Raising Riley

It takes awhile to find peace.  Some tdays seem easier than others. But once you truly let peace fill your soul, it’s not a far reach on the days that aren’t so great.  Just a week ago Eric and I transplanted some bushes from our woods.  I am not a garderner in my opinion because I don’t know the names of hardly anything, but I have to say its in my blood because my mom is an AMAZING Gardner. 

That’s her gift flowers and  creating beauty.   

While I was out watering them  a beautiful  big yellow and black butterfly landed right on my chest. It stayed there for a good five minutes. I couldn’t believe it stayed on me that long.  That has never happened to me.  It was in that moment that I just continued to be so thankful for all that surrounds me. I must be doing something right with the flowers and bushes out there:)

But this summer with Riley being such a good helper I can get so much more done outside. 

  She’s not afraid to dig in the dirt 

and let her toes feel the soft cool grass.   

She loves going on our trail and hugging the trees and saying

 Hi to them.  We love to stop on the trail and lift our arms out wide and I tell her, 

“ Feel the breeze Riley.  Thank you Jesus for the trees and this wonderful breeze.” 

And in that moment we look at one other and smile.  I’d like to think that with all the time we spend outside without all the noise in the world, is a great way to teach Riley about God.   

It seems much easier when you see a breathtaking view to have a thought not too far behind come along and say, “WOW, is there more?  Who can create such astonishment?

Riley now knows before we eat dinner we pray. She starts to fold her hands together.  I’d like to think that these little repetitions will also teach her how to have a relationship with God.   This is the only thing I have not looked up. Honestly I have searched and read soo many articles and other people’s experiences online about parenting. Makes me think my mother would be going crazy if it wasn’t for the internet.

 But after she turned one, the obsession has come almost to a stand still.  Riley, is her own person. It’s my job to train her in the way she should go. Teach her by showing.   

We can’t walk into a child’s room and say “ITS SO MESSY IN HERE” and walk out and expect them to clean it.  Isn’t it in our nature to please others? I’m sure that child wants to please their parent and will attempt to clean. But when that parent comes in and has different expectations of clean.. the frustration takes over on both parts. It’s so important not to micromanage our kids.

What’s the best way to train them? SHOW THEM!!!That’s where a lot of my strength and courage come in with parenting.  Riley has learned everything by watching hasn’t she? It’s amazing to see what a 15 month old can do..  I have to continue to pray that I can be the best example for her. I have to continue to touch base with God, so I can be the best mom for Riley.

So I think that if I show her now the importance of God in our lives that by nature she will want to experience that same love and choose to have an amazing relationship with Jesus.

   

From the Unity Class I go to we watched Chip Ingram on House or Home.  He pointed out how many of us will send our kids to Christian schools and expect them to teach our children how to be spiritual.  He wasn’t putting down Christian schools, but made me think about how this is just another area of life that you are the best example for your child in how to know Jesus.

Watching our children grow we pray that they will know Jesus, but we also need to pray that we can show them too.  We can pray to trust God and follow his word on how to be a parent. Something that will stay true and bring much more value than a Google search.

Be open and show your children what it means to love and how on difficult days there is a reason we can find strength and hope… and that reason is Jesus. 

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6