"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is True, whatever is Noble,
whatever is Right, whatever is Pure, whatever is Lovely,
whatever is Admirable—if anything is Excellent or Praiseworthy—
think about such things.
9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me,
or seen in me—put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you."
I believe God is calling our family to really analyze the things we fill our time with and measure them by this standard. To ask ourselves if what we are doing passes the Philippians 4:8 test. Not to live by a law, but rather to really feel peace in our lives.
It's the verse I have been praying to the kids when they have a bad dream. Kids are so sensitive to everything they hear, see, and do. One scary moment in a movie and we are dealing with an hour of tears at bedtime or in the middle of the night. So many times Brian and I have felt like we just don't know what to do. I really think 5 is a very formative year for the imagination of a child. Lukas and now Haylee both have gone through a period of bad dreams. Not because of some horrendous exposure to horrible things. I remember when Lukas dreamt about lions every night and so I boxed up Lion King, Madagascar, and The Wild. There was no other explanation for this intense fear of lions. We would pray, read verses, memorize scripture.... That year Lukas memorized Psalm 23 and then Psalm 1. I need to work on that with Haylee now too. She is very careful to ask if a movie is "pretty" now, because I have explained to her that she needs to be careful that what she watches is Lovely, Pure, True... So that her mind is filled with those things.
Sometimes even a good thing is not the most Praiseworthy thing. Keeping the dishes clean and the clothes washed are good things. Even those simple chores prove to be too much in our home some days! I'm sure one day when I'm looking back on these days, I will not regret the dirty dishes I left in the sink. But if I don't play, sing, rock, talk, dance, explore, listen, create, color with my children, then I will deeply mourn the missed opportunities. Jaron has helped me realize how precious each moment is. I still have him to hold tonight, on my 31st birthday, but there is no guarantee he will still be in my arms on my 32nd.
My desire for the new year is to look for the Beauty in all things. To stay focused on the Truth. To seek out the Lovely. To stay Pure in mind and action. To count the Gifts God gives. Make it a goal in our reading, watching, housekeeping, parenting, marriage, hobbies, music, and entertainment to think about and meditate on that which is Excellent. To shape each of our hearts in purposeful ways. To surround ourselves with Noble, Pure, True things, so that nobility, purity and honesty flow naturally from us.
I have printed out and framed our family's verse in both of the kid's rooms and in the living room. We also made an Armor of God poster because praying continuously is part of doing what is Lovely and True. And it's proven to be our greatest weapon against those night terrors.
Also, as Paul says in verse 9, I want my children to be able to DO "whatever they have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me." I want to be a good example for them to follow. And ultimately I know the God of peace will be with me. And that's a promise I want to live in. I know that my year will not be easy, but I know the God of peace will be right here with me!
My prayer is that God would help me to make this a reality in my home, not just a plaque on my wall.
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