Who's In Charge?

If you read this blog with any kind of regularity, I think it would be safe to conclude that family matters to you, so with that in mind, please allow me to step out of that polite place of hospitality for a moment and get a little political with you if I may ;-) Remember, I love y'all, really, in fact, it is because I love you that I am sharing this today. The American family is in danger! Really. If we are not diligent to guard against what the enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy the American family as we know it will become merely a part of our history. I use the term 'American' not as a distinction exclusive to those living in the United States of America, but to also include those who live in a cultural climate like the one we have here. It stands to reason that our beloved neighbors (neighbours) to the North are absolutely part of what I want to share today - in fact if you don't know - I am one of you ;-) My first 30 years were spent North of the border in Toronto ;-) Ok so now that we have all the clarification out of the way, let's move on shall we? ;-)

The Child, a documentary that airs tonight seeks to address the decline and crisis of the American family.......

About The Child

What happens if our children's future is taken into the hands of the government? Watchman Cinema's 85-minute documentary The Child: America's Battle for the Next Generation unveils a quiet attack against the deep bond between parent and child in American law and culture. A new wave is gathering force: the belief that parents should not have the final say in the upbringing and education of their children.

What does this mean for America? It means that parents' rights and responsibilities on behalf of their children are gradually being taken over by the government. Parents have less and less freedom to opt their children out of sexual education in public school, make medical decisions for their children, or teach their children their most deeply held religious beliefs. Parents are even being arrested and prosecuted when their choices conflict with what government authorities think is in the best interests of their children. This also means that children can no longer trust that their interests are being represented by parents who know and love them, but instead by strangers from the government.

But a diverse group of concerned citizens is fighting back: lobbying for a Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In the words of parenting expert John Rosemond, this is "a cause that protects the liberty of every American."

The Child presents a sweeping and sobering picture of the child-parent bond in America, along with what we can do to protect this fundamental relationship. Parental rights are no longer viewed as they once were in our society and that my friends is dangerous ! It is time that we get our heads out of the sand and open our eyes to what is going on around us. Our children deserve that, our grandchildren deserve that and our Father in Heaven requires it! The organization Parental Rights does a great job of keeping up with issues around the nation and I would certainly encourage you to explore their site, sign up for their emails and by all means support them if you feel led. There is much we can do, we may not can fix the world, but we can surely begin to work in that direction by making efforts in our homes and by spreading awareness of an issue that has become disguised as acceptable in our culture today. It is our job Mom and Dad to raise our kids, not the government, any government.

Prayer Box Sunday

Allow me to share something with you that our family has been doing for about a month now. It is my hope that by sharing this I will be able to encourage and inspire you in your walk with God to help build stronger families and memorable family time together.

A little over a month ago The Principal and I were talking about the spiritual climate of our home and our desire to grow our family a little deeper still in our walk with the Lord. During this conversation the Lord downloaded an idea that we have given legs to and been enjoying ever since. A Prayer Box. Here's how it works.....first the whole family spent about an hour or so talking about all the things we feel we need to and would like to pray about. I recorded these prayers on slips of paper and folded them in half and put them in a lovely wooden box that I bought at Hobby Lobby several years ago - use your imagination here - anything that holds slips of paper will work! The plan is to add to the box as inspiration and need dictate.

Every Sunday now, we gather together with our Prayer Box and each of us will draw a slip of paper which will determine our individual prayer focus for the week ahead. Then one of us (usually Wonder Boy) will draw a second slip of paper which will reveal our family prayer focus for the week.

Let me share with you our prayers for the week ahead....The Principal is praying for his co-workers, Wonder Boy is praying for family members in Virginia, I am praying for Our President and our family prayer focus for the week is ministry opportunities (how awesome is that one?!!). So each night we will come together and pray as a family at bedtime and then remember these prayers as well in our individual prayer time. Next Sunday we will meet again to select new prayers for the coming week at which time we will pray our prayers from the week just past as well as the week ahead. This is also a great time to talk about anything else that may have a special need. We also use this as a lead in or wrap up to a family devotion which typically ends up being a great time to talk and share and plant seed with Wonder Boy.

Today as we were praying I was thinking how special this time was and how wonderful it would be if I could share it with others so in that spirit, I would like to invite you to join us. This has quickly become a favored and anticipated time for our family each week. I would love to know that others are also coming together and sharing this wonderful family and faith building time.

Between now and next Sunday, get your box, jar, bag or any other paper slip holder and your slips of paper ready and I will, in the mean time figure out the whole how to add the linky thingy to a post (feel free to email me with help if you know how) and we can share and encourage each other - sound like a plan?? Great! See you then - it's a date!! Please feel free to invite anyone you think would be interested to participate - let's link arms (posts) and encourage and inspire each other to build our family in faith for Kingdom Purpose!!

Learning as I go,

Leisha

Movie With A Message of Value

Having grown up in a single parent, and in later years a home struck by divorce, it should come as no surprise to you that I have a divorce in my life. I spent a period of time as a single parent and thought that was ok - that I would do what I needed to do to raise Wonder Boy the best I could on my own. It wasn't until after a few years of marriage to The Principal, that I really, I mean really from the depths of my soul really understood the impact and sanctity of marriage and what a truly precious God given gift it is.

In all honesty (and hindsight) I should not have married my first husband - it was for all the wrong reasons - Wonder Boy is the blessing that defies explanation through the pain and trials of that marriage and consequent divorce. I don't think it was a "mistake" as much as it was a training ground - God was growing me up and teaching me things that would later equip me to reach out in love and be able to minister to those women who were in hurting abusive situations and be able to love on them with a heart of understanding and not judgement. I guess what I'm trying to get to here is to say this - Marriage Matters!!! Our society has perverted and cheapened marriage to be something disposable and even ungodly by in some places being recognised between two members of the same gender. Marriages - between a man and a woman as God designed them are worth saving !! Our fast paced society with it's "feel good, me first mentality" has forgotten that. Fireproof brings that reminder home it would seem. I applaud anyone or anything that takes a stand for the family as God designed it in this day and time. Even though we rarely go to the movies (aside from kid's movies and even those are few and far between - I cannot honestly tell you what the last adult movie I saw at the theater was) - I told The Principal tonight that I want to reserve a date night at the end of September when this movie premieres. Get the word out - let people know - there is a movie in the theaters worth supporting!

One of the things that I came across in reading a little about this movie really impressed me - Kirk Cameron (of Growing Pains fame ) who plays the lead role in this film, out of honor and respect for his vows of marriage to his wife Chelsea, has committed not to to kiss any other woman while filming a movie. Cameron brought this commitment to the makers of this film who respected his conviction and had Chelsea put on a wig and stand in during the kissing scene. So when you watch this movie, rest assured Cameron is kissing his real-life wife. I think it's stand up that the makers of this film are "walking the walk" .... if only that were contagious in society today - part with a little hard earned money to support this film - I don't see how you can go wrong!!

Stepping down from soapbox - until next time !

Leisha

I Challenge You !!

The Principal is going to be going out of town on business - he will be gone almost a week - the longest we have been apart since we have been married. I miss him already!! In thinking about him leaving and being filled with all kinds of emotion I of course have resolved to keep him covered in prayer while he is away from home. I pray for him as part of my regular prayer time, but not the kind of prayer that I would classify as "out of town, away from home prayer". This has gotten me thinking - one of the largest contributing factors to the breakdown of healthy whole families today is the lack of men stepping up to their role as head of their households. As women we instinctively nurture in most cases, but men have in many homes been emasculated and dishonored in their roles of husbands and fathers. This is, in my opinion a generational curse that is at the root of many of the problems that we suffer from in society as we know it today!! Ok - that is a pretty bold and loaded statement but one I believe to be true. I feel that there is a call from the Lord to bring men back to their God destined roles as head of their homes. As women, what can we do ? What role do we play? Oh my, the possibilities abound!! We are called to under gird and support, to love, honor & cherish (that should sound familiar) and to be help meets to our husbands. Life gets busy and our days are full, but if you really stop and break it down and think about it - how can we have a godly home without the leadership of our husbands in their rightful place.

SO....the challenge ? Pray - really pray- daily, everyday - "out of town, away from home prayer". I came across a website that challenges a 30 day period of prayer, during which time they will keep you encouraged and inspired via email. I have signed up. I challenge you to do the same. Just think about what could happen if wives would pray for their husbands, rather than complaining about them to their friends and family members ( this by the way seems to be in epidemic proportions), if we lifted them before our Heavenly Father daily and sought His favor on their lives. If we were encouragers to them, if we did little things to inspire them to seek to grow in their roles of husbands and fathers. Ladies, are you with me here? Can you see what this could lead to? Healing, wholeness, strong families, my goodness, the potential is limitless!!

So please consider my challenge, and if you do choose to join me and I pray that you will, please let me know that you are standing with me on this - what a blessing that would be if we can encourage each other in our prayer journey!!
Our role as wives is well defined......The Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

Thank you for allowing me to share what is on my heart, I pray it stirs you to action ;-)

Seeking to Reflect His Goodness,

Leisha