Being content certainly makes all-year-long Thanksgiving easier.  So what’s the secret?

The portion of the verse “I have learned the secret of being content” was floating around my head the other day and made me realize I needed to check the passage to make sure I knew what the secret is!

How many of us are familiar with both Philippians 4:12 and Philippians 4:13 separately, but have never tied those two together in our heads?  Please tell me I’m not the only one!

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:12-13

Try this discussion at your next family meal or devotional time:
 
1- Ask your kid if he knows the secret of being content and read Philippians 4:12-13.

My kids easily learned this verse from the Seeds Family Worship: Power of Encouragement CD we listen to in carpool every Wednesday.  You can hear a sample of the song, buy the CD, or download the single MP3 through the link.  Also, you can read here about how to incorporate Scripture through music into your drive time.

2 – Discuss ways your family members struggle to be content. 

3 – Now, read together this passage and discuss what Paul, the writer of Philippians, had been through.

*Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
*Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones,
*three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
*I have been constantly on the move.
*I have been in danger from rivers,
*in danger from bandits,
*in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles;
*in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea;
*and in danger from false believers.
*I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep;
*I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;
*I have been cold and naked.
*Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
2 Corinthians 11:24-28

4 – Kinda puts things into perspective doesn’t it?!  If Paul can be content, surely we can too!

Are you going to ask your family if they know the secret of being content?
I bet you’ll have a great discussion!

Click here or on the image if you are interested in purchasing this beautiful wall art or similar items from Wise Décor.

For more verses, discussion questions, and Take Action ideas on the topic of “Contentment,”
see your copy of Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments.

How to make them:
*Find  some spare change.
*Tape the coins individually to index cards.  You can make as many as you wish.
*On the other side of the index cards, write ways to pray for our leaders.  Brainstorm as a family to think of ideas such as health, wisdom, growing walk with the Lord, wise counsel, safety, strong family, etc.
*Need more ideas for what to pray?  Use your copy of Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments to find topics and verses to pray for the President and leaders.

How to use them:
Younger children- 
Hide them and pray for each item as the child finds them.
Older children or teens –
Pass around the cards and each person lifts up the idea on his card.

Beyond President’s Day:
*Put the cards in a safe place so you can pull them out for ideas whenever you wish to pray for the leaders of our country.
*Visit the Presidential Prayer Team website and browse the many related to praying for our government leaders.  You may wish to join the prayer team to receive e-mails as reminders and with specific ideas for how to pray

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
1 Timothy 2:1-2

Because of some of the sensitive wording in yesterday’s post, it seems that filters kept most people from receiving the e-mail version.

CLICK HERE if you’d like to read my thoughts on the whole “50 Shades” issue.

About a year ago, a friend’s mom asked her, “What’s this term “mommy porn” that I’m hearing about?  She is a mentor mom for a young mom’s group and was surprised that this was an issue that needed to be addressed.

As my friend and I discussed her mother’s question, we both immediately thought of the best-selling book, 50 Shades of Grey.  I had heard enough to know that I needed to stay away from it, but was having trouble understanding this question –

How had that level of content become so mainstream? 

About that time, a suggested book appeared on my Amazon page because it’s by one of my favorite parenting authors and I knew it would help me find the answer.  Pulling Back the Shades:  Erotica, Intimacy, and the Longings of a Woman’s Heart, by Dannah Gresh and Dr. Juli Slattery, deals with this subject from a Christian perspective.

After reading Pulling Back the Shades,
I think it’s important for Christians to be aware of the “Fifty Shades” genre for several reasons:
*Many (mostly women…of all ages) have been sucked into this genre and are as addicted as if it were visual porn.
*It absolutely can affect marriages, particularly in relation to unrealistic (fictional!) images of what men should be.
*We parents need to not duck our heads in the sand and pretend it’s not out there luring our preteen, teenage, college aged, single, or married daughters.  We need to encourage them to avoid it just as we would teach fleeing any other type of pornography.
*If you or anyone you know is struggling in this area, Pulling Back the Shades, could be a helpful resource.

Teachable Moment:
My tween daughter has seen us fast-forwarding through a preview of the upcoming Fifty Shades movies and asked about it.  I plan on using that as a launch pad for a teachable moment to discuss this issue at an age appropriate level.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23

Being familiar with Scripture and helping our kids know how to regularly apply it to our lives, helps us in all areas of our lives!  My hope and prayer is that regular use of my book will help you remember look at all issues, such as today’s, from a spiritual standpoint. 
Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments

Here’s a fun and easy Valentine’s idea that can be nice decoration AND provide meaningful, parenting with Scripture style, teachable moments throughout the month of February!

LOVE TREE DIRECTIONS:
Assembling –
*Gather several bare branches and put them in a pitcher or vase.
*Cut out 16 hearts big enough to write a few words on.
*Punch holes in the tops of one of the sides.
*Use any type of ribbon or string to tie loops on them for hanging.
*Go ahead and hang all 16 hearts on the tree.

I used a cheap, but cute, plastic container, gathered the branches from outside, stuck them in floral foam in anchor them, then covered them in glass beads for a pretty way to weight them down.  (Use something other than the glass beads if you have little ones that put things in their mouths!)

Teachable Moments How-To:
*Each day, create teachable moment at your family meal time or family devotional time.
*Write one of the snippets of 1 Corinthians 13 (broken down below into 16 parts/days)
*Discuss it.  Parenting with Scripture: A Topical Guide for Teachable Moments is a good resource to help you with the discussion.  Look up applicable topics and see the “Discussion” portion. 

Modification for young children:
Make it your “Love is Kind” tree.  (1 Cor. 13:4)
*Each day, ask your child who God wants her to be kind to.
*Write that name on the heart.
*Discuss ways your child can be kind and loving toward that person.
OR…
*Each day, ask your child a way she can show kindness.
*Write that kindness attribute on the heart.
*As teachable moments come up throughout the 16 days, refer back to the “ways to be kind” that are on the hearts.

16 teachable moments for 16 days
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a 
Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.

For more Scripturally meaningful Valentine ideas, scroll down through these past blog posts.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S!