My Birthday 2013!

Revival is this week at my church and I must say, though I missed Sunday morning and Sunday evening I attended Monday night and last night. Can I say blessed. Well, let me begin at the beginning of my day yesterday. It was my birthday. I woke up to already 20+ Happy Birthday posts on my facebook. =) Then it was time to haul the kiddos off to Bible Study. What a precious group of women I attend church with. The sweet lady who does the announcements had everyone sing to me Happy Birthday. The facilitator for this particular Bible Study did a wonderful job. She made me laugh, cry, smile and most of all be proud that I am a Christian woman and that no matter what I have done in my past with God... This girls still got it. So if you ever have a chance pick up "The Girls Still Got It: Take a walk with Ruth and the God who Rocked Her World" with Liz Curtis Higgs. (I will probably do a post on my thoughts of that particular study later). But before we parted yesterday my mom had these precious women who she knows I hold very near and dear to my heart gather around and pray for me and over me. If everything works out I will be leaving my current church and moving to another area. For those of you who really know me, aside from parting with friends and family here leaving this church will by far be the hardest thing I have to do. I have thread so much of that blessed church and these women into my life and into my children's life. All of their prayers I will always remember. I hold each and every person whose lives have touched mine near to my heart. I have bonds with my friends but there is something special about a bond with a fellow Christian who loves the Lord. Anyways, that is NOT what intended this post to be about. I will probably do a "farewell" post another day. (By the way I should probably write the tentative posts down so I do not forget). None the less I went to revival last night and something stood out to me more than anything. It is the PARENTS job to instill the love and fear of God into their hearts. How will your child ever know when they are doing something wrong if you do not instill right and wrong in their hearts. Pastor said something about homeschooling that made me pleased with my decision to do so. I know not everyone feels the same about homeschooling but he made me proud of my decision last night. Pastor Said "My wife and I have very strong convictions about the education and rearing of our children." Someone told him Pastor your kids are gonna grow up weird and un-socialized. He said "Do you mean if we keep our children in Christian education and try to rear them in the nurturing admonition of the Lord that they are NOT gonna be like all the other 14 and 15 year olds (in the majority of society now)? Before you say that it is a bad thing that my children are not gonna act like that you have to CONVINCE me that it is a bad thing" AMEN!! I can not reiterate enough that whoever your child spends the most time with will have the most impact on your children's life. At school 8 hours a day around strange children and strange teachers that you probably have only seen maybe once or twice for brief moments and you see them maybe two or three hours when you get them home to hurry through homework, dinner, baths and then off to bed. Where is the time spent with them. You only have a very short time to make an impact in your child's life and you are busy doing other things.  I am blessed to be able to stay home and home school. Sacrifices have been made but we are still able to do it. I understand that not everyone can. If you don't make sure you are taking the time to spend QUALITY time with your children. Not in front of the TV but sitting down with them. Teaching them right from wrong, because remember your rights and wrongs might not be the same as the teacher who spends 8 hours a day with them not to mention it is NOT a teachers job to RAISE your children its their job to EDUCATE them. My hats off to teachers that is for sure. I have to try and educate and raise three children. They have 100+. I get paid in love and hugs they get paid a stinky salary. Of course that is another post for another day. It just really hit home when the Pastor said that and they prayers that were spoken over me and my family and my children. As parents we play a VERY important role in our children's life. That is our legacy. What our children pass down to their children and so on. What legacy are you leaving your grand children?