It’s that time of year again. Whether you are homeschooling your little ones or sending them off to public schools. Getting ready for the new school year can be a frantic, hectic time. There’s planning, activities, supplies, and sometimes just pure chaos! To overcome the chaos, check out the homeschool planner. It is a great way to keep you organized for those of you that homeschool.
Leaving the Fad Behind
Today’s society tries to influence our kids, getting them to believe that they need the “hippest” new backpack or the “coolest” new shoes. My question is, “Do any of these things really matter”? I would like to challenge all parents to consider the things that really matter.
These are some of my family’s list of “things that really matter”, your family’s may be different. I would like to suggest that it is important for all family’s to have a pre-set list of things that do really matter to them.
Our What Matters List
- Spending time together
- PRAYING together
- Teaching our kids about God and what it means to be a Christian
- Setting good Godly examples
Putting on the Armor of God
When we talk about school supplies many, most of us think about pencils, notebooks, backpacks, new clothes – material things. May I suggest that the most important “school supplies” for the year are not items that can be bought, however they are items that must be taught and sought after. Ephesians 6:10-18 teaches us the “armor” that we need to be equipped with.
Ephesians 6:10-18 ~The Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
- The Belt of Truth – “Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” – Ephesians 6:14
- The Breastplate of Righteousness – “and the breastplate of righteousness in place” – Ephesians 6:14
- Feet Fitted with Readiness – “that comes from the gospel of peace” – Ephesians 6:15
- Shield of Faith – “with which you can extinguish all flaming arrows from the evil one” – Ephesians 6:16
- The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of Truth– “which is the word of God” – Ephesians 6:17
Equipping our children with these “supplies” will only lead to great things this school year – and for a lifetime to come. A great site for young children and helping teach them these principles is “Lessons on the Armor of God – How to win against Sin”. This site is full of lessons, conversation starters, and printables for our family to use in our devotion time or for the homeschooling family to use during their Bible lesson.
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Mindy Ferguson is a wife, mother, and Jesus follower. She loves to cook, bake and make fun things with her kids. “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” are words she lives by.
I like this alternate view of school shopping. Good way to center even the mamas!