Tag: beautifulheartedparenting

Don’t Say, “Let me know if I can do anything to help.”

Linsey Driskill
unnamed-1In 2011, at just 3 pounds and 3 weeks old, my daughter got an intestinal infection in the NICU. It was the scariest time of our lives as we didn’t know if she would make it. After her second surgery, the nurses told us she was a miracle baby. We are so thankful Jesus healed Brooklyn and our son, Bates, after he got the same infection, and that they fully recovered.
During those grueling 5 months of daily going to the NICU, the last thing I thought about was getting necessary things done like cooking. People rallied around us in practical ways by bringing meals, cards, visiting, doing our laundry/cleaning, praying, and giving food and gas gift cards (we daily drove 45 minutes to the hospital). It was a blessing when people didn’t ask if we needed anything, but just DID something to help.
When someone is going through a tough time, it’s easy to say, “Let me know if I can do anything to help.” But, what really helps is to go ahead and fill a need we see, or to ask specifically what you can do. Is there someone who could use a card from your child to cheer them up? Is there someone who could really use a meal, a visit, or someone to watch their kids for an hour? It’s so great when our kids start looking for needs to fill from the example we set! I bring this up to challenge us with the words in 1 John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

God’s Full Grace

Linsey Driskill
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So many moments I feel like I’ve been anything but “beautiful hearted” with my kids. Can you relate? I strive for calmness, but many times, I do the opposite. I couldn’t do motherhood without God’s grace. I need it. Every day.
Whether our kids are fighting or not listening, it can be easy to lose our cool (my kids’ signature pouty faces are in the pictures!). I love Psalm 130:7 because it has Jesus’ grace written all over it: “… put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is FULL redemption.”
I don’t think “beautiful hearted” means getting it right every time, but rather to humbly ask for forgiveness from our children when we need to, not giving up, and continuing to seek Jesus. Do we show our kids humility by asking for forgiveness when we need to? Do we model what FULL redemption looks like by accepting His grace when we mess up? Or do we sulk in guilt and anxiety?
I pray Jesus would lead all of us to have calm and loving hearts with our kids, but that when we fall short, we could bask in his grace by moving forward in joy. Jesus, thank you that you offer us FULL redemption when we ask. Help us to fix our hope on you so our kids can experience more of you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Connecting with Our Kids

Linsey Driskill

Questions and verses4

Jesus often used questions to teach answers and to bring people to an authentic relationship with him. He was also so personal with people by asking them questions- Jesus asked 80 questions just in the Bible book, Luke! By asking our kids questions, we teach them to do the same with others. It is also such a great way to get to know someone better… How often do we ask our own kids questions just to get to know them better, or to help them reflect on their own faith?

Here are some fun and serious question ideas: You could ask your kiddos ones like Jesus did in the verses above, or here’s an imaginative one: In the Bible, after Moses, Joshua continued leading the Israelite people to the promised land, which was a beautiful land promised to them by God and described as flowing with milk and honey. That sounds pretty great doesn’t it!? What would your dreamland be like?

I love learning what’s in our kids’ little minds when they share their simple and sweet answers about who Jesus is, and to watch their creativity come alive in describing their dreamland. Enjoy connecting and getting to know your kids even more this week!

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