HMA: HOMEland Ministry Assignment

Oh, that every moment of family life was as beautiful as two brothers playing nicely with each other! But for those parents out there- or anyone with a sibling- you know that those moments are peppered with sibling dischord as well as harmony!

On the surface it may seem that I am straying slightly from our missions theme, but perhaps it isn't straying at all... since as a wife and mother, my first mission is my family!

Pictured to the right is the Morris family that has inspired this post. Josh and I just spent the weekend in the hills of PA with this precious family, and not only was I blessed by their company, I was challenged by their example of godly parenting! Although, kids will be kids, Sarah (9 y.o.) and Caleb (7 y.o.) were a delight to be around. They understood their parents authority and stayed within the boundaries laid out for them. For example: we were riding in the car quite a distance and the kids were getting rammy and while they weren't being terrible, Jean knew she needed to set some limits. She gave them a warning, and when they continued to tease and argue, she told them they were no longer allowed to speak for the duration of the drive. And they obeyed! Wow. I love when parents give a warning and then immediately follow through! It gave me a lot to think about in my own parenting of our two little guys.

You can also check out the blog that inspired me here. Michelle, at "She Looketh Well", wrote a convicting article about loving your children. She even goes so far as to say: "if I am not diligently disciplining and training them then I am not loving them! Ouch!" And God would agree: "the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." -Proverbs 3:12

And Jay Yountz states in the Shepherd Press blog: "If God has commanded that parents train their children according to his law, then that is what the parent must do. Just as the child does not have the option to disobey God, neither does the parent." Wow, disciplining my children is an obedience issue for ME!

So today, as we continue our HMA (Homeland Ministry Assignment), I am focusing on the HOME in homeland ministry. Where is your mission field? Are you being obedient to do all that He is calling you to do? It isn't always easy to parent your children diligently, especially when they have days like this when they constantly want what the other has! Oh, my boys are up from their naps, so I must get off the computer and mother them. Obeying His commands with a happy heart today (but not always!) ~Kelly