Monday, August 31, 2015

Teaching Gentleness, Being Gentle

This week in our homeschool, we will be learning about gentleness. It's one of the fruit of the Spirit...one I struggle with, if I'm perfectly honest!! For all of the tender feelings I have toward my kiddos, I find that it is easy to use a harsh tone with them.

Growing up I thought my mother was a total nag. Oh, it drove me CRAZY!! And of course, I said, "when I'm a parent, I will NEVER nag my kids, NEVER". Well, as a parent, I have concluded that I was a totally disobedient child, and my mother's response to my disobedience was nagging (I love my mom dearly, and for the record, I regret being so disrespectful, inconsiderate, lazy, hard-headed, and disobedient.)

So, I will start off our morning character talk about gentleness with a confession that mommy struggles to do what I'm telling them to do. I will remind them as I do every week, no matter which character trait we talk about, we can't do these things on our own. We all need to ask God to help us, develop us, and grow these fruit of the Spirit in our hearts!

Our scripture of the week is Proverbs 15:1 - A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

As I was getting ready for bed last night, I was thinking the coming week and about my quiet time this morning and what I would look at. The Holy Spirit heavily reminded me of Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21. Basically, no matter if my kids obey or honor me, I am still told to do what these verses say. Here they are:

Ephesians 6:4 (AMP) - Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger (do not exasperate them to resentment), but rear them (tenderly) in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 (AMP) - Fathers do not provoke and irritate, or fret your children (do not be hard on them or harass them), lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. (Do not break their spirit).

YIKES folks, I don't know about the other parents out there, but for me, these verses sting. They are basically telling me to get out of my flesh and not to parent out of my own irritation/frustration, but gently and tenderly training my kiddos.  

This week, it is my goal to do just that! I hope you have a terrific week!!

Dina

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Encouraging Verses I've Been Studying

Hi All!

Long time, no post. Life has been so busy these past several years! As we start our second year of homeschooling though, I wanted to share some of the verses I've been studying lately. I've been so encouraged and challenged in my own spirit by them and thought I'd pass them along!

I encourage you also, to go for a treasure hunt in God's word! Start a quiet time with Him to thank Him for giving you life, to tell Him what is going on in your mind and heart. He is such a faithful friend! :) I'm sharing from the Amplified Bible.

Philippians 4:13 - I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who [a]infuses inner strength into me; I am [b]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

John 15:5 - I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Proverbs 3:3 - Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:7 - Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.

Galatians 5:16 - But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

Ephesians 4:32 - And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you

Ephesians 5: 2 - And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us...

I have been using the color chart from Women Living Well. Here's the link: http://womenlivingwell.org/2014/12/studying-the-bible-using-the-soak-method-coloring-chart-and-meditation/

I hope you will be encouraged by this post!
Have a great week!
Dina





Monday, August 24, 2015

I'm the teacher, but God is teaching me

 
This is a youtube video I made about what God is teaching me and how I'm encouraging myself to put it into practice. (Wow, that's a scary thumbnail! Sorry! LOL!)