Raising My Children to be Christians
The Lost & The Found
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”
The Unwritten Script
Chasing What Matters
I Know How You Feel
I said no.
And I watched her storm up the stairs and heard the slamming door.
I read her letter a dozen times. It reminded me so much of another letter.
I hugged my girl tight and told her she wasn’t alone.
When I Fail
Through failure, I am drawn to the One who runs to me. He does not turn away from my shortcomings. He is not afraid of my humanity.

The Challenge
Living in the Mundane
Congratulations to the following CD winners: BeckyJoMama, Stonefox and reader (no blog) TallyMichelle!
*UPDATED* Here is Part 2 of the video.
My life is mundane.
It’s full of dirty laundry and stinky feet. Stains and spills. Unexpected bills and quarreling kids. (I’m asking about sibling rivalry here. Please, tell me how you handle it!)
There are no celebrity’s here. We’re just regular people with normal problems.
Average.
Except for the occasional lice check, family nasal experiment, or paranoid freak-out session in a an MRI machine.
(I’m still processing my doctor’s appointment today concerning my neck and back. I have some choices to make. I’ll tell you all about it soon).
I’ve always disliked the mundane. I still remember the girl who used to be me that was going to change the world. I grew up and now I only change the cat litter.
I want you to meet someone who has challenged me to invite the glorious into the mundane.
Because it’s those monotonous moments that make up a day, a week, a life.
And I want to capture them, rather than wish them away.
Christy Nockels is an up and coming Christian singer who’s album Light Life Up debuted on June 2. She accompanied Chris Tomlin in vocals in his recent tour.
She’s also a Mom. Just like us. And she struggles with the mundane too.
Would you listen to this and let it challenge you?
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5271209&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
Being A Mom {Part 1} from christy nockels on Vimeo.
After you listen, please let me know how you feel about being a Mom, mundane moments and all. Three commenters will win Christy’s new CD Light Life Up.
You can download her song here for free.
This giveaway will end on Friday.
*UPDATED* Here is Part 2.
http://farm.sproutbuilder.com/load/nwCWTmr_FlDBYnQd.swf
Yes
I’m Sorry
Setting the Tone of Your Home
- Minimized TV and video games-We cut off the Cable (in the Family Room. Hubby and I still have basic cable in our bedroom) and we limit ALL screen time (TV, Wii, DS, etc.) to 30 minutes a day during the week. This was tough for my kids at first. But they acclimatized to the temperature after awhile and we have seen a complete turn around in their attitudes and even desire to watch TV.
- Significantly reduced extracurricular activities-My kids are involved in Boy/Girl Scouts monthly and that’s it! We don’t do any sports or lessons, at all! I’m not opposed to these, but for us, it was just too much. Not only was it very expensive, we were constantly rushing from one activity to another after school. We reserve sports for the summer, where my kids can ‘try out’ a sport for six weeks through the YMCA. Around here, we are definitely in the minority since my kids haven’t found their sport (with private lessons), but they are 9 and nearly 7. The have plenty of time to pursue sports they really love in junior high and high school.
- Family meals-We eat approximately six nights a week around our table, together. We cook and clean and talk, together. I love this time. A couple of nights a week, we use some conversation starters to make sure we’re communicating with our kids about issues they may be having (Here’s a great Character Building book)
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- Utilize our time-Without the distractions of TV and activities, we have a lot of time on our hands. We spend much of it in our backyard, in our new garden, riding bikes, and taking walks. Baking and crafting have become family affairs. We love family movie night with popcorn and blankets. Without the expense of extracurricular activities, we set money aside to have special family nights at my kid’s favorite spots, monthly.
- Using a Family calendar-We have a family calendar displayed in a central location. We keep track of our schedule as a whole and we pencil in family nights. This has really helped to alleviate confusion and prevented cramming too much into our schedules. When I see the calendar begin to fill up, I know when we need to say yes or no. A crazy schedule leads to chaos for our family!
- Encouraging reading-My kids love to read. I love seeing them read. I secretly love catching them reading after hours under their covers with a flashlight. During this time of limited TV, I have seen an amazing love of books come alive in my kids. I’m going to be sharing more about this one in the next few weeks.
- Enforcing a bedtime routine-One or both of us pray with our kids at bedtime. We snuggle and talk and whisper. We are also consistent with bedtime on weeknights.
- Flexibility- All of these guidelines just become rules if we don’t have flexibility. We don’t want our home to be controlled and we don’t want to stifle our children’s energy. Everything we do is coupled with a spirit of flexibility. My kids have brightened at unplanned spontaneity and blossomed when we gave them a chance to voice their opinions.
Filthy Rags

Easter
A virgin. A baby. Savior. A boy. A temple. Miracles. Messiah. A donkey. A crowd. Waving Palm Branches. A Triumphal Entry. Jesus. The Last Supper. A Cup. A Garden. A Prayer. A kiss. A Betrayal. An Arrest. Scourged. Beaten. Whipped. A Cross. A Hill. A Crowd. A Crown. Thorns. Nails. Hands. Feet. A Spear. A Cry. A Die Cast. Death. An Ending. Darkness. Sorrow. Weeping. Wait- A Rumble. An Angel. A Stone. Rolling. A Witness.
pan> A Miracle. Alive. Jesus. Forever. Sin. Forgiven. For Me: A Hope. For You: A Future. For Us: A Beginning. We will see Him again.
Easter Story Eggs
One of my favorite celebrations is Easter.
I Will Not Leave You
I Believe
Parker is a total joy. He is faith in action. Each day this kid wakes up, smiles and faces the day with a determination that is humbling.
Parker is a master teacher. He is here not because he needed us, but because we needed him. Because of Parker our family has learned eternal truths that I don’t think we ever could have learned in any other way.
I would hope that when reading Parker’s story, people wouldn’t feel sad. I would hope instead that they would feel uplifted, inspired and armed with the knowledge that all life is worth living.
Through the love, support and prayers of others we are uplifted more than you can imagine.
Parker is a living testimony to the power of prayer. I am so blessed to be his mother.
I wouldn’t trade this kid for anything.
My insurance company on the other hand is a totally different matter.”
The First Nativity
Enjoy this beautiful time reveling in Him.
It Happened to Me
Something scary happened last week.
How I Met Jesus
I can’t remember when I found Jesus.
Meaningless
oducing blog . . . give me more than I have now! But if I don’t have God, it is still meaningless.
Men’s Week- When My Marriage Fell Apart
This post is For Women Only.
God Sees
When I was in the 8th grade, I was nominated by a teacher to be in a peer program. As a pimply introverted teen with a headgear and a blaring label that screamed, ‘Christian,’ I was honored.
What is Modest?
My daughter is dramatic.
- Absolutely NO stomachs showing.
- You must be able to lift your arms up and stretch without showing skin.
- No spaghetti straps or tank tops.
- No girl gym shorts or other short shorts.
- Longer shorts are okay.
- No skirts above the knee
- No underwear showing, even when you bend over.
- No bra straps showing, or see through shirts.
- Tank tops or camisoles are suggested for wearing under anything thin or see through.
- No extremely low, tight, or gaping shirts
- Swimwear must be modest (no two piece swimsuits, please) for the last day, which is Water Day.
Literally as I read this list, my bra strap slipped from under my tank top. Boy, did I suddenly feel trashy.
We live in Texas. And the dictionary defines Texas as HOT, like Africa. Oh, yeah, just check.
But we don’t do half or strapless shirts. I don’t like for her belly to show and she’s very self-conscious about even the band of her underwear showing, so really short things are out.
If you were to ask me, I’d say modesty is important to me.
But after I read this, I knew I hadn’t really thought it through thoroughly or shopped accordingly.
I mean, will she want to wear a bikini 4 or 5 years from now because I let her now?
Bottom line for me (and I don’t expect everyone to agree): I want to raise modest daughters who love their bodies and don’t feel the need to show it off.
Dreams Do Come True
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”





























