Unabashedly Christian

If you know me and my family very well, you know that we are Christians.  We don't rub it in anyone's face, but we try to live a life that is God-honoring in every way.  We attend a wonderful church and are very active in ministry there.  We don't miss very many Sundays (2.0 went to his first service at 1.5 weeks of age and he saw his first service when he was 4 days old on the internet (more about that later)), but every now and then life happens (childbirth, illness, things like that).  Thank goodness we can watch online and not miss anything on Sunday.

Our pastor, a man I am thankful to call my friend, has been teaching a series about raising kids and I haven't missed a word (until today since we are all still recovering from the horrible stomach bug.  But I will be able to say I got up and tried to go and if I can't do it, we will be watching online) and one of the things my pastor teaches has to do with kids in church.

My husband and I are part of the kids ministry.  I teach 2nd and 3rd grade Sunday School and my husband works security (we've had custody issues and no one wants our kids to not be safe).  When we work on Sunday, 2.0 goes to the nursery.  Otherwise, he's in service with us.  He doesn't get a choice in the matter.  He won't ever get a choice in the matter until he's old enough to live outside of our house.

Here's how I look at it: he won't get a choice about going to school will he?  If someone said "I just think that my child should be able to choose whether or not he or she attends school and that it is a very personal decision", you'd look at them like they're crazy right?  Same principle.

When my son decides on eternity, I want him to naturally choose Christ.  I want him to be so confident of that choice that it's not an issue for him.  I want to raise him to be a responsible adult and a contributing member of society.  That means he's raised in the church.  His godparents go to our church, most of our extended 'adopted' family go to our church.  2.0 knows my pastor and his wife as 'Uncle T' and 'Aunt Steph'.  He's being raised by a village of Christ followers.

It's very true that it takes more than the parents to raise a child.  It takes a family.  I'm so thankful that I have so many wonderful people in mine.