Monday, April 14, 2014

More than Easter time

I love Easter.  I can't imagine my life without the saving grace of Christ.  I can't imagine not knowing the transforming power of His love or forgiveness for me.

I love getting dressed up and Easter service.  I love egg hunts with friends and cousins.  I love the Easter meal, whether it is a brunch or lunch.  I love making fun treats with my boys.

Some photos from last Easter..





I worry about how to continually make Easter about Jesus.  It seems more and more I see traditions that focus more on the bunny than on a Savior's sacrifice.

We try to be very intentional with our faith in our boys' lives.  We've purposefully never visited the Easter Bunny or talked about him.  Our kids get baskets but they are from us or from their grandparents.  We just don't play up that part.  I want my kids to know the importance of this entire weekend.

We also try to talk to our kids about Jesus all the time.  We don't want Jesus to just be a Christmas and Easter discussion.  We want Him to be so intertwined in our lives that a day without Him seems to odd, not the other way around.

For us, that means talking to Jesus daily.  At meal times, before nap and bed, but also when we have made a poor choice, don't feel well, experience something wonderful that we can thank Him for.  Andrew and I want our kids to know that Jesus is always with us and we can talk to Him all the time. We encourage Hudson to pray too.  We want him to know that it is more than mommies, daddies, and grown-ups who pray.  Teaching your child to pray doesn't have to be hard.  We try to remind Hudson of what we can thank God for, to say we are sorry for things we may have done wrong, and to ask for help for others.

Another way we try to incorporate our faith into our everyday is by reading the Bible with our kids.  We want them to know the stories of God's word, the power in His name.  We want to build their faith.  Sometimes we read one story and then talk about it and ask Hudson questions to gauge his understanding.  There are so many great Bibles for young toddlers and preschoolers.

We also try to point out things that God has made.  On our walks, in stories, we want our children to recognize God as the creator of everything.

Andrew and I also try to be the best examples we can.  But we know we can't do it alone.  We are intentional about the friends we keep and of course know that our family can be great examples of Christ centered-living.  I want my boys to grow up trusting other adults for wise council, should they ever seek out advice from someone other than Andrew and I.  Therefore, Andrew and I are intentional about choosing friends and having our kids build relationships with people who would advise them in a Godly manner.  Our church gave us a really great book called "Parenting Beyond Your Capacity" that discusses this idea further.  It is a really great read.

What about you? What do you do to keep Christ at the center of your home throughout the year? I would love to hear your ideas.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Hi! Welcome to this crazy life! Thanks for stopping by! I love hearing from my readers and connecting with you all! Xoxo~Bekah