Wow, I have a lot of notes from this book, it was all just so great! Elizabeth George is my favorite author and so inspiring to me, and so much of what I've read I've started incorporating into my own life! So let me share (everything is excerpts really)...Intro: Little Choices That Reap Big Blessings
1. Develop a template for your weeks--put first things first--daily Bible time or Bible story time; prepare for church.
2. Analyze your TV time. How much are you watching, how could you use that time to grow in your knowledge of God, to put better things into your heart and mind, to pray for your family to follow God
3. Choose a devotional book--for yourself and for children.
4. Memorize a Bible verse every week.
5. Pray for your heart.
CHAPTER 1: Take Time to Nurture Your Heart
"...we need to take care of our own hearts. We need to take time to nurture our hearts. We are to love the Lord. We are to love and obey His Word. His Word is to reside in our hearts. And THEN we will be godly mothers, and we can more successfully teach God's word to our children."
CHAPTER 2: Teach Your Children God's Word
"It's important to have a time that's set aside and scheduled for reading the Bible... Don't worry about what your children are or are not getting out of your Bible reading times. What they do get is the firsthand experience of seeing your love for the Bible and your wholehearted commitment to God and His Son. They'll realize God's word is important to you...therefore it will become important to them." (59)
CHAPTER 3: Talk to Your Children About God
Constantly focus all of everyday life on Him and His teachings by talking about Him all day long.
"Why talk about God? Because we talk about what's important to us. And when we don't talk about God, we send a loud message to our children that God really isn't that important. So make God a part of your everyday life and chit-chat. Talk about Him and His ways. Talk about His word and His Son. Talk about the wonder of his creation." (72)
CHAPTER 4: Tell Your Children About Jesus
"Somewhere in the midst of all you do, want to do, and need to do, there should be this aim: to educate and introduce each of your children to Jesus Christ...you must see telling your kids about Jesus as your Number One priority and purpose in life as a mom." (88)
* Read out loud to your children daily from the four Gospels.
* Have your kids share in the reading if they can.
* Have them write out and memorize key verses.
* Encourage them to write letters and prayers to Jesus about what they're learning.
* Draw or color pictures of the stories you are reading to them about Jesus.
* Create a full-on craft time aimed at illustrating the day's story and truth.
"Point out any behavior that goes against God's standards. And at the same time, point them to Jesus as the One who can forgive their sins and help them to do the right things."
May your children never remember a day when you didn't talk to them about Jesus, your Best Friend and Savior!
CHAPTER 5: Train Your Children in God's Ways"Your children will follow your footsteps more easily and often than they will follow your advice."
"Yes, children raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord can stray from God. But they can never get away from the prayers of their mom watering the seeds of God's word and love that have been planted in their hearts through a lifetime." (116)
10 Commands for Guiding Your Children
* Teach them, using God's word. (Deut. 6:4-9)
* Tell them what's right and wrong. (1 Kings 1:6)
* See them as gifts from God. (Ps. 127:3)
* Guide them in godly ways. (Prov. 22:6)
* Discipline them. (Prov. 29:17)
* Love them unconditionally. (Lk. 15:11-32)
* Do not provoke them to wrath. (Eph. 6:4)
* Earn their respect by example. (1 Tim. 3:4)
* Provide for their physical needs. (1 Tim. 5:8)
* Pass your faith along to them. (2 Tim. 1:5)
CHAPTER 6: Take Care of Your Children
1. Feed them.
2. Protect them--from siblings, from accidents, from incidents, through education, from the internet, from TV, from the opposite sex
3. Rest time.
CHAPTER 7: Take Your Children To Church
Going to church...
* is an opportunity to hear the heart, mind, and voice of your pastor (Col 4:16)
* is a time to join your heart with others in unified worship (1 Tim. 2:8-12)
* is a time to blend your voice together with others in praise to God (Matt. 26:30)
* is a time to give sacrificially to the Lord (1 Cor. 16:2)
* is an opportunity to have a shared experience with both young and old (Acts 2:42)
CHAPTER 8: Teach Your Children to Pray
"Prayer is important to our children at all ages and stages. And we bless and better their lives when we let them see and hear us pray--when we pray for them, when we pray with them...and especially when we teach them to pray. It's one more way we love them. And it's one more way we train them up for life, especially the future when we won't always be available and they're on their own. And, blessing upon blessing, it's one more way we train them to serve God as they enter into the personal privilege and ministry of prayer."
Prompting prayer...
* ASK "What would you like to thank Jesus for tonight? Today? Right now? Let's not forget to say 'thank you' to Jesus!"
* ASK "What are you worried about? Sad about? Let's tell God about it right now. He can take care of it."
* ASK "What is your biggest challenge today? What would you like to ask God to help you with? Let's ask Him now."
* ASK "Can you think of a special friend we can pray for? How can we ask God to help him or her?"
* ASK "What do you think your dad/brother/sister needs help with? What kindnesses can you do for them to make their lives easier? Let's ask God to help us all."
Everything you do and don't do teaches.
CHAPTER 9: Try Your Best1. Know who you are.
2. Know what it is you do.
3. Realize you cannot serve two masters.
4. Keep it simple.
5. Don't go it alone.
6. Take one day at a time.
CHAPTER 10: Talk to God About Your Children
* Pray for your child's salvation.
* Pray for your child's friends.
* Pray for your child's purity.
* Pray for your child's schoolwork.
* Pray for your child's church involvement.
CHAPTER 11: Making the Choices That Count
Choose your attitude--
* heartily (Col. 3:23)
* faithfully (1 Tim. 3:11)
* willingly (Prov. 31:15)
* excellently (Prov. 31:29)
* joyfully (1 Thes. 5:16)
* prayerfully (1 Thes. 5:17)
* thankfully (1 Thes. 5:18)
1 comment:
I loved this, Sarah! Especially about choosing your attitude at the bottom, I think that wraps it all up! It's ALL about ATTITUDE, isn't it? You've been busy lately, huh? Your pumpkin patch pictures are SO cute! I catch myself worrying too much lately about how stuff "looks". I've been trying to loosen up and just enjoy my time with my family. But, I find it's hard to do, why is that? Anyway, glad Eli had fun! He's such a cutie! :o)
Love and Prayers,
Julie
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