I am labeling it intentional parenting. The big and little things that we do to love on our kids and teach them in the midst of our crazy lives.
Sometimes for my adopted son I call it therapeutic parenting as it takes on different level of healing and encouragement.
My kids are far from perfect and I am far from a perfect mother....but my job as "Mom" is one of my favorites. I do serve a perfect God though and I love how He guides me through it all.
I believe our job is to encourage and teach our kids daily, in the little stuff. I believe passionately that we are supposed to share truth with them, God's truth and that is it simply put. Will my kids in turn always pick up that truth and act on it? Of course not, just ask my 18 year old ;) But I am still called to share it with them and then I get to step back and let God and them handle the rest as they grow up and start to make the choices for themselves.
It looks different every day.
It does NOT look like long, boring, family devotionals.
Sometimes it is a conversation of instruction and other times I just listen.
It might be a note or text.
It might be a movie choice.
It might be a tone I have, regardless of theirs.
It might be a conversation after church.
It might be a lot of open ended questions.
It IS lots of prayer for them, about all of it!
Today it is Valentines Day.
Here is how I am being intentional with my three children.
I am talking with them about love and God's love and how many others are going without it today and if we love Jesus how he asks US to do something about it. (You can read my post from yesterday on that.)
I included things of truth and God's love in their valentines gifts. The inserted picture is a photo of what I put on my kids candy conversation hearts. (Here is the link to the printable: http://careyscotttalks.com/?download=gods-conversation-hearts)
We are going on a family Valentines dinner date and having each of the kids take 'The Five Love Languages' Quiz for children. Here is the link to that: (http://crcpeninsula.org/Love_Languages_Children_Guiz.pdf)
We included small gift cards to itunes in the older kids cards. I am going to encourage them to buy at least 1 worship song they really like right now and an audio book. I really want to pass on my love of books and stories on to them.
I hope I can encourage you to join me on my quest to be an intentional mama. It's beautiful and messy, but full of grace. The grace that God extends me as I fail often, the grace I extend to my kids when they choose things other than truth and the grace I extend to myself when I choose differently.
"The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."
(Psalms 147:11 NIV)
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