Show off those boys! {a NEW (to us) photography link-up!!}

By on April 29, 2011 in Boys in Motion

{The winner of this Boys in Motion photo challenge is…….

Bohemian Bowman’s Bird Watching picture! Email us at themobsociety (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prize!}

 

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POST UPDATE!!  THIS JUST IN!!!

The M.O.B. Society now has a Flickr Group!  Whoot!

We’re changing things up on you a bit (sorry!) Instead of having a link-up here each week, we’ve decided to move Boys in Motion to Flickr (free photo-sharing resource).  The rules will be the same as those outlined below, but starting next month, there will NOT be a linky at the bottom of the post.  Instead, there will be a link to our Flickr group.  You can find instructions on how to upload there from here. All you need to join Flickr is a yahoo, google or facebook account.  Easy peasy!

For this post, we’ll count both entries to the linky below AND any photos that are uploaded to our Flickr group (ending 5/6/11) for the giveaway.

If you’re interested in sponsoring Boys in Motion, please contact us at themobsociety (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Can I just tell you that I’m soooooooo excited about this post today?  Why, you ask (yes you did!)?

Because today, the Boys in Motion photography challenge is coming to live at the MOB Society!

Our girl Erin has been hosting it at her blog for the last several months, but we decided that it needed to live here. And we couldn’t be more excited about it!

This is your chance friends!  Show off those boys of yours!

The last Friday of each month we’ll give you an opportunity to link up your favorite photos of:

  • Brothers (of all ages)
  • Boys doing very boy things (how fun??)
  • Silly pics
  • Serious pics
  • Special pics
  • Any pic of your boy(s) that you love!

Each month we’ll have a sponsor for our link-up. Which means that everyone who participates will be entered to win something fun from that month’s sponsor! Today, our official Boys in Motion sponsors are the fine folks from The Boys Store!

They’re giving away a $30 gift card to Chili’s!  Um…yes please!


To enter, just link up your Boys in Motion picture!

If you don’t blog, you can still link up by opening a free Flickr account, uploading your pics there and then linking directly to the URL of your picture(s) below. How fun?!

So what are you waiting for???  Link-up!

This challenge giveaway ends 5/6/11



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Tackling The Talk- Persevere

By on April 28, 2011 in tackling the talk

 

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.  I Thessalonians 4:7 NIV

They are naturally curious.

They explore the world with eyes wide open and hands reaching out to touch.

They experience life in a rough and tumble, physical kind of way.

They like to understand but often don’t want to stop playing long enough to listen to the explanation.

“Raising boys is like nailing jello to a tree”, my grandfather used to say.

We laugh at such analogies but, truth be told, there is a lot of truth there.

Sometimes I worry and fret…wonder if I am getting through to them about the important things in life.

Especially when it comes to tackling “the talk”.

Have they heard me?  Have they learned from watching their dad and I navigate the marital waters?  Have they been receptive during the times we have tackled this subject?

Boys are curious and physical.  Those are attributes that are integral to who they are and they are attributes that can lead them down the wrong path when it comes to sexuality and purity.

So, I do the only thing I know to do.  I pray.  I relinquish control of the outcome to the One that loves them more than I do.

And I keep talking, walking and tackling.  That’s all a mama can do.

 

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Laying Kindling :: Part 3- Jesus is the Only Way

By on April 27, 2011 in growing godly men, Life Lessons, Prayer, the heart, The Word

Sitting in the Chick-fil-a drive-through with our (then) 2 year old, my husband and I decided to use an ice cream cone to help our son begin to understand the gospel. He had been very disobedient that day. We were fresh off a horrible Target shopping trip. Chris and I had wanted to stop for a milkshake and felt this might be a great opportunity to show our son some grace. Chris went through the highlights of the day with Kenneth, “Do you remember in Target when… Did you obey Daddy, or disobey? You don’t deserve a treat, do you? Mommy and I have decided to show you some grace- to give you something great which you do not deserve.” My son, who had been intently listening and nodding or shaking his head at the appropriate moment suddenly spoke up after being asked if he would like to receive grace: “No Daddy, no grapes!” So much for object lessons!

It is definitely a process of teaching our boys about the good news of Jesus, but what a privilege we have to share it with our children! We are charged to lay the kindling then wait and pray for the Holy Spirit to light the fire in their little hearts. After looking at the greatness of God’s love for us and the depths of our sin and how it separates us from God, I am so glad that this is not the end of the story! Aren’t you?!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved-” Ephesians 2:4-5

This third component of the gospel is a huge one-Jesus! Here are a few things to emphasize when teaching our boys about the truth of Jesus Christ.

  • Jesus is the only way to God; the only solution to our sin problem.
  • Jesus lived a perfect life, one we could never live, so that He could be the spotless sacrifice. Jesus is the only adequate payment for our sins.
  • He died the death that we deserved. Through His death and resurrection we can have power over the reign of sin in our lives.
  • It is important to help our children make the distinction between mercy and grace. God shows us mercy by not giving us what we deserve.  The punishment we deserve from our sin is death, eternal separation from God. Through His mercy He sent Jesus to pay the penalty of our sin! God not only withholds His punishment to those who trust in Him for salvation but He also lavishes us with grace, unmerited favor. When we receive God’s grace we are receiving abundant gifts which we do not deserve.
  • This really is GOOD NEWS! Communicate it in such a way that your boys can see your excitement for the truths about Jesus.

Let’s plead God to open the eyes of our boys’ hearts, so that they would see and believe that:

  • God so loved them that He gave His only Son, so that they could spend eternity in relationship with God (John 3:16)
  • There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
  • They can be set from the law of sin and death, through Jesus (Romans 8:2)
  • Jesus is the Way ,the Truth and the Life; the only way to the Father (John 14:6)
  • God is full of rich mercy and saving grace (Ephesians 2:4-5)
  • Though they are far off, through Jesus they can be brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13)

To help in our prayer efforts, I have made Kindling Prayer Cards which you can find here.

How do you teach your boys about the truths of Jesus Christ?

What object lessons have you tried, to help them understand the grace and mercy of Christ?

Be sure to check out the other posts and Prayer Cards from this series:

Laying Kindling :: Part 1- God Loves You

Laying Kindling :: Part 2- God is Holy

 

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Preparing Him For His Future Wife

By on April 26, 2011 in growing godly men, physicality of boys

She flutters her eyelids, and puckering her lips as far as she can get them, leans in to place a kiss on his forehead.  In turn, his eyes widen and he opens his mouth wide…

to bite her.

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Snips and snails that find themselves alone in a sea of sugar and spice face many challenges, but why pity a boy for his solitude among several sisters?

He – who headbutts them to say good morning, and tackles them to demonstrate friendship – may find his rough and tumble invitations to play unwelcome, but even now, has an opportunity to begin the life long process of understanding women.

While one tries to mother him, another incites him to begin an adventure.  Another delights in his “conversation” and “gifts” of toys.

They are a triptych of femininity, each embodying vastly different manifestations.  They teach him to see the heart of a girl – how to esteem her feelings, understand her moods, anticipate her fears and peek in to her dreams.

A boy such as this may hunger for male company {thank goodness for friends!}, but is preparing for his most important human relationship.  As I pray for my son’s future wife, I praise God for his sisters, who teach him when to be brave for them, when to be sweet to them, when to be silly with them.

He is Prince Sigfried to their Princess Odette and Odiele.

Diego to their Dora.

And always, a fearsome and tender little teacher to them, as well.

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How does your son relate to sisters or friends?

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