Tune Back to Jesus

I love September! Something about this month always makes me feel like it's time to start anew.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Mom. Yes, my sons are grown now, but I will never forget the excitement of shopping for new school clothes—even new uniforms—and the thrill of a new season.

A new school year. A fresh start.

Even the weather starts to change. Yup, even in Southern California. Okay, we can’t pull off snow boots, but now and then there’s a cool morning that makes me want to say, “Hello Fall, I see you trying.”

To me, September feels like an invitation to reset, and perhaps that’s exactly what we need.

WHAT ARE YOU TUNING IN TO?

Lately, I’ve been thinking about frequency.

Consider an old-fashioned radio. There can be many stations broadcasting at the same time, but you ultimately hear only the one you tune into.

I think our hearts can be a little like that, too. Every day, plenty of voices compete for our attention: fear, worry, comparison, anger, bad news, “what ifs,” and feelings of inadequacy.

But there is another voice.

Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27, NIV)

What if this September we became more intentional about what our families are tuned into?

Not because the difficult things suddenly disappear, but because we can choose which voice gets the loudest volume in our homes.

Parents and grandparents, you have more influence than you realize.

Our words matter. Our worship matters. Our gratitude matters. And our prayers especially matter.

What we continually speak over our children and grandchildren helps shape the atmosphere around them.

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable… think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8, NIV)

I love that verse so much.

God isn’t telling us to pretend that hard things aren’t happening; He is teaching us where to focus our minds in the middle of them.

That’s different.

We can acknowledge the difficulties without allowing fear to become the soundtrack of our home.

God is still good. He is still here—He will never leave us or forsake us—and Jesus is still our peace.

That is truly good news, and we can start again.

I LIKE TO VIEW SEPTEMBER AS A RESET FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

Maybe your family needs a fresh beginning this month. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Turn on worship music while everyone gets ready for school.

Pray over your children before they walk out the door.

Put one scripture on the refrigerator and read it together throughout the week.

At dinner, ask everyone to name one thing they’re thankful for, along with the highs and lows of the day.

When anxiety gets loud, pause and ask, “What is true right now?”

And grandparents, don’t underestimate your role in this!

Your words matter!

A simple text to a grandchild saying, “I prayed for you before school”, a handwritten note, a FaceTime call are all small things that can make a huge difference to a child.

TUNE BACK TO JESUS

We don’t need a perfect September, and we don’t need perfect children.

And our children don’t need perfect parents or grandparents!

They need adults who know how to return to Jesus.

Again and again.

So! When you worry - return.

When you have lost your patience - return.

When the morning has completely fallen apart before 7:42 a.m. - return!

Deep breath!

You got this!

His mercies haven’t run out.

The Bible says, “His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness,” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

New every morning. EVERY MORNING!!!

I think that means Papa God is comfortable with starting again.

So, Brave Ones, let’s make September our month to RESET!

Let’s pay attention to what we’re listening to.

Let’s fill our homes with joy.

Let’s teach our children and grandchildren that when the world gets noisy, they can learn to recognize their Shepherd's voice.

Happy September!

We get to start again.

The best is yet to come! WOOT! WOOT!

Julie