Fighting FOR your kids and not WITH your kids!

My friend, Amanda, and I, went to a women's seminar tonight and in just 2 hours, God spoke to me, moved a huge mountain for me, and now my eyes are opening up to a whole new light, and I'm loving every second of it!  I want to know more!  I want to dig deeper!  I want God's love to abound through me to every single person I know now, or meet in the future! 

Ok, so here's what we heard at the seminar tonight:

This one is seriously an awesome chart topper in my book!!

The 5 T's to show someone you love them!! 

TONE - the tone of your voice, in no matter what you say!

TIME - one on one time with each person (child), even if it's just 60 seconds to devote to them, just that one minute can make such a difference in their life, and my own!

TENDER EYES - how you look at someone... example "LOOK AT ME!"  (while yelling at your child to focus on you to listen to what you have to say)  Remember to be sure that you can look at you, especially if you are asking someone else to look at you!  So... take a look in the mirror that minute that you are going nuts to have them look at you, and if your face doesn't scream "MEANIE" then go for it! 

TOUCH - Our children need to be touched, rub their back when they go to bed at night, this gives them one on one time with you and the gentle touch that each child needs for reassurance, comfort, and safety in your arms!  Hugs are awesome too =)  Even if your teen pushes you away at first, their heart is really lighting up inside, they just may not want to show it yet!

TEARS - for the right things!  Grieve over the things that grieve the heart of God... ok, this one my mother in law came to mind (yes, Kathy, I'm using you, because you are such an inspiration to me!!)  She has said to me before "Don't sweat the small stuff" well, in this analogy tonight, the lady speaking said to not cry over chores not being done, the bedspread not put on the bed right, things like that!  Grieve over what grieves the HEART OF GOD!!!  So, when a child doesn't make the right decision over something, cry at your bedside pleading to God that she will open her heart to God and make a better decision next time! 


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We learned so much more than just this, but that was something huge that I wanted to share!  It's awesome, isn't it?? 

There were tons of scripture referenced, some I need to read for myself, as I just wrote them down to read later, and listened intently to what she was saying!  I'll write them for you here for you to reference as well!

Romans 2
Repentence is truly a change in the heart, not just words saying "sorry"!  It is truly a change that is all over.  God is not interested in behavior, He wants each with a changed heart!!
Train our children the way we want them to go, which is on the path to God.
We don't belong to what we see around us, we belong to God's Kingdom!! 
God will change a spirit that wants to be changed!!!

John 10
Romans 12 - Be transformed by the renewing of your mind!
I John - book of LOVE... LOVE casts out FEAR! 
I Corinthians 13 - tells what it means to LOVE
II Corinthians 2

An analogy that she gave tonight, which gave me goosebumps all over was that she envisioned her child with wolves surrounding her, and God telling her to grab her sword and fight them off!  To stop fighting with her, but to fight off the evil that was trying to surround her and reel her in!  It was incredible... makes so much sense!  The world (and Satan) try to raise my children in thinking & doing things one way, and I have to make sure they learn the right way, God's love for them, so that they can see it in me every day, that they will come to know it for their own, no one can push them on it, they have to come upon it on their own free will, see that for themselves and take it to heart.  

Behavior will never change til the heart does... this was an amazing statement to me... even my own behavior needs to change, there are things in me which is dislike, things that I want to change, so none of that will change until my heart does!  So, I pray, and will continue to pray, that God changes my heart, teaching me who He really is, helping me to know Him more every day, and grow in him, so that my behavior will change!!!

Proverbs 4:23
Cultivate tender love for your children
LOVE GOD + LOVE OTHERS

II Corinthians 2:11
Ephesians 4:17
Zephaniah 3:17 (I think she said 17, not sure on this one!)
Romans 5:6
Romans 12
II Corinthians 11:3
Phillipians 1:9
Ephesians 3:17-20
I John 4:19

LOVE drives out FEAR

A scripture I love, and she talked about:
I Corinthians 13
Love is patient - which means it suffers long!
Love is kind - is of benefit to someone
Love does not envy - don't wish your children were like someone else's, instead be content with them, build up a wall around them to protect them!
Love does not boast, it is not proud - it recognizes that you don't know everything
Love is not self seeking
Love does not keep a record of wrongs!!  Think "etch a sketch"  shake & goodbye!!  LOVE that one!