Chapter 13 - 16

Chapter 13-
There are a couple ways that we can build our children up.  First we can focus on them individually.  Eye contact has helped me greatly with this.  Kindness will lead to repentance and faith.  I can lead by an example and say something nice to my husband every morning.  I have even started a little list of one nice thing about him I write down every morning.  This helps my focus to be on him as a person and not as the father to the three children that I am trying to train up in the way of the lord. This has helped to start to turn around the attitude in my marriage.  One gratitude at a time.

Chapter 14 -
By doing this everyday it really has begun to change my heart.  Not only towards my spouse but also towards myself.  Are we all being thankful for what we have right now?  Are we content in our blessings that we are given.  Are we so focused on our mess that we can not see the miracles?  I am reminded of the verse.  Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.  Can I find treasures in my mess and realize that this is where my heart should be?  Can I see that everything I really need, I have right now?
Chapter 15-
Peacemaking - It is so important for us to involve our children in the process.  So when we see conflict or the creation of conflict we can ask our children to help the other one make good decisions.
Team - Together everyone accomplishes more.
It is so easy for me to see this in my bible studies and social groups.  Why is it so hard to see this in my own family?  I strive for union, but at times I see division as a result.  I think I need to focus more on God being my team leader rather than myself.

Chapter 16-
This chapter on Honesty really helped me realize that I need to focus on the why instead of the what.  When she discusses the main two things of being honest it made me pause.  We need to seek authenticity and vulnerability in all things.  This is how we are an example of a christian.  When people see a peace that surpasses all understanding is when we are a true example of Christ.  I also see that we lie out of shame and fear.  If we realize that we need to trust Christ in all things we will see that we will have no reason for shame.

Parenting The Wholehearted Child - Chapter 10, 11, and 12

Chapter 10 ~

This was a wonderful week to establish the foundations of what we will use in our conflict resolution in our home.  Every time one of the children raise their voices we are referring to this list that is over our kitchen table.  The children have in turn have also loved using it on me.  I find that many times in the middle of a mommy's life I tend to get a little excited and I am not demonstrating these traits.  I love that the family as a whole has a list that we can all read but Maggie.  You can see that a mark system has also been put in place to keep track of the behavior and the punishments are 10 minutes in room per a mark at the end of the day.

Chapter 11~

The topic of respect made me realize how little I actually respect my children.  In the Bible it tells us to model behavior.  It is so hard for me in an uncontrolled environment to control myself.  I am being helped by realizing that it is more important for me to demonstrate the calmness from the Holy Spirit than my points in punishing.  This has been very freeing over the past couple of days.  I am also realizing I need my children to respect my space while I am getting things done in the house.

Chapter 12~

Patience......  I feel that a mom of three young children does not have any and should not be expected too.  But this is the entire opposite teaching of the entire Bible.  I mean every good story and parable in the Bible come from trials.  It is in his weakness that we find his strength.  Why am I always so fast to try to control other people?  Especially my children?  Why am I so fast to look at the wrong and try to fix fast when God wants to use it for his glory in a slow process.  I feel often times when I busy trying to fix, God is screaming "Let Go and Let  Me!"

Parenting The Whole Hearted Child - Chapter 8 and 9

Chapter 8 -
This really hit home for me today.  I love our church and we are so blessed my good teachings and also wonderful children's ministries.  Through my journey as a parent I have found that there is no real reason to recreate wheels.  So I love to join the church in their missions and this allows for my children to see the community effect on a much larger scale.   A couple ideas is participating in a food bank.  One afternoon I was at the end of my rope.  I remember that our church was doing a food drive.  So I popped them all in the car and we went to the dollar store.  Our church was also doing shoe boxes.  We cleared a total of $40 for food and toys.  The next Sunday we dropped of supplies and the following week this was posted on instagram.  We also have the availability to tour the food bank.  I added to the shoe box project by having us all watch the video from the Samaritan's Purse website.  I felt God helped me up in a time of need by serving others with my children instead of screaming at them.

Chapter 9 -
This really is an extension to Chapter 8-
I need to bring more of a Christ focus to Christmas.  I  loved the idea of the birthday cake for Jesus and also the nativity scavenger hunt.  We have been blessed to be able to sponsor a child for $20 a month and the rewards have been ten fold.