Parenting 101

I have a new favorite author.  Her name is Elizabeth George.  I heard her speak at the Living with Passion and Purpose Conference at our church last weekend.  She is a grandmother, like myself, who has written over 60 books on various topics; marriage, spiritual growth, time management, and parenting just to name a few.  She is a precious saint who shared from her heart her own experiences and what God had taught her through them. 

From her book table, I purchased a book for myself, Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart, and one for Hannah, A Young Woman's Guide  to Making Right Choices.  In her books she cuts right to the chase when it comes to living a life of passion and purpose.  I have been challenged this week after reading Chapter One of Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart, to be the "Bell Sheep" for my daughter,  Hannah.  Which means that I am to lead by my example. This is just the first of many roles of moms that she discusses in her book.  She presents the information in such a way that I felt excited and motivated to put it into practice.  Even though I have been a mom for over 40 years, I still have a lot to learn about raising a daughter after God's own heart. 

I have committed  Deuteronomy 6:4-7 to memory because these verses are foundational for parents; to love God with all your heart, soul, and might, to have his word in your heart, and to teach his word diligently to your children.  You might ask, how are we to teach our children?  Verses six and seven tell us how we are to teach them; it is by talking to them.  We talk to our children all day long, in our houses or when we are in the car.  And if we have his word in our hearts, it will be easy to interject it into your daily conversations.  Simple, practical advise to make teaching our children a part of our daily lives.  These verses from Deuteronomy have made my approach to parenting more purposeful and hopefully, more effective.


Those of you who know me, know that I have always been quiet, never been much of a talker.  Therefore, I have the added challenge of breaking an old habit.  Which means that many days, I will have to force myself to "talk"; to ask questions, to be creative and interesting.  But, no matter how hard it may be, it will be worth the effort, because, more than anything, I want to be the "Bell Sheep" for Hannah.  I want to be there to help her when she needs it, to teach her how to cope with all that life will bring.  I want her to be a woman after God's own heart.