theological teaching of what a particular passage actually means.

At those times, when my children have asked to know more about a passage of scripture, I have been tempted to say something like "I don't know . . . let's keep reading and see" and then hope the question is answered by the following passage. However, if we truly want our children to love God, fear God, and worship Him with all their heart, then we should use every opportunity we have to truly reveal to them who He is and what His Word really says.

A Pile of Stones

 

Lightning roared as water relentlessly poured out of the heavens.

I looked over to my young son and he stared hopelessly out our window at the rainstorm. Usually, rainstorms are an exciting time at my house as my children run from one window to another to see the rain beating fiercely upon the ground. Yet, this day was a little different.

You see, it was my son's birthday and he had been looking forward to this day for months and barely slept the night before due to his utter excitement. He was especially excited because we had decided to have his birthday party at a local amusement park and all of his friends from school were supposed to meet us there. However, we knew that because of the rainstorm it was likely that his party at the amusement park would have to be canceled.

I ran to the computer hoping the forecast would provide me with hope, but to my dismay it clearly said "Severe Thunderstorms in PM". I looked over to my son and gently broke the news to him; however, instead of completely throwing in the towel I asked him and my other children to pray. I then text messaged all of my friends and also asked them to pray.

Raising a Daniel

"Whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days except you O king shall be cast into the den of lions" (Daniel 6:7 NKJV).

Can you just picture Daniel intently leaning in toward the King as his royal hand prepared to sign the above-mentioned decree. Emotions must have been running rampant within Daniel, for he knew that if the King would sign this decree, he would not be allowed to pray to his God without consequences . . . deadly consequences.

The Bible never recounts Daniel yelling in protest or even trying to dissuade the King, instead Daniel is depicted as a mere bystander. Yet, the moment the King lifted his hand from his signed name Daniel had a choice, he could obey man rather than God OR obey God rather than man. The book of Daniel reveals to us Daniel's choice: "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went home. And in his upper  room with his windows open toward Jerusalem he knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God . . ." (Daniel 6:10 NKJV).

Amazing! It is as if the decree made no effect on him; perhaps because all that was within him was already wholly devoted to God . . . alone! Later, as we know, Daniel is taken into the lion's den for defying the King's decree, but God remained faithful to Daniel and protected him from the fierce lions.

Peer pressure has been around since God made the world, just look back at Adam and Eve. Eve first took a bite of the forbidden fruit, then she persuaded Adam to change his values and conform to hers--perfect example of the origin of peer pressure.

Encourage Their Gifts!

What is your child's gift?

No, I am not talking about their gift from their last birthday or from Christmas. I am talking about the gift that God gave them. If we do not know the gift God has given them and do not encourage them in that gift, how can we expect them to fully worship God with their lives?

Jesus gave an interesting parable regarding talents. In this parable, Jesus states that a man was traveling far away and so he gave his servants different amounts of talents. The man gave five talents to one servant, two talents to another, and then one talent to yet another servant.

Eventually, (and without notice) the man returned to see what each of the servants had done with what he gave them. The man was pleased with two of the servants who had used the talents he gave them and actually increased their worth. Yet, the man was very displeased with the last servant who did nothing with his talent; instead, the man dug a hole and hid the talent in the ground. The man rebuked him as a wicked and lazy servant and commanded him to be cast out into utter darkness (Matt. 25:14-30 NKJV).

God has given each of our children "talents" to use in their lifetime. Some of our children will have many talents and some will only have one. Yet, regardless of the amount, the critical question is what will they do with what God gives them? Will they use it to the best of their ability and please God or will they disregard it and hide it underground and displease God? The answer to that question may very well depend upon what we (as parents) are doing to encourage what God has given each of them.

The Invisible Visible God

Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. These are just a couple of the endless imaginary people that children are exposed to.

However, as our children physically and emotionally mature they realize that Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy were never really real. At that moment, they no longer "believe" in them, but become aware that it was all fabricated to entertain them.

Fun as that all may be, it is frightening to think though that some children may place Jesus Christ into that category of imaginary people. We, as parents, talk about Jesus all the time, we read about Him, and we pray to Him, but do our children truly believe in Him? Do they know the difference between children fables and spiritual realities?

Every day I talk to my children about Jesus Christ. They are almost always attentive and receptive to what I have to say, but when they are scared or frustrated the truth comes out that they question His reality.

"How come I can't see Him?" or "Why can't I hear His voice?" are just some of the questions that are asked of us. I don't know about you, but when these questions come I find it difficult to explain to them how to believe in something that they cannot see, hear, or feel, but it is absolutely necessary that we do!

If we truly want our children to live a life that glorifies God then we must enable them to see Him, hear Him, and feel Him. When they do, then they will be able to see that He is not an imaginary person; instead they will see Him as He is and be in awe. The natural result of them seeing Him, hearing Him, and feeling Him will be to worship Him.

Pray . . . at ALL times

 

I knelt down at the edge of my son's bed and leaned in toward his small body. I clasped my hands together and asked if he would say the bedtime prayer. He closed his tired small eyes and recited, "Thank you God for the food we are about to eat. Amen."

My son had been accustomed to praying only for dinner and praying at bedtime. At that particular moment he merely got confused about which one he was praying for and resorted to the dinnertime prayer. This instantly revealed to me that he believed prayer only came on two occasions: dinner and bedtime.

The Bible tells us to "[p]ray without ceasing,"  which means to pray at ALL times and never stop. (1 Thess 5:17, NKJV) I have shared this with my children on various occasions as a reminder to them that they can talk to God at anytime they want. I instruct them that they can pray for big things or small things. They can pray at any time during the day OR night.Prayer is an important part of Instilling a Life Long Passion for Worship to our Lord.

I recall when my first child was an infant. She would cry endlessly throughout the night. With swollen eyes and a weary body, I would drag myself to her crib and try to figure out what was causing her pain. I would change her pamper, feed her milk, burp her, massage her, cover her, etc. I remember thinking that I could not wait until she could talk so that I would know what she needed from me.

Thou shalt obey!

 

OBEDIENCE. This is by far one of the most difficult things to teach our children. Every day I have to discipline my children for their disobedience, from the tiniest offenses to the large offenses. Disobedience is a defiant little creature that naturally flows from their little bodies, but it is our job to stop it and direct them to the road of obedience. When we teach them to obey we teach them to worship.

In the book of Jeremiah, God commands the children of Israel saying: "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you" (Jeremiah 7:23 NKJV). Throughout the Bible God commands us to obey Him in all that we do so that it may go well with us.

The Bible further instructs "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" (Ephesians 6:1 NKJV). There is no clearer God-given instruction than this--children MUST obey their parents. But, if left to their own wishes and desires they will not obey their parents, instead they will obey their own fleshly desires. So, as parents, it is our responsibility to assist them in learning how to obey. How do we do that? We do that by disciplining them when they disobey and reward them when they obey.

God is the perfect example of how to discipline disobedience. Time and time again we see the children of Israel disobey God, which results in God's righteous wrath being poured out against them. However, when the children of Israel turn from the false gods and choose to obey God whole-heartedly, God's open arms invite them in and bless them with peace and prosperity.

Pure Worship

My kids and I love worship music.

Every morning, during breakfast, we listen to the melodious sounds of worship reaching its way up to our King. Sometimes I get my children in a circle and we dance and sing together, praising the Lord. I often encourage them to raise their little hands and praise God while they are singing. They each begin
to shyly giggle as they excitedly lift up their tiny hands and outstretched hearts--it is beautiful!

My family is blessed to be able to send our children to a wonderful Christian school. Each Tuesday morning they have what is called chapel, where the entire elementary school gathers in the cafeteria and spends over half an hour praising the Lord through songs and dance.

On a few occasions, I have had the opportunity to sit in on their chapel programs and what I have witnessed is breathtaking. It is an amazing feeling to be around many people who are wholeheartedly singing and worshiping God, but there is nothing that compares to being surrounded by young, innocent children who are singing of their immense love of Jesus with such pure and sincere hearts . . . it is indescribable. Each time I have witnessed this, I have left with tears welled up in my eyes because it is a scene like no other, a scene of pure worship.

Cleaning Beans . . . of the Heart

"What are you doing Mom?" my 7-year old curiously asked.

I was in the midst of cleaning beans, which involved intently looking at each bean to determine its condition and taking out the old or rotted ones. I peered down at my daughter's innocent face and God instantly put a message on my heart.

I began to explain to her that I was cleaning beans and I explained what it entailed. I then begin to tell her that God does the same thing to our hearts if we ask Him to. I   described that when we ask God to forgive our sins, He also takes out the rotted and old (sin) part of our hearts and makes it clean. I went on to tell her that in order to truly worship and fellowship with God, our hearts must be cleaned on a daily basis through the asking of forgiveness of our sins.

Children must be taught at an early age the importance of asking forgiveness from God. The most well-known Christian prayer is the one found in Matthew 6: "Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV).  You will notice that it is asking for DAILY bread and the forgiveness of debts--on a daily basis.

Every night, I tuck each of my kids in their bed and pray with them. The length and deepness of each prayer differs with each child depending on their age. With my 7-year old daughter, I delve deep into prayer, with my 5-year old son the prayer is a little lighter, and with my 3-year old son I get straight to the point as soon as possible before he loses interest and begins jumping everywhere.

Instilling the Fear of God

 

Children are afraid of many things. Some of those fears are warranted, while others are hard to understand unless seen through the eyes of the fearful child.

Like many young children, the dark scares my two sons. Both of them refuse to go to sleep at night unless their bedroom lights are beaming in their tiny faces. Somehow they are able to fall asleep in their brightened rooms; it is then that I tiptoe in and turn out the lights. On the occasions the clicking switch wakes them up, they wake up screaming in terror because they are engulfed in darkness and  I have to turn the lights on again.

For those of us that have suffered with fear (adults and children) it can be a paralyzing and devastating experience. However, there is a fear that has the opposite effect; a fear that is frees and comforts its "victim"--the fear of the Lord.

When we tell our children that they must fear God, their undeveloped usually struggle with understanding how they can fear God and love Him at the same time; it's the ultimate contradiction in their minds. Yet, in the book of Psalms King David commands, "Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psalm 34:11 NKJV). King David had much insight and godly knowledge to share, and must have felt that the fear of the Lord was important to understand. 

A Thankful Heart

"Say thank you" I commanded, "Thank you" my son halfheartedly responded as he eagerly gripped the chocolate granola bar and then darted away.

As parents, we continually try and embed thankfulness in our children. We constantly remind them to thank us when we do something for them or to thank others when they do or give them something. Usually, our primary goal in doing this to instill manners in our children, so that they learn how to be respectful. However, how often do we remind our children to thank God for all that He has given them? Sure, we insist that we say a prayer of thanksgiving before we eat at the dinner table, but do we encourage or require prayers of thankfulness to God beyond that?

At our home, before we eat dinner there is usually the sound of little children arguing over who will say the prayer. All my children are eager to be the one to pray and usually the two older ones prevail.  However, sometimes my youngest, the three-year old, gets to pray and when he does we usually sit there for quite some time. As he begins to pray, he lists everything (one by one) that he is thankful to God for. He thanks Jesus for the couches, the televisions, the chairs, etc. As he takes inventory of our home we try and make eye contact with him, nod our head to confirm the ending of the prayer, and very noticeably mouth the words "Amen". Yet, instead of halting his beautiful display of sincere thankfulness, we should be encouraging it.We should encourage our children to thank God for every thing in their lives, both big and small.

In a child's little world, they believe that they are entitled to everything they see. From the very moment they take their first breath, food and comfort are supplied to them at their every request. This continues on for a few years (in some cases it never ends) instilling the belief in them that they are entitled to everything, hence their legendary remark "Mine!" Children believe that everything is about them and they begin to exemplify a prideful attitude and heart. Yet, the Bible says, "A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor" (Prov 29:23 NKJV).

Craving the Word

I don't like my children to drink coke and only on rare occasions will I allow them to have some. When my three year old son was only two, he had a taste of coke--big mistake! My husband and I often drink coke for dinner and one night I left the table to get something and my son slid down from his chair, grabbed my coke, and took a big gulp. I quickly ran back and retrieved the coke from him, but it was too late--he had already got a taste of the goodness of coke! Ever since that one taste, my son begs for a drink of coke because he craves it.

We, as parents, should diligently seek to instill a craving for God's Word in our children. We should give them the initial taste, so that they taste its sweetness and crave more. How do we do this? First, we allow them to see our own craving. You see, my son saw me drinking coke often and he must have concluded it tasted good if I drank it so often. The same applies to the Word of God. If our children see us reading God's Word often and getting excited about what we read, they too will yearn to read it and see what is in it that makes it so exciting.

Children are excellent impersonators; they closely look at our actions and try and do what we do. Just tonight, I was talking with my husband and as we were talking I saw my five year old son standing next to him mimicking him. While we were talking, my son had ran into his room and put on a t-shirt that matched my husband's t-shirt. He ran back in the room and stood next to my husband with his matching t-shirt and arms crossed just like his daddy. It was cute and funny, but oh what a perfect example of how closely they watch us and how eager they are to mimic us.

If our children see us reading the Word of God, they too will want to read the Word of God. They will be curious to know what is so special about it that keeps us interested and reading it so often. However, if they never see us reading God's Word or they see us reading it sporadically, they will conclude that it is not interesting or important and they will not develop a craving for it.

God's Gift

Can you imagine if our omnipresent and all-powerful God sent us a special gift that He created with His own hands? I am sure upon receiving such gift, we would all cling to it and take extra care of it. But the likelihood of this actually happening is slim to none right? WRONG!

God has given us many gifts, such as eternal life, spiritual gifts, etc. However, God has also delivered a very special gift to each of us which is unlike any other; we can touch this gift with our own hands and hearts--this gift is our children. The Bible says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights . . ." (James 1:17 NKJV). Our  children are the perfect examples of such a gift spoken of in the book of James. In God's grace and righteousness, He willed to give our children to us as gifts. Yet, He does not intend for us to keep our children forever; instead, He temporarily entrusts them to us to protect them, nurture them, and instill a godly heart within them so that they could find their way back to Him to spend eternity with Him.

Like you, I pray for my children often. I pray for protection for my children, I pray for each of them to have godly discernment, and I pray for them to have a genuine faith (among other prayers). When I pray I sometimes say something like, "Lord, please protect my children . . . ." However, this prayer is incorrect because they are not my children; they are first God's children and then my children so actually they are our children.

I recall all three occasions when my husband and I proudly stood before our congregation and dedicated our children back to the Lord. We each had our best clothes on and we proudly stood amidst the flashing cameras and rolling videos. However, God looked beyond the superficial show and listened intently to the promise we made to Him. That day we promised to faithfully perform our duties as Christian parents--to raise them according to His commands and guide them on the path that would eventually lead them back to Him. Let us not forget such promises because He doesn't.

Walking the talk

 

You have heard the saying, "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is probably a duck."

Similarly, many people look like Christians, by displaying their shiny cross pendants, bright colored bumper stickers, and bold evangelistic t-shirts. Some people also quack like Christians, by speaking in Christian lingo, by quoting scripture verses, and by praying publicly. However, when it comes to "swimming" (or acting) like a Christian, it sometimes stops there. As you know, the unfortunate reality is that many people can look and speak like Christians, but not always live like Christians.

A common criticism of Christianity is that many people call themselves Christians, but do not live a life that reflects the Truths they proclaim. These so called Christians say all the right things, but do all the wrong things. People see this hypocrisy and turn away from any hopes of knowing the Lord.

The sad truth is that we are born sinful and separated from God. But, as mothers, it is our duty to raise our children to know how to walk in the way of the Lord. We use every opportunity to witness to them in the hopes of them receiving Jesus Christ into their hearts and being saved. However, if our children witness us mothers saying one thing and doing another, they are apt to also see this hypocrisy and turn away from the Lord. When we live a double life in front of our children, they are quickly turned off from God and our words become like resounding gongs to them, just noise but no truth.

A Mother's Garden

I love gardens. I love the vibrant colors, the captivating scents, and the tranquil ambiance they produce.

On several occasions, I have attempted to grow a beautiful garden of my own. Initially, I am excited and motivated to grow my own garden. I begin by setting out a perfect spot in my yard to plant my garden, I buy the seeds that depict the perfect flowers I want to grow, and then I plant the seeds in the ground. I start out watering my garden and taking good care of it, but soon my attentiveness begins to fade. I begin to overlook watering the garden, weeding the garden and pruning the garden. Soon the budding flowers that hold the potential of splendor quickly begin to wither and become a sore sight to the eye.

As mothers, we confidently proclaim that it is our aim to raise God-fearing children who obey the Lord, serve the Lord and adore the Lord. We all want that beautiful garden--you know, the godly children that sprout into godly adults. However, we sometimes fail to realize that just as a garden will not flourish without constant nurturing and attention, our children will also not thrive spiritually unless we plant the seed of God in their hearts and continue to water, weed, and prune it daily. 

March 19, 2006. I remember that day vividly. As I drove my (then) four year-old daughter to school, she asked me the question. Yes, the question every Christian parent longs to hear, "Mommy, how do I get Jesus in my heart?" Her tender yet profound question wrenched at my heart. Immediately I deleted my mental to-do list, turned off the radio and decelerated in the midst of rush hour. I then spent those next precious moments explaining to my daughter how to accept Jesus Christ into her heart and be saved.

Come Let Us Worship and Adore Him

Merriam Webster defines worship as "to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor or devotion."

I love to write devotionals, short stories, and poems. God uses most of my writing to encourage and instill a passion for worship in the women at my church. My desire is to encourage and grow them to know and live fervently for Jesus Christ. However, I have an even stronger call to instill that same passion in my own children.  

I have three small children, ages 7, 5 and 3 (a girl and two boys). I love them dearly and strive to bring them up in the fear and admiration of our Lord and Savior. My heart's desire is for them to know who this Mighty King of endless days is; for them to know Him by name and feel His love and peace deep in their little hearts. In essence, I want them to know Him personally and love Him dearly. 

Worship is not just something that is taught on its own, like teaching our children how to ride a bike. Instead, it comes as a result of first understanding and experiencing the almighty power and love of the One that deserves our adoration. It is critical to reveal to our little ones who God is and how much He loves them. You see, once we taste and see His goodness, it's impossible not adore our Mighty Father who has sacrificed so much to bring us to Him! By whetting their appetites with the reality of who our heavenly Father is, we are able to open our children's hearts and incite within them a hunger to love and adore Jesus Christ.

Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere

Rainbows--God's promise that it will never flood again. Mountains-- if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move a mountain. Gardens--Jesus' parable of the sower and the seed. Door--Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart, will you open it? Hair--God knows the number of hairs on our heads. Path--which path will you take, the one that leads to eternal life or the one that leads to eternal death?

Nature, on its own, gives us endless opportunities to share God's Word with our children. Everyday routines, events, and even stresses can be perfect occasions for instilling God's Word and love in their little hearts. We truly have no reason to not teach them about Jesus' love, His grace, and to have faith and hope in Him on a daily basis. Sometimes we, as parents, feel that the only way to teach them about God is to crack open a Christian childrens book or the Bible and read it to them, not realizing that we also have the ability to teach them through everyday events.

I recall a woman once saying that she loved to take her young daughter on "praise walks." On these walks she took her daughter down pathways and admired the beauty of nature while praising God for all of His creation. Immediately when I heard her say this I felt convicted because I had never realized that teaching my children about God could be so simple. I know we all have good intentions, but sometimes it ends where it begins . . .with mere intentions. Although, some of us may go a bit further and sometimes grab a Bible at night and read it to our children before they drift off to sleep. Our inconsistent teaching of God's Word to our children is usually blamed on the demands of life and hectic schedules. However, not only should we be reading God's Word to our children daily, but we need to use every opportunity to teach them about God's love, His sacrifice, and the saving blood of Jesus Christ. We need to look beyond the legalistic structure of what it means to teach our little ones about God and, instead, allow it to be a normal part of everyday life.

The Most Important Assignment You Have

We have many responsibilities as mother's. Here, we will focus on one of the most important of all. I believe it IS the most important one. We instill a lot of things into our children as the are growing up. From very young ages we set habits into motion. I remember the first time Isis slept in her actual crib. She spent the first 3 months literally sleeping on my chest. She was the best baby, but she would not sleep without lying on me, not even beside me was good enough. This was challenging, as each night I propped my pillows up high, both behind me and beside me to support my arms as I held her and we both slept.  I just knew when she was ready to move into her crib. So, I laid her in, with no hesitation from either of us.  It was an easy transition. Then there was teaching her to sleep through the night, and later to drop the binkie, then the diapers, picking up toys, cleaning her room, doing her school work, taking care of the dog, cleaning the kitchen, calling me when she arrives at a friends house after seeing a movie. Soon, she will be driving! We just never stop instilling lessons, rules, habits in our children.

But, what about what we instill in them spiritually? Are we making their spiritual needs as important? What are you instilling in your child spiritually today? Taking them to Sunday school? Doing a bible study through your homeschool or Christian private school? Maybe you even do devotions with your kids. You play christian music in the house and sing kids worship songs in the car. These are all great! But are you truly creating an atmosphere of worship?

Well, what IS worship? The English word worship means, 'worthy', 'worthwhile', or 'having worth.' My favorite description that I have heard is, "Worship is the individual adoration of God." This hits me in the heart. It's you and Him, our Father, anytime, any place, and in everything you do. Clint Brown (my former pastor) wrote and sings one of my favorite songs. It's called, 'Alone'.

You don't need majestic choirs
With awesome voices raised
You don't need a congregation
To offer Me your praise
You don't need a mighty orchestra to bless Me with your song
You get all of My attention when you worship me alone.