Intentional parenting

I have had a book entitled "The Family Compass" for over a year now and haven't read it. Well, I was convicted to pick it up and begin reading several weeks ago and I am so glad I did. The premise of the book is to be an intentional parent and not leave the teaching of morals and salvation to the church.

As a result, Keith and I began "Family Fun Nights" last week. This is a time where we plan an activity around a biblical lesson with our children. The first night was "How do we know God is real when we can't see him?" Madeline answered "God is in heaven and we won't see Him until we get there." Grace answered "God is like the wind, you know it's real even though you can't see it." I was so impressed. The activity centered around a balloon race. The point was that "Just like air...God is there." We blew up balloons to illustrate the power of something not seen. It was an amazing night.

Last night (my 33rd birthday) Keith led the girls in Family Fun Night number 2. They had waited all week with much anticipation and excitement. We waited until it got dark and turned out all lights. Then Keith told the girls they had to go on a scavenger hunt around the house. Their job was to place the listed items into a bag and bring them back to us. They were scared at first, until we gave them light (a flashlight). After finished the scavenger hunt, they got a scoop of ice cream while we read scripture. We wanted the girls to see that we live in a world of sin (darkness). Without the light of Jesus, it's hard to find our way. However, when we accept the gift of light, He helps us find our way easier. Grace had a wonderful perception that even with Jesus' light, she still ran into things or stepped on things she couldn't see. I LOVED that. I was able to share with her that having a relationship with Jesus doesn't mean we will not encounter hard times or obstacles...it just makes it easier to walk through those times....

Intentional parenting....I've failed in my job as a parent by not teaching my kids scripture. The occassional prayer before eating or lesson when something comes up is important but not enough. Keith and I are committed to this and can already see the benefits for all of us! After Keith and I prayed last night, he even said "so, think we might could do 2 family fun nights a week instead of one???" I laughed becasue I had been thinking the same thing. It's fun for us too!!!