So, I told you I have been reading The Mom Walk by Sally Clarkson.  Some of the stuff is just really speaking to me- where I am.  I wanted to share a short part of it.

They grew best in the freedom they had in an environment of love, grace and faith.

We can’t by sheer force or the right rules or the right devotional curriculum make our children spiritual.  Yet there is this mysterious process by which the Holy Spirit leads our children to see their need for Christ as we seek to cultivate their hearts.  But it is entirely led by grace, informed by love, and carried out by the help of the Holy Spirit.

This is something that is so hard for me and I am seeing it a lot.  Good moms & dads, doing their best to do the right thing as a parent, making sacrifices, staying on their knees, trusting God- and the children end up not walking with the Lord.  There is nothing that I want more than my kids to know God, trust Him, serve Him & love Him.  Yet there is no guarantee.  So, I guess the only choice is to trust.

We all parent differently.  And parenting styles can really change friendships.  But the fact that there is no one answer, no exact formula, frees me up to not judging others according to their styles.  As sisters, let’s just encourage one another.  Each child is different.  Each mom is different.  Our relationship with the Lord is different.  So expectations of doing things the exact same way should be low.  Let’s just get on our knees together and seek God’s will as we parent.  I look forward to that day by day leading.  Trusting.  Abiding.