“You pray for us to get in trouble?!?!” my kids asked in wide eyed disbelief?  “No,”  I explained, “I don’t wish for you to get in trouble.  However, we all make mistakes.  It’s easier and better to learn from them when we are young.  So, if there are issues that need to addressed, I pray that God allows them to be uncovered so your daddy and I can help teach you through them.”

This discussion was in response to my commenting that a lie that had been discovered was an answer to prayer.  The issue of honesty in my children had been heavy on my heart because I could see one of my kiddos tending in the direction of dishonesty.  I began to fervently pray that God would give me and Tim clear opportunities to address the issue and for the Lord to work in the child’s heart.  The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for the incident.  Tim had just finished up jury duty and the judge shared with the panel that he had recently sentenced a woman to 14 days in prison for lying.  Had she told the truth, she still would have been fined, but spared the prison term.  Tim explained to the kids that it’s similar for us with parenting them.  If they do something wrong, there will be a consequence.  However, if they do something wrong and try to cover it up with a lie, the consequence will be multiplied many times.  

We asked the kids whether they thought we were being loving or mean by teaching enforcing these values.  The jury example helped them connect that we love them enough to help them learn these things now, in order to spare them harsher consequences as adults.  As far as honesty goes, Luke 16:10 (see below) is in frequent discussion at our home.  Whether we can trust them in piddly little things that they might be tempted to think are no big deal, determines whether we can trust them later on with babysitting, driving, etc.  Their choices do indeed have short and long term consequences. 

Grace.  After a heavy discussion like this, I appreciated that Tim reminded the kids that we know they are going to make mistakes (we still do!) and that we will always love them (and so will God)…no matter what! 

Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.
Psalm 120:2

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,
and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Luke 16:10

Honest is the best policy.
(There’s disagreement in research about who said this first.)

Showing appreciation is one of the best ways we can bless others.  I like to keep my calendar marked at the beginning of October for Pastor Appreciation Month so our family doesn’t forget to honor these special people in our lives.  Grab your copy of Parenting with Scripture and use the topic “Appreciation” to help your family discuss the topic. 

Pinterest is my go-to for quick creative ideas these days and a quick search of “Pastor Appreciation” gave me some great ones!  Gotta’ love the plant with the tag “Thanks for helping us grow!”  Or, the pyramid of Mountain Dew cans with a poster above that says, “A mountain of thanks for all you dew!”  How about the candy bar appreciation letter with phrases such as, “We know it’s not easy preaching to Lemonheads and Airheads!” 

Hope these fun suggestions get you excited about involving your kids to appreciate those pastors!  PS – For those of you at my church, I get dibs on the candy bar appreciation letter!  🙂

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you,
who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.
Live in peace with each other. 
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

We sat down for our family devotional and I handed Parenting with Scripture to Jake (9 years old) and instructed him to pick a topic for us to discuss.  He decided flip the book open and go with whatever came up.  When he looked at the topic and saw, “Fighting,”  he pumped his fist and yelled “YES!”   LOL!  Boys!  I told Jake’s karate teacher the other day that I think he wishes his life was one big action movie!  Hmmmm…could the Bible live up to his high hopes for an action-packed family devotional?  Indeed it could!  After going through the first few discussion questions listed with references to Scripture on not fighting, we got to what the Bible says we can fight! 

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  1 Timothy 6: 12

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  2 Corinthians 10:4

Oooooo, weapons!  What are those weapons?  Tim looked up the “armor of God” and we pretended to put each of the parts on as he read. 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Ephesians 6:10-17

Makes me grin to think how God knew just what my little boy needed to hear that night! 

If you are looking for a family devotional, don’t forget Parenting with Scripture as a topical option. 

We can thank our the firemen who protect our own cities as a way to remember those who served so bravely on 9-11.  Last year, we baked cookies and the kids made this card.  The firemen who greeted us at the door, looked surprised and touched when we explained why we were bringing them. 

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

This verse, along with my top 15 favorite verses for teachable moments,
can be found in Parenting with Scripture on pages 234-235…Or, as a free printable on my website at this link-

http://www.parentingwithscripture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pws_15_fab_verses_outlines1.pdf

In honor of Labor Day, have a discussion about what kind of “work” each family member does.  This may include playing nicely, chores, instrument practice, or official jobs in or out of the home.  These are the “whatever we do” of our day-to-day lives.  Talk about these “jobs” in relation to the Colossians verse and how they can be done with thankfulness in the name of Jesus. 

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him. 
Colossians 3:17

Egypt.  Afghanistan.  Countries that continue to be in the news.  Depending on the age and sensitivity of our children, we have to be careful about listening to or watching the news together.  However, a couple of recent conversations with my kids have made me realize I need to share more about what’s going on in order to help expand their view of the world, as well as to broaden the topics for which we pray. 

A sweet elderly lady the kids and I visit on a regular basis mentioned that her grandson is stationed in Afghanistan.  She shared a bit about what he has said life is like there for him and the family’s concern for his safety.  Trying to include the kids in the conversation, I asked them to help us remember to pray for him.  On our way home from the visit, we stopped by the library.  What caught my eye on the end of a shelf, but a children’s non-fiction book on Afghanistan!  I grabbed it and at dinner that night we looked at the pictures and read some of the key facts about the country and culture.  It was eye-opening to my kiddos!  I’m thankful that God put that book in my line of sight because I know it helped enrich their understanding about praying for the young soldier.  As my kiddos have grown older (now 3rd and 5th grade), I’ve been missing reading picture books with them.  However, this made me realize that we can continue to look for opportunities to connect our world through juvenile non-fiction to our prayer life no matter how old they get!  The pictures and information are just enough to give us an overview without getting overwhelmed. 

Egypt.  You can’t turn on the news currently without hearing about the unrest there.  According to an e-mail from the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice), “The jihadist Muslim Brotherhood, furious that it has lost power, is taking out its rage on Egyptian Christians.”  Beyond that, I’m not sure exactly what all is going on.  I hope that’s encouraging to those of you who don’t either.  However, I know enough to know that they need prayer…especially our fellow believers.   While the kids and I were unloading dishes recently, something came up about our church building.  I shared how I had heard on the news that 60 churches in Egypt had been burned!  We discussed the emotions that would bring if things were like that in our country.  Sad and scary!   Talking about news like that with the kids helps shed new light on being thankful for the freedoms and safety we have in our country!  We brainstormed ways to pray for them.  What would we want people to pray for us if we were in that situation?

If this subject strikes a chord in your heart and you want to know more how to specifically pray for people in other countries, Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation is an excellent resource. 

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving
be made for everyone. 
1 Timothy 2:1

After the blessings of trying out this idea for the first time last year, we were all excited to get going on our second annual Good Deeds Day!  Here’s the list we planned in case it helps jumpstart ideas for your family.  After, I’ll share a couple of opportunities that God presented along the way. 

*Had my son’s friend along for the fun to help out his mom who had somewhere she needed to be that day. 
*Baked cookies and took them with a thank you card the kids made to our fire station.
*Made and mailed cards for an uncle who just had lung cancer surgery. 
*Dropped off some old towels at our city animal shelter.
*Loaded coins in the vending machines at Wal-Mart.
*Stocked up on items appropriate for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes while school supplies were on sale (pencils, sharpeners, markers, small spirals, scissors, calculators).  http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/
*Bought the magnets for our back-to-school prayer encouragements for the teachers.  We buy them at Mardel, but you can also order them on Amazon.  Search “people magnet clips.” 
http://www.parentingwithscripture.com/encouraging-teachers-with-a-back-to-school-surprise/
*Paid for the order of the people behind us in the Chick-fil-a drive-through.
*While driving home, prayed specifically over all the people that would be touched through our Good Deeds Day. 

This year, God added a different component that we will be sure to be prayerful about ahead of time in future years.  He opened our eyes to a couple of unplanned good deeds along the way.  As we were pulling out of our neighborhood, we saw a lady sitting in a broken down car.  Since it’s August in Texas, that’s not pleasant or safe.  We circled back around and asked if she needed help, use of our cell phone, or a ride.  She was appreciative we stopped to ask, but her ride pulled up just behind us.  

The other addition to our day was that God put us in the path of one of our school teachers at the stores we were stopping by!  By the third time, it got to be a bit comical and the kids and I decided we would surprise her with a small gift card.  While I finished checking out at Mardel, the children excitedly went to find her and thank her for being a great teacher at our school. 

And do not forget to do good and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased.  
Hebrews 13:16

Training wheels.  
That’s what a friend of mine said God was giving me after I shared this story with her. 

God has been dealing with me in regards to whether I have overcommitted myself to too many things and that because of them, my parenting has been effected.  The problem is, they are all wonderful, service-oriented projects for which I have a heart.   However, as one of my favorite sayings goes, “Too much of a good thing is bad for you.”   I realized that these “good things” were out of a healthy balance and the “too much” was turning “bad!”  I was perplexed as I wondered what I should cut out and was praying through this process.  God answered my confusion with two different summer commitments that were pulled right out from under me.  He didn’t even give me a chance to say “yes” (which I would have…and He knew I would have)!   At first, I was disappointed.  After all, I do those things because I love serving in those ways.  But then, I realized God was taking the control completely out of my hands so I could get a glimpse at what not over-committing looks like.  What a breath of fresh air and a sweet gift from God!  When e-mails for two more commitments came up (ones that I would normally jump at), I knew God was wanting me to exercise my “no” muscle.  I practiced it as graciously as I could (even though it was difficult!) and found out that one position was already taken care and the other wasn’t even necessary anymore!  Again, God was gently helping me see what I had previously been unwilling to.  I’m thankful for those training wheels and am still a work in progress.  Even though I’m not committing to new things, I need to continue discussion with Him about whether I’m already operating on a level with “too many good things.”  I’m excited to see what my Father is going to teach me. 

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.  Psalm 86:11 (NIV)

One of the most amazing things is to lift up concerns to the Lord and see how He answers them.   As I explain to my kids, the answer may come quickly, slowly, similarly, or differently than we expect.  There are times we may not see how God has worked through the prayer this side of heaven.  But He promises He does hear and is at work. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who^[have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28 (NIV)

 I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!  Psalm 116:1-2 (NLT)

That’s why today and next week, I’m sharing a couple of my recent parenting prayers that God has answered in unexpected ways.  I hope that it will be an encouragement for you to lift up those areas where you feel frustrated, stalled out, or unsure what to do. 

There seems to be a theme of grand wishes this summer.  I’ve been hearing more than the usual sprinkling of petitions such as…
“Can we play longer?”   (Even though they’ve been playing all afternoon.)
“Can so and so spend the night?”  (Even though they are seeing each other all week at a day camp.)
“Can we go to Chick-fil-a?” (Even though we went the day before.)
And my personal favorite (read sarcastically), my son’s obsession with “Can we go to Hawaii?” (Even though we take great family vacations on the mainland.)
I cringe when the begging is followed by “Puhleeeeeeeaaaaase?!?!”

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind my children politely asking for things.  However, they must learn appropriateness of when asking is reasonable versus when it means excess.  The line was getting crossed often enough that I had to come up with a strategy to tackle it from two directions:  from the heart and from the practical side. 

From the heart –
“Let’s thank God for what we have, rather than wish for what we don’t!” has become my phrase of the season.  Depending on the situation, I change up the wording to fit.  For example, at the end of a playdate, when there is begging for the friends to come home with us, I’ll remind them, “Let’s thank God for the two hours we just spent with our friends rather than wishing for more.” 

As I was looking for verses to fit this situation, I found a gem under the “See Also” verses on the topic of “Thankfulness” in Parenting with Scripture.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.   Colossians 2:6-7

I love the phrase and imagery of “overflowing with thankfulness.”  If our hearts are brimming full with gratefulness, it’s hard to beg for more. 

From the practical side –
At first, I just tackled things from the heart.  I knew they understood the principle, but as time when on, I could tell that they needed tools to help them learn appropriateness.  Using the “heart principles” to help them understand the “why” behind these guidelines, I laid out the following…
– They may not ask for more time with friends when a playdate is over.
– There will be a limit of one sleepover a week during the summer.
– If we have already had a drive-through meal within the last week, they may not ask for it.
– We can dream of and discuss exotic vacations (who doesn’t?) but they may not ask for them.

Last year, when my family was reading through the New Testament with our church, we decided to shake things up from our usual NIV and read from The Message Re-Mix.  One evening, a friend of my daughter’s was spending the night and shared our family devotional time with us.  As my husband was reading the assigned passage out-loud for that day, I remarked, “Wow, what a neat list that was!  Can you please read it again?”  The next day when I was sharing with the mother of my daughter’s friend about our devotional time, she asked what passage it was.  When I answered that I thought we were around Galatians 5, she said, “Oh, the Fruit of the Spirit.”  Ah ha!  No wonder that was such a great list!  My husband and I got a kick out of the wording being so fresh to us with the new version that we saw it with new eyes and didn’t even recognize it as that famous passage!  What a joy!  If we had read it in our normal version, we would have likely just glided by it.  I will always be an NIV girl because I love the familiarity of the wording I grew up with and memorized.  But, I now see the beauty in reading versions that help mix things up for a change! 

Galatians 5:22-23, The Message
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.  Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.

Galatians 5:22-23, NIV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.