Mandi Hart's Blog, page 9
March 5, 2019
Prayer is an act of great love
Praying for children is an act of great love. When we pray, we relinquish control, and then we can release them to God. In raising a child, there are many things we don’t have control over. And we have to be ok with that.
Prayer empowers us to parent better.
When we quieten ourselves and take time out to pray, we can bring our concerns, our hopes, and requests to God. I can bless my children by praying for them. Sometimes my love for my children threatens to overwhelm me. The emotions become so intense that I’m not quite sure what to do with them – and its in those moments that I can turn to God to cry out to Him for the lives of our young ones.
And prayer has more than just spiritual benefits. It has a few physical ones too, such as lowering the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, it also reduces blood pressure, and improves immune functioning. When we learn to quieten ourselves, we change from the inside out and become better parents too.
Love multiplies
Becoming a mom caught me by surprise. I never expected to be able to love someone so intensely yet the love seems to grow. When I was pregnant with my second child, I remember thinking, how would I be able to love this child so thoroughly and completely without taking away any love from my firstborn. And, at that moment when I held Emily in my arms for the first time, I was struck with this realization: Love multiplies
Love grows, and love expands to make room.
Because love expands, that is how I can love my husband and my two children so thoroughly. 100% love poured out for each one.
Love grows when we pray.
Prayer takes our eyes off ourselves and places them onto God, trusting Him to show us how to love, and raise this precious life entrusted to us for a season. Many moms tell me that they are so afraid of dying or of losing one of their children. Specifically, they explain that this fear holds them captive and leads them down a path of despair.
Surely, it is in those moments of prayer that we can release our children to God, knowing that He loves them far more than we do (and that’s a lot). Consequently, we can place our trust in Him. Like the Psalmist says, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” He gives us help when we want to cling onto our children and never let them go.
Therefore, no matter their age – whether they are still your tummy or about to leave home, you can pray for them through life’s ups and downs. You can pray for their education, their character development, their friends and their future.
There are many ways to pray, from conversation prayer to written prayers to praying scriptures and in the Holy Spirit as a loving parent pray lively, honest, soul-searching prayers.
Pray from your heart for the child of your heart.
Four ways to pray for your son or daughter, grandchild or adopted or God-child:
Number One
Pray grace-filled prayers – words filled with God’s empowering ability and grace. Pray with understanding, tenderness, and compassion.
Number Two
Let your prayers rise to heaven with faith-filled words – Faith-filled words are words that stir your soul and spirit. Speak words of faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and filling your mind with the words of God. Use Scripture as a means to pray for your children.
Number Three
Fire them up with hope-fuelled prayers – Hope anchors our soul. Hope keeps us steady and holds us on course. As a mother, I need to ensure that hope fuels my prayers. Hope is also future focused. Grab hold of hope and don’t let go. Don’t allow your emotions to rob you of your joy and hope when you pray for your children.
Number Four
Be encouraged to pray out of the pit of despair and into praise – Our children will go through hard times as will we. Praise and thanksgiving are known to lift one’s spirits. If we are to cultivate a heart of gratitude, we can be sure that it will lift us out of the pit of despair. When our children or we go through trials, thanksgiving and praise are two keys that will encourage us to pray and intercede. Hold one in each hand and don’t let them go.
Learn to practice appreciation and remember happy times and moments with your children. These will lift you out of despair and into hope.
“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties,” wrote Oswald Chambers many years ago.
Because prayer is so dear to my heart, I’ve crafted this FREE Monthly Prayer Calendar for you to print out and enjoy. When you become a mother or father, 24/7/365 is the only shift you receive. Pray persistently and pray consistently. Focus on praying these Scriptures and attributes over your family during the month.
If you enjoyed this post, please would you share it with your friends and family? Together we can encourage more and more families to be praying for their children?
What would you add as the #5 way to pray for your children? Let me know in the comments below!
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List of blogs
Think right, live right
Why your life matters
Children heal one’s soul
Whose report will you believe?
Lessons from a teacher called Adversity
Stories can change your life
How to discover my purpose
Lent and 40 days to lean into generosity
Prayer is an act of great love
Coaches can play a vital role in your child’s life
Love can mend your soul
Exercise can help beat fear, anxiety and trauma
Fear does not discriminate
Fear is either a stepping stone or a stumbling block
Want to learn to how to talk to your kids about a porn fee life?
How can I draw out and release the gifts in my child?
Are you ready for a new school year?
Freedom from fear in three sure steps
Here’s a way to reflect and dream without fear
Advent, kindness and raising kids
Categories
FearLess
Parenting with Courage
The post Prayer is an act of great love appeared first on Mandi Hart.
February 26, 2019
Coaches can play a vital role in your child’s life
Like the African proverbs says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Parenting involves teamwork with various family members, teachers, and coaches through your child’s growing up years. Every child needs champions. A coach, through words such as, “I believe in you,” or “Give it a go, you can do it,” can inspire hope, motivation, and dreams.
In an interview with Coach Thobela Thoba, he explains about this partnership and his dreams to inspire the youth to get active.
Coaches inspire their athletes to go beyond.
When you talk to Coach T, his desire to see children reach their potential and dreams are contagious. As a father, he knows how important it is to speak life into a child’s heart and to get them to believe that they have a chance to reach their goals.
The athlete is the most important person
Many parents hold onto specific aspirations from their youth, but here’s the thing. You have to let it go. If your child displays talent and potential within a particular sport, then encourage them by all means. Be their biggest fans, but don’t you dare live your dreams vicariously through them. Parenting this way requires courage to confront your fears and your hopes. While every child has their own gift set, we are the ones who can help empower and release them into that which sets their heart alight.
According to Coach T, “First and foremost – the most important person in a coach-athlete-parent relationship is the athlete! Everything in the best interests of the athlete. I firmly believe that each child is destined for greatness, regardless of their personal or family background. From the day they are born, I believe they can achieve greatness and make the best life for themselves if they have the right kind of support.”
Not all athletes will be the next world champion.
Bill McCartney, American Football coach, wrote, “All coaching is, is taking a player where he can’t take himself.” Coach T does just that. Even though few children will rise to become athletic superstars, he helps them grow beyond what they thought they could do. Through sport, they can learn valuable life lessons such as teamwork, resilience, emotional awareness, physical self-care and more.
Keep on learning and aim for your dreams.
Coach T thoughtfully says, “I’m an incurable dreamer! Since a teen, I taught myself to dream and work towards those goals.” He realized in high school that – with hard work and tenacity, he could achieve the goals he set for himself.
“I am currently living my life–long dream of being self–employed and serving young people through the different sporting organizations I lead.”
Specifically, parents should be parents. Release the coach to do his job.
Coach T says that some parents struggle to let their children go and allow them to be under someone else’s care, even if it is just for 2 hours a day. Often, their reluctance to let go translates themselves as them not trusting the coaching process the athletes are in at the time.
“I communicate with my parents, and I teach them that coaching, particularly athletics coaching, is a long-term process. I show them that athletes (children) need time to adapt to a new coach, a new coaching system, to training and to the pressures that come with being on a regular coaching and training programme.
Most often parents are their children’s worst critic.
If you struggle with the parent/coach role, consider adopting a position of support, love, and care rather than venture out into taking and playing a coaching role in your children’s lives.
“Children are just that, children! Sometimes they don’t feel like training, or even competing – they are human after all.”
Coach the parents to help the kids succeed.
Parents and coaches are in a partnership. “Its important to coach the parents as well as their children, because if the children do not get the type of support they need from their parents, our job as coaches becomes that much more difficult.”
Kids love sport! The learn and grow when they move! Praise feeds their self-esteem. At the same time, they thrive off a stable, loving and caring training environment where they feel safe, loved and appreciated.
If you are looking for a coach for your child, then consider these criteria:
Is the environment safe, stable, loving and caring?
Do the coaches have your child’s best interest at heart?
If so, pluck up the courage to release your children into their care and work with the coach to see your child grow in their chosen sport.
Maintain a sense of humor with your childCoach T agrees that humor is necessary for a life well-lived. “We once traveled to a competition a few hours away. During a 400m race, one of our most promising 14-year old athletes at the time looked uncomfortable. At the end of the race, she came up to the stands where we were sitting and told us of how she was struggling to get forward throughout the race, but couldn’t understand why. As she was talking she took off her brand new spikes, and we realized she did not insert her studs which allow grip on the tartan track. I was angry just for a split second and just burst into uncontrollable laughter! That 14-year old is now 21, and we still need to go through a checklist to make sure she has everything she needs ahead of every race.”
Who is “Coach T”?
Thobela Thoba heads up Khulasande Sports Development and ACT Elite Training Academy, which is a high-performance athletics coaching agency based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Experienced in the world of sports coaching, administration and sports event management, his passion for youth development and providing opportunities for growth motivates him to inspire his athletes at all levels. He is married and has one child (although he is like a dad to some of his athletes too).
Making a difference
Khulasande Sports Development is a life-long dream of a young boy who grew up in the dusty streets of Motherwell. However, through hard work from his single mother, he had the privilege of attending a school that opened a world of opportunities many of South Africa’s young children do not have.
Khulasande Sports Development is a way of giving back to the community while providing opportunities through sport. They develop young athletes from previously disadvantaged communities through various programmes. If you’d like to know more or want to get involved contact Thobela on thobela@khulasande.org.za
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List of blogs
Think right, live right
Why your life matters
Children heal one’s soul
Whose report will you believe?
Lessons from a teacher called Adversity
Stories can change your life
How to discover my purpose
Lent and 40 days to lean into generosity
Prayer is an act of great love
Coaches can play a vital role in your child’s life
Love can mend your soul
Exercise can help beat fear, anxiety and trauma
Fear does not discriminate
Fear is either a stepping stone or a stumbling block
Want to learn to how to talk to your kids about a porn fee life?
How can I draw out and release the gifts in my child?
Are you ready for a new school year?
Freedom from fear in three sure steps
Here’s a way to reflect and dream without fear
Advent, kindness and raising kids
Categories
FearLess
Parenting with Courage
The post Coaches can play a vital role in your child’s life appeared first on Mandi Hart.
