Growing as a Parent

Jason and I have been teaching a Parenting Class on Wednesday nights. It's been a great class, with thought provoking teaching by Dr. Kevin Lehman, and really practical discussion among the entire group. Tonight is week four, and I was just thinking this morning about what I have personally learned and applied from this class.

I try often to be reading some sort of parenting book or be looking for a resource that will not only be helpful to me as I parent my own kids, but to you as well as you parent yours. So my question to you today is, what are you doing to grow as a parent? What intentional steps are you taking to not only raise your kids well, but to raise fully devoted followers of Christ?

If you need a resource suggestion, let me know...I have a lot of them!

The Read & Share Bible

Recently, Thomas Nelson publishers sent me a Bible to review - and one to give away. At the end of this post I will tell you how you can enter to the extra copy, so stay with me!

I love Bibles that get younger kids excited about reading God's Word. Admittedly, JJ (our three year old) carries around a Bible that was sort of "cast off" by one of the girls when they got a new Bible last Christmas. It is big, bulky, and nothing that I would sit and read to a three year old for any extended period of time. The Read and Share Bible is something totally different though, because it is written for little ones. It takes 200 of the best loved Bible stories, and the author, Gwen Ellis has retold these stories in a way that will captivate young hearts and minds.

It groups these stories in categories such as "Abraham's Family," "David," "Jonah," and "Jesus' Life." There are 37 of these groupings, covering the entire Bible, highlighting stories that are easy for little ones to understand and remember.

This Bible is colorfully illustrated, helping preschoolers make that connection has they hear the story and see the pictures unfold.

As a Children's Pastor, it is so important to me that children understand the importance of God's Word in their daily lives. It is never too early to introduce these stories to your kids, and tools like the Read and Share Bible are a perfect way to get your youngest Christ Followers in the Bible daily.

If you would like more information on the Read and Share Bible, go to here. You will find an excerpt of this Bible on the Read and Share tab.

Okay, so whether you have a little one in your life you can share this Bible with, or you just like to win free stuff...here is how you can win a free copy of the Read and Share Bible. Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite Bible Story is. If you are reading this on Facebook go here to leave a comment. You can also enter yourself by Tweeting about this post. If you don't have a twitter account, maybe today is the day to start one! You can leave as many comments as you would like as long as you are telling me about a different Bible Story you love each time, and Tweet once a day. On Friday (January 21st) at Noon, I will put these names into a "virtual" hat and pick a winner. Go for it!

A New Year, A New Bible Reading Plan

I am so pleased by how well our kids and families responded to our Bible Reading Plan for the year 2010. Last year at this time, we introduced a plan that would have every participant reading through the entire New Testament in a year. Dozens started, many stayed on track, and some finished.

The reality of parenting kids, teaching kids, and even pastoring kids is that they need incentives to get things done. That's why we give monetary allowances, trips to Dairy Queen, and use sticker charts. We know as adults that it's a million times easier to get our kids to follow through if we give them something to strive for.

I launched the plan by telling the kids that they could bring back their plans signed by Mom or Dad every other month for a prize. This ranged from things like a Subway Kids Pack, to a bag of fireworks near the 4th of July. Those prizes were just the beginning though, because this Sunday, January 9th I will be taking several kids to lunch in a limo.

To get kids to complete a goal is always satisfying, and I'm thankful for the parents who helped their children follow through. The most valuable thing here, however is the fact that all of these kids, whether they read part or all of the New Testament, spent time in the Word of God.

For the year 2011, we are taking a different approach. We are using a different plan, that will have kids reading all over the Bible. The amount they read will depend on their age, and if Mom and Dad are following the Life Journal reading plan available at Bethel (Wayne Cordeiro) Parents and Kids will be reading in sync with one another. Yes, there will be prizes, and yes, I will continue to remind kids of that fact. But more than that, I am looking forward to getting even more kids excited about reading the Word of God everyday.

December 24th - Grace

It's been fun recalling some of my favorite Christmas memories and thoughts. Today will be my last blog in this series because I plan on unplugging from the online world tomorrow to spend a quiet day with my family.

I truly have some amazing memories from Christmas. Some are just one time instances, but some are traditions that have been carried on through generations as I have found out. The one true thing that remains, no matter where we are celebrating, with whom we are spending the time, or how economics have impacted our Christmas shopping. That thing, is the person and reason why we celebrate this special day.

In Kidzblast this month, we started our Christmas series by learning how grace impacted the coming of Christ as a baby. As I prepared for that service, the single most impacting thought was how it was God's Grace that allowed Jesus to leave the perfection of heaven to be born into the filth of this world. There are many compelling thoughts regarding the Christmas story...the virgin birth, the shepherds in the field, the angel appearing several times, the stable, the manger. But the truth that started it all was the overwhelming grace that God had, that allowed His only Son to come to our sinful, rotten, filthy earth.

It's hard sometimes in the hustle and bustle of everything during the month of December to really keep our focus on Jesus. I even found myself getting caught up in the festivities this year, trying to create a wonderful Christmas for my kids, and sometimes let it eclipse the true meaning. This morning as I drank my coffee, and the kids were snuggled on the couch watching cartoons, I took some time to look back at all that has transpired this year since our last Christmas. One word kept flooding my hear and mind...grace. Grace to trust in the hard times, grace to trust in the lean times, grace to rejoice in the good times. And then my mind traveled back to that most wonderful first gift of grace - the gift of a father, of his only son to a broken world.

Because I know many of you well, I know that during the next day or two, you will take time to focus your attention on the Savior. As you do, thank Him for the miraculous gift of grace. Thank you for reading my blog this month. Merry Christmas....I pray that it is full of the love of family, friends and Jesus.

December 23rd - The Meals

One of the things I miss the most about not being with my parents for the Christmas holiday is the traditional meals that we have. Both of my grandma's and my Mom are really really good cooks. Somehow this gene has skipped my generation I think (or just skipped me maybe), but I enjoy the challenge of cooking a good holiday meal for my family.

Christmas Eve my Mom cooks an enchilada dinner, something that was passed down from my Dad's side of the family. My Grandma Salazar taught my Mom how to cook her enchiladas after she and my Dad were married, and it's one of the best meals of the year. My Dad also usually finds a hispanic grocer that sells tamales, and we eat those as well. Jason and I do this when we are on our own...except Jason is the cook. He has perfected enchiladas that are delicious. I can't wait to sit down to that dinner tomorrow night.

Christmas dinner is pretty traditional...turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy....and more fairly common foods. A few things that are unique to our family though (as I have found out over the years eating with others on Christmas...) One, root beer that is chilled (no ice) is what we drink at this meal. Second, real mashed potatoes only. Seriously...I was well into my young adult years before I knew what instant mashed potatoes were. Third, dressing is homemade (the kids tear up the loaves of bread the night before). Stove top stuffing was as new to me as instant mashed potatoes when I entered adulthood.

Those are just a few of the many things that are unique to our Salazar/Ferrin Christmas dinners. On Saturday, I have the rare privilege of preparing this meal for my own family. I am looking forward to it, because my goal is to make it feel like home.

December 22nd -O Holy Night

I love Christmas Music. I love listening to it, singing it, and performing it. There have been favorites...my youth drama team in Central Point used to do a human video to "A Strange Way to Save the World" by 4Him. I've seen great things done to "Mary Did You Know" and then there's always "Holy and the Ivy" from my first post.

JJ has grown to love carols this year as well. He favors Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

There is one carol in particular that brings back a funny memory, and I do believe there is a video tape somewhere in my parents house of this event. When we were in Manteca one Christmas for a Sunday Morning service, my Mom and older brother, Jason did a harp/vocal duet to "O Holy Night." The details are a little sketchy, but as I recall, the first service went great. Mom played, Jason sang...beautiful. Then the second service...Mom played, and Jason started to sing, but the microphone stand became a little loose. As Jason sang, the microphone on the stand starting sliding down, down, down. And as it slid, rather than grab it to tighten it, or just hold the mic, Jason bent over little by little until he was bending over singing in to a microphone at about waist level.

This story makes me laugh out loud when I think about it. Something like this, having happened to me, wouldn't probably shock anyone because things like this tend to happen to me. But Jason? Oh no, he is a polished performer and perfectionist. That's probably what makes it even funnier to this little sister.

December 21st - Christmas Shopping

A few years ago I could never understand people's issues with shopping around the holidays. "What's the big deal?" is what I would always think, loving the opportunity to shop for my family members. Then.....then....then I had kids. Then, they grew up a little. Now, I am on the same page as those that dread battling the mall parking lot, or the Medford holiday traffic, or the cranky people in line at Toys R Us.

I remember when online shopping became all the rage. I thought to myself "I will never do that! What's the fun in shopping from home when you can get out there and do it in the store?" Oh you naive, childless, ignorant girl you....

I have to admit, I do still really enjoy shopping in person when it involves the following:

• One, but not to exceed 2 of my 3 children
• A parking space within the same zip code as the store I am intending to shop
• NO rain
• Ample amount of time, as not to become "rushed" and get immediately irritated (this is a side effect of my current pregnancy and may change at a later date!)

I have, admittedly, shopped online this year. Not once, but TWICE. Dear me, I can't believe it. I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg for me...next year I will have four children. One more to shop for, one more stroller, one more car seat to buckle and unbuckle....and? I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole world.