Thursday, February 16, 2012
Journal It with Mom
Dear Ladies and their Daughters,
Consider the blessings I have had seeing the heart of my girls through our time in Journals. Some people have prayer journals, and some have journals they take notes in from sermons they have heard, and or the famously wonderful journals that records all the funny things that happened along the way to our families (my favorite to read aloud on long road trips).
When I was young, I had a diary. Oh the pity parties I threw between the covers of that book. It makes me sad to think my children and grandchildren would read my unchecked jealous, covetousness thoughts.
I did struggle when I was younger and writing it down didn't solve anything. I had no way of gaining understanding and wisdom on how to handle all sorts of situations through this one sided entry. Being in a non Christian home, a diary was a secret thing. Something you did under your covers, late a night and maybe when you were upset.
Now that I am a Christian, Isaiah 55:8 comes to mind which says,
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
We need God and His word. So do my children. So in hopes of giving the best to my children, I started to journal with them. First with my daughter, Emma. We started awhile ago. I bought a journal type book from Barnes and Noble. I opened it up with an invitation to join me in this correspondence. That we could talk about all sorts of things and that she could be assured I would share what God's word says.
Since then, I have shared hymns (xeroxed them and glued them in), things that God is teaching me as a wife and mother, and asking questions that would help fuel her thinking about Jesus. As time has pasted, I have read some amazing things that God is showing her. It helps her to be watchful in her life for God's timing, search her heart on a regular basis, and to seek God's word to respond to my questions. Sometimes, she is just telling me how God's word has wrought deep into her heart and thinking because she realizes His Word is true.
Each journal passes back and forth about every 3 to 5 days. This gives both parties time to respond. Also, it causes us to be patient for an answer. We can 'learn to wait on the Lord' or we can 'be forced to wait on the Lord'. Learning to wait should be developed when you are young. When my girls are waiting for counsel from the journal entry, I can remind them that waiting on the Lord is best. Then I will make a great effort to make time to seek God's word for my response to their question.
Joanna has just started to Journal with me. She is 11 now. She can write well and she is thinking about so many things. I just thought it was a great time to start.
This has been a rich blessing for us all. I know these Journals will be opened in generations to come and we will have no regrets. This time, God's word is teaching us. And maybe God will use it on a future family member who needs to be reminded...We need God and His Word.
So start today. Just Journal It!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Having Daughters...
Dear Mothers,
Just before May 2011, I was preparing for our summer break with my daughters, Emma (13) and Joanna (10). I can't believe how old they are. It just flies by. The Lord saved me about 11 years ago. In an effort to pour more of the scriptures into our lives, the Lord directed me to several books. These books were written by young ladies who are writing to their generation about daughterhood.
The books were Joyfully at Home by Jasmine Baucham and So Much More by Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin. My daughters and I listened to a CD called Strength and Dignity by the Botkin sisters and that really had an impact on us.
These resources gave us something to think about. The bottom line is that we can be useful and purposeful as daughters. This time is not just to sit back and enjoy the ride.
I liken it to the Proverbs 31 women. Did she just coast along in her family, eventually met a man, put a white dress on and walk down an aisle, then drive off to a new street address with her new man and becomes the Proverb 31 woman. I DON'T THINK SO.
This time, within the home, our daughters are in training for their future. The things that they learn from us as parents are priceless.
There were some effective changes in our girls this last summer, so wonderfully, we had to share them with you here.
My girls and I, with the blessings of my husband, created three day long retreats. Once a month we invited about 30 young ladies (ages 10-17) over for a six hour retreat.
We covered three topics:
First Retreat:
- Learning from our Mothers, cooking, running a home, scheduling, sewing, actively seeking instruction and wisdom.
Second Retreat:
- Giving our hearts to our Fathers for protection and his wisdom. Cultivating our talents to help our fathers in their work, ministry or home life. Becoming a Help-Mate in training.
- Sanctification - Pop Quizzes that life gives us. Are we living out our faith only when it is going well or do we suffer with dignity and respect even when we feel wronged. Helping them stay under the authority until they gain understanding for the reasons for what is allowed or not allowed in their families. Sanctification is God's way of showing us we belong to Him or do we through our consciences off to fulfill our own desires. We can remove ourselves from protection and dignity. It takes great strength of Character to submit.
I will spend the next few weeks helping you outline how to host your own retreat to come alongside the young ladies in your lives. Our retreats were for ages 10-17 but I would be open to even someone younger.
My daughters were so instrumental in the whole process. I set the tone for the Retreat. I wanted it to be a Royal Court atmosphere. Something that didn't say birthday party, but that they were brought here so we could convey a mature message for them to take seriously.
I let them run with ideas, plan menus, bake and set tables and decorations. They handled the check in process, the name tags and even putting the small groups together for the discussion questions. I just over saw this process keeping them on track and mindful that I was the one that was overseeing the process. This is important because you are not letting go of your modeling womanhood. You are showing that you are under your husband's leadership and that they were under our leadership.
You are not trying to create independent leaders. This is important. If we do, we will make it so much harder on them to come up under their future husband's leadership. And if the mission field calls them, they will most likely be counseling married woman. They should be able to counsel according to the scriptures with regards to marriage. I will talk more about this later.
I handled speaking to Titus 2 woman who could speak into their lives on these topics. I would speak at the beginning of the retreat to set the vision we are aiming to accomplish. More on this later too! This is a mine field if not handled well. I will impart what I have learned in acquiring speakers.
We also had a banquet and a craft that tied into the theme for each retreat. Something for them to remember what they had learned.
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Please feel free to ask any questions. I will always return a message to you with 24 hours.
My pray is that a blog like this will cause you to think through hosting your own retreat and reaching the hearts of daughters in your area. This generations daughters are the ones that will step out into the harvest for Jesus. We want them equip to become effective Titus 2 woman.
Blessings,
Kimberlee Lucas
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