3 Mums Share: Kids And Quiet Times

There’s so much to learn about God and His plan for us, let alone passing it onto our children, but these 3 Mums have spoken into my life, and been like mentors and older sisters to me, that I really wanted to hear how they were teaching their children to grow in God.3mumsshare

Each of these Mums have 6 children of various ages and I’ve known them for about 5 years, in fact I lived and worked for 2 of them as a homeschool graduate, minding their children and helping around the house.

Mandy and Di are sisters-in-law, living on the same farm, with houses about a km apart, Di teaches flute and piano, and Mandy teaches violin and piano, and it was Mandy’s renovated train that I would live in while I worked for them.  (It was also Mandy’s bridesmaid dresses that I rounded up from toy boxes around the country and used for my wedding.)

And Racheal is Stephen’s cousin, who first inspired me with her courtship story, while Stephen and I were in the same stage.  Racheal has deep, organic wisdom and while the other two ladies live 5 hours away, I often drive out to Racheal’s house at any time of the day or evening for a cup of tea, and often a meal, if we stay that long.

One of the things that stood out to me that several of the women mentioned, was how reading aloud to your children or getting them to go sit quietly with their books really calms the atmosphere in your home.  Gosh I’m even finding that with my 2 yod.    Now I’ll let you gain the wisdom that is so beautifully shared below, and if you like this one, check out 9 Mums Share: How I Spend Time With God

 

Mandy

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

5:30am-Early morning prayer & Bible reading/meditation. There are hard seasons when for whatever reason I can’t get up early enough and I know that it will pass. LOVE praying during an early morning walk…my favourite!! I spend time in the bathroom with God or any little moment I might get during children’s rest times etc. Andy & I are making sure that we spend time together in specific planning and prayer on a Sunday evening ready for the rest of the week and find that it is helpful.

Doing a Beth Moore bible study on a Thursday with Ladies from the church and are finding that a great blessing-it involves a lot of homework. LOVE praying in bed aloud of an evening. I think the older I get, the more I realise that it’s not about keeping any particular schedule because God knows what our lives are like and how we feel after a sleepless night…it’s about being willing to stop and listen at ANYTIME during the day that He whispers to me.

  1. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?

 

We have had great seasons of lots of Bible memory verses (I put them to rhythms), they are invaluable but do not happen all the time.

 

Bible reading and family prayer after dinner…always seems to get interrupted but VERY IMPORTANT. A lot of the time Andy forgets, which has made me feel upset in the past but I’ve learned to get over that and just suggest it myself (because I know that he really is happy to do it, just usually so tired!). Just recently I made a rule that whichever child can remind us to do the Bible reading after dinner gets a date (the fruit kind! Special treat!)…so far, we haven’t missed one!

I’ve been really encouraged lately to share with the kids, at any time, but usually dinner time, the ways that God is answering my prayers or growing me-I’ve seen it build their faith which is exciting.

At 6:30am the three oldest kids (14,11,9) join Andy for a Bible study which lasts for 15min. They take turns reading a verse for a passage and then discuss the meaning.

We are trying to bring the Bible into their lives in a way that is disciplined and routine to try and establish good lifelong habits. However we also don’t want them to feel guilty or burdened if they don’t enjoy it-just for them to know that it is healthy and the best thing for them.

 

I am struggling to find time to spend with each of them individually at night to pray and talk with them specifically but praying that God will continue to grow in me in this area.

I am trying to get scripture around the home and into their rooms which apply to the different areas they are struggling with. I want them to know about the power of God’s Word and how to use it.

3. What is the most profound thing someone has ever said to you about your time with God, or that He Himself has said to you?

My dad once said about reading the Bible, there are times when it just feels like you are not getting anything out of the word and nothing is really applying to your life and it’s just going through like a sieve. That may be the case, but even a sieve gets cleaned by the water that falls through it. There have definitely been dry seasons when I have just had to trust God that His Word is cleaning up my life whether I really feel it or not. 

 

Also, that whatever we choose to do with our time on a daily basis, or even an hourly basis, that is what will eventually make up what our lives look like. If I’m always waiting for that special long afternoon that I will finally have to myself to spend time with God-It will never come…what we do today is what our lives will look like!!! Listen to the little ‘God promptings’ that come each day and act on them straight away.

4. Is there anything God is challenging you to change about your time with Him?

I am going through a rich learning/growing time at the moment. I’m being challenged to memorise more of God’s Word and more intense Bible study (early mornings!) and giving Him more time to hear His voice.

Other times when life is tougher, my challenge has been to sleep in and let things get a bit out of hand and just rest and trust!

5. What is God currently teaching you in your time with Him?  (If you don’t mind sharing)

To believe Him for my life and believe Him in the lives of others around me.

To quote Beth Moore- 

  1. God is who He says He is         
  2. God will do what He says He’ll do        
  3. I am who God says I am                
  4. I can do all things through Christ                                                   
  5. God’s Spirit is alive and active in me!

To hold my tongue, not to try and justify myself (to myself or others) but to let God be my judge and defender

To seek and speak His word of life and truth into every situation of my life and my families life (and to have it memorised before that!)

 

 

Dianne

Kids ages: 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15.

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

I try to spend time with God early before all the distractions of the day kick in.  Now that my children are older, this is easier in theory although I still need to be intentional about focusing on the Lord and how He is speaking into my day. 

I use Jesus Calling by Sarah  Young as a devotional at the moment and I’m careful to ensure that I actually read the scriptures before reading the comment to ensure I am listening directly to God via His Word. 

Recently I pray with my husband first thing in the morning although that has taken years to establish and does not always happen!

My homeschool Bible reading with the children in the morning tends to cover a lot of Scripture, as well as family devotions in the evening, usually lead by my husband.

Prayers are often snatched throughout the day as the Holy Spirit brings things to my mind.  

2. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?  

I schedule time for them to be alone with a Bible each day.  Just looking at pictures for 5 or so minutes quietly when they are younger and directing their reading when they are reading.  As they get older I will chat through with them, making suggestions or helping them.  One of my children likes to read through the Bible, while another uses Jesus Calling and another is fairly random. 

  1. Whenever I was in your home it was always very ordered and calm, what was your secret?

Both my husband and I enjoy order and calm, we function better that way.  I realized early on in my parenting that if I wanted to teach and reinforce character, the children needed to know what was expected from them.  When it all became too much, which it did many times when they were small, I would get them to read quietly until everything had settled. So I have a basic flexible plan for the day and slowly teach the older ones how to manage their time while fitting in with the family.  A family with more outgoing parents may function well in a more relaxed way.

 

  1. What is the most profound thing someone has ever said to you about your time with God, or that He Himself has said to you?

God is with me throughout the day – I choose to recognize His presence moment by moment and to abide in Him via believing Him, humility & thankfulness.  He gives me grace for each moment as I walk by faith.  It really is this simple and this profound!

5. Is there anything God is challenging you to change about your time with Him?

I would love to walk/jog & pray simultaneously.  To make pray my default in good times and tough times both.

Racheal

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

 

With a 6 month old that wakes up somewhere between 4:30am and 5am most days (and still wakes for a feed during the night too), I don’t worry about getting up early to spend time alone with God.

 

I do pray with the children, and read a chapter or so of the bible each school day with them. But I find all the pre-motherhood years of walking with God, reading His word and bible college have really been like a spiritual storehouse in me…so that in this season where there’s not a lot of time to myself, I can still have His word in me and the character that’s been built up over the years by Him to sustain me.

But that doesn’t mean I’m just living off the past experiences with God. He speaks to me and some days that’s what keeps me going! 

A real help to us all this year has been reading some 19th century Christian historical fiction. The children are getting not just history lessons, but training in character, Godliness, love and life with God. I’ve been amazed how many times the book we’re reading together has really spoken to me heart and been an answer to prayer or a huge encouragement for the day.

The best series in this respect has been the Life Of Faith Series by Mission City Press.

 

I’ve also found that reading the biographies of heroes of the faith, especially missionaries, to the children has made a big impact on them and their faith. Speaking the wondrous works of God to them is faith building and uplifting. And they do remember these stories and apply that same faith to their own lives. I’ve had some of them try to raise dead pets like chooks from the dead, because they know God can do it!

 

  1. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?

I kind of answered that in question 1. I’d add that praying with them is really important, so they feel more comfortable praying themselves. Having said that, a few of mine are still very shy about praying out loud in front of others. But I know I felt exactly the same as a child…so their confidence will grow in time.

3) How do you keep an ordered and calm home?

Routine. I used to hate it, much preferring to just wake up and take everything as it comes. But with a large family, that kind of philosophy was just getting me to the end of each day and look around thinking “Did I achieve anything today?” I read a book called Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman (mother of 9). She has set days for everything…laundry day, kitchen day, office day etc and by knowing your purpose and objectives for each day, things really do get accomplished!  (Review by another blogger here.)

 

 The other big part of the picture, is training the children to help. One of my daughters hangs and brings in the washing each day. Another daughter folds it all. My eldest son sweeps the floor each morning. And my husband oversees them all washing up after dinner. The younger ones have easier jobs like picking up their toys or taking out the recycling.

It was a good friend and mother of 7 who loaned me the book and I’d always been in awe of how neat her home was, clean her children were (I sure haven’t mastered that part, but living on an acreage with outdoorsy children is my excuse!) and how much time she seemed to have for her hobbies! She was amazing, and when I read the book too, I could see how she did it. Organisation. Of course we can’t plan out every detail-something always comes up…injuries, nappies to change, surprise visitors…but by knowing what your priorities are for the day, you can get stuck into it rather than look around thinking “What should I do now?”

As for the calm part, I don’t know what you’re talking about…hhahaha! No, it’s not that bad. We certainly have a lot of volume here at times, but on the whole things are pretty calm. I actually think the reading together as a family helps with calmness. They love those times, and there’s an automatic hush when the current book comes out and I start to read. That time together seems to fill up their love tanks and they’re not as desperate for attention then.

4)  What is the most profound thing someone has spoken to you about your time with God.

Years back I had a vision of a newborn baby with this blue light over it’s forehead forming the word ‘prayer’. Might sound strange, but God said to me prayer is like that baby. If you don’t feed it, it will eventually starve and die. It really gave me the encouragement to pray. But it’s not always going to be a certain length of time praying, or a certain time of day set aside to pray. Imagine if I only spoke to my husband between 5am-6am! It’d be a strange relationship. Same with God…we need to commune with Him, but that can be made up of lots of snippets of conversation throughout the day. And sometimes it will be longer conversations.

5) Is there anything God is challenging you to change in regard to your time with Him?

Not with how I spend it, but I guess the last challenge I had was when praying about a potentially dangerous problem I saw in someone else, and straight away he highlighted something very similar in my own life. Which is good, keeps me humble. And I;m thankful He can reveal areas like that to us in such a simple and gentle way.

So maybe it’s best to remove the plank before looking at someone elses speck!

There’s so much to learn about God and His plan for us, let alone passing it onto our children, but these 3 Mums have spoken into my life, and been like mentors and older sisters to me, that I really wanted to hear how they were teaching their children to grow in God.

 

Each of these Mums have 6 children of various ages and I’ve known them for about 5 years, in fact I lived and worked for 2 of them as a homeschool graduate, minding their children and helping around the house.

 

Mandy and Di are sisters-in-law, living on the same farm, with houses about a km apart, Di teaches flute and piano, and Mandy teaches violin and piano, and it was Mandy’s renovated train that I would live in while I worked for them.  (It was also Mandy’s bridesmaid dresses that I rounded up from toy boxes around the country and used for my wedding.)

 

And Racheal is Stephen’s cousin, who first inspired me with her courtship story, while Stephen and I were in the same stage.  Racheal has deep, organic wisdom and while the other two ladies live 5 hours away, I often drive out to Racheal’s house at any time of the day or evening for a cup of tea, and often a meal, if we stay that long.

 

One of the things that stood out to me that several of the women mentioned, was how reading aloud to your children or getting them to go sit quietly with their books really calms the atmosphere in your home.  Gosh I’m even finding that with my 2 yod.    Now I’ll let you gain the wisdom that is so beautifully shared below, and if you like this one, check out 9 Mums Share: How I Spend Time With God

 

Mandy

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

 

 

5:30am-Early morning prayer & Bible reading/meditation. There are hard seasons when for whatever reason I can’t get up early enough and I know that it will pass. LOVE praying during an early morning walk…my favourite!! I spend time in the bathroom with God or any little moment I might get during children’s rest times etc. Andy & I are making sure that we spend time together in specific planning and prayer on a Sunday evening ready for the rest of the week and find that it is helpful.

 

 

Doing a Beth Moore bible study on a Thursday with Ladies from the church and are finding that a great blessing-it involves a lot of homework. LOVE praying in bed aloud of an evening. I think the older I get, the more I realise that it’s not about keeping any particular schedule because God knows what our lives are like and how we feel after a sleepless night…it’s about being willing to stop and listen at ANYTIME during the day that He whispers to me.

  1. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?

 

We have had great seasons of lots of Bible memory verses (I put them to rhythms), they are invaluable but do not happen all the time.

 

Bible reading and family prayer after dinner…always seems to get interrupted but VERY IMPORTANT. A lot of the time Andy forgets, which has made me feel upset in the past but I’ve learned to get over that and just suggest it myself (because I know that he really is happy to do it, just usually so tired!). Just recently I made a rule that whichever child can remind us to do the Bible reading after dinner gets a date (the fruit kind! Special treat!)…so far, we haven’t missed one!

 

I’ve been really encouraged lately to share with the kids, at any time, but usually dinner time, the ways that God is answering my prayers or growing me-I’ve seen it build their faith which is exciting.

 

At 6:30am the three oldest kids (14,11,9) join Andy for a Bible study which lasts for 15min. They take turns reading a verse for a passage and then discuss the meaning.

We are trying to bring the Bible into their lives in a way that is disciplined and routine to try and establish good lifelong habits. However we also don’t want them to feel guilty or burdened if they don’t enjoy it-just for them to know that it is healthy and the best thing for them.

 

I am struggling to find time to spend with each of them individually at night to pray and talk with them specifically but praying that God will continue to grow in me in this area.

I am trying to get scripture around the home and into their rooms which apply to the different areas they are struggling with. I want them to know about the power of God’s Word and how to use it.

What is the most profound thing someone has ever said to you about your time with God, or that He Himself has said to you?

My dad once said about reading the Bible, there are times when it just feels like you are not getting anything out of the word and nothing is really applying to your life and it’s just going through like a sieve. That may be the case, but even a sieve gets cleaned by the water that falls through it. There have definitely been dry seasons when I have just had to trust God that His Word is cleaning up my life whether I really feel it or not. 

 

Also, that whatever we choose to do with our time on a daily basis, or even an hourly basis, that is what will eventually make up what our lives look like. If I’m always waiting for that special long afternoon that I will finally have to myself to spend time with God-It will never come…what we do today is what our lives will look like!!! Listen to the little ‘God promptings’ that come each day and act on them straight away.

Is there anything God is challenging you to change about your time with Him?

 

I am going through a rich learning/growing time at the moment. I’m being challenged to memorise more of God’s Word and more intense Bible study (early mornings!) and giving Him more time to hear His voice.

Other times when life is tougher, my challenge has been to sleep in and let things get a bit out of hand and just rest and trust!

What is God currently teaching you in your time with Him?  (If you don’t mind sharing)

 

To believe Him for my life and believe Him in the lives of others around me.

To quote Beth Moore- 

  1. God is who He says He is         
  2. God will do what He says He’ll do        
  3. I am who God says I am                
  4. I can do all things through Christ                                                   
  5. God’s Spirit is alive and active in me!

To hold my tongue, not to try and justify myself (to myself or others) but to let God be my judge and defender

To seek and speak His word of life and truth into every situation of my life and my families life (and to have it memorised before that!)

 

 

Dianne

Kids ages: 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15.

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

 

I try to spend time with God early before all the distractions of the day kick in.  Now that my children are older, this is easier in theory although I still need to be intentional about focusing on the Lord and how He is speaking into my day. 

 

I use Jesus Calling by Sarah  Young as a devotional at the moment and I’m careful to ensure that I actually read the scriptures before reading the comment to ensure I am listening directly to God via His Word. 

 

Recently I pray with my husband first thing in the morning although that has taken years to establish and does not always happen!

My homeschool Bible reading with the children in the morning tends to cover a lot of Scripture, as well as family devotions in the evening, usually lead by my husband.

Prayers are often snatched throughout the day as the Holy Spirit brings things to my mind.  2. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?  

I schedule time for them to be alone with a Bible each day.  Just looking at pictures for 5 or so minutes quietly when they are younger and directing their reading when they are reading.  As they get older I will chat through with them, making suggestions or helping them.  One of my children likes to read through the Bible, while another uses Jesus Calling and another is fairly random. 

  1. Whenever I was in your home it was always very ordered and calm, what was your secret?

 

Both my husband and I enjoy order and calm, we function better that way.  I realized early on in my parenting that if I wanted to teach and reinforce character, the children needed to know what was expected from them.  When it all became too much, which it did many times when they were small, I would get them to read quietly until everything had settled. So I have a basic flexible plan for the day and slowly teach the older ones how to manage their time while fitting in with the family.  A family with more outgoing parents may function well in a more relaxed way.

  1. What is the most profound thing someone has ever said to you about your time with God, or that He Himself has said to you?

God is with me throughout the day – I choose to recognize His presence moment by moment and to abide in Him via believing Him, humility & thankfulness.  He gives me grace for each moment as I walk by faith.  It really is this simple and this profound!

 Is there anything God is challenging you to change about your time with Him?  

I would love to walk/jog & pray simultaneously.  To make pray my default in good times and tough times both.

 

 

Racheal

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

 

With a 6 month old that wakes up somewhere between 4:30am and 5am most days (and still wakes for a feed during the night too), I don’t worry about getting up early to spend time alone with God.

 

I do pray with the children, and read a chapter or so of the bible each school day with them. But I find all the pre-motherhood years of walking with God, reading His word and bible college have really been like a spiritual storehouse in me…so that in this season where there’s not a lot of time to myself, I can still have His word in me and the character that’s been built up over the years by Him to sustain me.

But that doesn’t mean I’m just living off the past experiences with God. He speaks to me and some days that’s what keeps me going! 

 

A real help to us all this year has been reading some 19th century Christian historical fiction. The children are getting not just history lessons, but training in character, Godliness, love and life with God. I’ve been amazed how many times the book we’re reading together has really spoken to me heart and been an answer to prayer or a huge encouragement for the day.

 

The best series in this respect has been the Life Of Faith Series by Mission City Press.

 

I’ve also found that reading the biographies of heroes of the faith, especially missionaries, to the children has made a big impact on them and their faith. Speaking the wondrous works of God to them is faith building and uplifting. And they do remember these stories and apply that same faith to their own lives. I’ve had some of them try to raise dead pets like chooks from the dead, because they know God can do it!

 

  1. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?

 

I kind of answered that in question 1. I’d add that praying with them is really important, so they feel more comfortable praying themselves. Having said that, a few of mine are still very shy about praying out loud in front of others. But I know I felt exactly the same as a child…so their confidence will grow in time.

3) How do you keep an ordered and calm home?

Routine. I used to hate it, much preferring to just wake up and take everything as it comes. But with a large family, that kind of philosophy was just getting me to the end of each day and look around thinking “Did I achieve anything today?” I read a book called Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman (mother of 9). She has set days for everything…laundry day, kitchen day, office day etc and by knowing your purpose and objectives for each day, things really do get accomplished!  (Review by another blogger here.)

 

 The other big part of the picture, is training the children to help. One of my daughters hangs and brings in the washing each day. Another daughter folds it all. My eldest son sweeps the floor each morning. And my husband oversees them all washing up after dinner. The younger ones have easier jobs like picking up their toys or taking out the recycling.

 

It was a good friend and mother of 7 who loaned me the book and I’d always been in awe of how neat her home was, clean her children were (I sure haven’t mastered that part, but living on an acreage with outdoorsy children is my excuse!) and how much time she seemed to have for her hobbies! She was amazing, and when I read the book too, I could see how she did it. Organisation. Of course we can’t plan out every detail-something always comes up…injuries, nappies to change, surprise visitors…but by knowing what your priorities are for the day, you can get stuck into it rather than look around thinking “What should I do now?”

 

As for the calm part, I don’t know what you’re talking about…hhahaha! No, it’s not that bad. We certainly have a lot of volume here at times, but on the whole things are pretty calm. I actually think the reading together as a family helps with calmness. They love those times, and there’s an automatic hush when the current book comes out and I start to read. That time together seems to fill up their love tanks and they’re not as desperate for attention then.

4)  What is the most profound thing someone has spoken to you about your time with God.

 

Years back I had a vision of a newborn baby with this blue light over it’s forehead forming the word ‘prayer’. Might sound strange, but God said to me prayer is like that baby. If you don’t feed it, it will eventually starve and die. It really gave me the encouragement to pray. But it’s not always going to be a certain length of time praying, or a certain time of day set aside to pray. Imagine if I only spoke to my husband between 5am-6am! It’d be a strange relationship. Same with God…we need to commune with Him, but that can be made up of lots of snippets of conversation throughout the day. And sometimes it will be longer conversations.

5) Is there anything God is challenging you to change in regard to your time with Him?

 

Not with how I spend it, but I guess the last challenge I had was when praying about a potentially dangerous problem I saw in someone else, and straight away he highlighted something very similar in my own life. Which is good, keeps me humble. And I;m thankful He can reveal areas like that to us in such a simple and gentle way.

So maybe it’s best to remove the plank before looking at someone elses speck!

Linking up at

There’s so much to learn about God and His plan for us, let alone passing it onto our children, but these 3 Mums have spoken into my life, and been like mentors and older sisters to me, that I really wanted to hear how they were teaching their children to grow in God.

 

Each of these Mums have 6 children of various ages and I’ve known them for about 5 years, in fact I lived and worked for 2 of them as a homeschool graduate, minding their children and helping around the house.

 

Mandy and Di are sisters-in-law, living on the same farm, with houses about a km apart, Di teaches flute and piano, and Mandy teaches violin and piano, and it was Mandy’s renovated train that I would live in while I worked for them.  (It was also Mandy’s bridesmaid dresses that I rounded up from toy boxes around the country and used for my wedding.)

 

And Racheal is Stephen’s cousin, who first inspired me with her courtship story, while Stephen and I were in the same stage.  Racheal has deep, organic wisdom and while the other two ladies live 5 hours away, I often drive out to Racheal’s house at any time of the day or evening for a cup of tea, and often a meal, if we stay that long.

 

One of the things that stood out to me that several of the women mentioned, was how reading aloud to your children or getting them to go sit quietly with their books really calms the atmosphere in your home.  Gosh I’m even finding that with my 2 yod.    Now I’ll let you gain the wisdom that is so beautifully shared below, and if you like this one, check out 9 Mums Share: How I Spend Time With God

 

Mandy

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

 

 

5:30am-Early morning prayer & Bible reading/meditation. There are hard seasons when for whatever reason I can’t get up early enough and I know that it will pass. LOVE praying during an early morning walk…my favourite!! I spend time in the bathroom with God or any little moment I might get during children’s rest times etc. Andy & I are making sure that we spend time together in specific planning and prayer on a Sunday evening ready for the rest of the week and find that it is helpful.

 

 

Doing a Beth Moore bible study on a Thursday with Ladies from the church and are finding that a great blessing-it involves a lot of homework. LOVE praying in bed aloud of an evening. I think the older I get, the more I realise that it’s not about keeping any particular schedule because God knows what our lives are like and how we feel after a sleepless night…it’s about being willing to stop and listen at ANYTIME during the day that He whispers to me.

  1. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?

 

We have had great seasons of lots of Bible memory verses (I put them to rhythms), they are invaluable but do not happen all the time.

 

Bible reading and family prayer after dinner…always seems to get interrupted but VERY IMPORTANT. A lot of the time Andy forgets, which has made me feel upset in the past but I’ve learned to get over that and just suggest it myself (because I know that he really is happy to do it, just usually so tired!). Just recently I made a rule that whichever child can remind us to do the Bible reading after dinner gets a date (the fruit kind! Special treat!)…so far, we haven’t missed one!

 

I’ve been really encouraged lately to share with the kids, at any time, but usually dinner time, the ways that God is answering my prayers or growing me-I’ve seen it build their faith which is exciting.

 

At 6:30am the three oldest kids (14,11,9) join Andy for a Bible study which lasts for 15min. They take turns reading a verse for a passage and then discuss the meaning.

We are trying to bring the Bible into their lives in a way that is disciplined and routine to try and establish good lifelong habits. However we also don’t want them to feel guilty or burdened if they don’t enjoy it-just for them to know that it is healthy and the best thing for them.

 

I am struggling to find time to spend with each of them individually at night to pray and talk with them specifically but praying that God will continue to grow in me in this area.

I am trying to get scripture around the home and into their rooms which apply to the different areas they are struggling with. I want them to know about the power of God’s Word and how to use it.

What is the most profound thing someone has ever said to you about your time with God, or that He Himself has said to you?

My dad once said about reading the Bible, there are times when it just feels like you are not getting anything out of the word and nothing is really applying to your life and it’s just going through like a sieve. That may be the case, but even a sieve gets cleaned by the water that falls through it. There have definitely been dry seasons when I have just had to trust God that His Word is cleaning up my life whether I really feel it or not. 

 

Also, that whatever we choose to do with our time on a daily basis, or even an hourly basis, that is what will eventually make up what our lives look like. If I’m always waiting for that special long afternoon that I will finally have to myself to spend time with God-It will never come…what we do today is what our lives will look like!!! Listen to the little ‘God promptings’ that come each day and act on them straight away.

Is there anything God is challenging you to change about your time with Him?

 

I am going through a rich learning/growing time at the moment. I’m being challenged to memorise more of God’s Word and more intense Bible study (early mornings!) and giving Him more time to hear His voice.

Other times when life is tougher, my challenge has been to sleep in and let things get a bit out of hand and just rest and trust!

What is God currently teaching you in your time with Him?  (If you don’t mind sharing)

 

To believe Him for my life and believe Him in the lives of others around me.

To quote Beth Moore- 

  1. God is who He says He is         
  2. God will do what He says He’ll do        
  3. I am who God says I am                
  4. I can do all things through Christ                                                   
  5. God’s Spirit is alive and active in me!

To hold my tongue, not to try and justify myself (to myself or others) but to let God be my judge and defender

To seek and speak His word of life and truth into every situation of my life and my families life (and to have it memorised before that!)

 

 

Dianne

Kids ages: 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15.

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

 

I try to spend time with God early before all the distractions of the day kick in.  Now that my children are older, this is easier in theory although I still need to be intentional about focusing on the Lord and how He is speaking into my day. 

 

I use Jesus Calling by Sarah  Young as a devotional at the moment and I’m careful to ensure that I actually read the scriptures before reading the comment to ensure I am listening directly to God via His Word. 

 

Recently I pray with my husband first thing in the morning although that has taken years to establish and does not always happen!

My homeschool Bible reading with the children in the morning tends to cover a lot of Scripture, as well as family devotions in the evening, usually lead by my husband.

Prayers are often snatched throughout the day as the Holy Spirit brings things to my mind.  2. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?  

I schedule time for them to be alone with a Bible each day.  Just looking at pictures for 5 or so minutes quietly when they are younger and directing their reading when they are reading.  As they get older I will chat through with them, making suggestions or helping them.  One of my children likes to read through the Bible, while another uses Jesus Calling and another is fairly random. 

  1. Whenever I was in your home it was always very ordered and calm, what was your secret?

 

Both my husband and I enjoy order and calm, we function better that way.  I realized early on in my parenting that if I wanted to teach and reinforce character, the children needed to know what was expected from them.  When it all became too much, which it did many times when they were small, I would get them to read quietly until everything had settled. So I have a basic flexible plan for the day and slowly teach the older ones how to manage their time while fitting in with the family.  A family with more outgoing parents may function well in a more relaxed way.

  1. What is the most profound thing someone has ever said to you about your time with God, or that He Himself has said to you?

God is with me throughout the day – I choose to recognize His presence moment by moment and to abide in Him via believing Him, humility & thankfulness.  He gives me grace for each moment as I walk by faith.  It really is this simple and this profound!

 Is there anything God is challenging you to change about your time with Him?  

I would love to walk/jog & pray simultaneously.  To make pray my default in good times and tough times both.

 

 

Racheal

  1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.

 

With a 6 month old that wakes up somewhere between 4:30am and 5am most days (and still wakes for a feed during the night too), I don’t worry about getting up early to spend time alone with God.

 

I do pray with the children, and read a chapter or so of the bible each school day with them. But I find all the pre-motherhood years of walking with God, reading His word and bible college have really been like a spiritual storehouse in me…so that in this season where there’s not a lot of time to myself, I can still have His word in me and the character that’s been built up over the years by Him to sustain me.

But that doesn’t mean I’m just living off the past experiences with God. He speaks to me and some days that’s what keeps me going! 

 

A real help to us all this year has been reading some 19th century Christian historical fiction. The children are getting not just history lessons, but training in character, Godliness, love and life with God. I’ve been amazed how many times the book we’re reading together has really spoken to me heart and been an answer to prayer or a huge encouragement for the day.

 

The best series in this respect has been the Life Of Faith Series by Mission City Press.

 

I’ve also found that reading the biographies of heroes of the faith, especially missionaries, to the children has made a big impact on them and their faith. Speaking the wondrous works of God to them is faith building and uplifting. And they do remember these stories and apply that same faith to their own lives. I’ve had some of them try to raise dead pets like chooks from the dead, because they know God can do it!

 

  1. How are you teaching your children to spend time with God, what does that look like in your home?

 

I kind of answered that in question 1. I’d add that praying with them is really important, so they feel more comfortable praying themselves. Having said that, a few of mine are still very shy about praying out loud in front of others. But I know I felt exactly the same as a child…so their confidence will grow in time.

3) How do you keep an ordered and calm home?

Routine. I used to hate it, much preferring to just wake up and take everything as it comes. But with a large family, that kind of philosophy was just getting me to the end of each day and look around thinking “Did I achieve anything today?” I read a book called Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman (mother of 9). She has set days for everything…laundry day, kitchen day, office day etc and by knowing your purpose and objectives for each day, things really do get accomplished!  (Review by another blogger here.)

 

 The other big part of the picture, is training the children to help. One of my daughters hangs and brings in the washing each day. Another daughter folds it all. My eldest son sweeps the floor each morning. And my husband oversees them all washing up after dinner. The younger ones have easier jobs like picking up their toys or taking out the recycling.

 

It was a good friend and mother of 7 who loaned me the book and I’d always been in awe of how neat her home was, clean her children were (I sure haven’t mastered that part, but living on an acreage with outdoorsy children is my excuse!) and how much time she seemed to have for her hobbies! She was amazing, and when I read the book too, I could see how she did it. Organisation. Of course we can’t plan out every detail-something always comes up…injuries, nappies to change, surprise visitors…but by knowing what your priorities are for the day, you can get stuck into it rather than look around thinking “What should I do now?”

 

As for the calm part, I don’t know what you’re talking about…hhahaha! No, it’s not that bad. We certainly have a lot of volume here at times, but on the whole things are pretty calm. I actually think the reading together as a family helps with calmness. They love those times, and there’s an automatic hush when the current book comes out and I start to read. That time together seems to fill up their love tanks and they’re not as desperate for attention then.

4)  What is the most profound thing someone has spoken to you about your time with God.

 

Years back I had a vision of a newborn baby with this blue light over it’s forehead forming the word ‘prayer’. Might sound strange, but God said to me prayer is like that baby. If you don’t feed it, it will eventually starve and die. It really gave me the encouragement to pray. But it’s not always going to be a certain length of time praying, or a certain time of day set aside to pray. Imagine if I only spoke to my husband between 5am-6am! It’d be a strange relationship. Same with God…we need to commune with Him, but that can be made up of lots of snippets of conversation throughout the day. And sometimes it will be longer conversations.

5) Is there anything God is challenging you to change in regard to your time with Him?

 

Not with how I spend it, but I guess the last challenge I had was when praying about a potentially dangerous problem I saw in someone else, and straight away he highlighted something very similar in my own life. Which is good, keeps me humble. And I;m thankful He can reveal areas like that to us in such a simple and gentle way.

So maybe it’s best to remove the plank before looking at someone elses speck!

About Elizabeth

My name is Elizabeth Ainsworth, a wife and mother in QLD Australia who shares her ponderings of faith at Where Deep Calls to Deep

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