Thank you for joining me! I’m so glad that you are making a commitment to be Resolved! Sometimes moving forward successfully in the regular rhythms of our lives requires that we commit to a pre-determined course of action and attitude. As moms, sisters, single women, career women, leaders in ministry (or whatever description would best suit you), we must make a resolution about the type of woman we are going to be no matter what kind of environment we find ourselves in.For two weeks now we’ve been on a fun journey, haven’t we? I hope that you’ll continue to stick with me for the duration of this project. We’ve got some more incredible people that we’ll be talking to, gifts we’ll be giving away and resolutions we’ll be making together.And TODAY IS NO DIFFERENT!It’s a great day to call your attention to Resolution #11 – A Resolution To Train My Children in Righteousness
I will demonstrate and teach my children how to love God with all their hearts, minds, and strength, and will train them to respect authority and live responsibly.(If you are not a mom, stay tuned because I want you to tackle this resolution right along with all of us. Stand by!)A woman that I greatly admire once said to me, “Priscilla, as moms we have the privilege of molding the memories that our kids will have when they are adults. The smells, sights, and sounds of their childhood are largely determined by us. We get to create their childhood.” That word, “create,” hung in the air long after our conversation was over. What she was suggesting is that I should “resolve” to be a certain kind of mother, steer my children in a particular kind of way and prepare a certain type of environment for them, based on the memories I wanted them to think back on when they become adults. That concept caused me to become more deliberate with the rearing of my children in many areas. Everything from becoming a bread maker – so my kids would remember fondly that familiar and decadent smell of bread straight from the oven – to being focused on their Scripture memorization, I became determined – resolved – to create a childhood with specific details that I hope will be recalled to their minds when they are older.But, I’ve noticed that nothing is more impactful on my sons than my actions. No matter what I say, or how many times I say it, what they really remember and incorporate into their lives is what they SEE me and their dad doing. That is why I included the important word “demonstrate” in this resolution point. Go back and read it again.It’s ok. I’ll wait.Demonstrating to our children how to love God with all of their hearts, minds and strength is alot different and requires different “muscles” then just telling them about it. We have to LIVE IT out. We must have a passion for God that rubs off on them. As its been frequently said, “Lessons are better caught than taught.”
And this goes for everything from teaching them to be organized, or not leave their shoes in the middle of the floor, to being an engaged part of a local church family; they often do what they’ve seen their parents illustrate.I’m anxious to give away 2 tickets to a wonderful event for women called “.MOM” (pronounced – “Dot Mom”). It will be a fantastic weekend with other moms in every season of life. Throughout this AMAZING weekend conference, we are going to encourage each other and become refreshed in this most important role. I can think of no better gift to give than free access to this AMAZING event that is coming up in the fall! I can’t wait to give the tickets to two of you.
I’ll choose randomly from everyone that leaves a comment answering this question:What have you found easy to tell your children to do that you are finding quite difficult to do yourself?Don’t feel like you have to be all spiritual in answering this question. If your response is genuinely in regard to spiritual matters then fine, but if the first thing that pops into your head is something practical like how you can’t seem to stop driving through your favorite fast food place at the same time you are trying to teach your kids to eat healthy, then I want to hear that too!I should just be honest and tell you that every time I walk past my un-made bed I feel a twinge of guilt. Most mornings, I insist that my boys make theirs. Whenever they ask me about my chaotic bed, I make up some excuse about having been a kid once and already learning the lessons and habits that I am responsible to teach them now. I tell them that “I’m the mom.” I was a kid once and now it’s their turn.I know. . it’s feeble but it’s the best I can come up with in the hurry of the morning rush :)If you are not a mom, I’ve not forgotten about you! Last week, while I was in London, I met a man who told me he goes to church with $100 in his pocket every Sunday. He keeps his eyes open for kids that make an impression on him and have an “entreprenurial” spirit about them. Through out the course of the day, he entrust them with $10 and reminds them of the important principles of giving to the Lord, saving and giving to others. So, after they’ve tithed and saved, he challenges them to find another person whom they feel led to give to, and then encourages them to figure out how they can multiply the rest. In the weeks to come, he makes himself available to answer any questions and offer any help that these little “business people” may have about what they should do. This man, who does not have any children of his own, has made it his task to invest in the lives of young people that the Lord has put in his path.So, even if you do not have any children of your own, I want you to consider how you can “demonstrate” something impactful to the kids that are in your path. Leave your thoughts and you’ll be included in the drawing as well. If you are chosen and prefer not to come to the Dot Mom conference, we’ll think of something else nifty to give you, no doubt about it!Bless you guys today. Can’t wait to hear from you!Priscilla
PS. . . will you keep helping me spread the word about this movement. Tell your friends and encourage them to join us. Our hashtag on twitter is #resolutionrevolution! Thx
