Spiritual Journey 2012

This year I took on many challenges that helped me grow closer to God and to others.  Here are a few Bible studies and other spiritual growth opportunities that I took part in this year.

*Good Morning Girls-
Ephesians
Proverbs 31 Woman
Colossians
Advent


*Memorizing Scripture with Do Not Depart
Romans 8
John 1:1-14
Proverbs 31: 10-31 (with my GMG Bible study)


*Read the Bible
I read the Bible in 90 Days with Mom's Toolbox.


*Hello Mornings
Accountability group for mornings- God, Move, Plan
Register for the Winter Challenge on January 16th.  The challenge is from Jan 28- Apr 26.
If you are someone who wants to better plan your mornings, have quiet time with God, exercise and make a good plan for the day, this is for you!


What I plan to do for 2013:

This year I will continue to do Bible study with Good Morning Girls.  This winter we are studying Luke 1-8.  I am excited to memorize more Scripture with Do Not Depart starting this January: Psalm 71.  I will continue to connect with  my Hello Mornings group and I am going to read through the New Testament from the calendar on my Weekly Household Planner.

I also participate in Warrior Prayers and 31 Days of Prayers for Girls.  I honestly want to spend more time with God in prayer and I will earnestly seek God during my SOAP studies as I want to follow God with my whole heart!

What Bible studies and Spiritual growth opportunities do you participate in?

Good Morning Girls- Advent Study: Keeping Our Heart Focused on Jesus

Do you need some refreshment during a busy Christmas season? Check out Good Morning Girls and join the Bible study for Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus during Advent.  Free materials will be available on the blog on November 12 (today!).  Materials include a Bible reading plan, SOAP printables, Christmas devotionals, traditions, recipes and more!  Please consider spending time in God's Word this Christmas season!

To join the study be sure to subscribe to Good Morning Girls to get all of your printables by email.  Set up your journal, do your daily study and read the blog posts.  You can comment what you are learning on the blog or Facebook.  Or you can even create your own little group if you wish!

I'm Guest Posting at Good Morning Girls!

Hi everyone-  I wanted to let you know that I am over sharing a Word Study for Kids to coincide with Good Morning Girls Colossians Bible study!  I am very excited to be reading God's Word to my kids and I pray that you are doing that as well.  So jump on over and see what I have cooked up!  Thanks, Shonda

Good Morning Girls- Word Study for Kids: Where, What, Why, Write

Women in the Word Wednesday: The Armor of God Prayer

I have just about finished my Good Morning Girls study in the book of Ephesians.  I always love the last chapter that describes the armor of God.  Today as I was doing my study, I realized that I want to pray this for myself everyday and I could very well read it or memorize it, but I was prompted to write a prayer.

So here is the Armor of God Prayer based on Ephesians 6:14-17:

Dear Lord,

I put on the belt of truth to fend off lies from the devil.
I put on the breastplate of righteousness to keep my heart focused on living in God's Spirit.
I put on the Good News shoes of peace to maintain peace and connection with God.
I hold up the shield of faith to be strong against the temptations of the devil.
I put on the helmet of salvation because I am secure in my Savior.
And I take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God so I can use it to respond to any attack.
Protect me, Lord, from the evil one and in this armor I will stand firm.
Amen.

Motherhood- Studies to Pursue

Recently I just finished reading the series for moms by Joy Forney at Grace Full Mama called Cultivating a Heart for Motherhood. I was truly challenged to be a different mother!  I urge you to check it out!

Last summer I did a study with Good Morning Girls on Sally Clarkson's book The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children.  It was a an excellent resource to change my course in how I teach my children. This study includes videos from Sally.  I felt like she was right in the room being my mom mentor!  Check it out!

And now, I have discovered MomHeart Online by Sally Clarkson and today she made an announcement that she will be doing a study on The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity. I just purchased this book with a gift certificate and haven't had a chance to read it, but now I will and enjoy the community of other moms too!  The details will be announced next Thursday on MomHeart Online.

You will just love Sally's genuine heart.



I hope you check out some of these ideas. You will be blessed by the wisdom and also in the process learn about being a better mom!  I don't want to waste one minute of impacting my child's life for Christ.

How about you?  Do any of these studies look good to you?  What one do you want to do?  :)

Good Morning Girls Fall 2011

I have done many Bible studies over the years in small groups, one on one and by myself. As you know I thoroughly enjoy studying the Bible and I have a lot of fun interacting with other women and learning from then. I have been through many seasons in my life and right now I have 2 little ones at home. I like to do a lot of activities with my children that occur through the week like library story time, a free preschool program and various other things. I try to a lot of my outings during the day so that I can spend the evenings with my husband. Last winter I discovered Good Morning Girls which is an online accountability group. What a found really unique is that we study God's Word in a very personal way with the SOAP method. Right now I want to free up my mornings for my kids, so I have chosen to only do this Bible study this Fall. I'm so excited that we will be studying 1 John. I have a group of girls that I interact with on Facebook. I just want to invite you to check this out and get involved. You will really enjoy the way that Courtney and Angela have formed this Bible study. So watch this video and go over to Good Morning Girls and take a look around. Here are some posts to check out if you are interested:

*The Unveiling of the Fall Bible study
*Details about the 1 John Fall Bible study
Be sure the watch the videos in these posts!

Good Morning Girls: Giving the Gift of Faith Discussion Questions

 

1. Read Psalm 119:105.  According to this verse, what will give our children a proper foundation and guidance on their path of life?  In what ways does this apply to our calling as ministers to our children?

God's Word gives a proper foundation and guidance on the path of life.  I am the one to share God's Word with my children.  I want to show them how God's Word is a lamp and a light.  I want to daily be in God's Word by myself and with my children as I can know what God's Word says and to give those nuggets to my children.

2. Make a list of five things you could do to incorporate God's Word more effectively into your everyday family life.  Pick one item from the list and commit to applying it faithfully for six weeks.

Ways to incorporate God's Word effectively in everyday life: 

*Memorize Scripture- use Seeds Family Worship (like Seeds of Character (Vol. 6)) and Songs for Saplings

*Read Bible stories together- see my Summer Worship Series

*Act out Bible stories

*Review what was taught at church

*Pray Scripture over my children- 31 Biblical Virtues and Warrior Prayers

3. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God.  What circumstances has God recently allowed in your own life that call for faith?  In what ways are you modeling faith before the eyes of your children so that they are learning how to have faith in God?

Faith is something I crave more of, but the more I experience life, the more my faith has grown.  Recent events like my dad getting a heart stent, my husband getting a biopsy for possible cancer (it wasn't), my mom finding a lump (benign) and my grandma having health issues all came when I was pregnant and going through many emotions.  The best way I know how is to stop and pray and read Scripture.  I know I'll have many opportunities to demonstrate my faith to my children. 
 

4. Think of a time in the past that you have had to walk by faith but now look back to see what God has done.  Tell your children about this experience in the form of a bedtime story.

Once upon a time mommy had a job and daddy didn't.  Daddy hurt his back and couldn't work for awhile and was getting some money from the government.  Well, mommy was going to have a baby and really wanted to stay home.  So daddy had to find a job to take care of mommy and baby.  The money from the government was going to end and someone needed to work.  Well, God worked it out perfectly.  The same day daddy got the last check from the government was the day he was hired to work and mommy was able to stay home with the baby!
 

5. According to Ephesians 2:8, what does God say is the source of our salvation?  What does faith have to do with this?  Do your children understand that God's love is a free gift with no strings attached?  Plan out how to communicate this principle to them.

The source of our salvation is God's grace.  Faith is believing that God gives us this gift even though we don't deserve it.  There is no easy way to explain this because sometimes I feel I need to earn God's love.  I think the best way for my kids to understand this is for me to show my love for my kids no matter what and tell them that God gives his love to us despite the bad things we do.  The only free gift that is most valuable to our lives is salvation!

Good Morning Girls: Giving Your Children the Gift of Inspiration Discussion Questions

1. For each child in your household, write out a list of characteristics (personality traits, skills, interests, etc.) that you believe God can use for his purposes.

Shrade's traits (as of age 2)- helpfulness, praise and worship, attention to detail, loving, joyful, polite, friendly.

2. Referring to your lists you just made, write a letter to each child expressing what you see in him or her and affirming that God has a special place for that child in his kingdom purposes. Whether you share the letter with your child now or save it for a future time depends on your circumstances. Don't forget to commit this list to the Lord in prayer and specifically ask him for help in inspiring that child to use his or her gifts to help bring about God's kingdom.

Dear Shrade, I know you are young, but I can already see things that God has given you that I hope will become stronger as you grow older.  You have a very joyful and loving attitude.  You are very friendly and say hi to everyone you meet.  You accept people and everyone enjoys being around you.  You are also very helpful and you have very good manners like saying please and thank you.  You are very concerned about details and you always see things that we don't catch.  Best of all, I love that you sing praise and worship songs to God.  I pray that your heart will be drawn more and more to him.

3. Read Matthew 6:33. This passage is clear about what our priorities should be, but priorities easily become skewed in the course of daily life. Consider the way you spend your time and money. What does this say to your children about what is most important to you and is this the message you want to send? In light of this verse, should a mother's children be her first priority?

I admit that I'm a pretty selfish person and I don't daily take the time to make God or my children a top priority. Recently I've changed my morning schedule. I used to spend a lot of time on the computer, but now I'm trying to get things done before my son gets up (my shower!). I'm finding it hard to juggle an infant and toddler. But as I daily seek God I am changing my schedule more to reflect my priorities. I think in seeking God's kingdom and righteousness, my children are my first priority during the day.

4. Read Matthew 6:25-30 and Psalm 19:1. Then think of a time and place where you really felt the power and magnificence of God as displayed in the work of his creation. In the coming few weeks, be alert for opportunities to look, observe, ponder--and point out God's wonders to your children. Set a goal of saying, "Come, look!" at least once a day.

Every time I think of Mt. Rainier I feel the power and magnificence of God.  One time I was coming home from college (TN) on an evening flight.  I was sad not to be able to see the mountain.  I really missed it.  But circumstances on the flight changed and I ended up having to stay overnight in San Francisco.  The next morning as I flew home I got to see all of God's beautiful mountains and lakes.  God had answered my prayer and I will never forget that flight where I could see his creation.  Right now I'm looking for those opportunities to expose my children to God's majesty in nature.  Also,  I married a nature lover and he's taught me many things about appreciating the little things God has made. I've learned so much about plants and animals. I try to share these with my son too!

5. Read Matthew 9:36. Can you think of some fears or prejudices in your life or your particular culture that might keep you or your children from seeing people as Jesus did? (What kinds of people do you tend to shy away from or find hard to care about?) What might help you overcome these attitudes?

I think I fear criminals in our society. I think it is a healthy fear for the safety of myself and family. Other than that, I have learned to reach out and give to people regardless of who they are by watching the example of my generous and friendly husband.

Good Morning Girls: Give the Gift of Grace Discussion Questions

1. Read Romans 2:4.  According to this verse, what leads us to repent?  How specifically does God want you to extend his grace to your children so that his kindness through you will lead them to repentance?

I can extend his grace to my kids through kindness in my words and actions. As I model these, I also want to point them to God by referring to him often.

2. Read Mark 14:66-72 and 1 Peter 4:8.  Knowing that Christ gave Peter grace after he failed so miserably, how would he have you extend this kind of grace to your own children?  What would this look like in your daily interactions?

I need to cover mistakes in love and use these as teaching opportunities. My main goal is to develop relationship so I can reach the heart of my children.

3.  The last night Jesus had with his disciples, he called them "little children"  (John 13:33).  Does this tell you anything about his attitude toward these grown men who were his most devoted followers?  Read John 14:1 and see what his continued response was to Peter after he had confronted him with the fact that he would deny Christ.  How does this show the loving grace that Jesus extended to his disciples?  How does he want you to extend it to your children?

I want to be mom that my kids can trust when they are troubled and afraid. I do this by spending time with them and listening to them.

4. The Bible makes it clear that we are to discipline and correct our children when they do wrong.  How do you do this faithfully while still giving them the gift of grace?

I can discipline with grace by being calm, setting boundaries, enforcing boundaries, modeling acceptable behavior, teaching in times of non-conflict and explaining why. This is not easy to do and it is a learning process for for me.

5. Write down what tends to irritate you about each of your children and sometimes keeps you from showing God's gracious love.  Pray for each child he has given into your hands and make a plan for how you will respond more graciously to him or her, especially in that irritating situation.

 

Good Morning Girls Book Club Intro Questions

So, I am part of Good Morning Girls and this summer we are doing a Book Club study using The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children by Sally Clarkson.  I have been so challenged not only by reading this book (just the intro so far), but also by the SOAP study that Angela and Courtney have developed to go along with this with verses that pertain to being a mother.  I'll share more in another post about that.  But here are the questions I answered for the Introduction.

1. What purpose do think God had in mind when he designed the role of mother? Have you ever specifically considered that, in becoming a mother, you have actually been called to a ministry? In what ways does this concept change how you think about your role?

I think God's purpose as a mother is for me to be an example of Christ to my children. I know that my role as a mother is my ministry, but I don't have a specific plan.

2. Read Psalm 127:3- if possible, in more than one translation. What does this imply about the ministry of motherhood?

From Psalm 127:3 my ministry as a mother is to teach my children about having a relationship with God and I am to cherish every day with them and take every opp to love and train them.


3. Proverbs 31: 10-31 paints a vivid portrait of the life of a godly woman. Describe what a Proverbs 31 life might look like in modern context. What parts of this description do you find particularly inspiring? What areas pose a challenge for you? How do you think these reactions relate to your ministry as a mother?

A Proverbs 31 woman does it all. I'm inspired to be a woman that can accomplish so much, but I'm completely challenged to try to fit it all in. I know that I need to make a plan.

4. Read Proverbs 14:1. In what specific ways can a woman in this day and age build her house or tear it down? If possible, give examples from your own observation or experience. Then list four specific ways you to want to build your house by ministering to your children and making disciples of them.

Four ways I can build my house: 1- Control my emotions when responding to my son (use patience and understanding) 2- Teach spiritual every day (Bible story, song, BV, prayer) 3- teach academically every day (school time) 4- have fun every day (laugh and play).

5. Write out a plan for ministering to your own children using the acronym GIFTS. List at least one goal for each letter.



G- gift of grace
Model how to handle situations calmly and teach my children to do the same.

I- gift of inspiration
Praise my children when they make good choices and remind them that they are obeying God.

F- gift of faith
Talk about what God has done in our lives.

T- gift of training
Give moral reasons why for behavior based on God's Word.

S- gift of service

Find ways for my children to serve family and beyond.

What about you?  Do any of these questions challenge you?  I can't wait to read more about GIFTS which is what the rest of the book is about.  I am literally changing who I am as a mother each day as I study God's word and read this book.  I am SO glad that I'm part of this study.