PARENTS: Oh be careful little fingers what you type...

...FOR THE FATHER UP ABOVE IS LOOKING DOWN WITH LOVE. OH BE CAREFUL LITTLE FINGERS WHAT YOU TYPE.. 

E Bear, 10 weeks!

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. 

I know I haven't been a parent very long. And right now is just the honeymoon phase. The fun milestones and lots of cuddles. BUT I have been thinking and praying a lot. I want to change and be better and I know that it is a slow process. But a journey I am willing to take. A journey that must be taken! This business of raising children to love Jesus is a serious business. It is the most important thing we will ever do! God has entrusted a human soul that HE LOVES with a passion greater than we can fully comprehend. I understand that love a bit more now that I grasp a few things:: :: ::

MARCH 2, 2013: "I learned something amazing tonight. I have been praying for new revelation and new insight into my faith. Because I have felt like I've been standing still. Part of it is because being a mother is all encompassing. We are all here grieving in our own way. I have been praying for change. I want this experience to change me and bring me closer to Christ. I seriously now understand salvation on a different level because a friend explained this to me.-- God lets us feel what it is to lose a loved one. He lets us feel that feeling because that's how he feels about EVERY single person that doesn't know Him or denies Him. We are separated from God unless we've chosen to accept forgiveness that is offered to us because Jesus died on the cross. And just as we miss and wish we could speak to our deceased loved one, God wishes we would talk to Him because He misses us. I never understood that depth of the sorrow that God feels until this week. There is no turning back to who I was last week. And I pray that whoever reads this thinks long and hard about their future and life. The gravity of death is heavy and it is not a joke." -Jenni Maria Holzhauer {ME}

So that is how much God loves us. He loves us so immensely. And then HE allows us to become parents and entrusts the soul and mind and health of another human being to US! HE gives us our children. They are HIS! How we treat them is critical! I cannot stress how strongly I feel about this!! 

 Now that I am a parent, this is my conclusion about social media in all of its forms:: :: ::

I think it is simply horrifying that things that should be private are blasted all over blogs, Twitter, texting and Facebook. I think back to times before the Internet and what would parents do back then if their child was struggling? Would they have sent out a mass letter to every person they have ever met or publicly posted all the details about their child's short comings on EVERY bulletin their town and sent that letter to every household in the world? By having a public blog essentially, THAT is what we {you} are doing!! Anyone with a means to get onto the Internet could find your blog and read it. Yes, it is unlikely that every person will read your thoughts, but I feel that even if 100 people know about the struggles your child is facing, THAT is FAR too many people!!!

And furthermore, for all of the moms who claim to be following Christs example, is it Biblical to post all sorts of intimate details about your children? God doesn't tell everyone about all of our hard times and all of our issues. Posting positive lovely things is one thing, but writing about things that are extremely personal is another ball game. I refuse to stand by and be silent as the souls of these poor innocent children are being drug out for all to see. Children are vulnerable and need to be protected. And their privacy and their hearts need to be taken seriously. By all means, discuss problems you are facing with a close friend or a doctor or a therapist but is it necessary for all 500 friends on your Facebook to know what your children are facing? It seems ridiculous to me. And frankly, it's Satanic. We are putting too much information out there and then we wonder why the enemy gains strongholds.

Matthew 18:10

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

I cannot express how thankful I am to my mother for keeping my struggles INTIMATE AND PRIVATE!! Now, I am the grown up me and no one knows what I was struggling with through out my youth, except the people who LOVE me and were helping me and praying for me!
My mom didn't even tell the WOMEN AT HER BIBLE STUDY!
She prayed for me in her quiet time and let me find my way and SHE HELPED ME! AND GAVE ME HER INPUT! I know THAT approach is the right approach! The approach the Holy Spirit would want you to take. Now, her and I have been able to mend our relationship and it is because I never lost trust in who she is and I know that my reputation is NOT soiled. No one can look at me and KNOW what my problems were as a child or teen. And any of the sinning that I did and the rebellion that occurred was not because of my mothers actions. That is a beautiful thing. That is how I want to be viewed as a mother, when my child(ren) are older. Because, how we treat our children, expecially FATHERS, is how our children will view God as they grow up. THAT is heavy! 

Luke 17:2 ESV 

It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

I am sick and tired of seeing negative posts about peoples children. I see them and I spend time praying for those children. For God to guard their hearts. This is serious business, parenting, and just because social media exists now, that doesn't mean we need to be telling our intimate family decisions and struggles to everyone. 

PRAY ABOUT THEM.

KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY.

I post a lot on my Facebook, but I pray about my posts and I stay positive because that is how Jesus lived. He saw the positive in everyone and forgave them for their shortcomings. He made them feel loved despite their sins and struggles. 

We as believers in CHRIST need to be a bit more proactive in how we see Jesus. We need to be his HANDS and FEET. Would Jesus sit at a computer and type out all of your problems and share them to the entire world via a blog post or a Facebook status?? I THINK NOT!

CHEW ON THAT FOR A MOMENT...

Exploiting our children is not funny. It is serious. Because of these social media outlets it is easy to type things out. But, imagine it this way, would you stand up in front of your entire congregation at church and read your blog to everyone? And let everyone know what is happening in your child's heart and soul and world? 

Would you seriously do that? 

I know I sure WOULDN'T!

The Bible holds us to a higher standard once we become parents. Anything we do to cause one of our children to sin or become angry or hurt, is a major offense {{LUKE 17:12}}

. We as parents need to spend time thinking about ways we cause our children to falter and we need to first

DELETE OUR POSTS 

and second

REPENT 

and thirdly

APOLOGIZE 

to them. 

Let them know we acknowledge how we have hurt them. 

And furthermore,

STOP POSTING. 

Psalm 127:3 ESV 

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

The Bible says we hold the power of life and death in our tongues. I believe that also goes for what we type out into cyber space!!

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21