Invest in Your Children

A simple Parenting UPGRADE quote from Charles R. Swindoll:

Our children hear our words, but more crucially, they watch our lives. Be sure your words and life agree (it's called "integrity").

Dr. David Jeremiah wrote,

"In the bustle of life it is easy to forget the most impactful tool available: who we are and who we are becoming."

It's certainly a powerful tool for parenting.

How are you investing in your children's lives?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of three blogs:Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is on the board of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM) and is a contracted researcher for Revive Our Hearts. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic: morguefile

Go for Breadth ... and Depth (Part 2)

In my previous UPGRADE post, I (Dawn) encouraging people to remember both breadth and depth in life, and we focused on Breadth.

Once we get the Big Picture--a broader perspective and biblical priorities, we're ready to tackle the details.

CONCEPT #2:

GO for DEPTH!

What does focusing on details include?

1. Appropriate Strategies

• We need to block off some time alone with God in order to think clearly with Him and clarify where we're heading. Spiritual roadmaps help us arrive where we plan to go.
• Envision the goal. For the Christian, a worthy, biblical goal is to become like Jesus (Romans 8:29; 1 John 2:6). So, what is He like? What would He choose? How would He operate? (1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 2:10)
• We might want to prepare ahead of time so we're not tempted or distracted by things that disrail us from our goals. Simply eliminating some options (Romans 13:14) can make the path to success clearer.
• Identify some actionable steps to take right away. Brainstorming with others will help generate creative ideas to move forward. Spiritual success comes step by step, choice by choice.

2. Accountability Stimulation

We have to find what motivates us to stay on target.

• It might be as simple as a weekly check-in or a chart to fill in.
• Or it might be a progress report or an evaluation conducted by someone in charge.
• For others, it's a promised reward!

3. Advocating Supporter

• We can all use a trustworthy "buddy" to bounce our ideas back and forth — hopefully a wise one who can help us recognize foolish thinking.
• We all need people who will encourage us, advise us, even fight for our success (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:24).
• In other words, we need some positive "cheerleaders" in our life.

For example, in the case of my dietary program:

• I have a number of strategies—some supplied by the nutritionist and some created on my own—to help me "stick with the program." I cleaned all the tempting food out of my cabinets and refrigerator and made choosing wisely a simple process.
• For accountability, I have regular meetings with my nutritionist and a worksheet sheet I've filled in that shows the foods I've eaten and the exercise I've done during the week.
• My nutritionist is a wonderful supporter of my efforts, and I have several encouraging "cheerleaders" in my family as well.

It's a process that will work for any Big Picture goals, whether it's tackling a bad habit or pushing toward a personal dream or ministry project.

The process is:

Strategize well - Stay accountable - Seek support!

As a Christ-follower, my best strategies come from God's Word and I am ultimately accountable to Him (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Even if no one on earth understands my struggle and comes alongside to cheer me on, I know the Lord is with me, desires my spiritual success and blesses me as I honor Him.

Sometimes we'll see results in the here and now. But when we don't see immediate results or those we seek, we must go back to the Big Picture where we know there will be lasting victories, fruitfulness and reward.

I struggle with a "besetting sin," as do all of us. Although I get small victories here and there and I see clear evidence that the Lord is changing my heart and behavior, I still mess up. I'm still human. I'm still a sinner.

But someday the final victory will come. God's Word tells me so! (1 Corinthians 15:57; Philippians 3:21a)

God the Father is making me like His Son. Having rescued me from sin's power, He is enabling me now to choose not to practice sin, and someday I will be completely transformed and free from even the presence of sin.

So if you are struggling today with your own "I still mess up" problem, consider these two questions:

Do you have the big picture clearly in mind? How can you tweak your strategies, design accountability that will motivate you, or find more support?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is on the board of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM) and is a contracted researcher for Revive Our Hearts. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Go for Breadth ... and Depth (Part 1)

In this two-part Spiritual Life and Ministry UPGRADE, I'm (Dawn) encouraging people to remember both breadth and depth.

When it comes to life and ministry, let's not forget the "Big Picture" as we pursue goals.  Conversely, we don't want to miss important details either.

Some time ago, I launched into a dietary program with a certified nutritionist to improve my health. The program is fairly restrictive, and it didn't take me long to question whether I could hold the line with my food choices. (I know my usual self pretty well ... I'm a dieting wimp.)

I mentioned this at one meeting with the nutritionist, and she pulled me back into reality and willing accountability with four simple words: "Keep the big picture."

The big picture, she explained, would help me resist temptation and make better, more consistent choices. (I'm finding it also helps me fight the tendency to become a grace-free perfectionist.)

Remembering the big picture doesn't come naturally to me. I'm a detail gal. It's been said that Big Picture People are predominantly "right brained" and Detail People are predominantly "left brained." (It's no surprise I'm about three-fourths left-brained.)

We function best when we balance or strengthen both styles of thinking and learning, and there are techniques we can practice to make the changes we need. (Or we need to rub shoulders with our opposite and discover where we might be off base!)

I was thinking this week about the Big Picture of spiritual life and ministry, and how remembering the wide scope of our lives can alter our lifestyle and choices.

CONCEPT #1: GO for BREADTH!

What's the Big Picture for the Christian?

1. Broader Perspective

• The Big Picture involves both time and eternity (Ecclesiates 3:11; Colossians 3:1-2; Hebrews 12:1-2). It remembers, "This isn't all there is." Are we living in light of eternity?
• The Big Picture asks, "Can I do this and still stay in line with my goals?" but also, "What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind?" (Matthew 6:20-21; Deuteronomy 6:5-7; Psalm 145:4)
• The Big Picture seeks the Mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and discovers lies and mental limits that hinder us from becoming and doing what we were created to be and do.

2. Biblical Priorities

• The Big Picture includes God-centered priorities that almost always will differ from the culture.
• Living with eternity in mind will likely alter our priorities. We won't drift through life; we'll discipline our lives as we "seek first the kingdom of God" (Luke 12:29-31; Matthew 6:33).
• When we keep the big picture, we'll be more likely to chose priorities that matter to the Lord and please Him (2 Corinthians 5:9; Colossians 1:10; Romans 12:2) instead of constantly seeking earth's treasures (Luke 12:34).
• In practice, we'll seek God in the Word and make time for people who need to know the Lord. We'll spend time building our families. And we'll often make hard choices that go against the grain of culture.
  

Then, once we see the Big Picture, we're ready to tackle the details.

That's covered in Part 2 of "Go for Breadth ... and Depth."

How does having a broader perspective of life help you make better choices? Do your priorities change when you think about eternity?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is on the board of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM) and is a contracted researcher for Revive Our Hearts. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Did the Angels Rejoice?

One of the most striking things I remember about our trip to Israel a few years ago was sitting outside the tomb that is alleged to be Jesus' burial place. I stared at the sign on the door of the tomb as I cried happy, grateful tears.

The words on the sign were spoken by an angel of the Lord on Jesus' resurrection day.

With the break of dawn on that wondrous day, the visitors to the tomb heard this incredible message:

"He is not here: for He is risen, as he said" (Matthew 28:5a, KJV).

It was a miracle! Jesus who was crucified on a Roman cross three days earlier and buried in a borrowed tomb ... was alive!

In all four of the Gospels we find a description of that Resurrection Day.

From Matthew's account (a modern translation):

"After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. suddenlty the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move.

"The angel spoke to the women: 'There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.

"'Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, "He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galille. You will see him there." That is the message.'

"The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples." (Matthew 28:1-7, MSG)

Evangelist Billy Graham once wrote* about that angel, God's messenger. Graham said the angel gave "the greatest, most glorious news that the human ear has ever heard—'He is not here; he has risen.'"

Can you imagine how the women's joy overflowed? As the angel instructed them, they hurried to tell the disciples (v. 8)

I've sometimes wondered if the angel messengers—and all the angels of heaven—were just as excited as the women at the tomb. I imagine their shouts of praise at the moment of Jesus' resurrection.

One of my very favorite bloggers, Tim Challies, captured this perfectly when he wrote about the cherubims' involvement with God's people since the beginning of time.**

To summarize Challies' post:

(1) The cherubim stood guard after Adam and Eve chose to sin and were cast from Eden. The angels' message was clear:  you cannot return here. The angels stood between God and man.

(I wonder if the cherubim watched with deep sadness as the first humans' relationship with God so dramatically changed.)

(2) The cherubim were "present" in the tabernacle too. They were over the Ark of the Covenant on the Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:22), and figures of cherubs were embroidered into the curtain (Exodus 36:35) separating the Holy place from the Most Holy Place—a blood-covered veil.

In a sense, they were still "standing guard." Again, there was no mistaking their message:

God is holy; and you, dear people of God, are not.

(3) And then, when that veil tore in two at Jesus' crucifixion (Matthew 27:51), the cherubims' image on the curtain was shredded too, "demonstrating that it was no longer necessary to guard the way to God."

"... in that moment," Challies said, "I wonder if it was the cherubim who cheered the loudest."

Something about reading that just made me grin from ear to ear!

We see angels present at Jesus' resurrection. We aren't told what kind of holy angels they were—cherubim, seraphim or archangels—but their role at that time was to proclaim an important message. And it is that life-changing message that gives me hope every day, not just on the one day we celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

Today, there aren't any cherubim standing in our way. But, as Challies said, "if you pause and look closely you will see that there is still something, there is still SOMEONE, between God and man ... It is Jesus Christ...."

The resurrection is more than an event, more than theology. It's a Person—Jesus.

Our Lord said, "I AM the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25; Romans 6:4-5). Jesus lived a holy life, died as a sacrifice for man's sin, and rose again to give those who repent and believe eternal life with Him in heaven (Mark 1:15b).

And we know when people respond to THAT message, all God's angels will rejoice! (Luke 15:10).

Do you know Him? Why not express your own message to the Lord today—a message of gratitude and praise.

If you don't know Him (and that's not the same as knowing "about" Him), here is one site that explains how you can trust Jesus today and rejoice with the angels.

Dawn Wilson, founder of Heart Choices Today and Upgrade with Dawn, is also on the board of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM) and is a contracted researcher for Revive Our Hearts. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

* Quote by Billy Graham, Peace with God: The Secret of Hapiness (Thomas Nelson, revised, paperback, 2000), p. 122.

** Tim Challies' blog, "The Cherubim Cheered the Loudest," 3-16-15.

They're Taking It All In

Sharon Hoffman, a godly grandmother and author, knows the importance of touching the next generation for Christ. In this Grandparenting UPGRADE, Sharon encourages us to leave a legacy of spiritual heirlooms.

“Often extraordinary truths about God are taught in the most ordinary ways,” she says.

When my (Dawn’s) boys were young, I loved to embrace teachable moments; and now that I have three granddaughters, it’s still a pleasure. Sharon’s wordd remind me how crucial this is.

Sharon continues . . .

Because such moments come without warning and often at the most inopportune times, we’ve got to be ready to impart spiritual truths, seizing those fleeting teachable moments. They are more powerful than we can ever imagine.

Because I take my role of leaving a legacy of faith very seriously, not too long ago I made a commitment before the Lord, that with His help, the remainder of my life will be dedicated to ensuring that the heritage I pass along to my grandchildren is physically, emotionally, social, and most of all, spiritually rich.

From the mail that I receive and the 100-plus women I networked with in preparing my book—A Car Seat in My Convertible?—it is clear to me that a vast majority of women take their spiritual heritage very seriously, too, and have that same desire.

Edward H. Dreschnack said, “Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done … she becomes a grandmother.

And our grandchildren are taking it all in.

You, remarkable grandmother, can make the most of every moment when it comes to living out Deuteronomy 6:6-7:

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

God wants us to be communicating scriptural truths along life’s way …

• When we look up at a rainbow;
• When we stand at the edge of a river;
• When we come upon an overflowing parking lot and need a space;
• When we pause to ask God to help the hurting people in an ambulance when we hear a siren;
• When we pray for healing or stop to help someone who is hurt.

All along life’s way we can be the hands and feet of Jesus before our grands.

Believe me, they’re watching and taking it all in. I don’t know about you, but as for me, even though I’m having the most fun ever in my grandmothering, I’ve found my body losing the vitality of my younger years, reminding me daily of the simple truth I’m not going to live forever.

I want to sow spiritual seeds in the fertile ground of my grandchildren’s hearts while I can.

Let me ask you some personal questions:

Is that what you desire?

What seeds are you sowing?

What kind of spiritual influence are you having?

How do you encourage your grands in the faith?

Is your life a reflection of the Savior?

You have an incredible opportunity to leave a legacy of spiritual heirlooms!

At the end of your life, will you look back at a bountiful harvest from the dozens of seeds you’ve planted, having influenced your grandchildren to love your Lord as you do?

Sharon Hoffman challenges women to change their world. Known for her warm demeanor and trademark smile, this vivacious author, speaker and grandma is the author of The GIFTed Woman, Come Home to Comfort, Untie the Rainbow, The Today Girl, and A Car Seat in My Convertible? Sharon wears “many hats,” including pastor’s wife. She and her husband, Rob, call Tennessee home.