Abandonment

One of the most fearful concepts in life is the utter termination of a cherished relationship. Wheather we call it abandoning, forsaking, giving up on us, or divorce, the portrait is of a sharp line drawn in a relationship- a line that quickly becomes a great gulf between the two persons, putting them out of reach of one another. And one of the greatest consequences of being abandoned is that it threatens our feeling of self-worth. "I was worthless, so I was abandoned. I had something wrong with me, so no one wanted me." How comforting to know that God will never abandon anyone who loves Him.

I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. (Hew. 13:5)

The Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

(Deut. 31:6)

God will never desert those who trust in Him and love Him.  If you feel abandoned, don't give up on God.

The Lord will not abandon His people. (1 Sam. 12:22)

People we depend on sometimes desert us, abandon us, turn away from us. There may be only a few people we can truly count on- at times there may not be any. But the one we can always count on is God; He will never abandon us.

Even if my father and mother abandon me, The Lord will hold me close. (Psalm 27:10)

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me. (Psalm 66:20)

Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for You. (Psalm 9:10)

We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. (2 Cor. 4:9) 

Some key points to consider when teaching children that they can always rely on God are:

Teach and show them honesty.

Teach them that God commands honesty from us. Showing them this will help them associate God with truth.

Use F.R.O.G.

Another great way to teach your children about God’s consistency in our lives is to teach them F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God). Teaching them this acronym is a fun way to remind them that in their time of need, they can always rely on the Lord. I also like to tell my children to always take a leap of faith; we call this Leap F.R.O.G. 

Demonstrate.

The final and most important point you must remember when teaching your children to fully rely on God is to do so yourself.  I cannot teach great faith if I do not show great faith in all circumstances. Let your children see you lean on the Lord and they will imitate this behavior. 

Always pray. 

Remind your children that even when they feel alone, God is with them. Explain that He never will leave them. Teaching your children to pray whenever they are frustrated, angry, and nervous or even when they are happy, is a great way to show them they have a direct line to Jesus and that He is always listening.

As your children learn their favorite characters, childhood heroes and fairy tales are make believe, show them they will never be let down by God. Teach them that God is the true hero and He will always be the one to save the day.

Resources:

Visit: POPUPC.org

Teaching Children to Rely on God

Scripture quotations taken from the TouchPoint Bible

The Strength to Carry On

There is a truth about Christian living which, if people knew, would make all of life easier for them. The truth is this: Whatever trial or task comes our way in life, we will receive the strength we need to face it. 

There are several promises that give this assurance:

One reads, “your strength will equal your days.” (Deut 33:25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.) This seems to mean that the help which God gives, varies according to the tasks and trials of the particular day. God fits His blessing to our days.

When we are weak, He increases strength. (Isa 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.)

When we are sorrowful, He gives comfort. (2 Cor 1:3-6 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  ⁴Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. ⁵For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.  ⁶And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferingswhich we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.)

When we are in danger, He grants protection. (Ps 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.)

When we are weary, He gives rest. (Mtt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.)

Another of Christ’s promises reads, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.)

Every word of this assurance shines with brilliant light:

“My grace is sufficient for you.” 

It is Christ’s grace that is sufficient. We know that He has all Divine fullness, and so we are sure that no human need can ever exhaust His power to give help!

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

It is Christ’s grace that is sufficient. If it were anything else but grace, it might not give us such comfort. Grace is undeserved favor, goodness shown to the unworthy. We deserve nothing because we are sinners, but it is Christ’s grace which is sufficient, and so we can claim it.

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

His grace “IS” sufficient. Christ is always speaking personally to the one who is in any need, and saying, “My grace IS sufficient for you.” "Is" indicates "current", "present", "immediate", and "now."

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

The word “sufficient” is one whose meaning expands and amplifies with the measure of the need. No need is so small that it can’t be included; and none is so great that it can go beyond the capacity of the blessing that is promised. "Sufficient" indicates "adequate", "enough", "comprehensive", and "all-inclusive."

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

The grace of God is sufficient for each of His redeemed children. “For you” the promise is made. Life lies before us, with its burdens, its duties, its responsibilities, its struggles, its perplexities. It does not come to us all at once. God breaks our years into months and weeks and days, and never gives us more than we can bear or do for the day.

If we take up the present duty or burden we shall always have strength to do it. If we do not have strength of our own, we don’t need to falter. Even if the task is impossible to our ability, He will sustain us by giving us all the help we need.

My Favorite Family-Friendly Apps of 2013

Everyone has favorite apps- here is my list of favorites! I have put them somewhat in order of most favorite... but in any order, they're all tops on my family's list!

Bible by Lifechurch.tv                                      Our family uses this app EVERY DAY. On more than 100 million devices all over the world, people are reading, listening to, and sharing the Bible using the #1 rated Bible App—completely free. Hundreds of Bible versions, hundreds of reading plans, dozens of languages. Add your own highlights, bookmarks, and public or private notes. Customize your experience for easy reading. Access everything when you’re connected, or download specific versions for offline use.

Where's My Water by Disney                            Probably the very 1st game app I ever played! Help Swampy by guiding water to his broken shower. Each level is a challenging physics-based puzzle with amazing life-like mechanics. Cut through dirt to guide fresh water, dirty water, toxic water, steam, and ooze through increasingly challenging scenarios! Every drop counts!

Where's My Mickey by Disney                       We love our water game apps! Join Mickey in this new adventure in Disney’s most popular mobile game franchise! Where's My Mickey? introduces a whole new world of life-like physics-based gameplay with stimulating weather mechanics and humorous animations. Immerse yourself in the ultimate mobile gaming experience as you watch funny episodes while solving challenging puzzles! Try 6 Goofy puzzles for FREE and unlock the remaining episodes for a small additional price! $1.99

My Little Pony- Friendship is Magic by Gameloft        My daughter and I both found this game quite cute and addicting! Saddle up for adventure with Twilight Sparkle & friends! After being locked away in the moon for centuries, Nightmare Moon is set free and spreading night across Ponyville! Only Twilight Sparkle and her friends can free Ponyville from her grasp and bring light and friendship back to the land. Help them rebuild the town and reach their dreams in exciting quests! MY LITTLE PONY - Friendship is Magic is free to play, but if you wish you can enrich your experience by purchasing game items with real money. You can disable in-app purchases by adjusting your device’s settings.

Gnome Village by Disney                                            I love games that build towns/villages. Experience the Disney magic and build your very own gnome village, gather a crew of adorable animals to help you, and explore the enchanted forest beyond your village borders!

Ice Age Village by Gameloft                              Again, I love games that build towns/villages. Discover one of the greatest successes on the App Store, the official Ice Age game, and embark on a wonderful journey!* "Awesome! This game is cute, charming, and most of all fun. It’s a nice bright change from others in this genre" (Customer review, Cameron Fitzwater) * "Graphically, Ice Age Village is one of the better looking games of its kind" (Appgamer.net)

NEW: Discover Dino World! Buck, the hero from the third Ice Age movie, is back and invites you to join him in his underground world. Populate it with your favorite animals, as well as brand new dinosaur species!

Ice Age Village is free to play, but if you wish you can enrich your experience by purchasing game items with real money. You can disable in-app purchases by adjusting your device’s settings.

Bible Trivia by David Dennis                                                   Our weekly family Bible trivia night is Wednesday, and we buy mini candy bars as prizes! Love it! Bible Trivia blesses the world of the iPhone with faith based super-charged categories, including: Books, People, Time Lines, Prophets, Revelations, Life of Jesus, World, Statistics, and New Testament. Take the Bible Trivia challenge...with over 5,800 compelling questions to test your unique Bible knowledge. Compete with yourself or your friends! $2.99

Bible For Kids by Lifechurch.tv                                   I am eager to utilize this app in the preschool; and equally as eager to see how its creators develop this app with even more Bible stories in the future! The Bible App for Kids is the newest member of the YouVersion family of apps. Available now for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, the Bible App for Kids is always completely free! Through interactive adventures and beautiful animations, kids explore the big stories of the Bible. The Bible App for Kids is a delight-filled experience designed to encourage kids to return again and again. It’s the beginning of a lifelong love of God’s Word.

Littlest Pet Shop by Gameloft                                             Get immersed in the LITTLEST PET SHOP world and collect your favorite pets! Help BLYTHE and her friends, Minka, Penny, Pepper, Russell, Sunil, Vinnie and Zoe to adopt, take care of and entertain cute little pets! Littlest Pet Shop is free to play, but if you wish you can enrich your experience by purchasing game items with real money. You can disable in-app purchases by adjusting your device’s settings.

Pinterest by Pinterest Inc.                                                 We use this for ideas for parties, holidays, recipes... anything we need fresh ideas for! Pinterest is a tool to find your inspiration and share it with others. Use it to collect things you love, organize and plan important projects, and more. Myself, my husband, and even my kids love Pinterest!