Do Not Operate Before Reading Instructions

"But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." Luke 6:49(NIV)

Christmas day has come and gone and we as parents are now responsible for toy construction. If your children are a bit older you maybe blessed to no longer have to partake in this post holiday activity but I am sure you can relate with those of us who do. We must condition our minds, and pray for patience as we try to decifer the often vague, never clear, and mostly confusing instructions that come along with toys. Don't even get me started on the instructions that only seem to have pictures on them, what are you supposed to do with those?

As I prepare my own mind for the not so fun task of toy construction, I started to see the similarities of toy construction and life construction, and repair.

1) For instance, toys are usually packaged in a nice little box until we one day we dump all the pieces in order to start our construction. Much like the toys pieces we are housed in our mother's womb until we are birthed "dumped out" into the world and our life construction begins.

2) Although we have a picture on the outside of the box as an example of what the finished toy should look like the mess that comes out of the box never really looks like much of anything as it lays in pieces on the living room floor. Much like how we can sometimes find ourselves in a whirl wind of emotional chaos and confusion often times ending up in "pieces" on our living room floors.

3) One can negate from the instructions that are provided for proper toy construction and still end up with a "nice looking" final product, however, unless you follow the directions line by line the end result will never be as strong, or operate exactly as the toy creator intended. There is a guide that is available to us, 'The Holy Bible' the bible is God's instruction manual for our lives. We might "look nice" and can pass as "fully functional" but we will never reach our full potential or function within the purpose for which we are created until we read and follow the instructions line by line.

Some might ask how I can be so sure that following God's instruction will make their life better. To them I say "what do you have to loose?" You know how life can be if you don't read the instructions. I pose a challenge to read and follow God's word for 30 days see how your life can be changed.

As parents we are held responsible by God to teach our children how to become strong men and women of God and to instill in them the importance of God's word along with His instructions for their lives. How do we complete that task if we as parents aren't truly following it? Nobody is perfect and we all fall short but the more we study and apply God's word to our lives the more it consumes your heart.

Lets all agree to strengthen our study and become better "construction" workers starting today.

Heart Verses

Love the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his command always. Deuteronomy 11:1(NIV)

If you remain in me and my words remain in you ask whatever you wish and it will be given. John 15:7(NIV)

God Bless,

Spirited Parents

Saved? - Invite Jesus to come into your life today

Romans 10:9-11(NIV) - "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 it is with your heart that you believe and you are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Forgiveness

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21, 22 NIV

This last month has been somewhat of a challenge for me. I have had to face a reality that I had comfortably been putting off for sometime now. My child’s father has moved back to the state we live in. My emotional life was a lot easier to deal with since he lived miles away. However, upon his return I was now faced with the not so easy task of “in your face” co-parenting. I have to look at him every time he picks our child up and drops her off. I had to show him the Saturday activities routine which meant we all had to occupy the same space for more than 5 minutes. Since he had been gone for 3 years I thought I had come to good place being a single parent. Since he was living out of state I really didn’t have to deal with him, only via phone and when he came to pick-up our child on his occasional visits. This also meant I didn’t have to deal with all the other emotional scars that had formed as a result of our break-up, and the reality that we have to still function for the sake of our daughter. The past couple of weeks have been very “new” and interesting to say the least. I had to come to terms with some things that I thought I was over, mostly anger with myself and with him regarding the outcome of our situation.

This scripture in Matthew kept filling my mind…I know I had to forgive him for the hurt and anger I was still holding on to, but the harder part was that I had to forgive myself. As I mediated over the scripture I began to ask, how can I forgive my brother seventy-seven times and I can’t even forgive myself once. I found myself having unhealthy thoughts about how I ended up at this place in my life, at this age, and with this much education (you know the rest)… What if I would have done this differently or made a better choice at that time. All these thoughts weren’t helpful at all. In fact they were only taking me in a direction that was taking me nowhere fast.

Then I started to focus on the fact that I needed to strive for a feeling of peace with the past and my present for the betterment of my future. So I began to think about how much better my life would be if I didn’t have to carry all these burdens that I was carrying that I really can’t change. I prayed on it for awhile and was able to focus on three things that God needed me to do in order for me to move to the place of peace that He has for me.

1) Repent for my sins (1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sins, he if faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I had to self examine and be truthful to myself and Jesus about the areas of my life and this situation where I know I had sinned.
2) Forgive myself (1 John 3 18-20) “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than out hearts, and he knows everything.” Once you have repented and received forgiveness from God. Let it go, once you have asked for God’s forgiveness it is given and that is all that matters. No need to continue to be harder on yourself then God is on you.
3) Forgive your brother[sisters] (Matthew 18:21,22)

After completing these steps we can then be free to love better & stronger. Allowing us to be better parents to our children, co-parents with our exes, and just better over all people. Let us see how much easier life can be if we learn to continue to seek forgiveness from God, ourselves, and each other.

Little Treasures

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee."

Williams George Jordan



I can remember the when I first held my daughter in my arms after giving birth. I felt as if I was holding such a HUGE gift in such a small package. At that moment the world seemed to stop and all my worries seem to disappear in an instant it seemed as if nothing else even mattered. In the upcoming days, weeks, months, and years that feeling seemed to quickly fade after I received doctor bills, hospital bills, needed to buy diapers and formula, and four months later found myself to be a single parent.

It seemed as if my biggest accomplishment was rapidly becoming my biggest burden. I could not see past the need to meet all my daughter’s needs. I was always so worried about how I was going to provided that it began to consume all my thoughts. I found myself so wrapped up into what I needed to do next, that I was no longer taking the time to enjoy the reason I was working so hard, my daughter. I would come home from work make dinner turn on her favorite video, and begin job #2 building my business. I would spend hours researching, trying to build vendor lists, and book clients that I had forgotten to invest in the one thing that would bring me the biggest reward. I had forgotten that one day she will be a great and mighty woman of God, with a family, of her own, and if I don’t accomplish another thing in my life, then that is enough.



“He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. Proverbs 14:26(NIV)

Spirited Parents

Okay.. so the last two posts were basically thoughts I was having on the days that I posted them. Things that were just pressing my spirit that I really just needed to get out.

I will now give you just a little foresight on the purpose of this blog. In my heart I want to create a forum that inspires other single parents to address thoughts and feelings that may be burdening them. As parents we aren't perfect although it seems that we don't have much room for errors. The paths that we take effect not only our lives but the lives of our children. Its okay if you don't always get it right, just pray and ask God to help guide you, and to help use your present situations to shape a much better future. I want to encourage you all to just bring your burdens to Jesus and he will see you through. Often it seems like something that is much easier said then done. Trust me I have been there. I am not saying I get it right every time I am saying that I am striving everyday to get better. I am challenging you to take the challenge as well. I promise your parenting and outlook on life will never be the same once you give all to Jesus.

I also, want this blog to be a resource center. I will try my best to research multiple resources that can help assist you in your single parenting on a daily basis from coupons to scholarships, and all that falls in between.

Finally, and most importantly I will post updates, information, and inspiration as God leads me.

My prayer is that you are blessed by the information that you receive here, and that you can pass it onto others.

God bless,

Spirited Parents

Say My Name

“He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame” Proverbs 18:13(NIV)

As single parents we often become overwhelmed with being the only go to person in the house (at least I do). For the last two days I have been home with my daughter because both my main sitter and the back up sitter took off the same week (how did I let that happen LOL!). I think she called my name 1 million times per day. I was getting so annoyed. At one point I even responded don’t call my name again! Before I even listened to what she wanted. I felt soooo convicted afterward. As I watched her facial expressions change, and her eyes fill-up I wished so badly that I could take that moment back.

I prayed and asked God for the patience to deal with my own daughter. I seem to be able to tolerate the clients, my supervisors, friends, and even strangers but when it comes to the only person that truly matters most I had no tolerance left. God pointed out in away that only He can that He is a single parent too… There is only ONE True & Living God who is the father of us all. Which makes him the Ultimate Single Parent! As his children we call his name all day every day for big things and small, in good times and in bad. What if He told us Don’t Call Me Anymore! Where would that leave us? I am guessing we would be very lost, and misguided.

My goal is not to be annoyed by the million times my daughter calls my name but to embrace it. To look at it as a blessing I am doing my job so well in her sight that she comes to me for all her needs.

Points To Ponder

Are you slowly creating an environment within your home where your children can’t say your name?

Ask God to help you become more patient when it comes to addressing the ongoing needs of your children. No matter how big or small they might be. Seek his hand in helping you create an inviting environment no matter what age your children are.

Acts 4:12(NIV)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

God Bless,

Spirited Parents

Reflections

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he[she] is old he[she] will not turn from it" Proverbs 22:6(NIV)

The reality of this scripture became very real to me last night. My 3 year old daughter and I were at Wednesday night service and I am watching her looking up at me making sure she is clapping her hands when I do, and lifting her hands as I do, she was even repeating my praises as I sang them. As the sermon continued she began to repeat the "turn to your neighbor" prompt that the minister instructed the congregation to repeat.

As I was driving home it began to sink in that not only do I have to train my daughter with words, and discipline, but also with my actions and the environments that I expose her to. She absorbs all that I am the good and the bad.

So really I began to understand and realize that I need to train myself in the foundation and principles that God has instructed all of us through his word. As I train myself my daughter will learn that if she puts God first, and delight herself in Him He will supply all her needs.

I also began to examine my own upbringing and the Godly example that my mother set for me and I realized that though I may have went my own way for a period, I found my way back to the Godly principals that I was exposed to as child, youth, and young adult. I know that everyone didn't have the same upbringing as I did, but its never to late to change your life and the life of your children, and their children. Allow the change to begin with you.


In order to raise a generation that is founded in the principles and laws of God, and that births adults that are not afraid to follow his instruction we must first line ourselves up with God's law and our children will follow.

As humans were are not perfect, but it must be our goal to become less flesh and more of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis.

Remember its never to late to start. You can ask God to come into your heart at anytime, anywhere you are. Why not today?

Points To Ponder

Think about the environment you are creating for your children. Are there things that you can you remove from it to create a more Christ centered foundation? Begin to pray and ask God for strength and direction to help remove any hinderences from you life.

Deuteronomy 4:9(NIV)
"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."


God Bless.

Spirited Parents