Author Archives: Heidi St. John

About Heidi St. John

Heidi has been married to her husband Jay since 1989. Together they have seven children and three grandchildren! The St. Johns homeschooled their kids all the way through high school. Heidi is the the author of seven books, host of the popular podcast "Off the Bench," and the founder of MomStrong International, an online community of women learning God's Word and how to apply it to every day life. She and her husband Jay are also the founders of Firmly Planted Family and the Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center, located in Vancouver, Washington.

Strength for the Weary Mom

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In March of 2010, as I was planning Savannah’s high school graduation, I found out that I was pregnant. We were not surprised at this news, because we had planned this baby (as much as is humanly possible.) I was feeling very sure of my ability to take on another child when a woman on the graduation committee looked me right in my eyes and said, “Well, Heidi St. John, I admire you! You know what you’re getting into and you’re still willing to have another one!”

I forced a smile. “You must LOVE kids!” she said.

I confess. I was a little irritated. “We love our kids,” I replied, trying not to let my tone reveal my true feelings. “We’re excited to have another little one in our home.” I’m sure she didn’t realize it then, but her words stung. They exacerbated feelings of doubt and insecurity that were already there. After all, this was not her journey, I told myself. It was ours!

Four months later, as I was listening to the commencement address at Savannah’s graduation service, my mind wandered. The small kicks and hiccups of our unborn daughter Saylor Jane left no doubt in my mind: I was so in love with this new little one! Our children had readily embraced the fact that they were going to be sharing a bedroom with another sibling. I was slowly collecting newborn clothes again (it had been five years since we had a baby) and searching Craigslist for a crib.

I thought I had gotten over the looks and condescending statements from others and I was feeling pretty good about our decision when all of the sudden my mind filled with doubt and worry. I thought about the sleepless nights that were ahead of me. I wondered how my body was going to hold up under the strain of another pregnancy. After all, I wasn’t a young girl anymore.

“For you do not wrestle against flesh and blood…” Eph 4

In case you don’t believe it yet, let me assure you, the devil is real. I felt his icy grip on my heart as my thoughts of confidence turned to doubt and worry.

When Savannah was born, I was in my early twenties. Now, I was facing pregnancy and birth in my early forties. What was I doing? I thought I had the strength I needed to run the race that was before me, but when I looked at the five children who had yet to graduate from high school and felt the kick of our seventh child within me, my knees went a little weak. What was I even doing?

“Take every thought captive …” I heard the Lord gently interrupt my wandering heart.

Satan wages his deadly war against us on the battlefield of the mind. I knew I needed to take my thoughts captive. “Lord, help me! Remind me of Your love and strength! Replace these thoughts with Your thoughts!”

God is so faithful. He gently comforted me and the feelings of insecurity began to fade as I repeated His name: Jesus, Jesus. My life is yours. This child is blessing, just like you say in Your word. Thank you that You can be trusted.

It was then that I knew it for sure: I was still at the beginning of a journey that would take me many more years to complete. I had completed eighteen years—and I was starting again, except that this time, I had the blessing of perspective.

Really, veteran moms are not much different than new moms aside from that one beautiful thing. Perspective changes you. It gives you a heads-up that new moms don’t have. Veteran moms know how fast time goes by.

If you are not sure where to get the strength you’ll need for the journey, I want to encourage you—because this beautifully broken mother of seven would like to give you a gentle hug and a high-five as I point you to the true well-spring of life and strength: Jesus.

That’s where strength is found.

He wants to make you strong… but you’ve got to come to the place of wanting His strength in order to find it. God doesn’t require strength for the journey, either. His promise to you is that as you come to Him, you will find strength. His gift is living water; hope for the hopeless, strength for the weary.

Run to him, precious mom. Strength is found in the arms of Jesus. Wherever you are, take a moment and talk to God. He’s waiting. He’s listening.

Lord, help me to be like Abraham, who, by faith, when called to go to a place where he would later receive his inheritance, obeyed and went… not because he knew the outcome, but because he trusted you.

Dare to be a Daniel: Talking to Your Kids About Standing for the Lord

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Jimmy Kimmel hit a new low in my book last week when he had children interviewed about their thoughts on gay marriage outside his LA studio. He wanted them to explain it. At first, my husband and I just sat there puzzling (a friend sent us the link) over why he thought it was appropriate to pull kids into the USA’s gay celebration—but then—we realized that this really is the new normal. Jimmy’s just going with the flow.

Over the past week, I’ve received several posts and emails from mothers asking how to talk to their kids about what is happening in the culture. After all, this is startlingly new territory for parents: explaining why a man is being celebrated as a woman on the cover of a magazine is not something we’re used to talking about. Here’s the thing: If we don’t set a place for the truth of Scripture at the table of our children’s hearts, the world will set out a feast all it’s own.

Talk we must.

So what do we tell our children? How do we talk to them as Christian parents? If you’re searching for your footing, here’s some ideas and direction:

Talk age-appropriately.
Clearly, you’ve got to talk about age-appropriate things. There’s no need to take your four year old out to dinner and explain things she’s not ready to hear. You’ve got to know your children. When you sense they’re ready, or if they start asking questions about things they shouldn’t be burdened with, it’s time.When the time is right, tell them the truth. Most of our kids are old enough, and so we have been having honest, and sometimes painful discussions with our children in the months leading up to the SCOTUS ruling. This generation of children are being forced to think about things that never even entered my mind as a child: from racists to the brutal beheadings of Coptic Christians in Syria to Bruce Jenner and the removal of the Ten Commandments from public grounds.
Take them to God’s Word
The Bible should be the authority in the life of every person who claims to be a follower of Jesus. Read about God’s standard, His mercy, and His holiness.
Tell them we’re all in a war.
In the Bible, we see everywhere that we are in a very real war. Talk to your kids about the spiritual war that is waging around them—the Bible says they are part of it, too.

Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.”

Consider the word Paul uses here to describe what’s happening around you every day. He says we are “wrestling,” but not against flesh and blood. Wrestling is a very personal fight. Every day, we wake up on a spiritual battle field. The place where the devil wages war against individual believers is in the mind. Our goal is to first steal back any thoughts that the devil places in our minds and give those thoughts over, “taking them captive” to the mind of Christ. Even Paul’s use of the word “captive” reminds us that there are captives in this war.

Do your kids know about putting on the armor of God? Read what the Bible says here.

Pray with them.
There is power in the prayers of God’s people!Pray humbly, because we are all sinners.
Pray reverently, because God is holy, set apart and worthy of our praise
Pray with hope, because the Bible says that our hope is not in this world; it’s in the Lord!
Teach them how to talk to other’s about what God says is sin, and the remedy for it: Jesus!

Start here:
- We are all sinners, by birth and by choice. God says that our sinful, fallen hearts are bent towards sin, not away from it.The culture is telling gays that Christians are against them—but true followers of Christ point the finger first at themselves, because they know their heterosexual sin is no better than their gay friend’s sin.
- When my fallen heart tells me to lust after anyone who is not my husband, I am in sin.
- When our fallen hearts tell us to lust after someone of the same sex, we are in sin.God calls us to turn away from all our sin—by placing our faith in Jesus and then daily (daily, daily, daily) surrendering our fallen desires to Him so that we can walk in the ways He has told us are good and right.
Dare your kids (and yourself!) to be like DanielDo you remember the story of Daniel?In the ancient Middle East, one empire was being replaced by another. In 605 B.C., the Babylonians conquered Israel, taking many of its promising young men into captivity in Babylon. One of those men was Daniel.When the story takes place, Daniel was in his 80s. (See? You’re never too young or too old to stand for God!)Through a life of hard work and obedience to God, Daniel made his way up through the political ranks and eventually, became administrator of this pagan kingdom.It turned out that Daniel was so honest and hardworking, his co-workers, other government officials, became jealous of him. This was a problem, since they could find nothing he had done that warranted his removal from office.
Finally, they decied to use Daniel’s faith in God against him. They tricked King Darius into passing a decree that during a 30-day period, anyone who prayed to another god or man besides the king would be thrown into the lions’ den. Can you imagine?

Daniel learned of the decree but did not change his habit of praying to God. Just as he had done all his life, he went home, knelt down, faced Jerusalem, and prayed to God. The wicked administrators caught him and told the king. King Darius, who loved Daniel. He tried to save him, but the decree could not be revoked.

At sundown, they threw Daniel into the den of lions. The king was so worried and upset, he could not eat or sleep all night. At dawn he ran to the lions’ den and asked Daniel if his God had protected him. Daniel replied,

“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong

Scripture says the king was overjoyed. Daniel was brought out, unharmed, “…because he had trusted in his God.” (Daniel 6:23, NIV)

God’s Word is true and He can be trusted! The culture may change, but God does not change. His standard is right—and as Christians, we are called to follow Him—no matter what. God takes good care of His people. We do not need to be afraid.

The Bible teaches that we are to be ready to give a defense for the Scripture “in season and out of season.”

We either believe God’s Word or we don’t—and we demonstrate that by the way we live our lives.

Will you be set apart? Dare to be a Daniel!

A Spiritual Crisis and a Crossroad: How Should Christians Respond?

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Last week, in a stunning departure from the rule of law, the Supreme Court decided that it has the right to speak for God. Five judges voted to defy God and ignore the will of millions of Americans as they declared that marriage is not what God, the Creator of marriage, says it is. Yes, the Supreme Court has made it official: the United States of America has declared that it doesn’t give a hoot about it’s Judeo-Christian foundations. We have gone from teaching our people about the dangers of what God calls sin to celebrating it. God have mercy.

A couple of days ago in Oklahoma, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ten Commandments should no longer be displayed on government property. You know, because God’s words “Thou Shall Not Kill” seem pretty judgmental. We can’t have that. The culture cries, “Don’t judge!” After all, we kill our unborn every day without so much as a second thought. We don’t have a leg to stand on where murder is concerned. Adultery? Who cares? We love that stuff in the good ol’ USA. It’s the theme of most of our favorite TV shows! Coveting? No big deal. We deserve what that other guy has, right?

Yeah. Take them down. Those dated, old-fashioned Ten Commandments need to go, right along with prayer in school and this notion that marriage is a sacred institution given to us by our Creator. To quote former pastor Rob Bell, we Christians wised up and stopped using “letters from two-thousand years ago as our best defense.”

Looking around, it’s clear that many Christians have unbuckled the belt of truth under enormous pressure from the culture. Many pastors have begun exchanging the truth of God’s Word for the easy “truth” of the world in an effort to be “loving,” except that denying the truth of God is never loving. I have to wonder if those pastors who will not stand on the authority of Scripture care more about winning a popularity contest than they do about speaking the truth.

And so, we find ourselves in a full-blown spiritual crisis. So where do we go from here? What do we do?

Christians need to do two things as we find ourselves at this crossroad:

Repent.
Not a popular word, I know. Sort of a crowd-shrinker, really. But we cannot expect God to hear our prayers if they are being hindered by our sin. We need to do business with God.I’m including myself here. I watch things that I know in my heart grieve my Lord. I’ve committed to living more completely for Him than I have been. I have asked God for forgiveness in my own life more in the past year than I have ever—because I realize that I need to do a better job of living the way God says I need to.Our healing must starts with personal repentance. So let me ask you: What are you allowing yourself to watch? To listen to? Are you saying one thing and living another? If so, the Bible says your prayers are being hindered!We must not be hypocrites. It’s time to clean house. Repentance needs to happen within the Church.”Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:10
Cry out for wisdom. The Bible teaches that the Lord grants wisdom. Not the culture, not judges, not the courts. We cannot possibly navigate the complex issues of our generation correctly unless we ask the Lord to give us wisdom.3Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
4 Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:3-5
Be resolutely committed to reading and “rightly dividing” the Word of Truth.This means that each of us needs to take responsibility for our own walk with God. Your pastor should not, and in fact, cannot replace your personal time with the Lord.We are living in a biblically illiterate generation of Christians who do not know the Word of God and therefore cannot stand upon it. This is a terrible weakness. Christians who do not know the God they claim to serve are sacrificing truth on the altar of compassion. If we are not in the Bible, we will operate on our own thoughts and motives. We must be in the Word!

I have been thinking a lot about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their decision not to bow to the gold statue that their king ordered them to bow to. Despite threat of death, they honored God. We are at a “gold statue” moment in the United States. This is our time to choose whom we will serve.

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. 17 If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. 18 But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

Today, we are being given an opportunity to be exactly who God says we are: SET APART. Be set apart, Christian! Be different!

Will you be persecuted? Yes. Criticized? Absolutely. But I’ve decided to follow Jesus. If Jesus was willing to bear the cross for me, then I am willing to bear the criticism of this world.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
(Romans 12:2)

The New Face of “Hate”—and the Message of Grace

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My heart hurts a little today. Not gonna lie. Turns out that God’s word is unpopular. I have gay friends. I love them. I’ve never said an unkind word to them. I’ve never been rude, disrespectful or the least bit “hateful.”

However, apparently my stance that God created marriage and that His word is authoritative and inerrant on all matters pertaining to life and death has made me hateful. As such, I have become the target for some truly hateful comments. People have said they wished I would die, called me a bigot, said that their god is “disgusted” with me. Several posters questioned whether or not I should be allowed to keep my “indoctrinating” my own children. “I hate you!” one woman yelled in a Facebook post, “You should not be allowed to live in this country!” Shortly after that, another woman said I was the “most ignorant, hateful person she had ever encountered.”

Really? Does she not get out much? If I’m the meanest person she has ever encountered she should meet some of my social media “followers.”

In a breath-taking departure from the rule of law, the Supreme Court has mandated a new moral code for you. So how do we…

Posted by The Busy Mom on Monday, 29 June 2015

A few days ago, when our president colored the White House with God’s rainbow in celebration of what God calls sin, my heart broke. Like many of you reading this, I felt I could barely breathe. It was an affront to the millions of people in this nation whose very souls ached at the sight—but more importantly, it was an affront to God.

As I was being publicly mocked for “sheltering” my kids via homeschooling them, the US Department of Education changed their Facebook profile to celebrate what God calls sin. As I have said before, education is never, ever neutral. In Luke 6:40, the Bible teaches us that when a “student is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” And now, if you dare to disagree with the state teaching your children their version of morality—get ready—you’ll be called hateful. I can almost guarantee it. This is the new “tolerance.”

Listen. Can I just say again that I stand on the word of God? Shoot the messenger if you must, but one day, I’ll stand before the Lord and give an account of my life. I’m clinging to the only thing in this life that is true: the gospel. I have my own sin. I myself am in need of a savior; of His grace. It is ungrace to deny His power and saving grace in my own life. For me to not love other people would be an affront to the One who gave His life for me. Lord! Help me to love like Jesus loves!

In my grief, I wonder: could it be that these attacks toward anyone who dares to hold to the authority of Scripture betray a deep longing for grace? I believe many who post such things live just beneath a thinly veiled search for grace, a desperate longing to be truly loved. We were created by God and for God … and love is here. Love won at the cross.

Because of the cross, grace is here. The message of the cross is grace; and in the same way I have felt personally wounded, it occurs to me that grace is just that—deeply personal. God’s grace abounds, even now. He rejoices when even one of his lost ones comes home.

Grace baffles those who have never experienced it. The world us the opposite of grace. The world, and unfortunately, the church is known for it’s lack of grace, not for grace. In this context, I understand why one man said I was “just like the Taliban.” He’s never experienced grace. It’s hard to comprehend why or even how God could extend outstretched arms to us even in our sin. And yet, that’s what He does. He freely offers grace, mercy and forgiveness. He says, “I love you—and you’re wrong.” This is a dichotomy that is almost impossible to comprehend in our world. Grace, God’s grace, is only free because God has paid the cost.

We cannot stop saying that grace is for everyone anymore than we can stop speaking the truth about sin.

This is the message of the cross: the hope and change this nation is looking for will never be found apart from faith in Jesus. This is where I stand, battle weary and bruised, wearing humbly the criticism that really is aimed at the cross of Jesus Christ. He gave His very life for me. I can do no less than proclaim His love and mercy until He brings me Home.

Only God’s Love Wins: Love Apart from Truth Is Not Love

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Most of you know that I am a Christian. As such, I believe stranger things than the idea that marriage is between a man and a woman. I believe that Jesus is risen from the dead; that God created us and thereby gets to decide how His created beings should live. God has given us parameters to live in the same way we give our own children parameters; not because we don’t love them, but because we do.

I believe we can be forgiven because the Son of God sent His son to die for our sin. In short, I believe the Bible. I take God at His Word. In the Bible, God, the creator of sexuality, clearly defines how He intended for it to be enjoyed: in marriage, between one man and one woman.

In the seventies, we used to say, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.” This is my stance where God’s Word is concerned, not just over the issue of marriage, but over all issues God addresses.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court wildly overreached it’s role—which is to interpret the Constitution. My heart is heavy over this breach of trust placed in our judicial system—but more than that, I grieve over the trouble that is sure to follow this blatant disregard for the expressed will of our Creator.

Our grief as Christ followers over our nation’s rapid departure from the truth of God’s word is real. God is not silent on the issue of marriage. He defined it, and the Supreme Court of United States, though it may try, can never re-define it.

It’s been coming for a long time, but yesterday, we witnessed the turning of the tide in this nation against God’s word. Many Christians will stay silent, not wanting to be labeled as haters or bigots or homophobes. Can I challenge you to speak instead of being silent? As Christians, we are called to love, and to bear witness to our Savior. As Christians, God’s word is the standard by which we live our lives. As Christians, we do not rejoice over evil, we weep over it.

Sin is certainly nothing new; but what is new is how quickly those who claim the name of Jesus are rejecting the truth of His Word in order to have the wind of culture at their back. Following God today will make you unpopular. Can I challenge you to be among those who will be unashamed of the gospel?

So why is this such a big deal? As Christians we grieve over what is coming, not only because the Bible clearly tells us, but because we have tasted the bitter fruit of our own sin. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we are slaves to sin. Colossians 3:5-6 warns us that the height of sin’s self-destructive power “sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” brings with it the final wrath of God. “On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”

Christian brothers and sisters, Jesus was the ultimate example of speaking the truth in love, and if we are to follow Him, we can do no less. Don’t worry about anyone trying to label you. You have already been labeled. If you claim the name of Christ, you wear the label: redeemed. You have been bought with a price, and you belong to the One who made you.

The culture has pushed an idea that we can no longer disagree and still be loving, yet that’s exactly what Jesus does. Love apart from the truth is not really love. Christians who disagree with this ruling (and all of them should) and proceed to demonstrate hatred don’t speak for Christ. Instead, the fuel exactly what the gay “marriage” movement wants. Don’t give them that chance. They will know we are Christians by our love.

Yesterday’s ruling issues a challenge to Christ followers everywhere—to not only live in such a way that our lives do not make us hypocrites, but to talk about marriage the way Jesus did—as part of the gospel itself, a picture of the way Christ sees Himself and His church.

God gave His Son as a ransom for all our sin. He saved us, He spoke the truth in love.

We can do no less.

The battle is not ours, but the Lords. Take heart. Keep loving. Keep praying.
There will come a day when God will make all things new.

Don’t Let Your Youth Pastor Raise Your Kids

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Sweet mom—do you know how important your job is? The questions this generation is asking are big.

They’re soul-altering big.

They’re too big to ignore. I believe the questions this generation is asking will define our culture.

Several years ago, I found this soul-nugget in the book of Luke:

“When a child is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40

Little children who are playing blocks on the kitchen floor will soon be standing on the Senate floor—sent there by another generation of children who are, at this moment, sitting on the laps of their mothers.

Many years ago, I sat and listened as a tearful mom from a small Illinois town told me a cautionary tale about her daughter. Christian home. Good parents. Church-going. All-the-right-stuff … and her daughter was gone. Anne’s daughter, heavily influenced by a school counselor and deeply entrenched in a community of kids who did not share her family’s faith, had decided to walk away from God, and from everything their family held dear. She moved out shortly before graduating from high school.

… when a student is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.

Anne felt blind-sided. “We sent her to youth group every Wednesday! She was at every youth event they had! Our youth pastor knew my daughter better than I did! Why didn’t he say something?”

Devastated, Anne struggled with voices that echoed in her soul. She felt the familiar sting of guilt, a favorite tool of the enemy, as it spoke condemnation into her life, carried along by a cruel consequence of poor choices: regret. Anne regretted not being more involved in her daughter’s spiritual life—but even more than that, she regretting believing that her pastor could take her place in the life of her daughter.

She was telling me a story I had heard many times in my seventeen years as a pastor’s wife—and I share it with you, because I want to speak for your pastor: He wants you to know that he doesn’t want to raise your kids. In fact, he can’t.

Parents, there’s no substitute for being in the Word of God. Your pastor’s job is to rally the troops—to teach, to admonish, to encourage you to do what only you can do: walk with God daily on your own. A youth pastor’s job is to encourage your children toward right thinking and right relationship with God—but he’s no substitute for you.

I have heard it said that we have “lost” this generation of kids, but I don’t believe it. You don’t just “lose” kids. You lose their parents first. Parents are lost to discouragement, disillusionment and fear—but we must not give in to fear. We can’t simply drop our kids off at school or church and leave the parenting up to others. It is our responsibility alone. Now is the time. My generation of parents is fully up to bat. We must not fail in teaching our children what it means to live our lives for Christ. We do that by modeling.

Words are not enough.

Our kids need to see us taking God at His Word by being IN His Word. I love my pastor but I don’t want to take his word for God’s Word … I want to read it for myself—and that’s what any pastor worth his salt would want me to do.

Today’s parents need to be in the Word of God. We need to know it. To live it. To teach it to our kids.

The questions that are being asked right now need an answer. Sit down with your kids and take them to God’s Word for the answers.

Sweet tired mom—you are not alone. It’s tiring work, this business of shepherding the next generation. God will give you strength.

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”
Psalm 138:3

This generation of children and young adults need God’s truth in them now more than ever —to be dug down deep, planted in the rich soil of God’s Word. Stay in there. The work is too important to pass off to someone else, even if that someone else is your pastor.

Your work carries eternal significance with it. It carries the weight of glory—the hope of things to come. Your work carries Jesus to the next generation.

Give Them Grace

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grace

ɡrās/
noun

Something that’s given but not deserved;
The free and unmerited favor of God; demonstrated when He sent His son as atonement for my sin

Psst! Scroll down to watch a short video from Heidi!

Grace. It was the last thing on my mind last night when I noticed it was 9:30 p.m. and the kids were still going full-tilt—after I put them in bed for the third time. I just wanted them to go.to.sleep. I’ll be brave and admit that occasionally, I have to muster grace simply to be kind to my husband after an exhausting week of stress and challenge. He wants to come close—but, caught up in my own thoughts and weariness, I see him as “one more thing” on a list that presses me at every side. I push him away. Yeah. I can be awesome like that.

The truth? I have to work to be gracious. My nature is not to extend grace at every opportunity. I wish it was. And yet, God has blessed me with an amazing man to love and honor—and wonder of wonders, He saw fit to entrust us, a couple of kids ourselves, with with seven kids of our own.

It’s daunting to realize that my kids are learning about grace … from me. To be honest, I sometimes wonder if God got the wrong girl. You see, I came to this motherhood thing broken in a thousand ways. I needed healing and grace. In short, I needed Jesus.

Over the past 24 years, God has shown me ten-thousand different kinds of grace. He’s good like that. God, through His son, Jesus, is grace personified. In fact, whenever you read the word grace in the Bible, you can substitute the name of Jesus. What does grace look like? It looks like Jesus. What does it sound like? It sounds like Jesus. Last week, as I sat alone on the floor of my bedroom, I had to ask myself: do I sound like Jesus? What are my children learning of God’s grace from me?

Sometimes, I admit, I don’t sound very much like Jesus to my kids. And honestly? If I can’t get that right, my witness isn’t worth very much. My kids know the “real” me. They will reflect to the world the kind of grace they learn at home. It matters now more than ever—because the world is asking important questions right now.

Christianity is on trial—and that means the very name of Jesus is on trial.

What do our lives say about our Savior’s love and grace?

Do you have a child in need of a special touch? Show her grace. {Jesus}

Have friends let you down? Give them grace. {Jesus}

Are there unwise “friends” on social media driving you crazy? Say grace-filled things, or say nothing. {be Jesus-filled}

You can tell the truth and still be gracious.

We’ve got to know how to give—and receive—grace.

Why? Because God wants us to teach it. To testify. To bear witness to the faithful goodness of God.

Paul understood this. He wrote:

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

He knew his ministry was to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. He knew that grace was the big deal.

The word grace is as over-used as “cool” these days, and I think we’ve forgotten how powerful grace is. Grace is love, personified. Grace is underserved favor poured out over a lost world in the name of Jesus.

If you are not talking about what grace is with your kids, now is the time. We need it big-time in this country right now.

Need some help communicating what grace looks like with your loves? Read stories of grace to them. Kids resonate with stories. Jesus knew this. He used stories to illustrate many things.

Need a place to start? Read with your kids. In Lee Strobel’s book, A Case for Grace for Kids, I found stories of God’s grace. Powerful stories. Ugly-cry stories, if you wanna know the truth. If you have kids ages 9-12, this is a good option for you—but I’ll admit: we read it with our little and not-so-little loves. It’s powerful to hear about the redeeming power of God’s grace.

Give—and receive grace, sweet moms.

You are loved,

PS: Here’s a little shot in the arm for you —a little more on Psalm 127. Don’t mind the noise in the background. It was laundry day and there was a woodpecker at war with my husband. It’s a little crazy, but it’s my life. 🙂