Christina's Daily Devotion & Motivation: Change your mindset.Change your life.

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is about Israel's failure to enter the promised land as told in Numbers 13 and 14. It is a classic example of how a negative report can limit God, limit others and ourselves.

Can you imagine that twelve spies went into Canaan under the same orders, to the same places, at the same time, and came back with different reports and advice.

For Joshua and Caleb, the promised land was everything that God said it would be. They reported, " It certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit" ( Number 13: 27).

The other ten men offered a negative report...please read V. 13 and laugh out ...In verse 31 we see that they had goals without God: " But the men who had gone up with them said, " We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.". V. 32 and 33 tell us that they continued with exaggeration without encouragement.

Can you see what negative thinking and self doubt can do to us? 

Negative thinking keeps us from enjoying life and hinders others from making positive responses and progress in life....so what are you thinking and saying about yourself today? what are your thought about others?

When we become conditioned to perceived truths and closed to new positive possibilities, the following happens:

1.We see what we expect to see, not what we can see.

2. We hear what we expect to hear, not what we can hear.

3. We think what we expect to think, not what we can think.

     So today, let's decide to become more positive! and let us always keep in mind that, what is possible is not always achieved quickly and endorsed enthusiastically.

Today's Lesson: Others can stop you temporarily, but you are the only one who can do it permanently. Change your mindset, change your life.

Christina's Daily Devotion & Motivation.
@ Raising Kids With The Wisdom Of God Series.

'Pain-Capable Act': Demanding a re-vote in favor of this critical piece of legislation

I am profoundly saddened by today’s news that the Senate has failed to even hold a floor vote on the‘Pain-Capable Act’ which would have outlawed abortion at 20-weeks, when science confirms an unborn child can feel pain. 

The cowardice exhibited by some in the U.S. Senate flies in the face of logic, public opinion, and human decency. Indeed, even a majority of Americans who are in favor of abortion support banning the practice after 20-weeks.

“Today, our political leaders decided that rather than acknowledge what any parent so easily understands . . . that a moving and kicking 20-week-old baby can feel pain and therefore should not be subjected to the mortal assault of a surgeon . . . is the height of cultural insanity. This is indeed a sad and disgraceful day for America as we join only seven other nations in the world, including China and North Korea, which allow such inhumane treatment of the unborn.

     Rest assured, this is only the beginning of this battle and those who opposed this completely sensible legislation should ready themselves for a fight. 

      I invite you to join me to advocate loudly on behalf of the unborn and children witnessing domestic violence. Let’s call, email and write our Senators, demanding an immediate re-vote in favor of this critical piece of legislation.

        I will be participating and advocating loudly in the upcoming Congressional Session at the Capitol, Georgia Congress.

                      
          Children have rights and their rights must be protected to their best interest.

         

     Christina Ewanga LLM

   Child Witness & Victim Advocate / Court Appointed Special Advocate

   Juvenile Court Of Cobb County.

How do you use your time?

Raising Kids WithThe Wisdom Of God Series.

 Our children are fearfully and wonderfully made, each one a unique design of the Almighty God. They are the crown of His creation, so wonderfully complex that scientists, psychologists, and those in medicine haven't begun to unravel the mysteries of their design and workings. Knowing that, we need not fear that God wants us to raise our children without His help and wisdom. 

How can we image that we would even know?

God want us to ask Him to work in us to make us the best parents we can be. He desires to give us His wisdom, understanding, and day by day help that we need to complete this awesome task. 

We won't be perfect, but when God is working in and through us and we're relying on His grace, He has a way to cover our mistakes and wonderfully work everything out.

Today's Word: WISDOM

 Meditate on this scriptures today: (James 1:5, Proverb 3:5-8, Matt 7:7)

 Let's Prayer:

Lord, I surrender myself, my husband and my children into your hands.

Lord, give me wisdom to raise my children in the way that will give you glory in Jesus Name. 

   I just want to encourage you that there's nothing God cannot do...even that situation you are facing right now is nothing to God...He's able to make away in that situation . . .surrender it to Him...and trust Him...He is ABLE! and He is a God of Impossibilities.

Trust Him....Trust Him...Trust Him....God Is Able!

     Let's continue to grow in God's grace and open the lid on our growth process to our children.

            Much Love 

       

  Christina Ewanga

Raising Kids With The Wisdom Of God Series

          

       

Prayers of Intercession

Praying for your children is one of the most important things you can do for them. There is constant spiritual warfare raging against your children, because the family is one of the enemy’s prime targets.

The following suggestions present specific things you can pray for your children. Take time to intercede for them in these areas and enter into spiritual warfare on their behalf.

Pray for your children:

• That they will trust Christ as their Savior. (See Psalm 63:1 and II Timothy 3:15.)
• That they will hate evil. (See Psalm 97:10.)
• That they will be caught when doing wrong. (See Numbers 32:23 and Galatians 6:7.)
• That they will be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives: spiritual, emotional, and physical. (See John 17:15.)
• That they will have a responsible attitude in all their relationships. (See Daniel 6:3.)
• That they will respect those in authority over them. (See Romans 13:1.)
• That they will desire to have wise friends and be protected from foolish companions. (See Proverbs 1:10–16.)
• That they will be kept for the right spouse. (See Proverbs 19:14 and II Corinthians 6:14–17.)
• That they, as well as those they marry, will remain pure until marriage. (See I Corinthians 6:13–20.)
• That they will be single-hearted, willing to be sold out to Jesus Christ. (See II Timothy 1:5–7, 3:14–17.)
• That they will be hedged in so they cannot find their way to wrong influences, places, people, or friends, and that these temptations will not come against them. (See Hosea 2:5–7.)
• That they will learn the great virtue of humility. (See James 4:6.)

Get excited! It's your time!

Get excited! I believe that for some, God is saying that He is flipping the script on your enemy. If you have been under great opposition, know that God is issuing a double judgment against your enemy.

The first is a judgment that says your enemy must be blocked from the execution of its assignment against you. The second is a judgment where restitution has to be given because they went too far. You may find in some cases double restitution, double favor and blessing in response to the level of afflictions and attacks. If your reputation was tarnished, expect it to be restored. If there was shame, expect redemption and glory.

                            Again I say, get excited! It's your time!

All is not lost: You can start all over again.Don't Give Up!

Galatians 6:9 “…for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

What does it mean?

The scripture tells us that if we do not give up we will surely see  the reward of it. For example, the farmer sows his seed and takes the little grown stuff and plants it in the properly ploughed field. He does not see the grains immediately, he waits for the rain and the sun at the proper times and then a harvest. During harvest it is not what he sowed but several measures more than what he had sown.If this is true for a farmer I am sure the same principle applies for us too. The only thing is to wait patiently until we see results.

Before getting into the principles of how not to quit, let us examine few reasons why we quit.

The reasons can be so many, I have tried listing few of them:

1.Fear of failure.

2.Skepticism: I am not the one...

3. I am not trained enough.

4. Someone can do it better than me.

5. I don't want to be the first, let someone do it and then I will follow.

6. I have a bitter past experience.

7. This is not my cup of tea.

8. I don't want to be embarrassed.

9. I am too sensitive to handle failures.

10. I am not qualified.

11.  I don't prefer to risk when all is fine.

12. I can't  amount to anything.

13. I'm a good for nothing.

14. My support system is poor.

15. Why get into a mess?

Some of the reasons are overlapping but still is how we feel and reason out to quit and remain a bit satisfied though we know we can do it more than we have tried.

  I want to drive home just two aspects for not giving up but before that I want to quote few people and their views on never giving up. . .

"Being defeated is often temporary, giving up make it permanent".- Marilyn Von Savant.

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up". -  Thomas Edison.

" For an upright man, after falling seven times, will get up again. -King Solomon. ( Prov 24: 16).

The first aspect to consider if we decide not to give up is:

1.  Making the most of every opportunity. ( Ephesians 5:15,16)

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise , making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

The wise person makes the most of the opportunity but the foolish ones miss out on every opportunity and grumble about their failures. Grap every chance that you get, never mind whether you fail or win...the result is secondary, what is primary is the attempt. There is nothing  wrong in giving it a try, it might click and we can become experts. So I urge you not to miss a chance. Peter toiled all night at the sea but was willing to give it a try when Jesus told him to do so. He made the second time more than what he would have done the first time. He knew he had  God on his side. That was blessed assurance. If we have such confidence we too can try again and we will will surely make it by not letting a chance go by. Therefore make the most of every opportunity and be wise. The second aspect is. . .

2. Marching Forward. ( Philippians 3: 13)

  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.

If you have to march forward, you have to forget about what happened in the past, if we brood over the past more either success or failure can ruin us. If we brag about past success it will make us complacent and would never make new attempts at the same time if we brood over our failures, it will diminish the morale and the potentials we possess. Therefore, it is important to be moving and not stagnating.

Paul understood this and that is why he is going ahead with the goal and not worried over the past. If Paul had to think of his past as wretched man he will have been ashamed for the rest of his life not doing anything. He overcame the shame and guilt destroying so many Christians and began to be a blessing. He never gave up but carried on.It is always too soon to quite. You are never a failure until you quit, and it's always too soon to quit. God uses tough times to test our persistence.

Dear friends, how about you?

Better wise up ! make the most of every opportunity. Never leave room for compromise, march forward and don't retreat. I think of Henry Ford, his first car was not able to even go faster than the horse chariot but he never gave up and today these cars do well. The Wright brothers first flying machine fell and broke after it took off to few feet but they never gave up and today we see planes that fly at a phenomenal speed at great altitudes. We have Jesus on our side we will surely be conquerors,not just conquerors but more than conquerors.

It's not too late to start all over again this New Year......Don't Give Up!...God has great plans for your life...He's able to see you through the tough times...remember it's tough times that test our persistence...God has not abandoned you. You're so important and valuable to Him...He says; He has plans to prosper you and to give you a future and hope. ( Jeremiah 29:11). When there's life there's hope! please don't give up! don't give up! don't give up.

Happy New Year.

Christina Ewanga

Raising Kids With The Wisdom Of God

STOP YELLING : 6 Tips to Stop Yelling at Your Kids!

Are you a mom that yells? Do you want to stop yelling at your kids? Have you heard or said some of these popular opinions about yelling moms?

“I’m not a perfect mom. No one is”
“My kids won’t respond or obey unless I raise my voice.”
“Yelling is just a way I vent my anger. I’m not hurting my kids, just venting frustration.”

Recently I have read more and more articles about moms who yell at their kids. One mo
m said,

“Yelling is the speaking voice in our house. It’s the only thing to get above the noise.”

Have you ever considered why it is so noisy in your home? Or why your kids don’t listen to you until you have repeated your directions at the top of your lungs — for the third time?

Kids do know how to listen and obey — the first time they are told. However, they have learned from some parents that they do not have to obey until the third or fourth repeated command. Consider the typical scenario:

“Zach, put your shoes on. It’s time to go to the store.”

The mom waits and her son just sits playing with his toys.

“Zach, mommy said to put your shoes on. It’s time to leave,” she repeats again.

There is still no movement or acknowledgement of the command.

“ZACH! Get up RIGHT NOW and put your shoes on. We are leaving, NOW!” the frustrated mom YELLS.

Finally, the five-year old son responds and grudgingly puts his shoes on while the mom’s blood pressure rises and she shoves her phone into her purse. Such pleasantries happen everyday, don’t they? 

If you are indeed yelling at your child, I want to say this.

Our homes should not be run as a military base with shouts and commands that are yelled. No, instead our homes should be havens where quietness, rest and security abound.

Yelling only adds heightened tensions to the atmosphere of your home. And when a parent yells at a child frustration and anger are being expressed instead of love and affection — which every child so desperately needs.

Have you thought about the facial expression and body language of a parent who yells?

These are very typical of a yelling parent:

Gritted teeth

Clenched fists

Also, many parents often stop to throwing objects across the room or banging on a table or desk. Even when they yell, they often feel powerless, so they add fuel to the fire and begin doors and tables. Oh, what a scary sight for a child to behold!

Dear parent, there is hope for your yelling habits. you can stop, and even gain control of your children. Do you want to have a closer relationship with your children? Take the first step and stop yelling — today.

6 Tips to Stop Yelling At Your Kids

• Don’t be a repeater. If you tell your kids to finish their food, be ready and willing to make them obey. Do not repeat the command. If your child does not respond to the command, then use your family’s choice of disciplinary measure. Continue this process until the child has obeyed. Keep calm and do not raise your voice. When your child sees you are serious, she will learn that when mommy says “Clean up your room,” she really means “Clean up your room.” Sounds almost impossible, right? But, it’s not. Keep trying!

• Be consistent. Always follow through and make your kids obey a command. If you don’t feel like making them obey, it is better to not give them a command than to let your child disobey without consequence. But, the best decision it to be an offensive parent instead of a defensive one. Decide if you want well-mannered, respectful, hard-working, diligent, kind, delightful and obedient kid or if you want an unruly, lazy, obnoxious, dishonoring and self-absorbed child and work industriously to instill those desired attributes into your child.

• Send yourself to your room. Do you feel your blood-pressure rising? Does the sight of scattered toys and unmade beds make your blood boil? Send yourself to your room and cool down for a few minutes. Don’t deal with stressful situations until you are calm. Then, decide the best method on cleaning up the mess, washing the marker off the wall or breaking up the sibling squabble. Each “adventure” that happens throughout the day needs to be addressed with a calm and collected parent — always.

• Have accountability. Express your desire to yell less to a close friend, your spouse or a family member that is dependable and honest enough to encourage you to achieve this goal. Keep a chart or record of every time you raise your voice or yell and report this to your accountability partner every few days. Seeing your faults on paper and having to verbally admit them to others does help you to stop committing them. You could even ask your spouse to say a code word when he sees you beginning to lose your temper. This code word helps to bring you back to reality and grasp the reins of your tongue before it’s too late.

• Pray. If the art of juggling kids, cooking, cleaning, home-schooling, working, ministering and being a wife can sometimes make you feel burnt out, turn to your refuge and strength — the Lord Jesus Christ. Slip away from the chaos and beg God for wisdom and a calm temper. God can replace your stress, bad attitude and unkind tongue with a loving countenance and renewed spirit ready for the task at hand. Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden was light. Whose burdens are your carrying? Have you put other things on you that God has not required? Get into God’s easy yoke and you can find strength to “get it all done”.

• Consider the Word. The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 31 that the law of kindness is found in a virtuous woman’s tongue. Do you desire to be a woman God views as virtuous? Keep kindness in your tongue. Honestly, I don’t view a kind woman yelling at her kids. Yes, correct your kids. But correct them with the law of kindness — every time.

Feel free to let us know how you are doing in your journey of becoming a non-yelling mom! Share any additional tips or ideas below that have worked for you!.

                              

                  

Courtesy  Pint-sized Treasure.

Alison on pintsizedtreasures.com/top-yelling-at-your-kids

                              

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Prophetic Declaration of Favor over our Children.

Father, thank You for making my children righteous and accepted through the Blood of Jesus. Because of that, my children are blessed and highly favored by You. They are the object of Your affection. Your favor surrounds them as a shield, and the first thing that people come into contact with is their favor shield.

Thank You that my children have favor with You and man today. All day long, people will go out of their way to bless them and to help them. They have favor with everyone that they deal with and come into contact. Doors that were once closed are now opened for them. They receive preferential treatment, and they have special privileges. They are God's favored children.

No good thing will He withhold from them in Jesus Name. Because of God's favor, their enemies cannot triumph over them. They have supernatural increase and promotion. I declare restoration of everything that the devil has stolen from them in Jesus name. They have honor in the midst of their adversaries and an increase of assets especially in their education,careers, character, and an expansion of territory.

Because they are highly favored by God, they experience great victories, supernatural turnarounds and miraculous breakthroughs in the midst of great impossibilities. My children receive recognition, prominence, and honor. Petitions are granted to them even by ungodly authorities. Policies, rules, regulations, and laws are changed and reversed on their behalf.

They win battles that they don't even have to fight, because God fights for them. This is the day; the set time and the designated moment for my children to experience supernatural favors of God that profusely and lavishly abound on their behalf.

                                                          In Jesus mighty name 
                                                                     Amen.

Happy New Year 2018

Make it a point to start each day of this New Year with the Word and a Prayer.It works wonders.
Happy New Year!