Training kids’ hearts with Scripture is one of the best and most important ways to teach and train our children.

God tells us as parents that we are to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) He also provided everything we need for that task in His Word.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable (useful) for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (II Timothy 3:16)

One of the most important things we can do for our children is to teach them God’s Word.  We should read it to them, have them read it when they are able to, and refer to it throughout the day as opportunities arise. 

There is another opportunity we daily have to point our kids to Scripture, that we often tend to overlook:  correcting and training them with Scripture when wrong behavior or attitudes are shown. 

Often we don’t look at wrong behavior as an opportunity, but rather as an interruption to what we are doing or trying to get done.  

It aggravates us to have to stop and deal with that child’s actions or attitude. At that point, it’s easy to let the opportunity go by, as we scold out of frustration, or tell them, ”Stop arguing!”, “Don’t do that!”, or “Behave!” 

When we do that, we are letting an opportunity go by to point them to what God says about that behavior and focus on the heart issue that is causing it.

Also, by using these harsh commands, we may get them to change their behavior for the time, but we haven’t addressed the heart.

“God’s Word is practical and relates to kids’ lives, and is one of the primary tools God uses to change people’s hearts. “ (Parenting is Heart Work)

The goal of correcting our kids should always be to correct the problem in the child’s  heart. 

In the book, Passionate Parenting, author Cary Schmidt asks the question,

If you had to quantify your parenting focus with following words, which two would be most accurate:  managing behavior or mentoring hearts?

It’s easy to default to the “managing behavior” position. Why? Because managing behavior is easier. But mentoring the heart takes time, training,
teaching, investment, and sacrifice. It’s much more difficult, less immediately visible, less measurable, and less tangible than managing behavior. The results take longer, but they last a lifetime.

If you wish to grow real faith in young lives for the long term, you must focus on nurturing the heart.

Tips for training your kids’ hearts with Scripture:

1. Make sure your spirit is right before you correct your child.

Don’t approach it with an angry, frustrated spirit or you will close your child’s heart to you, and God’s Word.

You want to be careful not to “beat your kids over the head” with Scripture, or they will develop a resistance to it, and resentment towards it.

Here is how we have approached it with our kids:

I know you love God, and want to please Him, but when you acted like that He wasn’t pleased. Let’s go to His Word and see what God says about this behavior. Let’s find some answers to help you do what will make God happy.

2. Remember the purpose of correction and discipline.

“Discipline is a holy thing. Too often we parents take discipline lightly or treat it flippantly. In the big picture, all discipline is about bringing our children into a right relationship with their Heavenly Father that He might bless their lives. It’s not about controlling behavior, modifying behavior, or minimizing embarrassment. Biblically correcting your child is one of the greatest ways to win their heart to you and to God forever.” (Cary Schmidt – Passionate Parenting)

3. Correcting with Scripture will take TIME.

When you see wrong behavior or attitudes, you must be willing to drop whatever it is you are doing to take advantage of that opportunity.

You will need to get your Bible, have the child get theirs, and take time to point them to Scriptural answers for their needs.

Ideally, you will talk with them about it, and pray with them as well.  The goal is to get them to see their sin as God sees it and to help them get their relationship with Him right.

It is worth the time it will take!

4. God’s word has power that our words don’t have and will bring conviction that our “scoldings and rantings” won’t bring.

I LOVE the promise that His Word won’t return unto him void, but will accomplish what it’s supposed to, and prosper in what it was sent to do. What a promise to claim, as we use the Bible to train and correct our children!

God’s Word relates in a practical way to our kids’ lives and is the best tool for reaching their heart.

(This post is an excerpt from the book Training & Correcting the Heart With Scripture.

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When my daughter Ruth gave birth to little Tori, I was thinking about things I wanted to tell Ruth, so I  wrote her a letter with 8 tips for a new mom.   

Below is the letter with some thoughts for her, from my heart.

(Victoria is an answer to our prayers, as Ruth struggled with infertility for over two years. If you missed my post about it, you can find it here:  Our “Christmas Miracle” Granddaughter’s Birth.)

Ruth,

 I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am for you & Rob! I’m so glad that God chose to answer your heart’s desire and prayer, and blessed you with little Victoria. I love her to pieces already, and I know that you are amazed with the depth of love you already feel for her as her mom. You are already such an awesome mom, and Tori is very blessed to have you & Rob as her parents!

 There’s nothing quite like becoming a mother for the first time, and it’s really something you can never be fully prepared for. The hours spent holding, cuddling and watching Tori change and grow are one of the many joys you will experience. You will also go through your share of challenges. Motherhood is rewarding, but it’s also hard.

 Even though I’ve had 8 babies of my own, I can’t tell you everything you need to know for what’s ahead. I wish I could give you a blue print with plans to make everything easy, and to give you a guarantee that it will always be smiles and fun. Unfortunately though, each child is different, and no matter how you parent or what you do, there will be some rough times. I promise you though that the joys far exceed the pain of the hard times! And the hard times make you grow. (It’s amazing how kids bring out our character flaws!)

 I know this isn’t much, and you have probably already figured some of these things out, but I thought I’d share a few random thoughts that I hope will help you as you continue on this wonderful journey called motherhood!

 *Expect feelings of confusion, frustration, or even worry. And remember, it’s all right to cry when you get overwhelmed! Most new moms feel like crying — you suddenly realize you are responsible for this precious little human being, and on top of that your hormones are out of whack! After a few weeks things will settle into more of a routine. You’ll begin to understand what Tori’s different cries mean, and see patterns. Your hormones will also settle down, which will help!

 *Don’t let it get to you when you feel like you don’t know what you are doing. Most moms have no idea what they are doing! When in doubt, fake it! 🙂 Seriously, you will figure it out as you go along, and each day will get better.

 *Everyone will have opinions and advice for you. They mean well, and want to help. But keep in mind that there really isn’t a clear “right or wrong” when it comes to how often you breast feed or if you should bottle feed, co-sleeping or crib sleeping, working or stay at home mom, or the “let them cry it out” vs. give them comfort methods. Trust your instincts and do what is best for you and Tori, and what Rob and you agree is best for YOUR family. When folks give their advice on how you should change or do things their way, listen to the advice, but don’t feel obligated to do it, unless you think it will work for your family. Decide that you won’t be judgmental of other mom’s parenting choices, and that you won’t let the opinions of judgy moms affect the choices you make.

 *Listen to your intuition! God gives it to moms to help them know what their babies need. Go with it, and don’t let what you have read in a baby book, or heard from moms who have successfully raised several kids, trump that intuition. You know Tori best, and need to do what works for the two of you, which may be different than what worked for others.

 *Before Tori was born, you got tired of hearing people teasingly say “Enjoy your sleep while you can!” Now you know WHY they said it! 🙂 Now you are hearing the words: “Sleep when baby sleeps”. You need to actually do that!! I remember struggling with that and wanting to try to clean and catch up on things. Somewhere along the course of having 8 kids, I realized that things are never caught up when there’s a new baby. So rest when you can. Nothing is more important than caring for Tori, and to do that you want to be well rested so you can enjoy her. Everything else really will wait.

 *Realize that nothing will be the same again — and that’s NOT a bad thing! Once you accept that, you will be able to let go of those things that don’t matter as much as they used to. Caring for the baby is more important than worrying about if the house is spotless, or if you are caught up on the daily laundry. If your house is sanitary and the baby is being well-cared for, nothing else matters during the first few weeks of being a new mom.

 *Babies cry no matter how good of a job you are doing. Sometimes, they cry really hard and you think they’ll never stop. Like I already mentioned, it’s okay for you to join them, crying from exhaustion, frustration, hormones or any of the many emotions that become a part of you when you become a mother. There’s comfort in reminding yourself that the crying will stop — it always does. (hers AND yours!) Also, comfort yourself by remembering that many of the tears you shed will be happy tears!

 * Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and accept it when it’s offered! I know Rob is perfectly willing to help with household duties and baby-related tasks if you just ask. You don’t have to do everything just because you’re the mom. You need a reprieve from baby duty, even if it’s just to take a long, relaxing shower, take a needed nap, or have time alone with another mom or with Rob.You know I am here whenever you need help! Please feel free to text or call at anytime when you need anything — especially after Rob goes back to work.

 I am praying that you will be able to savor and enjoy these early days of getting to know Tori, and asking God to give you strength and wisdom not only for these days, but for the years to come. God gave her to you in answer to your prayers, and I know He has special plans for her!

 My heart is overflowing with joy for you and Rob, and with love for little Tori. I’m so excited that I get to be a part of her life, and will not only be able to watch her grow and learn, but also invest in her life. Children truly are a blessing and gift from God!

Love ya lots!
Mom

If you are looking for a great way to keep the kids entertained this winter, how about helping them with some fun crafts? Crafting is a great way to bond with your child, and it is a great way for them to express their creative side. Here are some fun winter & Christmas crafts to do with your children,  that will look great when displayed around the Christmas holiday and all through winter.

5 Winter & Christmas Crafts To Do With Your Children:

Stained Glass Window Art

This craft is versatile, in that you can choose the shape of your frame, whether it be a simple rectangle frame, or a frame cut out in the shape of a Christmas tree or snowman.

For simplicity, here are directions for a rectangle.

• Lay out a piece of peeled contact paper, sticky side up.
• Next, cut out 4 pieces of construction paper, even in width, and create your frame by placing your strips of paper in a rectangle shape.
• Now have your kiddo layer pieces of colorful tissue paper (previously cut into various sizes) inside the frame. It is good to overlap pieces, so there are not any gaps.
• Once done, place a second sheet of contact paper on top, sticky side down.
• Lastly, trim around the frame to complete your stained glass.

Puffy Snow Paint

Kids love painting, but why paint with ordinary paint? Make your own paint that is puffy, like snow!

Simply mix together equal parts of shaving cream, and chilled glue, in a bowl.

Sprinkle in some iridescent glitter for a sparkling effect, and then let your little one get to painting fun, snowy, winter scenes!

Snowflake Ornaments

Crafting in the winter would not be complete without making Christmas tree ornaments. These snowflake ornaments will be done in no time.

Simply paint three wooden craft sticks white. Then stack, and glue them on top of one another, spreading them out into the shape of a snowflake.

Apply glue, glitter and other fun embellishments like jewels, buttons, tulle or even white feathers.

Lastly, attach a thin ribbon for a hanger.

For a tutorial for creating fancy snowflakes with craft sticks, check out this post from The Best Ideas for Kids. 

Paper Garland

Cut out a variety of fun winter shapes, like mittens, candy canes, snowmen, snowflakes, and Christmas trees.

Be sure to punch a small hole through the top of each of the shapes.

Next let your child decorate each of them with markers, stickers, glitter, or buttons. Once they are all complete, simply string a piece are yarn or ribbon through them and find a place to hang your child’s garland.

Reindeer Antlers

Use brown construction paper to measurement size of your child’s head. You will be cutting out a thick band, as a base for your antlers.

Once you have cut and taped the band to the proper size, then trace two antlers on another sheet of brown paper, and don’t forget to draw two ears as well.

Then let your child practice their cutting skills as they cut out all four pieces.

Once finished, attach them to the band, and you will soon have your own little reindeer running around the house.

Which one are you going to have your children start with?  Share a picture in the comments of the finished product!

Grab our FREE Names of Jesus Advent Printable Pack – your kids will LOVE going through it with you!

Parenting, as wonderful as it is, can be exhausting.  It can also be discouraging.  We put so much time, effort, and energy into not only taking care of our kids, but also teaching and training them.  Are there ever times when  you wonder if parenting is worth it?! 

One of my most popular workshops at conferences is Training Character Into Your Children.  I often tell parents that before coming to the conference it seemed that my kids were at their worst.

I often asked my husband:

“How can I go and speak on training character into children, when OUR kids have none?!” 

There were also many times when I discouraged and called  a dear friend. I remember saying to her (on more than one occasion!):

It seems that the more consistent I am in having a Bible time with the kids, memorizing Scripture, and working on character training, the worse the kids get.  I’m not sure that it’s doing any good, or that it’s worth the time and effort!

Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you haven’t voiced it as I did, but you have thought it!

Consider these 3 things when you are wonder if your parenting is worth it:

1.  Recognize where those thoughts are coming from.

The devil wants us to believe that lie.

He knows the power of God’s Word, and is going to make every effort he can to discourage us and keep us from spending time teaching our kids God’s Word.

When those thoughts come, speak truth to yourself.  Remind yourself that God’s Word will NOT return unto Him void.

You may not see immediate results or changes in your kids, but His Word WILL accomplish what it is supposed to.

Your job is to be faithful to teach it diligently to our kids, and trust God with the results. Don’t be weary in well doing, for in due season you WILL reap.  (Galatians 6:9)

2.  Remember that what you are doing as a parent is of eternal value.

We can’t take any of our “stuff” to heaven, but we can take our kids!

Anything we do to point our kids to God, and prepare them for His service is of eternal value. 

Our work as parents, is work that we do as unto the Lord.  Whether it’s cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, teaching our kids God’s Word, training our kids, or spending time with our kids, it is serving the Lord.

It is our ministry, and it matters for eternity. THAT makes it worth it!

3.  Realize that you may NEVER know the full impact your teaching and training has had on your kids. 

Your job is to be faithful and diligent in your training, while trusting God for the results.

Awhile back I got an email from my son Mike, who is a missionary in the Philippines. 

I love how he worded this!

Mom, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been thinking about you today.  I don’t think either of us will ever know the difference you made in my life over all the years of teaching and training.  I hope that you believe it was worth it.

Little did I know when Mike was a little 5 year old boy how God would use the hours I spent helping him (and his siblings)  memorize God’s Word. 

Now as a missionary, he has realized that the best way to keep his converts coming to church and growing in the Lord,  is by getting  them to memorize Scripture!

He put together Bible memory packs for his new converts, and said those who memorized Scripture were the ones who kept coming to church, and then bringing others to hear the Gospel.

All of this started with a mom who sometimes wondered if it was worth it to spend all that time on Bible memory!

When I encouraged a love for God’s Word in Mike as a young boy by reading it to him, telling him Bible stories, encouraging him to read the Bible daily, and then celebrating the first time he read the Bible all the way through, I didn’t know how far that love for God’s Word would go.

I didn’t know then that my little boy would one day use his love of the Bible to preach, teach, and disciple others in a foreign country.

Yes, it was worth all the time I invested in teaching & training him to love God’s Word!

The next time you get tired or discouraged in your parenting and start wondering if it’s worth it, remember that what you are doing is unto the Lord, and that makes it worth it! Be encouraged, and keep on.

If you’d like to get your children started with reading their Bibles, and need a plan for them to follow, sign up for free BIBLE READING PLANS YOUR KIDS WILL ENJOY.

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