Purpose Starts At Home - Part 4

By Theron Glenny

Preface: Whether you are a Mom or Dad, Uncle or Aunt, a grandparent, teacher or coach, if you work with youth, this bi-weekly column is designed to encourage you and equip you to impact the next generation.  Here at Joshua House, helping youth find purpose is our mission.  It is our heartbeat.  It is what drives us. We have learned over the years that modeling purpose starts at home.  

The following article is the fourth of a four-part series where we walk through how you as a parent can model at home how to live with purpose so your kids will live with a sense of destiny.  

In our last article, we shared how your mindset in every situation can stir up faith in your family or, make your family miserable.  Our message was you can take the bait by complaining, but you'll remain in your circumstance. The alternative is you can be positive, praise and be thankful and then be raised up.  It’s easy to complain.  It’s hard to praise, but the more you do it the easier it becomes and you will see victory.  The environment in your home, which is your responsibility to create as the parent, will become an environment full of faith and purpose because you chose to be thankful and praise.  

The fourth key is a call to seek the Lord with all your heart.  

Let’s first start with, why?  Why is it important to do this as a parent? Kids naturally imitate their parents.  They watch you like a hawk.  They see your life behind the public curtain.  They know whether you are the real deal or not.  They know if you are just a Sunday church goer or someone that has a real, genuine relationship with God and seeking Him and letting Him lead you.  You do not have to be a know-it-all…but you should know Who to go to that does know-it-all.  Purpose starts at home.  If you are seeking the Lord for direction and purpose in your own life, you are establishing your home on a firm foundation.  Parents, remember that more is ‘caught’ by your kids than ‘taught’. 

Caption: Recent picture of me with my Dad and two brothers on our hunt together this year in Missouri. Dad (& my Mom) laid a great foundation for us boys by putting God first and seeking the Lord for wisdom for guiding our family. Now, all three of us have kids and can do the same for our own families. #generationalblessing

My Dad worked in construction and operated heavy equipment on large road jobs.  He woke up typically around 3:30/4 am each morning.  I have fond memories of coming out to the dining room for breakfast, hours after he left, to see his bible open and his notebook on the table. Then, there was another notebook on the dishwasher with a handwritten note to us.  Each day he would write a note to my Mom and then to me and my two brothers.  It is still astonishing to me he did this daily.  I could always tell that he knew what was going on in our lives by the things he wrote to us.  I’m so appreciative that my Dad put first things first.  He sought God first and the wisdom he received, he passed on to us with great love and care.   

It is a very powerful thing when parents seek the Lord. God has a way of doing amazing things when He’s put in the right place.  Families become close.  They connect. They heal. They live with purpose.  My parents inspired me to put first things first - to put God first and ahead of the other areas of my life.  

If God made us on purpose and for a purpose, shouldn’t we seek Him since He holds the keys to unlocking our purpose? The Bible teaches us to seek, to ask, and to draw near to Jesus.   Here’s a few verses:  

• Matthew 6:33 says, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

• Jeremiah 29:13 says, And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

• James 4:8 says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Ask yourself, ‘where am I going to find and hear inspiration, get purpose and fulfillment’? God?

Joshua 24:15 says, And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 

There are other gods and mediums out there that are not healthy for you nor your family which tap into other spirits.  Here’s our advice… Don’t waste time on that stuff. Seek the real God, Jesus Christ. You’ll find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.  …and your kids will see the fruit in your life and have great respect for you. 

Like Joshua, maybe you need to make a declaration in your house that you will seek and serve the Lord Jesus.  We can’t encourage you enough to take that step and commitment as parents.  You’ll be laying the right foundation.  Commit to serving the Lord and watch God orchestrate something beautiful with your family. 

The above article also appeared in today's Tyrone Daily Herald. 

We started Arrow Warriors to give parents resources to help them raise up their children to prepare them for life. Psalms 127:4 says “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” We believe children are a blessing from the Lord. Every kid was created on purpose for a purpose. Our job as a parent, like a warrior with their bow and quiver of arrows, is to aim our children and release them to hit their targets.

Click the Arrow Warrior image to get more parenting resources.

Purpose Starts At Home - Part 3

By: Mizpah Glenny

Preface: Whether you are a Mom or Dad, Uncle or Aunt, a grandparent, teacher or coach, if you work with youth, this bi-weekly column is designed to encourage you and equip you to impact the next generation.  Here at Joshua House, helping youth find purpose is our mission.  It is our heart beat.  It is what drives us. We have learned over the years that modeling purpose starts at home.  

The following article is the third of a four-part series where we walk through how you as a parent can model at home how to live with purpose so your kids will live with a sense of destiny.  

In our last article, we gave you a challenge to do things that require faith.  As you walk out your purpose and model it for your kids, you will need to step out in faith and take risks at times. Those moments are critical in building that foundation of courage and purpose in yourself and your kids.  The third key we’d like to give you will help you overcome a potential trap that could hold you and your family back from living fully alive.

Complain and remain, praise and be raised.

We’ve all been around those people.  Ones that cannot say anything positive, no matter what good thing may have just happened to them.  Complainers and whiners.  They are not fun to be around.  You can feel it when they walk in the room.  Holding onto the negative, glass-half-empty, outlook in life.  If you step back and look at their lives, generally, these types of people will stay stagnant in life, not moving forward into new and better things. This is what happened to the Israelites when they were on their way to the Promised Land.

After leaving slavery in Egypt, as they were approaching the land that God had promised them, Moses sent out 12 spies to check out the land.  All but 2 of them came back full of fear, basically proclaiming that there was no possible way to overcome those giants (Numbers 13). Even though they had experienced miracle after miracle of God protecting them and providing for them in the wilderness, they couldn’t see any way that God would continue to do the same for them going into the Promised Land.  They were blinded by fear and they complained.  Their attitude stirred up fear in the rest of the Israelites.  “And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! …Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’” (Numbers 14).

Return to Egypt?!?  The land where they were slaves, forced to make bricks all the days of their lives?  They would rather stay in slavery than enter the land of freedom that God had promised them?  When God heard this, he decided that the complainers would not go into that Promised Land.  They were going to remain in that wilderness, wandering and circling, never to find a place to call home.  No purpose, no vision, just wandering.  They complained and they remained.  

Joshua and Caleb came with a 'different spirit';  They had an attitude of faith, a glass-half- full, positive, “we can do this!” attitude!  They believed that God would do what He said He would. Caleb tried to rally the people believing fully that they could overcome it.  Joshua also tried to persuade them know that it was a good land that God said He would give them.  He remembered God’s goodness and believed they could take the land.  He praised God in the midst of the challenge, and he was raised up to lead the people of Israel after Moses died. Just like the Israelites, we have a promised land that God wants us to overtake and inhabit.  

As parents, it is our job to lead our families to that place of purpose.  Like archers aiming their arrows at the targets, we have the privilege of aiming our kids in the direction of their Promised Land(s) and launching them to those targets.  In order to see the next generation get to those places, we have to drop the complaining and take on the perspective of faith.  Like Joshua, we need to remember and proclaim the goodness of God — praise and be raised — so that our kids see the power of praise.  

Ask yourself, what could happen if I really believed His goodness?  In our homes, let's believe in the power, promises and goodness of God.  Let’s quit complaining and walk in that “different spirit” — believing and moving forward into our Promised Land!

The above article was also published today in the Tyrone Daily Herald.

We started Arrow Warriors to give parents resources to help them raise up their children to prepare them for life. Psalms 127:4 says “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” We believe children are a blessing from the Lord. Every kid was created on purpose for a purpose. Our job as a parent, like a warrior with their bow and quiver of arrows, is to aim our children and release them to hit their targets.

Click the Arrow Warrior image to get more parenting resources.

Purpose Starts At Home - Part 2

BY THERON & MIZPAH GLENNY

Preface: The following article is the second of a four-part series where we walk through how you as a parent can model at home how to live with purpose so your kids will live with a sense of destiny.  

In our last article, we shared the importance of remembering God has purpose for your life.  To model purpose to your family, you first have to remember you have it.  When you remember that you matter and have reason for existence on the earth, your sense of destiny will rub off on your family.  The second key to modeling purpose is to do things that require faith.  

I remember it vividly.  We were walking through the city streets of Buffalo and there was a homeless person just ahead.  This wasn’t a time to debate whether I was going to help the guy or not.  My kids were watching. I know they were asking themselves ‘what is Daddy going to do?’   As we approached I engaged the fellow in conversation. As I talked to the man, he sadly shared with us that he had cancer throughout his whole body and was dying.  I think it shocked my kids.  Frankly, it shocked me.  Our hearts immediately went out to him.  We couldn’t have provided enough money to solve his problem.  We did give him some money, but more importantly, we spent some time with him and shared with him how much Jesus loved him and how he had purpose…even now while he was fighting cancer.  We asked him if we could pray that God would heal him and he welcomed us to.  So, we all laid hands on him right there on that crowded street and we asked God to come and heal him.  We prayed he would feel God’s presence wherever he goes and in every situation.  

We don’t know what happened to that man, whether he was healed or not, but what I do know is this, I did what I was supposed to do.  My job was to step out in faith.  Please hear me on this: We don’t get it right all the time folks.  We aren’t superman and wonder-woman.  We’re just like you wanting to impart faith and courage to our kids.  But, what I can tell you is this - the more you step out in faith, the more you will see your kids have the courage to step out. My kids have become accustomed to this now.  Everywhere we go, they know Dad and Mom will step out in faith.   

One day in Altoona, my daughter saw a lady walking down the street with a distinct limp that looked painful.  Worse, she looked sad.  My daughter said 'Daddy, do you see that lady and how she’s walking and she looks sad'.  I said 'yes baby, I do'.  Without having to ask her, she said, 'I want to go talk to her and pray for her'.  So, we did.  My little girl took a step of faith.  When we approached the lady, I told her that my daughter wanted to meet her and felt like God wanted her to pray for her.  My daughter was super courageous then.  She laid her little hands on the older lady and prayed out loud. It was a beautiful prayer.  The lady was shocked.  She was taken back at what just happened - a little girl was led to have a conversation with her and pray for her.  I absolutely love seeing my kids be bold like this.  As parents, we should want it to be normal for our kids to do things that require faith.  But, it starts with us.  We can’t expect our kids to be bold in their faith if we aren’t. 

God said to Joshua, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua was one of the few leaders of the Israelites that was willing to face giants.  He was an overcomer.  He was one who did things that required faith.  When we get scared, we should ask the Lord for courage and strength because He will give it to us.  The next time you come into a situation where you can do something that requires faith, do it and watch what happens.  May you be known by your kids as one who demonstrated faith and inspired them to be courageous. 

In our next article, we’ll share a potential trap that could hold you and your family back from living fully alive. 

The above article was also published today in the Tyrone Daily Herald.

Photo credit: wisdomtimes.com 

We started Arrow Warriors to give parents resources to help them raise up their children to prepare them for life. Psalms 127:4 says “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” We believe children are a blessing from the Lord. Every kid was created on purpose for a purpose. Our job as a parent, like a warrior with their bow and quiver of arrows, is to aim our children and release them to hit their targets.

Click the Arrow Warrior image to get more parenting resources.

Purpose Starts At Home - Part 1

How to live with purpose so your kids will live with a sense of destiny

BY THERON & MIZPAH GLENNY

The following article is from our column published today in the Tyrone Daily Herald. 

Whether you are a Mom or Dad, Uncle or Aunt, a grandparent, teacher or coach, if you work with youth, this bi-weekly column is designed to encourage you and equip you to impact the next generation.  Here at Joshua House, helping youth find purpose is our mission.  It is our heart beat.  It is what drives us. We have learned over the years that modeling purpose starts at home.  The following article is the first of a four-part series where we walk through how you as a parent can model at home how to live with purpose so your kids will live with a sense of destiny.  

As mentioned earlier, purpose starts at home.  It starts with us as parents.This may sound simple, but the first key to modeling living with purpose is to remember you have it. A definition of purpose is "the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists” (online dictionary).  Remember that God created you on purpose for a purpose.  There are reasons why you are alive and breathing today.  Do we ever doubt this?  Is every day full of happy, smiley-face emoji’s?  No.  There are tough days.  There are days where we might not feel like getting out of bed.  There are days where we wonder if there is any purpose at all. We have all been in a place of wandering in life, not knowing what our purpose is and where we are going.  But, we must remember that even on those tough days, purpose still exists.  Our successes in life are determined by how we handle our problems and struggles.  Our battles can birth our victories, if we position ourselves to win.  

In the Bible, Joshua was one of the leaders that brought the Israelites out of a place of wandering into their Promised Land, the land and purpose God had for them from the beginning.  

Joshua 1:2-3 says, "Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.”  

Joshua did not shy away from the destiny he knew was promised to his people because he remembered what God said.  He remembered his purpose.  His story sets an example for how to live with purpose in order to get to the Promised Land that God has for us. But Joshua’s story didn’t start well.  The Israelite people traveled from Egypt where they were in slavery to their promised land and when they got there, many in the group had a change of heart.  Why? The leaders sent out trusted men to spy out the land to see what was there.  Joshua and his colleague Caleb were two of those spies.  They went into the land and found it was everything God had promised.  It was luscious and full of goodness.  There were giants in the land too, but Joshua and Caleb believed the Israelites could take the land and thus, were full of faith.  The key to positioning yourself to win is to remember your purpose so you can be in a position of faith.  Have faith.  Believe you can overcome with God’s help.   

The other spies that were sent out came back full of fear.  They were not full of faith.  They had forgotten God’s promise.  They forgot God said He'd give them that land.  They forgot they had purpose because they were in a place of fear and not faith.  Therefore, the report they brought back about the land scared all of the people and the Israelites did not go and take the land.  They were so close!  They were at the doorstep!  God did miracle after miracle to get them out of slavery in Egypt.  You would have thought they would have been full of faith when they arrived at their destiny moment.  Sadly, they weren’t.  And because they embraced fear, they ended up wandering in a desert for forty years while that generation died off.  Forty years!  

The good news is, Joshua and Caleb out-lived most of that generation and when they were appointed leaders, they led the people into the promised land.  After all those years, they never lost sight of their purpose.  You don’t want to be a family that embraces fear.  You want to be a family that is full of faith because you know you have a promised land.  You have purpose.  

As parents, we know that most often, more is caught than taught.  Our kids absorb and imitate so much more of what we do than what we say.  Will they catch your position?  Yes, they will!  Your words, actions, attitude and behaviors will communicate to them.  The key to staying in a place of faith is to remember you have purpose.  Remember.  Remind yourself.  Remind your spouse.  Remind your kids.  They will watch the way you position yourself to face your challenges and will imitate what you do throughout their lives. Will you have rough days?  Probably.  But don’t lose faith.  Remember God created you on purpose for a purpose.  Remembering will sustain you on tough days.  It will build your faith up.  You got this!

Practical tip: Write it down.  Somewhere in your house, write down ‘I have purpose’ or ‘We have purpose’.  If you know what your purpose is in this season of life, make sure to be specific.  Put it somewhere where you can see it and where your family can see it.  Let it be a memorial to you to help you remember so on your tough days, you'll position yourself to face your challenges with faith. 

Photo credit to Pinterest.

We started Arrow Warriors to give parents resources to help them raise up their children to prepare them for life. Psalms 127:4 says “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” We believe children are a blessing from the Lord. Every kid was created on purpose for a purpose. Our job as a parent, like a warrior with their bow and quiver of arrows, is to aim our children and release them to hit their targets.

Click the Arrow Warrior image to get more parenting resources.

How we got here and where we’re headed

BY THERON & MIZPAH GLENNY

The following article is from our column published today in the Tyrone Daily Herald. 

We are very excited to start this new column focused on helping our youth find
purpose.  Whether you are a Mom or Dad, Uncle or Aunt, a grandparent, teacher or
coach, if you work with youth, this bi-weekly column is designed to encourage you and
equip you to impact the next generation.  In this first installment, we are going to share
a bit of our story so you can get to know us and identify with who we are, where we
came from and our hearts to help youth find purpose, in Tyrone and beyond.

When we first met and fell in love back in our college days at Messiah College, we
didn’t know how our future would unfold.  Mizpah wanted to be a medical missionary
and live in a hut in Africa serving the world’s poorest of humans.  Mizpah’s Dad is a
surgeon in North Carolina but growing up, she would go with her parents on medical
mission trips all over the world and on those trips, she fell in love with other cultures
and people groups and saw first-hand the desperate needs of people that don’t have the
quality of medical care we have here in the United States.  On the contrary, Theron’s
heart was set on moving back to Central Pennsylvania to either start another Joshua
House in Huntingdon or help Jim Kilmartin with Joshua House in Tyrone. Theron grew
up in Juniata Valley and when he was around 12 years old, he met Jim at a youth group
event when Kilmartin was still in high school.  Jim’s life and testimony had a major
impact on Theron and as Theron puts it, “I wanted to be like him.”  After college, Jim
started Joshua House because he saw so many teenagers who were aimless, wandering
through life and without purpose. Theron knew in his heart that he too wanted to help
youth find purpose and dedicated the rest of his life doing so.  

So, I guess you could say our paths didn’t necessarily line up - a hut in Africa or Central
PA? We both wanted to serve people and help them become all that God created them
to be, but ‘where' was the question.  Most people when deciding where to live decide
based on where they get a job.  Theron was reading a book at the time by Bob Beckett.
 Bob was a pastor out in Hemet, California and God challenged Bob to be committed to
the people of his city in a radical way so that he could see lasting, and generational
impact.  One of the lessons that Theron learned from this book was that making this
important life decision on where to live was less about where he and Mizpah got a job
and more about who they were to be connected to and do life with. He knew in his heart
they were to be connected to Jim and Jessica Kilmartin and come serve the town of
Tyrone and learn from them.  After getting married in 2005, we moved to Tyrone and
have been here ever since.  When we made the decision to come here, all the other stuff
fell into place - job for Theron, physician assistant school for Mizpah, place to live, etc.

Mizpah is a physician assistant by trade and works part time with UPMC Huntingdon
while also directing the programs at Joshua House on a volunteer basis.  Theron works
in software sales for Outreach Corporation based out of Seattle and works with business
leaders throughout the country helping their sales teams generate more revenue.  He
also serves on the board at Joshua House and alongside Mizpah, lead a team of amazing
volunteer leaders who put so much time and energy into investing into our
community’s youth through the various programs Joshua House does. We’ve got two
sweet kiddos (& one on the way!).  Our son Elah Roar is 9 and our daughter Sarah is 7. 

When we are not hanging out with our family and friends or doing Joshua House stuff,
we do have some hobbies.  We are both outdoorsy.  Mizpah loves to go on hikes and
runs.  She also loves to play volleyball.  Theron loves to play hockey.  So much so that
he does a backyard ice rink each year during winter.  He also enjoys bow hunting and fly
fishing. 

We both have been blessed with amazing parents and great mentors over the years.
 Two of those mentors, who have led Joshua House for the last 19 years, are Jim and
Jessica Kilmartin.  Their hearts to serve our area and see our youth impacted is
contagious.  Their efforts, valiant.  This past April, the Kilmartins started a church in
Altoona called Center City Church which exists to see people awakened to God, revived
in His presence, and empowered to see lives, families and communities
transformed. The church is thriving and has grown quickly in just six short months.
 They have a large vision for the church and for Joshua House.  This vision includes
starting other Joshua Houses in multiple towns and cities.  Jim, Jess and their family are
moving to Altoona this Fall, but will continue to provide oversight for Joshua House for
years to come. The mission to help youth find purpose was birthed in them here in
Tyrone, and what was started here will give life and purpose to youth all over
Pennsylvania, and beyond. 

We will be sharing more with you over the coming months on various topics.  If you are
one who has a heart to see our youth become all that God has created them to be, you
won’t want to miss this column.  Our schools, churches, and other community
organizations can put on amazing programs, but kids still have to go home and it’s in
the home where the most influence happens.  Through this column, we want to
encourage you and equip you to impact the next generation in your homes.  It truly
takes a village to raise a child and help them find their God-given purpose.

If you have an interest in joining our mission to help youth find purpose, we would love
to hear from you!  It truly is a blessing and honor to be able to serve the youth and
families of our community, and we would love to have more people join us.  The armory will be undergoing a few renovations this Fall, but later this Fall (likely November), we
plan to open up After-School hours, which provides homework help for students, open
gym time, and free meals.  Details for this program will be available soon, but if you are
interested in helping out, contact Mizpah at mizpah@joshuahouse.com.  For more
information on other Joshua House programs, check out our website:
www.joshuahouse.com.