Legacy

Our family reads through the Bible together. We read a chapter every morning.

The kids and I write 5 verses down in a notebook. It helps it to sink in.

 We do this before we eat. We always have. God's Word is our daily bread and we want to desire it more than our bowl of cereal. Gotta feed our inner-man before our outer man! If my kids remember anything from growing up in our house, it is that spending time with the Lord first thing in the morning will change the course of their day and their lives. That is how we know God. That is how we get our fresh manna from heaven before the heat of the day burns it up. It is a relationship with Jesus. A daily walk with Him. We know Him by spending time with Him in His Word. It is hard to seek FIRST the Kingdom but, wow, God gives treasures when you do.

Like what He showed me in this passage. 

Read this.Don't skim it.

READ IT... and then we will talk about it.

"So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David. David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the LORD must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death.

 Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel.  “My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD my God,” David told him.  “But the LORD said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name.  But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon,  and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.  He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

 “Now, my son, may the LORD be with you and give you success as you follow his directions in building the Temple of the LORD your God.  And may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the Law of the LORD your God as you rule over Israel.  For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!

“I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the LORD—nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more.  You have a large number of skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind.  You have expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, 

and may the LORD be with you!”

 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in this project. 

“The LORD your God is with you,” he declared. “He has given you peace with the surrounding nations. He has handed them over to me, and they are now subject to the LORD and his people.  Now seek the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the LORD God so that you can bring the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the LORD’s name.”

1 Chronicles 22

**************************

Ok, what is going on? 

David is  working hard to get his son, Solomon, ready to do what God is calling him to do. This chapter blew me away as a parent. I can so identify with David here. God tells him that He is going to use his child in a mighty way.
In a way David was unable to be used.

(There aren't piles of great parenting examples in Scripture. But, TAKE NOTES, because this is some parenting TRUTH!!)

David is working HARD to provide Solomon everything he needs to build the temple. He is using all of his resources, time, and strength to equip the next generation and leave a legacy. David speaks truth into his son's life. He casts a clear vision. He disciples him. It takes time. It takes energy but he knows God's calling on his child to build the temple.

He makes sure the right people are in place around his son to help him.

Building the temple was something David had always wanted to do but God said,
"No. Not you. Your son".

God's job for David was to give his son everything he needed to do what God was calling him to do.

I believe God is calling us, parents, to do that same thing NOW. I believe God is going to use our children in ways He didn't use us. That is my prayer anyway. I tell my kids that I want them to walk with God closer than I have! To be used in greater ways!! I want them to be used to build His Kingdom... His Church.

Now, like David, we work hard to give them all the TOOLS they will need to do it.

The main tool being THEIR SWORD. We are to be teaching them His Word so that they can do all God is calling them to do. It is our job to equip them. To speak truth into their lives. To cast a CLEAR vision. To exhort them to BEGIN THE WORK!!

I got chills when I read that verse..

"Now begin the work and may the Lord be with you".

Again, remember... Solomon is YOUNG when David tells him this.

 I believe NOW is the time to be pouring our lives into our children. I believe NOW is the time that God wants them to begin the work...While they are young.
I stopped asking my kids what they want to be when they grow up. I ask them how they want God to use them NOW.

We need to assure them that God is with them and that they are to seek Him with all their heart and soul. Encouraging them to be STRONG AND COURAGEOUS and not to be afraid or to lose heart. I don't know about you but I sure need to be reminded of that! I do get afraid and I have come very very close to "losing heart" (especially lately). I don't want to "lose heart" and I don't want my children to "lose heart".  This world beats you up! Not to mention the people the enemy uses to make you want to quit all-together.
We have to tell our children to be careful and obey the Word so that they will succeed in doing all He has called them to do. 

What will we have left here when we go on to heaven? 

We are to work hard. To teach them diligently. God has to do the work in their hearts.
We can't control our children (like little robots) but we can teach them God's Word and show them how to walk with Him!
Believe me, I am in a very humble place right now as a mother. Discipleship is a marathon...not a sprint. It takes time. Farmers have to wait patiently for their crops to grow. But are we leaving a legacy? Are we raising children with a vision to build His Church?

I desperately want to. 

God, please help us!!!
Give us vision as parents.

Re-read that chapter and take parenting notes.

I tell Tim all the time, "We have a BIG job". 

It is intimidating. It is exhausting.
It is HARD WORK.

It is a privilege.

"We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders."
Ps 78:4

************************

So, we just got back from the beach. It was not exactly a vacation because our condo that we rent had a leak and water was everywhere. I was scared there was mold in the condo so we had to stay somewhere else. Packing for 8 is not easy. Packing and unpacking and packing and unpacking is doubly not easy. It was crazy. It wasn't restful but I am not complaining because we are so blessed.

I loved getting one-on-one time with the kids. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to spend with them. I love how individual they are. I love talking to them and hearing their hearts.

I have one child who requires a little more attention than the others. I won't name names...

 She loves people. She loves making friends. She is very independent. She is not afraid of anything.

She likes snakes. She likes roller coasters. She likes makeup. She likes dresses. She likes dirt. She likes horses. She is beautiful. She looks like her daddy. We joke that it feels like we adopted her because we have NO IDEA where parts of her personality came from.

 Crew is a snuggly glow worm. His hair turns flourescent in the summer. He loves all-things-balls-and trucks-and-trains-and-motorcycles. He is not a daredevil. He doesn't get far from me. He is usually hanging on my leg. He refuses to be potty-trained. He is shockingly athletic.

 Lake sings and is always in a good mood. He is our family worship leader. Wow, God has delivered him from so much. I praise God every time I listen to him breathe. Thank you, Lord, for watching over my sweet child's life and for everyday I get to spend with him.

 "Rhett-sy Baby" (as Hope calls him) is GROWING. I can't tell you how scary this has been. He has spit up (like gallons of spit up shooting across the room) everyday for 7 1/2 months. The doctors wanted to have him tested for scary things. I tried everything. Changing my diet. Trying milk-free formula, etc... I prayed for God to help him for months. He was tiny. I just started him on Similac for Spit Up (natural mommas- I don't like formula either. I really tried everything. I am still nursing him too.) He is starting to get cellulite. The projectile vomit has stopped as of this week!! I am not (as) afraid to let people hold him. He is cute, cute, cute. He looks exactly like Hope's baby pictures.

He wanted to eat her push up...

Evan is our very very funny, smart, reader- kid. He makes me laugh out-loud. 

He reads the "Left Behind" Series for kids faster than I can order them. He has also read the Wingfeather Saga series twice. He is playing all-star baseball. 

He loves food. 

He has amazing discernment. Always has. 

We are hoping to do another Bible Man Bubba Sermon this summer. 

He looks like his dad and is wired like his mom.

 Our oldest is definitely the leader of the pack. He is an amazing left-handed pitcher. I love the verse my mom showed me about left handers...

"Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred select troops who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss."

Judges 20:16 

When he is on the mound, I yell... 
"A hair with a stone, Reece!". 
He knows exactly what I am talking about. No one else does :).
 Those lefty soldiers had a God-given advantage and so does he.

 He loves babies. He told me tonight that he can't imagine leaving and going to college and missing the younger ones grow up. I got a bad bad haircut at the beach. Somehow I asked for long layers and got bangs. Reece tells me 20 times a day that he likes my hair because he knows I am self-conscious.

He looks like me and is wired like his dad.

 Tim's birthday is on Father's Day this year. I laughed when I realized that. I have always told him that he was born to be a dad. He is amazing to watch. He is a discipling machine. I am thankful I get to know him in a way no one else does.
We go on dates to Target. Our lives revolve around the children. We are more socially awkward than they are. We love each other with God's love. We are a team. He is and will always be my prince.

Evan saw a magazine with a girl in a bathing suit on the cover. He put another one on top of it. He said, "have you ever seen daddy do that? I have and that is why I do it."
Whoa. What an impact a father has on his son. The boys watch him like a hawk. They imitate him. When I told Tim what Bubba told me, he almost cried. I think because he so often feels like he is falling so short. We are both so tired. We feel defeated. We are giving everything ounce of ourselves to our children and it is still LACKING. We fall in bed at night begging God to pour out His grace on our efforts. When we see Him doing that, we give Him all the glory. Parenting is HARD. Parenting is HUMBLING.

 Here are some more fun pictures from the beach...

 Blessings~

Steph