When our daughter was little, Christians became almost obsessed with the prayer of a guy named Jabez. Jabez was named that by his mother because evidently his birth was pretty painful and I guess she didn’t want him to forget it. Putting aside whatever parenting jewel is hidden in that fact, the focus is actually what comes next in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.
You see Jabez asked God to bless him and expand his territory. (He also asked God to keep him from evil and causing pain.) As an average Christian mom, you are probably thinking you would consider asking God to shrink your territory a bit or at least give you some “people” to help. On the other hand, I hear so many moms talk about how they are bored or unfulfilled as mothers. They feel as if they are missing something.
We have started posting a series of free, fun, flexible family devotionals. Fun, because we pick an activity we think your family will enjoy. Flexible, because the activity we have chosen fits with several different Bible stories and application principles. You get to choose which story and application principle you think your kids need the most.
Bullying and teasing have been around probably as long as there have been kids. So have cliques, labels and popularity. It almost seems that being unkind and unloving has been accepted as part of growing up in a fallen world. Yet, God has called Christian young people to something higher. To love those their peers tell them are unloveable. To be kind and loving to those who are considered outsiders by their friends.
Several years ago, I decided it would save our family quite a bit of money if I learned some basic cake decorating skills. We were in the middle of those “I want a birthday cake that looks like Cinderella” years and those specialty cakes can cost a fortune. So, I went to Michael’s and took the class. I baked many unusual cakes – one of which even won a “prize” at my daughter’s Odyssey of the Mind competition. (Don’t ask. I’m still not sure why that was a “thing”.)
Family devotionals are great. Many families don’t do them because they take time and energy they don’t think they have. Others hesitate because they aren’t really sure what to do. Unfortunately, by not having family devotionals, you are missing out on great opportunities to teach your kids about God and what He wants from them and for them on a regular basis.