anyways, here's PART 3! it has 10 points, but they are worthy, and no, my pastor's message was not long! if for some reason, you're new to britt's busy days, welcome first off! and secondly, this post is a continuation of my pastor's series of messages about family. as promised ... part 3 ....
"Whom will you and your family serve?"
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
- 10 - Children are disciplined with love and consistency - "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Proverbs 22:15 now this doesn't mean go beating your kids. it means when you see them acting up, doing whats wrong - let them know! correct them! God, our Heavenly Father does that for us everyday! HE alone paid our debt for every little thing we do wrong. HE corrects us, loves us, and is consistent. HE doesn't just do it today, not tomorrow, and then picks back up next week. My parents did great on this ; )
- 9 - Money is managed wisely and discussed openly- i can remember asking for something near Christmas time once, and my precious mother said, "i'm sorry sweetie, i don't have the money. just wait til Christmas." my childlike faith replied,"but you have checks mommy". i remember my mother telling me all about checks and what they cost that day. lol! my precious mother is so patient. i'm so not like her lol! money is the root of all evil - GOD's word tells us that too. so don't talk to your family in a bragging way about what you have. make sure your treasures are stored up in Heaven - Matthew 6:19-21
- 8 - Everyone shares household tasks - "I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down." 2 Kings 21:13 yes! that's right ladies! GOD gives the men instructions,well and the women, how to wash dishes! i know some of my church family has been using this on their spouses and kids ; ) i know i'm single, and who am i to give marriage advice .. but im all about having a cleaned and an organized home. i do my part! i think it's very important for not just one person of a family to solely take care of the home. a home is made up of more than one person.
- 7 - The family has to learn to cope with adversity - adversity is something my parents despise of my siblings and me. oops! it happens, it shouldn't, but it does. it makes us humans. it should also make us closer to each other and GOD. a family that fights and uses angry words is not living according to GOD's plan.
- 6 - Family members laugh together - "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 - if your family cant' laugh with/at each other, there needs to be some searching. laughter, a smile even, can change a person's whole day! laugh, enjoy your family. you only have them for a little while ....
- 5 - Each person is treated with respect and kindness - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as CHRIST GOD forgave you." Ephesians 4:32 - this is something my parents have preached at us kiddos, because, if we're all honest, it's fun to argue with your siblings. ok, maybe not fun, but it happens. it shouldn't but it does. it does mainly because your family are the people who are going to love you no matter what! they know exactly how, when, why and what will push your "buttons". unconditional love is the love families should have for each other. and we should let them know it. not just by telling them, but by showing them.
- 4 - Time for family activities is a priority - ive had friends tell me i wouldn't understand having a difficult family life because i have the perfect one. that's a lie! no one is perfect! my family is not, your's is not! i remember my dad forgot "doughnuts for dads" when i was in the 5th grade. when my mother reminded him, you would've thought he had been beaten!i got a cat, ellie mae, out of the deal. and no, getting a cat -who both my dad and i were highly allergic too - didn't make me feel loved by my dad. it was the only thing i can think of he missed in my life. i don't know what it's like to have the ride the school bus, or go to practice without one of my parents taking me. my family still makes time for each other every thursday night for family night. it's a night i highly cherish! it's truly a God given gift! my family is NOT perfect! maybe later i will share some things, and the "thing" that still hangs over us to get us to where we are today. but know this. we are who we are because of WHOs we are! (ok, so that part wasn't exactly part of the message but it applies)
- 3 - The Family eats and talks together - ok, so i kind of included 4 & 3. but it's so amazing,especially now since we got a huge! dining room table, to sit at the TABLE! yes, that big,thick, heavy piece of wood with four legs on it - and talk with your family over dinner. it's something my family has always tried to do. we were a very busy family, and it didn't always happen. it's always been a big deal to mom, super cooker ; D, so when she realized how crazy we were all becoming - my sisters senior year of high school, we started having breakfast together every single morning! sometimes it would be just cereal. but we prayed together, talked, ate, laughed, argued, sometimes even cried. mornings i will never forget ...
- 2 - Love is expressed everyday - it is so very important to daily tell those you love, that you love them. i fail at this daily. i take it for granted that my parents know this. every morning when i leave for work, i holler to my mom, "bye mom." she always replies, "bye sweetie, have a good day, be careful!" now, after this message we're adding "i love you". i love that my parents love me unconditionally, just as our Heavenly Father does. "Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:8
- 1 - Jesus Christ is the glue of the family! - if CHRIST is not the center of your family, i pray you will allow HIM to be! without HIM, we are nothing. my family would have been destroyed years ago without HIM. HIS mercy,grace, forgiveness, and love is much more than amazing!
hope you enjoy! God bless
"God , who has called you into fellowship with HIS Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthian 1:9
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