Shepherding a Child's Heart-Called to be in Charge

" As a father or mother, you do not exercise rule over your jurisdiction, but over God's. You act at his command. You discharge a duty that he has given. You may not try to shape the lives of your children as pleases you, but as pleases him.

All you do in your task as parents must be done from this point of view. You must undertake all

your instruction, your care and nurture, your correction and discipline, because God as called you to. You act with the conviction that he has charged you with to act on his behalf. In Genesis 18:19, Jehovah says, " I have chosen him (Abraham), so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just..." Abraham is on God's errand. He is performing a task on God's agenda. God has called him to these things. He is not freelancing. Abraham does not write his own job description. God defines the task and Abraham acts in God's behalf."

Its good to know that because God has given us the task of parenting that he will help us to follow through. It's also reassuring to know that God has called us to parenting by his will. On those days when we are frustrated and feel inadequate, we can rely on the knowledge that we can't do it by ourselves and we must allow him to be strong in our weakness.

Being in charge and I believe part of our job description is being a good steward of our money. Adam and I have become quite frugal as we still have a house payment for our Johnson City, TN home as well as our rent here. God has blessed us beyond belief but we still cut as many corners as we can. I have been couponing for about 3 years now.....getting more serious about it since we moved to TX in 2009. Ever since getting the kids, I've had to hone in my time and energy and cut coupons when they go to sleep and shop during their rest time on Sunday afternoons.

Before kids I had our grocery budget down to under $50 a month, not counting the once a week meal out we allow ourselves. That has gone up to about $150 a month with the kids, but since I include diapers in that I still think its pretty frugal. That also doesn't include the occasional McDonald's trip with the kids or stopping to get a snack when the kids are about to have a meltdown and we aren't close to home.

Today's shopping trip included two 1/2 gallons of flavored tea, two packs of cookies, 2 tubs of whip cream and strawberry soda( for our memorial day homemade ice cream :), 2 bags of rolls, bag of salad, 2 mac and cheese dinners for Bre, bananas, noodles, snackers for Adam's lunch, 3 boxes of frozen lemonade treats for kids, 3 pizzas, 2 pints of starbucks ice cream for mom and dad, turkey burgers, 2 bags of brown sugar, pack of chips, 2 boxes of pudding, one protein bar for dad's stockpile to take to Israel and one dozen eggs. I only paid $10.49 for everything.....no these aren't complete meals but added to other stuff I got in a previous sale it will be!!!!