Blog Archives

Do You Remember?

9/30/2015

God takes us from faith to faith and glory to glory. We should be constantly growing and reaching new levels of understanding and maturity naturally and spiritually. Every promise that God gives us usually comes with a process that we must go through to receive it. Our journey comes with a great testimony and our testimony holds great power.

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

We are overcomers! It is important to share this truth with our children. When I first got saved, I was very reluctant to share with my children the struggles and hardships that we faced. I didn’t want to worry them and I wasn’t yet equipped to impart the faith and hope that they would need to withstand the hardship that was before us. I’m not saying to reveal every detail of your circumstance, but we should include them in the process by telling them what God has promised, including them in prayer, and rejoicing in the fulfillment. They need to be reminded of the ways that God has moved on our behalf so that they don’t forget the greatness of our God.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9New King James Version (NKJV)
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

God wanted His people not to forget Him once they entered into their promise. He wanted them to remember the miracles that they witnessed coming out of Egypt and the provision He gave in the wilderness. He was going to give them the promise of the land flowing with milk and honey, but didn’t want them to forget where they came from and how He worked on their behalf.

God wants to give us our promises too. He wants us to remain humble and teach our children of our deliverance. Our testimony along with the blood of Jesus will overcome curses and break the power of the enemy. Many of his people didn’t make it into the Promised Land because they quickly forgot how God delivered and provided for them. They wanted to go back to Egypt being slaves because it was what they were used to.

Do you want to stay in bondage? Do you want your children to be free from the struggles that you have faced? If you are trusting God for something new, start to thank Him for what He’s already done. Share your testimony with your children. Let them experience the greatness of God by seeing the promise fulfilled. Teach them the Word of God so it can be planted in their hearts. Let them know that the same God that delivered His people out of Egypt, will deliver them out of whatever holds them back. Let every situation be used as a teaching moment to impart God’s Word. Everything is in God’s Word. We just need to seek it out. In this age of technology there is really no excuse. It is easier than ever to look up a scripture or topic on our phones and computers. We can type in one word and it gives us every scripture in any version of the Bible that we choose. We need to be intentional. Remember God in your conversation with your children today. Pray and thank God together and watch God move on your behalf!

Father, we thank You for deliverance. We thank You for all of the promises that You have given us. Forgive us for not including our children in our journey. Give us wisdom on how to share our testimony and Your Word with every opportunity. Let our hearts be humbled with thankfulness and encouraged with faith. Let praise be on our lips and prayer be a priority. Help us remember You in everything and teach our children of Your greatness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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Mommy, Is The Devil Real?

9/23/2015

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While having breakfast in the morning with my three youngest children, my four year old son began to tell me of a nightmare that he had. This conversation brought on the question, “Is the devil real?” So I told him that yes, that the devil is very real. This inspired more questioning. He stated that only God can be everywhere at once, so how can the devil bother everyone. I had to explain that the devil uses demons to torment and tempt us into doing bad things. So he began to say that he needed to be good so that he could beat the devil. Wow, what profound thinking. A four year old got the revelation that our obedience is warfare. That disobedience/sin can open up a door for the devil to bother us.

Psalm 8:2 NKJV

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2 MSG

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.

Psalm 8:2 VOICE

From the mouths and souls of infants and toddlers, the most innocent, You have decreed power to stop Your adversaries and quash those who seek revenge.

Children have ordained strength and power to shut up the enemy! We underestimate the value of our children’s spiritual learning. We hold back so that we don’t scare or confuse them. We sometimes think that our Jesus is too deep for them to understand, but the word of God is simple. Every word is true and His promises sure. We complicate things with our own analytical, intellectual, grown minds and harvest doubt because it seems too simple to just believe. Children don’t have this hindrance. They will believe what we teach them. That’s why they so easily believe in Santa Clause, Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. How much better is it for them to know the truth? Knowing the truth will give them power to speak it and shut their enemies down at a young age. Children are afraid of the devil because grownups are afraid of him, but the truth is that God has given us all power and authority over the enemy.

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

This should be our mindset and what we teach our children. If we think that the supernatural things of God are spooky, then so will they. If we want to experience miracles, signs, and wonders from the supernatural realm of God, than we must also know that there is an enemy against us that will try to block our blessings. The good thing is that the enemy can’t stop us when we are equipped with the truth and the power of the Holy Spirit. God is with us! Our children will easily understand good and evil. They will want to be the superhero on the good side equipped with God’s armor and power. Jesus is alive in them and we should let God mold them while they are young. They are more than conquerors and world changers. I believe God is going to do awesome things through our children. Let’s equip them with the truth of God’s word.

Father, we thank you for the truth of Your word. We thank You that You have given us power over the enemy to silence and stop him from tormenting us. Forgive us for complicating Your word with our own thoughts and ideas. Forgive us from withholding the truth from our children in fear that they would not understand. Help us not to only teach our children the truth but also to have child like faith to believe with the same intensity as they do. Help us remember the power and authority that You have given us and use it instead of backing away in fear. We are over comers and conquerors through Christ Jesus and so are our children. We set our heart on You and ask that You bring us to new levels of understanding. Take us to new levels of faith and glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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They Can Whip But Can They Worship

9/16/2015

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The more I attentively watch my children, the more I realize how much of what they see impacts them. They are watching and soaking up information all day and the more repetitive the exposure, the more ingrained the behavior becomes. My 1 year old knows that when I sit her in her high chair, she is about to eat. So she waits with praying hands because she knows that we always bless our food first. This same one year old, will also stop whatever she is doing, to do the whip/nay nay dance every time she hears the song on a TV commercial (my older girls taught her that). My 2 and 4 year old children won’t go to sleep until I pray over them. They also will get frustrated if they wake up and look in the bottom left fridge drawer and there is no yogurt, fruit cups, or applesauce. They know that this is what they are allowed to get themselves in the morning by themselves. My older girls expect me to be up when they leave for school to help with their hair or give them my opinion on their appearance. They also expect me to ask about their day when they come home and help them with any homework that they cannot fully understand. All of them have learned at an early age that if they use the name of God that it will please me, so at one time or another they have tried to use it to manipulate my response. I have had to teach them that manipulation is like witchcraft and although God is in and aware of all things it is wrong to use the word of God to manipulate people. They can recite lyrics to songs, quote commercials, act out entire movie scenes and learn a dance move after watching it just once. How much more do you think they are learning what they see me do? It’s okay that they can recite lyrics, but am I exposing them to songs that honor God? Knowing the lines from repetitive commercials is okay, but am I repeating the word of God to them repeatedly so that it will also be in their memory bank? Acting out movies is cool but have they watched me respond to God in praise/worship/brokenness/surrender. They know when I’m in line at the grocery store and there is someone behind me with fewer items that I will let them go ahead of me. They know that if we are out and somebody starts telling me their troubles, I will stop and pray for them right where we are at. They know I don’t litter or participate in something that will help me gain something dishonestly. They also know how to push all of my buttons….. I have many of those as well. I am far from perfect and need to often repent and apologize for my response to certain things! The point is that they know how to get to me because they are studying me. They have learned my behaviors and know what I expect and also what they can get away with and what I won’t tolerate. Our goals as parents should be to be a reflection of Christ. We should only want to do what we see our Father God doing…….. This is an ongoing goal that we will be forever reaching for, but we should be always evaluating our behavior and constantly growing. We can’t expect our children to do what they have not been shown.

John 5:19

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

John 8:38

I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

Whether we realize it or not they are watching. They will do what they see us doing. So let’s purpose ourselves to do our best according to the standard of the word of God!

Father we thank You that You are a Father that show’s us good things. Help us reveal Your goodness to our children through our own behavior. Forgive us for sometimes being lazy and letting the world define the standard instead of establishing the Word to be the standard. Help us do and say what we see and hear You do by Your word. Make us aware of behavior that is not pleasing to You and help us correct it so that we can reflect Your image before our children. Give us balance as we enjoy our children and watch them grow into who You have called them to be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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How Can I Be Stable ?

9/9/2015

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During most of my children’s lives, I have been in constant transition. This has been especially true with my two oldest girls. We have been through many hardships throughout their short lives, but as they get older and I am able to discuss things with them, they didn’t even realize what was going on. We have moved several times (not always in our own space), I’ve had to get food from the food pantry, humble myself and get help from the church and government. We’ve eaten by candlelight because the lights were out and slept by the fireplace in the winter because the furnace went out and I couldn’t get it fixed. I’m sure this story is similar to many others. We all go through tough times, but it is not what we go through that affects our children. It is how we respond to every situation that will make an impact on their lives. Children desire (as do most of us) stability and order. God also wants this for our lives.

Colossians 2:5

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so that He may rejoice that we have order and stability in our faith in Him. Order and stability doesn’t always come with our outward circumstances. It starts as a condition in our hearts. We have to know that Jesus will work all things out for our good and that He is our provider and deliverer in every situation. The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us into all truth. Through prayer we will receive the answers and opportunities that we need. We must keep moving forward in faith without wavering.

James 1:8

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

When we waver, we become unstable. Our minds need to be single in obedience to the word of God. Knowing that it is true and expecting results from our response of faith. When our children see us respond in faith and with peace, they have no reason to feel like their safety is being breached. Your consistency brings them stability, not our circumstances.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

When we don’t get moved off our beliefs or stuck in our mess, we can know that we will see results. Our labor is not in vain and our children will see the fruit and be the fruit from our labor. We must be consistent in sharing God’s promises with our children. When we see the fruits of our promise we need to include them in giving thanks to God for being faithful. We must encourage them and be a pillar of faith for them to model as they grow into their own circumstances. We must stand firm in our hope.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NKJV)

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Father, we thank you that You never leave us or forsake us. Thank You that You have given us stability in our minds and hearts even when we don’t have it in our circumstances. Forgive us for the times when we have wavered in our faith and have been double minded. Help us to always respond to our circumstances in faith, knowing that You will deliver and provide in every situation. Help us be an example to our children on how to respond to times of frustration and devastation. Let our consistency in faith give them the stability that they need to help them feel safe. Let us be a reflection of Christ so that they may know who You are. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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I'll Never.........

9/2/2015

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Being a mother can make you take back all those times that you’ve said “when I’m a mother, I’ll never…..” It’s funny how when we are single we have tons of advice for married people and when we are still without children we have tons of advice on parenting. There are ways that sound good in textbooks, but parenting is a continual learning process. Every child is different and must be handled differently. Every child learns different, responds to different discipline, likes to do different things, eats different, and so on. Before I had my first child, I was very selfish. When I became a mommy my whole outlook on life changed. I wasn’t saved yet, but I realized that every decision that I made would affect my daughter. It was my job to keep her healthy and safe and I needed to make some changes. I have had a lot of I nevers, but the truth is that you can’t accurately say “I’ll never” unless you have been placed in that situation. Parenting is no different. I thought my parents had it all wrong. I promised myself that I would do things differently (a lot of things I do), but now and again I find my mother’s or father’s voice coming out of my very own mouth. It is very important to set boundaries and of course there are many lines that you shouldn’t cross. I’m not talking about foundational standards that go against the word of God, I am talking about preferences that you thought were not acceptable based on your opinion. I never thought that I would give my first baby a pacifier, until she was colic and screamed nonstop for 23 hours a day. I also never wanted to give formula, until the breast milk was the reason why she was so colicky. Will Jesus be offended that I gave my baby a pacifier? Am I going to hell for giving my baby formula? No, absolutely not. We have to be careful when giving advice to other mommies (and people in general). Every situation calls for something different. Just because something has worked for you does not mean that it will work for me and my unique situation. We have to be encouragers and not ones that bring condemnation and shame to others because of their decisions. I have made many bad decisions throughout my life (even after saying yes to Jesus). We all fall short of the glory of God but thank You Jesus that He is merciful and forgiving and wants to lead us into truth. We have to be moved by compassion when helping others and not our own self righteousness. We have to do what is pleasing to God and what’s best for our situation and not be concerned with man’s opinion when receiving advice from others. Remember, most people mean well. They are just sharing what has worked for them, but don’t let them be the standard. God’s plan is different for each one of us and for our children. Parenting is a place of continuous prayer. God will reveal to us what is best and show us ways that we never thought of. Be encouraged. You are a good parent, your baby/babies love you, and God is with You!

Colossians 2(NKJV)

Not Philosophy but Christ

2 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and[a] of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it[b] with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Father, we thank you that your grace and mercy abounds toward us. Thank you for the uniqueness of our own children. Forgive us for wanting to please man and the world’s philosophy and for also giving opinions without experience, compassion, and love. Help us be sensitive and wise in every situation. Free us from our own opinions that were made from bad experiences and help us be open to what is right for each individual situation. We want to know what is best for us. Reveal yourself in our circumstances and lead us into truth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

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Mommy's Garden

Do You Remember?

Mommy, Is The Devil Real?

They Can Whip But Can They Worship

How Can I Be Stable ?

I'll Never.........

Bonnie Kay Rimpson

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