How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids - Chapter 3

This week over at The Pelsers we're talking about chapter 3 of  How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids.

Chapter 3 is the A in H.E.A.R.T. and stands for "Accept Your Children"

There were SO MANY great quotes and reminders in this chapter, I'm just choosing a few:

• We may think we've accepted our children and all their uniqueness, but they know better. (pg 92)
• Genuine acceptance of our kids means a radical change of perspective -- a  paradigm shift. It means seeing our children as gifts from the hand of the living God. (pg 100)
• [My children] were not sent to bring me glory. They were created to bring glory to God. (pg 104)
•  God has a plan, and I can allow His peace to rule simply by resting in His plan (pg 106)
• It is not your job to tear down your children. You are to build them up. Have you ever taken that little face in your hands and said, "I am so glad God sent you to our home. I am so excited about everything He has planned for your life. And I am so honored to help you in any way I can. You add joy to our home."? (pg 107)
• We must seek God first when it comes to molding our children, or we will make the mistake of molding them into our image instead of His. (pg 108)
• Accepting God's will for the lives of our kids means thinking outside of the box--way outside. (pg 115)
• The thing I want my kids to hear more than anything else is that the God of the universe loves them. (pg 117)

There is soo much great stuff in this chapter, I feel like I'm only scraping the surface here. So important for me to remember that it's "not all about me". Several years ago I received an e-mail forward, or maybe it was posted on a message board I read, I really don't remember, but I *do* remember the jist of what it said. Thanks to the power of Google, I found it again today, here it is: Cathedral Builders. I loved the reminder when I first read it, and I still love it now. Reading this chapter reminded me of it.

One thing I needed to hear from this chapter is the recurring theme of letting GOD mold them. This is something I struggle with, and a reminder I definitely needed.