If you’re like me, sometimes I’m temped to just put my head down and “get through” the busy season, vowing to myself that I will be more intentional with the boys after the chaos stops. But the Enemy uses this way of thinking to distract us and carry us one more month down the road, or until we finish the next sports season or complete the next home project. God, however, tells us that if we seek Him, we will find Him! Today, I am sharing a few ideas that have helped us experience more of God with our children and I hope they encourage you on this journey as well.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
- Decide on a WOW word, then spend the first week of each month preparing both your heart and materials that go along with the WOW word…print off the interactive Bible Verse found in our Parent Guide, read over the Bible story, reserve children’s books from our Booklist at your local library, and decide what activity from the WOW Word Calendar (example below) will most connect with your child. These calendars are included with the Intentional Parent Guides. Preparation is key!
2. Make the most of car time! If you have older kids you are probably familiar with the pick up line at school. We keep a stash of books from that month’s WOW Word Book List in our car. When we have 5-10 minutes to spare, I give my kids an option of which book they want to read. As a bonus our booklist (see example below) includes Emergent Literacy Questions! This allows parents to nurture hearts while laying a foundation for future reading success.
3. Set a consistent time to engage. Whether you call it CB&J, TAWG (Time Alone With God), Learning Time, or something else, setting a consistent time to nurture kids’ hearts allows them to expect and look forward to these intentional time blocks. I do my best to carve out 2-3 days a week where we come straight home after school and have time to do an activity together. But beware! The minute you decide on a time invitations for other things during that same time will start coming in from all directions! At this stage in our children’s lives, we are the gatekeepers of their schedules. So, we must have our eyes fixed on the end goal and run with perseverance (Hebrews 12) so that we are not distracted by every invitation that comes our way.
4. Don’t listen to the Enemy! Sometimes I’m so excited to introduce our new WOW Word and out of nowhere one doubt creeps into my mind followed by a million more. How can I teach about forgiveness when I am carrying grudges around all day? Are the boys even listening to any of this? There is just too much to do! Learn to recognize the Enemy’s lies and silence it with the truth.
Research by the Barna Group shows that no one has more influence over a child’s spiritual formation than their parents! Be encouraged because you were created for this and by the power of the Holy Spirit you can plant seeds that God will water and grow into greater things than you could ever ask or imagine. You and I don’t need anything special, only faith (as big as a mustard seed) and a willing heart like Moses who led the Israelites despite his many imperfections.
Click here for more more practical ideas from previous posts! Or click here to read Do I Have Time For This?
Mr. Marc was our next door neighbor and often played songs on his guitar as the boys ran around in the backyard. As part of the Speer Family, he grew up singing gospel music and continues using his gifts to record hymns for CB&J today! These hymns are a timeless way to remind children about the character of Jesus, and we are grateful to be able to share these with you.