Play, Pray, Say & Obey...

I've been meaning to update this for some time now. Just before Christmas I started praying about my new year's resolutions. I had a few that were the "same ol' same ol'". You know : lose weight, read more, yadda yadda yadda. Those are great ideas, and I am working on them, but I wanted my "new year's resolutions" to be focused around something that I really really really wanted to work on. Things I can see making a difference in eternity one day... and so I thought about my children. I have been working on a few things with them for the last 3 months or so, but I wanted to put some OOMPH into it, so to speak. So, I took some of my goals from last year and sort of focused them into a short, quick saying that I can remember throughout the day:

Play, Pray, Say & Obey

 PLAY: I want to play with my children. Sounds simple enough, but this one is really hard for me to remember some days. I'm a very task-oriented person. Once I get started on something, it's hard for me to stop... unfortunately, that's not always a good thing. Sometimes I'm task-oriented to a fault- like when I spend an hour on Facebook or when I am so busy taking pictures at the park that I forget to enjoy our time there. I don't mean to, it's just part of my personality. It's a beautiful part of who God made me to be... but I have to learn to use it the way He intended it to be used. So one goal I have this year is to take more time to play with my kiddos. Let that be my task, if I have to think of it that way. I've tried to take time each day for the last few months to play with Courtney in her room. We read, play with dolls, practice letters and so much more. It's been A-mazing! I love playing with my little girl. Not that I never played with her before, but it's just different now- I'm not so distracted by the dishes, the laundry and everything else that calls out for my attention during the day. I've noticed that doing this has caused me to be more playful throughout the day as well- not just during our "playtime". I've also seen her creativity blossom as I've taught her how to make a Barbie doll bed out of an old shoebox and a few washcloths. I decided a while back that I wanted Courtney to remember me in this season of her life as an engaged, present, playful mother. So that's my first goal for the new year: to play.

PRAY: I pray for my kids often, but I want to be more intentional. I want to go beyond the "keep them safe and healthy" prayers and pray more specifically as well. I want to cry out for the will of God in their lives- to pray God's heart- to pray Scripture over them. I want my kids to grow up knowing God intimately- not as a religion, but as a Person. A verse that has been on my heart for several months now is 3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." This is what I want for them- that they would walk in the truth all the days of their lives. The truth of who God is, the truth of who they are in Christ, and the truth of what the Gospel means to those around them.

SAY: This one is pretty simple, too... but also much easier said than done. I want to encourage my kiddos. I feel so much love and delight toward them, but I sometimes forget to put my thoughts into words. I love watching Courtney's face light up when I simply say "I love you". Lately, I've tried to make it clear that she is a blessing to us by telling her, "I am so glad God let me be your mommy!" She giggles with delight, and I am overjoyed because it is the absolute truth. I've tried to encourage her in those cute little quirks, too- you're creative, you're caring, you're exciting & adventurous...haha, even when they look a little strange (some of you may remember the biscuit hanging on the refridgerator). I've even started practicing with Matthew. I know he doesn't understand my words just yet, but he does light up at my tone of voice- and Courtney hears how to encourage others. She often jumps in and says things like, "Oh, Matthew, you're such a cutie baby!"

OBEY: I must obey God. Simple. Hard. Necessary. Life-Giving. If I am to excel in motherhood, wifedom and discipleship, I must obey God. Part of that for me lately has meant getting up at 6am to spend time with Jesus, no matter how many times I had to get up to feed Matthew, take Courtney back to her bed, etc. It has been amazing. I can't put into words how hard and how refreshing it is at the same time. I've noticed a change in my attitude, my level of patience, my self-esteem and my overall outlook on life. The biggest thing for me here is proving to myself that I can get up. I have made excuses for years, trying to fit my quiet time in during the day because I was "too tired" at 6am. Of course, I get through a couple of sentences in my Bible or say a few words in prayer and I'm distracted, getting juice, or cleaning up a mess. I have been so blessed getting up early. It's incredibly peaceful to sit in God's presence and not worry about the kids because I know they're sleeping safely in their beds. It frees up my attention and mind so I can completely focus on God. I can worship freely, study His Word more intently and pray with greater precision.

So there you have it. My new year's resolutions in parenting: Play, Pray, Say & Obey. Of course, I have a few others I'm working on (that last bit of baby weight for example), but this little motto is my focus. It's great because it can also translate into my relationship with my husband :)

 My prayer for 2011 is that God will mold me more into the image of Christ so that I can reflect His glory in a true, life-giving way to those around me.

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." ~Romans 8:29