Mind Doodles

5 Things Every Kid Needs--Part 5

FINALLY!!!

#1.  A Really Big God they can trust no matter what.

#2.  Someone else who believes what they believe.

#3.  Another voice that says the same thing their parents say.

#4.  Nosey parents who make it their business to know where their kids are spiritually.

#5.  Uncommon Sense to help them make wiser choices.

That's why we make sure the Bible is never boring and that kids walk away with something they can remember each week.  

Always remember--your children need a "big picture" perspective in life. 

They need to learn to see their world from God's point of view.  

As they mature into teenagers they will need to understand how to handle difficult issues and make smart choices.  Their decisions will become progressively more complicated and countless influences will compete against their potential to become who God created them to be.  

We want to teach every child how to navigate through life by the light of God's truth.

5 Things Every Kid Needs--Part 4

#1.  A Really Big God they can trust no matter what.

#2.  Someone else who believes what they believe.

#3.  Another voice that says the same thing their parents say.

#4.  Nosey parents who make it their business to know where their kids are spiritually.

DO THE MATH--The average child will spend over 100 hours every year in school and they will spend less than 50 hours in church.  The average parent has over 10 times more opportunities to discuss spiritual issues in one year than a church leader does in 10 years!  The church has limited potential to impact the heart of  your child.  What happens at home in many ways is more important than what happens at church.  

Think about it--you talk to your kids about who they are hanging out with.  You're there when they play sports. You show up at their dance recitals and you take them to piano lessons. 

You're there when things matter to your kids.  A good thing to remember is that the only thing that really matters--the only thing that will matter in a hundred years is your child's relationship with God. So, make it your business to know where they are and what they are thinking about when it comes to faith.  

Smarty Pants Kelsey

Yesterday Kelsey was called in to have a meeting with the principal and the college guidance counselor at her school.  Uh oh.  

Actually, they gave her some really great news.  

It starts with a "V" and means you are really smart!

You guessed it. . .she's the Valedictorian!

I do believe that is a first in the Stoner family.  

5 Things Every Kid Needs--Part 3

#1.  A Really Big God they can trust no matter what.

#2.  Someone else who believes what they believe.

#3.  Another voice that says the same thing their parents say.

Sooner or later your child is going to start listening to voices other than yours.  Every child needs a safe place to ask questions and talk about how they feel.  If you are a smart parent, you know how important it is to make sure there are other adults in your kids' lives who say the same thing you say.  

I'm so glad that our girls have developed strong relationships with the women who are their Life Group Leaders at church.  These women invest and pour into my girls.  They are not in competition with me--they are on my team--to help come along side me and my husband to raise our girls.  Sometimes what they say impacts our daughters more than what we say--because we are "mom and dad".  I am not threatened by that because I am confident that we are all on the same page.  And, we need all the help we can get.  This is one of the greatest lessons I have learned as a parent.

Guilt

I've been living from deadline to deadline lately.  Ever feel like that?  Really, my life feels like it has been spinning out of control.  When that happens, I often put a lot of unnecessary guilt on myself--we aren't eating good dinners, I'm not keeping up with the housework, I'm not keeping up with my BLOG. . . .I'm not doing much of anything with excellence these days.  I know it is only a season, but it has been a tough one.  

Anyway. . . all this to say, I've got some things to say here on this blog--and I'll get to it as soon as I can manage.