Jesus Juked by My Kids Archives - Page 2 of 3

Missional Living with Littles

May 7, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

My kids are much better about choosing action over good intentions!

They know there is a small window of time between the school bus dropping off neighbor-friends after school and evening activities each separate family has every night of the week but that doesn't stop them.

They understand that quality, meaningful, authentic time with their friends is better than the great intention of spending mass quantities of time with them somewhere down the road. The "it looks like it's about to rain", "I'm not sure if they're home", "they might not want to", "there's only __ amount of time" excuses just don't cut it in their God-given love for people.

I'm learning to put aside all my excuses and let them live in the moment, not wait for the perfectly planned playdate, greatly fashioned gift-wrapped treat, or ideal weather. Loving people should be natural. Loving is what we are called to do as we are living not a detailed ministry opportunity we suck all the life our of.

Love is dependability.

Love is bonfire-smoke-induced-tears.

Love is forgetting who's toys belongs to who.

Love is bandaging skinned knees from other homes.

Love is sale Easter candy oozing out of children as they laugh.

Love is hearing hurts from a once-stranger child under hushed shame.

Love is splintered bare-feet from racing flying actions figures in hand.

Love is stale hotdog buns with gobs of compensation ketchup.

Love is street ball with dog-slobber-coated basketballs.

Love is side-walk-chalk-covered-dresses.

Love is a guaranteed hug.

Love is availability.

Filed Under: as Jules is living, Jesus Juked by My Kids, The DeChurched, The ones about the Rothacher Home

She Doesn’t Love Jesus the Way I Love Jesus

February 13, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

Isabella is 5-years-old, with spunky white-blonde curles, and the personality to match. Izzie boldly approaches us with her request, be it rude demands some days, with not a care in the world. No doubt in her mind that Of Course we would want to give her the desires of her bubbly heart. She knows she’s loved.

This is the same girl who doesn’t think twice about if children would want to play with her at any given second. She’ll easily march up to children in a play-place or park and begin a game; no need for names while other children slowly and methodically wonder, choosing exactly who they think will allow them to play alongside them and eventually engage with.

On a particular day that her expectations rubbed me the wrong way I realized somthing. Why wouldn’t we be awaiting Izzie’s requests? Why wouldn’t all other children want to play with her?! She IS a child of the One True King; priced and protected.

You see, my eldest daughter Maggie loves Jesus with all her heart. She’s chasing after Him as fast as her little heart knows how. I think our brains work very similar and I can totally see my younger self in her. I understand how she sees things most of the time and her motive in certain desires.

Izzie, my middle daughter... She doesn’t love Jesus the way I love Jesus. And that’s a beautiful thing! I’m learning so much about the heart of my Jesus, how He loves me through, and how we are to love Jesus wants us to love Him, all through her. My favorite thing I’ve learned from about Christ through my Izzie Ru is how God truly wants to give us good gifts.

I’m not completely sold on this idea most days. You know, being the evil little twit that I am, deserving nothing. But Iz doesn’t see it that way. She knows the depth of His love and sees past the insecurity of once being a lost little sinner with an evil heart. She sees straight to how He sees us after His blood washed away the stank stains of sinful garbage in our lives.

The insecurity satan has bottled up in me keeps me captive in people-pleasing. I am sure that I miss opportunities all the time under the guise of “they wouldn’t wanna,” “I sure they don’t like me.” Half of you right now are resonating with those thoughts and the other half of you are thinking, “You have issues.” Don’t get me wrong, I think there are Christ-like qualities in both, modesty and confidence.

But in these instances, I want to live in the self-assurance [through Christ] that Princess Isabella of Heaven has as she lives out her God-given forgiveness. I am so so thankful she doesn’t love Jesus like I do. I pray for her boldness to stay strong as she learned about following Jesus and that I never hinder her gift of tenacity!

Filed Under: as Jules is living, Jesus Juked by My Kids

TMNT Share the Gospel {finding truth in the secular}

January 19, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

I was recently watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie with my hubs and a friend. Well, lets be honest, I was 'mom watching' it meaning I was going something else at the same time. I was catching the bulk of things and the main plot of the movie. That's when I realized that TMNT were sharing the Gospel.

Everything under the sun is groaning for the day when all will be set right again so I don't know why I was surprised at yet again finding truth in the secular. April Oneal is chasing Jesus {or at least a shadow of Jesus}.

You see, we're all on the hunt for the grand plan we're made to be apart of. For April, she runs toward things that seem to be meaningful. She knows there's more and she needs to know what it is. We can learn a lot from her in this movie and apply it to how we should be digging into the bigger picture we're apart of.

{{possible spoiler alert!!!}}}

How to Chase Jesus Like April Oneal

In the mist of her hunt she is taken hostage momentarily and rather than focus on how she is going to be affected she turns immediately to how she can use the situation. She thinks of how she can learn and expose the bad by growing through the situations. Doesn't fear but looks for opportunity. She's not sure how but is sure that there is a way to heal the hurts occurring.

After the "vigilante" saved the day {as she trusted would happen}, April chases the "vigilante" down in hopes of exposure to those in need. When she finds out it is in fact 4 "vigilantes" she begins a relationship with them. Though there are obvious reasons to question what is happening, she trust those who have saved her {and so many others} with few questions.

As a natural reaction to salvation and meeting the one whom loves unconditionally, April runs back into her world to tell as many people as she can about story unfolding behind the scene.

The vigilante(s) makes a plan to capture April, bring her into his custody, and protect her from harm. Once in his care, he wants to train her the best way to live as well as how to protect others.

April realizing the war she's in the middle of is way bigger than she had once seen but decides to join the adventure she's been seeking knowing she'll be taken care of and can't wait to share the awesomeness she's discovered with others.

¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:19-24

Our "vigilante" is Jesus Christ. He comes to rescue us as no one else can. We along with the rest of our world are seeking that salvation. Just like April, the natural reaction to salvation and meeting the one whom loves unconditionally is to begin an intimate relationship with that person as well as run back into our world to tell as many people as we can about story unfolding behind the scene. Christ has a plan to bring us under His protection and wants to train us the best way to live as well as how to lead others to His life-changing salvation.

God is in everything. Nothing is inherently bad because He made it all. Therefor it isn't hard to find truth even in the seemingly secular.

Filed Under: as Jules is living, Jesus Juked by My Kids, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Boom. Parenting like Jesus 101.

November 7, 2014 by Jules Leave a Comment

During those oh so rare times I am driving alone and get to complete a thought, my mind seems to wonder. Maybe it's more like circling. Yeah, circling a point to complete itself... Any who. See what I mean.

Anyways, today I was heading home from delivering my 802K items {hyperbole for dramatic effect} to the consignment event in town and was whining to myself about the back muscle I pulled while trying to hulk through my procrastination-induced tagging frenzy yesterday. Not sure if its pulled, pinches or what but it's one of those that you're constantly aware of and if you make any sudden, unskillful, rash moves if feels like someone stabs you in the shoulder blade. {ouch}

During this little pout/rant inside my head, I was lecturing myself for not taking more tylonal before going into town. Then I was making a methodical map of how, in what order, which items first, what path into the house to take, etc in order to not have to return to the car for things but more importantly how to create the fastest route to the pain meds.

Then I remembered I had expired pain pills from after my c-section. I kinda smirked to myself. "Oooo, I bet that'll knock out this pain fast!" I thought to myself. "Where did I put that?"

Then my detailed plan started vividly laying out the possible consequences of taking such strong meds for just this back pain. I found myself in Dr. House's doctor's office having to explain all the minute history of my "health" to get an accurate description even though we all know I'm dying because of that one expired oxycodone I took for my back. It all seemed so innocent. Find a pill. Swallow it with my amazing Dr. Pepper from the hour of happy at Sonic {my reward for successfully delivering my 802K items before said hour was over}. Laugh, play, be amazing with my hubs and kids. But NO. That's not how it's gonna end.

Then Dr. House then begins to drill me on where I acquired my poor education on medication consumption. He shames me for having expired medicines in my home and for taking them!

Then, if you're me, the obvious thing that comes to mind next is the amazingly bold, snarky, wish-you-would-really-have-the-guts-to-say-it-to-someone retort you'd deliver to that Dr. House. "Well, Mister House. {see what I did there- demeaning title change} If you didn't shame your patients for making less than wise choices, maybe they'd be more honest with you right off the bat and you wouldn't have to spend 1/2 of every episode trying to find out what's really causing their health issues because as you always say, "Everyone lies about something."

That's when it hit me. What the smack to I do to my children every time they are caught in a lie, admit fault, have their poor choices laid out in front of the both of us? I shame. I lecture. With good intention I think this will modify their behavior. But that's not Christ-like parenting. Our heavenly father does not shame us. We already know the outcome of our sin. He loves us. Snuggles us. Gives us lil smoochies. Fixes us up and sends us on our way all the while teaching us His ways and looking forward to the day(s) we follow Him in them and don't show up at the doctor's office.

Boom. Parenting like Jesus 101. now...how to implement that?

Filed Under: as Jules is living, Jesus Juked by My Kids

My Kids are Getting Dumber

October 21, 2014 by Jules 2 Comments

I wanna quit. My kids are getting dumber.

I've had this urge this entire school year. I keep looking for all the reasons my kids don't need me as their teacher. Missional living seems to be the one satan is using most often but God's not letting this go. "It would be so much easier to love on people if we were in public school" doesn't seem to be a good excuse for Him.

Today I banished my children to the backyard for "recess" after blowing up multiple times for Not. Following. Directions.

My insides hurt. Do any of your insides just hurt so bad they bust out of your body in the form of tears after temper tantrums haven't done the trick? I'm using their time of banishment to try to figure out why I'm supposed to be doing this homeschool thing. They aren't learning anything. If they are, it's seemingly counterproductive. I've even pointed myself back to- my intention for homeschooling is not to make them geniuses or scholars but to more fully I can fulfill my purpose as their mother, teach them that God loves them and we should follow Him to find life. But am I? Am I really teaching them to see God in the true light of HIS character as their awful teacher?

What letter are we learning about this week?

{blank stares}

What letter have we been talking about?

G!

No. What comes after G?

{blank stares}

A. B. C. D. E. F. G..........H!

{murmur} H

We are working on the next page in your H book. We are going to color the letter Hh, then cut it into a puzzle, then we are going to put the capital letter H puzzle together in this box and the lower case one in this box, and then glue them down.

I turn my back to help Mags start work.

Scribbled boxes everywhere, glued pieced in random places, blacked out box with no sign of the letter H behind the brown.

I tried to pull the pieces off to help her try again but there was no turning back. The same goes for the giant brown square. I give them a different sheet to work on and go to print new pages...which of course takes forever because my computer and printer hate me.

I return and decide to walk them through the page on step at a time. Color only the Hh. Trace them to show me where the Hh is. What letter? H. Where is it? Yes! You just traced it. Good. Color only inside the lines of the Hh.

Jamin is utterly confused and continues to freak out because he doesn't know where the Hh is that he is supposed to color.

I turn my back to work on the sticker chart because obviously we're going to need some reinforcement today. When I turn back around I find Izzie is cutting. Not only cutting even though she wasn't instructed to but cutting the Hh out rather than on the lines to create the puzzle pieces.

I correct Izzie and tell her she looses a sticker for not following directions.

She cries.

Jamin finishes coloring and start making fringe along the edge of the paper while I'm dealing with Izzie. Sticker lost.

I want to pop off little heads because I have taught them nothing. Nothing other than my pleasure in them is dictated by their behavior and therefor is a portraying Jesus as a behavior based god. Why am I doing this? The thing I'm trying to target, spiritual growth, biblical knowledge, correct portrait of God, I'm jacking it up.

My kids are running a tyranny in the backyard as I type. Who did they learn that from? me.

All I keep thinking is, "If they were in school, someone else would be teaching them to follow only the directions given, color instead of scribble, SIT, not talk, wait their turn to be helped with work, understand that they can't have someone's undivided attention, and to Follow Directions." Yeah, all those things public school parents think or even say aloud to be off-handed, "Yeah, if they were in school they'd get in trouble for or learn to do _____."

Then, I write those words I realize, someone else would be teaching them those things. And the thing about that sentence that's worse than the someone else is the those things. I often forget that my actions teach them what to expect from others but more importantly teach them how to life.

I don't want my kids to only follow the directions given. I want them to learn initiative, anticipate what's next, see what needs to be done and try it even if that means you might fail.

I don't want my kids to color instead of scribble. I want them to always think outside the box because my God is bigger than any form we could ever imagine.

I don't want my kids to sit ad not talk. I want them to burst with energy and talk through things.

I don't want my kids to wait on help. I want them to beg for help unhindered; with no fear that God will shoot them down the moment they need help.

I don't want my kids to believe they can't have undivided attention. I want them to know God has the ability to give them His undivided attention and is always waiting for them to come to him.

I DO want them to follow directions. God will always be at work in their lives. Sometimes it will be easy 1. 2. 3. steps that make us feel accomplished and smart. Other times the directions will be hurry up and wait. Complete 1. and anticipate 2. Listening clearly and following directions first time is a vital part of spiritual growth. It involves patient listening and immediate action.

I guess letter Hh week stands for humility. Now that I've stopped blubbering and God's redirected me, I guess I'm going to listen to His gentle directions and act with humbleness as I go apologize to my kids, do a fun Hh craft, and start lunch.

My kids don't need me as their teacher. They will become dumber. They will follow the ways of the world...if I'm not life-long-learning from my teacher and teaching them to look to Him rather than me for their learning as well.