Girls To Grow

Nurturing moms in their walk with God

Kind and Wise Speech

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A Bible verse that always brings conviction to my heart is Proverbs 31:26 which says, in describing the virtuous woman, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”

So, on top of all that she accomplishes in the surrounding verses – working with her hands, planting a vineyard, reaching out to the needy, feeding and clothing her household – she retains control of her tongue. The words that proceed from her mouth are wise and her speech is kind. How often, when I am busy or distracted, do I allow my tone of voice to be short or my expressions to be harsh?

Since I am writing about this subject, I can guarantee that I will be tested in this area today. (It always seems to happen that way!) My desire is to pray, as David did in Psalm 141:3, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” As I fill my mind and thoughts with the praises and promises of God, it will be easier for the right things to proceed from my mouth. May I be up to the challenge today!

Post originally published on April 15, 2009.

Are You a Motivational Speaker?

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As I navigated the zoo that is Walmart on a Saturday afternoon, I crossed paths with a woman wearing a shirt that said, “I’m not a nag; I’m a motivational speaker.” I had to chuckle as I passed, thinking how nice it would be if nagging could truly be interpreted that way.

However funny the saying may be, it certainly points out a truth that I need to evaluate in my own life. Am I guilty of nagging my husband and my children?

According to the dictionary, nag means, “to annoy by constant scolding, complaining, or urging; to scold, complain, or find fault constantly.”

The words that I use with my husband should be those of encouragement and support, not complaining or fault-finding. As for my children, I can correct them with a loving attitude and without repeatedly harping on their offenses.

May my home be a happier, more inspiring place today because I choose not to nag.

7 Bible Basics for Children

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On weeknights after supper, we strive to have a family devotional time. This has involved things such as reading children’s devotional books or missionary biographies, discussing character traits we seek to display in our lives and studying a particular Bible passage or person.

My husband suggested that we take some time to cover basic Bible concepts with our daughters. From an article that he found online, we came up with this list of topics.

  1. Memorize the books of the Old Testament and New Testament in order, including how they are categorized (the gospels, Paul’s epistles, etc.)

  2. Discuss and memorize the ten commandments.

  3. Learn the three points of the gospel from I Corinthians 15: 1-6. (Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day.)

  4. Study the three points of evangelism from Matthew 28:19-20 (evangelism, baptism, discipleship).

  5. Talk about the storyline of the major events in the Bible, i.e. Creation, the Flood, Moses and the Exodus, etc. We’ll also work on remembering in which book of the Bible these major events occurred.

  6. Consider the three persons of the Triune God: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

  7. Examine and memorize salvation verses such as the Romans Road and John 3:16.

Having grown up attending Sunday School and weekly church services, our children are familiar with most of what we are teaching them, but we want to reinforce those ideas at home. Reviewing the material with a game at the end of our devotional time (for example, name a book of the Bible and see who can most quickly tell you the name of the book that comes before/after) makes it fun as well as instructional. Helping our children become grounded in God’s Word is an important part of their spiritual training.

How do you teach your children about the Bible? I’d enjoy hearing your ideas including any resources you have found to be beneficial.

Attitude is Everything

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One of my dad’s constant admonitions as I was growing up was “Attitude is everything.”

As my girls return to school tomorrow morning after a week of spring break, I remember his advice and ask myself these questions.

Will I grumble because the alarm clock sounds at the early hour of 5:30 A.M, or will I be thankful that I have the health and strength to get out of bed?

Can I appreciate the fact that we have plenty of healthy food to fill lunchboxes or rush through packing lunches and never give it a thought?

Do I thank God once again that he chose to bless our family with children or rush them out the door so that I can have some quiet time?

Does the “umpteenth” load of laundry help me appreciate taking care of my family or cause me to resent my household chores?

Today I’m asking God to give me a proper perspective on the blessings I’ve been given along with the challenges I may face. As my attitude is right, I can encourage others and make my home sing.

How do you alter your attitude when it’s not what it should be?

Visit Mom’s the Word to read how others are choosing to make their homes sing today.