Another Helpful Nudge

Our mail inboxes are full of "stuff" (perhaps too nice a word for some of what ends up in there). A small portion of mine ends up being helpful/necessary stuff.

I have found it helpful to subscribe to various organizations for devotions or e-newsletters since I know what they send will be helpful. When those come, I take time to check it over.

My last post was one of those and here is another: MediaWise has a regular E-news that they send out and I find it very helpful. I'd encourage you to subscribe to it and have it be a timely (the current one is on back to school stuff), gentle and very helpful nudge in the right direction on parenting.

MV Parenting

Search Institute produces a great e-newsletter called MVParents. The current one is on the importance of touch. I like it because it gives specific, doable things for parents with kids in four different age categories, from birth to teenagers. Worth signing up for this one. Topics are timely and the Institute has a great track record of understanding young people and helping families. You can sign up at the MVParents link above.

Looking in the mirror

Had a great visit with our oldest child/daughter Nica and her two kids for the past couple weeks (Thanks to Wes, her husband, for parting with them for so long!). We had a chance to work together (some Fitz Family performances - it was great to work with her again as that doesn't happen too often) and we also did some celebrating for our granddaughter Charlotte's 3rd birthday, a belated 50th celebration for Becky, my wife, and a wedding shower for Claire Rueffer our oldest son's fiance. Lots of parties!

It was also a time, on two different generations, to take a look in the mirror. Charlotte got a baby doll for her birthday and it was great fun to watch her walk around and 'put her to sleep' exactly like Nica puts Frank (the younger brother) to sleep. Body language and motion, words, tone of voice, concern that a 'sleeping baby' not be woken up with loud talking... it was ALL there. That is how it is supposed to work. We don't sit them down for a 'class' on taking care of babies. They see us do it and file it away/play/repeat it on their own and it becomes theirs. We saw much of ourselves in Nica too as we see our parents in ourselves.

It happens whether we plan for it or not. They watch, and learn, and repeat. They watch how we speak, relate, work, play, worship, pray, fight, rest, argue, praise, and on and on.

The most important thing we can do for our children is live - intentionally - a life that pleases God - to the best of our ability and with all the strength that God is happy to provide. They'll be watching and learning.

Family Resources

Two great monthly resources you can subscribe to that come from the LCMS. One is called Home Base and the other is called 24/7. Both are excellent resources for family and how to form faith in Jesus at home.