Of course I was, I told myself. I work. I'm gone ten hours a day. When I come home, we need to have time to play, sometimes I cook and for a time I was teaching Sunday School and I needed to prepare for my bible lessons. We had to go here and there. We had to go to Mission Friends and Sunday school and Children's choir. My husband needed my time and I had to have time to write - because that's my personal goal....
Whew.
There was always so much that flew ahead of me, things I was reaching for and thought I needed to accomplish.
So when we decided to look for another church home, that meant I wasn't teaching a bible lesson to my daughter anymore on Sundays. You see, when half of that equation was removed, I saw how I was failing as a parent. That equation was never complete. Are you with me?
We parents are models for our kids behaviors. Any of you failing out there? Me too. My hand is up right along with you. I still have temper tantrums at 33! Why should I expect my daughter to behave any different when her role model can completely lose it at times?
I'm going to make mistakes. If I make a mistake in front of my child I apologize and tell her where Mommy went wrong. That's one small piece of this puzzle. The main thing I was missing was instilling my values in her. The core of my being. I wasn't showing my daughter to put God first, before everything else.
I was busy with everything else and then I'd pray for my own behavior because I was too tired and worn out and then I was slipping as a mom. I pray for the hand of God over my patience and wisdom on guiding my daughter. Through this difficult time of looking for another church home, separating from people I truly care about and worshipped with, I found God again. He's always been there. He never left me.
My daughter was given this devotional bible by her aunt at least a year ago. It's been sitting on the shelf, I'm sorry to say. But goodness, I was busy - Excuses, excuses....
I started using God's Little Princess Devotional Bible as a way to share God with my daughter. Why shouldn't she begin the habit of studying God's word? She's four. I'm trying to teach her manners, so why shouldn't part of what I teach her be to love God and give Him the first fresh moments of her day?
When she wakes up in the morning, she loves for me to sit with her and watch TV. This is the time I read a devotion from this bible to her. Just a few pages a day, reading that takes five minutes. The Little Princess Devotional Bible is packed with colorful pages and interesting pictures that will get your pre-schooler and older child's attention. It gives you reading material that follows along with the Bible. Its format is one that you feel you are reading a story, but what you're doing is sharing God's values with the most important person in your life.
Shelia also offers one for the special young man in your life.
I highly recommend you start good, Godly habits with your children now. It helps me to rise each morning and have quiet time with God. It's amazing what is revealed during those times. God's word is timeless, and I want my daughter to have the benefit of knowing God, wearing His full armor as she goes to school and moves forward in her life.
If you're looking for another way to share God with your child, I highly recommend these two fun tools. As parents, we are planters. Simply put, we are planting seeds for our child's life. It will be the seeds enriched with God's values that will truly blossom.
