Train up a child...

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

-Proverbs 22:6-

These are my children. Take a look at their faces. They are the future generation. The future church. The future of Christianity. Amazing isnt it? To think that they are the leaders of tomorrow. They may be missionaries, teachers, preachers, doctors, worship leaders, a homemaker, a carperntar. But in any of that, I know they will love God. I know this because daily I seek His face and plead with Him to make His voice known to them. I know He whispers to them. Just last night when we walked to the church for worship practice and they heard their daddy start playing songs of praise to Jesus, they both shot up their little hands as if worshipping with everything they had inside of them. In fact, they were. I pray daily that they would be quickened to the things of God. I pray that they would be safe and protected but also aware.

Let me make it very clear to those of you who may disagree even slightly with the way that we have chosen to parent these children that we arent seeking your approval or even your advice. We have a Heavenly Father who's thrown we go to each and every day on the behalf of these children. When we need advice or guidance on discipline, we read the word. When we need direction in a decision regarding schooling or shots or being around sin, we read the word. The way that we have chosen to raise these children is the way that God would have us to. The world will surely disagree, but please know that the world is not who we are trying to please.

I am invested in making sure that these 2 children and any that I have in the future are aware of the spiritual battle that is taking place in our world. I am not keeping them from those things, in fact my hope is that I raise them with enough faith and trust in the holy spirit that someday they will be able to be right in the middle of a wordly, sinful, disgusting act and their spirit would cringe with disgust. I hope that they have enough love and fear for the Lord that they would be able to befriend and come to love even the deepest of sinners. That is what we are called to do., afterall. The decisions that Daniel and I are making for our children are based around the fact that right now is the most crucial and important part of their spiritual development. What they are exposed to now (whether it be music, tv, language, sexual immorality, drinking, violence, drugs, adultery, etc.) will directly affect their decisions and thoughts regarding these very things in the future. Whether you agree or disagree is besides the point. It is spiritual fact. And you know what else is spiritual fact?

There is a battle going on right now for the souls of these children. Not just on my own, but in the lives of all of those in the world. Take a good look around and see that now more than ever, Satan has a hold on the spirits, minds, souls and bodies of our young people. I truly believe that if we abide in the unchanging word of God, our children will not depart from that which we are planting in them right now! Isaiah 55:11 tells us that the word of God will not return void unto us. This means that what I speak right now for these children will not return to me. They are to be men, and women of God and that they will be!

I am daily trying to please God with the way that I parent these children. I fall short, I'm sure, as we all do in many aspects of our lives. The difference is I am seeking His guidance so that I may improve and grow and change in each part of my life. God is the ultimate Father and so to learn how to parent from Him is beyond a blessing. I am honored to be able to follow in the direction, advice and structure of the way that God would have our lives to go. Please understand as well that I am not secluding my children. I am not keeping them away from wordly things as if living in a naive fashion. I am more than aware of the things happening in the world. These are the things that they will grow to also be aware of. Because I am accountable for their lives at this point I am choosing to protect them while I can and in the midst of that protection I will guide their lives to a place of confidence in the Lord. Again, we dont need your approval, or even your understanding. I simply wish that more people were leaning on the living word of God and the Holy Spirit for the lives of their children. This world may be a much different place if that were the case.

It's sad how easy it is to follow God with your whole heart and yet most people, parents especially are too selfish to give up that one stronghold and give it all to Him. If we were just yearning, seeking, trying to be obedient to God in every aspect, He would honor that and would change our lives drastically!

May God speak to you today as he has me regarding your children. I dont have it all right, nor am I claiming to know it all. But what I do know is that I am striving to learn more and more so that someday I will feel accomplished in this task of parenthood.