Raising An Alien

I came across an incredibly helpful article on Pinterest describing how your school age child's brain develops. Turns out we aren't raising aliens, at least not the creepy, outer space version.  However, we are to be raising this version....

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  (1 Peter 2:11)

 

The article is broken up into age groups from preschool through high school.  Take a peek at it here.   Scroll down near the bottom of the page to find each age group.

This looks like a very interesting and helpful website... take a look around and let us know what you think.

A Silent Night

Christmas is in the air. "The stockings are hung by the chimney with care", people everywhere are "dreaming of a white Christmas", and kids are "making a list and checking it twice".

 

In the weeks leading up to Christmas I hear many ideas for keeping Christ as the center of this holiday season, but it's hard to do sometimes.  Everywhere we look we are bombarded with more things we need to buy, more parties we need to attend and we feel like money is falling out our pockets.

I do love this season, but I have to admit that if I let it, it can become a drudgery and celebrating Christmas and all the festivites just becomes another thing to add to my continually growing "to do" list.

Several years ago, God spoke to my heart about this very issue.  He showed me that I needed to set my heart and mind on keeping Christ as the center of the season and not to give in to the frenzy, hectic pace that seemed to be circling me.  That Christmas, now many years ago, was the turning point for me. I began to chose a Christmas season that was peaceful and tranquil.  And let me stress it is a choice and one I have to chose EVERY year.  That was also the year I heard for the first time a song that has become one of my all time favorite Christmas songs (click on picture below to hear the song).

 

This Christmas give the gift of peace and tranquility to your family.

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." Psalm 29:11

 

Forgiveness

What I am about to share is a little hard and humbling.  The reason I'm sharing is because several weeks ago I asked you to pray with me regarding an issue my family was facing that felt very much like David going up against Goliath.  Your prayers worked, but not in the way I was hoping or expecting.  The following paragraph is taken from my personal family blog...

 

God has taught me what it means to forgive. I know over the years there have been people who have offended me, but not to the extent I've experienced over the past five months. In May, my daughter was the victim of a great injustice. It didn't have to grow as big as it did, but the offender chose a path that was wrought with frustration and heartache for me, her mom. As months went by and accusations made, my mama bear heart took over and all I could see was seeking justice at all costs! I thought I was doing the right thing. I had constructed a letter making an appeal to the appropriate officials and was literally driving to the post office to mail the letter. As I was driving, listening to the radio broadcast Revive Our Hearts, the speaker, Nancy Leigh DeMoss was talking about forgiveness. I only heard about 10 minutes of her message, but in those few minutes I clearly heard the Holy Spirit say to me "What IF you let this issue go and forgive?". I knew right then that I needed to turn my van around, head home and most importantly FORGIVE. For several days prior, I had been experiencing a great amount of anxiety, restless sleep and consuming thoughts. Sitting in my van, making the decision to let go and forgive, an immediate calm and cleansing peace washed over me. I won't say that every time I think about the offense I feel okay with the situation because a great wrong had been done, but what I am saying is that I am making a CHOICE to forgive the offender. I am choosing to forgive for the sake of my mental state, for my family and for my relationship with God.

Thank you for praying with me!  God sometimes works in ways we don't always expect, but I am very thankful for the lesson He taught me that day in forgiveness... it was very freeing!

 

Nothing New Under the Sun

Do your older kids have a Facebook or Twitter account?  The current generation is definitely more open about sharing what's on their mind, what they are doing, etc.  But not only the younger generation, I know for myself I have had to exercise great restraint in not sharing an opinion or comment that could be misinterpreted or hurtful.

My dad is a quiet man by nature, but also very intelligent. I once asked him why he was so quiet and didn't share more of his knowledge.  His response surprised me and has stuck with me... he said that there is nothing new under the sun (taken from Ecclesiastes 1:9).  Some may say, that's a negative view of life, but I understand his comment.  He was in essence saying you don't have to be the one that is constantly drawing attention to yourself, putting your opinions and ideas "out there".  I appreciate his words of wisdom and it's something we have to remind our kids about too.

Philippians 4:8 says,

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." 

Remind your kids to be careful about what they say in a text, post or tweet... some postings have the potential to haunt them for the rest of their life.  Take for instance this women who in a moment of silliness completely altered her life.

And please don't misunderstand me... I am in no way against social media sights for teens, we just need to remind and monitor them so that they use them in a way that is honoring and pleasing to their Heavenly Father.  One rule of thumb I've heard is this... If you can't say it to someone's face than you shouldn't text, post or tweet it.

And just a reminder... for the protection of children, 13 years of age is the requirement to have a Facebook account.

Comfort in the Hardships

I like ease and comfort.  I don't relish difficulty and burdens.  I think most would agree with me.  However, I find it very interesting as I read in Jeremiah 42, they God specifically instructed His people to stay put in the land that was filled with hardship and turmoil.  God's people had just been through the destruction of Jerusalem and I'm sure they were looking for a place of peace and quiet to live out their lives.  But God said I want you to stay right where you are at.  If they obeyed, He would protect them and they would prosper and be safe.  But that didn't make any sense to them, so they chose instead to flee to Egypt; to a land they thought would provide them comfort and safety.  They packed their belongs and made the trek to "ease and comfort".  When they arrived they began incorporating the beliefs and customs of the local people and turned from the One True God and began worshipping idols.  Because they disobeyed the command of God to stay put in the land of turmoil, they themselves experienced turmoil in the land of "safety" and many lost their lives as a result of their disobedience.

I am reminded that the safest place for me is smack dab in the center of God's will!  I have said it before and you can read about my journey on the sidebar, but I was down right scared to enroll my kids in the public school.  Both my husband and I spent our educational career in a private Christian school from kindergarten through college.  I wrongly assumed the public schools were all evil and kids who came out of them could not/would not walk with God.  I was VERY wrong and God has shown me the error in my thinking time and time again.

I am not pro public education over homeschooling or private Christian education.... each choice is an individual one for each family to make.  I have always said I take my kids schooling a year at a time.  But year after year, God has clearly shown me that public education is the right choice for our family. 

So if your struggling today because something isn't going exactly right in your child's school or maybe a teacher is making their year difficult, take comfort in knowing that the safest place for you and your kids is right center in the middle of God's will even if that center is wrought with hardship and pain.

Hebrews 13:5b says,

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Behavior Vs. Academics

Tomorrow is Parent Teacher Conference day in our family.  I am always a wee bit nervous about this event.  I think more than the academic side of things (because I can see what kind of work they are bringing home), I get anxious about what their teacher's are going to say to me about their behavior.  I find it interesting though, unless I ask, they don't usually offer that information.  Of course, I want my kids to be successful academically, but the most important thing to me is their character.  They can proceed through their academic career with a 4.0, but if I've failed to teach them the truth of God's Word, then they will enter the world with very little hope and forgetting the One they can cling to.  I have yet to find one verse in the Bible that addresses the need for parents to make sure they are teaching algebra to their student with clarity (thankfully, otherwise I would be deemed a failure as a parent), but what I do see is God commanding parents to speak truth into the hearts of their children.  Because our children are in the public school system and they aren't receiving Godly instruction from their teachers, we MUST talk to them, all the time, about what they are seeing and hearing in the world and preparing them with God's truth to combat life's hurdles and battles.  Take comfort and be encouraged by the following verses.  I thought I should make the list shorter, but I couldn't cut any one verse... they each are so impactful and helpful!

And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

- Exodus 18:20

 

 

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

- Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
- Psalms 25:5

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
- Proverbs 9:9

And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
- Ezekiel 44:23

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
- 2 Timothy 3:16

Learning Language

I have three kids and all of them learn very differently.  I have one who needs very little guidance, once he’s told something it usually sticks.  I have another though very intelligent, is a tad on the scatterbrain side… she generally understands concepts, but needs guidance in working with focus.  And my last is a visual learner… she needs to see how things work and then she is able to work independently.  She does well in subjects like science because she likes to see how a butterfly moves through its varying stages of development. 

 As I’ve been reading the book of Jeremiah, I’ve seen how God teaches Jeremiah by what I think is Jeremiah’s learning style.  Time and time again, God gives him visuals to help him see and understand how He plans to act on behalf of His people.  How cool is that, that God sees the individual and teaches accordingly.  This is why I would make a horrible teacher (and the reason I changed my major in college), I tend to teach how I understand concepts while a great teacher can see beyond themselves and their own learning style to help those who learn differently.  I often pray for my kids teachers that they will be able to do just this… see my child as an individual and teach them how they learn best.  Take some time today to pray for your child’s teacher.

 

I highly recommed the above book to help you understand and relate to each of your children's "learning language".   Follow this link to learn more and purchase.

Mission Statement

My desire with Salt and Light is to be an encouragement to parents who have their children in the public school system.  Although, there are times when I post information directly related children and their education, the vast majority of what I write is geared toward encouraging the parent in their walk with God.  You see, I believe that unless we are modeling a life completely sold out to Christ, we can't expect our kids to live for and walk with God.

And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.  (Titus 2:7)