30 Days of Excellent in Every Way

As a mom, I know that I focus too much on all the wrong things my kids do and miss out on all the right things they do. I get frustrated with chores not done or with their disobediance. When I only see their sin, I miss out on the blessing that my children really are.

Genesis 1:31 says, "Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way." (NLT)

I love how that is worded, "excellent in every way".... Our children are excellent in every way, in spite of how they act at times. They were made in Gods' image and he said his creation is excellent.

Do you think your kids are excellent? I know that there are many times that I don't see them as excellent.  They are stinky, disobediant, loud, stinky...did I mention stinky? :)  Anyway, I know my kids are great!  I know they are obediant & respectful, but many times I just miss it.

Years ago, the Lord impressed on me the importance of letting my kids know that I think they are excellent. I began making a special effort in showing my kids either by my words or my actions that I think they are wonderful!

So, I want to invite you to participate with me in 30 Days of Excellent in Every Way in September.

This is what you do, if you want to join me. For the month of September:

1. In your daily prayer time ask God to show you ways in which your kids are excellent. If you are like me, you may have a child that is more difficult than others. This is the child that you need really need to focus on. Pray for that child & ask God to show you how that child is excellent.

2. Keep a journal if you like of what the Lord shows you about your kids. If you have a blog, blog about it & send me your link!

3. At least once a day, post an status on facebook(if you are on facebook) about how one of your children was excellent. Don't use their name if you don't want to, especially if they are on face book.

4. Invite your friends. Ask your mom friends to join us.  Grab my button if you want to.

5. Use excellent words with your children. Tell them when you catch them doing something wonderful. Compliment them. Build them up with your positive, encouraging words!

"Sam, you are so good at setting the table, thank you!"
"Robin, the way you color that page makes me feel as though the picture will jump right out at me!"
"Fred, thank you so speaking so kindly to your little sister."

I am inviting you to do this with me to keep me accountable! Plus I can't wait to see how the Lord moves in my heart towards my attitude toward my children.  If you choose to join in with me, let me know!  There is also an event on Facebook, so if you are on facebook join us there.

I had a mom tell me this morning that she already knows that when she praises her kids, they are more obediant & respectful. She is looking forward to what God will do in their family in September.  I am too!





<a href="http://danabailey.blogspot.com"><img width="253" alt="Click here" src="http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr323/baileytribe/blog/30daysexcellencebutton.jpg" height="200"/></a>

The Spiritual Index

I just had to share this with you. I've struggled with my prayer life recently and this was just what I needed to hear.  This is from Oswald Chambers' devotional, My Utmost for His Highest.

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?" Matthew 7:9

The illustration of prayer that Our Lord uses here is that of a good child asking for a good thing. We talk about prayer as if God heard us irrespective of the fact of our relationship to Him (cf. Matthew 5:45). Never say it is not God's will to give you what you ask, don't sit down and faint, but find out the reason, turn up the index. Are you rightly related to your wife, to your husband, to your children, to your fellow-students - are you a "good child" there? "0 Lord, I have been irritable and cross, but I do want spiritual blessing." You cannot have it, you will have to do without until you come into the attitude of a good child.

We mistake defiance for devotion; arguing with God for abandonment. We will not look at the index. Have I been asking God to give me money for something I want when there is something I have not paid for? Have I been asking God for liberty while I am withholding it from someone who belongs to me? I have not forgiven someone his trespasses; I have not been kind to him; I have not been living as God's child among my relatives and friends. (v.12.)

I am a child of God only by regeneration, and as a child of God I am good only as I walk in the light. Prayer with most of us is turned into pious platitude, it is a matter of emotion, mystical communion with God. Spiritually we are all good at producing fogs. If we turn up the index, we will see very clearly what is wrong - that friendship, that debt, that temper of mind. It is no use praying unless we are living as children of God. Then, Jesus says - "Everyone that asketh receiveth."

Caution: Neglected Blog!

I have really neglected my blog this summer.  I had so many high hopes for things I wanted to write about and share with you, but life set in really hard and I just couldn't keep up.

My new design is still sitting in the folder waiting to be installed.
My Fruit of the Spirit Series outlines are still not written yet.
And my list goes on...

What have I been doing?

• Reorganizing our school materials so they are better used and in view.  Maybe one day I'll get brave & post pictures of how I have all my materials dispersed through out my house since I don't have a school room anymore.
• Built a website for my speaking ministry, Living Stones 4 Moms.  I have a few speaking engagements coming up in the Fall, but have room on my calendar for more. 
• Signed my kids up for a homeschool co-op & ended up taking on a Coordinator postition withing the co-op.  I am coordinating the team of moms who will clean the facility before we leave each week.  Also, gathering all the supplies my kids need for their classes.  This will be really different for us since we have never had someone else giving assignments but me.  So my kids are excited to do "real school" this year. LOL!
• Packing up kids & sending them off to camp.
• I went to my 20 year High School reunion.  It was nice seeing old friends, and glad to see that we all gained weight!  LOL!
• Helping my parents with their new project.  My dad resigned from the church that he pastored for 15 years.  They live in the parsonage, so this meant they would need to move.  My dad bought a house and had it moved onto property they owned.  He thought within 6 weeks he would have it fixed up & ready to move in.  Over 2 months later they are no where near moving in.  So, we have gone to stay a few times this summer & helped them get things done.  What surprised me the most is how surprised others were that we would do this.  They couldn't believe that we would drop what we were doing, pack up & go stay at my parents house for a week to work on their house.  We are family.  I thought that is what you are supposed to do.
• Packing up kids & sending them to another camp. 
• After volunteering at my church for 7 years, I finally got on the payroll.  Not that I thought I should be on the payroll before.  For 5 years, Scott & I have served on Sunday's at a information desk.  We also check people in using the church's computer data system, Shelby.  There are several stations where parents check in their children before they take them to class and now I coordinate the volunteers who serve at those stations and get paid for it.
• Lesson Plans!  This year I have 4 high schoolers, 1 jr.high, 3 elementary & 1 preK'er in our school.  Since we are doing a co-op, that helped me a lot in not planning at least 4 subjects for the older 5 kids.  But when you break it down, I have 34 weeks of school, 7 students with at least 5 subjects each and the better planned I am, the better I am at staying ontask with our work.  Thankfully, we combine some subjects for younger students, like History, Bible and Science.  This year will be my 2nd daughter's last year of HIgh School, so there are ACT & SAT appointments and scholarship searches already going on.
• Lunch with friends.  That has been the best part of my summer.  Spending time with friends, listening to what they are learning about the Lord and learning from them is always a treat and the Lord has blessed me with wonderful friends.
• Watching God continue to provide for our family in spite of my husband not having consistant income.  It is amazing.  Our faith is strengthened each time we are forced to wait on Him.

OK, so I guess I have been busier than I thought.  No wonder I haven't blogged much.  It will take me a while to get back in my groove of regular posts, so please be patient and stick with me.  As always, you can find me on Facebook and occassionally on Twitter.