Today, our speaker shared her personal experience of having a child who struggled with substance abuse. She also offered valuable advice about what moms can do when their children are struggling.
1) Get serious about prayer and make the Bible your life-line
Our speaker shared how she really forged a friendship and created a climate of honesty with God. She invited God in to her life and problems and spent a lot of time in prayer. She cried out to God and was not afraid to ask the hard questions.
2) Get Humble
Panic can put us in "uber-control" mode. We need to understand that God is everywhere and that HE is in control. Instead of "sitting in the wings" and whispering suggestions to God, we need to sit in the audience and watch God work.
3) Get Help for Yourself
A child in crisis is a family in crisis. Often times we want to get despondent, isolate ourselves, and lose ourselves in the problem. It can be easy to play the victim. But we need to understand that the only person we can change is our self.
4) Get Rid of the "Why?"
When facing a crisis/struggle in our family, we need to deal with the situation at hand. It doesn't really matter how it all started. Knowing the "why" may not help deal with or solve the problem.
If you would like to learn more about our speaker, her story, and her ministry, you can check out the following resources:
www.JustKeepGoingParents.com
Facebook page: Just Keep Going Parents
Twitter: @KeepGoingParent https://twitter.com/keepgoingparent
Book
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:2-3 (NLT)
This blog is dedicated to the Moms of Influence group at Northbrook Church in Richfield, WI.
We Love Because You First Loved Us
Today, Northbrook's Children's Pastor and Northbrook's Pastor of Student Ministries answered some of our most popular questions about raising children. Here are some of the questions and answers that were addressed:
- How can we help to grow/mature our children's faith?
- Parents are the primary influence in a kid's spiritual life
- Parents need to model/be the example
- Find opportunities for your children to practice their faith
- Widen your circle: have other adults in your life that kids can emulate and learn from
- Be Honest: share where you are in your own faith and about your doubts and struggles
- Prioritize
- Remember that "more isn't better!"
- It's okay to say no!
- Schedule important things (family time, dates, etc)
- Toddler age: Bible app for kids
- 1st grade: NIRV
- 5th/6th grade reading level: NLT
- Older children/teens: a good study bible
- Start reading to them as infants/toddlers
- As they start reading on their own, read with them and model how to read the Bible
- Once they are older, you don't have to read with them, but should check in with them and ask questions like "What is God teaching you?"
- Have honest, open communication about it from the time your kids are little
- It shouldn't be a one-time conversation
- Have the conversation with your child BEFORE his/her school does
- Book suggestion: Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality
- Book suggestion: A Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids About Sex
- Make your home the "fun home"
- Carefully "vet" your child's CLOSE friends
- Remember: Iron sharpens Iron
- Our kids can be a light to others on sports teams, in clubs, at school, etc.
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