HOW Did She Do It?

Do you ever stop and think about the mothers of the great men of the Word?

HOW did they do it?

I mean, seriously!

Think of King David's mother.

How did she raise a man after God's own heart?

HOW, Lord....oh how?

What about Daniel's Mom?

HOW DID SHE DO IT?

How did she raise a young man who, after being taken into captivity by a Godless nation, would stand up and offer HIS LIFE as a living sacrifice to God...at 15 years old!

I confess, I don't even know her name...I haven't studied Daniel extensively. I'm not even aware of whether her name is listed in the Word or not.

Yet still my question remains...HOW did she do it?!

What about King Josiah's Mom?

Is her name listed in Scripture? Anyone know?

Whomever she was, this I do know...Josiah's father was a Godless man, as the Word makes it clear that King Josiah's father was an idol worshiper, who DID NOT tear down the high places in Judah, who DID NOT rip out the idols from the land, as God had commanded.

No...it took his son to do that.

His son, who became the king at the ripe old age of.....

hang on.....

wait a second....

you ready for this.....

EIGHT YEARS OLD!

It was during Josiah's reign that the HIGH PRIEST (hello!) found the Word of the Lord in the House of the Lord!

HELLO!

The Word of God was lost in the temple of God!

You know what King Josiah did when they told him what they'd found?

He tore his clothes!

He mourned.

He knew that the judgement of God was coming because of the grievous sin of the nation and the rulers.

Then, he commanded that every high place erected to a false god, be torn down.

Oh, how I want to meet him!

Can you imagine?!

A boy king with that kind of heart to obey God.

Oh, that I will raise one just like him!

( You can find his story in 2 Kings chapters 21, 23, and 2 Chronicles chapters 33, 34, 35 and also Jeremiah chapters 1, 3, 22, 25...or just go to BlueLetterBible.org and enter "King Josiah" into the search bar.)

What about Paul's Momma....who was she?

HOW DID SHE DO IT?!

Granted, Paul was lost under a false system of "righteousness" for a long time, but when he was called by God, for HIS glory...oh how God used him to impact the Kingdom!

I am the mother of a David.

A Daniel.

A Josiah.

A Paul.

Oh, how I want him to walk as they walked!

Oh, how I want him to choose their path instead of being a Jonah.

I'm sorry. I'm just being honest here..I find Jonah to have been a whiner. Maybe that's just me.

So today, when I was ready to start spitting green goo out of my head because I was so done,

I asked my son...

Whom I just told LAST SUNDAY, that I know he's a David, a Daniel, a Josiah....

I asked him, "Son...how are you going to live? Are you going to be a Jonah? Is it going to take being in the belly of a fish before you choose to walk in obedience? What's it going to take?"

Now mind you, he's such a good and kind little boy on most levels...but DADGUM if he didn't get his Mommy's strong will!

And I gotta say, by comparison, I look like a wimp!

The problems present themselves when he has an idea that is contrary to ours.

He even had the gaul to say to me today,

"Mommy. After the 3rd time, I was going to listen to you and not tell you again what I wanted."

Um. Oh, no you didn't!

Hello!

McFly!

What's wrong with this picture?!

I asked him, "Caedmon, how many times it is supposed to take before you obey?"

"One."

Darn-tootin!

Oh boy...I'm still left asking, "HOW DID THEY DO IT?"

I thank God for His Word, into which I told my son to run today...that is, after I told him that he was taking a nap!

I thank God for my husband, the leader of our home, who leads with a love of the Lord, but doesn't allow his 9 year son to treat his wife poorly.

I thank God for chocolate...I need a piece right now! I'm going to the pantry!

Whew! Tomorrow will be here in T-7 hours!

Love you today,

Jes

A Mother's Heart Cry for Her Children, and God's Answer

This blog has turned out to be such a source for making precious friends across the miles, that I am ever astounded by how dearly I have come to love so many people whom I've never laid eyes on.

If you're reading this, and have wanted to "meet", I invite you to send me an email at the address listed in the sidebar. I'd love to know you, and know how I can be praying for you.

Shelly, a Precept leader in South Carolina whom I mentioned in this post, is one of the precious friends I'm referring to. She's become like a sister to me, and we talk weekly. I love to hear her pray, for when she does, the Word of God pours off of her lips as one who truly knows the Lord, because she has disciplined herself to study His Word, and therefore knows His heart.

Shelly is a woman who is deeply in love with the Lord. Her desire is to be the best mom she can be, yet she has a redheaded 4 year old little boy, Ben, who likes to really test her!

She also has Sam who is 6...not a redhead. :)

She called me shortly after having written the 1st prayer journal entry, which you'll see below, and was at her wit's end with Ben. Haven't we all been there!

It was during that conversation that I challenged her to the call of leading her boys through studying the Bible inductively. I shared my heart with her, which is that we as parents cannot expect our kids to learn all they need to know about the Lord, just by putting them in Sunday School and Wednesday night classes at church.

What if we were to disciple our children at home, and then trust that what they get at church would be the icing on the cake? The cake that we had been faithful to bake at home!

I fully believe that we will stand before the Throne one day and will answer to God for what we did (and did not do) with His command to us to teach the Word to our children!

That very night, Shelly answered the call, even though neither of her boys are fluent readers. She started teaching them by using one of the Discover 4 Yourself books by Precept Ministries, "Wrong Way Jonah!"

The common misconception that I hear is this...people think they can't use the D4Y books because their kids aren't readers.

Please hear me on this...each of the D4Y books is written as a story within a story. There are a few leading characters, Max and Molly, and with each of the studies, they are learning a new career... they become archaeologists, comic book writers, advice columnists, superheroes, etc, and all the while they (and your kids) are learning to observe, interpret, and apply God's Word!

So, even if the children in your life are not reading yet, you can still use these books!

You'd just need to read the story aloud, and then verbally walk them through how to use the 5Ws and an H to reason through the Scriptures listed. It's all laid out for you in the book, so it's very easy for the teacher.

You will be QUICKLY BLOWN AWAY by how much very young kids can learn about the Word of God, if you'll just take the time to go though a Discover 4 Yourself book with them. And, they'll LOVE it!

OK, back to Shelly....

She was gracious enough to share the entries from her prayer journal, chronicling her journey with her son Ben's behavior, and how being willing to seek counsel, apply some new ideas, and spend daily time teaching he and Sam how to reason through the Word of God, has helped her whole family.

Her hope is that you will be encouraged, edified, and exhorted to begin leading your own children, or those in your church, through inductive Bible study, too!

Here's what she wrote in her prayer journal...

Saturday, May 9, 2009 (the before entry)

Dear Almighty and Most Holy Lord,

My heart is so heavy today! My load and burden seems too difficult to carry.

Immediately I am reminded by the Holy Spirit that “sheep” are not burden bearing animals.

That’s what you call and refer to Your people as…one of Your sheep and You Jesus are the Great Shepherd.

I have come to lay my burden on You.

I am so glad that I can pour out my heart like water before You and You welcome it.

How wonderful! How grateful I am!

So, here goes…

I need Your help with Ben! His screaming is driving me crazy. I beg of You to make him stop!

Teach me how to teach him to control his temper and anger. Teach me how to control mine as well. You have helped me with this already but I’m not all the way there yet.

I greatly desire peace and serenity for my home. A place where order and contentment exist.

A place where mommy doesn’t have an attitude, where mommy doesn’t resent her children’s misdeeds.

I beg for You to fix me to be the mother/nurturer/trainer of these kids.

I want to go to bed each night without regret that I said or did the wrong thing!

Here's the "after" entry....

A dear friend of mine, Jesica, spoke words of wisdom to my heart today.

She challenged me to be in the Word daily with Sam and Ben. I said “really?” “daily?”

I know I should and I have the “want” to but I hesitate – anticipating their response. I feared their lack of attention and lack of excitement.

So, Heavenly Father I bring this to You. I want to want to teach them more than I want to teach adult ladies.

Give to Sam and Ben a deep desire and enthusiasm for Your Word. May they initiate our time of Bible study.

Give me the ability to teach them at 4 and 6 years of age.

I realize that I don’t take teaching them seriously enough. I am more concerned and excited and consumed with teaching others rather than my own children.

Why is that, Lord?

I ask for you to forgive me and change my heart. I am pleading with You Father to truly change my heart and attitude regarding them and turn my heart back to my first ministry.

UPDATE!

We started Bible study last night and it was GREAT!

I read the first chapter of Jonah out loud and asked the 5 W’s and an H.

I used a small dry erase board and drew pictures of the events. I had them draw in their notebooks pictures as well.

They participated and even Sam said the best prayer that “we wouldn’t be like Jonah who when told to go to Nineveh went to Tarshish instead and disobeyed God.” (Sam is 6!)

I showed a map that showed Tarshish was in the opposite direction of Nineveh.

I asked them “Can you really run from the presence of the Lord?” and they said “NO! He sees you all the time and everywhere!”

We also discussed how Jonah’s disobedience was and is SIN and his sin affected other people (the sailors).

We discussed how we are often like Jonah and Sam gave me an example.

Ben tried but had some trouble (he’s four).

Our time together far exceeded my expectation and was so fulfilling!

Oh, my heart is so full of thankfulness to my dearest Father. He answered the cry of this mama’s heart beautifully!

Don't you just want to meet this Momma, who so transparently poured her heart out before the Lord? Doesn't her story make you want to start studying with your own children or grandchildren? What about the children in your church?

Oh that we would all cry out to God for the hearts of our children, as Shelly did!

Here she is...with Sam and Ben, in front of the library on the grounds of Billy Graham's ministry.

I love you, Shelly! Thanks for sharing your story with us, and keep up the great work!

Thoughts on My Ministry

I wrote this post several weeks ago.

I trust that God's timing for it's publishing is perfect, for had I posted it when I first wrote it, Shelly's story would not have been available. She is ecstatic about my sharing it.

May you be blessed, encouraged, and compelled to walk in the good works God lays before you...(your family being #1)

My ministry.

Even those words look odd to me.

It's not "my" ministry, it's the ministry of the Lord through me. The same can be said of you.

It's the Lord's ministry through those who obey Him.

I've been thinking a lot about ministry lately...about what God desires to do with and through my life. About what an awesome, humbling thing it is that the Almighty would even choose to use any of us in His grand plan for mankind.

Last year, the Lord tugged on my heart...whisphered to my heart, to put together a Precept retreat. In every single step of the way, He went before us. He paved the way for that retreat to happen, and He did some awesome things in the hearts of many of us who were there.

Since the time of the retreat, I've had countless conversations with people who took the challenge from the Lord, and stepped forward to lead others in inductive study. Many of these stories came from people who had never led ANY Bible studies, much less a study that teaches people to reason through God's Word for themselves.

Immediately after the retreat, I was hit with sickness like I've never dealt with before.

For months upon months, I found myself sidelined.

Flattened.

Worn out.

But you know, the Lord was in control of all of it, and through it He has taught me some invaluable lessons.

I am so passionate about people being rooted in God's Word, that I don't always see the ministry right in front of my eyes.

I forget that it's important to have healthy meals for my family, down time with my sweetheart, game time with my children.

Yesterday as I was getting ready to go to church, to lead the youth (whom I love!) in our Wednesday night class, Brennan came into my bathroom crying. She told me that her tummy was really hurting, and that she didn't feel like going to church.

She LOVES Wednesday nights, so I knew this wasn't about her trying to get out of something she didn't want to do. (Um, that was MY trick when it came to school!)

I was a bit paniced. It was 5:40pm, and we had to leave for church in 20 minutes, and I had to discern in just moments, what I was to do.

In my flesh, I wanted to make her "buck up" and tell her that she'd be fine, and that Mommy had a class to teach.

But, in my spirit, I was unsure. So I prayed, and then I called a precious woman of God from within our body, and she graciously stepped forward and taught class that night.

And I stayed home with my first ministry, and cuddled and watched a movie.

And you know, the sweet woman who took my class that night, and has raised 4 children who know and love the Lord, said to me, "Sometimes, all they need is you."

Oh, how she ministered to me through her kindness, and her heart of service!

I've been praying and asking the Lord to tender my heart toward home. I've removed different outside ministry roles from my plate so that my attentions could be focused more here.

It's not the most comfortable thing in the world for me. I like moving and shaking...I like pressing onward and upward.

I am passionate about people learning to study God's Word for themselves.

My heart aches for those who are believers in Jesus Christ, yet do not know what to do with their Bibles, or who don't realize that God's Word really will be a lamp unto their feet, and a light unto their path, TODAY if only they'll discipline themselves to spend time in it.

As a result of this passion for people to know God's Word, I struggle with how much I am to do. If it were only me, or if our kids were grown and Shane and I were free to teach people how to study any time we liked, I think I'd want to have a class going every day!

Shane told me the other day that it isn't Jesus who loads us to the point of breaking. It isn't the Lord who gives us so much on our plates that we get sick from it.

We do that.

His burden is light.

I think of the time that I left my own children in order to go for a week of training for ministry.

I left my children, and my husband. My husband still had to work full time, and my children were being shuffled in order for my "ministry" training.

If I had it to do over again, that would not happen. If I had it to do all over again, I'd make a different choice. I'd choose to wait upon the Lord, and to wait for training to come to my town, instead of leaving my family behind for a week.

I thank God that He knows my heart, and forgives my poor choices. That was definitely a poor one.

It grieves me that we as women have such internal battles as to what ministry is. Is it the feminist agenda at work that tells us that ministering to our families is not sufficient?

I was talking recenlty with my friend Shelly, another Precept leader, and she too has small children. She was sharing with me that they were having some huge struggles with their 4 year old.

I asked her how much time she was spending in the Word with him, and there was only silence coming from her end. Then she asked, "Really? I mean, really?! I guess I think he's too little to understand, or to get it. I mean, I teach women! Not kids!"

To which I said to her, "Oh no, sweet friend. If you have kids, you teach kids. It's that simple. If your children grow up to reject the Word, and you haven't done your job to teach it to them, you will never forgive yourself. And, it won't matter if every woman in your town is living for the LORD, if you haven't done your job with your kids."

What a joy it was to get a call from her just 2 days later, telling me that she had sat her children down and started on "Wrong Way Jonah!", and that they had LOVED it! She said they were so into it, and she was thrilled beyond words!

Huge!

Oh, to raise world changers for God's glory!

I remember several years ago when we first moved to town, that I would spend hours each week taking my kids to the park. With each trip to the park, I met new people. Most were moms who were new in town, and were looking for friends, and for places to connect.

The friendships that were formed, and the opportunities to share Christ with those moms, were unmatched.

Isn't that what ministry is, at it's core?

Living as the light of Jesus Christ in a world of darkness?

Loving others as Christ loved us, and being available to share His love with them?

As we move into the summer, I realize that much of "my" ministry is going to happen right here in my home...in my neighborhood.

There are going to be children in my home, or swimming in our backyard...children who may not know how precious they are to Jesus Christ.

Will I answer THAT call?

Will I minister reconciliation over cookies and milk, and a good water gun fight?

Or, will I be grumpy and stressed with these kids, because I have to prepare to lead Bible study?
Will I show my children, through sacrificial love, that their friends and their interests are important to me, or will I crowd out their needs for those needs that I deem "important?"

A new friend of mine said these words to me a few weeks ago, and they have powerfully impacted my life...

"I have to learn to say "no" to the good, so I can say "yes" to the great."

I don't want to sacrifice my family on the altar of "doing ministry."

I just don't.

And I've finally decided that I won't.

Again, I'm reminded, as I listen to the words of my precious and amazing husband...

"It's not Jesus that loads us to the point of breaking. We do that to ourselves."

Did you know that this is what "The Secret" says?!

Did you know that "The Secret" says this:

"You are the master of the Universe. You are the heir to the kingdom. You are the perfection of Life."

Incredible! Wow! PUUUULEASE!

Totally and completely opposed to Scripture.

I was the master of my universe (or so I thought...really, sin was ) when I had a one way ticket to Hell. ( See Romans 5 and 6)

Thankfully, I've now exchanged that with my Covenant partner, Jesus Christ, who paid the price of my sins for me..and in exchange, He is now Master of my universe! ( Romans 5 and 6)

I am an heir to the Kingdom of God, no doubt about that, but it's ALL and ONLY because of Christ, and who He has made me to be in Him.

I assure you, as will my husband and children, and anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes, that I am NOT the perfection of life! In fact, that's just downright laughable!

Perfection rests only in God...in His Son, and in His Holy Spirit.

Wow! Just amazing the way that New Age junk can be repackaged over and over again and people still flock to buy it.

In the 90s, it was Anthony Robbins' stuff. And Landmark Education..and a whole supply of others.

I know, I had them all...I was deeply steeped in the lies of the enemy that come through the New Age movement. All junk!

If only we would realize, as a country, as a people, that "self-help" will let us down every time.

It's the help of Almighty God that we need....His is the only help that will make any lasting difference in our lives.

Psa 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

See Jonah chapter 1. Seems the sailors were calling out to the gods of their understanding too...which gained them only higher waves and more calamity.


Jonah 1:5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten {it} for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.
Jonah 1:6
So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps {your} god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."
Jonah 1:7
Each man said to his mate, "Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity {has struck} us." So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah 1:8
Then they said to him, "Tell us, now! On whose account {has} this calamity {struck} us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
Jonah 1:9
He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land."
Jonah 1:10
Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, "How could you do this?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Jonah 1:11
So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"--for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.
Jonah 1:12
He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm {has come} upon you."
Jonah 1:13
However, the men rowed {desperately} to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming {even} stormier against them.
Jonah 1:14
Then they called on the LORD and said, "We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased."
Jonah 1:15
So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.
Jonah 1:16
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
Jonah 1:17
And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

See the progression?

The sailors start out calling on their false gods.

Then they realize that Jonah is a Hebrew, and knows Jehovah Elohim. ( LORD God )

Then they STILL try to solve the problem on their own.

Then the storms grow stronger.

THEN what happens? Finally, they call on the LORD, the one TRUE God, and they pray to Him for help. ( GONE are their calls to their false gods...no more "self-help". They're toally begging God Almighty for help..as they recognize, FINALLY Who is really in control.)

Then God delivers them from the storm.

And...they serve God. They praise Him. They worship Him. They make vows to Him and sacrifice to Him.

See..that's what happens when people are set free from the lies of false gods, even if that false god was themself. What happens when we realize the Truth and Power of Almighty God is that we can't HELP but worship Him. We can't HELP but want to give Him our lives.

Having been saved from the depth of the pit of sin and self, and having been given the GIFT of my Savior, my Master, my Messiah...I am overwhelmed with a love and depth of appreciation for all that He is to me.

The Secret would have me believe that it's all in my hands.

What better way to teach people how to attempt to steal the glory of God then by telling them that it's all of their own doing.

Ugh! I can't wait to get to Heaven...