Planting the Seeds

"Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:18

This weekend we built a carrot box for the boys to plant carrots in.  They love to pull the carrots up when they are done, wash them off, and eat them like Bugs Bunny.  One of the things we make time to do is work and play outside as a family.  We have discovered that the more time our boys spend outside, the more calm and well-behaved they are.  Honestly, even I feel more peaceful after spending time in nature.  As we enter the spring season, I hope to be able to do more outside - camping, picnics, and just playing in the backyard.  We also plan to try some more container gardening.  Spending time outside enjoying God's creation is one of the best ways we can bring peace to our family. 

Fun Friday

Tiger working on our "Fun Friday" craft - wooden toy cars! He designed his own while his brother went with one of the ones pictured on the box.  Even Dad got into it and made one of his own!

The Shepherd Calls

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." - Proverbs 10:3

In this proverb, Jesus is explaining how the sheep know the voice of their shepherd, and they will not listen to the call of others.  It is so easy sometimes for us to be swayed by the voices of others over the voice of our own Shepherd.  This is why it is so important that we study God's Word and teach ourselves to recognize His voice.  As parents, we teach our children to listen to us, and we pray that as they grow they will continue to listen to our voices instead of the voices of those around them that might lead them astray.  Ad vitum paramus is Latin for "We are preparing for life", and I chose this as a motto for my family as we are preparing to make some major changes in our life.  We are seeking the will of God and listening to His call as we make decisions about the future of our family.  As parents, we have been called to prepare our children for life on their own.  In order to prepare them, we need to teach them how to listen to the call of the Shepherd as well.  It is not enough to raise children who know who God is.  I want my children to know God and to listen to His voice as they prepare for life on their own. I hope that as you read this blog, you will also hear the voice of God.  You may hear Him calling you to accept Him, to serve in some way, to make a change in your own life, or simply to spend more time with Him.  Whatever He calls you to do, please listen to the voice of your Shepherd and not the voices of others.