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It’s No Surprise

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It’s No Surprise to God

One of the strongest and most persistent fears people experience is the fear that they won’t have what they need. We want to feel safe in every area of life. But we’re constantly attacked with the fear that we won’t have what we need—whether it’s finances, relationships, or the ability to do what God has called us to do.

More than any other command in Scripture, God tells us not to fear. God never promises us a trouble-free life, but He does promise us His presence and the strength (mental, physical, and emotional) we require to get through our troubles.

Several years ago, a friend of mine went in for a routine checkup and learned days later that her doctor feared she might have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the most aggressive form of the disease. More tests were needed, and she was told it might take two or three weeks before a confirmed diagnosis could be reached.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

I asked my friend how she got through those weeks of uncertainty and if she was afraid. “Yes, I was afraid,” she said. “But I also knew that whatever the outcome was, it would be no surprise to God.” Then she said something else that might be of help to you. She told me she realized that if she worried for three weeks and then learned she had lymphoma, she would have wasted three valuable weeks of her life. And if she worried for three weeks and learned she did not have lymphoma, she would have still wasted three valuable weeks of her life. “Believe it or not,” she said, “I didn’t lose a minute’s sleep for those twenty-one days.”

When the tests finally came back, my friend learned she did indeed have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She had surgery and endured many months of chemo. I’m pleased to tell you that, ten years later, she’s in terrific health. And she didn’t waste three valuable weeks.

Trust in Him
What are you afraid of? No matter what you are going through, it’s no surprise to God. He’s not unsure of what’s around the corner or unprepared for whatever you’re going through. Put your trust in Him and be confident in His plans for your life.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer. 
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One Good Choice After Another 

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One Good Choice After Another

Are you enjoying the life and blessings of God in your everyday life? Or have you made a series of choices resulting in disappointment, pain, or feeling that everything you do requires great effort and produces little reward? Don’t spend your time and energy mourning all the bad decisions you have made; just start making good ones. There is hope for you!
The way to overcome the results of a series of bad choices is through a series of right choices. The only way to walk out of trouble is to do the opposite of whatever you did to get into trouble—one choice at a time. Maybe the circumstances of your life right now are the direct result of a series of bad choices you have made. You may be in debt because you have made a lot of bad choices with money. You may be lonely because of a series of bad choices in relationships or in the way you treat people. You may be sick because of a series of unhealthy choices: eating junk food, not getting enough rest, or abusing your body through working too much and not having enough balance in your life.

You cannot make a series of bad choices that result in significant problems and then make one good choice and expect all the results of all those bad choices to go away. You did not get into deep trouble through one bad choice; you got into trouble through a series of bad choices. If you really want your life to change for the better, you will need to make one good choice after another, over a period of time, just as consistently as you made the negative choices that produced negative results.

No matter what kind of trouble or difficulty you find yourself in, you can still have a blessed life. You cannot do anything about what is behind you, but you can do a great deal about what lies ahead of you. God is a redeemer, and He will always give you another chance.

Trust in Him

If you have a situation that is too big for you to solve, then you are material for a miracle. Invite God to get involved, trust in and follow His directions, make one good choice after another, and you will see amazing results.

“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.
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Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Financial Life #BudgetWithElly

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By improving our financial lives, we also increased our happiness, in general. For this reason, I find important to share some tips and tricks that really works (at least for me).

I’m almost in the best moment of my financial life. because of the steps of Dave Ramsey. Also because we know how to handle money, not having debts, by saving and investing as much as we can.

Here are some tips and tricks that works for us (doesn’t necessarily work for everyone). Share what your tips in savings are in the comments!

#1. Use money

Rather than buying things with credit or debit cards, use cash for everyday expenses like eating out, fuel or supermarket.

Spending money makes the spending more real, and you still have the advantage of knowing exactly when the money runs out, avoiding spending more than you have.

#2. Stay home

Often going out makes you more likely to spend unnecessarily. Eating at  restaurants, going shopping, stoping at convenience stores for snacks. It is hard to avoid spending when you’re on the street.

Instead, stay home and find ways to entertain without spending. It is also a great way to be with your family.

# 3. Keep a “list of the 30 days”

If you often buy on impulse something that absolutely is not a need, go put it on the “list of the 30 days.”

You can not buy anything beyond what is necessary – anything beyond that goes to the list, with the date it was registered.

After thirty days, you can buy – but, most often, the anxiety to buy has passed, and you can evaluate the actual need more calmly.

# 4. Do exercises

Staying healthy is the best way to avoid medical expenses in the future.

# 5. Often talk to your partner

It is important that you and your partner are financially aligned. You should have the same financial goals, and from there on you must share the same spending plan and policy to avoid impulse purchases.

Make sure you both know what the monthly expenses are, how is the bank balance, among other things. A simple weekly conversation of 20 minutes is enough.

Communication is essential.

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# 6. Record all income and expenses

There are expensive software like Microsoft Money, Quicken, etc., which can do wonders to your financial information. There are also some that are free to both desktop and online, they also do the same things.

The problem is that I do not need it all. All I need is a way to track my money easily, no hustle, and the ability to access that data virtually, so that I can update them from anywhere.

An excellent way to really use is Google Drive (formerly Google Docs and Spreadsheets), who use Gmail. But nothing prevents you to use a financial spreadsheet or even a notebook.

The important thing is to maintain that record. And do it in the simplest way possible.

# 7. Work out at home

Some may disagree with this tip, and thats no problem. You should do what ever way that works for you. But I saved enough money (over US $ 1000 per year), who used to spend on gyms and changed for walking at a park near my home.

All though we don’t all have a gym in our homes, it’s still cheaper to buy some weights to work out at home, or even practice walking / running somewhere nearby. An academy is honestly not necessary.

# 8. Cancel your cable TV

I’m not saying you should stop watching TV – I even watch movies and football games regularly, for example.

The difference is that I’m sure I’m watching something I really want, instead of useless programs we see on TV most of the time.

In addition, there are enough online content, free and good quality.

# 9. Donate, lend and borrow

Get rid of excess things in your home, you not only make your life much simpler and quiet, but also will become much harder to buy things that will just lay around again.

Once your home is organized (and simplified), you will not want to go back.

Also, donate books, clothes and toys you no longer need. If you need something (a book, for example), send e-mail to your friends or post on Facebook asking if anyone has it. There is the chance of someone close by having it and give it to you for free if they don’t use it anymore.

# 10. Find happiness in life, not on spending

Often, people buy things because they think (perhaps unconsciously) that this will bring happiness. “I have to have those clothes or buy that car,” some think. So they buy what they want it to be, and are happy only for a few days.

Then they need to buy more. And it becomes a no yes cycle.

Instead, learn to value life. Find fun in the people around you. In doing something you really love. In exercising.

There is so much in life that make us happy, it is not necessary to try to find happiness in spending.

Challenge · family · Family Night · Family Share · fun · love

4 things I wanted to know when my children were small #parenting

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All parents make mistakes and they try to fix it. This doesn’t mean they are less of a parent. What most of them feel is regret about something they did or did not do and it’s too late to turn back. Don’t suffer because of it. If you look back at your life, you will see that your parents made a few slip-ups as well and not so you will love them less or never forgive them. However, there are some things I wish I knew when my children were small. Hope this helps new parents not to make the same mistakes I did. Here are four things I wanted to know when my children were small:

1. They grow too fast Look at your children. Look at all the moments. Register what you can. They grow up so fast that soon you feel homesick for a baby. How many times I was using the computer late at night instead of putting them to bed, or telling a story, and praying with them. I was doing these things whenever possible, but I lost many nights without doing so. It’s not too late to change your behavior. I don’t remember exactly what I was doing on the computer, what kind of work or surfing on social networks, but I remember perfectly their happy eyes when I would say good night with many kisses and hugs. When I prayed with them and told a story. There is no money or fun in the world to compensate these sweet moments. Tip: Don’t be the only one telling the story, let them tell it as well.

2. Pay attention to what you promise Let’s have a picnic every day … We can go to the movies on Friday … Next week we can go to the zoo. Plans, promises that will break. Time will pass by and now they no longer feel welcome in these family programs and will not take advantage of them as they would as children. Create this kind of memories with your kids is something they will carry for life. I wish my parents took me for picnics. I would have done more of these activities with my kids and their grandparents.

3. They need loving limits A child does not know how far you can go if you do not circumscribe the border between what is allowed and what is forbidden for them to do. I never understood this principle until a few weeks ago in letting my children free to explore their own world and find their own answers. It was not a very happy moment. When I read that limits gave security to the child I imagined that they would feel like monkeys in a cage. But it is not so. Children like to know if they are pleasing or displeasing their parents. If you do not know what parents expect they will feel confused and unsure of what to do or not do. Set limits with love it’s the best way to raise a child.

4. They need the example I think one of the major functions of a parent is to be an example for their children. As the saying goes: “When there are no words, the example follows and it starts in the cradle.. What kind of children you want to have? Educated? Gentle? Who likes to read? Religious? Respectful? Responsible? For sure we want our children to have such qualities and the best way to teach them is cultivating these qualities in ourselves. Many parents punish their children for lying, but when the mother calls, send the child to say that she is not available. We want our children, to be honest, but we don’t return the change when received wrong. They want responsible children, but we do not keep up on our promises. It’s not easy being parents, everyone knows it. Important and valuable thing are not easy to achieve. So despite our mistakes, we are the best person we can be and we need to learn from our mistakes before it is too late. And as a bonus, here’s another tip: Smile at your children and make their day better with this simple gesture.

 
There are many ways to be good parents. There is no formula or proven and guaranteed way to success in raising small. But regrets, yes.

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7 ideas to learn how to #BudgetWithElly

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As the family grows,  your cost will increase, and you will always seems to have something new that will come up.

It’s easy to lose track. Here are some tips on how to save money for a greatter achievements in life: the house, the car, the trip, a special gift, a smooth retirement …

1. Record all your expenses for a month To be able to save, you need to know how you are spending the money. It sounds simple and obvious, but it isn’t. Over the next month, mark all your expenses. You don’t need a complicated spreadsheet. A little notebook will do. Write all small expenses, such as  tips or just that cup of coffee. Get ready for some surprises. That sacred coffee every day, or a daily bottle of water, may represent more than $90 per month, or $1080 per year (and $ 10,800 in ten years! Considerable savings). And the outfit you got for your child, those cute ones you cannot resist? If paid with a credit card, calculate an increase of 20+ percent, at least on top of the sticker price. It’s what it will cost you if you fail to pay the invoice total that month. You do not need to give up your daily dose of coffee, or hydration, or fail to dress your child in super cute clothes. All you have to do is just weigh in all the spending. A bottle of water can come full from home, for example. As for the clothes, wait for sales or clarence  and give yourself a spending limit whenever you start buying. Knowing where the money goes every month, you will have a better idea of ​​where to cut to save for the future.

2. Put yourself first. It may not make much sense at first, but the secret to start saving is to “pay” first. No, it’s not for you to buy the first blouse you see on display.  Think about a realistic amount of long-term goals (like changing the car, make that treatment, saving for emergencies, a vacation), and then “pay” early in the month, separating the money in another account. If you wait until the end of the month to see how much left to save after all mandatory expenses, you will realize that there is nothing left, because it is almost always the case for everyone.
The best way to make payments is to schedule automatic transfers from your bank account to another account or an investment. That way it will make you save. You can create, for example, two accounts: one for a long-term goal, such as saving for retirement or emergencies, and one for your dream closest consumption (the trip, the car etc.). Set the transfer to close the day you receive the salary. The cool thing is to create a routine, as if it was as mandatory as paying the electric bill. Later in the month, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that a portion of the salary is already saved for something really constructive. Economists say that an emergency fund should have the equivalent of six months of total expenses. If you have managed to gather that amount, you may even start saving for retirement.

3. Pay off your debts Yes, paying your debts is the best way to save money. The interest rate charged on overdrafts or credit card is much higher than the profit of any investment. Get rid of your debts first, especially credit card, so you can start saving money. If you have late payments, contact the company or bank to see if you can negotiate a settlement. Do not wait, untill you have all the money to pay off the debt. Find out how to pay it off  as soon as possible, even if it has to be little by little.
If it is for you to have some debt, let it be to finance a home. Yes this is a debt that is worth it.
For the car payment, you can do the following: when you finally finish paying, instead of rushing to exchange model and pick up a new provision, pretend that the booklet is not over. Continue paying the same amount for a time, only for yourself, in a separate account. So you will earn enough money to make a better deal, giving greater input and achieving a lower performance, with less interest.

4. Take one goal at a time and be strong! Choose an object of desire, something you want very much. It may be a new sofa, an electronic device, a trip. Calculate how much it will cost and trace a realistic goal, like saving for six or twelve months to achieve. To motivate, spread photos and advertisements of this desired item everywhere (at work, at home, within the portfolio). Whenever thinking about buying something, ask yourself if you want it as much as you want your big goal, the one for which you are saving.

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5. Make the withdrawals hard Search for alternatives applications that are not ready or available to move. Funds with automatic withdrawals when the current account is negative doesn’t work – it is very easy to end up with no savings in a moment of excitement or necessity. Make separate accounts, or apply in investment rules which do not allow automatic withdrawals, or that deem certain work redemptions (such as CDs).

6. Did you receive a money did not expect? Save it! You received a refund of income tax, a bonus at work or some unexpected money? First, resist with all their might to spend that’s the first impulse. If you can resist for a few days, it’ll be much easier to appreciate the extra money. If you’re still having some debt, use that money to reduce it (pay the most from the car financing or own home, for example). All Credit card debts have priority! Second comes the overdraft. It won’t cost you anything to try and talk to the bank manager to see if there’s an easier way to pay. If you do not have a debt, save the money in that special account different from the day to day account, for something that really matter.

7. Rethink the spendings with a car If you have a car, write down all the expenses you have with it. Say that car is practically a child, and it’s true. From property taxes, insurance, financing, fuel, parking, tolls, licensing, washing and repairs, you may be surprised at the amount of expenses annually.
There are people who realize that life becomes even easier without the car (or just one car for couples). Even if for you the car is essential, take it easy with the spending. Leave the car at home whenever you can. Walk to the supermarket and use the delivery service at home. To concentrate their business in the same region. Take the car to solve several things at once, And do the math. In large cities is more expensive to park a car than going back and forth in a taxi, depending on distance. And spending on toll and fuel can surpass that amount of a bus ticket – and even plane.

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Family Share · Wordless

The art of living well #ButgetWithElly

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Do not demand from others what they can not give you, but expect each of their responsibilities.
Be sure to enjoy pleasure, but do no harm anyone.
Do not take more than you need, but fight for your rights.
Do not look at people with your eyes only, but look with their eyes as well.
Don’t always teach , you can learn more.
Do not be discouraged before failure, but overcome it transforming it into learning.
Do not take advantage of anyone who tries so hard, he may be doing what you did not do.
Do not ruin a different program with your bad mood, discover the joy of new things.
Do not let life slip away from the faucet it may be missed by others …

Love can absorb much suffering, but not the lack of respect to yourself!
If you want the best of people, give them as much of yourself, since life has given you so much.
Anyway, always be thankful forever because gratitude opens the door of the heart.

 

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#BudgetWithElly the @DaveRamsey Style

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Let’s start today with what I did to become frugal and try to be Debt free.
My husband inspired me by listening to ” The Dave Ramsey Show ” and he came home one day and said, can you listen to this guy I think he’s awesome. I decided to listen to Dave Ramsey for the first time and I thought to myself. Can we do this? Can we really be debt free? Is it possible to pay over $10k of credit card bills and actually live like ” No One else, so later in life we can live like no one else? __ Dave Ramsey”
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So, who is this Dave anyways?
Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert, radio talk show host and TV personality who over the years has helped thousands of people become debt free and change their financial lives.

Before I started to listen to Dave, we had to make a decision, to either listen and apply or don’t do it at all. I started to believe we could and believed in GOD we could do it. AM I there? no! not yet, but we have a lot less to go. 🙂

We started with Dave Ramsey’s baby steps that are

Baby Step 1 – $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
Baby Step 2 – Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
Baby Step 3 – 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
Baby Step 5 – College funding for children
Baby Step 6 – Pay off home early
Baby Step 7 – Build wealth and give!
we are obviously not anywhere close to where we would like to be, but we will get there.
We had to make some sacrifice, especially at the beginning. It’s not easy because it requires sacrifice. And it’s not a lot of fun. We started less than a year ago.
So, I decided to start looking at all the ways I could save, and I started doing the frugal mom thing (Coupons) I save over $200 a month just on coupons alone. Some people are embarrassed to use them, I’m not simple as that. they are there to help you and you’re not stealing from someone, So why not?

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A lot of people talk about how to change their financial lives but never touch on the fact that if you or your spouse isn’t ready to change, it isn’t going to happen. You have to want to change.
His plan might not be perfect for everyone, but it does point everyone in the right direction.
What is your life’s purpose? When you find it, you’ll find the motivation you need to live according to your financial plan, even when it’s tough. Making these steps require a budget. In order to succeed with these bigger goals, you’ve got to make it work day-by-day. Paying off your debt snowball requires snowflakes. And you and your spouse need to regularly communicate.
Give it a try, visit the Dave Ramsey site and other budgeting sites and get started. Believe me, It’s never too late 🙂

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Devotion · family · Family Share · fatherhood · motherhood

#Devotion Sunday

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Please watch the video 🙂 

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“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans‬ ‭10:9-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭NIV‬

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John‬ ‭10:28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Kids 1st Day of School praying with DAD

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Devotion · Family Share · photography

Leaving a Legacy for Your Child

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Leaving a Legacy for Your Child

The space shuttle Columbia – most of us didn’t know much about the amazing crew on the ship’s last mission until they were lost in that awful re-entry tragedy.

Now, we understand what truly outstanding men and women these people were – beginning with their commander, Rick Husband. Hearing from his family and friends, it quickly became clear that he was a magnetic follower of Jesus Christ. He quoted memory verses from Joshua 1 to prepare his crew the night before the launch. He prayed with his crew just before they met the press and boarded the shuttle. He molded his diverse crew into a bonded team.

And then there was the really touching thing he did for his kids before he left. He made 17 videos for his daughter and 17 videos for his young son, each one a “devotional with Daddy” for each day he was scheduled to be gone – it was Daddy with the Word of God and Daddy praying with them. Can you imagine what a treasure that has been for them?

He left them the kind of legacy God intends for every father to leave – a contagious love for Jesus, the teaching of God’s words and God’s ways, and a consistent life of Christlike love and purity.

The answer to, “How do you know that’s what a father’s supposed to be doing?”, is found in

Ephesians 6:4. It says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

There are men who might say, “That’s women’s work.” There are men who try to delegate to their wife the spiritual leadership for which God holds them accountable. Throughout the Bible – beginning with Adam – God makes it clear where the buck stops when it comes to spiritual leadership in a family. It stops with the man.

And that’s not supposed to be a bad thing. It means that a man can leave a legacy for his children that can literally change their lives and last forever. That’s an exciting prospect! Rick Husband modeled this God-given assignment of being your children’s spiritual coach when he left God’s Word for his children along with hearing him talk with God on their behalf.

One reason some men haven’t stepped up to building spiritual legacy could be fear of failure. We men tend to only do things where we’re pretty sure we won’t look stupid. We ask out a girl only when we’re pretty sure she won’t shoot us down. We show up for a sport where we can look reasonably coordinated. And because trying to lead our family in praying and exploring God’s Word is unsure ground, we tend to shy away from it, or we hide behind the fact that we think our wife is better at it. But God doesn’t buy any of that. There’s only one way you can be a failure in being a spiritual leader for your family – and that’s by not stepping up! Just do it – however clumsy and unsure you may be at first.

When your children remember you, will they remember a praying man, a godly man, one who loved and lived by the words of God? It’s the greatest legacy you can give them. In the words of the psalmist,

“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord” and will follow God’s mandate that men should “teach their children, so the next generation would know…even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God…” (Psalm 78:4, 6, 7).

We never know when our own mission on earth will end. Therefore, we can’t waste another day working on our spiritual legacy. The greatest gifts you will leave your children will not be in your will – they will be in your life – as you pass onto them your living faith in your living God!

Further study

Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Going Deeper

One thing I need to do more of to leave a spiritual legacy with my family is…

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
10And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not, when thou shalt have eaten and be full.
12Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.
15(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,
19To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken.
20And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, what mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?
21Then thou shalt say unto thy son, we were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:
22And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:
23And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
24And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
25And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. Deuteronomy 6: 4-25
Info: Bible and Daily word with Ron Hutchcraft
Devotion · Family Share · kids · love · photography · reeding · teens

Giving Children to God 

EllyFilho1 Comment

It’s common to most every religious tradition – some ceremony or service where you dedicate or commit a new child to God. In some Christian traditions, it takes the form of baptism. Others have a brief baby dedication. The last baby we dedicated was our youngest child, and that was more than a few years ago. I held the little guy in my hands, but times have changed. I don’t pick him up anymore; I’d hurt myself. He picks me up – literally. He’ll greet me at the airport and pick me up off the ground and spin me around. That’s my baby. Yes, a lot of things have changed, but one thing never has. 
All three of our children grew up, but the transaction that took place that day we dedicated each of them to God is one thing that is still being repeated today. We cannot physically hold them in our hands anymore, but we can, and we must, keep giving them over to the One who gave them to us. The problem is that all too often, we actually try to keep them in our hands, don’t we?

There is no more beautiful “release your child” model in the entire Bible than Hannah; the woman who prayed fervently for years that God would bless her infertility with a child. God answered that prayer by giving her a boy named Samuel, who was destined to become one of the great leaders of Israel. In obedience to God, Hannah brought her young son to the temple to be trained for spiritual leadership. In part of her prayer in 1 Samuel 1:27-28, she says of this child for whom she had waited so long, “So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.”

Do you know how often we moms and dads need to tell God that? Every day for the rest of your life, no matter how old or young our children are. No matter how close to God or far from God they are. But be careful, we’re talking here about releasing our son or daughter to God, which means helping them become the person God created them to be, not trying to shape them into the person we want them to be. It means talking to God far more about your child than talking to your child about God, as important as that is.


For some of us who tend to be controllers, we have to make sure we’re not trying to “play God” ourselves in our child’s life. Parents who truly place their son or daughter in God’s hands can lay off the nagging, the manipulating, the meddling, and the criticizing. What we try to control we often end up crushing. Our job is to say to God each new day, “You gave me this child, Lord. Again, for this new day, I’m giving her; I’m giving him, back to You. I’m available for anything You want me to do to join You in what You’re doing in their life – whether You ask me to speak up, or remain silent, to apologize, to forgive, to sacrifice, or even change.”

A surrendered parent is a parent at peace – a parent who knows that this treasure God has entrusted to them has this day been placed again in God’s all-powerful hands. A God who knows the plans He has for that boy, for that girl – plans for good and not for evil, to give them a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). No matter how big your little ones get, remember whose they really are.

Further study

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭1:27-28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.” Psalm‬ ‭127:3-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Going Deeper:

It’s been difficult to let go of my child/children in the area of…

In order for me to give my child/children completely to God, I need to…

  • Photography by Me (Eliane) Info taken out of the Bible credits to Ron Hutchcraft