Write Your Will.

 

It’s not fun, but — especially if you have kids — this is an essential task. We all want to think we will live forever but no one really knows what tomorrow may bring.

 

I am a half glass full person so I often see things through rose colored glasses. I know that a will can be depressing but it doesn’t have to be. If you really love your family and we all do, then you want to take care of them, even after you are gone. Whether you have small or grown children, a spouse or grandchildren there may be a few things that you would like to leave for them to continue for future generations. A will is not always about just leaving someone your fortune or your debt.

 

A will can help your family know what your wishes are and helps them by making tough decisions for them. So many families fall apart after a loved ones dies because they disagree on how property, personal items and yes money should be distributed. Take that responsibility off of your loved ones, who are already grieving, by telling them how you want them to handle your affairs after you are gone. Your family may not like everything you want but they certainly will be thankful to you for making these tough decisions for them.

 

James 4:14

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Families Belong Together

1 Timothy 5:8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The current political debate is whether families should be separated who have illegally crossed into the USA.  Months from now it will be off the hot plate and something else will divide Americans once again.

Most Christians would say that God loves the family. All throughout Scripture, God has given families task of rearing children in the Lord. Husbands and wives are commanded to be faithful to one another, and children to their parents. The thing that I love so much about God and His word is that when he ask us to do something, He gives us all the instructions on how to do it.

Here a few things, that I think, are biblical instructions on how to keep our families together and if followed will bring many blessings upon our family. (in no particular order)

1.  Teach your children about God and His word every day.  Deuteronomy 11:18-20  You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
2. Teach your children to obey their parents.  Ephesians 6:1-2 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother(which is the first commandment with a promise), so that may be well with you, and that you may life long on the earth.  
3. Teach your children to have a healthy fear of purposely disobeying The Lord. Proverbs 1:7-9 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. 
4. Treat your children justly, fairly and respectfully.  Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. 
5. Teach your children to obey the law of the land.  Romans 13: 1-5 Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the policeman does not frighten people who are doing right; but those doing evil will always fear him. So if you don’t want to be afraid, keep the laws and you will get along well. The policeman is sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for he will have you punished. He is sent by God for that very purpose. Obey the laws, then, for two reasons: first, to keep from being punished, and second, just because you know you should.
6. Teach your children about marriage by living your marriage as God has ask us to.  Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,  Ephesians 5: 22Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority as you have placed yourselves under the Lord’s authority, Stay away from porn and refrain from having an affair:1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
7. Teach your children to have good work ethic.  Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, and 2 Thessalonians 3:10 While we were with you, we gave you the order: “Whoever doesn’t want to work shouldn’t be allowed to eat.”
8. Teach them to be financially responsible and give tithes and offerings.  Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender, and
   Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
9. Teach your children that church and serving at your church are important to God and to you also. Hebrews 10:25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching and 1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
10. Teach your children to respect and obey those who have authority over them such as pastors, teachers, police officers, adults etc  Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders, and accept their authority. They take care of you because they are responsible for you. Obey them so that they may do this work joyfully and not complain about you. (Causing them to complain would not be to your advantage.)

    I believe this is how we keep families together.  When we stray from Gods plan for families we begin to allow satan to have his will and his way in our lives and to cause chaos and disunity.  I will not join in on the debate about what we should do with the illegal immigrants in the USA because I think we should focus on cleaning up and tightening up our own families and be the example to others.  Even Christians can’t agree on these 10 things, all supported by the Bible, so how do we expect them to agree on this new hot issue facing Americans.

What do you think???

The Perfect Mother

Proverbs 31:28 says Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her

Aha.  I knew I would get you to read post after reading the title.  I hope my post today will take the pressure off of you to be the perfect mother by telling you that there is no perfect mother, no not one.

When I am in my car, preaching is on the radio.  This morning I heard one small statement from a preacher before reaching my destination that has rolled around in my mind all day.  The pastor said, “You will never be the mother your children think you should be.”

Since I did not hear the full teaching I tried to break down what this statement might have meant.  If he was referencing a teenage child, I get it.  They want you to be like the COOL parents who don’t have rules or curfews for their kids.  A toddler or small child doesn’t like it when their mothers say no.  What about an adult child?  Could he have meant an adult child would look back over their years at home and pick apart the good and bad parenting skills of their mom and dad?  Would parents ever measure up to their adult child’s expectations of how they should have been raised?

After mulling this over all day, I began to reflect on my children’s life and how I impacted them as a mother.  I can tell you that I messed up allot, mostly on my first born.  She was our guinea pig.  None of them came with an owners manual so we had to figure it out on our own.  Then when number two came along, I thought I knew exactly what to do and then I had boy and boy was he different.  Again no owners manual.  Number three came along and I decided who needed an owners manual, this one had to be perfect.  Threes a charm right?  Again no owners manual.

Although I was not a perfect mother and although I made mistakes I tried my best to be a good Christian mother. Below are a few scriptures that I tried to live by as I raised my children.  Remember I said tried and remember I also said I messed up allot.

1. Gentleness: Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
2. A Teacher: Deuteronomy 6:6-7  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷  You shall 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.
3. A Trainer: Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go;  even when he is old he will not depart from it.
4. A Disciplinarian: Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
5. Forgiving: Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
6. Love My Husband: Titus 2:4-5 … and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
7. A Prayer Warrior: Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
8. Trust In The Lord: Psalms 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
9. Taught them Work Ethic: Proverbs 31:17 She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
10. Mama Bear: Ok so this one isn’t in the bible, however Psalms 127:3 says Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

After I compare myself to the scriptures I tried to live by, I think I was an ok mom.  My kids call me, check on me, send me cards, buy me presents, come to visit and tell me they love me.  I am one blessed mama who is not perfect but who is perfectly loved.  Read the scripture s every day and try to do what you can to follow them. You will be or you are a great mom.  Don’t be too hard on yourself.  Happy Mothers Day!