Happy Children

Unspeakable Joy!
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Pr. 22:6 NKJV

There are countless ways for us to bring up our children. Books and articles are written constantly. Telling us what we should and should not do. If you want happy and well rounded children who are emotionally, mentally and spiritually stable, let me suggest one more resource. The Bible. The one book that has stood the test of time over and over again. And with the wisdom shared in the above Scripture as an example, it's no wonder the Bible remains one of the favorite books of all time. 

Raising children can be a daunting task. But if we remember what we do and why we do it, it becomes a little less overwhelming. God’s Word gives us countless examples of how to teach (Deut.11:19), train (Is.38:19), provide (2 Cor. 12:14), nurture (Eph. 6:4 & Col. 3:21), control (1 Tim. 3:4 & 12) and love (Tit. 2:4) our children. Including the very important, but often overlooked, Deuteronomy 6:7 (“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.) The Ten Commandments. If we remember to seek God first, and train our children in the way He guides us, we are promised that they will not depart from it. Now there's a recipe for a successful parenting! 

Pleasures Forevermore

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.   
Psalms 16:11 NKJV

Fullness of joy. In His presence. What an awesome privilege. The Great I Am, The Most High God, the Creator of the Universe desires for us to experience joy in way that will totally blow our minds! One of the best ways for us to start our day is by asking our Heavenly Father to show us the paths of life, as the psalmist suggests above. But did you also know that we can ask Him to guide us into pleasant paths? At His right hand are pleasures forevermore. Experience the fullness of joy available to us by being still and bathing in His presence.

Our First Love

“Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!  For the LORD preserves the faithful….Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”  Psalm 31:23 & 24
 
“Oh, to love the LORD”…What an awesome privilege we have as Christians!  Today, Valentine's Day is being celebrated. A day set aside to show those that are dear to us how much they are loved and appreciated. However, let us not forget about our first love (Rev. 2:4) Remember how He is forever faithful and true, and how in the times when we think we can take no more, nor go any further, He strengthens our hearts and gives us the courage to carry on.  Why? Because we have chosen to hope in Him.  So, today, while plans are being made for special dinners and surprises, why not also make plans to let God know how much we love and appreciate Him.  How can we do this?  A good place to start is by calling upon the LORD, for He is worthy to be praised.  Glorify, magnify and bless His name at every given opportunity. And who can forget the easiest but perhaps most endearing way of all...

“LORD, I love you.”                                                                                                            

Replacing Worry

It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized ... Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.  
(The Message Bible Phil.4:7b-9a & 13)