Teachable Tuesdays....New Pajamas!

For Christmas I got new pajamas...the kind that are soft and comfy and that you start thinking about around 3pm when your eyes start to droop from a carb overload lunch or late night binge watching the night before. These were what I call replacement pajamas. You see I have a pair of well worn blue polka dotted PJs that I've had for years. They are "broken in". Most ladies know what this means but just in case let me explain. The shirt has long ago been discarded and traded for a soft t-shirt that doesn't necessarily match. The feel of the t-shirt is much more important than the style. The pajama pants are clearly worn...the waist drawstring is frayed and knotted and perhaps has even partly come out in the laundry. There could be a few small holes and even some paint stains from the time I had a pajama craft day. These jammies have seen better days.
But last night as I was getting ready for bed, I reached for the old faithful pair of PJ's. The comfort of the well worn fabric, the familiar feeling of softness....all so welcoming ....even tho...the new pajamas from Christmas were staring me right in the face. But I chose familiar, old and stained.
This morning, as I looked down at my old ratty looking pajamas God reminded me that He has new clothes for those willing to leave the comfort of the familiar. When we become part of his family our filthy rags, our ratty grave clothes can be left behind because much like the father of the prodigal son, God the Father has sent His son to give us a robe of righteousness. I don't have to wear these old clothes. I have new clothes because He has made me new. I don't have to stay in the filth of my sin stained garments.
And isn't that comforting? Isn't that just about the best news ever? I'm so grateful I don't have to walk around looking like a forsaken child. I have the choice to walk in newness. Thank you God for the giving us fresh clothes to walk in today.

Teachable Tuesday- Cleaning Out

My mom and I were talking the other day and both admitted that after Christmas seems to be the most logical time to spring clean. When you're moving the tree out, taking the garland from the mantle and moving the manger scene back into it's box, it just seems right to thoroughly clean and dust and wipe down.

So this week, I am teaching my kids to really clean out. We are starting with three boxes.... Donate, pass on to someone we know, throw away. All three boxes must be full before the chore is over. This is great because after Christmas there is usually an abundance of "stuff" and instead of me deciding what they should keep or get rid of, this puts the ball in their court. Less stress and less decision making for me....and more responsibility for them.

What are you teaching your kids this week?

Teachable Tuesday- What I Want My Kids To Learn in 2019

Savannah is 16, a junior. She's a college shopping, self-employed entrepreneur, piano playing, teenager...and if I had half the gumption she has when I was her age, I'd be famous...but that's not really what's important in life, is it?

Tucker is 13, a seventh grader. He's a fortnight playing, drum beating, basketballer. He is hilariously funny and mostly kind and doesn't mind being in the spotlight...his confidence whether warranted or not is strong.

As I sit here at the dawn of a new year, knowing that time is ticking away with Savannah and before you know it Tucker will be outta here, I'm so thankful that God has allowed me to be a mom. It is not wasted on me, that some women do not have this opportunity. I'm also keenly aware that I can't jump in during their teen years and decide I want to teach them how to be "good people". And so, years ago, I asked God for wisdom...and have been doing so ever since.

So last year I worked hard on integrity issues...things like honesty and truth. These were things that were heavy on my own heart and so since I was working on them, I tried to teach my children. There was talk about things that were hurtful and dishonest and there was talk about how we should handle them. There was talk about making God's Word the ultimate, supreme truth in all things and how that would be more and more and more important as they grow up because our world is so full of lies and twisted truths (lies) and mistruths (lies). Have we mastered these things??? Absolutely not...and we won't ever have them perfected. But we made progress and I worked hard to take everyday moments that could have been passed off and instead made them into teachable moments God could use to grow them and mature them in their own walk with Him.

So this year.... Biblical Kindness. That word...KIND....it gets a bad wrap sometimes. Sometimes it looks like helping someone across the road and sometimes it looks like sharing truth in love from God's Word...even when it doesn't feel good. So, how do we teach our kids to be kind without being walked all over or without them being taken advantage or....or even look gullible or stupid? We teach them Biblical Kindness. We teach them to walk like Jesus did. We teach them that Jesus was just as kind when he tipped the tables in the temple as when we met the unfaithful woman at the well. We teach them that true kindness will never contradict God's Word. We teach them when it's worth reaching out and when it's casting your pearls before swine.  We teach them that silence, a hug, a cup of water or a moment of your time is sometimes the kindest thing you can offer. And we teach them that bullying and hate are never acceptable.

So that's what I am aiming to teach this year. How about you? What are the things that you are hoping to instill in your kids this year?