Parental Guidance Suggested

     In 2011 two of our married children had their first baby, which made my husband and I the proud grandparents of the most wonderful, beautiful little boys we could ever imagine. Carson and Micah are their names and wrapping PopPop and Meme around their proverbial finger is their game. All your life you hear how great it is being a grandparent. People say silly things like "If I would have known how much fun grandchildren were I would have had them first." I have to say these corny cliches are ever so true. Would you like to see pictures of our precious gems, hear stories perhaps of their incredible above average achievements? We are aptly prepared!

     We spent the better part of 25 years becoming strong enough to stand firm with our own three growing children, only to become instant mush-balls in the presence of two toddling grandsons! How did that happen? We certainly worked hard for all those years teaching, disciplining and loving our kids. Now, I cringe at the mere thought of saying "no" to these sweethearts. I've pondered at what caused this transformation in my parental form. Typically one might say that it is the opportunity to love unconditionally without the responsibility of parenting. There may be some truth in that, however, even though the parental responsibility for our grandsons falls squarely on the shoulders of their mama's and daddy's, their Meme and PopPop have some important responsibilities of our own regarding the growth and development of these little ones hearts and minds.

     In a sense children are like little league baseball players. And parents are the coaches. A coach is there to teach, guide and direct them as they are learning to become the best they can. Then as grandparents we get to be a bit more like cheerleaders, encouraging them with great enthusiasm, proudly displaying that we are on their team...win or lose! And occasionally getting the privilege to be called in by the coaches for special consults. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

     As a Christian our responsibility toward one another is quite similar. In fact Jesus left us a specific guideline for how He wants this carried out. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 . Teaching others requires you to be have some knowledge about what you are teaching. And in the case of the Christian life that means getting to know The Creator God.This is the purpose for which we were created. Have you met Jesus? Do you want to know Him better? It's a journey like that of a parent and child. He wants to be your Father, to teach, guide and love you through this life. He is available; always.

    

Creating a New Me

We all come from very different backgrounds. Some may say they come from a Christian heritage while others have no history of Christianity in their family, and still others find themselves in some variation between the two. The people we minister to also have a variety of backgrounds that we should be mindful of as we seek to direct them in a path of righteousness. The beauty of our walk with the Lord is that He has equipped us very specifically in ways He can use us. Our experiences throughout our life bring us to where we are and have given us very particular knowledge to care for the needs of those in our circle of influence. Isn’t God good?

If asked that question about my Christian heritage I would say on one hand that I came from a very strong one. Both of my parents grew up in the Baptist Church, their fathers were deacons and both made a profession of faith at some point in their childhood. On one side our family was gospel singers and on the other side several ordained ministers.  However, once my parents married they no longer attended church. Apparently even though they didn’t choose to attend themselves they valued our attendance because they would send us children to church sporadically, and when we were often my brother and I would find a church bus and head to church. I can remember one of my earliest memories of being on a church bus was receiving a ten commandment charm bracelet after faithfully attending for ten weeks. I was so excited about receiving it and still own it nearly 38 years later! It was around that time that two men from the church came to my home and explained to me that I was a sinner and my need for a Savior. That is the moment I met Jesus and began a relationship with Him through repenting of my sins and accepting His forgiveness and grace.

The important thing to note is not whether we have a family history of Christianity or church, but whether at some point we have made a decision to surrendered our heart to Christ. The Bible tells us “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved….for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Romans 10:9 & 13 (NIV)

This is not just for some but for all. We are all sinners. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us of all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8-9 (NIV)

And as a result our lives should be continually changing. “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

Emergency Broadcast System:

Every so often if you listen to the radio you will hear that unmistakable “Beep…BEEP…BEEP…this is a test of the emergency broadcast system, this is ONLY a test; If this had been a real emergency…blah, blah, blah.” If you’re like me there is that split second with those beeps that you hold your breath and wonder, is this real thing? In that moment, before the relief of learning it’s only a test, I tend to imagine some possible terrorist attack, nuclear bomb, or even a good old fashioned gargantuan sized storm about to crash down upon us. In moments like those of possible impending danger it’s extremely easy to put in perspective all things in your little world. The first thoughts may be something like; where are my children, spouse, grandchildren, etc. Have they heard the emergency? Can I get word to them quickly? All of a sudden the importance of where you may be going, the tasks you thought were pressing to achieve and even the burdens of a daily routine could pale in comparison to the possibility of an emergency. Imagine if you can how that moment could change our lives forever. Would we be willing to reschedule that important appointment, offer forgiveness to someone who has hurt us, and make time to do something for someone else with no hope of anything in return?

God has a message for us today. And it is much more important than anything we could hear through the Emergency broadcast system.  That message should make us stop, and listen. It should compel us to evaluate everything in our lives, putting each component in proper perspective according to God’s plan. In Romans 10:9 (NLT) “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” & verses 14-17 “ But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring Good News!” But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, Lord who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

As we begin to look out into the realm of the unknown of 2013, can we put things in their proper order of importance? We all can use some adjusting in this area of our lives. Are you sure about your relationship with the creator of the Universe? Are you even aware that a relationship can exist? Hear the message today, respond to His call on your life, and be changed for eternity. God Bless!