Jean Stockdale...

Monday Morning Manna for Moms #16-How to Raise Great Kids

Jesus Christ is the way, THE ONLY WAY, for a guilty sinner (that includes all of us) to be reconciled with a holy God. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Salvation is wrought through a personal decision to receive Jesus Christ, by grace through faith. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household (Acts 16:31). Please understand this. We cannot believe for our children. We cannot make our children receive Jesus. We cannot make our children behave right or believe right. Obviously a child raised in a home where at least one (preferably both) parent is a devoted believer, is more likely to desire to know Jesus. But the ultimate decision to receive or reject Jesus Christ rests with the free will of an individual. There is, however, much we can do to give them a taste for the things of the Lord.

Do not underestimate the influence your godly lifestyle can have in the life of your child! At the same time you must acknowledge that ultimately, the decision to receive or reject Jesus Christ lies in the free will of your child. NEVERTHELESS, your child’s right to decide for or against Christ does not negate the role your Christian testimony will play in that final outcome of your child’s decision.

In the Bible study I teach for MOMS we will be having a q&a session in a couple of weeks. I will be posting some of the questions I have received along with Biblical precepts over the next few weeks. We all want to raise great kids for Christ. God's Word tells us how to train up a child in the way he should go. Let's discover what God says together!

How to Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

On Friday, January  we were stunned to get the news that Jason and Patti has suffered a miscarriage. This much anticipated baby was due in September. Patti was in for a routine visit. Jason was with her. They were checking to hear the heart beat. Nothing had indicated any problems and they were not prepared to hear the dire news that was about to stagger them under the weight of unspeakable grief.

A phone call from Jason alerted us of their loss. The veil of grief fell upon us and sent us to prayer for our darling children and a grandchild that was "absent from the body and present with the Lord." We drove to their home and sat with them in the consuming pain of loss and profound grief.

Such a divine mystery. God breathed life into the soul of this little one. He formed his/her inward parts and wove him/her in his mother's womb. He fearfully and wonderfully made this little child. He saw the unformed substance of the tiny baby and worte in His book all the days ordained for his/her life. The days were ordained and completed prior to birth.

A life created for the sole purpose of glorifying God without ever taking a breath. A child taken from the safety of his/her mother's womb straight into the presence of the Lord without traveling through the birth canal. Such a divine mystery. And yet, we trust in the sovereign will and ways of a holy God who knows what He is doing. Even when we cannot understand, even when we question His plan, even when we are stunned by His actions, we believe Him. And we trust Him. God knows what He is doing. We are resting in His mercy and grace.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou are with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou has anointed my mead with oil. My cup overflows " (Ps. 23:4-5). Indeed.

When we as beleivers are able to walk through difficulties, suffering, or sorrow and we do it with grace - as unto Jesus - He prepares a table, a symbol of fellowship in the Bible, before our enemies. We sit at His banqueting table and we feast on His presence, consuming the Bread of Life and drinking fully from His Living Water. We dine of the deliciies of the divine life of Christ! And when we do, I believe that we stop the mouths of Satan and his minions as they are forced to watch us walk through the valley of the shadow of death in victory - in the name of Jesus.

Our pain is deep. Our grief is real. Our God is BIG.

Linked to Spiritual Sundays.

Gratituesday

God has been so good to me. It is hard to pick one thing to be grateful for, but it is also important to take time to recognize my blessings.

I am grateful that my children are building their own households of faith.

 

"I have no greater joy than this,  to hear of my children walking in the truth." 

(3 John 1:4)

 

Join me in the study "Run Well. Finish Strong" on 2 Timothy to find out how to hand down a living faith to your children. For more details click here. Blessings.

Linked to Gratituesday.

Friend Makin Mondays

Memories from the Stockdale Christmas 2009.

 

 

 

   

 

 

God has been so good to us. Blessings from our house to yours!

Linked to Friend Makin Mondays

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from us to you!

   

 

 

God has richly the Stockdale household so richly this year! 

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

2 Cor. 9:15 

Linked to Six Words Saturday.

Thousand Word Thursday

Recently a good friend of mine celebrated a holiday with the obligatory family gathering. My friend could not stop laughing when she approached the buffet table and spied these napkins. The wry sense of humor of her hostess was on display! With "tongue in cheek" the hostess had selected these napkins!

Sadly, many family functions have been reduced to obligatory gatherings rather than the celebration of familial ties. How sad. What a poor commentary of the state of the nuclear family unit. As the mom of 2 great sons, I determined many years ago to treat my family like special guests in my home and to treat my guest like family!

My boys are married and have babies of their own. My husband and I want our home to be a place where my children and their families are treated as honored guests - a genuine representation of our undeniable love for them! I do not want a relationship that reduces our gatherings to "Forced Family Fun". Rather I intend to bless them and honor the sweet family God has blessed us with.

These are my thoughts on Family Fun. If you would like to see more 1000 Word Thursday then click here.

Under Grace - Over Coffee

Under Grace and Over Coffee. Love it! I found Andrea and her fun blog as I have been strolling through the blogosphere. Miss Cute Thang describes herself this way: I take my coffee with milk, sugar, and the joy of knowing Jesus.

Get atta town! Me too!

She hosts this cutie meme called Caffeinated Randomness every Friday. The idea is to share about whatever is in your silly little (G-rated) head. Here is my Caffeinated Randomness.

I have been in a terrible funk. I have been battling some tough physical issues brought on by the fact that I am a woman of a certain age, thank you very much! Bummer. I had all kinds of health problems when i HAD hormones and now that I DON"T HAVE hormones, I am having all kinds of problems. Does that seem right to you? Me neither. Which is why I am in a funk. A funk I tell you. A funk. A serious funk.

You could say I am conflicted and have issues and you would not be wrong!  Frankly, the physical maladies of being of a certain age have worn me down. I have had 3 migraines in 6 weeks after going several years with nary a one. I have had hot flashes of the thermo-nuclear variety. I have quit sleeping. Quit. Notta. No sleep people.

Now understand I am typically an enthusiastic woman with a joyful, albeit unrealistic, (I'll admit it-I have a Pollyanna mentality on life-you wanna make something of it!?!?) take on life. I look at life through my rose-colored bi-bifocals! So when I, with my sanguine cheery personality, get down in a funk . . . well it ain't pretty. For months I have labored under the weight of this funk. I have LOST MY JOY and I have lost courage. For those of you who know me, you know this is an unusual state for me and represents a seriously miserable and dangerous time in my life.

My physical issues have contaminated my spiritual life. I have lost my spiritual equilibrium and struggled to regain it. But then yesterday happened. 

I am out of town. I am on a short trip to Louisiana and staying at a hotel. Yesterday I woke up in the Hampton Inn. The hour was early but I had managed to actually get some sleep - a real victory over the night before when I never did go to sleep. I know! That's what I'm talking about! But on Thursday morning I woke up in my hotel room in Louisiana. The room was dark and quiet. The sheets felt cool. The hotel provided feather pillows and I was all balled up in a stack of 'em. 

As my thoughts drifted from my sub-conscious mind to my conscious, I was aware that my mind had been meditating on Eph. 6:10-18, the passage on the armor of God. Gently I heard the very loud and inaudible voice of my Savior in my inner man. "Child," He whispered. "You are under attack. The enemy is upon you. He has you by the wrist. Don't you feel his fiendish hot breath on your neck. He is moving in for a kill. Pull your sword, My child. Pull the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and run him through." And as God's Word came to my mind, Satan and his funk evaporated. 

• "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed ; perplexed, but not despairing ;persecuted, but not forsaken ; struck down, but not destroyed ;always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:8-11).

I was sitting up in bed, hearing God speak, experiencing the sweetest peace and presence of the Lord.

I have been under a spiritual assault. I am about to launch an on-line Bible study for MOMS on the book of Ehpesains and Satan does not want MOMS to learn how to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. In 2 weeks I will start teaching MOMS at Bellevue Baptist Church. The messages will be live streamed. Podcast will be available. I will be speaking in several churches this fall. Teaching God's truth puts me in the cross hairs of Satan and his hellbent minions. 

I usually have my armor on and I intentionally keep my guard up. But this particular onslaught has been so heinous and so intense that I have buckled under the ungodly onslaught. Satan  has pulled out all the stops and I had finally caved under the pressure.I was the target of friendly fire - being misunderstood and maligned. Financial pressures are tapping out my mental capability (and I know many of you are in the same place). My emotions are raw. Both of my children and their families were being repeatedly rattled by the wiles of the devil. One child was having severe headaches and we were very concerned. If you are a mom, your children will prove to be your "Achilles' heel." Touch my child and you touch the apple of my eye. I am the most vulnerable at the point of my children and the pain the enemy can inflict on my mother's heart by attacking my children (and/or their family) . . . well, it causes me to writhe in pain. A funk. A serious funk. Unable to right myself. Unable to regain my spiritual equilibrium. Until yesterday. Yesterday God showed up!!

Would you like to read some more Caffeinated Randomness. Click here and enjoy.

And MOMS, please join me for my on-line Bible study on the book of Ephesians entitled High Stepping for Heavenly Places. Click here for more information and check back on Monday for more details. 

My study for MOMS is free, non-denominational, and designed to help MOMS of toddlers, tweens, teens, and all the way through turning 'em loose! You will be able to view my 45 minute lectures on-line, as well as download my PODCASTS at no cost. My 192-page workbook will be available here for $15.00 but is optional. Homework and on-line discussion will be a part of this study which will provide accountability, small group interaction with other MOMS, and tons of Biblical truth peppered with sanctified humor and personal illustrations. I would be honored to be able to invest in your life and bless your family as you develop the fine art of Christian mothering. Blessings.

Home Sweet Home

Craig and I have lived by this simple philosphy when it comes to entertaining. We treat our friends like family and we treat our (adult children and their families) like very special guests in our home! This has worked out nicely. Freinds feel very comfortable in our home. And our chrildren, daughter-in-laws, and baby grands are treated like the people who are dearest to us!

So we have tried to decorate with things that are dear to us in the hopes our friends and family will be blessed by them as well. I discovered this darling bunny in a wonderful shop on the Collierville Square, a suburb of Memphis. If you leave anywhere near, make a point to stop by First Fruits and shop yourself silly!

This little cutie will fit in my hand, so it is just a little touch of color and whimsy for a shelf in my kitchen.

For other bloggers sharing about their homes click here and go to Hooked on Houses and then click here to see The Inspired Room. And Kelli is hosting Show and Tell right here. All of these are great blog about decorating and creating Home Sweet Home! 

And MOMS, please join me for my on-line Bible study on the book of Ephesians entitled High Stepping for Heavenly Places. Click here for more information and check back on Monday for more details. 

My study for MOMS is free, non-denominational, and designed to help MOMS of toddlers, tweens, teens, and all the way through turning 'em loose! You will be able to view my 45 minute lectures on-line, as well as download my PODCASTS at no cost. My 192-page workbook will be available here for $15.00 but is optional. Homework and on-line discussion will be a part of this study which will provide accountability, small group interaction with other MOMS, and tons of Biblical truth peppered with sanctified humor and personal illustrations. I would be honored to be able to invest in your life and bless your family as you develop the fine art of Christian mothering. Blessings.