Baby shower

Spring cleaning continues........Saturday I got most of my house 'put back together' after having my carpets cleaned on Thursday. I LOVE the job he did! It all looks like new carpet again!! Wahoo!! I had ProCare Cleaning from Lincoln. He had my whole house done in about 5 hours. I am having him come back out and clean all my sofas and recliners. Now I am ready to resume painting. I am going to go up and paint the boys' old room the famous "Tyler Taupe". I still have some left from my kitchen re-do.

Yesterday was a great day of church and then we had a baby shower for Travis and Sally S. They do not know what gender it is and are due in a couple of weeks. It was a nice shower and our Andy gave the devotion. A couple of us asked for a copy of his notes and I thougth I would post his points. It was an excellent message!





Travis/Sally baby shower June 14, 2009 devotional:

1) Remember that every child belongs to God ultimately—as Pastor Eddie would say--they are on loan from God to us—a great blessing, source of joy, privilege, but also responsibility:

Psalm 139
13 For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 my frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 127
1Unless the LORD (A)builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;

3Behold, (F)children are a gift of the LORD,
The (G)fruit of the womb is a reward.
4Like arrows in the hand of a (H)warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
5How (I)blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

2) Our responsibility is to discipline them and teach them about the Lord

Regarding discipline:
Ephesians 6: 4
4(C)Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but (D)bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 13:24
24He who (A)withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him (B)disciplines him diligently

Regarding teaching/training:

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 [

18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Proverbs 22:6

6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 3
1My son, (A)do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart (B)keep my commandments;
2For (C)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3Do not let (D)kindness and truth leave you;
(E)Bind them around your neck,
(F)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4So you will (G)find favor and (H)good repute
In the sight of God and man.
5(I)Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And (J)do not lean on your own understanding.
6In all your ways (K)acknowledge Him,
And He will (L)make your paths straight

Proverbs 23:15-24
15My son, if your heart is (A)wise,
My own heart also will be glad;
16And my inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak (B)what is right.
17(C)Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the (D)fear of the LORD always.
18Surely there is a (E)future,
And your (F)hope will not be cut off.
19Listen, my son, and (G)be wise,
And (H)direct your heart in the way.

22(M)Listen to your father who begot you,
And (N)do not despise your mother when she is old.
23(O)Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And (P)he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.

3) MODEL godly living; model Christ-like behavior consistently—KEY!!
1 Corinthians 11
1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Gal 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Ephesians 5
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

• can we say to them, be like me, as I am like Christ!? Song—“I want to be just like you, ‘cause he wants to be like me...” Fulfulling our duties as a godly spouse, and godly role model is critical


4) Love them sacrificially (also applies to spouse, and all people for that matter):
1 Cor 13: (agape, self-sacrificial love)
4Love (K)is patient, love is kind and (L)is not jealous; love does not brag and is not (M)arrogant,
5does not act unbecomingly; it (N)does not seek its own, is not provoked, (O)does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6(P)does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but (Q)rejoices with the truth;
7(R)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails


5) Trust God to make our efforts fruitful as parents

We’re Adam and Eve “good” parents? Abel vs. Cain...
--cannot save our children, but we can point them to the truth, teaching them, discipline them, sharing the gospel with them, loving them, and modeling Christ-like behavior.

Ultimate goal in parenting, as with life, is God’s glory---1 Corinthians 10:31
31Whether, then, you eat or drink or (A)whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.


Recommend: Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp