Parenting through Inspiration

This week I went into an ENT to have them look at my tonsils for possibly removing them.  While I was at it, I decided to have them check my hearing.  I feel that lots of times I have to really focus on something with both ears in order to hear.  I had to wear earphones and then had a clicker to click every time I heard a beep.  I know that there were several beeps that I missed and thought surely I had failed the test.  When I left the sound proof room to get my results, the technician, said that I had great hearing.  I was shocked.  How could that be.  I know I missed some beeps.  I explained to her that sometimes I have to really focus on something to even hear it.  She then told me that most people don't have hearing problems, they have communication problems.  We live in a world so full of multi-tasking.  We are always looking at a screen, texting, surfing the internet, playing with our tablets or watching TV, that we are losing the art of good communication.  If we are always looking at something else, we aren't looking at the other person's body language, and that overall we aren't good communicators.  While I don't have a smart phone, I'm not constantly on my phone, but I must admit that when a text beeps in, I'm quick to see who it is.  I'm quick to check my email.  Thinking of this experience with spiritual eyes, how often am I tuned into the spirit?  How often am I just a 100% mom, with nothing else on my brain, to offer my kids my undivided attention?  How often do I let things of the world cloud my hearing?  How often am I quick to reply to a text but not quick to say a prayer or read my scriptures?

 Quote for the day:

"The shield of faith is not produced in a factory, but at home in a cottage industry...The plan designed by the father contemplates that man and woman, husband and wife, working together, fit each child individually with a shield of faith made to buckle on so firmly that it can neither be pulled off nor penetrated by those fiery darts.  It takes the steady strength of a father to hammer out the metal of it and the tender hand of a mother to polish and fit it on....In the church we can teach about the materials from which a shield of faith is made: reverence, courage, chastity, repentance, forgiveness, compassion.  In church we can learn how to assemble and fit them together.  But the actual making of and fitting on of the shield of faith belongs to the family circle.  Otherwise it may loosen and come off in a crisis."

(Top, Brent & Chadwick, Bruce, Raising Righteous Children In A Wicked World, BYU Magizine) 

I like this video from the church's website about the armor of God.
The Whole Armor of God
We have to be so careful.  We need to always be on our guard, especially in these last days when Satan is working overtime to bring us down.  The family is the most important place to "build" the armor for our kids.

The spirit is the most important thing in our parenting.  In the book "Raising Up A Family To The Lord" by Gene R. Cook, he tells a story about his son having a bad day.  The parents thought it would blow over the next day but it didn't so Brother Cook, took his son in his room and he prayed for his son.  This softened his son's heart enough that he was also able to say his own prayer and this was a bonding experience for both father and son.  A few weeks later Brother Cook was stressed out with things at work.  He started snapping at the children.  This same son took his Dad into the bedroom, and he said a prayer for his dad.  Then the Dad said his own prayer.  The next day, Brother Cook had some important presentations at work.  The son was waiting for him to come home because he wanted to know how his day was.  Brother Cook remembering the prayers the day before, said his presentations were great.  The son, said that he knew that they would be because he had prayed 19 times that day for his dad and the spirit just told him that his dad did great.  I really liked this story.  It was a great example of teaching with the spirit.  Instead of arguing and  letting negative things interrupt their days, they both turned to prayer.  I thought it was so cute that the son prayed for his dad all day and by the end had his own witness of the Holy Ghost.  It is so important for our children to know the Holy Ghost and how he speaks to them.  Also in the readings this week it talked about how important it was for kids to gain their own testimonies through their own personal prayers and personal scripture reading.  And they will only acquire these habits if they see us doing it as a family.  Family scripture reading is so important.  Family prayer is so important.  And Family Home Evening is also so important, regularly.