It is truly an amazing thing to be a parent. It may not always feel amazing, but it always is amazing. I’ve lately been looking into my family heritage and I’ve been touched by the things I’ve found. I’ve found Christians and pagans, rulers and slaves, individuals who changed the world and others who let the world change them. I’ve been struck by the variety and also the similarities. Probably few of those I have researched ever imagined that some quirky descendant hundreds of years after them would be reading their life story on Wikipedia! That’s one of those amazing things about having children: Legacy.

Truly the Psalmist said it aright when he penned that, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord” and they are “like arrows in the hands of a warrior.” After all, what exactly do arrows in the hands of a warrior do but go beyond that warrior? They shoot from the warrior’s position and accomplish what the warrior cannot from his location. They are more than knife or sword that stay with the warrior. They fly from the hands reaching places we cannot reach and perhaps never even imagined.

I don’t know about you, but that’s what I want for my children. I want to them to go beyond me, to accomplish more than I have, to experience more of all God has for them. But why is it that so many only seem to repeat history? I’m afraid a good amount of the responsibility could go to the warrior. After all, he was the one who was aiming and shooting. While children eventually have all the responsibility for what they chose to do in life, the warrior has some responsibilities while the arrow is still in his hands!

The Arrow. While we are not expecting to release perfect “arrows” or children, we need to be inspecting them and, to the best of our ability, be smoothing out the barbs and flaws we can see. Of course, we are not God and we are dependent on Him to do the heart-work in our children, but we are responsible to help our children in being prepared to fly — not only in the natural areas, but also the spiritual. We need to be the ones instructing our children in righteousness. We need to be seeking the Lord, listening for Him to tell us what He wants us to work on with our children. When my arrows fly off the bow, I want them to fly straight, not wavering because they were not smoothed well by me.

The Target. Where are our arrows flying to? Are we just releasing them without aiming them, hoping they will hit something … anything? We need to be training and encouraging our children in the direction they are headed. Again, this needs to be our focus not just in the natural, but also the spiritual. Does your child have a career aspiration you can help him/her develop? Does your child have a ministry calling you can help him/her launch? What are your child’s hopes for the future? What are his/her spiritual gifts? Your children will go far when they are released with purpose!

The Shot. When shooting a bow and arrow, we must have sure footing, careful aim, strength to go the distance and the skill to let go at the proper time. What is the foundation you are standing on as you shoot your arrows? When we have a foundation other than the Word of God, we will be shooting in vain. What is your aim? Speak words of life and hope over your children. Do you have the strength? When we are too busy and distracted to take aim and shoot with purpose and strength, I’m not sure we can expect to hit the target or even send the arrow flying. Are you ready to release? Releasing either too soon or too late will negatively affect your arrow’s flight. Release too soon and it won’t fly far. Release too late and it will drop at your feet.

Yes, being a parent is amazing. So much hangs on what we do. There is so much purpose and calling locked up in each child and the Lord calls upon us to help release it! I want my children to be instruments of change in the world. That’s what legacy is all about. So fly, my arrows, FLY!

SCRIPTURE:

“For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just.” Genesis 18:19

FUN IDEA OF THE QUARTER:

Okay, I know the idea of a Family Night has been hammered into our American thinking, but it’s an idea that is so good, it deserves revisiting. Sometimes, things get so hectic that it can be the first thing to be sacrificed, but we need to stand our ground and refuse to allow it to be stolen from us! Family Nights are a vital time to reconnect and spend time in camaraderie.

We recently found out that one of our children hates to play games! We were astounded as this is what our family time has generally revolved around. Although we will never give up playing games (if we gave up everything one member of the family dislikes, we’d never do anything!), she can look forward to having an equal opportunity to choose what we do – and she can learn to cope with the likes of others!

Try fishing around for new ideas for your Family Nights if they have gotten a bit stale. Find a new card game on the internet for free or purchase a new board game. Try getting together with another family for games once in a while. What about a walk around the neighborhood followed by a fun movie? Can you bake together? Brainstorm ideas as a family! And have FUN!!!

Permission granted by Tim and Ami Loper of Miracle Books.

Appetite, we have all experienced it. Even now as I write this section, my mind drifts to the pleasant memory of last night’s din­ner. There is a tempting slice of pizza left over and while I realize that I’m not really hungry, my memory tells me that the taste of mozzarella is something I would really enjoy, even though I had breakfast an hour ago. So how is it that our tummy says “No” to food, but our pleasure senses scream, “Bring it on”? That’s what appetite does. Appetite does not respond to need but to want. It’s a pleasure sensation, triggered by the sight, smell and memory of the plea­sure of food.

Unfortunately, we tend to interchange the words, hunger and appetite as if they mean the same thing. They don’t because they are two completely different biological processes. Hunger is a physical sensation. It is a response caused by a drop in blood sugar, which in turn sends a message to the brain calling for more food. Appetite on the other hand, is external and driven by desire, regardless of actual need.

How does this apply to toddlers and mealtime? If you’re the type of mother who is concerned that your child will not get enough food, there is a tendency to allow the child’s appetite to control what you serve rather than his actual hunger. You place scrambled eggs in front of your two-year-old, who rejects them outright — even though they were fine yesterday. So you ask, “Would you like toast instead?” When your toddler hesitates, you then say, “Okay, how about toast with a little jam on it?”

Wait! Who is in control here? Is it Mom or the child’s appetite? There will always be a time for fun foods, but when they are served to the point that Mom is no longer making the food decisions, then she fosters an unwelcome mealtime habit — the unpredictable spirit of the ‘picky eater’.

Because the health and safety of children is a big concern for parents, one simple way to keep your toddler safe in parking lots, or anywhere else when Mom’s attention is divided, is to direct your child to place his hand on the car. Using the phrase “hands on car” provides a concrete meaning to “don’t move” and is much more effective than Mom constantly repeating, “stay close to the car”, “stand still” or “stop”.

To facilitate the learning process and to make it fun for the child, you may consider placing a sticker of their favorite charac­ter such as Elmo, Pooh Bear, or Thomas the Train on the car, and then direct your son or daughter to place their hand on the sticker. We suggest you begin this training by practicing at home, in the safety of your own driveway.

“Hands on car” is another form of self-control and one that can be easily trans­ferred to other venues where you need your child to be still and safe. “Hands on the shopping cart”, “Hands on the counter” and “Hands on Mommy”, are all simple phrases your toddler can understand and obey. The small investment of time you put into this training can pay big dividends when it comes to the health and safety of your child.

Watching a wide-eyed toddler smile as Dad gently blows the tuft of silky hair of spring’s last dandelion heavenward and then, seeing the spontaneous clapping of little hands, bears witness to the amazing reservoir of joy he has and gives. A toddler takes his mother’s hand and pulls her toward the toy box because he remembers the pleasure of yesterday’s play and wants to share another similar moment. When little hands pull a face close to touch noses or plant a kiss, a world of turmoil comes under the spell of a toddler’s love. Toddlers have a unique and powerful persuasive­ness about them. They enjoy a time of innocence and play, when the joy of one discovery simply melts into the next and when every waking moment has a new adventure waiting just around the corner. The second year of life is an amazing, spontaneous, engaging, yet challenging time for child. Because his mind is driven by curiosity and a tendency to try and rule the world with a smile or a scream, it becomes essential to consider the many influence shaping his life.

Over the next several post, we will take up a number of topics specifically targeting the wonderful world of toddlers and how Moms and Dads can keep their little person safe, on track developmentally, and pointed in the ‘way he should go’. Enjoy.

The new Toddlerhood Transition workbooks are now in the GFI warehouse and available for classes. The introductory price is $10.95. The introductory price for the newly released nine-part Toddlerhood Transition DVD series with two workbooks is $99.95 (The introductory sale is good through January 31, 2010. Save an additional five percent by ordering on line.)

We’re also in the process of revamping the GFI Leader’s Place. This is where leaders and facilitators can go to find additional class ideas, handouts, charts, forms, video run times, session summaries and sample clips from each of the nine Toddlerhood sessions. Do you have a question relating to the course work or from a student that you would like some help with or a second opinion? Our ministry support staff is available to leaders and would like to help. We’ll do everything we can to provide a timely and concise answer. Enjoy the New Year and your new ‘Toddlerhood Transition’ class.

December 12, 2009

Although the 2009 ‘Winter sale’ is over, the two family resources highlighted during the Christmas season continue to offer some great family values. We will continue to promote both over the next couple of weeks. First, there is the Mom’s Notes bookstore. We personally believe this is the best “little bookstore” on the Worldwide Web for at least two reasons. First, each book is reviewed for compatibility with the GFI curriculum and moral philosophy. That means you will not have to worry about any inappropriate content passing in front of the eyes of your children. Second, it provides a wide range of spiritual resources for all ages, from devotional books for your toddler to spiritual-life reading for Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa. Books always make a great gift.

Our second site is not tied to the GFI ministry per se, although it is very much tied to our hearts. Martin Chalk is a Growing Kids’ Dad, friend and more influentially, the worship leader at our church. His music is heard in churches all over the world. For us, each service is like going to a full ‘concert’ of praise and worship. His newest CD, ‘Always’ is now available.We know styles of music are a matter of personal preference and we respect different taste in styles, but for the Ezzos, Martin puts it all together beautifully. Visit Martin Here. www.MartinChalk.com