Parenting with less stress { Realizing the blessing that we have!}

"Behold, Children are a gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are children of one's youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate."

Psalm 127:3-5

 In our culture today something that can be rather common is people referring to their children as nuisances or a lot of work or bothersome. Sometimes they will assume that you feel the same way about your children. I don't know how many times when we are out and about strangers will comment on what they consider to be our "large" family and say stuff like "You must be really busy" and other comments that let me know that they think the task I have undertaken in having 4 children to be quite huge. I don't think many of these people are being negative, I think they are trying to compliment me but still it reminds me of how much of our society looks at children: They are pretty neat in small doses.


  Now don't get me wrong, there is work involved in raising children, it isn't just a "piece of cake". But when we have the right attitude they work is fun work like going camping, biking or any sport you enjoy just way more than that!


Psalm 127 calls children a gift from God, a blessing. They certainly are not given to us as a curse or something negative. Even unplanned children are a gift! Even children that are not "normal" or healthy are a gift from God. I had the neat opportunity lately of visiting with a friend that gave birth to a down syndrome child (That child got sick and died suddenly last year at just 17 years old ). She was telling me how hard it was for her at first to accept the fact that she wasn't normal. But then she went on to tell me what a blessing she was to her (in so many ways!!). She truly was a gift from God even though she couldn't really speak and had so many difficulties.


Something that really works for me is realizing that me children are a gift. God has blessed Ken and I by allowing us to have them. When we keep that realization in our minds it helps parenting to be much less stressful. Usually when people will comment on how much work I must have with having 4 children I usually respond "But oh they are a lot of fun too!!

And they continually amaze me with their many talents!! :-) (For some reason the picture of the boys simply would not upload turned the way it was supposed to- sorry.)

For other works for me Wednesday tips visit We are THAT family.