I love taking pictures of my grandkids.

The five of them make my heart sing and fill me with joy. If you want to see a cute picture of them visit my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/becky.harling

I’ve noticed for those of us who are Moms and Grandmoms we love to capture the “Instagram Moments”. Those moments are precious and we know all too fast they slip by.

But lately, I’ve been thinking beyond the instagram moments to the future. How will my kids remember me? How will my grandkids remember me?   What message does my life speak? I want my life to point to Jesus. I want to demonstrate His character and love to those coming up behind me with the hopes and prayers that they too will follow Christ. Do I consistently do that well? Nope. Sure don’t.

But in my trying, here are three simple tips that I have discovered along the way that help me keep the goal of passing on my faith before me:

Begin and end every day in prayer. Even in the chaos of raising kids you can pause before getting out of bed in the morning and ask God to help you live your life in sync with Him. Ask Him to fill your heart with renewed love for your family. When you lay in bed at night whisper a prayer of thanksgiving. Thank the Lord for all the good moments you experienced that day.

Become a student of your child and grandkids. Learn to observe their strengths and weaknesses so that you can guide them and pray for them effectively. What makes them tick? What do they enjoy? What frustrates them? Are they introverted or extroverted?   How do they best experience God? Do they struggle with doubt? Fear? Listen to their hearts and ask God for wisdom for how to best guide them.

Bless them with your words. As moms we speak many, many words per day. But do our words bless our families or are they critical? Give your kids hope! Learn to treasure hunt every day so that You can find something “good” your child did and affirm them for that. Discipline is an important element of parenting. But, in your discipline, err on the side of grace rather than on the side of the gavel. Represent Jesus to them. Have you noticed when you read through the gospels, the children were not afraid of Jesus. They crawled all over Him and clamored for His attention. The disciples got uptight but Jesus wasn’t. He said, “Let them come” (Matthew 19:14).

Instagram moments are amazing. But, this week look beyond the instagram moment and consider, Am I leaving a lasting legacy? Choose one of the three tips and let me know which one you’re gonna try this week! And by the way, our winner last week was Connie.