The Best Mother's Day Gift Ever

After a couple of weeks of really hard parenting with one of my other children, God revealed once again His never ending faithfulness, his unfailing mercy, and His constant presence in our lives. Affirmation came when this guy, at age 5, decided on Thursday to share that he believes in Jesus and his death on the cross for our sins and that he wants to be a follower of Jesus. The opportunity came after a news story on TV sparked a conversation about death and heaven and the fact that not all people go to heaven, but only those who BELIEVE.

I knew that he loved Jesus. He has shared that with me often. We watched The Bible Series on the History Channel at Easter time and he often told me about what was going to happen in the story even before it did. My heart was filled up and overflowing. He knows the stories of the bible. He believes that they are true. He prays often and spontaneously for those in need. He is a self proclaimed "Prayer Warrior" and looks for opportunities to pray for people. 

We don't expect perfection in his walk with Christ and neither does God but we are so grateful that he recognizes that he needs Jesus for his salvation. Praise God! Thanks to our AHH-MAZING church (Prairie Lakes) and their amazing kids' program and to Orchard Hill Church Preschool, the director and teachers there, for pouring into my little guy for the past 3 years. It truly takes a village. 

What better Mother's Day gift could there be? It's a way of life and a journey that we are happy to take with him as he grows. 

ACTS 16:31

For we know that we are no longer separated from God because of our sin. Jesus paid the price. The veil was torn and we have been set FREE. 

Parenting Millennials/Generation Z

Friends, the last two weeks have been, hands down, the hardest parenting days of my life. Christian or not, the peer pressure to have sex, the temptation, the foul language, the bullying, the opposition, the need to "fit in" in the middle school/high school years is so very real, so raw. It's not just drugs and defiance anymore. It's a whole new culture in this digital age. Even the kid who makes straight A's. Even the track star. Even the one who seemingly makes good choices most of the time. It is happening, whether we choose to believe it or not. None of us is immune. Over the last two weeks, we have had some of the HARDEST conversations that we've ever had to have with anyone else in our entire lives. This generation has so many more pressures with access to so much social media like SnapChat and WhatsApp etc. Hard, hard stuff, friends. Thankful that God has us right where we are supposed to be during these years and thankful for a community of believers, mentors, teachers, leaders and other parents who pour positively into our children when we can't always be with them. If you have friends who are not on board with your values, your beliefs, your style of parenting, get new friends. If there are family members who aren't aligned with you, have some healthy boundaries. The opposition is always there. We can't protect them from everything, forever more. Hope in Jesus Christ makes ALL the difference. We can not "fix" our children. We can only guide them with the help of the One who turns chaos back into order. We are not called to perfection in this thing called parenting. We're all figuring it out as we go. One size does not fit all. Let's encourage each other today...

Romans 5:2-5

through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Very encouraging words from a wise mentor of mine who raised 3 girls who are now grown and raising their own families : "Keep the faith and continue to be a STRONG parent. Being a STRONG parent isn't always the most "popular" thing to be even among our adult peers."

Parenting Articles From Jill Savage

Got Teens? Book by Author: Jill Savage

Real Moms...Real Jesus - Book by Author: Jill Savage

Recommended Reading by founders of Hearts At Home:

Have A New Teenager by Friday

Parenting Millennials

Christian Answers To Parenting The "Net" Generation

The Heart of Screen Time

Internet Safety Dot Com

From: todayschristianwoman.com "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (Ps. 32:7).

Nuclear Prayer

I'm not able to handle this one alone, Lord. The dangers that lurk behind the computer monitor are too dark for me to face alone. Please help me. Help me to be the parent I need to be, to make the time it's going to take to keep my family safe, and to be wise about all of the activities in my home. Help me to do the difficult things in the face of my teen's frustrations and confusion—let any rules I implement be received well and honored. In the end, it's about the safety of my kids, Lord. So please protect them and use me in every way possible in the carrying out of that task. Amen.

Adapted from Hot Buttons: Internet Edition. Copyright © 2012 by Nicole O'Dell. Used by permission of Kregel Publications.