A Dorothy Moment

Theme for January: Renewal and Resolution
Verse:

"His way is in the whirlwind and the storms."

Nahum 1:3c

Mom's Musing:
Mole skin is a must, duct tape is hiker's gold, and always- always stake down your tent. Three pieces of advice I recently gave to a family considering doing a rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike. My hiking companions, and my daughter and I gained this wisdom the hard way.
Our blisters taught us about mole skin, a blown out shoe made duct tape a staple, and a whirlwind catching an unsecured tent made for Dorothy from Kansas moment.
Adversity is a good teacher. Its lessons become embedded in our mind. It causes us to do thing differently the next time...to be transformed.

Parenting Tip: Don't fear adversity in your kid's life. It will transform him onto a wiser and stronger individual. And he may even pass his knowledge along to someone else.

Leave a Legacy

Theme for January: Renewal and Resolution
Verse:

"By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-

and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father

because he considered him faithful who had made the promise."

Hebrews 11: 11

Mom's Musing:
Have you ever been bothered by God making Zechariah mute and deaf after he doubted Elizabeth would bear a child (John the Baptist)?  It has bothered me. Mary was confused about God's plans too but God was gentle with her. Why?
Recently I had an epiphany. Zechariah, a high priest, was intimately familiar with Abraham and Sarah's story. It mirrored his. Both couples conceiving in old age after a life of barrenness. Why not believe? But Mary, a virgin, this situation was totally unique. She was open to it, just puzzled.
If moms and dads can live a life of knowing what they believe and believing what they know, their faith will be authentic. Kids want parents to be real.
Parenting Tip: Resolve to dig into Scripture. Be renewed. Walk the talk and talk about the walk with your kids.

Heroes

Theme for January: Renewal and Resolution
Verse:

"Have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way."

Hebrews 13:18

Mom's Musing:
Today we celebrate a national hero, Martin Luther King Junior. Our homes also contain some unsung heroes..dads.
A month ago we were dealing with frozen pipes. A plumber and his young apprentice (his eight year old son) arrived to help us out. At one point it appeared as if the problem was resolved. I was so excited, "I think your dad got the water working!" Not missing a beat the boy said, "My dad... he can fix anything."

Parenting Tip:
Fathers remember you are your son's hero. Resolve to live an honorable life.

Frozen Pipes

Theme for January: Renewal and Resolution
Verse:

"He will lead them to the springs of living water."

 Revelation 7:17b

Mom's Musing:
We had Christmas in the mountains this year. While unpacking and settling in we discovered most the cabin pipes were frozen. Thankfully one toilet and a couple spigots did have water flow. Not a disaster but definitely an inconvenience.
The hot water pipes were the first to come alive. We celebrated but it wasn't a complete victory. We waited for the cold water to spring forth to no avail. We decided to pray about it. Then we went out for dinner and to a movie. The air was getting colder. It was not probable the pipes would warm up enough to thaw.
Upon our return, one of my girls charged ahead, anxious to see if the water was working. We heard lots of sputtering. We held our breath and witnessed the pipes spitting out the cold water in staccato fashion. Success!
This experienced served as a good reminder to me how our children's spiritual life develops. A warm heart, just like a warm pipe, is more receptive to the flow of living water. It takes a lot more waiting, perseverance, and prayer for a cold heart to receive God's love. Even when it looks impossible, have hope. When you do see some good results, don't be discouraged if they aren't consistent with a faith-filled life. Instead pray and then trust that the living water will continue to work toward the steady stream. Life works just as it should when the water is flowing.

Parenting Tip:
 Pray for your kids to have a soft and receptive heart to God's word, love, and promises. Resolve to be persistent and patient in the process. Thawing  takes time.

Just Do It

Theme for January: Renewal and Resolution
Verse:

"I do not understand what I do.

For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

Romans 7:15

Mom's Musing:
2012 is here. Many New Year's resolutions will be made and most broken. When I resolve to avoid dessert, chocolate is all I want- it's all I think about. Maybe sugar isn't one of your temptations but you can relate. Really...why is that? Answer: personal cravings, sinful nature. Rather than tell myself "no sweat treats" I need to adjust my thinking. "I'll have an orange for dessert" or "I can have dessert on the weekends." Telling myself what I can do is more effective than saying what I can't do. What I can't do, I want to do. Retraining the thought process renews the mind.
Happy New Year! (I think I'll go with the weekend option for dessert!)

Parenting Tip:
Tell your children what they can do rather than state what they can't. Ex.: "Sit on the slide" rather than, "Don't stand on the slide." Or for the teen,"Drive the speed limit" instead of, "Don't speed."