About a year ago our family began making our own vanilla extract with organic vanilla beans from Olive Nation.  It has been a lot of fun, and so nice to be able to add another quality ingredient into our weekly baking.  After sharing this vanilla as an end of the semester gift for our children’s teachers, we have had wonderful feedback.  So we decided to make another batch, and offer it for sale.

Your purchase helps support our family ministry through Compassion International.  We plan to travel in 2015 to meet our sponsor children in East Africa & India and hope to be an encouragement to the staff at the Child Development Centers.  Thank you for your purchase and support!

Thoughts from Matthew 18:23-29

²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet^[d] and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

The servant had been forgiven much, but he did not forgive one who owed him much less.  What arrogance and lack of gratitude that one who had been shown such mercy demands his “right” to comparatively so little.

In parenting teens I have found I am more like the lavishly forgiven servant who forgets the gift of grace at times. Other times it is more that I clumsily navigate the path of parenting and of discipleship, forgetting they are one in the same.

Parenting teens is full of opportunity, very hard and very good. It is important to remember that the path is actually discipleship in this season. It is the opportunity to further demonstrate truth and grace which has been given me.  And it is time to let the teen step out, experiencing that grace for herself.

May the ones who have been forgiven much remember to give much grace in response.  May our teens be willing to receive the grace and truth.