A Significant Summer: Growing In Wisdom

I will be the first to admit: setting summer goals for the kids is much more difficult than setting goals for myself.

It is easy to know what I need to work on, need to pursue or need to cut out.

Being responsible for three little boys is such an honor.

But a brain-teaser, still.

I have been praying...show me Lord. What do these little men need this summer?

God pointed me to Luke 2:52. Christ's responsibilities as an adolescent are summed up in this verse.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men.

So an overall look at my summer goals for the boys?

1. Spiritual: Wisdom
2. Physical: Stature
3. Relational: Favor with God and men.

Today let's look at...

Spiritual Goals: Wisdom

Last summer, I confess, I may have bombarded my children with a fun summer curriculum.

As we all know too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

This summer I am keeping it very simple.

Grab your Bible, this is good... Deuteronomy 6:5-7

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise.

Matthew 22:38 calls this the great and first commandment. Notice the first thing Moses says to do after giving this command: Put these words in your heart.

And next: Teach them diligently to your children.

I am hearing the Lord say, Becky put my Word in your heart first. Then teach them to the boys diligently.

Diligently: (shanan) to inculcate anything on one. To sharpen. To teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions.

Raise a hand if you feel as if you repeat the same thing to your kids over and over and over and over and...

Well, mom, very Biblical of you! The Lord instructs us to be diligent. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Our job as parents? According to Deuteronomy 6?

Sharpen our children with the Word of God by repetition.

When you are sitting at your house.

When you are walking.

When you are lying down.

And when you rise.

That just about sums it up, wouldn't you say?

I wanted the boy's spiritual summer goals to reflect this verse.

So at breakfast, when they rise, we will have devotional.

And this is my choice:



Sarah Young's, Jesus Calling For Kids

There is a reason this is the hot item right now. Because it is hot. Holy Fire hot. I love it.

(They are sold just about everywhere.)

At bed, when they lie down, we will read a Bible story, straight up. We have the Adventure Bible.

And when we walk by the way, throughout our summer, the Lord will be a part of our moment-to-moment, always.

This is where it is important for me to have His Word written on my heart.

For out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks. Luke 6:45b

I cannot teach what I do not know. Period.

And also, as we walk by the way, we will be doing summer activities that ThrivingFamily.com has emailed me to try and blog about. That will start in June. How fun!!!

Thoughts?

What are your summer goals?

Visit my friend, Kristen's, blog to see how she is planning her family's Significant Summer.

If you are planning one, send me your link. I'd LOVE to share.