Family Values: Our Family

I was praying recently about the values we pass on to our children.  Every day, our children watch us, study us, waiting to see how the world works.  We are their role models for life.  As families, we create our own unit, ... community, ... culture.  That's not to say that we shouldn't be in the greater community of the church, but take a look at the language you family uses.  Are there certain phrases or words that are unique to your family unit?  What about traditions?  How does your family interact with the greater world?  What types of values are you directly, or indirectly, teaching inside the four walls of your home?

Think about how it was when you were first married or even back as far as dating your future spouse.  I suspect there were phrases, ways of relating, characteristics that required some explanation on both sides.  The way you were raised was probably not exactly the way your partner was raised.  So when you did something that seemed perfectly normal to you, your spouse may have found it hurtful or offensive.  As you began to communicate and understand each other, habits changed and you created your own family culture.  A culture that continues to evolve and be passed down to your own children.

As a stay at home mom, I know I have a huge impact on my kids and how they see the world.  So much of what I say and do is being absorbed into small heads and small hearts.  That's why it's important that I weigh my words against what I truly believe.  And that's why teaching values is as much about my own heart as it is about theirs.

Over the next year, I'll be embarking upon a journey of discovery into how we identify and teach these values to our children.  I'll share with you the values the Lord has laid on my heart and how we're implementing them in our own home.  I'm also excited to see what you have to say about how values work out in your family.  I have a few ideas already laid out, but I'm continuing to pray that the Lord will shape our family values as He shapes yours as well.

What are some of the unique characteristics of your family?

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