A Happy Home, part 1

I have been watching a series on 3ABN (Three Angels Broadcasting Network) called Happy the Home. It is a 26-part series, and they just started a new "round" this morning. I thought I'd like to share about it with you each week.

This series is based on a book by Paul and Carolyn Rayne, called The Connected Family Simple Steps to Positive Parenting. The book "is a practical twenty-six step program designed to help parents make their children high priorities, lead them to make commitments to God, and teach them tools for Christian living." (from the book's introduction).

The book is divided in to three sections: Winning Our Children's Hearts; Leading Our Children's Hearts to Christ; and Developing Christian Principles at Home. Each chapter contains an informative reading, a Step Forward section (which offers assignments for us parents), and a Journal Questions and Answers section (which gives the opportunity to evaluate progress and journal thoughts and activities).

The Connected Family is not a book to primarily read. It is a book you do!

The program, Happy the Home, can be viewed on 3ABN, which is a Christian television network. Some cable and satellite systems carry it. But you can also watch it online. Check scheduling at 3ABN. But you know what?! You can also view each episode at the Restoration International website! (Note: I think the schedule they have posted at the bottom, for when you can view it on 3ABN is not quite accurate; off by maybe an hour).

I'd like to invite you on this journey with me, for the next 26 weeks. Let's begin.

What We Need to Succeed

This chapter begins with a review of the Endurance, and Shackleton and his crew in the Antarctic. Be sure to look it up through Google, or better yet, purchase The Connected Family. ;) The Shackleton's family motto was "by endurance we conquer."

What we need to succeed in the delicate work of raising our children, and for which we can pray to God, are power, determination, and commitment.

• Pray for power. Ask God to give you His power to rise above your old habits, and to respond more appropriately to your children.
• Pray for determination. Difficulties will come; seemingly insurmountable roadblocks will hinder progress. But God is ready to fill us with determination. All we need to do is personally ask God to make it a reality in our lives. He will!
• Pray for commitment. Are you willing to commit time to your children? You may need to set aside some of your own plans or desires, in order to commit this time to achieve these goals in your family, in your children's lives. Ask God for the commitment needed to achieve your goals; He is willing and waiting to answer your prayer!
• Pray for your children, by name. Pray specifically that each of your children will choose to follow the Lord.

Step Forward Assignments

1. Pray specifically to be filled with God's power, determination, and commitment.
2. Pray specifically for each of your children by name.

Journal Questions and Answers

1. Which quality do you feel you need the most--power, determination, or commitment? Why?
2. What are the main issues that need to be addressed in each of your children. Did you pray specifically for them and yourself in these areas?

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." Ecclesiastes 9:10.

I hope you will come back again next week, for the next step on this journey. Please share with me how this journey is going, too; what struggles you may be having; the exciting experiences occurring in your family.

Until next week.


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