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Having A Thankful Heart

Truthsfortots Blog, Guest Blog November 6, 2013November 6, 2013children, family, family activities, parenting 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalms 100:4

It’s that time of year again in which we focus on having a thankful heart. Obviously, it is something that we should be working on all year, but it is a good time to focus on being thankful for many reasons.

1. We are getting closer to the Christmas season in which often our “wanters” get out of wack!

2. It helps us to refocus on what is important.

3. It helps us to realize how blessed we are.

4. It helps us to see other people’s needs and get the focus off of ourselves.

As mom’s we really need to work on being thankful on a daily basis. Especially on those days when we feel like we are drowning under the needs of our children!

The Bible commands us to be thankful. I Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Every thing is a BIG word that covers a lot of ground. You can substitute any situation for the word “every thing” and the command still works.

“In doing 5 loads of laundry give thanks.”

“In changing another dirty diaper give thanks.”

“In hearing some undesirable news give thanks.”

It’s obviously not easy to be thankful in all things and it is something that I have to work on daily!

We also need to teach our children to be thankful and not to focus on themselves.

So, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I have a couple of ideas you can use that would be visible reminders to our children just how much they have to be thankful for.

A Thankfulness Chain

When I taught school, I sometimes did this with my students for answered prayer. Here is how it works.

1. Take 8 1/2 x 11 construction paper and cut it into 1 inch strips. You will need ALOT of construction paper based on the size of your family.

2. Have the children write, draw, or tell you something they are thankful for and put it on the strip of paper.

3. Bring the ends of the strip together and staple the ends.

4. Insert another strip through the first circle and staple the ends together.

5. Keep repeating this process to make a chain

6. Hang the chain from the ceiling

You can then use the chain to decorate your Christmas tree.

We have been using the following idea in our family.

Picture Frame

1. Take a large picture frame. Nail small nails in the back of the frame.

2. Use small gauge wire and string the wire between the nails.

3. Take 4×6 cards and cut them into thirds. (I used colored ones)

4. Have your child write, draw, or tell you something they are thankful for and put it on the paper.

5. Take a clothes pin and hang the cards from the wire.

We do the “Thankful” cards each night during family devotions. I put all the supplies in a jar and after we read the Bible the kids draw what they are thankful for. Then we go around the table and tell what we are thankful for. Only rule – no repeats!

My 3rd child drew what he wanted for Christmas on the card the first night. We had to reteach the activity and then he got it.

There are many more ideas you can use. These are just two.

As we go into the holiday season let us remember to have a thankful heart for EVERY THING!

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” I Chronicles 16:34

Until next week,

Rebekah

How to Read With Your Child: Eight Steps

Truthsfortots Blog, Cathy Jo's Blog October 28, 2013February 7, 2014children, family, family activities, parenting, scripture 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “… And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD.” 2 Kings 23:3

We all want our children to develop a love for the written word. It has been said, “The love of reading is made on the lap of a parent.”

As soon as possible begin reading to your child. Holding your child while reading builds a secure attachment and associates this feeling with enjoyment of books. Board books and board books with textures or sounds are good so the very young child can eventually pick up on their own and not tear the pages. Early childhood books that teach concepts as colors, shapes, letters, numbers, and animals are great to begin with as they increase vocabulary by teaching about the child’s world. Also, include books that teach about God’s love to your child at the very formative time. Some suggestions are: If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart by Lord, Guess How Much I Love You by McBratney, The Blessings Jar by Coble, God Keeps You Safe by Medlock, Jesus Is... a Debby Anderson board book pack of three books.
Before opening the book briefly talk about the cover of the book. Engage the child with the illustration on the cover. Ask a question associated with the cover that makes the child start thinking about the book.
Read with expression. Make up a voice to match the personality of the main character.
If there is a repetitive line in the book read it with emphasize and have the child join in as you read that particular phrase.
Talk about the illustrations in the book.
While reading anywhere at any time is wonderful also make a special time a place. Maybe before bed, so plan some extra time for reading before it is time to tuck everyone in bed.
Read together every day.
Be willing to read the same book again and again. We all have favorites.

Reading changes everything! King Josiah, the king in 2 Kings of the Bible, became king when he was eight years old. In the eighteenth year of his reign workers found the book of the law in the temple where it had been hidden away for many years. Josiah had the Book of the Covenant (which were scrolls that later became part of the Bible) read to all the people. King Josiah and the people then knew what God expected from them. King Josiah then knew how to better care for the people entrusted to him once God’s Word was read.

Reading God’s Word with your children will change their lives. When children are very young, read Bibles written for preschoolers and follow the above eight steps.

Bible stories that are excellent for young children are: Read-Aloud Bible Story Books

What are some of your favorite books to read with your child?

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment,

Cathy Jo Johnson

Motherhood: The Race of Endurance

Truthsfortots Blog, Guest Blog October 23, 2013October 23, 2013children, family, parenting 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

This past Saturday, 12 of us (11 ladies and 1 young man – such a sport) got up super early and ran a 3 team marathon relay race. Did I mention it was pouring rain and that the temp was hovering around 45 degrees?

Not exactly the type of morning you would wake up and say, “I think today would be a great day to run a marathon relay race.”

When you run 5 miles by yourself (although you are surrounded by hundreds of other runners), your mind starts to wander and you get into a zone.

I try to keep someone in front of me who is running about my pace. I read other peoples shirts, listen to other people’s conversations, and think.

This time I got to think about this race. It had 3 hills – not what I was expecting. They weren’t bad but they were hills.

The rain wasn’t even noticeable once I started my portion of the race. Gloves came off at mile 2 and by the time I did the exchange to my friend at mile 5, I felt great.

Then the waiting occurred. I waited at the next exchange point of the race with 3 other team mates and by the time the 2nd exchange occurred 70 minutes later (they had a 7.5 mile run), I couldn’t stop shivering.

Then you wait some more for the last 2 legs of the race to finish.

The waiting was worse by far than the running in the rain. The company was great, but the cold not so much!

I got to thinking this week. That relay race somewhat resembles motherhood.

You all have those mornings when we wake up and we just know it is going to be “one of those days”. None of us wake up on those mornings willingly saying, “Today is a great day to be a mom”.

Yet, we get up and face our day with our kiddos because that is what we committed to do the minute we knew we were going to be a mom.

Sometimes there are hills along the way.

Hills in running build your strength and endurance. So do the hills in the race of motherhood. Some are just harder than others.

The hills in motherhood are different for each mom. Some hills that you had to overcome were easier for you than for other moms. However, we encourage each other along the way. Just as we runners encourage each other to get up those hills in the race.

Then comes the waiting.

In a relay race, while waiting for your other teammates to come in, you aren’t just standing there. You are “actively” waiting – whether it is renourishing your body, warming up your muscles, getting your gear on, or just mentally getting ready for the next part of the race.

The same is true in motherhood. There will be moments of waiting. Waiting to for God to get a hold of a child’s heart or waiting for some encouraging news from a doctor. Yet, as we wait, we are active.

We are praying to God for guidance. We are searching the scriptures for truths that we can apply and promises that we can claim.

Once the waiting is done, the race will continue.

One of my favorite “run” verses in the Bible is Ecclesiastes 9:11, “the race is not to the swift”. Thank goodness because I will NEVER be fast.

Motherhood is the same way. We all have days that are harder than others, but this is not a “swift” race. This is a race that we are in for the long haul.

Unlike a relay race, we can’t run a certain length of being a mom and then hand it over to someone else. That is where the parallels stop. We have to continue for the whole length of the race.

At the end, we will be rewarded for how faithful we were in our race called “motherhood”.

My two middle kiddos ran a total of 25 miles over a number of weeks so that they could run one more mile at this race and get a medal “just like mom’s”.

I ran with my daughter and my hubs ran with our son. When our son was told to go, he went. I have never seen him run so fast.

My daughter ran at her own pace – much slower.

At the end, they received the exact same medal.

So mom’s, be faithful in running your race.

Until next week,

Rebekah

Appearance: The Lesson from a Pumpkin

Truthsfortots Blog, Guest Blog October 16, 2013October 16, 2013children, family, family devotions, parenting 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

I love the appearance of the collage pumpkins and mums make on a doorstep. Their appearance marks the beginning of fall. To me, they are some of the most beautiful fruit. I mean, really, how many other fruit do we decorate our doorsteps with? (Yes, it is technically a fruit.)

There is one thing that I despised about pumpkins when I was a little girl – the guts! I hated it when my dad would pull out a handful a pumpkin guts and try to get us dirty with it. To me the insides were ooey, gooey, and slimy.

Then, we would have to rinse the pumpkin seeds of the stringy goo so that we could roast the seeds. We all enjoyed the seeds but to get to the good part you had to go through all the gross part!

I was thinking about that the other day when I was cleaning out the insides of some freshly cooked pumpkins.

I had gone with my boys on their field trip to the pumpkin patch. My youngest picked out a perfectly shaped pumpkin. My older son picked out a pumpkin with some marks on it. I picked out one with some mud on it but I could tell it was a good one.

My middle son couldn’t believe that I would pick a dirty one until he started wiping the dirt off in the hay of the wagon. Slowly, as the dirt was rubbed away, he saw what I had seen. He took one look at his marked up pumpkin and decided he wanted mine.

When you looked at the outward appearance of our two pumpkins, my was definitely a 10. However, when I cut them open, the insides were both consistent of that ooey, gooey mess.

It reminded me of Jesus talking to the pharisees. The pharisees were so concerned about their outward appearance that they didn’t bother to take care of what was inside.

In fact, the Savior used rather forceful language to describe them (Matthew 23:27). He compares the pharisees to whited sepulchres – beautiful on the outside but full of dead bodies.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Appearance is a big deal in our time. Let’s face it – we are bombarded with magazines, commercials, billboards, etc on how to improve our appearances. Yet, I don’t see too many magazines, commercials, or billboards on how to improve our inside – our heart.

Why is that? Ummm – hello – nobody can see it!

Don’t get me wrong, your appearance does say a lot about you. Remember, God told Samuel that man looks on the outward appearance. We can’t help it, we’re human. However, that shouldn’t be our focus.

Our outward appearance is not the most important part of our appearance. God doesn’t see how well we dress or if we have the latest fashion or if our house looks like something out of Pottery Barn. Instead God looks at our heart. He knows every thought, motive, concern that we have. He sees our heart.

There are a myriad of examples in the Bible where God looked on the heart and not the outward appearance. One last example is given to us in Luke 7.

Go back to those whited sepulchre pharisees. One woman, the Bible calls her a sinner, heard that Jesus was eating at one of these pharisee’s homes. She brings a bottle of ointment, about a years worth of wages, and walks right into this pharisee’s home.

She then does the unthinkable. She washes Jesus feet with the ointment and her tears and then washes them with her hair. Jesus looked past her outward appearance and looked right into her heart.

Moms, as we raise our children we need to be more concerned with their heart than their appearance.

So how do we use the pumpkin to teach our little ones about God looking on the heart.

1. Believe that I am a sinner and that Jesus died for my sins. (Romans 3:23, John 3:16, Acts 16:31)

2. God has to clean our hearts from sin. (I John 1:9, Psalms 51:10)

3. Sometimes it isn’t pleasant but God has to scoop out all the sin to help us make our hearts match our outward appearance. (Psalms 51:7)

So, as you clean out the inside of your pumpkins this year, take the time to teach your own little “pumpkins” the lesson you can learn from a pumpkin: Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.

Until next Wednesday,

Rebekah

Columbus Day: The Real Story

Truthsfortots Blog, Cathy Jo's Blog October 14, 2013October 14, 2013family, parenting, special days, teaching activities 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “Oh send out your light and truth! Let them lead me… ” Psalm 43:3 a

Columbus Day finds some families on fall break. Other families may be taking advantage of the low prices at Columbus Day sales. Many elementary age children are discussing Christopher Columbus at school.

There was Queen Isabella who helped Columbus achieve his goals by providing money. The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria were commissioned to sail Columbus to the New World. Columbus was born in Italy. These are some facts about Columbus but are children taught the real facts about Columbus?

There is a wonderful book entitled, “The Light and Glory” by Peter Marshall and David Manuel that provides insight about Columbus Day. It shares historical accounts from 1492 to 1793 and tells how God’s will was sought and where God’s sovereignty was seen throughout America’s history.

“His name, Christopher, literally means Christ-bearer. Indeed, he found confirmation of his call almost everywhere he looked. He would quote in his journal such lines of Scripture as those in Isaiah that meant so much to him.”

“Listen to me, O coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar,

The LORD called me from the womb,

from the body of my mother he named my name…

I will give you as a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

Isaiah 49:1,6″

Marshall’s and Manuel’s research gleaned much insight into the man of Christopher Columbus. Columbus’s personal journals are quoted. “‘I prayed to the most merciful Lord concerning my desire, and He gave me the spirit and the intelligence for it. He gave me abundant skill in the mariner’s arts, an adequate understanding of the stars, and of geometry and arithmetic…God has equipped me for this voyage. ‘”

Columbus made many voyages once funded by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. After two months and several days while sailing to the New World Columbus agreed to turn back in three days if no sign of land was seen. “At 2:00 a.m., (October 12, 1492) with less than four hours remaining before the dawn of the third and final day, the electrifying cry at last rang out from the Pinta…The lookout had spied what appeared to be a low white cliff shining in the moonlight, and Martin Pinzon confirmed the sighting by firing a cannon as a signal. Land!”

“Columbus was the first to set foot on dry land, carrying the royal standard, with the brothers Pinzon directly behind him, bearing a huge white banner with a green cross and the crowned initials of Ferdinand and Isabella on either side of it.”

“Several of the sailors scooped out a deep hole in the hot sand and firmly planted the eight -foot oak cross Columbus had brought especially for this occasion. Then the entire company gathered around it and knelt, many with tears in their eyes. The Admiral christened the island San Salvador-“Holy Savior”-and then bowed their heads as he prayed: ‘O Lord, Almighty and everlasting God, by Thy holy Word Thou hast created the heaven, and the earth, and the sea; blessed and glorified be Thy Name, and praised be Thy Majesty, which hath deigned to use us, Thy humble servants, that Thy holy Name may be proclaimed in this second part of the earth.'”

Columbus’s good intentions and desire to serve God on future voyages waned as the desire of gold and honor outweighed his earlier passion of serving God first. “The preoccupation with gold, which had subtly insinuated itself into the fabric of Columbus’s first explorations in the New World, was now becoming an obsession.”

On his last voyage Columbus and his crew overcame many obstacles. “Columbus may have turned away from God, but God did not turn away from Columbus. By sheer grace God brought him and his remaining crew members safely home to Spain. But this time there was no royal summons inviting him to court. Queen Isabella way dying. It was the end of an era.”

“In the spring of 1506 Columbus’s health began to fail quickly” and Columbus died.

May we follow Psalm 43:3 and follow God’s light and truth. May we not become consumed with desires that lead us away from God. May we lead our children in paths of truth. May we learn from people’s mistakes as well as their good choices as we study from history and the Bible.

There is also a children’s version of “Light and Glory” that would be excellent reading with your child.

Now you know the “rest of the story” about Christopher Columbus and the reason for Columbus Day.

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment.

Cathy Jo

Trust the Engineer: Trusting God

Truthsfortots Blog, Cathy Jo's Blog October 12, 2013October 12, 2013christian, family, parenting, scripture 0 Comment

Daily Truth: In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11

“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” Corrie Ten Boom

This remarkable woman spent the first 50 years of her life with her father and sister above their watch shop in Holland. When World War II broke out they spent their time hiding persecuted Jewish people.

Her love of Christ sustained her through the very difficult time when Corrie and her family were found out and taken to Nazi concentration camps. Her faith in God carried her through the death of her father, sister and the many trying times within the concentration camps.

After Corrie’s release she spent the rest of her life telling others of God’s love, provision, and power.

God’s Words are true, powerful and can be trusted. Teaching God’s Word to children provides peace, encouragement and hope in a world that is ever changing.

When teaching a Bible verse make sure that the child knows what each word means . In Psalm 56:11 the word “trust” means to “put confidence in” or “to be safe”. David, this Psalm’s author, writes Psalm 56 after the Philistines captured him in Gath. We know that later Gath was subdued by the Israelites. God can be trusted. We do not need to be afraid.

Corrie Ten Boom is Scripturally correct in the earlier quote. God can be trusted to be the engineer

We can learn much from Corrie Ten Boom’s life. A wonderful book to read with your child is “Heroes for Young Readers: Corrie Ten Boom”.

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment.

Cathy Jo

Pumpkin Delight: Yummy Pumpkin Recipes

Truthsfortots Blog, Guest Blog October 9, 2013October 9, 2013children, family, family activities, parenting 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “To everything there is a season.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

As I promised last week, this week I am going to post some pumpkin recipes that are easy and you can do with your kiddos.

I am not a great cook, nor do I always enjoy it. My sister – on the other- hand can make anything taste AMAZING! Needless to say, the easier, the shorter, the quicker, the better and these recipes meet that criteria!

I have found that one of the ways to encourage my kids to eat dinner is to have them help prepare the meal. Now, I don’t do this every time. My sanity won’t allow it. But every once in awhile, they do help and enjoy helping in the preparation of a meal.

This was the case with Pumpkin Chili. My youngest son was so proud of the fact that he “made” dinner “all by himself” that he ate 2 helpings of the chili. Now you have to understand, he is my most difficult eater. Under normal circumstances, Pumpkin Chili would have been a dinner time – ummm – issue shall we say.

So here is the recipe,

Pumpkin Chili

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1 clove minced garlic

1 can of black beans drained and rinsed ( You can also use 1 lb of turkey meat. Just brown it before putting it in the crock pot.)

1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 1/2 TBLS chili powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream ( I used plain Fage Greek yogurt)

Throw everything into the crock pot except the cheese and sour cream. Mix. Cover and set on low. Cook 4-5 hours. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

I served this with a tortilla chips and corn. Another note, I like my soups a little thicker. Just add about 2 cups of noodles the last hour of cooking. This is an easy recipe to double and freeze for another meal.

The other night we had homemade pizza. I had gotten pumpkin pasta sauce from the Fresh Market and wanted to try it. So, I made a small pizza for me with the pumpkin pasta sauce, topped it with shredded fresh spinach, chopped mushrooms, goat cheese, and basil. Super yum!!

Since I was on this pumpkin kick I had to try this pumpkin bar recipe I found. This is incredibly easy and much healthier for your family than the “normal” version.

OK. So, the picture doesn’t do it justice, But believe me, you’ve GOT TO TRY THESE!!!

Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars

1/2 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c maple flavored almond butter (Regular almond butter works as well)

1/3 c honey

2 eggs

2 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 pan. Combine all ingredients and mix until well combined. Transfer into greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly brown and center is firm. Cool. Cut.

To add extra yumminess to this recipe, top with a maple glaze.

Maple Glaze

3/4 c almonds (pecans work too)

1/4 c maple syrup

2 TBLS coconut oil

1/4 c water

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth or creamy.

Verdict: The kids inhaled these. Their only complaint was that they were so small! (I cut them into 16 servings – call me stingy!)

To finish my pumpkin food yumminess I had to try this Pumpkin Granola recipe. Another fantabulous (fantastic + fabulous) recipe. This was super yummy on top of warm homemade apple sauce!

Pumpkin Granola

1/4 c uncooked Quinoa (find this near the rice section in your grocery store)

1 1/2 c rolled oats

1/4 c ground flaxseed

1/4 c sunflower seeds (or any type of seed)

1/4 c walnuts (pecans or almonds work too)

1/2 c dried cranberries (or raisins)

1/4 c REAL maple syrup (or honey)

1/4 c pumpkin puree

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spread quinoa and oats on parchment lined baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes, stirring once. Remove oats from oven. Pour in a bowl and add flaxseed, sunflower seed, walnuts, and cranberries.

Reduce oven to 300 F.

In another bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and stir until well mixed. Pour over oats and combine well. Spread back onto baking sheet and bake another 20 minutes.

These are just a few ideas to cook up with your kids. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season.”

Have you ever read through Ecclesiastes 3? I encourage you to do so. Solomon pretty much sums up every possible phase of life we go through. When you take the time to ponder Ecclesiastes 3, you are reminded of the depth of life we live as well as it’s brevity.

So, enjoy this season with your little pumpkins.

Now I must brace myself before 8 hands “help” me with dinner!

Until next Wednesday,

Rebekah

Harvest More than Corn and Wheat: The Next Generation

Truthsfortots Blog, Cathy Jo's Blog October 4, 2013children, christian, family, parenting, scripture 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Matthew 9:37

This is the season of harvest. My farming friend from North Dakota told me, “We need a freeze to get things rolling.” I thought how interesting. Growth must be halted before the harvest is truly ready.

How introspective the child is in the photo. He is intently looking at the corn kernel. I think we could learn a thing or two from this child. As adults do we take time to intently look at God’s wonderful creation and His Word? God says that we are to become as a child.

As adults we get so wrapped up in schedules, a “to do” list, and “the cares of this world.” If we would look to God and His Word as intently as the little boy is looking at God’s creation we would keep the right perspective. The focus on sharing the Good News of Christ with others is what Jesus Christ told us to do. In fact it is the last thing Jesus told us to do as He ascended into heaven.

Do things around us and this world need to have a “hard freeze” before we finally seek something outside of ourselves to help, comfort, and guide us?

The mind of a child is curious always wanting to learn. Do we want to learn or are we too busy just getting the things of the day completed?

A child runs and then abruptly stops when there is something of interest. Is our interest in the things of God great enough to make us stop, learn and impart to others?

A child finds joy in simple things. How many times has the box a toy came in provided the most happiness? Sure those boxes become real houses, cars, schools and college payments for adults yet, how could we simplify and get back to more time with God? Is it a matter of discipline now that we are adults?

What about the next generation? What about us? Slow down, take time with God and His Word. Share God’s Word and His world with the children in your life.

Let’s teach the next generation about God and how to have a personal relationship with Christ. A good harvest of corn and wheat will sustain our bodies but only Christ will sustain our souls.

The harvest is truly plentiful!

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment,

Cathy Jo

The Influence of a Godly Grandparents

Truthsfortots Blog, Guest Blog September 19, 2013September 19, 2013children, christian, family 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” II Timothy 1:5

Tomorrow is going to be a tough day for my family. It marks the one year passing of my dad. He was so proud to be a grandparent! He was one of those that proudly wore his grandparent t-shirt and hat all at the same time. He prayed daily for all his grandchildren.

When my oldest child was born, he wrote his thoughts on being a grandparent. My sister found those thoughts shortly after he passed. So, today I am posting my dad’s words.

Having just become a new grandparent, I again realize the importance of passing our spiritual heritage on to our young people. Even though grandparents of teens are two generations away from them, grandparents can have a strong spiritual influence on their grandchildren.

In II Timothy 1:5, Lois is described as a grandmother of unfeigned or of genuine, real, and sincere faith. The implication in this verse is that the sincere nature of Lois’ faith contributed to Timothy having a similar genuine, real, and sincere faith.

The example is clear that grandparents should not only be a model of faith for their grandchildren but whenever possible play an active role in the spiritual lives of their grandchildren.

It was my grandfather who first confronted me with my need for the Savior. We had been having a series of evangelistic meetings, and one cold March Iowa night after the service, in the church parking lot, he asked me if I knew the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Although I was not saved at that time and did not accept Christ as my Savior at that moment, his forthright question led to my salvation at the age of 6.

Throughout his life he remained an example and model of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I remember that as a teen, he would always start his public prayers with the phrase, “Our kind heavenly father,” which knowing my godly grandfather, encapsulated his Savior’s love, mercy, and, grace towards himself.

Grandparents, you may not think you have much influence on your grandchildren, especially if they are teens; but they sure watch you! Take advantage of this, and pass on your spiritual heritage by being a model of faith for them. When possible, be involved in their spiritual lives.

Teens, if you have godly grandparents, take advantage of their spiritual wisdom and their experiences. Follow in their spiritual footsteps as Timothy followed in his mother’s and grandmother’s spiritual footsteps, and continue in the “faith which was once delivered to the saints. ” Jude 3

My encouragement to you moms is this – your children are watching those around them. Thrust godly examples into their lives. If they have godly grandparents, let those grandparents help pass on their godly heritage. You never know how great their influence will be.

Until Next Wednesday,

Rebekah

What Words are You Reading, Hearing, and Teaching?

Truthsfortots Blog, Cathy Jo's Blog September 13, 2013July 31, 2014family, parenting 0 Comment

Daily Truth: ” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

At three years of age children have a word usage of 500-1,100 words. By five to seven years of age children have an average expressive vocabulary of 3,000-5,000 words.

These statistics are based on the work done by Becca Jarzynski, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. She further states, ” And it’s even more important to note that at least one study (Hart and Risley, 2006) found that the significant variability in children’s vocabulary at the age of three was strongly related to the amount of talking parents did with their children.”

I could go on with how to increase your child’s vocabulary through “conversational speech”, how reading books to your child is important, how active listening stimulates more conversation, and asking questions such as “why” and “how” all help to develop your child’s vocabulary and thinking ability. But, today’s focus is on the most important words…God’s.

It is amazing how the verses in John 1:1-3 link Jesus with Genesis 1-the beginning of creation. Over and over again God speaks and something is created. A lush world sprang up when God spoke.

In John 1:1 “…the Word was with God…” with Jesus and when He spoke.

Matthew 8:26 The disciples said of Jesus, “….the winds and the sea obey him.” Matthew 9:6-7 Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” Mark 1:25-26 Jesus ordered, the spirit, “Be silent and come out of him!” Luke 8:54-55 Jesus took her hand and called out, “Child arise!”

Over and over again Jesus spoke and things happened. God’s Word is what brought all things to life. Sin entered and God provided an “alive” Word through His Son Jesus.

What word has God spoken to you lately? Your sins are forgiven, do not let your hearts be troubled, if anyone has an ear let him hear. Whatever Christ is saying, let His Word grow in you. Don’t let the most important “Word” drown in the business of the day.

To spend time with God and in His Word equips us for each new day. God’s Word, Jesus’ Words are recorded for us in the Bible. God is at work re-creating us through His Word.

A suggested book to read is “The Greatest WORDS EVER SPOKEN” Everything Jesus said about You, Your Life, And Everything Else by Steven K. Scott.

Colossians 3:6 ” Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom….”

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment,

Cathy Jo Johnson