Dearest Moms and Dads,

I see you! I hear you! I am one of you, and today I want to encourage you! This job that we have been given is not an easy one. In fact, out of all of the jobs that we have this one will always be the most important. Our children need our guidance and direction. They may think they know it all and have this life all figured out, but their arrogance will have them in ruins quickly if we don’t come alongside of them to help nurture and speak life. All around me this week I have seen signs of the struggles. Many of you are tempted to give up. Some of you have. Some of you are in the trenches right now trying to decide whether you are going to stay in the fight or raise the white flag and surrender. STAY THE COURSE! Do NOT give up!

PRAY for your children! They need protection and a covering over them that you can not provide, only God can. He’s the only one that can see their comings and their goings (Psalm 121:8). Ask Him to oversee and superintend their needs. He loves them more than you do and wants to see them on the narrow road that leads to LIFE (Matthew 7:13-14). When I got out of my car this week I saw this book sitting on a passenger seat in the car parked next to me. To this mom, YES! I see you! God sees you and He hears you!  Keep praying and thank you for inspiring all of us to pray. We need to pray specifically too. They need to hold their thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Most of their battles take place in their mind. They don’t know how to discern the voice of truth verses the voice of lies. When they start to speak against themselves, stop them! Speak against the lie that has been planted.  Teach them how to know their true identity. We are “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved“!!! Wow! Then teach them to clothe themselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). We have to be more than hearers of the word but also doers of it. Do more than just preach to them, show them what it looks like. Go and serve others together. There really is not a better way for them to learn than for them to experience!

This one is going to be the hardest to hear…DISCIPLINE your children. When they are defying you there needs to be a consequence!

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  But afterward there will be a PEACEFUL harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11

Don’t ignore it. It won’t go away, in fact it will only grow to be a bigger problem. Don’t allow them to disrespect you. You have been given authority over them. Don’t waiver. But do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4). In order to do this, we have to be in His Holy word. If you don’t have a bible I encourage you to get one. Every thing that I am sharing with you today comes straight from it. These are not my rules or ideas of parenting but HIS! Let’s honor Him in raising these precious miracles in the way that pleases Him.

And finally I leave you with this, “Do NOT grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest IF we DO NOT GIVE UP.”  Galatians 6:9

STAY THE COURSE SWEET FRIENDS!!!  A harvest is coming!

Love from your sister in Christ,

Gen XOXOXO