“Our children are our first ministry”. Words that have been ringing in my mental ears for quite some time.
Being a stay-at-home-mom has done something to me. My speech, my mannerisms, my countenance, all in check for I know little eyes see me and little ears hear me when times are good or bad, their little minds so ready to sponge up any and all information. With all of this in the forefront of my thoughts, my mission is to create a culture, a Jesus culture, in my home. One of my childhood mentors recently admonished me, "start now, start with Cylas. He'll be five and in five years he'll be ten. Our children are our first ministry."
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Prov 22:6
HU.ge responsibility. But I accept this. It's an honor. My husband and I have the very serious job of putting wonderful, beautiful principles into our children that will carry them on into their adulthood. We are building a foundation for them to work off of. yipes!
I remember my year in Europe as a foreign exchange student.
I held strong to my roots and my convictions.
It was a very revealing time for me and I thank God for the people He placed in my life at such a young age.
D and I have read books on how to raise children. They have been goldmines. I honestly believe that some of the stuff that should just be "common sense" is some of the hardest to come by unless it's written out for you. Invaluable material. From these books, past experiences, the bible and trial and error we have diligently raised our children to the best of our ability. You know your work is paying off when random strangers come up and compliment not only your family, but your children! Tears come to my eyes as I think about this. Our children are our heart and soul manifested. They magnify your idiosyncrasies exposing what you wish no one knew existed behind your "calm", "gentle", seemingly "patient", loving demeanor. Yes, your kids are the billboard of what you do behind closed doors. Can someone say, "Jumbo-tron"? So, what am I doing as their mommy to make sure that the fruit they bear is good? What kind of culture am I creating for them to flourish in?
We, as parents, are their first taste of structure and nourishment. Make it healthy, a God-centric experience and atmosphere...lay open God’s word in the home so your children can see it, and become familiar with its pages. It doesn’t matter if they can’t read, they will learn to love His word through you.
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