Christ-Centered Parenting

Jenny and Eric Powell attended the Christ-Centered Parenting classes offered in April. Below are some of their thoughts as they reflected on what they heard and discussed while attending the classes. 

Parenting today is hard, especially when your kids have special powers. They always know when you just started a phone conversation, and then they need a snack. They always know when you just sat down for the first time in four hours, and then they need you to settle a dispute with their sibling. They always know when you have just had enough of the chaos, and then they decide to run screaming though the house with muddy feet. As your kids get older, the things they do to test your patience and boundaries change. They know which buttons to push and when. 

How do we react to these moments which combine weariness, frustration, short fuses and a desire to just make the immediate problem go away? The tempting response is to reach for the most convenient punishment or newly created rule to try and restore peace in the moment. This is a bit like using a bandage to repair a leak in a dam – the results will be temporary and the long-term damage will be extensive. Thankfully, our loving and merciful Father has provided the perfect example of parenting for us though his interactions with his people throughout the Bible. 

The law was given by God not to save, but to point to our need for a Savior. God used the law to provide instruction, but his people could never measure up to his standard of holiness. In the same way, we set guidelines and rules for our children. However, our focus should not be on their outward behavior, but on the inward condition of their hearts. Jesus didn’t just tell the tax collectors to stop behaving poorly. He understood that their sin was a symptom of a larger problem – a sinful heart. As parents, our job is to recognize those tendencies in our children’s hearts and address the root problem, while acknowledging that we too have these same tendencies and struggles. 

The challenges we face today as parents are becoming more diverse and complex, especially as technology continues to become a bigger part of our daily lives. From simple disobedience to issues of identity, sexuality and technology, we are constantly trying to love, protect, and guide our children into becoming healthy adults who know and love God. As we parent, we must be mindful of our responsibilities as role models who show love and affection for our kids and use our interactions with them to point them towards Jesus. Just as we must keep Christ in the center of our personal life, we need to also keep Christ in the center of our parenting.

She Retreat

What a joy it was to be one of the 80 ladies that came together at the Country Place Inn in Moscow, TN on April 6th and 7th for our SHE retreat! Our speaker was one of our former Living Hope members and a dear friend of mine, Mackenzi Groff. The weekend was titled “Everyday Holiness.” She expounded on the truth that the majority of life is lived in the mundane moments. Much of our daily and weekly routines make up the largest part of our lives. Mackenzi challenged us with the truth that God reveals His glory in every second of every day. Even when my day feels boring, God is in that! She said, “when we seek to give gratitude, see glimpses of God in creation, use our gifting, participate in godly group, and pursue ordinary opportunities for gospel living, we work alongside God to reveal His glory in all moments.” 

I am so thankful that I was able to hear this timely message as I am a wife, a mom of three young children, and also work part-time outside our home. It was also a blessing to get a break from my normal responsibilities and get away for a weekend with many of you ladies! I laughed a lot, cried a little, and ate three meals that I didn’t have to cook myself! 

Gathering together in the beautiful chapel, worshipping our Savior with 80 voices led by Heather and Joanna and listening to Mackenzi guide us through God’s word were rejuvenating to my soul. Anita opened and closed each session and gracefully led us through the weekend.

And the ladies that shared testimonies of what the Lord is doing in their lives...Joanna with her family’s fostering journey, Jennifer and her journey to being mentored and mentoring others, and Brandi and Natalie’s craft ministry in North Memphis to primarily Muslim women were amazing and inspiring. There were more stories that I heard that touched my heart. It is all such a good reminder to me that God loves it when we as believers gather together. We need each other. It is essential to our Christian walk. It is encouraging to us so that we can encourage each other, our neighbors, our co-workers, and our world. 

- Laura Oppenheimer