"TURN THE HEARTS OF THE PARENTS TO THEIR CHILDREN"

 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Luke 1:11-17

This morning I was reading the passage above as I have many times before, but this time the enlarged phrase stuck in my mind:  "To turn the hearts of the parents to their children".  The angel of the Lord, Gabriel, came to Zechariah and told him that he and his wife were going to have a son.  They were to name him John, and he would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah.  His mission was to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and also to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.  He was to prepare the people for the Lord's coming.

We know that the world is filled with unrighteousness.  It was then, and it still is now.  We know Satan is at work trying to get people on his side.  But doesn't it seems strange that this verse says the part about turning the hearts of parents to their children?  Isn't it odd that there was even a problem with parenting in those days?

Years before, the prophet Elijah was sent to help with parenting problems.  Malachi has almost the same message in chapter four, verses 5 and 6, although this time it not only mentions the parenting problem, but also the disobedience of the children:

⁵ “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. ⁶ He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

Malachi 4:5-6

I'm not a perfect parent.  My husband isn't a perfect parent.  Our children aren't perfect.  But, they are not disobedient.  They are not habitually disobedient. They may disobey at times, but for the most part, they want to obey us because they love us - and know we love them.  They also know that because we love them, we will discipline them when they do wrong.

Why is it that parents' hearts would need to be turned back to their children?  Why would that even be an issue in Zechariah's day or in our day?  There are several reasons to examine.  Time.  Work. Hobbies. Activities.  Responsibilities.  Goals.  Pride.  Communication. Respect. We could look at many, many different areas, but in reality, all of these areas go directly to one area:  SELFISHNESS.  Selfishness is the root of all of the other problems.  

SELFISHNESS

Many parents are selfish.  They want "ME" time.  It is less about what needs to be done for their spouse and their children and more about what needs to be done for "ME".  Do you notice as you read the Bible that the people didn't talk about "getting time for myself"?  Do you notice that Jesus didn't go off alone for himself, but to talk to His Father?  If that is the time away we need, that's wonderful.  Because then it is about HIM - GOD, and not about "ME".  We do need time alone with God, and as parents, that alone time may be hard to find.  But don't we find time to do the things we want to do?  Don't we find time for TV, movies, hobbies, exercise, shopping, etc.?  Yes, we find time for what we want to do.  

Turning our hearts to our children will not be excluding them in our day to day lives.  It will be using every opportunity available to teach them and nurture them - in the LORD - not about things in the world.  Turning our hearts to our children will not be making them participate in activities to boost our own egos and to receive accolades from others about things of this world, but to teach them about God, and Jesus, and the church He died for.  It will be showing them a faithful Christian life of service to God.  It will be leading by example.....worshipping together as a family on Sundays and Wednesdays.  It will not be forsaking the assembling of the saints - of the Christian family of God that will help be an example to the children.

So, what if we examine our lives as see that we have become selfish?  What if we realize that our hearts aren't turned to our children, but turned to ourselves - to our own wants and desires?  What should we do?  We need to stop.  We need to stop being selfish.  But how?  The simple answer is to stop thinking about "ME".  Any time something comes up, we must stop thinking about how something will affect "ME".  "ME" can no longer matter.  It becomes about "YOU".  What is best for "YOU".  What is best for "OTHERS".  What is best for the children.  Ultimately, what is best for God.

Maybe we're used to being away from our children all day long.  Our society has a problem with pawning our children off on others.  We expect other people to raise our children:  teachers, babysitters, daycare workers, coaches, youth ministers, grandparents, older siblings, friends, etc.  We want (and maybe even expect) someone else to raise our children for us while we just enjoy the "good" parts....the fun and easy parts of parenting.  The thought process is something like this:  "Someone else can do the dirty work, but I'll take the glory. If there's a problem, I'll have someone else to blame.  It's not my fault."  And that's what is wrong in our society, and must have been wrong in Zechariah's society as well.

No one can change your heart for you.  God can help you and He will, but you have to want to change.  You have to want your heart to turn back to your children.....or to your spouse.  It won't happen without your consent.  Satan will try his best to keep it from happening.

When parents turn their hearts to their children and teach their children about what is really and truly important, amazing things can happen.  The family will be stronger.  Relationships will be stronger.  Love will be evident.  Your family will not be perfect, but it will be stable.  Children will feel secure.  You may have less time for "ME", but you'll feel more fulfilled.  You'll see that life is about more than just you.  You'll see that true joy is found in serving others.  You'll know that you're doing the most important thing - teaching your children about God, Jesus, and His Church.  You'll be doing what God wants you to do and there is nothing better than doing His Will.

 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life^[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? ³⁷ Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:34-38

Ladybug Friends

During most of my growing up years, my dad was a farmer.  He farmed wheat and cotton.  Every summer I was the "un-hired" hand...meaning free labor for him!!  I didn't get paid wages, but spending time with him and learning to "farm" taught me a lot.  (In my high school years, when he became our small-town Farmer's Coop manger, he did hire me during the summer wheat harvest and I did get paid to work.) I think about those farming days with great memories (except for the plowing!). 

One thing I remember vividly had to do with lady bugs. Dad purchased thousands and thousands of ladybugs.  They were shipped to us in big crates and were stacked up high in our laundry/mud room.  I remember we had to have a fan blowing in there to keep them extra cool and alive.  I remember they stunk!

The day after the ladybugs arrived, I had the privilege of riding with my dad on his motorcycle.  He was driving, and I rode behind him turned around with my back against his.  He drove the motorcycle up and down the cotton rows, and I scattered those stinky, but very pretty, ladybugs!  I would reach into the burlap bags and pull out handfuls of ladybugs, throwing them as we rode. Why???  Because the ladybugs would eat the boll weevils that were eating the cotton stalks.  Isn't that neat???  I still think that is so cool!  My kids like to hear that story and are even more amazed to hear that their grandpa and I rode the motorcycle.  They think I'm a 'fraidy cat.  They don't know the real me :). (hee hee!)

Sunday morning I taught my 1st and 2nd graders about ladybugs.  It's a lesson I found on Danielle's Place, called "Ladybug Friends".  It's such a cute lesson (and a FREE lesson) that teaches about how we should be friends and help others like ladybugs do.  I especially enjoyed telling the children about how I scattered the ladybugs in my dad's cotton field and how those ladybugs helped us by eating the bad bugs that were eating the cotton plants.  (The Danielle's Place lesson has an interesting story about ladybugs helping with the Florida orange trees, too.)

Ladybug friends. Yet another one of God's amazing and beautiful creatures teaching us a lesson about how to live.....as friends and friends who help each other!

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13

(NOTE:  And speaking of helping friends, I have a friend needing help to keep their little theatre open in their town.  She is the school drama teacher and asked if I would pass along this info.  Go to http://www.wellingtonritztheatre.com/  and click on the link to vote for the Wellington (Texas) theatre to win $25,000.  Thank you for helping! :)

"As for me and my house....."

Above our fireplace mantle is this scripture sign my parents gave us for Christmas several years ago.  I love the verse painted on it: "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15.  I pray that scripture will always be true in our home.  I also pray that we are teaching our children about God in way that this scripture will also be true in their homes when they grow up and have families of their own.

Today I was thinking about all of the things with which we can fill our lives.  It's hard to not fill our lives with stuff....non-important "stuff". If we become so busy, we don't have time to serve the Lord.  If we're not careful our "to-do" list becomes so big that our "service" list gets neglected.  It's a struggle for our family and maybe yours, too, to not let fun and entertaining things, and even sports become the most important things.  Not that any of those things are bad, but they need to be kept in  proper balance and not before our service to God. 

Let's think about how else we could finish this scripture if we allowed our lives to get too busy, or if we allow ourselves to put other things first in our lives.

As for me and my house we will.......watch TV for hours and hours, but not be able to do any good deeds for others. 
As for me and my house we will.....spend all of our free time doing what we want to do for pleasure, but never have the time to help the needy or visit the sick.
As for me and my house we will......put entertainment before God.
As for me and my house we will.....find fault with people who are doing trying to do good, but not help with the effort to do good.
As for me and my house we will......do whatever we want to do instead of worship God with our church family.
As for me and my house we will.....be thankful for baby Jesus and celebrate his birth and resurrection a few times each year, but not worship Him daily by following Him.
As for me and my house we will.....put sports above our service to God.
As for me and my house we will....worship God when it is convenient to do so.
As for me and my house we will....make sure we don't miss the latest movie that's out, but not have time to fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters.
As for me and my house we will....make sure we have the biggest and best things, but fail to give to further the Lord's work.
As for me and my house we will....make sure to read the latest and greatest novel just released, but never have the time to open and read God's Word.
As for me and my house we will....make sure we attend worship service once, twice, or even three times a week so that I can check that off of our "faithful Christian" list.
As for me and my house we will....make sure to stay up late Saturday night watching the end of the big game, but not be able to get out of bed the next morning for worship (or Bible classes).

"As for me and my house we will........" Can you think of any others?  How would you finish this sentence?  Hopefully we can all finish it just like Joshua did:  "Serve the Lord."

An Apple for the Teacher

It's been a long-time tradition for a student to take an apple to his/her teacher. Although the original origin of this tradition is not known, it used now to say "Thank You" to the teacher and is given from the student. At Tipton, we have a tradition that's been going on for nine years, but it's not just an apple the teacher's receive, but a whole entire breakfast! Yes, every year on the first day of class, the teachers and staff are treated to a "Back to School Breakfast".

The breakfast is provided by people who want to say "Thank You" to the teachers and staff of Tipton Public Schools. Some of the helpers are PTO members, while others are parents who want to be involved. And sometimes even people in the community contact me to let me know they want to help.

The "Back to School Breakfast" is delivered to three different buildings - elementary, middle school and the high school (we're really small, so only have one of each and they're all on the same campus.) The teachers and staff members are so appreciative any time they are treated in this way throughout the school year. And, of course, it's a fun way for all of us to say "Thank You" to the teachers and staff for teaching and caring for the students during the school year.

Other times the teachers and staff are served meals are at the two parent-teacher conferences, which are held in September and in February. Since the conferences are set up from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Thursday and also from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon on a Friday, the meals are brought on Friday evening. A special celebration is held each May during Teacher Appreciation Week. You can read about that event here.

Even though I wasn't ready for school to begin this year, after enrollment Monday night - and then seeing everyone when we took the kids to school this morning - it made me excited about the upcoming school year. It doesn't take too long to get back into the swing of things.

Another tradition on this first day of school is something our own family has done for the past nine years. On the evening of the first day, we take meals to our children's teachers. This year we have two in elementary, so meals were taken to their families. This year, another son is in middle school and our daughter has moved to the high school building. Because Tipton is such a small school, some of our children's teachers overlap into both of those buildings, and maybe even into the elementary. For the middle school and high school teacher's meals, we choose two or three teachers to take to each year. This year we took to three of them, making a total of five family meals delivered.

This "First Day of School Meal" always consists of the same menu: lasagna (usually beef, but sometimes I do chicken for some - if I know they've liked it in the past), green beans, garlic bread, Chocolate Delight (called Pudding Cake, too) or Butterfinger Cake. Because all four of our children have gone or are going thru elementary here and have had the same teachers, the teachers know the meal is coming if they have one of our children - and they are very thankful for it! Thankfully today we didn't have conflicts that would cause us to be rushed getting the meals delivered. It was also a blessing this year that most of them lived close. Only one lived out in the country about 10 miles, but it wasn't 30 minutes away as some in the past have been.

Maybe a whole meal is too much for you to think of doing, but you would like to do something simpler. It's easy in a small town to deliver meals because you know where everyone lives. This would be hard to accomplish in a larger city or metroplex area. My sister does something neat for her children's teachers. I believe it's on their birthday or maybe Valentine's Day (can't remember, but the day doesn't matter!). She makes them a meal served on a plate and delivers it to them at school. I remember her saying that she also takes a flower in a vase as a decoration during the teacher's meal.

Treating others by delivering them food, sending a special card. or a note of encouragement is a great way to serve others. Jesus said in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." We can serve others just as Jesus did. It doesn't have to be something big. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. It just needs to be done from our heart - a servant's heart!

Serving others in this way is just one more way we can "Shine Like Stars".

I am always looking for new ways to serve others...ideas that can be used by our elementary PTO (Parent/Teacher Organization), the 4-H club, or just ideas for my own family. Do you have any ideas to share? Let me know!

Wash My Feet?

Last Sunday I taught the Pre-K and Kindergarten class about Jesus washing the disciples' feet, from John 13:3-17. They had never heard the story and thought it sounded really strange! The Bible-times house in this picture was made for VBS and used during that week by the teacher teaching the 2 and 3 year olds, so it made a perfect house for this lesson.

One by one I washed each of the children's feet, explaining how in Bible times feet would get really dirty by walking on the dirt roads and wearing sandals. By the end of the lesson, the children understood that Jesus was teaching the disciples to be servants to others. We talked about how the children could serve others during the next week.

My husband did a teen devotional several years ago and washed their feet. Most of them were very hesitant at first and thought it was really strange. Because it's such an odd thing for us to think about doing in our day, it's a great lesson to teach as an object lesson. We can't imagine going up to people and asking them if we can wash their feet or someone asking to wash our feet, can we? But if we are going to follow Christ's example, we must willing to humble ourselves and serve others. Jesus showed humility by doing one of the lowliest of tasks in His time.

How can you humble yourself during this week? What is a "lowly" task you can do for someone else? I challenge you to find a way to serve as Jesus taught His disciples by washing their feet - with humility and a servant's heart. Remember that in your service, you are serving Jesus.

Let's Eat!

Today our congregation fed the junior high and high school students as well as the school faculty at Tipton Schools. This is the 2nd year we've hosted the cookout.

Many church members donated money to pay for food supplies for the cookout. Some made cookies and brownies. Some donated hamburger meat. Some brought other food supplies. Some cooked on the grills. Some helped set up. Some helped clean up. Some helped serve during the student's lunch time.

Today was a beautiful day for the cookout and everyone enjoyed eating outside on such a pleasant day.

Approximately 200 students and adults were served today. No one went away hungry!

One of the duties of the church is to serve others. These students and faculty weren't needy. They could have eaten in the school cafeteria like they do every other weekday. But, today they saw Christians being servants as Christ's example shows throughout the Gospels.

If your gift is serving others, serve them well.

Romans 12:7

Make Me A Servant

Today I was able to visit one of my favorite places - Quartz Mountain Christian Camp (QMCC)! The Sojourners are an organized group of volunteers who travel in RV's, working at various places throughout the country. They come to QMCC every year at this time. In a few weeks some of them will be coming to Tipton to work at Tipton (Children's) Home. We always look forward to seeing them again.

I had signed up to cook lunch for them today and have for the past five or six years. My menu is always the same: beef and chicken lasagna, green beans, garlic bread, Pudding Delight, and Butterfinger Cake. They are always hungry and ready to eat! Some of the Sojourner's had been to QMCC before, so I had met them, but many had not. It's always fun to find out what states the Sojourners are from and ask them questions about themselves. There are a total of 27 people there during this two week span at QMCC.

Each year when I look around at what these volunteers are doing, I am amazed! Almost all of them are retired, but some spend their time off from work and their vacations doing a "Sojourn". Some have even sold their homes and gotten rid of everything. That RV is "Home, Sweet Home". These Christian brothers and sisters spend their time helping others - serving others.

They cook. Some of the ladies had baked 3,000 cookies during their time at QMCC. The cookies are frozen for summer camp sessions this summer!

They clean. Last year an 80-year-old woman was on TOP of a ladder cleaning windows!

They paint. A lady today was painting red "QMCC's" all over a wall! Later she would be painting the whole wall red.

They sew. One year the ladies made 200 aprons for a ladies' retreat event QMCC was hosting later on in the year.

The men build, repair, install, and all sorts of things that I know nothing about, but am thankful they do!

Every spring I go to QMCC to "serve" the Sojourners a meal, but I always come away from the Sojourners feeling that I have been "served". Their service to God and to others is uplifting and encouraging.

Read the words to this song:

"Make me a servant, Lord, make me like you.

For you are a servant, make me one, too.

Make me a servant...do what you must do...

To make me a servant, Lord, make me like you."

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11

I would like to challenge you, as well as myself, to find a way to serve someone today and every day. It's one more way to "Shine Like Stars"!

Deepen Discipleship

PART 4 - HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
Flowers pollinate. That’s how they multiply and grow. But how does pollination work? Well, it all begins in the flower. Flowering plants have several different parts that are important in pollination. If the flowers have those parts then they can successfully help make other flowers. Only 10% of flowering plants are able to pollinate without animals or bugs or assistance from people. Those 10% of plants, pollinate by wind or water. God, as our awesome creator, made flowers to be this way. God, as our creator, also made us this way.

Remember when Jesus called the apostles? What did he say to them? “Come and follow me” it tells us in the first part of Matthew 4:19. As a child of God we are also disciples. By definition, a disciple is a follower, one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. The end of Matthew 4:19 says “and I will make you fishers of men.“ A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and assists in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Just like the pollen of a flower is transferred to another flower, God’s Word is taken from us to someone else.

Jesus wants us to be fishers of men - just like he wanted those first disciples to be. We want to be children of God, we want to abide in Jesus, we will even read His Word, but we sometimes we tend say, “God, I can’t go….I can’t tell... I can‘t fish!!”

ONE TRUTH TO REMEMBER: THE GREAT COMMISSION IS FOR ME!!

That is a command that Jesus gave to us through God’s inspired Word. We will never do God’s Will if we are not fulfilling our purpose as His disciples. Jesus wants us to be His true disciples and follow him daily. Luke 9:23 "The he said to them all: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

He doesn’t say deny yourself and follow me when you want to. He doesn’t say "deny yourself and follow me when it is convenient to". He doesn’t say "deny yourself and follow me when you get everything else done". Jesus wants us today, tomorrow and every day of our lives.

My husband attended a workshop last year where one of the speakers made this statement: "Many people are church "goers", not "Christ’s disciples"." Many people in the church today believe that all there is to being a child of God is regularly attending every worship service....thinking that is all there is to being faithful to the Lord. While attendance is very important in our service to God, there are so many more things that are just as important as we strive to abide in Jesus.

Many people, after they retire, decide to quit teaching classes, quit helping out in various ways with church activities, they quit being involved with the church. But what does the Bible say? When does the Bible says we should retire? WHEN WE DIE!! We can still be Christ’s faithful disciple up until the very end of our lives. Our service may change, who we serve may change, but we will still be serving. We will still be Christ's disciple.