I wish someone would have shared this nugget with me when my kids were younger....

I'm all about this new year!!  I mean I'm ALL OVER THE newness of a new year. I'm thinking and dreaming and planning and hoping and praying for all manner of "NEW" in this year of 2012 for myself and my family.

New Years Day night I took my middle son to Sonic for a milkshake and low and behold our local book store was open right around the corner. And what do you think I did??  Why yes....I went into this book store after we bought milkshakes and bought me a fancy shmancy new journal. In red. :) I'm in love. This is a part of that "newness."

Isn't she lovely?  I have written something in this journal since the 1st day of January. I have no particular "thing" that I'm determined to write in it. It's simply a place to put my thoughts. Good, bad, and ugly plans to go in here. Where is that lock? ;)

Yesterday I went to my journal and with it being the 1st day of school, I recorded what I wanted for my children this semester.  My oldest is 15, middle is 14, and the youngest is 11.  I am praying these things over my children...EVERY SINGLE DAY....NOT AS NEEDED....EVERY SINGLE DAY.....

**confidence: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him." Jeremiah 17:7

**courage: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:6

**peace: "He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it."  1 Peter 3:11

**goodness: "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1

These 4 topics are specific to each child, yet fit under an umbrella for the three of them. As I look back, each child has a specific reason why a particular topic came to mind as I wrote them down in my journal. Funny thing is...I didn't spend a whole lot of time wondering what the topic or theme would be. It quickly came and I had it penned in about 3 minutes. 

This is what I want you momma's of younger kids to do...to develop and maintain a habit of....

Pray DAILY for specific things for your child. Pray for their day and whatever their need may be for that day, but also pray specific topics or themes over them DAILY! 

If you feel your child needs prayer for self-esteem or discipline in an area, then you find you an oh so perfect scripture that meets that need and pray it DAILY for your sweet baby. Don't wait until you see a hole or weakness.

I think you get my drift here! Start praying specifics for them while they are young. Keep record of it. And commit to pray for your sweet son or daughter.....beyond what their need may be for that day.

Love y'all so~

I totally neglected my kids.....but it is changing.

I was one of those 2010 people who was actually ok saying goodbye to her. She was alright and all, but it was a year of "moving on and new beginnings" and we all know those seasons are somewhat difficult and you find yourself in places that you have never walked before. Soooooo.....see ya 2010! I will even throw in the "See ya wouldn't wanna be ya" to 2010.

I'm so happy to welcome 2011. (Deep breath)

Ok, one thing that was so cool over this past weekend was this.......I am hoping to live 2011 with GREAT intention when it comes to God and my family. And by great intention....I mean stretching myself past the normal laundry, shuffling kids around, grocery shopping, meal planning that I already do. I mean pushing myself to another place. I want to push myself into removing distractions and laziness when it comes to Jesus and my family.

This might be shocking to some of you, but here's the deal......I don't spend really good quality time with my kids. (shakingmyheadinshame)

I don't. I have lots of "nice" conversations with them, but no depth. Depth takes time. Depth takes being intentional with your words and questions and the direction of your conversation.

So....this is how I started tending to this matter. I humbled myself before my oldest and told him that I wanted more time with him and that I was sorry for neglecting him. He laughed. So did I. But...boy...hang on kiddo because we are about to have a blast and love each other as momma to son like never before. :)

We went to Starbucks and sat for an hour and a half. I don't take my kids to Starbucks because that is clearly an adult treat and gosh it's expensive times two. HA! However, this is all about to change. I introduced him to their hot chocolate while I thoroughly enjoyed my grande non-fat caramel brulee latte with light whip. Aaaahhh. And who cares if the fabulous drink kept me up until midnight.

We talked and talked and talked. This is what my notebook says for my oldest...and yes...I took notes.

14 year old....Here he is. I love this kid so much.


This is what we talked about in an hour and a half:

* I told him that I'm memorizing two scriptures a month. He said "that's cool." (insert grin)

* He told me he finished reading the book of Mark. HUH? How did I miss that? Wow!

* He said he wants to continue with his daily devotional book he has. Couldn't tell you what it is other than a sports theme for teenage boys. WAY TO GO SON!

* We looked through bible verses and he picked Hebrews 6:12 to carry him through school. It says this..."We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." (I'm going to hang this in his room)

*We made specific goals in regards to grades for the next nine weeks. Each class has a goal.

*We talked about fear and what holds him back from embarking on a possibility at church.

* We then laughed and said that we will do this on a very regular basis so we can know EXACTLY whats going on in each others world.

Y'all, do you even know how fabulous of a time this was for both of us?

I'm going to do the same thing with the other two boys and I'm praying that you will adopt something similar with your kids. It really is the best investment we can give them.

Happy 2011!

Hugs and blessings~

Can Christians drink?

Wow. This is a tough post to write. I'm writing this all for myself as I learn, grow, and wrestle this out with God. I'm simply letting my thoughts come straight from my ever-spinning mind and heart. First, let me tell you some of my story. Oh, Lord....please help me here. This is hard.

I grew up in a small town in Arkansas. This town is smaller than where I live now, but reminds me so much of it. When we moved here 10 years ago (wow!), there was a huge piece of my heart that loved it here because it reminded me of home.

For all of us, "home" comes with many emotions and memories. And, here is a very tiny glimpse into a part of my home.

Ok, here comes a gulp. I was introduced to alcohol at a young age. I remember it like it was yesterday. I could give you every detail, but I'm not. My parents might have had beer in the house growing up, but I don't remember it being a big deal. Alcohol was always around, but not in front of me very much at all. I also remember a few years while I was in elementary school that my mom and some other moms got together for a "Back to school Bloody Mary party." I truly didn't think much about that either. I can also say that I don't remember any conversations about "stay away from alcohol" or "don't drink and drive" that occurred in my presence either. I guess my memory is a bunch of nothing when it comes to people talking about alcohol in my home or at church. I was 15 when I took my first sip of alcohol. That is where I gulped again. I just typed that.

I grew up in the Methodist church in this wonderful Arkansas town and it's all I've ever known.
I just turned 40 and the church in Arkansas, Christ Methodist in Memphis, and our church here in town is all I've ever known in all these years of my life. It's the only denomination I've ever known.

Now....Let me also say that I'm a HUGE church junkie and if I find a really good pastor somewhere I'm hooked on their sermons and their church whether I've been there or not. Most times I've never darkened their doors, but I feel like I might as well have. I could be slightly obsessed I think. ;)

Well, my family has found ourselves visiting churches here in town and let me say....it's been interesting. I would love to write a post on the good, the bad, and the ugly from the eyes of a visitor. No one is asking so I probably shouldn't. But, when you have been faithful to one church for a very long time and find yourself in a season of wilderness and wondering you see things with a whole new set of eyes.

This past fall, we visited one church. That church was non-denominational. Now, we are visiting another one. This is a Baptist church. This is part of the visiting process....trying different things.....where do you fit in....what are you looking for...what is best for the entire family.

Honestly...I want a biblically solid church.

Last Wednesday night, my youngest son wanted to go to this church so we did. Just me and him.
I went to a Discovery type class for people interested in this church. Alcohol was not the point of this weeks lesson, but it did find it's way into a small piece of it.

So....here we go....alcohol in the Baptist church...remember, all I've ever known is Methodist. We are joked about as having the "Ten Suggestions" instead of the Ten Commandments. Ha ha ha ha. We are also known to be ok with alcohol. Please don't ask me why I say that or how I know that. What I do know is...I have never heard a sermon on it so my assumption is....it's ok.

Ok...back to the piece of the message last week that WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. Bear with me.

The passage of scripture was from 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. One verse out of this passage says this.... Vs 9 "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." Read that again. "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." The pastor went on to share a personal story involving his family and a drunk driving incident that involved a family member. He also said that there probably wasn't a person in the room who had not had a bad experience involving alcohol.

This is unfortunately where I could tell you story after story after story that involves alcohol and my life. Since I have an addictive personality, it's by the grace of God my life was saved multiple times and that I am not a recovering addict of some kind. That in itself is a story to tell, but I won't right now.

Back to what the pastor was saying....He also told a story about a Sunday school class at this particular church that had a Christmas party and alcohol had been served. (Not here to judge, just stating the facts). They were playing some games and having a cocktail or two. However, one person was at this party and alcohol was a HUGE part of her past and she was surprised to say the least that this Sunday school class was serving alcohol at a church sponsored function.

Vs. 13"Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

This is where my heart was about to burst and I prayed in my head....."Oh sweet Lord...I have come so far and you have saved me time and time again years ago...I do not want to be a stumbling block to someone else and cause them to fall into sin."

The pastor when on to talk about being a parent. My husband and I are raising 3 boys. I remember someone giving me some advice once..."You don't want to shelter them from the world because they will go out into the world and have to digest a lot of worldly things. You don't want the world to hit them all at once and they freak out and can't handle it and become wild fools."

Is that real? Or is that my fear and imagination settling in?

So, as a parent, and in the words of this pastor, "We must protect our name and our character especially when it comes to raising our kids." I don't know that one of my children won't have a problem with alcohol but it won't be with me saying it's ok.

Does that make sense?

So...where am I with all this? I'm struggling. I don't have one bit of a problem if you like to have a glass of this or that. This is my personal journey that involves my messed up past and the work that Christ is doing in my life today as a wife, momma, and a woman who is ALL ABOUT SOME JESUS!!!

I'd love for you to chime in and say what you want....and please, let's encourage one another and not tear someone down. I'm simply trying to gain insight and wisdom.

I'll stop for now. I love each of you so much and value your opinions and thank God for where you are in your walk.

Keep after Him. He saves. He transforms. He redeems. He loves no matter what!!!!

Blessings~

What does the bible say about a bully?

We have had some situations going on in school with my 6th grade son that has taken me to my knees more times than I can count. This, my friends, is not a bad thing. It is just realization that we aren't in control and we need His help.

These are the boys that I'm praying like mad over these days. Aren't they cute? And, they are definitely worth it. If you are a parent, I know you agree. And as these kids grow up, you find yourself praying things that you had never considered before.



We were in church this morning and started a new 6 week series called "The Good Fight." The first week was today and was about conflict. GOT ME INTERESTED MR PREACHER!!!! KEEP ON TALKING!!!!!!!!

"I'm listening Lord. What have you got to say to me."

Basically...in a nutshell let me recap 30 minutes into something much shorter....like a few sentences. But first...some questions that we all wonder.

How does Jesus fight? When does He fight? Is it ok for Christians to fight?

First of all....isn't Jesus the Prince of Peace? Yep. Isn't God a God of order and not disorder? Yep.
Somewhere in Hebrews it says that we need to make every effort to live in peace. Yep.

However, Jesus also got a little ticked at times. We all know the story of the temple when He got so bloomin' mad at what was taking place in there that He turned a few tables over. For some reason I love this story.

So I have a feeling Jesus is saying "stand up for what is right" through that story in the temple.

One more time....."stand up for what is right."

If I have a child that is watching kids around him be mean to other kids.....then....

"stand up for what is right."

I'm going to tell my kids that they are more likely to make a difference to the child more than a teacher or principal if they are the ones to stand up and say to that child...."stop it, man. That's not cool."

Are you following me here? If you have a situation where you can benefit from this in your family.....adult or child....then, I'm praying that you think like Jesus. Jesus got mad in the temple because what they were doing in the temple was wrong. He got mad and stood up for what was right.

Jesus didn't get mad when people insulted Him. That is where He showed Himself as the Prince of Peace. He got mad when He took a stand for what was wrong so peace would eventually be present.

**A bully goes after the weak. Teach your child to stand up for the weak. Teach your child to stand up for what is right. Teach your child to do the hard thing. Studies show that other kids tend to make bullies stop. Kids listen to their peers.

Put that in the Spiritual Bank because I know it to be true. It's just so hard to teach to kids.

Love you all. Keep fighting the good fight.....no matter your age and what you are up against!!
I want to be able to teach my kids how to fight....from a biblical standpoint.

Hugs and blessings~

Big mouth

I was sitting in the dentist office yesterday with my oldest son. The other two boys had been last week, but the oldest boy couldn't go at that time because he was at basketball camp. Don't you love it when you have to go to the dentist twice in one week? Didn't think so.

Thankfully, the appointment was quick and painless for both of us. But, while I was waiting I picked up a local Christian newspaper thingy and skimmed an article about our mouths and the power of our mouth and the words we speak.

We all know this right?? Nothing new here right??

But, in the article were 3 bullet points that I thought were worth repeating so here you go.....

**A mature faith shapes our speech--guards our mouths and refines our conversation

**A mature faith is grounded in the word of God (whoa)

**A mature mind is transformed by the teachings of Christ and becomes the filter through which our speech must pass (I need a better filter)

Personally....as someone who likes to talk and whose mouth can be her worst enemy, I need this reminder. I might need to print this off and have it before me in a public place. And as women who tend to talk way more than our counterpart.....lets make sure our mouths are being used in the most powerful effective way possible.

As parents, I think it is of utmost importance to make sure that you are continually teaching the word of God to your children so that His teachings become a filter for them as they talk, and share, and engage in conversation.

I could write a huge post at that last paragraph, but I'm not ready. Maybe one day.

Have a great day!!

Hugs and blessings~

Are we helping them or hurting them?

Hey friends...

I'm writing this just a few hours after my husband and middle son got home from East TN where his baseball team played in a tournament. This is a tournament that would have qualified them to play in a super big tournament in Disney World in early August. If you have followed the weather at all....then you know it has rained for 739 days straight here in Tennessee. Seriously.

Boats and snorkels are a hot commodity right now. Needless to say, their tournament was rained out. HUGE SURPRISE!!!

Rain....move along please. Sun....you may come out now.

Ok, back to my most frustrated thoughts that I truly just need to spit out when it comes to parenting and the decisions we are making for our kids.

What about these dads and coaches that are stacking teams with studded out players and play 12 months a year and work them 12 months a year and they can't play another sport and it's breathe breathe breath, eat eat eat, sleep sleep sleep that specific sport.

Let me clarify...that is NOT us. NOPE. NADA.

But, apparently some coaches and dads think it is perfectly fine to pick and choose their team so they can be all studded out. And, they pick and choose their team throughout the season. A team could change from tournament to tournament. Is that even fair?? Yes and no, but I can't explain rules.

Did you catch something I said above??? PICK AND CHOOSE YOUR TEAM TO STUD YOURSELF OUT!!!!

Did I tell you they are 11 years old??? Ok, let me tell you.....they are 11 years old.

Do we think we are going to make them into driven adults who can go after whatever they want??

Or....are we going to burn them out and cause them to possibly give up on something earlier in life than they should want to?

I'm just a little confused. Driven or burned out...driven or burned out???!!! Hmmmm....

What are we trying to teach our kids?? At the age of 11??? Can you remind me again??

When did this become ok??

Again, I'm confused and tad bit concerned for some kiddos.

What kind of coach do your kids have?? What are you hoping to get out of their sporting experience??? Would you let your kid move from team to team to be a stud?? Are you living out dreams through your kids???

Blah blah blah...I'm kind of sick of the new "elite" thing I've been exposed to at the age of 11.

Yuck. Sick. Gross.

I am definitely competitive, but I know where to do draw the line. I love sports. There is a world out there of million dollar backers and private jets and all expenses paid for 11 year old teams. Yes there are. GROSS.

Ok, I feel better now. Carry on.

These two are apprently growing up

This isn't going to be some deep spiritual post because my Momma's heart has had a little eye opening in the last few days and I really just want to spit it out to my amazing bloggy friends who will definitely encourage us!

I need to let you know I just came out of a weekend completely realizing that my kids are growing up......especially these older two boys. Clay will be 13 this Summer (can't stand it) and Tyler is 11 (can't stand that either).

This Tuesday, their dad is going to the first of four classes called "Straight Talk for Guys" and then the boys go with him for the next 3 weeks. I think I just got sick thinking about it. I won't go into great detail because I don't think I need to explain....thank goodness because I just couldn't go into guy talk (if you get my drift) for the sake of this being a family blog.

My babies are about to learn things I don't want them to learn. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a sheltering fool or anything, but I just am kind of in a semi state of shock that they are about to learn all about things. This is an excellent program that they are ready for and we need to conquer on the front end and not the back end. I'm just finding it hard to swallow that my kids are finally old enough to be told certain things.

I will be ok. I will. Right?

I really just wish I could drop all things and spend the next several years totally pouring out my heart and self to these kids. They won't be with me forever. WAIT??? THEY WON'T???!!!!!!

I'm feeling sick again.

So, let's claim to be the best momma's and daddy's we can be. If you need to let go of some things in order to do that, I'm praying that we can all do that.

We have one shot to raise this generation to make an impact for the Kingdom of God. ONE SHOT. That's it.

When God commanded us to love Him with everything we had, he also asked us to......

"teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:7-9

Let's do this parenting this with everything we have. We have one shot at it.

They grow up.

Love y'all!!

Lovely...uh huh

I just want you to see what has been going on over here at the house the last 2 days. I almost lost my mind, but didn't.

We decided to clean the rugs in our house and I have decided we must be pigs because apparently we enjoy living in filth. Just look at the NAS-TY water that is in this steam cleaner. That's nice isn't it?? I'm disgusted. Go ahead....take a look.


Now, this would be one volcano that we have built for a Science project. Yes....there are more than one volcano involved in the Science project. I almost lost it when I saw the list of supplies. I completely stressed out. It would just say "sand" and you'd be like...."How much sand?" And it wouldn't tell you. And, so you go buy way too much sand and then you are stuck with sand that you do not want. Great. Now, isn't she pretty?


This is the 2nd volcano. We did this one on Monday. I needed a mental break between the building of 2 volcanos. They were inside and outside. And coming and going out of the back door at least 278 times in one hour and slamming the door VERY LOUDLY with barking dogs almost caused me to scream in front of the friend who is helping them build volcano #2. Whew. It was scary.

This totally cracks me up. Here are the 2 boys building the volcano and one of my other boys decided to pull out the lawn chair onto the grass and kick back and watch the mad scientists.

So, there you have it. We have actually done 4 projects in the last 2 weeks and these precious volcanos were the culmination of all the madness. I promise I'm ok. However, if I see or hear the word "project" one more time...I'm seriously gonna erupt. ;)

Projects truly make parents behave in ways we normally don't. Thanks teachers. We are so grateful for the ugliness you have caused our children to see in us.

I'm going to go lay down now.

Have a great week!

Hugs and blessings~

Pride

All of these pictures are the "pride and joy" in my life. They make up my heart and soul. It's my family. My boys. All of them. I will defend them with every ounce of my being. I love them more than my life. I would go to any length to encourage them, help them, and take care of them. They are my family!!

But.....

I would never act like an arrogant fool if I coached them. And, believe me....my husband coaches many sports for them and he is NOT arrogant. He is competitive. He is not arrogant. Big difference.

We were playing a championship game tonight in baseball and the other teams coach was a piece of work. You know the scenario so I don't need to go down that road with you. What the coaches and team parents did was flat out w-r-o-n-g. They brought out the worst in us. They entered into the game with a whole bunch of ugliness and pride. It only got worse from there. Ick, ick, ick.

They brought out the worst in me and the worst in us as a team of parents. The things that came out of their mouths were rude and unnecessary and completely uncalled for coming from.....

Adults.

Well, I'm not sure they were adults. They looked like adults, but sure didn't seem like it. I questioned whether they were in church on Sunday because no one in the grownup Christian mind would say the things they did and act the way they did. Oh, ok...I know that's not true.

However, I have never seen such arrogance and pride in all my life.

Scripture that came to mind during the game was....

Proverbs 16:18 from the Message says it beautifully.... "First pride, then the crash--the bigger the ego, the harder the fall."

I wanted to walk up to the coach after the game....that we lost....and say....

"Hi, excuse me, but my name is Fran and I'm a Christian trying to raise my children in a world where grownups are setting the example of humility in their world, but today I saw something I didn't like. May I offer you some Biblical advice, Mr. Arrogant Head Coach??? Proverbs 16:18 tells us that right after pride, comes a big fall. And, I suggest that you take this scripture to heart soon, because I feel a crash coming on quickly. Now, thank you and have a nice evening."

Well, I didn't have the guts to say that to him. Instead, I stewed and stewed over this man and his team parents. By the time you read this, I'll be long over it.

What do we learn???

Let's act like grownups and set an example for our children. Pride is just flat out ugly on people. I don't want any part of it. I pray against it every day and I think we all should pray against it for our families and our children. It's not cute at all. Take note of that scripture. I have to go over and over it with my kids often. Obviously, it's not just limited to kids either.

Ok...I'm off my soapbox today. :) Have a great day with Jesus. I'm so thankful for His word and the life it speaks over me and every situation.

Hugs and blessings~

Not so good, Mom!

Why did I get so frustrated with this precious boy??? The one who really is the sweetest, wants the world to be happy, tries his absolute best at all things???!!!

Because momma just flat lost it last night. And, the sad thing is....I ALWAYS take it out on him.
The one I shouldn't take it out on....I do. Why is that?

Oh bless his sweet, tender, forgiving heart.

I'm convicted. I told the Lord today..."This is it. No more of this junk with him. We are done with it TODAY, Lord. TODAY!"

Its been a struggle our entire school life together...me and him. I should have the most patience with him, but I clearly do not.

I have turned over a new leaf today. Totally surrendering it to God. Again and again until it's completely g-o-n-e.

He's starting middle school and we are both lost as goons. I'm the grownup. I'm the grownup.

I love you Clay. I love you dearly and my heart is broken.

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Hugs and blessings~

The deep stuff

I have been a little distracted by our precious, bundle of puppy breath, "Pepper." Yes, that is what son #2 named her. I'm not sure why he didn't pick Missy, Molly, or Sissy.

She has been so much fun to watch. She's coming out of her shell. I love watching her run, and bark try to keep up with the bigger version of herself. She can hang with the bigger 16 lb, Bailey. To watch them try to play....well, lets just say I could sit and do that for hours.

Might be the reason I'm doing things at late hours of the night.

Not getting important things done. Can I take a picture of my fridge for you??? You would instantly write me off as blogging friend.

Oh, but I am! Yes I am!!

Door #1 is this....




Yes, I heard you gasp! I did. And, I do too. I'll explain at the end.

Door #2 is this....


Now, I completely see that there is nothing in the bigger part of the fridge. I think there is some jello from awhile ago. There is a Dr. Pepper that is very flat. There is some fun cinnamon bread that I may eat. There is some coffee.
There are a few things in there, but nothing of substance. If you saw the chocolate milk on the top shelf, it's straight from a gas station on our way home from a ballgame. Nice huh?? I'm sure its just as good as Kroger milk, right?!

Anyway, we've been just a little busy finishing up travel ball, working on VBS, and just plain not being home very much! And, I'm really ok with it.

This baseball season is one day from being over and I have to say that I'm going to miss it terribly. The people, the kids, the environment, the smells, the dirty uniforms, the cleats, the bags, the routine.

And, even the empty fridge.

It's been fun...so very fun boys!!

Momma will go to the grocery as soon as it's over.

Hugs and blessings~

How is Jesus the center of your home???

Well...I sure hope you had a great weekend! The weather has been BEAUTIFUL here in West TN and it is my language.....I love the sunshine and warmer temps....its good for the soul I do believe! Even snuck in a big ole Sunday afternoon nap.....I'm tellin ya....nothin like it!!





Ok, a few weeks ago, I asked for ways your family has Jesus in the center of every day living in your home.....your answers were SPECTACULAR!!! So....here is a list of your comments. I hope that someone will come across this blog and find something new to do within their home.





I'm all about Jesus being outside of a box. He's way bigger than 2 days a week. He's everywhere y'all. Enjoy the fire out of Him every single day!!!


1. Ok I am not an expert but we talk about God in everything we do.He is our life and in our home.We say things like "did you see the amazing sunrise God made for us this morning?" "What was your favorite color in the sunrise that He painted for you?"When we have a conflict we ask "Would that have made God happy? How would He have wanted you to react?" We have scripture that we apply it to as well.There is a great book and mommy guide that we have used to help us in this area as wellIt is by Ginger Plowman and the book is called "Don't make me count to three!" and the guide is called Wise Words for Moms.



2. The best thing you can do as parents for your children is to love one another. Let them daily see the love you and your spouse share for one another, and for the Lord. Show them love in action.

3. At every opportunity, we have tired to 1) point out qualities in our children that were similar to those of Jesus...our daughter is very compassionate, for example. And we would talk about how Jesus had compassion on the unlovely...the beggars, the hurting, etc. and 2) we tried to get them to see that if a friend was mean or said/did hurtful things, that there is probably something going on in their lives that caused them to react/act that way and wouldn't it be the right to do to respond as Jesus would.

4. As we fold laundry, we pray for the person that will wear the piece of clothing we are folding. If we are all folding together, it's a sentence prayer, if I'm folding alone, I pray a little longer! :)We talk about the sunrise, the sunset, the food we're eating, the friends God has given us, whatever we are doing we incorporate God into it. I'm finding that the more we do this, the more the girls do this on their own...The biggest thing has been during our quiet time. For so long, I always felt like I needed to be totatlly alone for my quiet time. Um....wrong. God showed me that if the girls were up when I started to do my Bible study..then let them participate. So now, we all do our Bible study together..They have their own devotion guides and it's not adnormal to see all of us with a cup of coffee (or hot tea if you're under 13) with our Bible study. I wouldn't trade those mornings for the world. It's so precious...

5. I have 2 Bible verses written out & posted on our frig. If there is an argument or unkind thing said, I make them tell me what our verse says & how that hurts God's heart. We also are working on learning Bible verses with sign language. Little kids are such sponges and can learn so easily, I'm finding. Plus, it goes into their hearts. Lastly, growing up I remember making sure that our family ate together every night & we talked about EVERYTHING! My parents made sure that everything was open grounds as long as it was said with respect...but in everything they pointed us back to the cross & to Jesus. Through that family time we saw the love of Christ.

6. We make sure that our kids understand the 10% of everything they get goes back to God who ultimately gave it to them.


Ok...that's enough for now. I'll post the rest in a week or so!! Y'all have some GREAT things that you are doing in your home. Keep it up!!

Now, have a blast with Jesus this week. Find Him in your busy day. And, praise Him in every situation that comes your way. He's for you...not against you!! He loves you dearly and you are His beloved!!

Hugs and blessings~
Fran

Some Siesta help!!

Hey girls!!

Something is brewing in my heart and I feel like God is speaking to me deeply about a certain "thing." So, I thought I'd ask you precious friends for some help and advice.

I am on staff at my church and absolutely love what I do. I am the Director of Children's Ministry. I feel called to not only be the person that is over the children's ministry, but also their parents. I mean...the two go together don't they??!!

I also have a heart for women and leading Bible study. So, if you could split me down the middle, 1/2 of me is all about growing our kids toward a love for Jesus, and the other 1/2 of me is all about growing a momma's heart toward a deep love for Jesus.

Deuteronomy 6:7 says, "Impress (commandments) them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

So, give me some ideas to pass along to other parents, within my church and through Bible study, of ways you do just this.

How do you impress Jesus in everyday life upon the hearts of your children??

Tell me all the creative things you do in your home or if you don't have children yet tell me what your parents did with you when you were a child.

I cannot wait to hear what you have to say!! And...believe me...I'll be passing it along!! Thank you in advance and may Jesus be the center and the pulse of your home!!

Blessings and hugs~

Fran

I'm so disappointed....

Hey all!

It's Sunday night as I write this and I'm watching Opening Night of America's pasttime....baseball.....on ESPN with my family. We are baseball freaks I guess you could say.

We get all excited and love all that they do before the big game...the pregame....the introduction of the lineups....the national anthem....the fireworks.....cheering for one of our many favorite teams, the Braves, and then watching the ceremonial 1st pitch by the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

And.....as he walked out onto the field with all his important people surrounding him....

He was booed. He was booed by the people of the United States. And, at that point, my heart broke in two.

I don't care how you feel about him as President of our country, or the choices he's made, or the decisions he makes, or his leadership, or anything about this man that you may not care for....

He is our leader at this present time and we must not or should not boo him in front of all the world and in front of our children. What kind of message does that send our kids as they sit and watch that take place??

I just heard a sermon today that was titled "why can't we all get along?"

We are called to love.

We are not called to be disrespectful, ugly, judgemental, critical, or arrogant. Sometimes that's not so easy, but sometimes we need to get it together and simply love.....even when it's hard.

So, as I tried to delicately explain to my 7 yr old and my 10 yr old why people were booing the President of our country.....my heart hurt.

"why can't we just all get along?"

If we are the body of Christ.....let's act like it....especially when the larger world is watching.

ok....I'm off my soap box now. I'm feeling better now. :)

I pray that we all teach our children to respect the authority God has ordained for this season in each one of our lives. Authority is there for a reason. I lived so much of my life with no concept of authority and I guess you could say I'm extra sensitive to the need for it.

Blessings and love~
Fran

I needed this....on parenting!

Y'all have heard me mention that my Bible study group has been doing Beth Moore's, "Wising Up" and it is chock ful of AWESOME stuff. The last 3 sessions were soooooooo good that I'm begging every woman at my church to join me for 3 weeks and watch the sessions on being a wife and mom!! AWESOME stuff y'all. So, when I feel like I'm about to explode like a volcano with a heart of hope and knowledge....then what shall a girl do??? Blog about it, that's what!!!!

These are the points, and of course summed up by me, that the beloved teacher taught on regarding parenting.

1. Be affectionate!

Our children need to know that we love them greater than any other human on Earth. They need to see us love them. We need to shower them with hugs and kisses.......even during adolescent and teenage years. Even when we have all blown it....they need to know that we loved them always! We should teach them appropriate affection. And, if affection is hard for you, then begin slowly by faking it and you'll get there!

2. Be absolutely and utterly authentic!

Something that got me here was when she said if they begin this eye rolling thing with you, then they aren't buying into what you are saying!!! Ouch!

Deut. 6:4-7 was her scripture reference for this entire point. Jesus is in everyday living and not just put aside in a box when we feel like pulling Him out. Love God FIRST! They need to see that He is everything to us and that He is overflowing out of us. Here's a fun exercise.....ask your children to describe God. I've done this at church with kids. Our children need to see that He is for us and not against us. He is a YES God! They need to know that He can be the best thing and the wildest ride of our life.

3. Be obvious in motivation!

God has a "no" for us because there is a much better and greater "yes" for us. The commands are for us and not against us. They need to know that we and God provide rules and boundaries because we are looking out for their best! We want the BEST for them....God wants what "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

They need to know that they were thought of and loved beyond the foundation of the universe!

They need to know that God has a beautiful, specific plan just for them!!

4. Be courageous!

Ok....Our kids need to know that we love them, but we are also onto them when something just doesn't seem right. And...tell them!!! Let them know you have a gut feeling that something is not right but you just don't know what it is yet. We hold the power and we don't need to be afraid to let them know it.

Also, be courageous in the individuality. Be the individual parent with each child. They are not the same and they need to be parented differently. The literal translation for Proverbs 22:6 would say "train a child in a manner benefiting that child." And, when they mess up, do not rescue them every single time. Let them fall and they will get back up.

5. Be courageous in discipline!

Discipline is for training and instruction. "train up" means to dedicate them to God and disciple or teach them. Give them to Him every day. He loves them far more than we do!

Support a system of belief (because God works this way too) of blessings and witholdings.

When obedient, blessings will come. When disobedient, withhold from them. We live in culture of overindulgence so be strong when it comes to discipline. Follow through and stick with it.

And, if they choose not to walk in obedience, let God deal with them. He will.

6. Be courageous in battle!

We fight for our kids!!! We fight for them in the heavenlies and we fight for them in matters of this earthly existence. We MUST have a support system of other believers that will be there for us and support us and help us during difficult seasons with our kids. That is HUGE!!!

7. Be filled with the Spirit!

We cannot do this thing without a filling of Him every single day! We need to get on our knees every day and ask for a filling of the Spirit. We need to dye to self so we can be alive in Him and take on the things of our families that could easily overtake us!

Finally, at the end of Proverbs 31, vs 28 says that "her children rise and call her blessed."

The literal meaning of blessed means that she was happy!!!

What do your children call you?? What would they say about their momma??

I pray that all our children rise and call us beautifully happy and in love with Jesus!!!

I'm praying for us as mommas today....no matter the age of our children....all of these points can be applied to us!!

Have a glorious filling of the Spirit and may your day be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control! (Gal 5)

May His presence be all over you and in your home!

Blessings y'all~

Don't be snappy...

I needed this last night.

Our children can teach us the most important lessons in life.

Last night at church, I was talking with some grown ups in the gym. At the same time, I was trying to gather up my 3 boys and for some reason, my nerves were a little unnerved. My sweet #3 son was shooting hoops not far from where I was standing and for NO REASON WHATSEVER, I yelled over at him....."STOP SHOOTING THAT BASKETBALL!!!!"

Why in the world did I do that?? Why did I have to scare the fire out of him?? Why did I have to come out of nowhere and scream at him?? Why did I not just ask politely.....

"Would you please shoot the ball on another goal away from the grownups?"

No....I did not. I yelled at him in a very ugly way.

We got home and he wouldn't even speak to me. After his bath, dad found him in the laundry room crying and talking to himself. I'm sure he wasn't saying anything nice about dear ole mom.

Dad got him on the couch in the den and they talked about what mean ole mom had done.

I am summoned to the den and his sweet, broken heart was plain as day. I scared him. I was out of line in my tone. I embarrassed him. I was wrong in every way.

My heart broke in two. I sincerely said I was sorry. I asked for forgiveness. He cried small tears for another minute or two and then was ok.

I was deeply convicted over the power my words had over him.

Our words and our tone are everything to people. May we speak love, life, and encouragement over everyone today. I pray that you will choose your words and tone most carefully with everyone you come in contact with. Especially in circumstances where you find yourself wanting
to snap, remember to take a chill pill!

James 3:5 from the Message says this...."It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that."

I don't want any forest fires breaking out in your world today.
Blessings~

Marriage and Parenting....Jesus style

Well, this is it in a nutshell, huh?!

We want to know how to be a better parent and we want to know how to be a better wife or husband to our spouse! I could talk about these two things all day long, but I won't! :)

And, we want to have Christ as the true foundation of our home.

But, why can we just completely feel clueless, lost, unsure, afraid, miserable, stressed and frustrated when it comes to either of these topics?

I am in the process of "viewing" two studies for our church to hopefully use for both of these topics to give parents and spouses an opportunity to grow together......grow with God as the center of their family.

What happens if you and your spouse differ on how to parent your children??

What if you are a single parent and you are pulled and stretched so thin you feel as if you are about to break right in two?

What if you and your spouse are in different places spiritually? What if you are the head of the household and not him?

What if your children could care less about God in everyday life?

What if your children are about to be the death of you because of their attitudes and behaviors and you have no clue what do to?

I tell you what......I am spending some time facedown before God asking Him to speak directly into this heart of mine, my husbands, my childrens lives. I'm asking Him to do this.....

1. Give us all a passion to seek You with every fiber of our being.

2. Give us a desire to really know You and what you would have for my life today.

3. Empty ourselves so that we can be filled with You, Lord, and pour out that overflow to others.

4. Give me strength, courage, clarity, wisdom, and insight to speak life and love into those I love the most.

5. Pray daily, hourly, however as much they enter my mind, for their hearts, my husbands decisions, my childrens friends, my children's decisions, coversations that we all have, pure hearts and motives within us all........

6. Fill me hourly with the Fruit of the Spirit.....I get emptied so quick so I need refilling over and over and over again. Galations 5:22

You get the idea of what I'm after with my family.......

But there are days and times that are just HARD! So, I need all the help I can get from church and the people within the church. I'm praying for opportunities that my home church can begin to offer regularly to teach and encourage parents and families down this road of life with these people we cherish most.

I can't get enough of either of these topics.

I need my strength and support to come from those who have a heart in line with Christ. And, I mean truly in line with Him.

What is influencing you as you go through this daily journey as a mom, dad, husband, wife??

I need to give every ounce of every situation to Him first and then seek those around me that can help me too.

I pray your daily journey is filled with people and resources that do just that. Our time on Earth is just too short to not be intentional about what we are after.

Seek Him friends. Seek Him in all things! Seek His Word. Find someone to help you through the difficult times. And, find those that are lined up with the Word of God.

Please share any resources that were completely helpful to you that I may also add to my list of possibilites to have at my church.

Ephesians 5:15 "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise....."

Blessings over all of you and your families~

What are we doing??

I sit here tonight having tucked all my kiddos in the bed and wonder....what am I doing as a parent to really teach them the good, keep them from the bad, or try to steer them from the ugly? Some days are sure easier than others....I must confess that today was a very lazy day on my part and I was not as "on" as I should have been. I let things slide that I shouldn't have and I guess its ok to be tired and not be as "on" as I should be. But, now its late and I have them tucked away for another day and I really wonder...."Did I do a good job today with them?" Thank you Jesus for another day tomorrow....I'll pray for more patience, more energy, more wisdom, and more love! With HIS love and HIS filling, I can have a better day....for myself, for my husband, and for those precious kids!! Here's to another day....