Parenting

Today's topic for STLS is:

How have your Christian beliefs affected your parenting?

Great question, Daiquiri! I'm so thankful I don't have to figure this parenting thing out without real help. I pray all the time for help, wisdom, and discernment about how to be the mom God wants me to be. He knows Karissa, Amy, Benjamin, and our future adopted son better than I can ever know them. He knows what they need from me. So I ask Him for help constantly, and I beg Him to cover where I fail.

When we were writing all of the essays for our adoption home study, we were asked this question:

What are your hopes for your children (such as spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual)?

When I saw today's STLS topic, it reminded me of how I responded to this question on our home study. Here's what I wrote:

It is our prayer that our children will be healthy spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. We hope that they will have fond memories of childhood, knowing that they were loved and cherished.

Every person is born with God-given gifts and purpose. We hope that our children will understand their purpose and develop their gifts and talents to fulfill that purpose. It will be exciting to watch where their interests take them. We hope that they will have healthy relationships. We also pray that they will be people of character, with integrity, and a confidence that comes from a Biblical self-concept.

Intellectually, we hope that they achieve their potential. We also hope to instill in them spiritual virtues including compassion and generosity and a strong work ethic. God has shared these precious gifts with us for a short time, and then we hope to launch them into the world as productive and secure adults who make a positive impact on the world.

Most importantly, we hope that they will grow up to make the personal decision to know Christ as their savior.

As far as spiritual and character development, I've already shared with you my prayer list. But these are the other ways my beliefs have affected my parenting:

- I don't see my kids as "mine" but gifts on loan.

- I want them to choose Jesus for themselves, not because it is our family thing.

- I want to teach that Truth is not relative to what they want it to be. I want them to have a world view that is built on Truth, not what is politically correct or "feels" right.

- I want them to have joyful lives where they achieve their potential.

- I want them to be healthy in every sense of the word, and I know that spiritual health has to come first.

- I want them to have successful and healthy relationships.

- I want them to be aware of God and how we can see Him all around us and in our lives if we just look and listen.

- I want them to know and love the Bible, God's love letter to them

- I want them to know they are loved and significant and have a unique purpose in this life that only they can fulfill.

- I want them to have an eternal perspective and hope.

- I want them to know it is the greatest privilege of my life to be their Mommy.

Tweet

Pin It