Good Afternoon!
Yesterday we did Gavin's first #heartcheck! Below you will see an explanation of what and why we are doing them!
Gavin has been intentionally engaged in his #timewithGod for about a year now, and in this video I share some of the ways we keep things interesting and keep Gavin curious and engaged. The biggest secret is to keep moving the target. Watch for when your kids are falling into a mundane response and swap things up. There are so many tools out there to help parents navigate a devotional with their kids, at any age.
A few that were mentioned:
the Bible App kids devotionals
Unseen - Priscilla Shirer (this really is a bit mature for a 5yo still, but I find it fairly simple to modify)
Jesus Calling - Sarah Young
Narnia Movies - discussing the parallels
Rightnow Media - Kids Devotions
I have loved walking through these moments with Gavin. It is amazing to see his heart gravitate to loving the Lord and also how it influences his thought process throughout other parts of his day.
Here is Gavin's explanation of his #timewithGod and our #heartcheck
He harps on spending time with God alone - this comes from him seeing/hearing me tell him not to interrupt when he wakes up and I am still spending my time with God in the mornings.
At 5yo, he needs assistance to read, process and apply what he is learning, but I talk often about how you need to step away from all distractions during this time so you can focus, hear, understand and give God your undivided attention. Moms and Dads, get involved with your kid's quiet times...you will connect with them and their hearts in a whole new way.
I hope these videos help you see what is working for us to keep Gavin on "topic", challenging him to think, pushing him to grasp more than comes natural, and also, how I try my best to roll with their little rabbit trails.
Remember, every kid is so different. They are all at unique maturity levels, individual interests, and have varying attention spans...just start somewhere. There have even been days where listening to a worship song and talking about what it means is how we spend his Time with God. Get creative. :)
Lastly, Pray. Pray for God to teach and prepare your heart. This has been a constant prayer of mine and one God has diligently answered. It amazes me to see how God will teach me in my quiet time to prepare me for a question Gavin will have.
At times, it has been spot on - Teaching me deeply about trusting God's plan and the very next week Gavin's memory verse was Jeremiah 29:11. Which I taught in a completely different way that I would have before the previous week of my quiet time. Or other times it is general - Gavin will ask why he can't obey. And God has been teaching me about Gideon and how God uses our weakness to show His strength. Sometimes it is subtle to allow you to use examples or explain it better.
But ...Pray. Our greatest source of preparation is the Holy Spirit and the Word!
And without further adew, here is Gavin's first #heartcheck. Unedited (other than the video split for a potty break).
This momma's heart loves to see that my little guy is so genuine about the current condition of his heart! But remember, just like God is reminding Gavin, He invites us to come to him #justasweare. He graciously chose to die for us as sinners, and once we come into fellowship with Him. That fellowship is where he will help us overcome our sin nature and grow to be more and more Christ-like.
It is SO important for our kids to see that we too fall short - and need a Savior. And to see us acknowledge that we can't always make the right choices without God - either.
Side note - Gavin is obsessed with #starwars - thanks to his dad and uncles. But there is alot that translates to faith! And I did google after our recording and there ARE Star Wars devotionals. I will follow up with a review of them in the near future, because we will absolutely be doing one! There may be a benefit to his obsession with the "Dark Side" after all!
Comment below and let us know what you are learning in your quiet time this week!
Commentaires