Every day and now, pray on.
Every task to do, pray on.
To prevent bad things, pray on.
To worship the King, pray on.
To praise our God, pray on.
To raise our hearts, pray on.
When feeling depressed, pray on.
When life is stressed, pray on.
When you’ve no words, pray on.
When happy for grace, pray on.
And never forget to pray on
For every need, toil or strife
For God is awaiting your prayer
And loves and longs to make right.❤
With my preteens (4th and 5th grade kids), I went off script. I realized these kids had grown up in church with knowing all the words but not usually getting the meaning behind them. So dig deep and find out if they really get it or just the lingo. So I took the tiny word “joy” and did a search and we explored that word in the old teatament, in worship of Psalms, in wisdom of Proverbs, in the Holy Spirit and the new testament. And the kids had fun and learned so much! And now when people throw out the “joy” word, they gets its true meaning and that is priceless. To see actual joy in preteens is something very precious!😄 Don’t be afraid to go off script with preteens. They love it.❤
If no one is being the light,
That is your job
Be the light.
If no one n is speaking the truth,
That is your job.
Speak the truth.
If no one is worshipping God,
That is your job.
Worship God.
If no one is forgiving and letting go,
That is your job.
Forgive and let go.
If no one is serving others in need,
That is your job.
Serve others in need.
Others may be content with selfishness.
That’s not your job.
Just be selfless.
Others’ sins are not your concern,
Just don’t sin.
Be God’s child.❤
My Sunday School 4th and 5th grade class more than doubled this week. We talked about heaven. And here is what I have discovered in working with tweens, and I hope it helps you and grows your class also or just help you with tweens/preteens.
1. Do not major on the minors. They already do that on their own. Little comments, ignore unless you want more of them. Pass them by and keep talking. They are listening. They get it and read between your lines. They are uncertain often, rude now and then, disruptive maybe often, but always they are aware of everything and are listening. If they are doodling, they are still listening. If they tap on the table, they are still listening. This is a misconception that they don’t listen. The truth is they listen to genuine truth, conviction, what you know and are passionate about. They will ignore anything you are passive or insecure about. They are insecure enough to deal with your insecurity. Don’t open your mouth unless you know what you are talking about.
2. The rules are the rules but minimize that. I have a few rules everyone has to abide by but very few. The main one is that no one can insult or disrespect anyone. And that one, I will call out. Otherwise, let’s talk. You are free to be loved and supported here, free to learn and express, ask questions. That is the focus. If you want perfect quiet citizens with no problems or doubts, get away from tweens. Loosen up. Yes, with the few rules that really matter, adhere to everyone the same, but let other things slide for the purpose of encouragement and training.
3. Treat them like young adults because they are. Do not dumb down the truth or the lessons. Be practical and assume they know more than they should about the world and life. They get it. They see far too much and need truth for navigating it all. Involve them in the discussion. Treat them with respect.
4. Be real. Tweens can see though a fake in a hot honey running second. Clean up your act before trying to teach a tween truth. They will pick up on fake and reject it. In many ways, they need presentations of genuine truth. They are learning whether to accept or reject the truth now and need that genuine truth presented. Always be genuine.
5. Show love. Tweens are often unlovable. They change moods with their tidal hormone shifts and range from amazingly cuddly to revolting in the same hour! But they always, always, always need love. Love them. Do not withhold love ever. See past the stupid and see them as Jesus sees them, needing love. Love them.❤
Don’t change your shell to please another.
Don’t take another’s opinion as your own without research.
Don’t buy what anyone’s selling unless you need it and can afford it.
Don’t believe what you are told without proof.
Don’t worry about things that have no eternal value.
Don’t rush when you can breathe fresh air in nature.
Don’t worry.
Don’t fight unless you have to. If you have to, don’t lose the fight.
Don’t forget to spend time with those you love.
Don’t be so glued to your agenda that you miss an eternal opportunity.
Don’t fear, have faith in God.
Don’t put your trust into any person but only in God.
Don’t look back and long for what God has wisely removed from your life.
Don’t neglect prayer time and Bible reading.
Don’t forget to smile!❤
Pornography is not innocent fun. It hurts relationships and here is how, from a Christian wife’s perspective.
1. Trust is blown. The adulterer (person engaging in porn) has committed an adultery against his/her spouse. This has been done against the spouse’s back most of the time and been lied about. This tears down a trust wall pretty quickly.
2. It makes the spouse look bad/be easily disrespected because the spouse engaging in porn is viewed by the spouse as a self-control-less dog, some animal that can’t even control the sexual urges enough to keep sex between them only.
3. The spouse engaging in porn is dishonoring his/her spouse but the implied message that he/she is not enough to satisfy them, not airbrushed and misproportioned like those viewed, not unnatural enough, not good enough, not worth honoring with faithfulness.
4. The spouse engaging in porn develops a perverted and incorrect view of sex and becomes more and more difficult to make love (big difference) to their spouse. The plastic bimbos for hire are sex slaves and intimacy suffers enormously with the spouse who is not a sex slave but was designed to be so much more.
5. God is dishonored. This is the most important problem with porn. God is dishonored because you are saying by engaging in porn that what He says is irrelevant and unimportant and that disobedience and disrespect cannot help but separate you from a joyful prayer life and close relationship with God and if not repented from can cost you much more in eternity.
There are other reasons porn is sin and horrible for relationships, but these are the main ones I have found to be true and why couples should seek help if engaging in porn has become a habit (addiction illness) or if it has created a rift in the relationship. And God is only ever a humble prayer away to help also. ❤
Growing up in Michigan, our school went to skating trips weekly for exercise outings and PE. Sometimes it was bowling, but we preferred skating. I recently realized people still skate in our town after years of not living where people did so. So the kids and I have been skating, and it feels very nostalgic and I am a kid all over again out on that rink. Great exercise. And one other thing…
My kids soon realized one of the things skating Rinks are good for… training for driving in the real world. I think everyone should master dodging the beginners and kids going the wrong direction randomly and slow pokes and mind changers that randomly swerve a different way than they were headed or the speeders flying in and out of everyone or sudden stoppers. Oy! So my suggestion is not spiritual this time but practical… before your precious child drives on the crazy road, be sure he/she has learned defensive driving maneuvers you can achieve on a skating rink. I really think that and my dad’s lesson on neurotically checking all my mirrors and blind spots is why I have been a successful defensive driver. And I firmly believe I have the best and most fit guardian angel God ever made, for I was quite the speedster in my younger years and have driven a lot, 23 hours in a row at one point. So seriously, don’t neglect the skating rinks. Pretty great fun and exercise also. God bless! 😄❤
