Parenting never ends, the methods just have to change. And I am blessed with grand-parenting also, and I expect to continue in this role as long as my life here on earth.

In all the stages, I’ve constantly turned to God’s word for help. But there was nothing specific in the Bible about how to handle tantrums or bedtime, so I tried to find methods that fit into Jesus encapsulation of the commandments in Matthew 22:

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your   neighbor as yourself.’”

Sometimes I resent(ed) having to figure things out for myself, but I was forced to dig deeply into the Bible and lay my failures at Jesus’ feet. And what I found there was encouragement to grow—to get off the plateau of habituated actions to purposely changing my thoughts which leads to words and actions. Become a new person—this is Biblical.

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. ~Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. ~James 1:2-4 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. ~2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)

This growth comes when we open up and let God’s love pour into us. Then we overflow, and His love splashes on our kids and grandkids, filling them up. God’s love overflows from their hearts and splashes, and pretty soon we have a veritable rainstorm of love.

The picture at the top of this blog has become one I visualize daily—love splashing, filling, and overflowing, REPEAT.