Faith is a principle of action. We can read about faith and talk about faith, but until we actually put faith into ACTION we will not really UNDERSTAND and KNOW what faith can do in our lives. How can we teach children the power of faith and how to exercise it if we are not willing to set the example and take leaps of faith in front of them? The answer is simple... we can't. Teach Children the Power of Faith This can be a very scary proposition! It requires us to be listening to the Holy Spirit and to trust that God will fulfill His promises. I learned about faith by watching my parents take those leaps and my children have learned the same from my example. Those experiences have shaped testimonies in our family. We have recalled them over and over again as we have needed strength. I want to share two of those personal experiences. When I was in first grade my father told my mother that he wanted to attend dental school. My father going back to school required significant … [Read more...]
Teaching our Children to be Grateful
This weekend I went with my senior son on a backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon for three days. It was a wonderful to spend some quality time together, and to create an experience with him that we will both always remember. I was grateful that the death of my husband gave me that opportunity. Sometimes it is hard to be grateful when we are in difficult or trying circumstances. I very easily could have used my son’s graduation as a time for me to look for all of the things that we don’t have because dad is gone. I can’t say that those thoughts have not entered my mind, but I know that when thoughts enter I have a choice to discard them or to dwell on them. I can choose to replace my “why me?” thoughts with thoughts of gratitude. I don’t have to be thankful for everything that is wrong, but I can choose to have an attitude of gratitude despite my circumstances. I can look for things to be grateful for. Being grateful can help us individually to find happiness and joy when it seems … [Read more...]
Why am I your mother?
Each of my four children is so very different from each other and from my husband and I. At times this has caused me to wonder, Why am I your mother? When I was younger I used to think that I would end up with children just like me. I knew exactly how I was going to raise them, and I was pretty sure that I had everything all figured out. Boy oh boy was I wrong! I’m going to be very open and share one of my not so proud parenting moments to illustrate my point. To say my second son was a challenge when he was younger would be a drastic understatement. My husband and I used to have a hand off system to make sure that he was constantly supervised. One day, when he was 2 years old, I decided to let him play in his room while I folded clothes down the hall. I had recently painted my sons’ room and put up a race-car wallpaper border that I had scrimped and saved for. After several minutes of silence I called to my son. His reply was a simple, “I tan’t.” I put my folding aside and walked … [Read more...]
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