For everything there is a season. - Ecclesiastes 3:1

In an effort to have an intentionally fun packed summer I am making a list of some things I'd like to do with my girls over the season. Of course since it's summer it's all about being laid back and enjoying ourselves in a carefree manner, so this list is subject to change.. :)

Stargazing, swimming, devotionals, gourmet homemade dinners where we all dress in our finest attire, dance contests (where everyone is the winner :), baking, strawberry picking, picnics, bike riding, trips to ice cream parlor at dusk, museums, zoo, online reading programs, creation journal (taking snap shots of God in nature), outdoor movies, sand castles, roller skating, fellowship, catching lightning bugs, library, dancing in the rain, aquarium, setting up paint shop in the garage for the artist in us all, barbecues, storytelling by the fire pit, camping, writing a letter once a week to a family member/friend, play dates, fireworks, making waffles, water balloon fight, nature trails, fishing, boating, snow cones, carnival, horseback riding, hopscotch, porch side reading, sprinklers....

Have A Blessed Summer!!!

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. - Ephesians 4:26-7

Oh boy, I almost lost it today!!! I seriously cannot remember the last time I felt so ANGRY. Well today made up for the lost time. I was shaking, sweating, hyperventilating. It was horrific. No it wasn't at my children, thank God. Though they are capable of wearing out my emotions sometimes this anger was a type of demon. Someone insulted me, and kind of insulted my daughters. I was very very hurt and today was the blow that tipped my scale into a ferocious state. Everything in me wanted to insult, wanted to shame, and wanted offend this person. And I could have easily done so, but God! My flesh was even reasoning that in fact it would have been okay to "stoop" because everything I was itching to convey to this person was all the truth anyway. The truth shall set you free right? Wrong! Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. - John 8:32 This scripture is referring to Gods word. Gods word is the truth: Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. - 1 Peter 3:9. And a blessing I did inherit, and that blessing was peace!


A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult - Proverbs 12:16. I am a work in progress. I am still a fool, but God in me, humbled my flesh and brought about my victory that I may not dishonor Him. It took a lot, I mean a lot of deep breathing and calling on the name of Jesus like a million times (okay not a million, it was more like one hundred thousand) to calm down. The Prince of Peace was my Helper today; He was my Wise Counselor. I confronted the person through a phone call, which was difficult for me because I dislike confrontation. But God called me to that action, and not by my might, but by the might of the faithful Jesus Christ was I able to maturely, and effectively speak to this person.


Now mind you, this was all in front of my children. And I must admit, while in the midst of my rage, I came very close to misdirecting my anger at my innocent six year old who just happened to speak at the wrong time. But God! I almost made a dent that I'm sure would have been a childhood memory for my daughter, but God! In my eagerness to raise my children to know the Lord, I HAD to exercise composure. If not handled anger comes to kill, to destroy, to rob innocence. Anger was not going to have my precious children, leaving them confused and hurt. An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. - Proverbs 29:22


Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the Lord, and He will deliver you. - Proverbs 20:22. All I can say is thank you Jesus for Your faithfulness. In my willingness to submit to You, You delivered me. I did nothing on my own! During the conversation I remained calm and even gained compassion for the person!!  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32 It's quite funny how the pride in me wanted to belittle this person by pointing out all of their flaws, but with Gods humble Spirit upon me, I just voiced my feelings and I more effectively got my point across. I even got an apology!! A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. - Proverbs 15:1 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. - 2 Timothy 2:24  Because we are human we will undoubtely fall short of the glory of God, so when we sin, let us confess, repent, and move on. For indeed our God is Just to forgive us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1John 1:9 Honestly, I felt great afterwards. Because I remained calm, I was actually a blessing to this person. I even prayed for my assaulter, and best of all, I did not give the devil a foothold. Praise be to Jesus who is our deliverer. Call on Him, trust in Him, lean on Him. He is Life!! He gives peace!! Thank You my Lord....


Be Blessed...................
Do Not Give The Devil A Foothold............

I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. - Psalm 146:2

Jesus is beyond worthy to be praised. What He did for us, I'm humbled beyond words!

I love praising. I am definitely a singer and dancer for the Lord. And I truly believe that wherever a person is in their relationship with God they should praise Him. If you believe that He died for you then that alone should move the soul to praise. I believe there is a break through when we look past our problems, our inadequacies, and our limitations. God wants to meet us at our place of need and there is something to be said for the person who understands the power in praise. Praise loosens strongholds, praise sets us free, praise lifts us up!

Dancing and singing unto the Lord in front of my children is one of the most important things I can do. Not everyone praises the same way and that is fine, but please do praise in some way. To praise God, especially in the midst of hardship is to fight adversity the most powerful way possible. In Ephesians 6:12 we read: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. So what I get from this scripture is that I cannot fight my problems with my fists, my words, my anger. So how can I fight? With my praise because Jesus has already won the battle!

When the time comes that my three precious daughters are fighting their own battles, I want to rest assured that I've taught them the most supreme way to victory; Praise!! Let us be conscious of the way we go about our days for the sake of our children. Lord, let me not say to my children that God is a God of wonder and awesomeness, but then they not see me having a spirit of thanksgiving. May my children praise YOU until they are with you, 100 years from now (or in Your perfect time)... =)

Praise The Lord Your God.................

and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." - Genesis 28:22

Asia: Mommy, mommy look at how cute this is!!
Me:   Oh yes honey that is adorable.
Asia: Can I have it?
Me:   No.

I learned (maybe a little late) that I had to stop buying my daughter every single little thing she wanted. Not only was it breaking the bank, but I felt that it was sending her a very wrong message. I started noticing that her emotions were linked to whether or not she would walk out of a store with what she thought she truly NEEDED. Hmmmmm, I wonder where she's getting this from? Well, I tell you no lie, I love shopping! I've even been excited to buy her toys that she wasn't even begging for to then in a couple of months find myself chucking it into the donate bag. And this is why it was even more important to me that she grow up free from the lie that your purchases will make you feel better. I know tons of women who would tell me: Tanya, stop it right there. Okay I'm there, I get it, therapy shopping can be super therapeutic and very very fun. But ultimately should not be anyones source of confidence. I've bought things and have felt better, but whatever the issue was to begin with still existed after my spree.

We now buy Asia (and the other girls too, but they haven't started asking. Yet!) things on her birthday, Christmas and the ending of the school year. Of course little treats on Valentines and Easter. Now trust me, she is no way near deprived. There are enough toys in my house to start two day cares. And even when the bank can tolerate a stretch, we have decided to forgo the extra "things". Here's why: Responsibility and Accountability. So here's what I did: Asia, why don't we see what you have in your piggy bank at home. You can keep 80% of it, but 10% has to go back in the bank, and another 10% you have to give back to God. This particular day that I started this she had $10 in her bank. I can't tell you how excited she was that she was able to keep a majority of the money and also how very excited she was when she learned that she would be taking a dollar to church with her and giving it to her Sunday school teacher.

Part of why shopping doesn't do what it used to do for me is because there are so many people in need. I may not be able to save the world, but I can give one day at a time of my resources and my time, and move forward as God guides me. It is so very important for my girls to know that the Lord is our provider, regardless of who employes us. And He is due what His Holy Word says He is due.

It was a gratifying feeling teaching Asia that if she can afford something then she can have it, and that money is to be respected and not to be held too tightly. Giving is a wonderful and powerful act. Money is the hardest thing for humans to loosen their grip on and if she can grasp that God wants no other gods before Him (money), she will truly be a step ahead when her time comes to manage her own life.

Give Unto the Lord............

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28

Rest......

What a foreign word, a foreign concept. I don't know if it's the American in me, but resting is a hard thing to do. I mean who has time to rest? Certainly not mothers! Or is it the very thing we should be sure to fit into our schedules?

In October of last year I gave birth to my beautiful, miraculous baby girl Olivia Faith. I have written the story of her life in my blog: Hello World, but just to touch on how I learned the importance of rest, I'll briefly explain the story. I broke water at 20 weeks, delivered her at 30 weeks. Not one doctor was able to tell me why my amniotic sac tore, but I knew. I know deep inside of my heart that I needed to learn the art of slowing down. At 28 weeks (after being on bed rest for 8 weeks), I resealed. I was discharged from the hospital and came home to my family. After resting so much, I couldn't stay still. Two weeks later I broke water again. When I think of it now I actually risked my daughter's life by not staying on bed rest. I didn't think of it like that then, but  that's exactly what I did. I am so ashamed, but I share this with you to urge you to rest.

Our children need well rested parents; and our children need to learn how to rest (being lazy and being idle is a totally different topic). When my children have melt downs I know exactly what's causing it. Exhaustion or hunger. It's always one of the two. There are a few other possibilities, but those are rare. The popular culprits are being tired or having skipped a meal. What do I do? What do I say? Oh sweetheart, I know, come to mommy, you need to rest. We know how important it is for them to be in bed on a school night to avoid morning attitudes, how important to rest during an especially busy week to avoid their immune systems weakening. Oh, but when it comes time for us to rest! And here's the thing: they rest because we make them rest, but what's going to happen when they grow up? Probably be just like us? Maybe not. But I know I don't want to take the chance with my girls. I want them to know that their bodies are a sanctuary to be nurtured, to be respected. Our bodies are worthy of rest. Guilt free rest. Rejuvenating rest. Healthy, strengthening rest. Sweet, delicious reeeeeeeeest.

I believe that when we rest, we strengthen our spirits and our ability to hear God. And weren't we made to have a relationship with our creator? Who has patience for relationship when we are not rested?

Let us not deprive ourselves. Our children need to know the importance of rest. For goodness sake, even God rested! And He urges us, He actually tells us directly in scripture: Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Glory, Hallelujah!!!

My prayer is that everyone will deem themselves worthy of restoration, of rejuvenation, of rest. How can we be the patient, kind parents we wish to be if we don't take care of our own selves. Rest in God and let Him restore, refresh, and renew you. Let us be encouraged to raise God conscious children by teaching them the importance and the power of resting.

Rest, Refresh, Renew, Rejuvenate...........
Be Rested...........

With it (the tongue) we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness! Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not be so. James 3:9-10

Let me start with admitting my human faults and the truth of my lack of any degrees or certificates in theology or any other subject. In no way do I perceive myself to be superior to anyone. I am only very hungry for God and crave His presence in everything I do; and so while I seek Him, it is on my heart to share what I find to be the truth. God is salting me and I love it!

Todays subject is about the blessing and cursing that comes out of our mouths. How we so easily say: Oh bless her heart, and then when that same woman crosses us, we curse her, saying unspeakable things. Oh how I struggle with this. Sometimes people do things that are really mean, crazy, unthoughtful and rightfully so we become upset. Now dealing with those hurts and responses to those hurts are really a whole other subject. What I want to look at is my behavior in response to wrong doing towards me in front of my children.

How we react can make all the difference in the world in how they will deal with circumstances in their lives, in their future. Even when my girls seem like they are not listening, bet you a million bucks, they are! So when I'm driving and I get cut off by some racing lunatic, I'm urged not to say something like: what an idiot, I hope he gets a ticket for driving like that; but something more like: Oh boy I hope everything is okay with that person. God bless them and convict them in their driving. That driver could have a thousand reasons to be driving like that. A woman could be in labor, about to give birth in the car. They could be trying to reach a dying parent to whisper their last good-byes. They could just be an impatient, irresponsible person. I mean the list is endless and the truth is we'll never know, so it really comes down to making a decision to either speak a blessing or a curse. I find it desirable to speak blessings and I most certainly want my girls to speak blessings and to realize the incredibly huge fact that there is power in words. People wrongfully judge me all the time and the injustice of that really is an ugly thing. A cycle that surely deserves to be changed.

Then there are more personal instances. When someone close to me offends me and pisses me off. It has happened and it will happen again. I am human, I get upset, I get hurt; but losing my temper in front of my children is becoming less and less acceptable to me. (Forgiveness is crucial and relevant, but entirely another subject.) My reaction will teach them. They are their own little human beings and have their individual temperaments, but they are teachable, and will pick up a lot of things from us as parents. There are times when we do have fall outs with others in front of our children. I hear so much of how unhealthy it is for parents to argue in front of their children, and yes that is not a cool thing.  Does it happen? It does in this household. We disagree on something and the super ego in us absolutely cannot wait until later to prove why I am right!! Or he is right (which is never :) Joking. Up to this point in my life what has mattered most is that my children see us make up. We are human, and they can see that. We apologize, we forgive, we move on. (Sometimes not in that order, sometimes we are called to forgive without an apology.) I still believe in that theory, but I am beginning to tweak my behavior. I'm realizing that I want my children to respect their future mates (and all other people) and expect the same in return. To agree to disagree. This particular subject is touchy and has endless scenarios, so I'll move on.

Even if we hold our tongue just for their sake, it would be worth it. Every single person has their own thing they are dealing with; and God loves them just as much as He loves us! And with practicing controlling our tempers in front of our children, it just may do an awesome work in us; leading us to a better place with ourselves and with the world as a whole.

Be Blessed & Speak Blessings......

I AM the True Vine, and my Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit He cuts away; and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. -John 15:1-2

Nothing melts my heart more than hearing my daughters praying to God. Their sweet little voices pursuing their Heavenly Father. I could only imagine Gods excitement about His own Son, and all of us. I remember a time when Asia (my 6 year old) wouldn't even pray out loud in front of me. She was unsure of how to pray. Then I guess over the years of hearing me praying in no particular fashion or form, just pouring my feelings from my heart, she began to gain confidence. Now she prays every single day, all on her own. I notice that her prayers sound a lot like mine, beginning with thanks and ending with blessings for others. Again, I am reminded of the impact I have on my children.

It is truly incredible how we as people are transformed once we become parents. Certain things that used to matter, matter no longer, and some things that never mattered, is all that matters now. We are conscious, we are aware, but most of all we are motivated. So big is our responsibility; glory to God He is here to help us. To strengthen the fruits of our spirit. To sustain, invigorate, and rejuvenate us. For both the motivated and unmotivated. God has promised that in dwelling in His Holy Son, He will personally prune us that we may live richer and in excellence. We have our very own Gardener!

I am so inspired and would like to encourage others that we are not alone in our walk with our children. God is also a parent. He also deals with stubborn, impatient, sassy, loud, difficult, know-it-alls. But in His faithfulness carefully and patiently He prunes us all.

When I see undesirable behavior in my children, I instinctively correct. I realize that while every misbehavior doesn't have some deeper meaning, some actually do. Sometimes instead of correcting I must investigate and if need be do some pruning. Why do we prune? To open up the endless possibilities for our children. So they may not be held down by behaviors, by attitudes that can  hinder their blessings.

And so the phenomenal, encouraging cycle continues of being a child and being a parent, learning and teaching, growing, being pruned and pruning. With opening ourselves up to the sovereign power of Gods transforming ways, we can be empowered to wisely and patiently Raise God Conscious Children, who then become fulfilled adults.


Join me next time while I explore practical ways to Raise God Conscious Children.
Be Blessed........