Happy New Year!!  Here in Central Asia we are celebrating their New Year.  It makes sense that it signals the beginning of spring.  At least we hope it is signaling the beginning of spring. 

As we go through the season of Lent, the kids and I are plugging away at learning Colossians 2.  These verses seems to capture the meaning of the season.  Colossians 2:12-14.

Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.  He forgave us all our sins.

having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us, he took it away nailing it to the cross.

Now for my favorite links this month.

From Desiring God I was challenged by these three posts.  

The first one challenges us as parents in helping our children enthrone God in their lives.  It is called Children are spring loaded for worship and is taken from a book by Tedd Tripp called Shepherding A Child’s Heart.   I am challenged to look at the heart of the issue when dealing with my children and students but also to examine how I am modeling or not modeling that Christ is number one in my life.

The second post is written Sam Crabtree and is about why we should affirm others in our lives.  The line that challenged me most was “When we don’t affirm those around us enough, they stop hearing our corrections, eventually stop listening to us altogether, and perhaps become oppositional toward us. Conversely, affirmations gain a hearing for us.”   As a teacher and mom, I need to really measure my words and how it affects those under my care.  Are my children and students feeling affirmed by me?  I hope the answer is yes.

Lastly, a great guide for our hard times is the post about How Jesus Fought in the Dark Hour.

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home in her post The Gentle Mother challenged me to have a gentle spirit with my children and students when I am correcting them.   How I respond or react to them can determine the response I get in return.   Are my words encouraging them to go the right way or tempting them to go the wrong way?  

A good word from Lysa Terkeurst on When Friendships Get Hard.  I am thankful for my friends who take me as a whole package the good and the bad.  To understand read the post.

What are some of your favorite links for the month?