{Hope for the Home}: Am I a good example? Great resources for families!

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. {Deuteronomy 6:4-9}

One thing I try to analyze at the end of each day, is whether or not I was a good example. Was I the light of Christ?  Did I take Deuteronomy 6:4-9 to heart? Did I put into action the fruits of the spirit towards my children and others? Did my husband see my intentions of modeling the Proverbs 31 wife today? It’s no wonder as soon as my head hits the bed pillow, I am O.U.T! *sigh*

Like you, I am striving to be my very best so that I can in turn, help my children and husband be their very best, by modeling the act of truth and love.  It starts by example, doesn’t it?

Each morning, I search for new ways to teach my children God’s word, His character and His promises.  I attempt to feed my soul with scripture and prayer time during my (here comes the exaggerations) exercises and 3 course gourmet breakfast preparations. And like you, *giggle* I am quickly pulled back into reality that my alarm clock has been going off for the past 20 minutes and, once again, we are going to be late for school and work if I don’t get up and get started with my day.  When my feet hit the floor in the rushed mornings, I am mindful of beginning my day with a solid foundation and have found a few ways that work for me.

I love a daily devotional.  A book filled with scripture designed to be read once a day, already labeled with the date on it, to easily follow. One of my favorites is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young that I reference daily. I have a copy in my home, my car and my office.  I have even found age appropriate devotionals for both my 4 year old daughter (Jesus Calling for Kids) and 14 year old son (Jesus Calling for Teens) based on the original version of Miss Young's profound and intimate journaling.

Along with an organized daily devotional, I have also posted several wonderful and insightful scriptural prayer calendars on the inside of my bathroom cabinet and at the entryway of my clothes closet –a calendar with my children in mind and a calendar of scripture with my husband in mind-printed from a blog I subscribed to several years back. A calendar specifically categorized by prayer topic and the scripture that references that attribute. Kat, from Inspired to Action created a blog full of resources for inspired moms like us; a blog full of tools and tutorials at our fingertips.  She invites us to take and share and print and get to know the other women apart of the Inspired to Action community. The prayer thoughts each morning lead me not only to the privilege of praying for my family and having conversations with God, but of talking with my children and husband, telling them what I have and am specifically praying for them each day.

Go here for a copy of Kat's prayer calendar for mothers.

And here for her prayer calendar for wives.

I also try and lead by example through teaching with activities and crafts, especially for my preschooler and her friends. While subscribing to several blog posts in the past, I have faithfully followed Oh Amanda for the past 2 years.  I have had the honor (and permission) of announcing her new E-book to you: Praying God’s Word for Your Kids-10 Prayers & Activities To Impress God’s Word on Your Kids’ Hearts. This has to be one of my very favorite blogs and people (besides Erin at Worthy of the Prize)- I highly recommend you subscribing to Amanda’s blog, so that you can download this FREE guide. It is a beautifully designed book with thorough instructions on how to use it each day and week. A perfect culmination of prayer and activity to talk with your family about who God is and how we can be more like Christ in our everyday living.

In addition to the prayer calendars and daily devotional books, our family has recently created a mission statement that I have framed and posted in the heart of our home; the kitchen.  Gathering around our table each evening for dinner, after a very busy day, we can’t help but see this mirror framed statement sitting nearby as a beautiful and meaningful reminder.  It reads the following:

The Perry-Magera Family Mission Statement: To intentionally seek and listen for God’s Will in all that we do with our whole heart. To always demonstrate how much we love each other with modeling the character of God in word and deed and most importantly to inspire each other to listen to and live for God. To be a family that models lives lived in accordance with God’s laws and grace; to be loving, compassionate, helpful and accepting. To come alongside those who are poor both in life and spirit; to be understanding, patient, encouraging and forgiving not only of ourselves, but others.

This mission statement is our family’s way of identifying who we are together. This statement also reminds us to intentionally seek and listen for God’s will as stated in the first sentence, to always be an example, demonstrating and modeling.

As you might assume, at the end of the day before I drift off to sleep, I pray for another day to try again… to be that godly wife and mother God has called me to be, to raise my children with the intent of knowing and worshiping Christ, to teach my children about forgiveness, grace and truth, to remind my husband of trust, honor and love.  We can agree that we are imperfect and fall short of being the likely example of Christ on most days. But I’d like to think that God is pleased with our hearts when we can continue to attempt, fully putting our hope in Him, seeking Him in all things and in turn, place hope in our homes.

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home!

About the Author: Bethany Perry is owner and stationer at The Fine Line Market in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where she provides personalized stationery and invitations for special occasions. She enjoys celebrating, party planning and perusing through beautiful paper. She is married to (her favorite ECU Pirate) husband David and is blessed with two children, Jacob (14) and Gracyn (4).