31 Days of Servant Leadership: Resources for Girls

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 19, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

Girls can and should be leaders.

In our brave, new world, girls are more natural leaders compared to a generation ago.

While many disdain females in leadership and I will not discuss doctrinal issues, I think girls can and should be taught how to be leaders in their marriage, with their children, and with their peers.

As a mom to three girls, I encourage them to show wise leadership. I teach them how and when to best use their talents in ministry and social atmospheres.

Check out my Girls Pinterest Board for resources:

Follow Jennifer Lambert (Royal Little Lambs)’s board Girls on Pinterest.

These are some of my favorite books about parenting girls.

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Marriage and Parenting Resources

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 17, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

Check out leadership resources for parents.

We need to be leaders in our homes to model leadership for our children.

Servant leadership begins in our own hearts. We need to learn how to be successful in our marriage. We need to determine our worldview. We need to evaluate our methods of teaching and raising children. So many decisions! But they must be considered and constantly reexamined for successful Christian families.

Here’s my Parenting Pin Board:

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Noble

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 16, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

What is noble?

The Free Dictionary defines noble:

Having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor: a noble spirit.

Proceeding from or indicative of such a character; showing magnanimity.

Grand and stately in appearance; majestic.

As children of the King, shouldn’t we all be called noble? We should train ourselves to have and show qualities of high moral character.

But, many of us do have that, or believe it.

And they’re just really moral heathens.

When they stand before Jesus on Judgment Day, what will Jesus say?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

Do you want to hear that?

I didn’t think so.

Too many people consider themselves Christians.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
You believe that there is one God.
Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. James 2:14-19

But too many people who believe in Christ are really just fans. They admire Jesus and know lots about Him and the Bible.

But they don’t really know Him.

“We’re drinking a cocktail that’s a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we’ve intertwined them so completely that we can’t tell them apart anymore. Our gospel has become a gospel of following your dreams and being good so God will make all your dreams come true. It’s the Oprah god.” Phil Vischer

Let’s really teach kids to follow Christ instead of morality.

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Lovely

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 16, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

What is lovely?

According to The Free Dictionary, lovely means:

1. Full of love; loving.

2. Inspiring love or affection.

3. Having beauty that appeals to the emotions as well as to the eye.

4. Enjoyable; delightful.

When we say something is lovely, it’s positive. But is it worldly?

To use the term lovely as meant in Philippians 4:8, I think that it must “inspire affection” for a Kingdom cause.

We can call many natural phenomena lovely. I love to worship God through Nature. A waterfall is lovely. A butterfly. A flower. A laughing child.

Humanists and even many Christians tell us that we’re all lovely. But I don’t like the imagery they create with their pep talks. Their universal consciousness makes me uncomfortable. Their admonition that we all just need to search for the beauty within make me wonder. Their particular shade of justification deceives and pulls in many doubters and offers a safe haven that isn’t truth.

In Romans 3:10, it tells us that none of us is good.

This is a difficult concept for Christians and non-Christians. No one wants to be told she isn’t good. No one wants to be told she is ugly. How do you approach non-believers with this concept?

But all loveliness and goodness in us is because of Christ. See Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19.

How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty! Psalm 84:1

Aren’t we all dwelling places for the Holy Spirit?

Therefore, we should take care of these temples as best we can in order to do the work we are called to do. But that’s another post for another day.

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Truth

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 16, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

What is truth?

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. ~Philippians 4:8 The Message

Do you too often listen to lies – from society, the voices in our heads, from even other Christians?

Next week, I travel across the country to attend Allume.

This week, especially today…I am overwhelmed. Worried over forgetting to finish something before I leave. Wondering how I will fit everything I want to bring there and back and hoping I don’t forget anything important. Stressing about the blog posts I have yet to write or schedule. Anxious about my babies who want to come with me and wondering how they’ll do school with Dad. Concerned about all that I might miss while not here (control freak!). Trying to let it go that Dad can’t do their hair right. Praying no one gets sick (including me!) and everything goes smoothly, that there are no injuries, and the weather is nice on both sides of the country. I don’t have time to have anxiety about the conference, see?

But, what is truth?

Truth is when my eyes are opened to the needs of my family. Truth is when God whispers and I listen to Him instead of the shouting doubtful voices in my head. Truth is when I realize my selfishness is affecting the harmony of my family.

Servant leadership is about service before self (more on that next week).

Truth? I’ve been neglecting our homeschool. I’ve been neglecting our chore schedule. I’ve been neglecting our meal plan.

I’ve struggled with me, me, me. What example am I setting for my children?

I need to exhibit servant leadership if I am going to teach it to my babies. I have to be their model, their example. I tell Elizabeth that her siblings look to her for how they should act, look, answer and she needs to be diligent to be a good example for them to follow. How much more should I be a good example to all of them?

It’s easy to procrastinate lessons and meal planning and cleaning when there’s no one checking. My husband is gracious to seldom complain. I am the big complainer! When selfishness takes over, I play the martyr.

I have to examine my worldview. I have to focus on my calling to be a mother and homeschool teacher. I have to be more diligent to manage my household well.

Bombarded with lies from the world and the compromised Christian community, both of which tell me to take more time for myself, even at the expense of my family. It’s all about self-esteem, feeling good, looking good, prosperity, what others think, comparison.

No.

So, after this series, the blog is on hold. I have a couple of reviews to complete, but other than that…a sabbatical, if you will.

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Comparison

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 15, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Comparison is the thief of joy. ~Theodore Roosevelt

I’ve never been very successful meeting other moms at the park or other kid-friendly places.

Somehow, it always goes all wrong. I try to be friendly, but it often falls flat.

On social media, it’s often easier to make friends. But I wonder if I saw this mom or that mom at the park, would they be friendly? Would they look down their noses in disdain or would they feel too embarrassed to approach or return my hello?

Why are we paralyzed by comparison?

Even bloggers stress over the “rules” that say what our header size, sidebar ads, images, font, SEO, etc. should be.

While some rules are well and good, too often they can become stressful, or worse, idols.

But rebellion is just as wrong.

What do we teach our children when we’re paralyzed by comparison?

Do they hear us complain of others? how they look, what they have, what they do?

Sometimes, it’s hard to find balance. It’s hard to feel left out all the time. We have to lean on Jesus when we don’t understand others’ actions or words. It’s hard not to assume, not to jump to conclusions, to bite your tongue instead of lashing back. It’s hard not to rebel against God and man.

I try to be careful with eating and exercise that I don’t teach the wrong message. Being fit and healthy is good stewardship. But my girls already have stereotypes of obesity and I don’t want them to ever think their self-worth is based on their weight.

Do they perceive that they need to change to earn our love?

Do we want to teach them that they’re not good enough?

I rebelled. It wasn’t pretty. My relationship with my parents broke and it’s never been the same. My children suffer from it.

What am I teaching my kids with this attitude?

Why is loving so scary?

It shouldn’t matter what others think so much.

We should be mature and try to look at others like Jesus sees them. We should be diligent to teach our children to find the good in others. We need to teach and act out the Golden Rule. We need to be salt and light.

Jesus loves the sinner but hates the sin.

you are loved. you are special. you are beautiful. you are enough.

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Fear

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 14, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

Tonight is the last night I prayed with and tucked in my eldest daughter as a mere twelve-year-old.

In the morning, as you’re reading this, our household will possess its first teenager.

My terror is not of the adolescent myth, but of all I the damage I have wrought. I pray that it can be redeemed in the few short years I have left of her youth, before she leaves home for her own way.

We all have mother guilt, but most of that is unfounded. For me, much of it is truth.

Children don’t raise themselves to be leaders.

I was certainly not a servant leader…until recently. It’s always a process.

As a mother, I have been irresponsible, neglectful, abusive. It saddens me to admit it. Leaving her father was as much an act of pride as fear.

Fear of who she would grow up to be with that sort of a father.

For thirteen years, I have lived in fear…of her becoming like me.

What holds us back more than anything is fear.

We fear and call it love.

We fear and call it protection.

We fear and call it education.

But it’s still fear.

Fear is most often just projected hurt and anger.

To raise servant leaders, we must trust in Jesus to help us overcome those fears. To enable us to be who He means us to be. To allow our children to be who He intends them to be.

Fear keeps me from loving completely, unabashedly, unapologetically.

Fear is a learned helplessness, of never knowing when or where the pain will appear, so it’s easier to remain in stasis, shielded by a translucent wall rather than unprepared, pink and raw.

Happiest is when that wall comes crashing down in blinks and sighs, during awe-struck, out-of-body glimpses of these blundering souls God has lent me, when responsibility forgets to tear my heart and the dishes and laundry are forgotten.

I grasp desperately for those magical moments to last, but the world always comes crashing back, jarring me into reality, and in my confusion and fear, the wall comes back up.

But real truth lies hidden in the magic.

What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? Luke 9:25 The Message

By losing ourselves, we gain Christ, and by gaining Christ, we learn who we really are. It’s a scary process and we take one step forward, two steps back – our whole lives, it seems – dancing to and fro, like a skittish puppy who doesn’t quite trust.

Aaron refuses to dance with me because I don’t trust him enough to let him lead. I am so afraid of losing balance or looking like a fool.

In the dancing, it’s how we learn. We must learn to trust Him to lead. We must trust that in our stumbles, even our falls, our missteps, He will lead us true, protect us, and redeem our mistakes work out.

He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:28

We may never make it to Dancing With the Stars, but we can overcome that fear of the music and learn to dance simply, in our way, with our own flow and flourish.

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Prayer Resources

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 12, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

Welcome back to 31 Days of Servant Leadership! Prayer is so important to raising servant leaders. Jesus modeled for us so many times when we prayed to His Father.

There are numerous accounts of the power of prayer in the Bible.

Read it. Pray it. Sing it. Teach it your children.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Luke 18:13b

The Homeschool Mother’s Prayer Journal

“Not every day is picture-perfect.”

Amen?

Rebecca encourages homeschool moms with simple prayer journaling over curriculum choices to anger and depression. The power of prayer over everyday life as a homeschool mom is amazing. This book will bless you. And you can do the journals with your kids. Let them see mama pray! Pray with your kids.

I’m always careful with recommending books and resources on Bible and prayer. Too many authors are wolves in sheep’s clothing and sound great on the surface but teach insidious doctrine that borders on or even leaps into New Age or Eastern religious ideas. I won’t recommend many modern books because they weave in too many compromises. If you look at the best seller list for religion for the past decade or so, it is disheartening how many popular books have little or nothing to do with the real God of the Bible or the teachings of Jesus.

Other prayer ideas:

Prayer Cards for Children and Husbands. Love the idea of putting them on a ring and praying whenever you have a moment. Don’t waste those moments!
A HUGE list of Catholic Prayer Resources for Families.
Pray for the Nations with The Seed Company.
Pray and memorize scripture.
Sing psalms to God.
Pray the names of God.

0 Shares

You might also like:

31 Days of Servant Leadership: Youth Part 2

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure.
Please see my suggested resources.

October 10, 2013 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Welcome back to 31 Days of Servant Leadership!

As leaders of our homes, as mothers, as teachers, we should not live in fear of our teenage children.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

I stand on this verse as a promise from God for my relationship with my children.

I pray it over our family. I ain’t raising no cowards! I teach “with great power comes great responsibility.” Look at Spider-Man and also look at Jesus. Jesus knew He had All The Power. He knew He could wield it, but He didn’t. He was wise and knew there was a better Way. Spider-Man has lived through a gazillion comic books, TV shows, and movies – and he’s still letting his emotions get the best of him.

No excuses. It doesn’t matter how they feel or what their friends or acquaintances or celebrities do. We are commanded to honor our parents. And that doesn’t end at a certain age. All children must do it always.

“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3

Should we exasperate our children to get our way? To show them we’re right?

Of course not. If we want our children to be leaders, then it’s up to us to train them to be leaders.

Is your testimony an example to raising servant leaders? What kind of example do you set for your children? Because they’re watching and I think toddlers and teens watch more closely!

Do you slack off in some areas?

Do you drive with grace in your minivan? Do you listen to Godly music? Do you watch wholesome TV shows and movies?

I don’t care what you watch or listen to.

But your kids will ask why it’s ok for you to listen to Nine Inch Nails and watch Magic Mike and read 50 Shades of Grey, but she can’t.

If you have to hide from your kids to watch, listen, or read something, then maybe it’s not right.

Please explain that double standard to her (and to me.)

My kids convict me all the time. My daughter (who turns 13 MONDAY!) often asks me to change the radio station from country to Christian or classical. She doesn’t want to hear love songs and I am so proud of her.

I got to thinking the other night as I dropped Liz off at Civil Air Patrol. The sun was sinking into the road and I couldn’t see very clearly if there were cars coming. I waited until I was sure before pulling out of the parking lot to turn left into the sunset. I pulled into the center lane to merge into traffic. This mom pulled out behind me and whipped her SUV AROUND me and caused a car to swerve into the far left lane to avoid her. I watched her zoom past as she scowled at me. I pray she got where she was going.

How often do we rush headlong into this parenting thing with no goals, no plans, no direction? How often do we blame circumstances beyond our control rather than being proactive?

If we want respectful, helpful, loving teens, we need to begin when they’re babies. We need to train them to be that way, so there’s no alternative acceptable.

Not too long ago, there was no adolescence. It’s a new idea, after child work laws and mandated schooling were instituted. And became more common after WWII.

A pathological state of youth, heretofore unrecognized by history, was designed by G. Stanley Hall of Johns Hopkins University. He called it adolescence and debuted the condition in a huge two-volume study of that name, published in 1904. Trained in Prussia as behavioral psychologist Wilhelm Wundt’s first assistant, Hall (immensely influential in school circles at the beginning of the 20th century) identified adolescence as a dangerously irrational state of human growth requiring psychological controls inculcated through schooling.
Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto

Before that, poor kids went to work as soon as they were able to contribute to the family and rich kids completed a classical education and took on responsibility and went to work. I’ve read many accounts of tweens and teens changing the world – commanding ships, navies, armies, religions, writing books, beginning movements, revolutionizing math, composing music, creating art, inventing, shaping the world of science…many of our nation’s forefathers began their careers in the military, courtroom, or plantation when they were very young.

And the average American teen plays video games rather than being a radical world changer for Christ?

Read Part 1.

0 Shares

You might also like: