1/23/17

Well the first installment of this blog is a week late! That may become a habit, I hope not.  Spent a good portion of last week at a conference in Texas dealing with teen issues.  It was very helpful and good to be around other people striving for the same cause.  In looking back and reflecting over what I learned while there I would really encourage you to be pushing for every opportunity to push your kids in the direction of the kingdom.  By that I simply mean, push them back to Christ.  Help them realize that every situation in life is either bringing glory to God or it isn't.  There really isn't neutral ground.  I went over a section in Psalms today with the boys out of Ps. 139.  It is a familiar passage to most on how God was fully aware and in charge as they were being formed in the womb.  I was stressing the point about what "fearfully" and "wonderfully" made might mean.  For me, it creates a healthy "fear" of God to realize the impressions on a baby that being 9 months in the womb of a woman, and then never being held by her (like in the case of many adoptions), could trigger or stifle trust issues.  I don't know that we have to fully realize or understand how our minds work, but to be aware that it's probably more complicated and amazing than we might think.  For a child to feel and hear the rhythms of his mother's heart every day while he is being formed, and then lose that day one out in the light...it just might cause issues.  I was telling them that like many things in life, one of the first ways of getting through tough deals in life is to admit a problem, or fear, or whatever.  Going to God with a humble and obedient heart, fully trusting in His "plan" for your life is the best and truly only place to safely stand.  Sadly, many of our boys don't stand there.  So... pray for them.  Pray for them to confess their anger, resentment, or whatever other negative emotion they may have towards God, and allow Him to heal them.  Pray for them to embrace God's plan for them, and to realize the comfort that comes from completely trusting their Heavenly Father for their position in this life.  It is a tough pill for some of them to swallow.  Talk to them about it.  Also...a homework assignment, read the book on our resource page Child Training Tips, by Reb Bradley.  It is a very helpful resource and it still applies to parents with older teens.  Be open to learning new things.

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