November/December Shepherdess Voice

I pray. After all, my son was His
while
first. son
holidays are the perfect time to get
The
children active in serving others. A
your
small, yet influential thing that
seemingly
did last year was to give a small
we
token of our appreciation to the
Christmas
at the conference office. We
receptionist
a Bath and Body Works foam soap all
had
up with a ribbon and a tag ready to
tied
to someone and remembering that my
give
was going to be up at the
husband
office the very next day the Lord
conference
my thoughts, “Give it to the
prompted
She doesn’t get thanked very
receptionist.
I was so willing to follow through
often.”
I’m a big advocate of thanking
because
especially those who go unnoticed
people,
of the time. Her response was the
most
thanks! She was overwhelmed with
perfect
and later sent a thank you
thankfulness
her gratitude and mentioned
expressing
we had helped her to think “outside
how
box” when it comes to saying thanks.
the
holiday season take time to thank
This
who do so much yet receive so little
those
"There are so
many traits I
see in my
husband that I
hope my son
ends up with as
an adult.
However, the
two of us will
fail miserably
without God as
our partner. "
plenty of room in his life for
There's
husband and I, with the Holy
my
help, to intentionally cultivate
Spirit’s
we want to pass down.
traits
also means we have a
That
responsibility to
tremendous
the way we do things, what
consider
say and how, and our interactions
we
others. We aren't limited to
with
allowing our son's genetics
passively
his personality, but we
determine
actively instill positive traits in
must
by first genuinely exhibiting the
him
of characteristics we'd like him
kinds
have. I am blessed to have a great
to
with whom I can raise my
partner
There are so many traits I see in
son.
husband that I hope my son ends
my
with as an adult. However, the
up
of us will fail miserably without
two
God as our partner.
that is good in me is
Nothing
of me. Ellen White says, in
because
to Christ: "So we have nothing
Steps
ourselves of which to boast. We
in
no ground for self-exaltation.
have
only ground of hope is in the
Our
of Christ imputed to
righteousness
and in that wrought by His Spirit
us,
in and through us."
working
designed us to be like our
God
but He ensured that we
families,
capable of being more than
were
of our ancestors. He gave
composites
the Holy Spirit to work in our lives
us
alter our characters. I want to
and
those alterations a subject of
make
prayer. I want God to take those
daily
faulty genes that make my
beautiful,
who he is, and fix them up so
baby
my son is the best version of
that
that he can be. I am
himself
that God will get to work
confident
SOUL WINNING WITH
KIDS THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON
by Amy Austin
thanks!