The title of this group is Single Mothers Making a Difference. Well, how can we make a difference? There are so many ways that we can make a difference, but today I want to focus on our children.
I raised my children to be giving and kind, among many other things. Our society today is so involved in self.... self worth, thinking highly of yourself, etc. Many children, and parents alike are too self absorbed. I did not want my children growing up thinking only of themselves. I learned early on that the best way to teach your children is by example. So, when we found out of someone in our church that was in the hospital, the kids would make a card for them, we would buy a small vase of flowers and then go visit. At Christmas time, we would bake or make items to give to people at church. If we went to McDonald's to get something to eat and there was someone sitting on the sidewalk that looked like they were homeless or hungry, I would order them a bigger meal than what we had and let the kids give it to them. One time I was pumping gas and a man walked up to me and said that he did not have any gas and could I give him some money for gas. Well, I did not have much money to put gas in my own car, but told him to pull up to the pump when I was finished and I gave him half of what I was going to put in my car.
Why did I do all these things? Because I wanted my children to see that taking care and being kind to others was more important than taking care of ourselves. And each time I did something like that, I always made it a learning lesson. I explained why I did what I did and told them that it was very important to let God use us to be a blessing to someone else. I even found that at times when I was discouraged or depressed, doing these things made my day brighter.
Thanksgiving is a good time to teach your children to be giving. We have so much to be thankful for and we ought to teach our children to be thankful for what they have and to help the less fortunate.
Let's determine to take time to teach our children to think of others first. And as they get older, pray that God helps them to continue thinking of others instead of self.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Parenting takes commitment
A reporter for the U.S. News and World Report from 1994 once wrote on our culture's view of parenting:
"Americans are so shaped and stamped by their legacy of individualism that the concepts of community virtue and moral obligation have been discredited. In our popular culture, adulthood is too often defined as doing what you want to do, not what you are supposed to do. Making a baby is a sign of status, while caring for one is not. Right and wrong are old-fashioned, politically incorrect concepts. And sin? Forget it...Half of all Americans who marry and have children eventually divorce. For many, marriage is more like a hobby than a commitment, a phase instead of a trust. We are becoming a country of deadbeat dads who don't pay their bills and dead-tired moms who work two jobs to pick up the slack. Even many parents who pay for their children don't pay attention to their children. In so doing, they miss out on some of life's greatest joys: hearing a small giggle or holding a small hand. Probably the best thing that society can do for its toddlers is to make 'parent' an honorable title again. No job is more important, yet no job is more often taken for granted. We teach work skills but not life skills, how to change a carburetor but not a diaper, how to treat a customer but not a kid. Becoming a parent should be...a sign of a lasting relationship, not just a passing infatuation; a source of pride, and not remorse. Only then will our children be safe."
Although the article wasn't written from a Christ-centered viewpoint, it points out many flaws in our views of parenting. In order to raise Godly children, we must first be committed.
We have to be commitment to parenting. When we become a parent, we realize the extra work required to train a child. Our responsibility moves past changing diapers and providing food, but also includes teaching our children Godly principles and values, correcting them when they disobey and helping them see God's plan for their lives.
As single parents, we ought to thank God that He has blessed us with our children. We should never take for granted the lives he has allowed us to shape. Our responsibility as single parents is more difficult than others, but with God's help we can be just as successful as any parent at seeing our children grow to love God and serve Him.
Are you committed to raising godly children? Being committed to raising Godly children takes work, but God trusted us when He gave us our children and it is foolish of us to take that trust lightly.
Let's determine that no matter what we've done in the past, we are going to be committed to raising our children the way that God wants and expects us to raise our children. We only get one chance!
"Americans are so shaped and stamped by their legacy of individualism that the concepts of community virtue and moral obligation have been discredited. In our popular culture, adulthood is too often defined as doing what you want to do, not what you are supposed to do. Making a baby is a sign of status, while caring for one is not. Right and wrong are old-fashioned, politically incorrect concepts. And sin? Forget it...Half of all Americans who marry and have children eventually divorce. For many, marriage is more like a hobby than a commitment, a phase instead of a trust. We are becoming a country of deadbeat dads who don't pay their bills and dead-tired moms who work two jobs to pick up the slack. Even many parents who pay for their children don't pay attention to their children. In so doing, they miss out on some of life's greatest joys: hearing a small giggle or holding a small hand. Probably the best thing that society can do for its toddlers is to make 'parent' an honorable title again. No job is more important, yet no job is more often taken for granted. We teach work skills but not life skills, how to change a carburetor but not a diaper, how to treat a customer but not a kid. Becoming a parent should be...a sign of a lasting relationship, not just a passing infatuation; a source of pride, and not remorse. Only then will our children be safe."
Although the article wasn't written from a Christ-centered viewpoint, it points out many flaws in our views of parenting. In order to raise Godly children, we must first be committed.
We have to be commitment to parenting. When we become a parent, we realize the extra work required to train a child. Our responsibility moves past changing diapers and providing food, but also includes teaching our children Godly principles and values, correcting them when they disobey and helping them see God's plan for their lives.
As single parents, we ought to thank God that He has blessed us with our children. We should never take for granted the lives he has allowed us to shape. Our responsibility as single parents is more difficult than others, but with God's help we can be just as successful as any parent at seeing our children grow to love God and serve Him.
Are you committed to raising godly children? Being committed to raising Godly children takes work, but God trusted us when He gave us our children and it is foolish of us to take that trust lightly.
Let's determine that no matter what we've done in the past, we are going to be committed to raising our children the way that God wants and expects us to raise our children. We only get one chance!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Why worry?
Worry is the act of distrusting God and trusting self.
How much time a day do you spend worrying? Have you ever stopped to think about how much you worry? Consider these statistics from a recent study on the focus of people's worries:
40% - things that will never happen
30% - things about the past that can't be changed
12% - things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% - about health, which gets worse with stress
8% - about real problems that will be faced
Most of the time spent worrying is spent on things that will never happen. Have you ever worried about a potential problem at work, a possible catastrophic event, or a supposed circumstance only to have it not come true?
Single parents unfortunately worry a lot because a lot of times we feel like we are in it by ourselves but that is the furthest thing from the truth. Everything that we go through, God is right there with us and He longs to take our burdens, if we will only given them to Him. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." Our job isn't to worry about what will happen to us, but to trust that God has everything under control.
God loves us and doesn't want anything to harm us, yet many of us believe we need to look out for ourselves. As is the mindset in our world, looking out for yourself and preparing for the worst is the only way to assure you're taken care of. Yet God teaches that because He knows the future, we should trust Him to care for us.
Let's determine to turn over our worries and cares to God and let Him provide and take care of us.
How much time a day do you spend worrying? Have you ever stopped to think about how much you worry? Consider these statistics from a recent study on the focus of people's worries:
40% - things that will never happen
30% - things about the past that can't be changed
12% - things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% - about health, which gets worse with stress
8% - about real problems that will be faced
Most of the time spent worrying is spent on things that will never happen. Have you ever worried about a potential problem at work, a possible catastrophic event, or a supposed circumstance only to have it not come true?
Single parents unfortunately worry a lot because a lot of times we feel like we are in it by ourselves but that is the furthest thing from the truth. Everything that we go through, God is right there with us and He longs to take our burdens, if we will only given them to Him. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." Our job isn't to worry about what will happen to us, but to trust that God has everything under control.
God loves us and doesn't want anything to harm us, yet many of us believe we need to look out for ourselves. As is the mindset in our world, looking out for yourself and preparing for the worst is the only way to assure you're taken care of. Yet God teaches that because He knows the future, we should trust Him to care for us.
Let's determine to turn over our worries and cares to God and let Him provide and take care of us.
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