Mom Fuel

Last year, I went to hear Joe White, president of Kanakuk camps, speak when he came to town. It was an hour and a half full of nuggets of wisdom for moms, many of which I blogged about here.

Well, Joe came back! My sister and I didn't want to miss hearing him again... truly, some of the things he said a year ago have stuck with me the last 12 months. I needed another year of encouragement... mom fuel.

He hit a bunch of the same themes that he did last year, but some of the stuff I needed to hear again, loud and clear. Believe me. Because like I told you before, I make my share of mom mistakes. And when I get that note home from Luke's teacher for the 25th day in a row, the sighs roll out of my soul.

But Joe has been there done that. And has a lot of experience to share. Here are some new nuggets for ya.

*Parenting is like golf - it's something you keep working on your whole life.

*Be an encourager - when your kids go to bed at night, they need to know you are their biggest fan.

*Over the years, hide the verses in their heart that will guide them. You can't be with them at that party, but the word of God can be with them.

*Every night, when you put your kids into bed, share a scripture. Repeat it every night until they know it by heart, then pick a new one.

*When you feed your kids' bellies in the morning, look at it as a chance to feed their hearts too. All you need is 3 minutes to give them a bit of God's wisdom in their hearts. When they look at you and grunt, don't worry, it is getting through.

*Kids just need to talk. Ask them questions and don't try to solve their problems. Listen well. If you give too much advice or press too much, kids will avoid talking to you.

*Follow through. Kids want you to follow through, even if they don't act like it. Follow through.

*No kid wants to be able to buffalo their mom. Don't let it happen.

*Snoop all you want. Use findings with discretion.

*Lay by your kids at night. Even when they are 17. Ask question and listen to the answers.

*Cell phones, computers, ipods and cars are great opportunities to draw up a covenant between you and your child. Have them write a contract and sign it.

*Finally, he stressed the importance of each 24 hours of your child's life. Each day is a blessing. And then he emphasized that point with this video, called 99 balloons. I had never seen it, though my sister had. I guess it's been around for awhile. If you haven't seen it, watch it. But grab a kleenex.