Back to School - Love Notes and Prayers
Tonight after church, I got Nick's school supplies gathered and packed in his backpack.
He picked out his clothes,brushed his teeth and went to bed, excited and I think a little nervous about his first day of fifth grade.
This picture is of Nick and Alan the day of open house.
For me, the summer went by way too fast.
Tonight I realized, I blinked and my baby is starting his last year of elementary school.
I often ask myself where the time goes.
I am sure most parents ask that same question.
All to often, the "time" goes to our busy lives.
We get up each day and often blindly go about our day, just to wake up and do it all over again.
This summer, I learned to slow down and enjoy the little moments, like watching my son run and play in the yard with the dogs, laughing with him and even enjoying watching his favorite TV programs with him.
Now it's time to send him off to school again and Alan and I have decided to do some things different this year.
For starters, we found a great idea that was posted online about writing a note to your children each night telling them why you love them and having them read it in the morning before school.
Isn't that just an awesome idea? What a way for them to start their day! We got a notebook and wrote on it "Love Letters and Prayers for Nick", and tonight we took a moment to write a short note to Nick about one reason we love him and then I wrote a prayer for him to read in the morning.
Parents, we must remember a few things.
Our children belong to God and He has blessed us with the great opportunity to be their parent.
I have three children and I know that I have made a lot of mistakes as a parent and I am quite sure I will make more.
The thing is, we must take this gift from God seriously.
It comes with a great amount of responsibility, but one that we can handle when we are guided by the Holy Spirit.
The world has so many influences, a lot of them bad.
It's our job to make sure that home is not one of them, rather a place of love, hope, peace and joy.
Those things come from God.
So this year, I will pray each night for Nick's teachers, his friends, his bus ride, his grades and anything else that I can pray for his time at school.
I will make sure each day he wakes up and reads something positive before starting his day and I will pray with him in the morning.
I will try my best to teach Him the ways of the Lord and to encourage him to continue to be the mighty young man of God that he is becoming.
He loves Jesus so much and because he is still young, he has that childlike faith that I admire so much.
I challenge you to start a similar tradition as the "Love Notes and Prayers.
" I challenge you to pray for your children's teachers, for their friends, for their study habits, their grades, their organizational skills and anything else you can pray for as you send them off to school.
I challenge you to get involved.
Make friends with the teacher, go through their backpacks every day and be interested in what interests them.
Praise them for their strengths and encourage them in their weaknesses.
School and life in general is a lot more difficult than it was when we were kids.
It's so necessary that we treasure these beautiful children we have been entrusted by God to care for and to make sure they know just how much they are loved by us and even more importantly by God! I pray for your children.
I pray they have a great first day of school.
I pray that God blesses their teachers and their friends.
I pray that you take just a few minutes each morning to remind them that you love them and to pray with them and speak blessings over them before they leave home for school.
I also pray that you have peace in your heart as you send them to school.
Yes, Summer is over.
It's time for school projects, homework and early bedtimes.
Dear Jesus, Please watch over our children while they are at school.
Please place friends in their lives that will become long lasting healthy friendships.
Bless the faculty, teachers, principals,secretaries, lunch ladies and everyone else who works at their schools.
Bless them as they learn.
Help them develop good study habits and organizational skills.
Give them a love for learning and a heart for doing their very best.
Keep bullies away from them Lord and keep them from bullying others.
Help them to show everyone your love, joy and your light.
Help them to enjoy school and to take in each moment.
Lord, guide us as parents to be good role models for our children, to be praying parents and to always show our children how much we love them, no matter what.
Lord, I ask that you do your will in the lives of our children.
May your favor and protection be with them always.
Amen
He picked out his clothes,brushed his teeth and went to bed, excited and I think a little nervous about his first day of fifth grade.
This picture is of Nick and Alan the day of open house.
For me, the summer went by way too fast.
Tonight I realized, I blinked and my baby is starting his last year of elementary school.
I often ask myself where the time goes.
I am sure most parents ask that same question.
All to often, the "time" goes to our busy lives.
We get up each day and often blindly go about our day, just to wake up and do it all over again.
This summer, I learned to slow down and enjoy the little moments, like watching my son run and play in the yard with the dogs, laughing with him and even enjoying watching his favorite TV programs with him.
Now it's time to send him off to school again and Alan and I have decided to do some things different this year.
For starters, we found a great idea that was posted online about writing a note to your children each night telling them why you love them and having them read it in the morning before school.
Isn't that just an awesome idea? What a way for them to start their day! We got a notebook and wrote on it "Love Letters and Prayers for Nick", and tonight we took a moment to write a short note to Nick about one reason we love him and then I wrote a prayer for him to read in the morning.
Parents, we must remember a few things.
Our children belong to God and He has blessed us with the great opportunity to be their parent.
I have three children and I know that I have made a lot of mistakes as a parent and I am quite sure I will make more.
The thing is, we must take this gift from God seriously.
It comes with a great amount of responsibility, but one that we can handle when we are guided by the Holy Spirit.
The world has so many influences, a lot of them bad.
It's our job to make sure that home is not one of them, rather a place of love, hope, peace and joy.
Those things come from God.
So this year, I will pray each night for Nick's teachers, his friends, his bus ride, his grades and anything else that I can pray for his time at school.
I will make sure each day he wakes up and reads something positive before starting his day and I will pray with him in the morning.
I will try my best to teach Him the ways of the Lord and to encourage him to continue to be the mighty young man of God that he is becoming.
He loves Jesus so much and because he is still young, he has that childlike faith that I admire so much.
I challenge you to start a similar tradition as the "Love Notes and Prayers.
" I challenge you to pray for your children's teachers, for their friends, for their study habits, their grades, their organizational skills and anything else you can pray for as you send them off to school.
I challenge you to get involved.
Make friends with the teacher, go through their backpacks every day and be interested in what interests them.
Praise them for their strengths and encourage them in their weaknesses.
School and life in general is a lot more difficult than it was when we were kids.
It's so necessary that we treasure these beautiful children we have been entrusted by God to care for and to make sure they know just how much they are loved by us and even more importantly by God! I pray for your children.
I pray they have a great first day of school.
I pray that God blesses their teachers and their friends.
I pray that you take just a few minutes each morning to remind them that you love them and to pray with them and speak blessings over them before they leave home for school.
I also pray that you have peace in your heart as you send them to school.
Yes, Summer is over.
It's time for school projects, homework and early bedtimes.
Dear Jesus, Please watch over our children while they are at school.
Please place friends in their lives that will become long lasting healthy friendships.
Bless the faculty, teachers, principals,secretaries, lunch ladies and everyone else who works at their schools.
Bless them as they learn.
Help them develop good study habits and organizational skills.
Give them a love for learning and a heart for doing their very best.
Keep bullies away from them Lord and keep them from bullying others.
Help them to show everyone your love, joy and your light.
Help them to enjoy school and to take in each moment.
Lord, guide us as parents to be good role models for our children, to be praying parents and to always show our children how much we love them, no matter what.
Lord, I ask that you do your will in the lives of our children.
May your favor and protection be with them always.
Amen
