Parenting Like Hannah

Mentors For Moms and Dads

Young Married’s Class. Mothers of Preschoolers. Facebook. Twitter. Society has given us a structure where it is easy to find people who are just like us. It is somehow comforting to commiserate with others who are facing the same struggles we are. While I enjoy meeting people with similar interests and problems, there is a real danger in segregating yourself from people who are in a different place than you are in life.

The Bible tells us Joshua was Moses’ aide for many years before he began leading the Israelites himself. Ruth obviously admired Naomi and followed her council regarding Boaz. Esther depended upon Mordecai for advice as she navigated the world of the palace. The New Testament clearly instructs older men and women to train the younger ones.

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Mom on Strike

Have you ever looked up after a big meal to find everyone in your family had disappeared leaving you with the dishes? Or maybe you are beginning to feel like a short order cook or a maid as you work while everyone else is watching television. Perhaps you have even wondered to yourself how your offspring will ever have clean clothes or nutritious meals once they leave your nest.

I think every mom has had at least fleeting moments when they wonder if they have done enough to prepare their children for the real world. While most moms don’t go as far as doing their children’s schoolwork for them, all of us have probably procrastinated a bit about teaching our children the really important life skills like cleaning toilets or doing laundry.

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It Looks So Easy On TV

One of my favorite shows is Nineteen Kids and Counting (or is it twenty by now?). I sit fascinated as I watch the mom, Michelle, seemingly breeze through her days raising and homeschooling who knows how many children. Talk about humbling! There are days when I can barely manage raising and homeschooling my one child. I can’t even begin to imagine how to multiple that by nineteen!

Television shows can make you feel either incredibly inadequate or in the case of those nanny shows, probably just a little bit smug. The true reality is that being a “good” parent is a lot of hard work. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I asked some moms of well behaved children their secrets. Ironically, two of them looked at me and said, “There are no compliant children.” Evidently they had worked hard for years to train their children to be well behaved, loving, young men and women. They told me parents of children who were less well behaved would look at them and sigh, “Aren’t you lucky God gave you a compliant child.” The reality is I have yet to meet anyone who received a child who was always perfect. There is a lot of work that has gone on in the homes of those little “angels” you sometimes see in public.

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In Praise of Snow Days

For many of you, Christmas is a relaxing holiday at home with your family. For others, it is a whirlwind of shopping, baking, decorating and social commitments. What is supposed to be a holiday, turns into an event which would exhaust a marathon runner.

A few years ago, we had a beautiful snowy afternoon after the holidays. For those of you who live in more northern areas, you will probably be amazed that about a half inch of snow means at least one snow day in Atlanta. I have always suspected that during the winter, the school system is looking for almost any excuse for what we used to call a “mental health” day.

Scattered throughout the laws God gave Moses are numerous instructions for days and even years of rest. God knew people (and land) needed to have some time when they weren’t working and were made to rest. Farmers have rotated crops for years in order to let the land rest. It allows the land to remain fertile. I believe rested people are more productive as well. Regrettably, over the years we have basically lost the concept of any kind of Sabbath period. Even our days of worship are filled with meetings, showers, chores and errands after services.

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Books for Christian Teens Who Want to Change the World

Do you have a teen who wants to change the world? Thankfully, for all of its issues, our society is encouraging children to become more involved in making a difference in the world. As a Christian though, I want to make sure my daughter understands one very important principle the world does not teach. Souls last longer than bodies.

Serving the felt needs of people without sharing God with them, only helps them temporarily. We have done nothing to make sure they have an opportunity to go to heaven when they die. On the other hand, trying to share the Gospel with someone who is starving or in pain is cruel. How can they hear God’s love, when you aren’t even taking the time to get them some food or medicine so they don’t starve? Serving felt needs and sharing the Gospel should always be done together.

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