Late Night Conviction
I am up late and cannot sleep. I have tried. I tossed and turned. I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to dream by imagining myself places. I even did the thing where you squeeze all the muscles in your body for 30 seconds to tire them out. Yet, here I am. On my computer searching everything that is running rampant in my mind. The list that I had made of the things I need to do obviously wasn't sufficient enough.
So what has me up writing at 12:30 am? Parenting. What else?
I am sure I am not the only mother that at some point can't sleep because they are wondering how they can improve their parenting so that in turn improve their children.
Now there are so many ways I can go here, and I did search a few things on parenting related topics such as how to schedule your day, but my main concern was God. I am not teaching my children about God enough. Yes, I go to church, check. I teach them about the true meaning of Christmas, check. I even make references on "What would Jesus do?", check. My youngest two even go to a bible based preschool, check.
Wow, look at all those checks! (Patting myself on the back.) If you haven't noticed, I am a task oriented person. However, although all those "checks" look and sound great, I am missing two crucial things on my to-do list. Teaching my children how to be in the word daily and grow a real relationship with HIM.
Here is where I struggle. I have no idea where to even begin on this task, so to the internet I fled. I searched a lot of pages, blogs, forums, and one thing became very apparent to me. How can I teach my children to do something that I myself am not doing?Talk about conviction! (If you could see me, I would have red cheeks and a red neck. Maybe I should take away the previous said pats on the back.)
I didn't grow up in a house where the bible was read every day. Frankly, God was talked about on occasion, and we only went to church on holidays. So this is foreign territory for me and I so want my children to have a better relationship with God than I did as a child. Or even now.
So what am I going to do about this? Well first I need to get a little bit more organized and I need to have a more set routine. Which again starts with me. I need to get up out of bed, make my bed (which I confess I never do), take a shower, and get dressed for the day all before my morning coffee. No more snuggling up in a blanket, in my pj's, with my cup of coffee till late in the morning. I need to seize the day!
Once my morning routine is set I should have no excuse on why I am not worshiping the Lord in the morning with my kids after breakfast. By worshiping, maybe we sing a song, read a verse and talk about what it means. I haven't got it all figured out yet, but it is only now 12:53 am. You have to start somewhere.
I do know that if I make God a part of my daily morning routine, then my children will see that I am starting my day off with praising the Lord and being thankful for a new day. In turn I am hoping that they will do the same. Which also makes me realize that if I start my morning off that way, I am more likely to go about my day serving HIM and not myself. I am also more likely to stop throughout the day and talk with Him.
So tomorrow, I lead by example. No I am not waiting for the New Year because God deserves my love and attention now not later, and my children and I need God now. It is not something toput off thill the start of the new week, or the new month, or even the new year. There is no time like the present.
Speaking of present, I really need to get to bed. Now.
So what has me up writing at 12:30 am? Parenting. What else?
I am sure I am not the only mother that at some point can't sleep because they are wondering how they can improve their parenting so that in turn improve their children.
Now there are so many ways I can go here, and I did search a few things on parenting related topics such as how to schedule your day, but my main concern was God. I am not teaching my children about God enough. Yes, I go to church, check. I teach them about the true meaning of Christmas, check. I even make references on "What would Jesus do?", check. My youngest two even go to a bible based preschool, check.
Wow, look at all those checks! (Patting myself on the back.) If you haven't noticed, I am a task oriented person. However, although all those "checks" look and sound great, I am missing two crucial things on my to-do list. Teaching my children how to be in the word daily and grow a real relationship with HIM.
Here is where I struggle. I have no idea where to even begin on this task, so to the internet I fled. I searched a lot of pages, blogs, forums, and one thing became very apparent to me. How can I teach my children to do something that I myself am not doing?Talk about conviction! (If you could see me, I would have red cheeks and a red neck. Maybe I should take away the previous said pats on the back.)
I didn't grow up in a house where the bible was read every day. Frankly, God was talked about on occasion, and we only went to church on holidays. So this is foreign territory for me and I so want my children to have a better relationship with God than I did as a child. Or even now.
So what am I going to do about this? Well first I need to get a little bit more organized and I need to have a more set routine. Which again starts with me. I need to get up out of bed, make my bed (which I confess I never do), take a shower, and get dressed for the day all before my morning coffee. No more snuggling up in a blanket, in my pj's, with my cup of coffee till late in the morning. I need to seize the day!
Once my morning routine is set I should have no excuse on why I am not worshiping the Lord in the morning with my kids after breakfast. By worshiping, maybe we sing a song, read a verse and talk about what it means. I haven't got it all figured out yet, but it is only now 12:53 am. You have to start somewhere.
I do know that if I make God a part of my daily morning routine, then my children will see that I am starting my day off with praising the Lord and being thankful for a new day. In turn I am hoping that they will do the same. Which also makes me realize that if I start my morning off that way, I am more likely to go about my day serving HIM and not myself. I am also more likely to stop throughout the day and talk with Him.
So tomorrow, I lead by example. No I am not waiting for the New Year because God deserves my love and attention now not later, and my children and I need God now. It is not something toput off thill the start of the new week, or the new month, or even the new year. There is no time like the present.
Speaking of present, I really need to get to bed. Now.
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