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I learned so much at the Teach Them Diligently Homeschool and Parenting Convention, last week. Today, I thought I'd share with you 10 main points that I picked up while listening to speakers, and just being there. I hope it blesses and encourages you, as much as it did me.
1.) Seek God first ~ Matthew 6:33 (NIV) says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." We are here on Earth for His pleasure. He wants to have a relationship with all of His children. We need to remember our most important relationship is the one we have with Him. Putting anyone or anything else ahead of Him... is idolatry. "We still have one main resource... this book {the Bible}... God gives us all advice." ~ Pam Tebow at Teach Them Diligently, Nashville.
2.) It's about fixing you ~ "You are the worst sinner! See yourself as the one needing fixing." ~ Todd Friel {Wretched Radio} If you have problems with other people, especially your kids, it's not about changing them... it's about changing you! When we remember that we are the chief of sinners, and God still sees you as perfect through the blood of Jesus, can we accept the things that bother us about other people. Is it a behavior problem or a sin problem? Attack the sin, not the person.
3.) Remember the Gospel ~ What's the Good News? That everyone has a chance at salvation through faith and repentance. Are you broken? You can find healing in the gospel. Jesus came to cover all sin with His blood. It's a heart problem if someone doesn't accept it.
4.) Keep the faith ~ Faith is the hope that we have, that things will be better... even if only in eternity. God gives us His peace through our obedience. He is more concerned with holiness... and not our happiness. He wants us to have a healthy fear... faith in His promises but understand that His love is perfect. He keeps all of His promises. "Perfect love cast out fears." ~ Mark Hamby
5.) Protect yourself and your family ~ Train your children to identify and fight the enemy. He is on the prowl... seeking to ruin all of your relationships. (1 Peter 5:8) Realize that he is a real threat and teach your children to protect themselves from temptation. Teach our boys to be men... not boys! They need to know how to guard themselves and their home! "It's your responsibility to guard your mind and heart." ~ Hal and Melanie Young {Raising Real Men}
6.) Be a blessing ~ Serve others and be a blessing in the life of others. We can't just be lukewarm Christians, who talk the talk but do not walk the walk. We need to look for ways to share the love of Jesus with others. But not just for what we look like to others... "we need to put our heart into it." ~ Rachael Carman {His Sunflower}
7.) Give grace and mercy... over and over ~ {True story} I learned that forgiveness is not just a one time thing. Sometimes you need to re-forgive someone for hurting you... even if you've already done so. The enemy will try to remind you of that sin against you... or something may trigger a memory and you have to go through the process of forgiveness again. Side note: forgiveness doesn't always mean repentance from the other person... forgiveness is learning to let go of the wrath that belongs to God. (Romans 12:19)
8.) Get the gospel into your kids ~ "How does a child learn to love Jesus? By parents modeling it. Just think GOSPEL and get engaged {with your children}." ~ Todd Friel {Wretched Radio} Our children need to be reminded, to stay God' umbrella of protection. Outside of that umbrella is pain... and death. Share Biblical truths when you see sin in your children. Attack the sin... don't dismiss it.
9.) Cover everything in prayer ~ "Prayer is our first line of defense. He will give us the encouragement to keep us keeping on." ~ Pam Tebow at TTD, Nashville
10.) I am not done learning ~ I am still a sinner... we all are! We can all "call" ourselves good people but the fact still remains, that we are sinners at heart. Until the day that I die, I will constantly be learning how to be a better Christian, better mother, and a better person. Will I ever be perfect? Nope! Which means I have more learning to do!
Love my new Drive By Parenting: Joy in the Home... CDs. Learning a lot!
Want to hear more quotes from Teach Them Diligently? Check out my tweets on Twitter or search hashtag #hsttd, for more. You can also buy MP3 recordings from the convention at Resounding Voice.
Many days growing and learning in Him,
