Here are some more little snippets of insight from Dr. Kimmel’s book Connecting Church and Home, which is ready for purchase!

Dr. Tim Kimmel will also be referencing this book at the D6 Conference.  For more information about D6; go here!

Order your copy today!

Download a FREE Sample Chapter!

As a parent, one of the things we should strive for is to protect our children’s hearts.  For me as a pastor, I am continually asking God to move my children forward in their faith, and to make it personal for them and not merely an extension of being a “preacher’s kid”.

There is a family we have been assisting as a church, who has a teenaged son battling cancer – we’ll call him “K”.  We are connected to him and his family through the school where we meet for church.  This morning, my youngest daughter Kenzie, who is 6, came to me with a handful of pennies – I was working at the computer trying to get some things done, and she said, “Dad…I want to give these to K’s mom today.”  I asked her why, and she replied, “Cause her son is having to have all those surgeries and stuff, and I want to help.”  My initial reaction was to tell her that a few pennies wasn’t going to help them with their medical debt – that it was just too large for a few pennies to make a difference.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit intervened before my thoughts reached my mouth…

You see, it wasn’t about the amount of money.  It was about Kenzie’s heart, and the giving spirit that the Holy Spirit continues to foster in her.  As I was about to respond to her, the Holy Spirit altered my thinking and reminded me that for her, this was about playing a part in a kingdom issue.  I looked at her and said, “I think that’s awesome Kenzie.  We’ll go a little early to school so you can give them to her!”  The beaming face in front of me confirmed to me the right words had poured from my mouth.

Before Kenzie went into school, I went ahead of her to let the mom know what was going on.  I didn’t want her to be caught off guard by this precocious 6 year old with a handful of pennies.  I wanted her to know why I was allowing Kenzie to do this – that we were seeing God change her heart daily into caring more for others than herself.

So parents, guard and protect your child’s heart.  There may be times they make a request of you to allow them to do something and it may seem insignificant to you, or seem like a request that doesn’t really have an impact on anything.  Before you say no, ask the Lord if this is a heart issue for your child…it just might be a memory they make that results in a life of service to the kingdom.

Here are some more little snippets of insight from Dr. Kimmel’s book Connecting Church and Home, which is ready for purchase!

Dr. Tim Kimmel will also be referencing this book at the D6 Conference.  For more information about D6; go here!

Order your copy today!

Download a FREE Sample Chapter!

Here are some more little snippets of insight from Dr. Kimmel’s book Connecting Church and Home, which is ready for purchase!

Dr. Tim Kimmel will also be referencing this book at the D6 Conference.  For more information about D6; go here!

Order your copy today!

Download a FREE Sample Chapter!

A couple mornings ago, I woke up with a sweet face just inches from mine. “It’s raining, mama.” She whispered. I had been lying there with eyes closed for some time listening to the rain fall. Call me crazy, but I love a rainy day. “Can we go out on the deck and play in it?” She asked. I shook my head, “no”. She giggled and ran out of the room.

By mid-morning, the rain had stopped. Then, for the rest of the day, I was plagued with this thought: Why couldn’t she play in the rain? I mentally listed all of the reasons.

They would get all wet.

That would mean a change of clothes, a.k.a. more dirty laundry.

The carpet would probably get wet when they came back inside.

It’s true. All of those things would probably result from a morning of playing in the rain. Suddenly, however, none of that bothered me.  What bothered me, in that moment, was that it had not even occurred to me to say, yes. Sometimes, “No” is just my default response. It rises to my lips before I have even fully listened to request.

Sometimes, I say “no” because I tend to be an overly worrisome mom.

Can we run outside with bare feet? 

No. After all, they may step on something sharp. They may slip and fall. Maybe, they will stub a toe. Maybe, aliens will visit our neighborhood and only steal the children whose mommies did not make them wear shoes.

Other times, I say “no” because it is just not convenient for me.

Can we play with our paints?

No. If we do that, I will have to gather all of the art supplies. Then, we will need to change into some different clothes. The baby will be trying to get into everything. Then, when it’s all over, there are brushes and things to clean. So on and so forth.

Then, there are those times, when I say “no” just because. Seriously, just. because.

Will you come outside with us? No.

Do you want to play Barbies with me? No.

Can we skip baths tonight? No.

Like I said, it is often just my default response. But, I want to change that. Obviously, I am not talking about agreeing to every request. You are not going to suddenly find my kiddos playing in the streets or eating candy for breakfast. I do, however, want to say “yes” more often.

(As I’m typing this, my daughters came to the door and asked for some chocolate. I said, “no,” without so much as a second thought. I’m a work in progress, y’all.)

Something happened on that rainy morning. I found myself waiting for it to start raining again. I wanted to surprise my kids and let them play in it. It never did rain again that day, but you better believe I’m waiting for another chance. Because, I may have had dry carpets, but what I didn’t have was a picture of my babies dancing in the rain. Of the two, I think I made the wrong choice.

I do not think I’m the only one who gets stuck in “no” mode.

Maybe you, like me, need to give “yes” a try. Yes – to staying up past bedtimes. Yes – to blanket forts in the living room. Yes – to playing outside with kids and ignoring the laundry for a little while. Yes – to playing in the rain.

Let’s loosen up a little and enjoy our kiddos. They won’t always be asking for snuggles on the couch or pushes on the swing. The dusty tables and dirty dishes will still be there tomorrow.

I have to go, now. I need to get my kids some chocolate.

Here are some more little snippets of insight from Dr. Kimmel’s book Connecting Church and Home, which is ready for purchase!

Dr. Tim Kimmel will also be referencing this book at the D6 Conference.  For more information about D6; go here!

Order your copy today!

Download a FREE Sample Chapter!

Our very own Dr. Tim Kimmel will be speaking at both Dallas and Louisville D6 Conferences this year and will be featuring his newest publication “Connecting Church & Home”.

If you are unfamiliar with what D6 is all about: Deuteronomy 6.  The D6 Conference is all about Generational Discipleship and how to apply Deuteronomy 6 to family ministry.

They are currently open for Early Bird Registration for Dallas  and Early Bird Registration for Louisville (Early Bird prices change after May 7th).

For even more information about D6 and the D6 Conferences, go here!

If you are Social Media Savvy, here are some ways to follow along with everything and anything D6:

Twitter: @theD6conference – They will be using these hashtags for updates and comments #d62013 #d6days

Facebook: D6 Conference

Here are some more little snippets of insight from Dr. Kimmel’s book Connecting Church and Home, which is ready for purchase!

Order your copy today!

Download a FREE Sample Chapter!

Here are some more little snippets of insight from Dr. Kimmel’s book Connecting Church and Home, which is ready for purchase!

Order your copy today!

Download a FREE Sample Chapter!

Here are some more little snippets of insight from Dr. Kimmel’s book Connecting Church and Home, which is ready for purchase!

Order your copy today!

Download a FREE Sample Chapter!