Memories Service Project for Teens

Memories Service Project for Teens - Parenting Like HannahEveryone has a story. Most stories are richer and more fascinating than we can ever imagine. I will never forget talking to a 90 something year old lady at church one day and discovering she had been in the Palace of the Shah of Iran and had tea with him and his family. This sweet little old lady in Georgia had taken tea with a historical figure in another country? If I remember correctly, she even gave him some godly advice while she was there!

Unfortunately, most people’s stories are lost. Either they don’t think anyone would care or they are forgotten or the memories die with the person. Sadly, many of the people who think their lives have no value would be shocked to learn how much the choices they made and the experiences they had can change how others choose to live their lives.

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Service Project for Kids to Help the Homeless, Foster Children and More

Service Project for Kids to Help the Homeless, Foster Children and More - Parenting Like HannahOften, it’s the simplest things which help people the most. Years of working with people in countries with unclean tap water, homeless people in the U.S. and even foster children as they move from home to home, have taught me personal care items are an urgent need in many places.

It shocked me to learn the number of diseases and deaths which could be prevented in many countries if the people had easy access to soap. Children moved into foster care often arrive with little more than the clothes on their back to homes who may have only realized they were coming a few hours before. The homeless in this country are often afraid to go to shelters where they could make use of bathing facilities and do the best they can in public restrooms.

The solution is as simple or as complicated as you want to make it and is perfectly suited to be a service project for young children to teens. Buy clear bags from a craft store or use large zipper bags. (Clear will make sure the people you are serving don’t have to worry about customs or others opening the bags.) Fill them with personal care items.Bagging the items so each bag serves one person makes it so much easier for the people you are serving to hand them out to those who need them.

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Encouragement for Christian Moms

Encouragement for Christian MomsIf you have been a mom for very long, you understand it is one of the greatest blessings God can give you. That doesn’t mean life is perfect. You wouldn’t trade those little (or big) bundles of joy for anything, but there are some days when you want to jump on the nearest airplane to Hawaii.

Mothering can discourage you in ways nothing else can. Especially if you realize the enormous responsibility that accompanies the amazing blessing of raising children. Discouragement, loneliness and the mom blues can often pass on their own with something as simple as a dandelion and hug from your little one.

Other times, you need some adult encouragement. Hopefully, you are working on building your support team of Christian moms. On those days when you can’t tap into a personal conversation, reading a book of encouragement can help. Some moms prefer parenting books while others prefer devotional books.

I was curious when I was offered the opportunity to review Blessings for the Morning: Prayerful Encouragement to Begin Your Day by Susie Larson. Billed as a book of blessings, it contains ninety-eight different entries. Each entry has a scripture printed on one page and her blessing for the day on the facing page. Although not specifically written for moms, the blessings definitely cover areas which would encourage any woman whether or not she is a mother.

The blessings read like affirmations. Larson takes the scripture and ties her blessing of wishes for you for that day to the verses. If it improves your mood to think someone is in your corner and wishing good things for you, I can see where these blessings will help. I am not sure she is implying she actually prays those things for her readers, but I am sure she may.

Although, I can be an emotional person, this type of blessing writing does little for me. I would actually get more out of reading the scriptures than her blessings. Others I am sure would love her blessings as I see many similar statements on Facebook and Pinterest. The photos on each page are beautiful and a wonderful reminder of God’s love for us. Unfortunately, on some pages the type written over certain illustrations is not easy to read.

Every mom is different and you need to discover the things which encourage you on your parenting journey. Although not my cup of tea, this book may be the very thing you need to start your morning or refresh your day of mothering your children. If nothing else, it gives you a great verse of scripture to reflect upon during your day.

 

 

This book was given to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Allowing Your Kids to Stumble and Fail

Allowing Your Kids to Stumble and Fail - Parenting Like HannahFull disclosure. I am pretty sure I feel physical pain when my child is hurting. Sometimes the hardest part of parenting is watching your child get hurt – physically, mentally, emotionally and especially spiritually. Your natural instinct is to rush in and do whatever you can to immediately stop the pain your child is feeling. Unfortunately, that is not what is always best for your child.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your children is to allow them to feel the pain of consequences from making poor or ungodly choices. Some children will learn the lessons God has asked you to teach them, not from your godly instruction but by experiencing the pain that comes with disobedience. As a parent it can feel as if your heart is being ripped out, but there are some tricks to convincing yourself it is best to allow your child to stumble and even fall this time.

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Kids, Baptism and the Age of Accountability

Kids, Baptism and the Age of Accountability - Parenting Like HannahActs 2:38 is a verse I have heard quoted thousands and thousands of times in my lifetime. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (NIV) When I place this scripture beside all of the conversion accounts in the New Testament and the meaning of the original Greek word for baptism, two things become clear. Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins is clearly a command and the person who is baptized must understand and be capable of repenting.

In Christian circles, the age when a person is capable of understanding sin and repenting of it so they can be baptized for the remission of their sins has become known as the “age of accountability”. Unfortunately, the Bible doesn’t give us a specific age when this accountability kicks in, although it does tell us it exists.

Recently, I found the most interesting scripture while I was reading my Bible. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.” (Isaiah 7:14-16 NIV Emphasis mine.)

Clearly this is a prophecy about Jesus, the coming Messiah. What to me is really interesting is the part I italicized. Evidently, even Jesus had a point in his childhood when he did not know enough “to reject the wrong and choose the right”. In fact the verses go on to imply, Jesus reached that age earlier than most (if not all) because he was still eating curds and honey when he reached that “age of accountability”.

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