Tag: Christianity

An open Bible is surrounded by pink cut roses.

Waiting on Your Mate With God | Devotional 6

Published on by Johnnatta Giles3 Comments

Soulmates and Soul Ties

Sometimes there is a confusion between what a soul mate is and a person you may have soul ties with. Soul ties are demonic strongholds that often time present themselves in your relationships. These relationships often are fueled by heightened emotions. These emotions range from over excitement to love sickness. Along with these emotions they will be accompanied by obsession, confusion, chaos and heart break. This constantl roller coaster of feelings will recycle itself over and over again as long as you have a relationship with this person. But when you find a soulmate this man will always bring a spirit of peace, deep love, spiritual fruit and oneness.

Are there men in your life that brings you pain and chaos?

How many past relationships have you experienced soul ties?

Have you ever felt you were with a soul mate only for them to end up abusive and neglectful?

Do you believe that spiritual influences affect your relationships like the Bible says? Why or Why not?

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

When we talk about relationships we cannot ignore the spiritual element of this topic. When a woman is in a relationship that constantly produces chaos and pain the enemy is present in that relationship. This does not mean that the enemy will not attack a God centered relationship but the massive difference in a soul tie relationship and a soul mate one is the soul mate will always produce peace even in the midst of storms. Before I met my husband I was “in love” with a guy and experienced this for the first time in my adult life. Every time I was around him or thought about him I would instantly feel over excitement and love sick. So love sick to the point I could not eat. I had the same experience with my first boyfriend when I was 16 years old. But then I thought it was just a teenage phase until it happened again with the next young man. I was older by then and was spiritually mature enough to know this was not normal. We flirted back and forth often but I always felt he was out of reach. The guy would play mind games and my attraction to him kept pulling me back in. When I realized how this was affecting me I began to pray and ask God to help me. Soon I was healed and delivered but this spirit would not let up that easy. Months later I met my husband and we were in a relationship. They guy I was once interested in was still in my friend circle so avoiding him was near impossible. The guy knew I had moved on and all of a sudden became more interested in me. I completely ignored him but noticed the pull of this spiritually force anytime we were near each other. It got to the point where I could no longer hang out with friends when he was around. With a soul tie it is always a demonic presence involved. It’s not so much the person but there is a spirit dwelling among that relationship to bring chaos and disruption. For your sake let this guy go. He is there by design distracting you from following the will of God in your life.

When a man and woman become one flesh as it states in Matthew 19:6, this is a spiritual connection. When a soul mate enters the scene, you will notice that you are at peace with him. When God is involved the first thing He will want you to know is that you are safe. You will sense this spiritually not outwardly. Safety does not always mean what a man does for you but what spirit he brings with him. This is why we took so much time to address your own spiritual state because it will be the deciding factor in helping you find the one. A man can be nice to you, make you feel empowered and put you first but sometimes those are power plays of an abusive controlling man. A soul mate will put God first in his life and therefore will operate in your relationship that honors God above all else. This is true security with a man not how much money he brings. Life happens and sometimes people loose jobs and miss out on opportunities, but if God is first in a man’s life you can have peace in knowing that man will always be able to provide you with what you may need to keep you secure physically, finically and spiritually. A soulmate will not play games with you. He will be upfront on who he is and what he wants out of your relationship. He won’t float around the idea of marriage he will know if that is in his plans or not. A man of God plays no games with your heart because he understands that your a God’s daughter. My husband and I have had our share of trials as a married couple. One thing has always been true for us is that no matter what we have gone through God has held us together and peace has remained. When you are with the one you were made for, and God bring you both together it is His spirit that holds you as one.

Are you ready to leave behind your soul ties and wait on your soulmate?

Prayer

Pray that the Lord will help you identify soul ties in your relationships even the non romantic ones. Rebuke the enemy from your midst as you have the authority to do so in the name of Jesus Christ according to Luke 10:19. Pray over yourself for healing, restoration and peace. Ask the Lord to give you the gift of the Spirit according to His will and give you eyes that see and ears that hear. Ask the Lord to reveal to you the plans of the enemy and pray against those plans. Pray for protection against those the enemy uses to attack you and keep you in chaos. Pray for them that God will deliver them and set them free of demonic influence. In Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Christ Mindset

According to Luke 10:19 I have authority in Jesus Christ to rebuke the devil, his plans and his cohorts. I want to be set free and I proclaim I am set free in the name of Jesus Christ. The enemy has no authority over me. The Lord in His perfect timing will lead my soul mate to me. The Lord loves me and does all things for my good and therefore anything that comes to me that produces evil is not of Him. Anything good is from the Lord anything bad is from the devil.

Heart and A cross
A Bible is open surrounded by flowers and cotton cloths.

Waiting On Your Mate With God Devotional 5

Published on by Johnnatta Giles2 Comments

A Courting Guide

I hear all the time how horrifying it is to date in modern times. But when has dating ever been easy? Dating itself is a very new and modern way of finding a spouse. Before this people used to court in various ways. Some ways were good and some ways not so much like arranged marriages. Although these ways may seem ancient, they had better success than dating has. The biggest difference I have observed from the past way of finding a spouse is you had a community or family to support you and help you make this decision. Unfortunately so many of us come from broken homes and fractured relationships that we just don’t have that support like we used to. Thank God for the Holy Spirit and the discernment He brings.

What do you know about the difference between dating and courting?

Do you think courting is old fashioned?

Are you willing to leave behind dating?

Will you trust God only to help you find the one?

“It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.” John 6:45

Jesus quoted the prophecy above to remind the people that we are now led by God himself and though we may lack spiritual guidance in the people around us, God will always teach us His ways directly. Modern dating actually does the opposite. It takes out the Lord being in control and puts you in control. It’s you deciding who you want to be with based off your limited knowledge about yourself and others. It may sound unrealistic to rely on God to help you court, but you can never fail when God is in control. Here are some steps through my own experience that will help you court effectively.

Ask all the questions and do not let your feelings for him stop you from asking important ones!

My husband and I asked every question we could think of, all over text message. In between our work days we would respond to questions and at night before bed we talked on the phone. We quickly became fast friends and it was becoming obvious we were falling for each other. So I prayed one night to the Lord for discernment. “Lord, I really like this guy and I need to ask him the important questions. The answer to these non negotiables will determine if I move forward with this man in an actual relationship. It will break my heart if the amswers are not what I want to hear but I am putting you first above all else.” I sent my husband the first question.” Do you want children in the future?” His answer was yes. Then right before I could send the second question he actually sent it right back to me and asked “Do you have a relationship with God?” and I said, “God is everything to me.” And those two questions confirmed to us both that God had led us to each other.

What are your top 3 non negotiables? If he does not want those things in his future it may be time to move on.

On your meet ups don’t focus so much on what your doing get to know each other deeply.

My husband and I went to the movies our first time hanging out together. It was during this time together I learned just how much the Lord meant to him and I felt convicted about some of the lack in my own faith. On the way home we talked about spiritual things and our beliefs about the world around us. This conversation continued to confirm we were absolutely made for each other. It’s important to express your deepest beliefs with each other even if you think the guy your talking to may judge you. Your beliefs matter. These beliefs are what makes you who you are and it’s important that you match up with your future spouse because these will be the foundation of your marriage and your family. The Bible constantly warns us to not be unequally yoked. It never tells us we should marry a spouse in hopes of turning them towards God. In fact the Lord consistently warns His people that those who marry outside of the faith will have issues with thier spouses turning them away from Him. This is why it is forbidden for God’s people to marry anyone who is not of the same faith. So do not ignore this important step.

Take it slow it will be so worth it!

My husband and I definitely did things backwards at first. We had sex before we were married and we became parents before we were husband and wife two months into our relationship. But not too long after we discovered I was pregnant we decided to sleep in separate rooms and wait until marriage to have sex again. Someone said to us it doesn’t really matter at that point since we were already expecting a baby. But redemption does matter and we wanted to honor God! It reminds me of the story of the King Nebucanzer. Where he was warned to turn from his sin and choose God. But he continued to sin and got exactly what God said he would get. Nebecanzaer could have just said “What’s the point? I’ve been punished might as well keep going and live my life!” But he didn’t. He praised God and gave himself fully over to the Lord even more so and God blessed him with an abundant life better than his life before. It’s never too late to start over. Our desire to honor God never stopped despite our mistakes. God even gave us favor in trying to do that in the blessing of our daughter. She was born beautiful and perfectly healthy a testimony to God’s faithfulness when we repent and choose Him. Our blessings only increased and the Lord continues to this day showing us favor. Do not rush into anything and if you already have it’s not too late to turn things around. You will be blessed.

Do not skip premarital counseling.

When you do get engaged to be married pre martial counseling is absouletly worth it. Think of it as the final moments to get to know each other even more and test your relationship’s resilence. Our counselar said to us that it was his job to try to break us up because if we can talk about the hard things and get through them we can have a succesful marriage. That sorta terrified me but once we got started I saw the power and fruits of it. Because of counseling we had the tools we needed to deal with communication issues and our first few years were greatly blessed. Many people wait far too long to do counseling as a couple. They tend to start when things have gone wrong. But if you would start off getting help in the beginning your will avoid a lot of headaches the first few years of your marriage. If you have a trustworthy minister or Christian counselor led by the spirit and biblically based, ongoing counseling will greatly bless you as well. There is a reason the Bible encourages it because having a neutural party help you come to reconcilliation and understanding helps avoid years of marriage hardship. But if you don’t have this support pray together and study the word together. Share scriptures with one another throughout your work weeks. Find time to pray and Bible study in person. That alone will be enough because the Holy Spirit is the great counselor.

Prayer

Pray that the Lord will help you move out of the dating mindset and show you how to court for your spouse. Pay that He would help you be brave to express your no negotibales and put Him first above all else. Ask the Lord to give you strength to be patient even when you know you love the man in front of you. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give you self control which is a fruit of the spirit. Pray for the man you are speaking to, even if you have to part ways. In Jesus Christ name. Amen.

Christ Mindset

The Lord is faithful to me therefore He can lead me to the right person. I have peace that surpasses all understanding so I do not have to fear when I give things over to God. He knows me deeply and knows what’s best for me.

Heart and A cross
A bible is surrounded by cozy things

Waiting On Your Mate With God | Devotional 3

Published on by Johnnatta Giles2 Comments

Self Preservation and Boundaries

It is a misconceptions that single people are greatly selfish and live only for themselves. While this can be true for some people for some that is not true. When I look back at the time of my life before I met my husband, I realized much of my life was filled with others. I worked, spent time with nieces and nephews and went out dancing with my friends almost every weekend. There were the occasional full weekend to myself but really most of my month I was spending time with someone. I began to realize quickly I needed to set some boundaries with the people I loved. I was healing from a past abusive relationship and I knew if I kept myself busy all the time I would not heal from that trauma. So I began to set aside my Sundays for myself and some Saturdays I resisted calling friends. To be alone and isolated is not wrong or weird. When the Lord puts you in this season He is doing something in your seclusion. Yield to this season and watch the fruits of it show up in the next.

Even the Lord knew how important it was to prioritize alone time with His Father.

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:15-16

Are you afraid to be alone?

How can your isolation bring you healing with God?

What are the things that bring you Joy that is just for you?

What day or days can you pick to just give time to yourself?

It is important we practice self preservation so that we do not loose ourselves in the world around us and we can heal from past mistakes. This becomes extremely important when we become wives and later mothers. Learning this importance now will give you the tools to face life’s future hustle and bustle without loosing your true self. Many people say that once you become married you loose yourself but maybe they never learned this important truth before. Life will happen married or not and it’s important we have boundaries. The worries of this world will try to drag you down into pits of despair and you will never reach true empowerment and freedom. But if you just give yourself time with God, you will regain rest for your soul and keep it.

What would your life look like if you had constant peace?

Prayer

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 4:7

Pray that you will have opportunities that will give you more of your time back. Petition the Lord to heal you of your fears of loneliness. Ask the Lord to reveal to you how to use your alone time fruitfully. Pray for understanding of how to implement boundaries respectfully with your loved ones. Ask the Lord to help you be strong when you are enforcing these boundaries as well. Thank the Lord for His promise of perfect peace. In Christ Jesus name. Amen.

Christ mindset

It’s okay for me to be alone. Boundaries are good for me and for my loved ones. My alone time will be fruitful and bring in perfect peace. The Lord hears my prayers and wants what is best for me.

Heart and A cross
A Woman takes a Moment To Be

How My Faith Defined My Womanhood

Published on by Johnnatta Giles2 Comments

If you ever met me you would know right away that my faith is my life line. I struggled with my identity my entire young life and the only thing that remained the same was my faith. But I wanted to know deeply who I really was and also who I was as a woman. As a young girl I grew up not fully understanding how to really become a woman. Was it sexuality? Was it woman nature within me? What really made me a woman? I became a mother before I even knew the answer to that question.  Prayer took the lead in my discovery and the Word brought me little understanding. It was then in my spirit I knew I would have to walk this out organically. 

What Makes A Woman?

It’s not so much physiology. I couldn’t look at myself and just see what woman I was. No, I discovered it’s spirituality that really made me the woman I am and then wanted to become. In the depths of my soul what would I find there? Well, some terrifying things as I dug through the surface, but as I began to dig deeper, I found the most delicious treasures. Things hidden in me I never knew existed. There was power, strength, love, weakness and beautiful brokenness that turned out to be the most beautiful parts of the woman in me. I will most likely spend the rest of my life putting those pieces together but it is an Odyssey I am greatly enjoying the fruits of. The journey is transforming the heart of me with every breath, every year that leaves me and wisdom is growing like deep roots of a tree.

Bering a woman means being all that God created us to be. Embracing all of feminimty that’s unique and loving the body we are walking in. Allowing the Spirit to bring us to life and cultvating the very essence of our gifts in Christ. Letting our light shine and not allowing the enemy to use our gifts for our destruction. Being our best advocates instead of our own worst enemy. Lifting other women up in sisterhood but also not being afraid to speak the truth which sets them free. Leading with our men with swords in hand and when the battle comes, suit up in our armor of faith and deafeat the enemy and win the war together, This is womanhood spiritually. And every year I’m learning more and more.

Without my faith I would have never discovered all the gifts in me and all the lack. I discovered the path to something fierce. Behind me He was there cheering me on and loving me.

Don’t stop at the outward, not even the surface once you truly begin your discovery. Dig deep and find the core of the trueness of woman inside of you.

Johnnatta Giles

Mom working with her baby in lap

7 Ways I Crush The Family & Work Balance

Published on by Johnnatta Giles2 Comments

My life is pretty busy these days and I have to be honest, I am working everyday to be better at balancing my family and work life. I am not always successful but there are weeks I have to give myself credit because I absolutely crush it! And I want to share with you 7 things that I have done to gain great accomplishments on those days

 1. Preparing the night/ day before

This is probably my most simple step that I make that really puts me in line for success the next day. I’ve been having a lot of meetings and events to travel to lately, so I prepare at the least a day ahead or at the most two days ahead. For longer trips and full weeks I prepare a whole week ahead! Here’s my examples:

— Make sure the diaper bag has been cleaned out and restocked.

— Clean the car and put full water bottles and snacks in everyone’s backpack for car rides.  For snacks I keep it simple and put a hand full or two of animal crackers in our reusable sandwich bags. 

— Plan outfits and locate everyone’s shoes including mine!

Make sure all paperwork and my wallet is where it’s supposed to be.

 2. Easy Hair Care

My hair can get completely out of control if I don’t keep on top of things. So the last thing I want to worry about is styling it everyday. My last pregnancy I actually decided to try washing my hair every two weeks and to my surprise I actually have less breakage and dryness. If I really need a quick clean, I refresh my hair by using dry shampoo and I keep it lightly oiled every two weeks. I twist my hair every night before bed and sometimes I leave those twists in and just style my hair with them still in. Hair clips, head bands and hair jewelry are fun ways to style your hair quickly.

 3. Planning less school work

We homeschool all of our 5 kids (yes including the baby 👀😂). When I know things are about to get intense with our schedule, I make a plan to either focus on math and reading or we do much more relaxed homeschooling days. Either way our children are learning and this was actually something I had to warm up to. I had the biggest fear that I was letting my children down but every year I saw that those moments never hurt the outcome of their education. They were still learning and succeeding in every area of their studies.

If you have kids that attend public school, make it a point to get any homework done quickly well before the time they need to turn it back in so you’re all set for the rest of the week.

 4. Self Care is Self Love

In order for me to be my best for my family and have the energy to put into my businesses, I have to take time to take care of myself and reset even among a busy week or day. One of my favorite ways to do that right now is curl up on the couch after a long day and eat a bowl of chips! I have no idea why I’m so in love with chips these days but they are my jam and make me happy! If there are no chips to be found I love soaking in a hot bath filled with oils. Not only is this relaxing but I love the way it makes me. Beautiful, lovely and powerful.

 5. Staying Connected

This year we made a pact to learn baseball. So every week we get our gloves and gear then head out to the yard and practice. Even when we went to Nashville for a business trip, while I was gone their dad practiced baseball with them. We just brought the gloves along with us. As parents it was on our hearts to teach the kids to swim so we made sure this year our vacations were created around the ability to have access to a pool or a lake. No matter what I make sure I am connecting with my family even when I’m working.

 6. Staying on top of the boring tasks

I don’t have an assistant so I am a one woman show on most things. I’m thankful that God gave me a love for order. Because often small things mounting gives me great anxiety and therefore I try to do small things to keep them from ever reaching the point of chaos. I make a list so I can go over the small things to at least do something to achieve that. For example this would be my list:

— Clean out Inbox

— Make necessary folders for emails

— Review product info and prices

— Organize my desk (this is the hardest by far for me!)

— Clean out old videos and unused product photos

All of things are not necessarily fun but I know I’m crushing it when I can comb through things and keep the boring stuff from over flowing. If I don’t get too much done in that week I am glad I at least got a few small things dealt with. There’s nothing worse than having a full mailbox to deal. Nothing worse than having to deal with low storage or tons of pictures taking up space on your computer slowing it down when your trying to get something important done.

 7. Keep Faith the center of it all

My family and I are serious about our relationship with the Lord. Every Sunday we take time to read the Bible, pray and discuss our thoughts on everything under the sun through a faith perspective. Keeping God the center of our lives keeps peace, joy and healing in our home. Without Him I would never have the wisdom to stand in all that I am trekking in during this season of my life. Without Him I would climb mountains and jump for the stars leaving my family behind as I pursue accomplishments without eternal success. God is always there when I feel like I’m falling too soon and too often. He’s always there to help me breathe and wait patiently for the things that are out of my hands and He keeps my eyes focused on what matters the most no matter how my week has gone. I know because of whose I am, I am loved seen heard and known.


Don’t ever forget to pat yourself on the back when you do have days where you have truly won a battle in life. And if you feel like you’ve been loosing too much lately, take my advice and try some of the things above to score some wins. But always remember that not everyday is meant to be the same as another. Even in the days you feel lack there may be a reason for that. Maybe it’s calling you to just rest so you have the strength on the days ahead that you’ll need that power to overcome and conquer!

Breastfeeding Tips

Easy Breastfeeding Advice: Skip These Foods! Your Welcome!

Published on by Johnnatta GilesLeave a comment

Need a quick list of foods to avoid during breastfeeding? We got you! 

These foods can be irritating to the baby and you. Some of these foods may not bother you and therefore disregard. But If you’re exipirencing sleep disruption, try elemenating caffeine. Alcohol in general should be avoided as there is not yet any scientific evidence that any amount of alcohol is safe for breastfeeding. Pin, screenshot and save for later!

Dairy

(yogurt,milk,cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream)

Caffeinated drinks or foods

(coffee, energy drinks, supplements with caffeine in them, dark chocolate)

Egg yolks 

Alcohol 

Onions

The Power Of Fathers

Published on by Johnnatta Giles4 Comments

Everything changed when your little baby was born and I bet your mind is racing with questions and wonder all at once! What do I need to do to protect them? Will this change things between their mom and I? How do I as a dad bond with my baby? 

Dad’s matter!

We’re here to answer in part the last question. Over the generations society has failed in educating and advocating for father’s when it comes to bonding with their babies. All too often they are treated as the extra person in the room. But you’re not! You are just as important as mom is! Father bonding can look similar to how mom bonds but when dad’s do it he adds his own uniqueness to it. That is because men are greatly different from women, physically mentally and in personality.  Here are some suggestions that you may have heard of but with a twist toward how dads may do it. And feel free to add more onto the list! 

Skin to skin with dad

Skin to skin refers to when you place a baby up against your bare chest allowing your skin and baby’s skin to touch underneath a blanket. It isn’t just a great way for Mom to bond with baby and enhances both her health and babies health and recovery but it’s great for men too! 

According to this study Effects of Father-Neonate Skin-t o-Skin Contact on Attachment: A Randomized Controlled Trial men and babies benefit from this special time, increasing you and your baby’s attachment relationship. Try skin to skin when Mom needs a rest postnatal or right before bedtime! Tell your little one about your glory days, you’re favorite football team or the day you met mommy. If you’re not quite sure what to say yet just know at newborn stage you’re presence is enough. Just resting in the silence with your baby gives them all they need.

Burping after breastfeeding 

If your baby is bottle fed, feeding your baby is one way to join in on bonding time. But when mom breastfeeds for obvious reasons you can’t quite help with that. But when Mom is done breastfeeding you can take the baby to help them burp after each feeding of both breasts. Mom feeds on one side, you burp baby, then mom feeds on another side, then you burp baby. Burping is always seen on television as the calm before the storm of vomit. But take it from the baby’s perspective how comforting and relaxing a nice massage is! And your strong but gentle hands are much different from moms. This aides in helping baby identify you uniquely. Don’t underestimate how smart they are, the more you have physical touch with them the more they’ll attach to you and know your their daddy!

Morning Praise 

Far too often we forget how powerful praise and affirmations are. Especially as parents. Taking a moment to send up praises, thanksgiving and worship to God every morning brings in a sunshine for the day even cloudy days couldn’t hinder! From the moment I knew I was carrying my little ones I praised God every morning. When they were born I sang a little hymn as I got them dressed for their day or began breakfast. Your baby will treasure their daddy’s praises and foster a sense of humbleness and thankfulness as they grow up. Even if it’s just a few words of thanksgiving, it’s bound to bring memories for years to come!

Diaper Idol 

When it comes to men they have a great ability at making the most random things fun. Even changing diapers! Some babies absolutely hate getting changed but when dad turns into his own rock show who can resist? Or even a play by play of a basketball game. It’s bound to be the funniest clean up ever! Hearing your voice and your own personality helps baby to feel bonded with you specifically. And the caregiver aspect of diaper changing lets them know you are there to fulfill their needs just as much as mom is. That double sense of security is everything for an infant!

Nap master

Babies take a ton of naps and so there is plenty of chances for you to hold baby and help them drift off to sleep. Dads can either implement skin to skin and rocking the baby to sleep, singing a lullaby or reading the baby a book. Though it may seem silly that a baby would care about all of this remember, your baby is bonding to your voice and presence, not the story of a book.

Pushing the stroller

Moms enjoy being hands on with their babies but sometimes they need a moment to just be in their own autonomy. Whenever you go out put baby in the stroller and push the stroller. When it’s time to head back into the car give your girl a kiss, open the door for her to get in, then put that sweetheart of yours back in the car seat as well. It’s not embarrassing to be a father in public. It’s a great honor and only you can do it! 

Tummy time play

Tummy time is a very important aspect of infant development. Tummy time not only helps strengthen babies back and neck muscles  but also ensures that they do not get what is called “flat head”. You can either do tummy time on your chest of flat on the floor.  Infants do not always enjoy this exercise but with your dad skills you can make it more enjoyable. Root on your little one and make a game of it! Put baby down on their tummy for about 5 seconds pick them up and tickle, giggle or give them a swosh right back down on their tummy again. Do this for about a minute and then allow your baby to do tummy time on their own for the remainder of the time. We never did tummy time for ten minutes. We just did 5 minutes on the chest at one point in the day and about a handful of minutes on the floor. At the end of the day the goal is just to make sure baby isn’t on their backs for too long. And adding a fun element will help baby not feel so stressed out. 

Dinner champion

This is an obvious one but taking up the first night feeding is a great way to bond with baby. It’s soothing and relaxing to a baby to have a night routine and it’s a beautiful thing that the baby will eventually associate their daddy to their nighttime feedings when you do them every night. How awesome is it to give your baby that security knowing it came right from their papa! 

Bedtime Prayer

One of my favorite ways my husband has bonded with his children is bedtime prayers. There is something beautiful and unique about a father praying with his baby. You can actually start this when baby is in the womb before they are born. And once baby is here keep up the tradition in leading in prayer with you, mom and baby. Once your baby begins to sleep in their own bed continue to say a prayer before you lay them down. As your little ones grows they will join in on that prayer with dad. It’s a special precious time that is yours alone together with God! 

Car rides with Daddy

Many people have found memories of when their dad took them on car rides growing up. Don’t think your baby doesn’t notice when it’s just you two alone. They definitely do! Having that alone time out and about doing things together is a perfect way to bond with each other. Remember this isn’t just about baby bonding to you but you bonding with your baby. The more you interact (especially alone) with your baby the more attached you feel as a father. And if your baby is breastfed, contrary to what you may think baby doesn’t have to stay with mom always. You’ve got two hours before the little one needs to be fed again if they are exclusively breastfed and a quick trip is perfect for bonding time out of the house. Pick one thing to do that’s takes less than an hour including driving time. Grocery shopping, heading to the bank or a trip to the post office offers short ways to spend some time with your baby. Of course if they are bottle fed or mom pumps all need is formula and enough breast milk to feed your little one and you could take baby off mom’s hands for even longer. But don’t leave for too long Mom needs bonding time too! 

As you do activities with your baby, communicate with your baby and care for your baby the more you build memories and attachment you both need in this new walk of life that is fatherhood. We hope these ideas are a good jump start to creating a long lasting bond with your baby that is unique and yours alone! 

A tree growing in a rock

Let Us Be Determined

Published on by Johnnatta Giles2 Comments
A tree growing among rocks
A tree doing what it was created to do though it is surrounded by hard circumstances.

I grew up in a small town in Cincinnati Ohio. There wasn’t much there but friends, families and community. In elementary I wanted so badly to beat the school record for climbing rope. While everyone dreaded it every year, I was excited to try it again.  One year our teacher (mostly likely wanting to inspire us to have fun) told us that the record had been held years before we were even born. This peeked our interest.  All of a sudden I was determined to break that record! The third try I studied the way every person climbed and especially those who made it. I took note the shoes they wore and the way their hands gripped the rope. But when it came time for me I failed only reaching halfway.  I was frustrated. My secret goal was hidden from my class because now this was something personal. The next year I was determined to beat that record. I showed up with the right shoes and the mental notes in my head.  As soon as I heard the word “GO” every grip was intentional and I made sure to maintain my speed.  At the top I pushed myself harder than I had ever done.  At the least I would reach the top of this thing! My class was cheering as I did. I finally reached the top! But I forgot to to watch how everyone slid down and I ended up burning my hands. Thank goodness I had jeans on! As soon as my feet hit the floor my gym teacher called out that I had beaten the old record that had stood there since before I arrived at that school! I was shocked and so proud! It was the first time in my life that I realized that I had the power to do what I set my mind to do. I may not always win but my greatest victory was seeing that my hard work produced character and belief in myself.

But in Christ I ALWAYS win.

Brothers and sisters when we see people being bold in ungodliness and determined no matter the backlash to continue to attack and disrupt what is good, why don’t we fight back? Why are we not as determined as they are when we have the wings of thousands upon thousands of angels behind us pushing us forward to do amazing things to combat the darkness? We have the gifts to give children something better than what is in front of them. We have the strength to go the distance because our faith doesn’t rest alone in ourselves but a mighty King that has already over come it all! Rise up I say and be determined to do something instead of shaking your head in disgust. Rise up and allow God to change you so He can use you and watch lives get changed. You can believe in yourself because He is there in you!

God is calling His people out. Come forth and share your gifts! Be apart of the life giving saving grace that is in Christ. Share with the world the light of God through who He made you to be. Be determined to shine and do not fail in doing so! No darkness can overcome the light. Because he has overcome the world you too are an overcomer!

Be bold lions and lionesses of God and go forth in His love. It’s not over yet and He’s not done. Not with the world and not with you!

Shalom

Johnnatta

A woman is earnestly praying

Look Up Because There Your God Is

Published on by Johnnatta Giles2 Comments

Vulnerability is probably not my favorite thing in the world. But it seems I am much better at writing out my vulnerabilities than I am speaking them. And some how some way the Lord uses it in ministry. How many of us are going through the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fire these days? It’s getting really hot and I’m getting tired of it. Everywhere I turn there is yet something happening. I have been working on using my phone less and focusing more and more on prayer in my spare time. Our bills are going up and I am on my knees begging God for a way over these mountain. I’m either going over or through it! I’m too tired to walk around it. After the tears I began to do what many may deem the oddest thing.

I laughed.

I laughed so hard right in the face of the enemy and told him, no matter what you and your cohorts are up to my God is greater in me than he that is in the world! And guess what? That’s you! He’s greater than all of this and He has already made a way for us to escape this. I got up and started doing some work. When I finished that I went outside and replaced an alternator on my car with my husband and rested for the rest of the night. I was tempted to fall on my face and began crying again but I refused and just confessed peace. I cannot even lie to you, this is a hard time we are living in. But you can also see it as this: an opportunity to test your faith in the Lord. Do you know the Lord says he wants to “test” our faith that it may be refined? Many times people look at testing as overcoming trials but when God speaks of testing, His saying “I want to put this gold in the fire and make it even prettier than it is. I want to make it shine so much that it radiates light!” It’s so we can get stronger, for the message to become clearer in us and that we would not easily be broken. When our faith becomes stronger we can begin to see the mountains before us fall and provisions come we never thought possible. I keep imagining the hands of Jesus in Matthew 17:24-27 holding that coin that Peter took out of that fish’s mouth. Lord if you can provide like that for your son and I am his heir you’ll take care of me too! Brothers and siters have faith! It may be your day off because of the Holiday but make sure you don’t take a day off with Him. Give Him more of your time in this hard season. Praise the Lord in the storms and laugh at the devil because he holds no power over God’s people! And when you get up you’ll begin to watch that mountain fall in the most glorious way. I believe it. Do you?

Much love

Johnnatta

a family hugging each other

My Children Behave ( Mostly) and This Is Why

Published on by Johnnatta Giles2 Comments

Yes I’m coming to you with a bold title today because for years I’ve had at this point hundreds of people that have came up to us to tell us how well behaved our kids are. For sometime now I’ve been wanting to write this post but of course when your raising 6 children and living life time gets away with you. Here is just a small bit of advice from a mom of 16 years. Let me take you back in time to the foundations of why our kids are so well behaved (mostly).

Kids will be kids but the love of God is powerful!

My husband and I became parents before we became newlyweds. The pregnancy of our daughter inspired us to change our ways and begin to put God first in our life indefinitely. When she was born that devotion continued and January 2011 we went to church together for the first time as a family. She was only two months old! That local church had family programs then and we started to attend one of them. This was a parenting class based of the book “Shepherding A Child’s Heart” which changed both our perspectives on parenting and revealed many failures of our own parentage. We wanted to raise her for the Lord and that meant we had to look at things differently. And so we did. I joke in passing with people when they comment on the behavior of our children and say “We raise them the old school ways!” And in part we do. Many parents from the past generations of this country raised their children based off biblical principles. Children also grew up using the Bible to learn how to read in schools. So many were raised on those moral principles growing up in public and at home. But we took it a step further and wanted to make sure our children were never taught religion. We wanted them to know the full truth of the gospel. Both my husband and I are Christians that have submitted our lives to Jesus Christ, water baptized and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday breakfast we read the Word and discuss what it says. We ask them their opinions and we also use the world around them to bring homes these truths. That right there is apologetics in action! We are also honest with our children about spiritual matters. Because like the word says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.”

Our kids have loved the Lord since they were babies and they know their God. They know when they pray He hears them. This is something we’ve also taught them since birth but even in their own relationships they have seen first hand. He speaks to them and they hear. They ask Him and He provides. They praise Him and they begin to see more and more. All through their own personal relationship with Him. Some of favorite memories will always be me whispering a song to my babies about how much God loves them, sees them and is with them. They desire more of Him and they know they must do their part. One of my favorite verses that they know well is when God spoke to Cain. “If you do what is right and you will be accepted.” My kids want Him more than they want anything on this earth. And they know when they fall into sin that will only bring them farther away from God.

Our kids were given the foundation that both their parents had with the Lord. Pure love. We taught our kids that not only was God Holy but that He loved them, wanted to know them and He was their friend. They were raised in a home full of worship, prayer and dedicated parents who loved the WORD. Our eldest daughter is water baptized and baptized in the Holy Spirit, the next 3 after her have been water baptized and the babies are still growing in body and spirit. They love God more than they love us and that is all I have ever prayed for! He is and will always be their greatest love!

Discipline is a must for growing children!

Let’s talk about one of the most controversial subjects concerning childrearing. Discipline. No matter what your stance is on discipline it must be done in the interest of creating character, self control, emotional control and wisdom. This is something that can make or break a functioning adult one day. Whenever it comes time to discipline our kids from toddlerhood we taught them the principles in the book we read that, their behavior not only affects them, but the people around them and their relationship with the Lord. They know when they are disobedient to us they are also being disobedient to God. Because they love Him and trust us to do His will only they have always understood this. In order for this to remain true it was highly important that we raised them according to Gods word, not our feelings, not what was trending and not what anyone else thought we should or shouldn’t do. They are also taught when they misbehave in public it is disrespectful to the people around them. Example: this is not your store to do as you please. The people in this restaurant are having a nice peaceful dinner and you are disrupting that. The hospital is full of patients resting and healing you are not to act a fool and disrupt that. These things though are only taught depending on the age. Because a baby is a baby and has every right to cry in public and when toddler is tired they are tired. But when a child is old enough to know better they are taught to be mindful of the people around them and have respect for others.

Though we are not perfect we do make every effort to lead our kids towards righteous no matter what. We raise them according to who God says each individual child is and we discipline them according to their own needs personality wise. As I said before we are not perfect so the times we do mess up we quickly repent to them for it and ask for forgiveness. Because of these things our children have a innate understanding that we are not hurting them or taking from them but helping move their hearts towards God’s will and therefore they receive either blessings or punishments based on that alone. Our kids know deeply we love them and we have a established a deep trust which in turn creates respect for us with them and them with us.

Even a child will reap what they sow

Oftentimes people think that because children are small and young their mistakes will not necessarily translate to big consequences. Many times I hear people say “They are just a kid it’s not that big of a deal!” But kids learn in those moments what they will get away with and what they won’t. There is room for grace with a child but it shouldn’t be handed out so easily or frequently. On the other side good behavior should always be praised and sometimes rewarded! I learned a long time ago to not frequently give rewards every time because my kids started doing things just to get in the treat bucket! So I began to reward them for only certain things. My kids know the simple truth of what you sow you shall reap. My four year old was in trouble about two week ago and I bent down to her level and explained to her, when you choose to do what is wrong you choose to gain what is bad. But if you choose to do what is right then you receive rewards of good things. In order to help her understand this before her four year old brain forgot it, the next time she chose to do what was right I repeated it to her and then gave her a treat. That specific thing she was getting in trouble with she no longer does anymore. This mama helped her at her level overcome! My older kids are different. When you get teens a lot of things you did when they were younger just won’t work. From the time my eldest was a toddler she hated to sweat. She would be running around having a good time and start sweating and stop and want to go in the house! To this day she doesn’t like it much so when she was in trouble about a few years ago I had her run three laps around the house. That worked for her, I honestly have not done it since but it’s still in my arsenal in case I need it! In addition, all of my kids understand the elementary truth of sin and righteousness. We are teaching our children to hunger after righteousness and then making a point to give them real life rewards when they do. A trip to get ice cream, go to the park, go see a theater production and even vacations! They get to live the good life when they choose to do good things! We of course have a reward system for our kids and their chores but we make sure they know that is a privilege and can be taken at anytime if bad behavior persists. What we will not do is take away anything that is helping them develop their God given gifts. One of my kids plays piano and we will not keep her from her lessons if she is in trouble because we know the Lord has called her to that and she has a great gif for it. But she loves to mess around with a camera I gave her. And when she is in trouble we take back the camera for a little while. Discipline no matter what must be done with great discernment.

They truly know we love them deeply

I always said I spoil my babies with love! All of my kids get many kisses and hugs. We tell them daily we love them and make a point when they are succeeding to tell them how proud we are of the. When arguments arise we make sure we are fair and stand up for the ones that have been wronged. We choose them over what the world thinks and says and we defend them with a fierceness in spite of it. We share with them our faults, our prayers (answered and unanswered) and our mistakes. They know us and know we love them for who they are. I wish I could tell you we do all of this based off of some human wisdom and revelation but we couldn’t do any of it without the strength and leading of the living spirit within us. So I leave you with this. Instead of wondering why your kids do not behave think about what it is you can do to change and redeem yourself back to your children. What can you do from then on to foster mutual respect, authority, love and meaningful relationship? I’ll give you the only thing I know that works.

Jesus

As their mother I have always went by these three Ps: persistence, patience and prayer. I have always been persistent with my kids I have always been patient with them and when they are struggling to over come I have always prayed with them. Many times I have fallen into the trap of complacency and have reaped the terrible rewards of it. I always say to my husband “I don’t know why we do it to ourselves! If we do our jobs we will inherit better behaving kids and therefore a life that is much more peaceful.” Sometimes I am just tired and need a break, Sometimes I have been neglecting my own spirit and the flesh gets in the way. Sometimes I’m just human! But I thank God I eventually get my act together! Because then I can go out to the movies, I can go out to eat, I can go on a riverboat, I can go shopping, I can go to a live theatre production all with my husband and all of my 6 kids! Because they behave!!!! And it’s all because of the very foundational things I just wrote to you. Moms and dads give yourself a break and begin to shepherding your child’s heart and watch the rewards of it spill over into your life.

Love

Johnnatta