Serious Cravings

     We've been on lots of productive farms and inside lots of smelly barns, but a recent trip has topped all the rest.  As we brushed the cobwebs away from our faces and side-stepped the crusty deposits on the floor; we anxiously followed the sounds to the back row of stalls in an attempt to discover the source the raucous noises.

     There, in front of us, were the hungriest, noisiest and funniest little piglets we'd ever seen.  Our family stood and watched them for quite a while as they ravenously prodded and slurped from their mother, and I pondered two things...
     # 1 - I had it very easy nursing my babies compared to this poor mother pig
     # 2 - Is this what God had in mind when He told us to crave spiritual milk?

     Reflecting on I Peter 2:2, I see where we're encouraged -- no, told -- to rid ourselves of everything that could threaten to bring us down, and become like babies, "Crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

     I don't want to be dishonoring to God in any way, but truly, if I craved His Word and time in His presence daily like those piglets obviously were craving their mother's milk, would I not be passionately pressing into God at a whole new level?

     That same verse says after we've tasted that the Lord is good . . . most of us have already seen Him move in our lives in some way and we DO know He's good, but we are we craving Him?


     We get so caught up in the chasing of everything this world has to offer EXCEPT FOR God, that I imagine His heart must feel broken time and again.


     Jesus said it'd be when we hunger and thirst that we'd be satisfied -- that means a desperate desire on our part.  Just like those little piglets, may we all be desiring more of God, now that we have tasted and seen that He is good.

"Blessed are those who

hunger and thirst for 

righteousness."

Matthew 5:6

As Though They Were

     The numbers roll off her tongue like raindrops on a windowpane - fast and furious.  "Two plus two is four.  Four plus four is eight.  Eight plus eight is sixteen.  Sixteen plus . . . "  On and on the numbers increase, continuing into the hundreds.  It isn't unusual except that she's only six years old, and she's ours. 

     We encourage and applaud.  We are amazed.

     This, in turn, means that she tries even harder to say them faster and learn them farther.  This makes me wonder -- Does she do this so well because we encourage or because she would anyway?

     I don't know the answer.  But I do know that almost anyone will run fatster or jump higher when they are spurred on by the sounds of a cheering crowd in the stands as opposed to silence, but is that what brings the success?  Beyond math facts, what about the rest of life that spreads out before our children?

    My mind races to remember where that verse is in the Bible -- the one that says what God speaks over us.  Oh yes, Romans 4:17.  It says that, "God...calls things that are not as though they were."

     I think of the achievements and failures in my own life and I'm thankful that God calls things in my life that are not as though they are.  I'm relieved that someone believes in my future when I don't.

     If this is what God does for us, then would it not be what we are called to do for our children?  Speak blessing into their future, whether we see the tangible evidence in front of us or not.

     Would you rather aim high in life when someone is whispering in your ear that you CAN do it or when a brash voice is pointing a execrative finger at where you failed again? 

     It doesn't mean we never correct our children and their poor or wrong behaviour.  No, that must be done so that they can be taught to learn from their mistakes.  BUT, what are the words they hear during the other 23 hours in the day? 

     "I am so proud of you for helping your sister fix her toy." 
                               OR
     "Why didn't you clean the mess that you and your sister left?"

     "You are doing a great job being careful not to interrupt conversations."
                               OR
     "Why did you keep tugging on my arm when I was talking?"

     "Thanks for speaking gently to your brother this morning."
                                OR
     "Why couldn't you be nicer to your brother?"


     You see, I've learned a few things about myself as a parent:

1. I tend to see what is out of order, before I appreciate what is in order
2. I am more likely to point out what I want to see changed than what I like
3. I would be more tempted to speak a criticism than a blessing

     Why would I confess these sad realities about my parenting to you?  Because every day I am reminded that I have two ways of looking at the relationships that I am blessed to be surrounded by -- either I will see the negative and speak the continuation of the same in my loved one's lives, OR I will look for the positive and speak with a mouth of hope towards those I love, just as God does for me.

    I want taste honey when I lick my lips, not vinegar. 

    I must evaluate the words that sit on my tongue BEFORE I let them escape, not after.  The same lesson I continue to instruct my children with applies to me -- think before you speak.  If I can look for and find the good, it needs to be given a voice.  And if I can't find the good, then I need to speak with hope -- to call those things that aren't as though they were.

"For in hope we were saved.

Now hope that is seen is not hope,

because who hopes for what he sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see,

we eagerly wait for it with endurance."

Romans 8:24 & 25

Encouraging More and More

Do you ever peek in on your sweet, sleeping kids and ask yourself the question, "Why was I so hard on them today?" I already know your answer, because we all experience similar challenges ~ as much as we love our children with all of our hearts, walking out this journey of parenting seems to consistently sneak in moments of frustration.  Don't you find perspective always comes once they are in bed?  Then, you want to wake them up and tell them all over again how much you love them!

I have found a secret that is helping that happen less and less for me ~ encouraging more and more!  One of my favourite verses for parenting, comes from II Timothy 4:2 where Paul says, "Correct, rebuke,and ENCOURAGE - with great patience and careful instruction." That pretty much sums up what I do all day -  how about you?  But as you look through more verses on encouragement (which means to instill courage into someone or give hope and support), they all can apply to parenting.  Listen to this summary taken from different books in the New Testament: "Therefore encourage one another...encourage the young men...encourage one another daily...let us encourage one another...encourage them to remain true...encourage them with these words...encourage them all..."  These verses continue in on much longer, but I am sure you are seeing what I am seeing - we are called by God, to encourage those around us.  So who more should benefit from that than our children?

It can be so easy to encourage our friends, and then turn and nit-pick our children, forgetting to encourage them - I am not saying stop training, that is of primary importance.  But as we train, we can watch for ways to be using encouraging words.  This will draw our children's hearts closer to ours and I believe we will see a desire for them to enjoy learning from us more and more.  Personally, I love being encouraged - I assume you love being encouraged and I know our children need to be encouraged!  When it comes to my children - I want to be that person in their lives - how about you?