Merry Christmas!

You know, I've been a Christian all my life, and I love that we can still have these fantastic revelations and insights! That must be what it means when it is said that God's Word is living and breathing, eh?

Here are some of the lessons that I have learned recently:

Lesson 1:
A couple of years back, my pastor (who was fairly new to our church) was giving his Christmas Eve message. He has such a great way of relating the Bible that I hadn't felt in the previous pastors that I had heard.

When he talked about how Jesus looked down on the Earth with His Heavenly Father, and said "send me", it struck a chord right in my heart. All my life I heard the Christmas story - the boy child being born in the manger. I didn't realize until that moment, that that's where Jesus' story always began for me - with his birth.

But that's not really where Jesus' story began, was it? He made the choice to leave His position in Heaven to come down and live amongst us.

Lesson 2:
Have you seen the movie The Nativity Story? I watched it last year, and it wasn't anything like I had imagined. Again, my whole life, the thought of Jesus began with His wonderful birth. The people who created that movie did such an amazing job of portraying the darkness of that time, the fear that the people lived in. The birth of this boy, our Saviour, brought hope and light to that dark time, and He is still bringing light to our lives today!

Lesson 3:
My 5-year-old and I were doing our Homeschool lesson yesterday. The lesson called for a reading from "Devotions from the Children's Hour" by Kenneth Taylor. The chapter that our curriculum instructed us to read is called "How the Baby Jesus Was Different from Every Other Baby".
Mr Taylor went on to talk about how Joseph was not Jesus' father. Of course we all know this, right?

But his explanation was stirring to me - if Jesus had been born of Joseph, then he would have been born with sin. When he died on the cross, He would not have been able to die for our sins, because He would have had to die for His own.
Because He was the Son of God, He was born without sin, and THAT is the reason that He was able to die for our sins.

I'm sure many of you already hold these truths in your hearts, but I'm hoping that you will see this Christmas with fresh eyes, and an open heart.


May you and yours have a blessed and Merry Christmas!









My personal blog: MomKaboodle
Find me on Twitter: @MomKaboodle

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?
Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."  -Matthew 7:9-11



But let us remember that as much as WE love and want what's best for our children, our Father in Heaven wants that even more! 

It is my hope that we will remember to pray over our children each day, and trust God to take care of them and keep them safe while they are in our care as well as in the care of others.

I hope you and your kiddos have a blessed day! 
 
Find me on Twitter: @sdakin105 & @MomKaboodle

The other day my son and I were reading in Exodus 20 and talking about the 10 Commandments.  I have what's called "The Parenting Bible (NIV)", which is a regular New International Version Bible, but it has some tips for Parents sprinkled throughout it. 

On the page that houses Exodus 20, it has a note from Kevin Leman that was taken out of his book entitled "Getting the Best Out of Your Kids".  It is called "A Child's Ten Commandments to Parents", and it struck a major chord with me.  So much so, that I wanted to share it with you here.

"1. My hands are small; please don't expect perfection.
 2. I haven't seen the world; please don't restrict me unnecessarily.
 3. Housework will always be there; please take time for me.
 4. My feelings are tender; please don't nag me all day long.
 5. I'm a gift from God; please discipline me in a loving manner.
 6. I need your encouragement; please go easy on the criticism.
 7. Please permit me to fail so I can learn from my mistakes.
 8. Please don't compare me with my brother or sister.
 9. Please don't be afraid to leave me for a weekend together.  It's a great way to show me your
     marriage is very special.
10. Please take me to church regularly, setting me a good example to follow."

I think I'm going to print this out for myself and post it in several places around the house.  I'm feeling gently reprimanded and humbled by the Lord.

Thank you, dear Lord, for these precious gifts that you've given to me in these children.  Please help me to raise them as you would have me raise them.  Help me to be the mother that You want me to be.
  Thank you so much for the Seeds of Faith community and for all of the women whom we have been given an opportunity to bless.  So many of these women have blessed us in return, whether they are aware of it or not. 

Please strengthen us in our Mom Walk, and help us to teach our children to know and love you, Lord.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen

Thanks ladies for being a part of this community!  We truly do love having you here.  =)

Your sister in Christ,







My websites: MomKaboodle (Promoting Moms!) and The Helping Mommy
Find me on Twitter: @MomKaboodle and @sdakin105

Is it the weight of the world?  Oh, it's on my shoulder?  Huh.


The Lord revealed something to me the other day, that I wanted to share with you.

I feel guilty if I'm not doing something productive (or at least something that makes me feel productive). 

It drives my husband crazy that I can't sit and watch one of our favorite shows with him without doing something else at the same time - either doing stuff on the computer, crocheting, folding laundry....you name it.  He tells me that he wishes that I'd just relax.

Well, it turns out that I don't really know how to do that.  Even if my husband takes the kids out or a family member comes to play with the kiddos so I can get some time to myself, I feel like I'm doing something wrong if I do anything other than cleaning, making dinner, etc.

I'm sure that I'm not the only person afflicted with this inability to relax.  Is it a woman thing?  A mom thing?  I look at my mom and my grandmother (my Dad's mom - the only grandmother that I knew), and they were both so darn productive ALL the time.  They could sew and paint to beat the band, and they cook like no other.  My grandmother I speak of in the past tense, but thank the good Lord, my mother is still with us and doing all of these SUPERWOMAN things.  I swear, my mom has more energy than I do!
But, I digress...

I have the habit of taking on WAAAAY too many things because Heaven forbid that I don't have a million things to do!  Does this sound at all familiar to you?


I'm reminded of a story that I read in Joanna Weaver's "Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World" that she credits to Rosemarie Kowalski.

The story is about a man who met God in a valley.  God asked the man if he would pull a wagon with three stones up a hill, giving him a very specific place to leave the wagon.

The wagon looked to be in good shape, and the stones didn't look particularly heavy.  So the man agreed.

On his way up the hill, he met up with many friends and neighbors who asked if they could add their own rocks or bag of pebbles to the wagon.  He agreed each time, and of course the wagon got progressively heavier, and a bit harder to pull up to the top of the hill.

The story goes on to say:

  'One little stop followed another, and the wagon grew fuller and fuller.  The sun was hot above the man pulling it, and his shoulders ached with the strain.  The songs of praise and thanksgiving that had filled his heart had long since left his lips as resentment began to build inside.  Surely this wasn't what he had signed up for that morning.  God had given him a burden heavier than he could bear....

..."This is it!" he fumed.  "God can't expect me to haul this all the way up the mountain."

"Oh God," he wailed.  This is too hard for me!  I thought you were behind this trip, but I am overcome by the heaviness of it.  You'll have to get someone else to do it.  I'm just not strong enough."'

God came over to see what the problem was.  He started taking out each of the extra burdens that the man had picked up along the way, asking what each thing was. 

'God continued to unload the wagon, removing both light and heavy items.  They dropped to the ground, the dust swirling up around them.  The man who had hoped to help God grew silent.  "If you will be content to let others take their own burdens," God told him, "I will help you with your task."

"But I promised I would help!  I can't leave those things lying here."

"Let others shoulder their own belongings," God said gently.  "I know you were trying to help, but when you are weighted down with all these cares, you cannot do what I have asked of you.......My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  I will never ask you to carry more than you can bear."'

Hmmmmm.  This provides some food for thought, doesn't it?  I know that God isn't saying not to help people.  He isn't telling us not to be generous with our time and to give of ourselves. 

But He has been speaking to me these past few days, and reminding me to follow the Peace.  If I don't have Peace about taking something new on, then God's hand is not on it. 

A wise friend of mine often reminds me that in saying "yes" to one thing, you are also saying "no" to something else. 

If you see yourself in this post, let me urge you to do the following (as I remind myself to do the same):

1.   Pray, pray, pray before agreeing to take on something new.
2.   Ask yourself if taking on that new task will benefit your family, or take more of your time away from
|      them.  As much as I love to help others, God has been reminding me that they are my first priority (after
      Him, of course) - not my friends, not my job, not my blog(s)....my husband and my kiddos.
3.   Follow your Peace - that's God's voice laying His answers on your heart.
4.   If you agree to something that you no longer feel peace about, have the grace to tell the person "I'm
     sorry, I thought God's hand was on this, but it wasn't.  I'm no longer able to do this."

I actually had to do the last one the other day.  It was an uncomfortable and humbling experience, but I feel more at peace after having done it.


ummmm.....ahem!

Your sister in Christ,


photo credit: audrey_sel

photo credit: mackenzienicole

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." -- Proverbs 22:6


The Lord has placed it on my heart to minister to the children of our church and our community. This Sunday School year I have the privilege of teaching the first-, second- and third-graders at my church. We have only had two weeks of Sunday School so far, but it has been a fun, yet eye-opening experience.

What has struck me the most thus far is that I take for granted the things that my 5-year-old knows about the Bible, and I expect that kids that are older than he is would know those same things.

I was surprised by some of the things that they weren't familiar with. (We've only talked about Creation and the Garden of Eden so far....). It is very clear to me that my job is to:

• make sure they know that God loves them no matter what


• teach them that they can talk to God at any time and about anything


• teach them that the Bible is God's Word and is to be respected


• make sure they know that Jesus lived and died for them


• pray for them by name, and also for their families

I could go on and on of course.

Probably one of the biggest things that my eyes have been opened to is that there are many, many children out there that don't have the Biblical teachings available to them. Others may have a distorted view of the Bible and of God. I remember at their age feeling that God was SO BIG - too big to want to be my friend.

I also remember believing that God was like a stern taskmaster - quick to punish.

I now know, of course, that these things are not true. God really is my friend, and I can rely on Him at all times. He isn't going to strike me down for not reading the Bible every single night, or for thinking un-Christian thoughts.

God wants us to WANT to do what is right. To be kind to one another and to love one another, not only because it is the right thing, but also because we want to please Him.

Today I would like to say a prayer for all of the kids that don't have the opportunities to learn about God, and also for the ones that do. Will you join me?


Your sister in Christ,






My websites: MomKaboodle.com and TheHelpingMommy.com
Find me on Twitter: @MomKaboodle @SDakin105

Photo Credit: Children Praying in Classroom Photographic Print

We know that children are naturally self-centered, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised these past few weeks.

My son (5-years-old) and I just had a conversation about this yesterday. I preface this story with the disclaimer that I normally don’t go around telling people about where we give money.

Matthew 6:3-4 instructs us: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” So please know that I am sharing this for illustration purposes only.

A while back my son and I made a donation to the World Wildlife Federation. He chose which animal he wanted to support, and we did the donation in his name. We talk about it from time to time, but he was telling me yesterday that he wanted to donate to them again from his own money. We talked about how he could collect his coins and send them money when we filled up a piggy bank that he designated for the cause.

Pretty sweet, huh?

Now just a few weeks ago, we had our Vacation Bible School. This year for our Outreach Mission we collected monetary donations for the town’s fuel bank (to assist needy people with fuel for their homes in the winter) and the town’s food bank.

Kids were bringing in non-perishable items, and we even made a little bit of a competition out of it amongst the classes. It was amazing to see how excited the kids were about helping people out in their town. I think this mission was one of the more successful ones in the terms of garnering support because the kids could really grasp that we were helping out people within their town. It was so neat to see them getting so excited about it – and not just because of the competition, either.

So what are some other ways that we can teach our children about charitable giving?

1. Thanksgiving and Christmas are excellent times to talk about giving to those who are less fortunate. A lot of towns collect non-perishable items for their own food banks to give to the needy for their holiday meals.



2. Just before my son’s birthday and Christmas time I like to have him go through his toys and help me pick out some things to give away – either via Freecycle, to donate to our church tag sale, etc. This has a twofold purpose – the first is to clear out some space for the new things that he’ll be receiving, but also to talk about kids who don’t have as many things as he does.




3. Another great example is Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. I know that the end of August is a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but I felt this being put on my heart today so please indulge me.
   
   Operation Christmas Child (OCC) collects shoeboxes filled with little gifts (hygiene items, toys, etc.) for kids who are less fortunate in other countries. Samaritan’s Purse uses this opportunity to spread Jesus’ love to other children who otherwise may not have heard of Jesus, or who have heard of Him but never had a Bible of their own. It’s not too early to talk to your kids about collecting small items to fill up a shoebox with! You can find out more about OCC and their drop sites here




4. You can look in your local community to see if any organizations are collecting school supplies for donation.



5. And of course there is the offering plate at your church. We haven’t been very consistent about giving our son money to put in the plate each week after Sunday School – that’s something we’ll have to work on for this year.
   

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

-Matthew 25:36-40


Your sister in Christ,








My blogs: MomKaboodle - The Place for Moms
The Helping Mommy

Find me on Twitter: @MomKaboodle & @sdakin105

Photo credit:Runran (Creative Commons License)

I am SO sorry, Seeds gals....I totally spaced on my post today. It's been so darn busy around here lately. Today the kids and I spent the whole day outside. We don't do it nearly often enough. It. Was. FABULOUS!

Anyway, I'd like to talk a little bit today about waiting on God.

On a personal level, we truly are waiting right now for His answer. As you may know, I am the mother of a VERY active 5-year-old, who will be entering Kindergarten this school year - we just don't know where.

I have reservations of sending this boy to Public K.....I just don't know that he'll get the appropriate positive direction that he needs in a classroom filled with 20-something kids.

The Christian Preschool that he attended last year usually does a K class, but we're not sure if it's going to happen this year. If it does, there will only be about 6 kids, and they spend A LOT of time outside (where he thrives). This is my #1 preference.

The other option-that-may-not-really-be-an-option is Homeschooling....I've felt a gentle tug on my heart to do it. The two problems that we have are #1 (and it's a biggie) - my husband is opposed to it. He doesn't think my son will get the right preparation (though who has been his primary teacher all of these years?). #2 - Some days we barely get through the day all in one piece.

One of the things that I love about being a Christian, is that I don't have to shoulder this burden. Really, I don't. You see, God already knows what the solution is. He has it all figured out, and according to my favorite verse (Jeremiah 29:11), He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us.

Matthew 6:25-27 says:

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

So why should I sit here hemming and hawing and worrying the problem? We know what our options are. God will show us the way.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." --Matthew 6:34

Amen!







Find me on my blogs: The Helping Mommy or MomKaboodle - The Place For Moms
and on Twitter: @sdakin105 & @MomKaboodle

¹ I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.

² When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.

³ I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
Selah

⁹ Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Selah

(Psalm 77:1-3, 9)

I had a post on an entirely different topic planned for today. But with a very spirited, energetic, just-turned-5-year-old (this past Sunday!), and a curious, exploring (getting into everything) 18-month-old, we have had a bit of a challenge on our hands.

It is so very easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed. Especially when you are negotiating with a child (that you had no idea had studied for and passed the BAR exam somewhere in the last 5 years of his life – how else could he be that good?) from the second you wake up, and playing referee to two members of the national Rugby team in your living room. (“Please leave your sister alone! Stop being rough with your sister!”....you get the idea).

¹⁰ Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."

¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

¹² I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

¹³ Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?

¹⁴ You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.

(Psalm 77:10-14)

I’m sure the Psalmist had more on his plate than two rambunctious kiddos when he appealed to the Lord, but hey – the Lord knows us, He knows what we are going through, and He expects us to come to Him no matter how small our problems may seem, right? After all, we wouldn’t turn our kids away when they come to us with a tiny paper cut, right? Those stinkers really hurt!

So I have been crying out to the Lord this morning, and He has heard my request for help. The kids are much calmer now, and playing on their own for the time-being. I’m soaking in some much-needed peace and enjoying my coffee. In a few minutes I’ll be ready to play with them, and hopefully we can turn this day around!

How do you handle days like these?

What verses do you return to time and again to help you through?

I’d love to hear your responses – I could definitely use the help!

Lately my soon-to-be 5-year-old has been asking me a lot of questions about Heaven and about death. I don't know how much of it is natural development for a 4 or 5 year old, and how much of it can be attributed to losing a Papa and 2 great-aunts within a year's time.

We try to explain to him that Heaven is a beautiful, wonderful place where we can be with Jesus, and there's no pain, no sickness, no fear.

Despite these (repeated) conversations, my son said to me last night that he's afraid to go to heaven. And are people afraid to be "so high up"?

I told him that no, they are not scared. That God is with us here, and He is with us in Heaven, watching over us and protecting us. We never have to be scared or worried because He knows the future.

Then, my favorite scripture came out of my mouth. In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord tells us:
" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I was able to tell my dear, sweet little one that the Lord knows what will happen tomorrow, and the next day. He even knows what my son will be when he grows up!

Isn't it an amazing feeling to know that God has a special, wonderful plan for YOU and your loved ones? No matter what you may be going through right now, no matter what you may be facing, remember that the Lord can turn any bad situation and use it for good.

Your sister in Christ,







Find me online: The Helping Mommy or MomKaboodle
Chat with me on Twitter: @SDakin105

At the risk of stating the obvious, I'm a girl. As such, I was raised as a girl, though I did have tomboy-ish tendencies especially when I was younger.

But I'll tell you, sometimes I am baffled when it comes to understanding my son. Fortunately my husband and one of his preschool teachers were there to assure me that boys are very different. They need to run and yell and climb and play roughly. (sometimes makes you want to pull your hair out, eh?)

Fortunately, there's an amazing group of Christian Women who are dedicated to raising their boys to be Godly men. Have you met them yet? Head on over to the M.O.B. Society (M.O.B. = Mothers of Boys) and fellowship with them.

While we're on the subject of Fellowship, don't forget to join us here tomorrow for iFellowship. Hope to see you then!







My blog: The Helping Mommy
Find me on Twitter: @SDakin105

My blog: The Helping Mommy
Find me on Twitter: @SDakin105

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" -Proverbs 18:21

The idea for this post came to me several days ago, but I've been having trouble controlling my own sharp tongue, which has had me struggling with writing this post.

Can I be totally straightforward with you for a moment? I'm not a perfect mom. Nor am I a perfect Christian. Thankfully I recently read a quote from Joyce Meyer saying that if we were perfect, we wouldn't need Jesus. The Lord knows that I DO need Him - very much!

My good friend often reminds me that as Moms, we're in the trenches together. How true is that? So when I write these Practical Parenting posts, it is not from a position of superiority. No, oftentimes the posts I write are not only meant to teach other Moms, but it is a lesson that I am learning at the same time.

That being said, I've prayed on this and still feel that the Lord is telling me to write on this subject. So let's learn together, shall we?

I did a search on Bible Gateway as I was writing this post, and it is amazing how many references there are to the tongue in the Bible. Here are a few scriptures that I found:

"They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows." -Psalm 64:3

"They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips." -Psalm 140:3

One last one that really resonates with me comes from Proverbs 15:14:
"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."

As we look at how we speak to our children, to our spouses, to our friends and neighbors, are we a tree of life?

When I look at myself, I can tell you that I have not been a tree of life lately. I've gotten aggravated, I've been irritable, and I've let that show. I have not carefully guarded the words that pass through my lips.

Looking back on Proverbs 15:14, it hurts my heart to think that anything that comes out of my mouth could crush a person's spirit. If you're struggling with this too, I encourage you to pray with me:

Lord, please place a guard over my mouth. Help me to speak only words that build up my children and those around me, and not words that will tear them down. Please make me a blessing to all who encounter me today so that Your love may shine through. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

In closing, I want to remind you that you can speak death or life over yourself as well. It's very easy to speak negatively about ourselves - we're not good enough, smart enough, we don't do enough. ENOUGH is right. No more! We are all children of God, and the Lord did not make a mistake when He made us. Speak life over yourself and your family, and see the difference it makes.

Until next week,





My website: The Helping Mommy
Find me on Twitter: @sdakin105

Psalm 119:11 - "I have hidden your word in my heart so I may not sin against you"

This year we have had the privilege of sending our son to a Christian Preschool. One of the things that they do each day is teach and review Bible Scriptures. I think they introduce one new one each week, while going over the ones that they have already learned. Since these are pre-readers that we’re talking about here, they have a relevant picture for each verse to help the kids out.