Growing Up

This time the post isn't about my kids growing up, it's about myself! I recently read the following quote and it rang true as something I've been thinking about lately.

"Who of us is mature enough for offspring before the offspring themselves arrive?

The value of marriage is not that adults produce children but that children produce adults."

Peter Devries

It isn't always a simple task but lately I've been trying to approach every moment as a teaching moment.

Sometimes it is an opportunity to engage Anellah by teaching her a new Bible Story while we take a drive in the car even when it would be easier to just tune out her constant babble.

Sometimes it is an opportunity to teach Capper that we pick up toys before getting new ones out even though it's a lot easier to just pick them up myself.

And so very often it's an opportunity to teach myself that patience is something to be developed and that it's ok if I get angry with my kids sometimes, being imperfect does not equal being a failure.

(That's not beer, it's Root Beer!)

I have learned so much from the past three years of being a parent. I can't say I have loved every minute of it but I can say that I appreciate the challenge. And some days, it isn't a challenge, some days things just seem to come together, on those days I learn things like pure joy when I look in my kids eyes, and seizing the day, and how much our Father in heaven loves us. It sounds cliche but it really is true, parenting reveals to a Mother how deep loves goes and I am so thankful to have a God who loves me like that.

This blog is called "Royal Expansion," so it's supposed to be about our expanding/growing family, right? Well lately I've been thinking a lot about how I want to grow and how I want our kids to, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Maybe it is time I shared those thoughts with you.

I feel so inept when it comes to being my children's "spiritual leader" since I feel like Daniel and I aren't anywhere near perfect so we need to start with ourselves. We are "starting with ourselves" but in the meantime I don't think I can wait to be a perfect christian, wife, or mother before I begin to focus on teaching my children about God.  I've been thinking of ways that I can begin to teach them about God and also just be more intentional about time with them since I tend to fill my time at home with other things like dishes and laundry and cleaning and paperwork etc.

So I think I am going to start doing a "verse of the month" with Anellah and Capper. Originally I thought it would be a verse of the week but then realized I wouldn't be on top of it enough to continue with that so I'm starting small rather than starting grand and fizzling out. September's verse is Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." I can work with Anellah to memorize it, work with Capper to say a word from it, and talk about it throughout the month. Plus pull out a real tangible Bible and read it to them (I think it's probably hard for Anellah to understand the concept of a Bible since there are so many electronic forms these days). I also plan to do crafts/activities that go along with each month's verse. I found this activity on Pinterest.

I am excited to see what God does through each month's verse. I have a feeling I will learn as much from it as my children do! I would love to hear your thoughts and any additional ideas that you have!