Oh man :)
Years and years ago when the girls were little, Matt was at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, doing one of his three-week intensive Master's Sessions, and one of his professors had him over for dinner. Dr. Friedeman and his wife, along with their six children, were SO impressive to Matt in how they did family discipleship. He came home carrying Dr. Friedeman's book, "Discipleship in the Home," and said, "Stace, I know this all seems like a LOT of work, but I WANT KIDS like this guy's kids...he and his wife are doing discipleship and Bible teaching RIGHT in their home."
He raved on for weeks, and I finally read the book and was truly floored by how common sense--but totally foreign--his ideas were from most of what we knew and saw. Basically, he talks about how unintentional Christian parents can be (with the best of intentions!) about the raising of their children according to Deuteronomy 6...These commandments I give you are to be upon your hearts, impress them on your children, talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, when you get up, tie them on your hands, bind them on your foreheads, write them on your doorframes and on your gates...
YES. That sounds like a LOT. That sounds a bit crazy...write them on your foreheads? That also sounds like it's a pretty important commission of our God's for these children He has entrusted us with.
Envisioning what they wanted their first little one to be when he was 18--committed to God, practicing a personal daily devotional life, prepared to accept full-time service for the Lord, practicing spiritual giftedness, producing spiritual fruit...knowing how to budget responsibly, being a generous giver, knowing how to make a good selection of a lifelong godly spouse, having major portions of God's Word memorized, having a biblically based theology, knowing how to share his faith, having healthy habits, having household skills, knowing who he is in Christ, etc.--Dr. Friedeman and his wife laid out a plan for how to actually GET their kiddos THERE....recognizing that kiddos don't just accomplish all of these things without tons of intentional work and practice.
ANYWAY. I was so challenged and inspired, and while our girls seemed awfully little, we started out with that basic challenge upon us.
And then we had a few more babies...and got a few more jobs...and life got crazy.
Last week after everyone was in bed, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post that "Dr. Friedeman's class on "Discipleship in the Home" is open for auditing, only one lecture online per week"...Bam. I never sign up for ANYTHING, but I applied that night and the class starts tomorrow!
I signed up like a weary mother who is doing her very best but who KNOWS survival-based parenting is NOT her utmost for this most precious job. I know there are many things in our children that I am hoping and praying for, and hopefully modeling, but not TEACHING for.
I pulled out that old book and started back in, and the last three days have felt like God saying, "Welp, you want to be intentional about some of these things? I have JUST the opportunity!"
...like Matt's been gone, and I've had four kiddos from sun-up to sun-down all weekend, and was even happily dressed to be off to the office this morning...and our childcare just. never. showed. up. and I was back in.
LOTS of opportunities.
Let me share with you one sad example that I hadn't even THOUGHT of until rediving into this book.
Of COURSE I want the girls to have rich, daily devotional lives. So I read them a devotional over breakfast. And we read a different one every night in bed. And they continually are seeing me with my nose in my Bible, often letting them watch a 20 minute show or setting them up with a 30 minute craft so that I can.
But they are four, eight, and eleven. When, exactly, am I expecting them to say, "You know what mom? I don't want to watch my favorite show! Instead, I'm going to pull out my Bible and read and pray through it and listen for the Lord and allow His Word to re-orient my day and perspective. K?"
That's just not going to happen! If I want them to be 18 year olds with vibrant, personal devotional lives (when Mommy's NOT reading God's Word to them over breakfast), when am I going to teach them how to have vibrant personal devotional lives, and schedule it into their days?
I want them to learn to give generously back to the Lord...when was I going to start giving them opportunities to handle money?
I want them to find godly spouses...when was I going to start praying aloud with them for these future spouses and talking to them about what a godly spouse looks like?
ANYWAY.
Before this becomes a parenting book :), all that to say that all that I have been challenged to be intentional about--from attitudes to Scripture memory to showing respect and discipline--the Lord has been giving me 24/7 opportunities these last three days, so I praise Him, even if I am wiped. I'm sure this isn't the last you'll hear from me about this seeing as that the class hasn't even technically started yet, but if any of this sounds like a parenting-intentionally-for-discipleship refresher you need, check out: "Discipleship in the Home: Matt Friedeman" on Amazon.
I'm not a huge fan of facebook, but clearly the Lord can use it when He wants to to bring the right thing, just when we needed it!
updates.
Jodenel and Esther have their sweet baby girl, Christherlie, finally in arms and all healthy and almost home. Praise the Lord!
The new year has kicked off so well, with 14 new students (which is the average size of a whole class!), with some great classes from Church History to Doctrine of Holiness, and some great professors. For those of you who know her, Ms. Pam is here with us again from England, this time through May, and Rick and Carol are here helping out in finance and maintenance, too!
Matt's Moscow board meetings in North Carolina went well, and ironically enough now HE is at Wesley Biblical Seminary for a few days of meetings before coming home Friday, Lord willing!
Our sweet Mayah is doing much, much better, thank you for your prayers.
And personal side-note: while I'm sure not everyone feels this way, I have been particularly blessed by several of you reaching out with JOY over our four weeks of upcoming furlough. The Lord has given us clear leading and plentiful peace over this. However, allowing ourselves a break is NOT easy for us, leaving others to do our work is not easy for us, trusting God to provide the funds, trusting God to care for our people here, allowing ourselves to step away when so so many around us do not have that option, ever, is NOT easy for us....and having your support and encouragement has been a big deal for me. Thank you.
Let our inability to ever perfectly love you, O God,
drive us daily to the arms of Christ,
wherein the enormity of your mercy
and the scandal of such grace lavished upon us
would birth in us a new and greater
affection for you, and a new and greater
desire to do that which pleases you.
Somehow use even our weaknesses
for your glory.
Every Moment Holy, Douglas Kaine McKelvey
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