Guard Your Heart

Why is it so important that we guard our hearts? 

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." 

     There are specific reasons why it is so important that above everything else, we should guard our hearts.  Think about your heart.  Every emotion you've felt, every relationship you've had,  every dream you've had, and every passion you've had for things in your life.....it all comes from your heart.  It's who you are.  It is the source of everything we think, say, and do.  Your heart is valuable, and valuable things are meant to be guarded.  That's why we buy security systems for our homes - to keep our valuable things guarded.  Because your heart is so valuable, it is also under constant attack.  Thieves never try to steal our garbage....they go for the best, most valuable things we own.  Satan is a thief and he is trying to attack your heart.  He will use circumstances and disappointments in our lives to try to get us to lose heart......so we have to guard it.  And the best way to guard it is to fill it with Jesus.

>>>>>For me, my prayer is that I can always work to guard my heart and that I live a life where everything I do points to Jesus.

>>>>>For you, my prayer is that you would understand just how valuable your heart is and how important it is that you guard it from the enemy.

"If we lose heart, we have lost everything."

Thanks for reading!!

SUPERHERO PARENTING POWERS?!?!

     Hey guys! I am writing this blog as a parent of a teenager and an almost preteen :)  If you are reading this and you are not a parent, it's likely that you will be one day or you will at least play a part in the life of a young person at some point in your life.... so keep reading. It's for you, too. In an age where social media has taken over, a "do what makes you happy or feel good" mentality is pushed, and an "it's all about me" attitude is the normal, we have a huge task ahead of us as parents if we want to teach our kids to live their lives for God. The demands of the world and the need to fit in are not going to go away or ease up....they'll only get stronger. So, who's freaked out as a parent now???? To be honest, I am.
     So, what now? We realize that we live in a broken world; one that is pulling our young people in every direction possible except toward Jesus. We also understand that teenagers have a huge longing to fit in with their peers and to be what society views as popular. But, if you watch and listen long enough, you will also notice that nothing being offered is working to fill that hole in their lives....no matter what they try, it's not enough.  That is why we continue to hear about new ideas, new drugs, new fashion statements, new trends, etc. Teens continue to push the limits to try to fit in and to be "cool".  As a parent of two daughters, realizing these things is why I am a little freaked out.  Ok, if I really think about it, alot freaked out.
     It is likely that unless you are some sort of superhero, you will not be able to change the world so that your teenager can just glide right through these years and come out on the other side ready to tackle the adult world. And, I'll admit it...I'm not Wonder Woman and although my husband argues that no one has seen both him and Batman in a room together, he is not Batman. Sorry, honey.  So, where does that leave us "regular" parents?
     We have to start with ourselves and our own families. We can't change the world, but through Jesus, we can work toward changing the mindset of our own kids.  Teenagers will always have things that look appealing and desirable in the moment.  We have to teach our teens that it's not about feeling good in the moment.  They need to know that it's ok to be different than the world.  Romans 12:2 says, " Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.  You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it.  Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (from the Message) How do we teach our kids to fix their attention on God? How do we teach them to be like Christ in a world that constantly screams conformity?  We have to train them.  Training is an active process lived out daily in all areas of our lives. It's not about just memorizing verses and going to church every week.  It's about living every day according to God's word.  Training comes from observation.  Our kids need to see us truly living life with our attention set on Jesus.  Every decision we make should be made with Jesus at the center.  Our lifestyle, who we hang out with, our actions, how we handle problems, what we allow into our minds....all of that should mirror a lifestyle like Jesus.  Our kids don't need someone preaching at them about how they should live.  They need to see their parents living out a Godly life in front of them.  And they need to see that living for God can be fun. :)
     My oldest child is at the beginning of her teenager years, so I am just beginning this new chapter in my parenting journey..... I will likely read every parenting book I can find, ask other parents for advice, cry, get mad, and do anything else that I can throughout this process..... But, I do know where I'm going to start. It starts with me....and lots of prayer.  I pray that I can live my life according to Romans 12:2 and that as I fix my attention on God, my daughters will see something in me worth imitating....worth striving to do or be in their own lives. I hope that's your prayer, too.
     I do know that this will not be an easy task and that my husband and I will fail many times as parents, but I also know that my daughters are worth it.....and that no matter how many times we fail, we have to get right back up and keep striving to live a Godly life in front of them.  My kids are worth it.....your kids are worth it..... remember "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).... WE CAN DO THIS!!!!

Thanks for reading!