ments to begin with, just a life, beautiful and vibrant, to be
celebrated and held; a gift to be accepted graciously, as
all good gifts are, and cherished. What would that do to
Christmas if that were true? What if being part of the solu-
tion meant fi nding Christmas to be a starting point with
God instead of the end�all�be�all of the faith experience?
fear. So what if this Christmas, instead of concentrating on
the "stuff'" of the season, I do what the people of the fi rst
Christmas did? I'll expect the arrival of someone who will
set things straight, be my guide and salvation-- but I'll fi nd
Him as a little baby. I'll meet Him there again without the
heavy reminder of my shortfalls and errors, and pick Him
up in my arms, look into His eyes and fi nd myself lost in the
wonder of life anew. What if I started over with Him?
it's not about "me" anymore--our needs (especially for sleep)
must now be balanced against those of our new baby.
throughout our children's lives. Our overall parenting goal is
to instill wisdom and life skills in our children, building these
qualities into their lives by our words, actions and attitudes.
The Bible reminds us that a parent's good example can
extend through generations. Paul, one of the fi rst proponents
of Christianity, saw this in his fellow protege Timothy. Paul
wrote a letter to Timothy to encourage him, saying, "I always
remember the genuine faith of your mother Eunice. Your
grandmother Lois had the same sort of faith, and I am sure
that you have it as well" (2 Timothy 1:5 CEV).
stagnate. Look for the opportunity to develop new life skills
and strategies--staying sharp will help you inspire and
motivate your children.
likely to follow in your footsteps.
stumbles; don't cover them up or minimize them. Don't give
the impression that it's wrong to fail, but teach children that
failures can be welcomed as learning opportunities.
you don't have to do it on your own. Rally some supporters
to talk with about areas that you fi nd challenging. There
is a lot of wisdom out there, so learn from the experiences
of others. An excellent way to fi nd this support is to join a
local church. People there will welcome you and your family
and offer their help and support when needed.
Bible and the always available resource of prayer--these
spiritual tools will help you establish strong boundaries
to keep your own life on track. That way you'll be a great
example to follow.