January 2016

JANUARY 2016

a spiritual parenting resource

homefrontmag.com

Responsibility 1

RESPONSIBILITY | homefrontmag.com

GETTING STARTED

14 WHAT'S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST FOR

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40 EVER WONDER WHAT MERCY LOOKS LIKE?

START YOUR DAY AND YOUR NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT!

2016?

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EDITOR'S NOTE We were super excited when we realized the environment of RESPONSIBILITY would be the topic of our January issue. I mean, what better way to start out a new year than to be reminded of the responsibility God calls us to?

Micah 6:8 in The Message actually states it quite clearly: But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women.

It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

We loved this and decided to make it the common thread that runs throughout this issue of HomeFront.

Our TRADITIONS article (page 14) puts a twist on the normal New Year’s resolution and encourages your family to use the filter of Micah 6:8 to make a 2016 Bucket List. In CONVERSATION STARTERS (page 20) you will be given story snapshots that will help your children choose between right and wrong scenarios. This will be a helpful way to bring Micah 6:8 into their everyday world.

This month’s TOUGH TOPICS (page 40) shares what mercy looks like when Sarah Carter replies to a cyber bully about her parenting choices. A fun side note is that Sarah’s daughter’s name actually is Mercy! The SPIRITUAL GRANDPARENTING article (page 44) is beautifully written from the perspective of a granddaughter as she looks back on her grandparents’ life of living out the gospel.

Overall, we think each and every article will inspire you this month to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Our team at HomeFront is passionate about equipping you as you spiritually parent your children. We recognize that it is not an easy task God has called us to but, with the help of His Spirit, we can accomplish great things. Please know we are in this with you!

Happy New Year!

CONTENTS FAMILY TIME Family Verse

5

Capturing the Season

6

Storytelling

8

Create

10

Game Time

12

Traditions

14

Family Time Recipe

16

Kids in the Kitchen

18

Conversation Starters

20

God's Word

22

Prayer

24

Worship

26

Tot Time Rhyme

28

Blessing

29

Taking Action

30

Global

32

Personal Snow Globes

Everybody on the Subway Who Is My Neighbor?

Flour Mountain

2016 Bucket List Overnight Oatmeal Snowball Cake

The God Who Heals Doing Our Part Worship from the Inside Out Sit at Home

Ability Tree Denmark

INSPIRE, EQUIP, SUPPORT Student ID

34

Everyday Mom Blog

36

Everyday Dad Blog

38

Tough Topics

40

Marriage

42

Spiritual Grandparenting

44

Big Heavenly Audacious Goals

Shaping Our Children

Debbie Guinn

Taking Notice

Editor in Chief David C Cook debbie.guinn@davidccook.com

What Mercy Looks Like

Let’s Be Social!

HomeFrontSP

HomeFrontSP

HomeFrontSP

HomeFrontSP

Share your photos using the hashtag #homefrontmag

An Atmosphere of Responsibility Whistle and Walk

Design, Layout, and Photography by Stephanie Reindel (stephanie@homefrontmag.com) © 2016 David C Cook

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It's Here!

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new website!

Things you won't want to miss: • Parent blogs to inspire you • Mobile-friendly format • Lots of downloadable giveaways • Marketplace to purchase article bundles and more!

Michelle Anthony

The new website is filled with fresh ideas and creative ways to provide you with even more resources as we partner together to spiritually parent your children.

Vice President and Publisher of Learning Resources | David C Cook T witter @TruInspiration

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God’s chosen teacher. It is He who causes spiritual growth and formation when and as He chooses. As such, we have articulated 10 distinct environments to create in your home. We desire to create spiritual space, which we refer to as an environment, in which God’s Spirit can move freely.

Simply go to the link below to check it out today:

homefrontmag.com

OUR MISSION

This month’s HomeFront focuses on the environment of RESPONSIBILITY. Before you dive into this issue, set aside your previous ideas about responsibility.

While most of us associate that word with the burdens in our lives, the responsibilities God charges us with are exciting and life-giving! Open your mind and your heart to what He has to show you about taking responsibility for the kingdom He’s entrusted to you.

INSPIRE parents with ideas to create fun, spiritually forming times in the normal rhythm of everyday life.

EQUIP parents to become the spiritual leaders of God’s truth in their own households.

This month, as we explore the responsibilities God charges us with, we recognize that they cover a variety of areas. First, this concept of responsibility captures the idea that God has entrusted His kingdom to us. Next, this concept takes a look at our ability to take ownership for our lives, gifts, and resources before God. Finally, our families must be challenged to take responsibility for both the spiritually lost as well as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

SUPPORT families to engage their communities and change the culture around them.

FAMILY VERSE Memorizing Scripture can be an incredible practice to engage in as a family. But words in and of themselves will not necessarily transform us; it is God’s Spirit in these words who transforms. We come to know God more when we’re willing to open our hearts and listen to His Holy Spirit through the words we memorize. Have fun with this verse, and think of creative ways to invite your family to open up to God as they commit the verse to memory.

We pray that the Holy Spirit will use this environment to allow each member of your family to be nurtured within a kingdom-minded worldview. As you explore the various facets of Christ-centered responsibility this month, may you experience God in ways that will lead you to celebrate the responsibilities He has entrusted to you.

Consider purchasing an 8" x 10" frame to hold your family memory verse each month!

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Winter can be beautiful! As fresh white powder covers the earth, a new landscape appears. What was once brown and barren is now covered in a pristine and glittery blanket. We become thankful for the warmth of our homes and the cuddles from the family we love. Allow these unique snow globes to bring some of winter’s outside beauty in and give your home a snowy touch. As family members enjoy personalizing their globes, remind them that God has created each of us with unique gifts!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED • individual family member photo for each globe • clear contact paper or laminate • 1 jar for each photo • small plastic or ceramic favorite items • large white glitter • hot glue gun • glycerin

by Debbie Guinn 6

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family time

c a p t u r i n g t h e s e as o n

WHAT YOU'LL DO

01

04

Begin hot gluing your photo and favorite items onto the lid. Be sure not to place things too close to the outer edge of the lid, so that nothing gets in the way of securely fastening it. Once everything is securely glued down and dried, give the lid a shake or two to be sure nothing will come off when placed inside the jar.

05

Fill your jar with water almost to the top. Put in 2–3 teaspoons of glycerin per cup of water. Then add your glitter—add as much as you would like—but note that it will get stuck on the items you added inside the globe.

Gather your jars—any size will do as long as the mouth is wide enough to fit your photo and favorite items. Also be sure the jars have snug lids.

02

Look for at least one item to add to each jar that is a favorite for the person whose photo will be displayed. Items should be plastic or ceramic and small enough to fit on the lid and inside the globe.

03 To make the globe unique, try to find photos with family members in fun positions. Once you cut out the photo, you can either have it laminated or cover it with clear contact paper. Trim the edges, leaving a small border to be sure it is completely sealed.

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sto ry t e l l i n g JESUS TELLS ABOUT A LOVING NEIGHBOR Jesus told this story about neighbors in Luke 10:25–27.

As a man walked along a road, some robbers hurt him and took his money. The man needed help.

A priest came by. He taught people about God. But he didn’t help the man. The priest wasn’t a loving neighbor.

Soon a Levite came by. He helped people worship God. But he didn’t help the man. The Levite wasn’t a loving neighbor either.

Finally a man from Samaria came by. Most people didn’t like Samaritans. They thought Samaritans were bad neighbors. But the Samaritan helped the man. He gave the man some water and took him to a safe place. The Samaritan was a loving neighbor.

Jesus wants us to be loving neighbors too.

Sophia and Aunt Carla were visiting the city. They were riding the subway. Sophia saw that there were many people in their subway car.

He loves you and me. We must be kind to her just like all the others. All the people are our neighbors.”

Sophia finished counting all of the women. There were 22 women.

Sophia quietly said to Aunt Carla, “Look at all the people! Will you please help me count them?”

Then she counted all of the men. There were tall men and short men. Some men wore suits. Others wore jeans and T-shirts. There were 16 men in the subway car.

Aunt Carla smiled, “All right, Sophia. First, count all of the children. Then count all of the women. Last, count all of the men. I’ll add the numbers for you.”

Sophia looked around the subway car. She looked to the front. She looked behind her. Sophia counted all of the babies. She counted all of the boys. Then she counted all of the girls.

“Aunt Carla said, “That makes 48 people in our subway car!”

Sophia looked around at all of the people. She said, “Do you know what, Aunt Carla? They are all my neighbors. I can show love to each one by smiling at them as they walk by me.”

Sophia quietly said to Aunt Carla, “There are ten children.”

Next, Sophia began to count the women. She counted women who were dressed in suits to go to an office. She counted women who were dressed to go to a gym. One woman wore old clothes and a droopy hat and had two shopping bags stuffed with a lot of things.

Until they got off the subway train in a few stops, Sophia smiled at each person who walked past her.

“Why does that lady have so many bags?” Sophia asked Aunt Carla.

PARENTS

Excerpt from Storytime: A 52-Week Bible Storybook for Families by Catherine DeVries (page 157–158).

Ask your children if they remember how the good Samaritan helped the man in the story from Luke.

Then ask them how Sophia showed love to her neighbors as they walked by. Share with them that sometimes love is as simple as sharing a smile.

Aunt Carla said, “Some people don’t have enough money to buy new clothes. Sometimes they don’t have a place to stay, so they carry all their things with them. But Jesus loves the lady with the bags, just as

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c r e at e

WHAT YOU’LL DO

When we talk with our children about our responsibility to others, they usually think of the people in the small world they are exposed to: nextdoor neighbors, friends from school or church, family members, etc. Each of these is important. However, because of technology, we know what is happening all over our world in a matter of minutes. Because of this, there are no boundaries to who our neighbors are and who God calls us to be responsible for.

Use this wax paper transfer to remind your children that God has called us to be responsible for our neighbors around the corner and around the world.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED • wax paper • white card stock • tape • ink-jet printer • credit card

1.

Print out the World Map printable on card stock.

2.

Cut sheets of wax paper to the size of computer paper.

3.

Print the Micah 6:8 reversed image onto the wax paper with any ink-jet printer. It doesn’t matter which side you print on—both sides of wax paper are waxed. If you put the wax paper on top of printer paper you can use the paper as a guide. Make sure there are no wrinkles.

4.

Carefully place the ink image (wet side down) on top of the World Map. Secure with tape.

5.

Holding the wax paper firmly, rub over the verse image with a credit card.

6.

Carefully remove the wax paper. It will still have ink so be careful not to drag it.

7.

Allow the ink to dry before framing.

by Debbie Guinn

• World Map printable found at dcc.is/worldmap • Micah 6:8 reversed printable found at dcc.is/micahverse

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game time

WHAT YOU’LL NEED • small teacup or mug • flour • plate • small piece of candy • plastic knife • scissors • bowl or hat • Act, Love, and Walk cards downloadable at dcc.is/ januarygametime BEFORE YOU START Download and cut out each Act, Love, and Walk card. Place in a non-see-through bowl or hat. Right before you start the game, fill your cup with flour, making sure to pack it in very tightly. Flip the cup over on the plate and slowly remove the cup. You should then have a small mountain of flour. Place a single piece of candy on top. It's best to play this game around a small table or on the floor. (If playing on the floor, be sure to lay down some newspaper for easier cleanup) TIME TO PLAY! Gather everyone around the flour mountain. Read Micah 6:8 out loud.

If needed, explain to your children: • Acting justly means knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong and doing what is right.

• Loving mercy means showing people love like Jesus does.

• Walking humbly means depending on God instead of ourselves.

Depending on the age of your children, each of these descriptions may need to be explained a little differently. Once you have reviewed those three parts of Micah 6:8, you are ready to play the game!

Explain to your family that everyone will take turns pulling a card out of the hat or bowl. The person who drew will read the question out loud and the family will decide the answer together.

• If the card is blue, the reader must then pick up the knife and take a small slice out of the flour mountain.

• If the card is grey, the reader gets to sit back down after answering the question.

Do not place the cards back in the hat or bowl until all have been read. The first person to slice into the flour mountain, causing the candy to fall, must put his hands behind his back and dig the candy out using only his face. If you run out of cards before the candy falls, don’t worry! Just place all of the cards back in and keep going until the flour mountain crumbles.

This is a fun game to take pictures of, so grab your camera or phone and snap some pics! We’d love to see your Game Time photos by using the hashtag, #homefrontmag.

Your kids will always laugh looking back at pictures of themselves with flour all over their faces.

WHAT IF MY CHILD ISN’T A READER YET? No problem! This is a great game for teams! Partner your little ones up with an older child or an adult. The younger ones can be in charge of announcing what color the card is, helping answer the question, and slicing into the flour mountain.

REMEMBER! God has entrusted us with the things and people He created around us.

He tells us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. Remind your children that, as they spend time at school, with friends, or at home, God gives us the responsibility to treat and love His people just as He would. Use opportunities throughout your week to show your children different ways they can do this. No one can live perfectly, but we can always look to Jesus to show us the best way to be responsible for all of His creation!

by Heather DePartee Heather is a newlywed and works as an Instructional Aide for kindergarten students in Fresno, CA. She spent three and a half years working on the Families team at ROCKHARBOR Church in Costa Mesa, CA as an assistant to the Early Childhood Director, participating in the development of Tru Curriculum, and as an administrative assistant to the team.

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traditions

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traditions

A TRADITION IS A STATEMENT, BELIEF, OR CUSTOM HANDED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

In the tradition of making New Year's resolutions, people make promises to improve themselves in some way. Most of the time the promise is centered on something that is inwardly driven—things like eating better, exercising more, watching less TV, etc. More often than not, our resolutions sound like a check-off list of bad habits we don’t want to do anymore.

This year we would like to encourage your family to try something new when it comes to making a resolution for 2016. Together as a family, create a Bucket List of experiences you’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year. Using Micah 6:8 as your guide, discuss your family's responses to the following commitments.

The [your family's last name] family will: Act Justly – Give an example of how your family will protect the innocent in 2016. How will you take action to right things that are wrong?

Love Mercy – Give an example of how your family will show loving kindness. Is there a consistent new way you can show loyal love?

Walk Humbly – Give an example of how your family will work to have the right heart attitude toward God. How will you show Him that He is the Lord of your life?

Print out the 2016 Bucket List printable at dcc.is/bucketlist and then simply fill in the blanks. Place your Bucket List in a visible place in your home as a guide and reminder. Find moments to check in with each other and see how your family is accomplishing the things “the Lord requires of you” in 2016.

by Debbie Guinn Debbie is the Editor in Chief of HomeFront. She has more than 25 years of experience working in children’s and family ministries. She is passionate about equipping parents to become leaders of God’s truth in their own households.

Instagram @homefrontsp Twitter @homefrontsp 15

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fa m i ly t i m e r e c i p e

We’ve all heard it—breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If we start our day off with a hearty and healthy breakfast, chances are, we will feel better the rest of the day. Start your new year and your new day off right with this simple and delicious twist on oatmeal.

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time (optional): 5 min.

Total Time: 8 hr. 15 min.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Yields: 4 servings

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats • 1 1/2 cups whole milk • 1 cup half-and-half • 1/2 cup raisins

1.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, milk, half-and-half, raisins, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and apples.

2.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can do this in one large bowl or individual serving sizes.

3.

You can serve the oatmeal cold or warm it up in the microwave in the morning.

4.

Garnish with berries if desired.

• 4 heaping tablespoons brown sugar • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract • pinch of kosher salt • 2 small Granny Smith apples, chopped • blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries (optional) * For an easy metric conversion chart, search the Internet for “metric kitchen.”

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k i d s i n t h e k i tc h e n

Your kids will have so much fun helping you create this easy and delicious snowball cake as the perfect winter treat.

Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 1 hr. 5 min. Total Time: 2 hrs. Yields: 16 servings WHAT YOU’LL NEED • 1 package devil's food cake mix (plus ingredients on cake mix box to prepare according to directions)

WHAT YOU’LL DO 1.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.

Prepare cake batter according to directions in a 2-1/2-quart ovenproof bowl; scrape side of bowl.

3.

Beat cream cheese, egg, and granulated sugar until blended; spoon into center of batter in bowl.

4.

Bake 1 hour 5 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

5.

Cool cake in bowl for 10 minutes. Loosen cake from bowl with knife; invert onto wire rack. Remove bowl. Cool cake completely.

• 1 cup cold milk

6.

• 1 tub (8 ounce) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed

Meanwhile, beat pudding mix, powdered sugar, and milk in bowl with whisk for 2 minutes.

7.

Stir in Cool Whip. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

• 1 cup Baker's Angel Flake coconut

8.

Place cake on plate or cake stand and allow your kids to frost with pudding mixture and cover with coconut.

• 1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened • 1 egg • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar • 1 package (3.4 ounces) JELL-O vanilla flavor instant pudding • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

*F or an easy metric conversion chart, search the Internet for “metric kitchen.”

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co n v e r sat i o n sta r t e r s SWISH. I watched Michael’s* shot drop cleanly through the net yet again. Michael was only seven years old, but he already had more ups than I had ever dreamed of having. I will never forget working as part of an after-school program, loving every minute watching Michael play basketball on the playground. Trouble was, Michael was so good that he never wanted to play with any of the other kids. He didn’t want to waste his time, and wanted to keep practicing instead. But one day, a kindergarten boy—nose running, wobbling as he walked—wandered over to Michael. I started to walk toward the court, fearing the worst. Then I watched as a miracle ensued. Michael stopped what he was doing and began helping this little boy. Michael knew that the just thing to do was to share the court. He had mercy on this scrawny little boy and he embraced humility as he played with a kindergartner. Michael chose to take responsibility for himself as he lived out the following verse:

The LORD has shown you what is good.

He has told you what he requires of you.

You must act with justice.

You must love to show mercy.

And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God. (Micah 6:8 NIRV) Each week this month use one of the following conversation starters with your family. Read the story snapshots and discuss the corresponding questions.

*Pseudonym used.

“The LORD has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you.”

CHRISTOPHER One day Christopher was playing kickball at school. He was tired of waiting his turn in line, so he decided to skip four other kids to get to the front. One of the kids complained, “Skipper!! Go to the end of the line.” Christopher turned around and pushed the boy.

Christopher’s teacher called his mom, and when she arrived at school, Christopher broke out in tears, “Mom, I know what I did was wrong. I’m so sorry. I know God wants me to treat others well. I will try to do better next time.”

JACQUELYN Jacquelyn loved cookies, and her dad had just baked a fresh tray of warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies. As Jacquelyn’s dad walked out of the kitchen, he told her that she needed to wait until after dinner before she could have a cookie. Jacquelyn slowly began to tiptoe towards the cookies. She looked left, then right, then grabbed a cookie off of the tray and shoved it in her mouth all at once.

When Jacquelyn’s dad returned to the kitchen, he noticed the missing cookie. He asked Jacquelyn what had happened and she lied to her dad. He asked her again, and she lied again.

• Who chose to do what was right: Christopher or Jacquelyn? How do you know that person did what was right?

• God tells us that we should care for those around us (Mark 12:31) and that we should honor our parents (Ephesians 6:2). How should we act if we know these things to be true?

• What are ways we can know what God requires of us?

“You must act with justice.”

TONY AND AMIR Tony and Amir were walking together in the park. As they walked, they noticed a man sitting on a park bench. Tony started to make fun of the man, just loud enough that the man could hear. “Look at his clothes," Tony snickered. "I bet he hasn’t showered in a month! His hair is soooo gross. I think we should call him stinky.”

Amir looked at Tony and said, “That's not nice. Please don’t talk like that.” Then Amir smiled at the man on the bench as he continued to walk with Tony.

• Which of the two boys acted justly to the man on the park bench?

• What does the word justice mean?

• What is one way you can act justly this week?

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co n v e r sat i o n sta r t e r s “You must love to show mercy.”

THE SERVANT WHO HAD NO MERCY (MATTHEW 18:23–33 NIRV) “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. As the king began to do it, a man who owed him 10,000 bags of gold was brought to him. The man was not able to pay. So his master gave an order. The man, his wife, his children, and all he owned had to be sold to pay back what he owed.

“Then the servant fell on his knees in front of him. ‘Give me time,’ he begged. ‘I’ll pay everything back.’ His master felt sorry for him. He forgave him what he owed and let him go.

“But then that servant went out and found one of the other servants who owed him 100 silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said.

“The other servant fell on his knees. ‘Give me time,’ he begged him. ‘I’ll pay it back.’

“But the first servant refused. Instead, he went and had the man thrown into prison. The man would be held there until he could pay back what he owed. The other servants saw what had happened and were very angry. They went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the first servant in. ‘You evil servant,’ he said. ‘I forgave all that you owed me because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on the other servant just as I had mercy on you?’

• What does mercy mean?

• Who showed mercy in this story?

• Why does God want us to love mercy?

“And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God.” TRINA Auditions had just begun for the spring play. Trina had rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed until she had all of her lines ready. Finally her turn came. She desperately wanted the part of the beautiful princess, and she said all of her lines just perfectly. After the audition, she walked over to all of the other girls who were trying for the same role. “I know I’m going to get the part,” said Trina. “I clearly was the best out of all of you. I remembered every line and I had the most emotion!” Trina went on and on like this. Even though Trina did end up getting the part, she ended up losing all of her friends.

JUNG Jung had been practicing his guitar every day because he knew he was going to have the opportunity to play the guitar at the big school talent show. Every free moment he had he spent practicing for the big day. Finally, the day arrived and he began playing his songs. After he finished, all of his friends came up to congratulate him. “You rocked!” they cheered. “Yeah, you were awesome.” And on and on the compliments came.

Jung smiled at his friends and said, “Thank you so much. I’m just so grateful that God has given me the ability to play guitar.”

• Did Trina or Jung act with humility? How do you know?

• What ways can you be humble?

• How does our humility impact those around us?

by Krista Heinen Krista is the NextGen Associate Pastor at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI. Krista helps equip and support the families at Elmbrook through resources, events, and conversations.

Twitter @KristaHeinen

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g o d ' s wo r d

And then he laughed again, because he, the fearless and dreaded Naaman, had been utterly captured and defeated by the God of Israel and the tender love and mercy of a precious little girl.

As the caravan continued along the dusty road toward home, Naaman could not stop looking at his hands. He kept touching his now-smooth skin on his ears and nose. He could hardly believe it … he was actually healed! He also could hardly believe that he had declared himself a follower of the God of the Jews! What would his family say about this? With a newfound twinkle in his eye, he threw his head back and laughed at the craziness of it all.

HEAR IT Read 2 Kings 5:1–19a with your family. Also, read the story of Naaman out loud, if it would be helpful for stirring imagination and helping to enter the story in a deeper way. Discuss how you may have felt if you were the slave child and your master had leprosy. Would you have told Naaman about the God who heals?

As Naaman reflected and pondered, he realized that it was much more than this healing that had caused him to start worshipping the one true God. God had been at work long before Naaman dipped in the river.

Read Micah 6:8 out loud. How did the servant girl live out the challenges of this verse?

It was the girl … that young servant girl. It had been no coincidence that she was working in Naaman’s house. If not for her telling Naaman about the prophet, he would still be carrying the pain and WHY DID shame of leprosy. But she did SHE HELP tell him. Why? After all she had HIM? THESE been through, after her parents QUESTIONS had been killed and she taken HAUNTED as a slave—why didn’t she just NAAMAN ON let him suffer? Why did she HIS JOURNEY help him? These questions HOMEWARD. haunted Naaman on his journey homeward.

DO IT The servant girl was in a situation where she knew that to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, it was her responsibility to help her master. As you think of the situations unfolding around you, how can your family spread justice and mercy in humility? What is your response-ability? Just as the young girl took initiative to help, I encourage you to have your kids take the lead on this one. Help them think of a person, family, or other aspect of creation (animals, nature) that needs their help, and let them come up with ideas of how to respond.

As the hours rolled by, he could not get the face of this sweet child out of his head. In spite of her sad life, her eyes were always filled with compassion. Even Naaman, the tough, hardened, military leader, could sense that. She was kind and caring to Naaman and his wife. Why? How?

by Jason Kliewer Jason is a husband, a dad of two daughters, and a Community Pastor at ROCKHARBOR Church in Costa Mesa, CA. He has a Masters in Biblical Studies from Grace University in Omaha, NE.

Could it be that her God was actually compassionate? Could it be that her God truly was kind and caring?

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HE HAS SHOWN YOU, O MORTAL, WHAT IS GOOD. AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU? TO ACT JUSTLY AND TO LOVE MERCY AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD. MICAH 6:8

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p r ay e r

1. ACT JUSTLY

“It’s not fair!” My seven-year-old stood, hands on her hips, glaring at her older brother. “He took the last granola bar," she shouted, "and I was going to take that in my lunch tomorrow!” With six children at home, the number of times a day I hear, “It’s not fair” rivals the number of times I hear, “Mom, where is my ...?”

Instead of focusing on injustice toward ourselves, measuring how others are treating us, we are told to act justly. To do what is right. We can take opportunities to model this for our children, being aware of others and treating them considerately. Our prayers can reflect this as we pray with our children about injustices they encounter.

Children have an innate sense of justice. They are acutely aware of how many cookies are in the jar, whether a sister finished her chores before going out to play, and who got to choose the movie for family night last time. But have you ever noticed that a child’s focus on justice is one-sided? I mean, you probably have never heard your child complain, “I think you have given my sister the harder job, Mom. I would like to offer to help her with her chores. After all, it’s only fair!”

2. LOVE MERCY Acting justly toward others gives us a chance to practice mercy. Who doesn’t love to be shown mercy? Justice without mercy lacks the transforming power of love. But together, justice and mercy reflect God’s nature.

3. WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD

Children aren’t the only ones who cry, “It’s not fair!” Sometimes it is the injustice we see in the world that ignites our passion. Human trafficking, poverty, abuse, and a host of other crises can bring us to our knees in prayer and compel us to take action to alleviate the suffering of others. Sometimes it is close to home: a serious illness, losing a child, a divorce.

“It’s not supposed to be like this,” we remind God. And standing with our hands on our hips, like my seven-year-old, we protest, “It’s not fair!”

When we pray from a position of humility, we remember who God is and what He requires of us and what He will enable us to do and to teach our children: acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. PARENTS Choose an area of injustice and pray with your children for God’s mercy to bring change.

And yet how often do we protest against the blessings that we enjoy every day? How often do we remind God that it isn’t fair that He sent His own Son to take our place, to pay the penalty of sin so we could enjoy fellowship with our Creator for all eternity? God is a God of justice and mercy. We can receive His mercy with gratitude and trust His justice with the things we don’t understand. Then we can do our part.

by Debbie Cox Debbie is a mother of six, from newborn to nearly graduated.

She loves to dance, take long walks, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, read great books with her children, and discover ways to live a simple, healthy life. Her seasons of marriage and motherhood have caused her to draw closer to Jesus and find His grace really is sufficient! Finding joy in the moment and significance in the mundane, Debbie endeavors to live with a vision of eternity.

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wo r s h i p

Worship is a direct reflection of our hearts. It comes from the inside out.

could tell there was there was still something on Eli’s mind. And his next statement blew me away!

Worship can look like singing a hand-clapping worship song, or a hymn steeped in theology. It can look like tithing, even when you aren’t sure you’ll have enough money for next month’s rent, or it can look like carving out precious time to serve at a soup kitchen. God is constantly stirring our hearts to act according to His will and this turns into the most beautiful worship.

He said, “I hope that everyone who comes in contact with that man is kind to him. If he was someone we loved, maybe a part of our family, I would like to know that people were treating him nicely. Even if he doesn’t spend that money wisely, I hope he felt loved by us.”

MY HUSBAND AND I CHOSE MICAH 6:8 AS A LIFE VERSE FOR OUR FIRST CHILD ...

Do you ever look at your spouse to verify if you heard the same thing? This was one of those moments! Honestly though, I’m not sure why we were so surprised. We have been praying for Eli to be shown the goodness of God, then take responsibility with what God has entrusted to him, by acting justly, loving mercy, and staying humble for nine years!

But what does it mean to worship in the environment of responsibility?

My husband and I chose Micah 6:8 as a life verse for our first child, a son whom we named Eli. We have been praying this verse over him for nine years. Some of my favorite home videos are of Eli reciting his life verse from memory at two years old with his toddler accent.

Was Eli’s heart toward an unknown but needy man along the roadside an act of worship?

I think it might have been some of the purest worship I have ever witnessed.

Now that Eli is well out of that toddler stage, we are getting to see how God has used this verse to shape his personality, especially when it comes to the responsibility he feels toward people in need.

Not long ago, we were driving as a family and we saw a homeless man at an intersection. In an effort to prompt our kids toward action, I said, “Look, I see a homeless person! I wish we could do something to help (hint hint)." Our three younger children were quick to respond with ideas about giving the man money or the gift cards we keep in our glove box specifically for that purpose. We gave him some kind words and a gift card, then the light turned green, and we were on our way.

This month, as an act of worship, pray this over your children and wait expectantly for what God has planned for their lives!

He has shown you, (child’s name), what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (From Micah 6:8)

by Kara Noel Lawson

Eli had been silent during the whole exchange; finally he piped up and said he hoped the homeless person would spend his money wisely. We all agreed, then talked about God’s command to give to the poor regardless of how they might spend the money. But I 27

Kara is the Social Media Manager for HomeFront. She is a homeschooling mom to four and a freelance writer for the Orange County Register and Family magazine. Kara speaks at mom groups about how the small things in our lives can make a big impact.

Blog smallthingsarebigthings.com Instagram @KaraNoelLawson Twitter @KaraNoelLawson RESPONSIBILITY | homefrontmag.com

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tot t i m e r h y m e ( ag e s 3 & u n d e r )

SIT AT HOME

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. Deuteronomy 6:6–7

SIT AT HOME

WALK ALONG THE ROAD

LIE DOWN

GET UP

This month, as you are sitting at home, remind your little one that God has entrusted us with the things and people He has placed in our lives by singing this rhyme to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

God’s entrusted me with things, me with things, me with things, He's teaching me every day to live responsibly.

by Izzi Ray Izzi is a singer, songwriter, artist, and musician.

Blog Izzi.Ray.com

Instagram @izziray

Twitter @izziray

Get the audio recording of this song at dcc.is/januarytottime Repetition is fundamental to almost any learning style, so when you’re teaching your children, use repetition!

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blessing

“God has entrusted me with the things and people He created around me."

PARENTS READ THIS SCRIPTURE OVER YOUR CHILD

The God of heaven and earth has entrusted me ...

Micah 6:8 from The Message: But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,

Not only do I trust Him, but He trusts me.

God trusts me.

what God is looking for in men and women.

He values the way I will care for my own life, steward my gifts and resources, love the body of Christ, and those who don't yet know Him. He likes the way I will do it and He saw fit that it would be me, and these gifts, and these people in my proximity. What a precious gift we have been given. God has told us to care for all of this, but it will be expressed differently through all of us. It is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ functioning in different ways to accomplish the same purpose.

It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

BLESSING Pray the following words of blessing over your children: (Child’s name), know that the Lord trusts you. He is filling you with power through His Spirit to care for the world around you. Help (child’s name) to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before You, God.

Parents, let's make sure our children know that this isn't a list of chores; the environment of responsibility is an honor.

God trusts you. You are a good steward.

The way you care for the world around you doesn’t have to look like any other way it has ever been done before. We serve a creative God and we therefore are creative people.

Your unique perspective and touch on the world around you is beautiful. The Holy Spirit will show you how to walk in this every step of the way.

by Renae Craig Renae is the Families Pastor at ROCKHARBOR Church Mission Viejo in California and a mother of two. Her desire is to see families pursuing Jesus together and experiencing His kingdom here and now.

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ta k i n g ac t i o n

Joe Butler, founder of Ability Tree, with his family.

old, Micah had a seizure and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Micah started walking at four years of age. Then at age six, after enduring a series of tests, Micah was diagnosed with autism.

Micah worked very hard the first few years of his life to accomplish certain tasks that came “naturally" to most children his age. Joe, Jen, and Micah’s older and younger sisters also endured many long, draining days and worrisome, sleepless nights during the first few years of Micah’s life. They also gained a new perspective on life. The most important lesson the Butlers learned was to notice and value people.

“I NEVER REALLY NOTICED PEOPLE UNTIL MY SON MICAH WAS BORN.”

When Micah was two and a half, right after he had his seizure, the doctors told Joe and Jen that they weren’t sure what Micah was going to be like as he grew up—whether he would be able to walk, or talk in complete sentences, or live on his own one day. Joe and Jen are thankful for the doctors, therapists, and teachers, but their hope and faith is found in God. Without faith in Jesus Christ, Joe and Jen would not have been able to face and continue to face life’s daily challenges, especially as a family impacted by special needs.

Ability Tree Inc. was formed as a non-profit in June 2010, but the vision and mission had been brewing in the hearts of Joe and Jen Butler for some time.

EVERYTHING CHANGED At 9 months old, Micah was diagnosed with developmental delays. He received various therapies seven to eight times a week. At two and a half years

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family time

ta k i n g ac t i o n FAMILIES MATTER Families with children with special needs face challenges above and beyond what typical families face on a daily basis.

CHURCH RESOURCE KIT One of the key components of Ability Tree’s mission is to partner with organizations to raise awareness and build support networks to strengthen and grow able families.

The Church Resource Kit is a result of collaboration with various like-minded organizations.

According to the 2000 Census, there are 54 million Americans living with a disability and close to 9 million are under the age of 15! Ultimately, living with a child with a disability can have profound effects on the entire family—parents, siblings, and extended family members.

Each kit is filled with a variety of leading special-needs resources from various national ministries and nonprofit organizations.

THIS IS WHY This is why we started Ability Tree Inc.—to help grow able families and accessible organizations by providing R.E.S.T. (recreation, education, support, and training). The greatest source of rest is found in God. The Word of God says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). We want to be part of God's work on earth by partnering with the weary and helping them carry their burdens. Will you join us?

For more information or to order your kit today, please visit www.abilitytree.org/churchresourcekit or email info@abilitytree.org!

LEARN MORE Check out our website to learn more about our ministry and how you can come alongside families with disabilities! website abilitytree.org facebook Ability Tree instagram @abilitytree twitter @abilitytree

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g lo b a l

Awakening a compassionate heart and a global mind-set in children for people beyond the boundaries of their own neighborhoods.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS ...

Denmark

Denmark is in Northern Europe, bordered primarily by the Baltic Sea and North Sea. It consists of the peninsula of Jutland, north of Germany, and close to 406 islands, about 80 of which are inhabited. The most populated and largest of the islands is Zealand. Denmark occupies 16,621 square miles. Germany shares 42 miles of border with Denmark, and the other 4,545 miles is coastline. In July of 2000, the Ă–resund Bridge was completed, connecting Denmark and southern Sweden.

Norway Sweden North Sea Latvia

Denmark

Baltic Sea Lithuania

United Kingdom

Netherlands

Poland Germany

QUICK STATS

POPULATION

5,699,220

LANGUAGE

DANISH

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RELIGION

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN 86% MUSLIM 4% NON-RELIGIOUS 9%

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g lo b a l NOW THAT WE KNOW THE LOCATION OF DENMARK, LET’S MEET ITS PEOPLE.

There are more than 5 million people who call Denmark their home.

If you lived in Denmark you would most likely go to a Lutheran church.

To talk to your friends in Denmark you would speak Danish.

To say hello you would say: hej (pronounced high).

If you lived in Denmark, you would eat a lot of meat—especially pork—but also beef, together with plenty of potatoes and vegetables. "Aebleflaesk” (Apple Pork) is one of the oldest Danish dishes and originated in the country kitchens of Denmark.

DID YOU

KNOW

?

• The UN World Happiness Report has rated Danes as the happiest people on earth two years in a row.

• LEGO is actually Danish!

• Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen wrote notable fairytales such as The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, and The Ugly Duckling.

Each year, the World Justice Project surveys 99 countries to come up with their Rule of Law Index. The index is used by policy wonks and analysts to dig deeper into why some countries are better at protecting civil liberties than others, and where countries rank in comparison to similar-income countries nearby. Here are the World's Justice League's top countries where “justice prevails.”

10. Singapore 9. Germany 8. Australia 7. Austria 6. New Zealand 5. Netherlands 4. Finland 3. Sweden 2. Norway Denmark ranks number 1 overall, but is also number 1 on issues related to constraints of government powers and absence of corruption. Seventy percent said that high-ranking government officers would be prosecuted and punished through fines, or time in prison, if involved in a corruption case. http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eglg45gelhe/the-justice-league/

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Recently our pastor taught on Nehemiah and related his mission to a term that business expert Jim Collins coined, a "Big Hairy Audacious Goal," or a BHAG. (Our pastor replaced "Hairy" with "Heavenly" to relate it to kingdom work.) He challenged us to pray about BHAGs—things we could take responsibility for and change for the kingdom of God. Our adult small group discussed it every week, each week shrugging our shoulders and feeling like maybe just raising our children to adulthood was enough of a goal. But our middle school kids—oh the BHAGs they came up with! They saw ways that they could take responsibility for the things and people entrusted to them, and took it to another level! With limitless imagination and perhaps just enough reckless abandon to ignore any limits that culture might tell them to put on their limitless God, these middle school students emerged with BHAGs to inspire and motivate.

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st u d e n t i d (6 t h

to

8th grade)

One student motivated the entire group of 400 students to replace the year's supply of toilet paper lost by our summer camp (SBR) in a tragic fire, calling it "TP SBR." Students took responsibility to start Christian clubs at the middle schools in our area. My own 6th grade son is working to coordinate a 5K run to benefit foster kids in our county who need their own bags to carry from home to home. In a culture that encourages kids to take responsibility for THESE KIDS HAVE no one but themselves, SEEN WHAT GOD these kids have seen HAS ENTRUSTED what God has entrusted TO THEM IN to them in their own THEIR OWN communities and made COMMUNITIES it their Big Heavenly AND MADE Audacious Goal to IT THEIR BIG take responsibility for HEAVENLY those things.

AUDACIOUS How can we as GOAL TO TAKE parents lead our middle RESPONSIBILITY school children toward FOR THOSE taking responsibility for THINGS. more than their daily hygiene and cleaning their rooms—which on most days may seem like enough responsibility? How do we harness the passion in their current hormonal state to direct it toward a passion for reaching this culture that generally only watches out for themselves?

we see daily in our communities and in our world.

Parents, point out injustice and help them process what the opposite of that injustice would look like.

Ask them how, in a real life situation, they might take responsibility for injustice—for the kid who is lonely and has an emotional need, the group that has a physical need you could meet—and how God would want them to respond because of who He is.

Love mercy. This phrase requires a posture of the heart. We hear and read about the "mean girls" in this age group, and the bullying that exists online and in schools, often in subtle ways, but loving mercy requires having compassion where there would be the potential to cause harm.

This is why the environment of responsibility is so important—teaching our middle schoolers that God has entrusted them with each situation and person they will encounter each day. And that with their place of privilege comes the responsibility of loving mercy—making the choice that will reverse what a sinful world might bend them toward, and instead having a heart that loves mercy.

Walk humbly. Walking implies a forward movement. We need to encourage our kids that it is not just this moment that they act or respond this way, but rather a lifetime posture that defines them. How will the experiences they have in middle school position them to walk humbly in the future? How will they submit to God daily? How are you modeling that as a parent? Can you imagine these kids with the BHAGs walking humbly into their future years, palms up in surrender to God, allowing His Holy Spirit to guide and write their stories, and taking responsibility for that which He calls their attention to?

Consider Micah 6:8, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." In this chapter, God is challenging Israel's efforts to please Him with burnt offerings, and instead outlining His basic requirements—all things that require action and character—to act, to love, to walk. Justly, with mercy, humbly—not always the first words we think of in relation to middle schoolers, but I believe we can guide and encourage them in the environment of responsibility, and these words can be inspiring to a kid who is in the raging world of middle school.

As a parent, I don't think it is an insignificant goal to encourage and guide our kids toward a life where they act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. In fact, I think raising a generation of these kids is a worthy Big Heavenly Audacious Goal.

Act justly. This phrase requires action.

Interesting that God would put the action first, but it's in perfect alignment with middle schoolers who often act before reasoning. This kind of action requires that we teach our children a theology of who God is and how He relates to the injustice

Courtney Wilson Courtney is the Elementary Director at Christ Community Church in the suburbs of Chicago. You can usually find her chasing her four amazing kids around with coffee in one hand and a camera in the other.

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shaping our children julie carson

I feel things deeply. Give me any personality test, and without fail, when it comes to scoring the feelings section, I always fall in the extreme upper percentage. It is something that I often fight against, because in so many ways it hurts. I am in awe of those who seem to be able to bounce back from pain and struggle in seemingly effortless ways. Yet it is who I am, and it is who God shaped me to be, so I choose to embrace it.

As a child this manifested in many ways. My heart has always been a little sensitive to those suffering and those in need, however, in my safe suburban cul-de-sac, there weren’t a whole lot of visible needs around me. What I did love was animals, and when I came across a mailer asking for donations to help support a shelter for abused animals, my view changed. I immediately went to my room to fish money out of my piggy bank. I could not sit by and do nothing while helpless puppies starved!

At the time, I was certain I was making a difference in the world, and I also naively thought that hungry animals were the very worst of its problems. Over the next decade my money and my passion found its way into many animal-rights causes, and it became my thing. Social justice wasn’t on my radar—I had yet to be exposed to who Jesus was, or what He would mean in my eternity. I just knew that I had a broken heart for the broken.

When God came and radically changed my life, my tender heart was torn in countless new ways. Ways that often made me paralyzed with the enormity of needs. I wanted to fundraise for everything. Support every cause. Go on every mission trip. Yet my reality was often at odds with my passion. God has been graciously and patiently helping me hone in on where I can serve, and what I can lend my voice to. Walking in obedience to that has tempered my irrational desire to do everything and fix everything all at once.

There is nothing I love more than to see people walk in the passions God has created them for. I see people fight for orphans, for clean water, for family reunification, for the hungry, for medical care, for fair wages, for veterans, for the homeless—the list goes on and on. Although their causes and passions might be different, I recognize one common thread. Those fighting for justice, for wholeness, for redemption, for hope, are too busy changing the world to bother with policing others who hold different passions and ideologies.

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Nothing makes me want to live in a remote cabin miles away from a Wi-Fi signal more than seeing Christians fight on social media over issues, politicians, or causes which do or do not deserve their time, effort, or money. If you are passionate about something, go do something about it. Everyone doesn’t have to share the exact same passion as you. God is the ultimate creator, and I believe that He shapes all of us differently to serve His purposes in the world. It only takes a moment to scroll through the day’s headlines to know that there are more than enough problems and issues to go around.

My husband, Jason, and I hope to foster in our children a sense of the bigger world around us, and the responsibility they hold to be the hands and feet of Jesus. The world beyond our home is peppered with

our prayers, through our service, through the ways we spend our time and the ways we spend our money. I don’t know yet what specific cause or ministry God is shaping our children for, but I cannot wait to watch it unfold.

It’s fairly simple when you think about what God requires of you. Micah 6:8 points the way. Act justly.

Love mercy. Walk humbly. What if we filtered all of our interactions, all of our moments, through the lens of those three phrases? Imagine the world we would live in—all to the glory of the God who made us.

Julie is married to a musician-turned-church-planter. Together they are raising their four kids in a blur of soccer games and beach days. She believes in good books, the great outdoors, stopping for sunsets, taco nights, and showing up.

Website wwwjoyshope.com Instagram @joyshope

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taking notice nick benoit

“Daddy, will you dance with me?”

The answer is, "Yes, Ellis." Usually she’s wearing a princess dress in some pastel hue. Then she takes my hands and insists that she be allowed to lead.

On the way home from work last week I listened to an episode of the TED Radio Hour that told the story of a little girl who could not sit still. She was constantly fidgeting, wiggling her way through classes at school, and unable to focus.

The girl’s teachers suggested her mother take her to see someone, a professional who could help diagnose what was wrong with her. When the little girl visited the doctor, instead of diagnosing her, he noticed her. He explained to her that he needed to have a private talk with her mother; then he left the room, flipping on the radio as he went. He and the little girl’s mother stood where she could not see them, and they watched while the girl leaped and whirled around the room. The doctor turned to look at the girl’s mother and told her there was absolutely nothing wrong; she was simply born to dance. That little girl grew to be Dame Gillian Lynne, one of the most prolific and acclaimed dancers and choreographers in the world.

When they interviewed her, Gillian said, “I really owe my whole career … and, I suppose, my life to this man.”

What if he hadn’t taken notice? What if he hadn’t really seen her? What if no one ever had?

I was suddenly struck by the parental responsibility of noticing, of perceiving the potential of large lives packed into these tiny bodies. I’m not talking about success, or education, or performance, or anything else by which these kids will undoubtedly be measured, compared, and arranged. No, I’m talking about the innate properties that need only the twin opportunities of acknowledgment and encouragement to thrive.

I was also convicted by how infrequently I really notice, how poorly I sometimes see. I’m often rushing and hurrying, coaxing and cajoling, prodding and pandering to bring about this outcome or another, trying to get where I need to go, hoping to make it through the grocery without little hands pulling down every single can of diced tomatoes.

Sometimes I feel like I’m just trying to keep the wheels of my kids’ lives from drifting over the edge of a cliff. But the calling that’s on me as a parent is so much more beautiful than being a guardrail. My calling is to see who they are as deeply as I can and to ask for the help of the Spirit to see even deeper than that. My privilege is to notice the potential for which they were made and to draw that out as best I can.

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Because that’s the way I’m seen. Even in my worst moments, I’m seen as full of promise and potential. My heavenly Father isn’t interested in being my guardrail, in keeping me in line, or helping me mind my manners. He’s noticing me, looking into the deepest parts of me, and seeing all the simmering potential He’d like to see boil over.

I want to be a dad like that, one who notices, who sees promise wrapped in possibility.

So we dance. Ellis holds onto my finger, and she twirls around in haphazard circles. Suddenly she’ll stop, lean her head back, and raise one leg behind her as far as she can, all awkward angles and imbalance. But behind her closed eyes there is a ballroom brilliant with candlelight, its flicker falling upon throngs of men and women in their finery whose eyes have all turned toward her. In her dream she is gracefully posed, paused, holding their gaze before whirling away again.

And at night, when Karen and I sit in the family room after we’ve put the kids to bed and the melody of some madeup song floats down the hall in her little voice, carrying the words that hold what she cares about most, sometimes we just listen.

These are the moments when I feel I’m getting a glimpse of something she is at her very core—strong, imaginative, bold, and disarmingly funny. More than in the everyday errands, car rides, bedtime rituals, breakdowns, time-outs, and all the rest—in these moments I am able to snatch at some epiphany, like fireflies floating on a summer night. So I’m collecting them, putting them in a jar, and pressing my nose up to the glass, wondering what all these little glimmers might become.

As parents, one of our greatest responsibilities (and privileges) is to recognize the gifts God has given our children and to do all we can to help those gifts grow and develop. I’ve realized that my first step is to take good long looks at my daughter. Because how can I hope to help her become who she’s meant to be if I don’t notice who she is?

Nick writes about faith, family, and creativity on his blog at nickbenoit.com. He is the creative director for Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, where he and his wife, Karen, live with their three kids and a very precocious dog. instagram @nickbenwah twitter @nickbenwah 39

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to u g h to p i c s

In reality, I dress my girl approximately zero percent of the time. I have wardrobe opinions that mostly involve fewer Disney characters, aka FROZEN. Yet, these are things for which she seems to care nothing about. And thank God for that. Thank God she is a fiery little girl who likes to wear tutus and tiaras one day and blue shirts and her brother's hats the next. Thank God for her. She is free to be herself.

And isn't that something we all strive for, on some level or another? She is feminine AND strong, girly AND tough. She is amazing.

A few weeks ago, my husband, son, and daughter took a soccer ball to an empty neighborhood field and spent a few hours running and playing and laughing together. The giggles and memories were sweet reminders of how good it is just to simply “be" together.

When we returned home I posted a photo of my daughter, two years old, with a soccer ball under her arm and a big smile on her face. I included a small line about the fun we’d had that day. Harmless, right? The thing is, my daughter was wearing a blue shirt in the photograph. And apparently that was concerning to someone who happened across my social media feed.

I wanted to say other things to this person, I wanted to state my case and then proceed to lay out all the ways they had, in fact, offended me.

But instead, I replied with this: "For goodness sake, let's remember that we belong to one another. Let’s remember that there is deep IMPORTANT work to be done in our broken, needy, confused world. And let us not waste time with shaming one another on such trivial matters. Instead, can we promise to be Kind and Brave to one another and let Love direct our minds, hearts, and keyboards?"

This person took it upon themselves to alert me to my failure as a mother. How did I expect my daughter to grow up as a proper young lady if she were sent the dangerous message that she could wear colors meant for boys while playing sports meant for boys? They then went on to question my parenting on a whole.

I really don’t enjoy conflict of any kind. Aggression actually makes me nervous. But something about the tone of this message, something about the way this person had inserted themselves and their opinions into one small peek at my parenting just rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn’t seem to let it go and the more I thought about it, the madder I became.

WHEN WE ENCOUNTER RUDENESS, JUDGMENT, AND UNDESERVED DISCRIMINATION, OUR FIRST INCLINATION CAN OFTEN BE TO DEFEND OURSELVES.

Mercy doesn’t mean always taking one on the chin. Mercy can be a respectful and humble redirect when a fellow brother or sister has gone off-track.

by Sarah Carter

Have you ever had an experience like this?

When we encounter rudeness, judgment, and undeserved discrimination, our first inclination can often be to defend ourselves. It’s only natural to want to right what is wrong, to point out the flaws in the accusations, to prove our good intentions to the accusers themselves. The truth is, arguing doesn’t get us far. At least, it doesn’t get us any closer to living the peaceful, merciful, loving life that Jesus calls us to.

Using creativity in partnership with nonprofits, Sarah works to raise awareness and support as an advocate for the liberation of child slaves in Ghana. She writes and teaches creativity workshops and her artwork has been shown in galleries throughout the U.S. Sarah lives outside of Chicago with her husband, Steve, and their two children, Emerson and Mercy.

Website sarahcarterstudio.com Facebook Sarah Carter Studio Instagram @heysarahcarter Twitter @heysarahcarter Pinterest SarahCarterArt

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HE HAS SHOWN YOU, O MORTAL, WHAT IS GOOD. AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU? TO ACT JUSTLY AND TO LOVE MERCY AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD. MICAH 6:8

the month? Yes! Giant neon acts of kindness are a sure sign of the presence of God as He contrasts the current landscape of grumpy and entitlement attitudes. Massage the feet of my rude and grumpy spouse when all she has done is complain for a week? Buy flowers without any strings attached?

Kids can sense the difference between sucking up, keeping tallies, and genuine kindness. Kindness cuts through dark atmosphere like a laser.

Christians have responsibility to God, ourselves, our mates, and our children to do good: act justly, be kind, and walk humbly with God. Wow, what a foundational framework in which to build an atmosphere of responsibility in marriage and family life.

But what does that look like when unexpected life events unfold and days fall apart? A house full of flu. A lost job. A child failing in school. A teenager in rebellion. How does this framework of responsibility really flesh out when no one feels like doing good and acting responsible?

Walk humbly with God: This is one of the greatest responsibilities in the covenant relationship. If marriage is God’s design to reflect the relationship between Christ and the church, then humility is the constant thread that gives years of relationship its staying power. In relationship to Christ, I must daily humble myself, knowing He is God, I am not, and neither is my spouse. God alone is worthy to be called God and He alone is worthy to supply the good that sustains marriage. C.S. Lewis said, “And if on consideration, one can find no faults on one’s own side, then cry for mercy; for this must be a most dangerous delusion” (from Letters to an American Lady).

We can’t know what it looks like if our highest motivation is to have a tidy answer that merely looks good to our personal crowd. Answers are not found in good impressions. They are found and discovered as we live in the present and apply the truth of Micah 6:7–8 HIS ABILITY TO as the Holy Spirit leads. His EMPOWER US ability to empower us on the ON THE SPOT spot enables us to do good ENABLES US and live responsibly even in TO DO GOOD the most challenging situation.

AND LIVE The following points are not RESPONSIBLY answers, nor do they measure EVEN IN responsible behavior, but THE MOST hopefully can provide hope CHALLENGING and inspiration for doing good SITUATION. in marriage and parenting life.

God help us to live just, kind, and humbly responsible lives.

by Roxanna Grimes

Do justice: Ask God to show you what is right and good and just. Discern root causes and motives for academic failure, rebellion, and your spouse shutting you out. Ask more questions. Give fewer sermons. Blame less. Shine light more.

Roxanna co-founded The Relationship Warehouse with her husband, Guy, in Costa Mesa, CA. She writes, travels, and speaks to women and girls about their value in Christ. She loves coffee, good books, and turning junk into beautiful.

Website therelationshipwarehouse.com Blog Pearlology.blogspot.com

Love kindness: When you’re sick? Late to a meeting? And there’s no more money at the end of

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Grandpa opens the trunk. Inside the trunk we place lawn chairs, the accordion, and a stack of hymnals. The last thing to reach the back of the vehicle is a batch of fresh-baked snickerdoodle cookies.

attached to the back of his old rusty truck. Then Grandpa got out and marked the lines around the diamond. Later that evening we drove to the nearby nursing home to sing for the residents as Grandma played the piano. Many of the elderly people there can’t speak, but they smiled as my brother, David, and I walked by them after singing.

On our drive we pass the local high school.

Earlier that week my grandfather and I smoothed out dirt on the baseball field with a metal drag 44

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s p i r i t ua l g r a n d pa r e n t i n g

One of the most precious gifts Grandpa and Grandma gave to me was to live the gospel alongside them. With my hands, I rolled cookie dough through cinnamon ONE OF THE MOST and sugar. With my PRECIOUS GIFTS voice, I worshipped God GRANDPA AND and lifted up praises for GRANDMA GAVE those who no longer had TO ME WAS TO a voice. With my feet, I LIVE THE GOSPEL walked around to hand ALONGSIDE THEM. out hymnals.

Today is Sunday. We are headed to church.

When we arrive, I know we’ll be greeted by Mr. Martinez. The Suazos will wave hello. Eloisa will park her long, light-yellow cadillac in the dirt just to the north of the annex. We’ll receive more greeting in the sanctuary just below the tall, white steeple.

Grandma plays a few songs. Grandpa sings in his native language—Spanish. Then he opens his Bible to preach. He loves nothing more than to share the gospel—the good news of Jesus— with everyone. After each strong statement in his sermon, he asks, “See?” He wants all to see what the Bible has to say about our good God. Following service there is a potluck. The snickerdoodles are at the end of the table. My brother and I grab one as we make our way around the room.

The last part of Micah 6:8 says, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” These are action words. Here we see what God requires and also what we are able to do with our whole being as we care for everything and everyone around us.

He has shown us what is good. See? I hope to live this out in my own life. Sometimes I whistle through my teeth as I go to share the good news with those He has entrusted to me. I learned that from Grandpa too.

We say good-bye after the meal and head deeper into the mountains. Next we go to the campground to lead a worship service for anyone who wants to join. We pull out the lawn chairs, the hymnals, and the accordion from the trunk.

Grandma places the accordion in front of her heart. We sing. I wonder how far we can be heard out in that valley. Grandpa opens the Bible again. He doesn’t want anyone to miss getting to see what is in the text. The hymnals close after a final song. David and I gather them to load into the car again.

by Rebecca Ruybalid Stone Rebecca is the Editorial Product Specialist for Tru at David C Cook. She enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, reading a good book, and leading a church plant in Colorado Springs, CO. blog beccawithpeninhand.blogspot.com

We have a long drive home. I don’t mind, though, because I know all of the places along the way. I listen to my grandfather whistle. He always whistles through his teeth, never having to shape his lips like an “O” to make the music. He’s whistling that same tune he sang in Spanish in the morning. We arrive at their home as the sun goes down and unload the trunk.

Twitter @beccanicole21

I can recall so many of these kinds of days spent in the San Luis Valley with my grandparents when I was growing up. There in the valley I learned what it means to love others and show mercy to everyone around us.

My grandparents are simple people. But their care for others never went unnoticed by those with whom they came in contact. They felt a responsibility not just to preach the gospel and sing about it through hymns, but to live the gospel through their actions.

Ruben and Carol Ruybalid 45

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ENVIRONMENTS The order of the 10 Environments listed coincides with the monthly distribution of this resource.

1

“God has entrusted me with the things and people He created around me.”

Responsibility This environment captures the ability to take ownership for one’s life, gifts, and resources before God. A child must be challenged to take responsibility for his or her brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as for those who are spiritually lost.

Our hope is that the Holy Spirit will use this environment to allow each child to understand that God has entrusted His world to us.

3

“Asks the question, ‘What needs to be done?’”

Serving This posture of the heart asks the question, “What needs to be done?” It allows the Holy Spirit to cultivate a sensitivity to others and focuses on a cause bigger than one individual life. It helps fulfill the mandate that as Christfollowers we are to view our lives as living sacrifices that we generously give away!

4

“God fills me with His love so I can give it away.”

5

“God has a big story and I can be a part of it!”

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2

“God transforms me when I step out in faith.”

Out of the Comfort Zone As children and students are challenged to step out of their comfort zone from an early age, they learn to experience a dependence on the Holy Spirit to equip and strengthen them beyond their natural abilities and desires. We believe this environment will cultivate a generation that, instead of seeking comfort, seeks a radical life of faith in Christ.

Love&Respect Without love, our faith becomes futile. This environment recognizes that children need an environment of love and respect in order to be free to both receive and give God’s grace. Innate in this environment is the value that children are respected because they embody the image of God. We must speak to them not at them, and we must commit to an environment where love and acceptance are never withheld due to one’s behavior.

Storytelling The power of The Big God Story impacts our lives by giving us an accurate and awe-inspiring perspective into how God has been moving throughout history. It is the story of redemption, salvation, and hope and tells how I have been grafted into it by grace. It further compels us to see how God is using every person’s life and is creating a unique story that deserves to be told for God’s glory.

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7

6

“I belong to God

“God knows me, and

and He loves me!”

I can know Him.”

Knowing Nothing could be more important than knowing and being known

by God. We live in a world that denies absolute Truth and yet God’s Word offers just that. As we create an environment that upholds and displays God’s Truth, we give children a foundation based on knowing God, His Word, and a relationship with Him through Christ. God is holy, mighty, and awesome, yet He has chosen to make Himself known to us!

9

“When I get off track, God offers me a path of healing.”

10

“I see Christ in others, and they can see Him in me.”

8

“God’s family cares for each other and worships God together.”

Course Correction This environment flows out of Hebrews 12:11–13 and is the direct opposite of punishment.

Instead, biblical discipline for a child encompasses: a season of pain, the building up in love, and a vision of a corrected path for the individual with the purpose of healing at its core.

Identity This environment highlights who we are in Christ. According to Ephesians 1, we have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, sealed, and given an inheritance in Christ … all of which we did nothing to earn. This conviction allows children to stand firm against the destructive counter identities the world will offer.

Faith Community God designed us to live in community and to experience Him in ways that can only happen in proximity to one another. The faith community serves to create an environment to equip and disciple parents, to celebrate God’s faithfulness, and to bring a richness of worship through tradition and rituals, which offer children an identity. Our love for each other reflects the love we have received from God.

IT IS OUR PRAYER THAT HOMES AND CHURCHES WOULD CREATE THESE ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN TO LIVE IN SO THEIR FAITH WILL GROW IN A COMMUNITY OF CONSISTENCY, COMMON LANGUAGE, AND PRACTICE. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THESE ENVIRONMENTS CAN IGNITE A TRANSFORMING FAITH IN YOUR FAMILY, WE SUGGEST YOU READ:

Modeling Biblical content needs a practical living expression in order for it to be spiritually impacting. This environment serves as a handson example of what it means for children to put their faith into action. Modeling puts flesh on faith and reminds us that others are watching to see if we live what we believe.

SPIRITUAL PARENTING: An Awakening for Today’s Families

BY MICHELLE ANTHONY © 2010 DAVID C COOK

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIrV are taken from the HolyBible, New International Reader’s Version®. NIrV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

RESPONSIBILITY | homefrontmag.com 47 Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.