Raising Warriors

*If you haven’t read the previous articles, I encourage you to do so before reading this one.*

Reflections on the Journey:

From the very beginning, there was not a worry from Kayden while in hospital, only faith and only prayer. I never saw fear on him or around him. I’d wake some nights, and he was praying. I’d wake in the morning, and he’d be reading the Bible. His first long stay was the time of diagnosis- 18 days in the hospital. The next long stay in the hospital was when we switched treatment centers- 21 days in the hospital.

Looking back on 2023 (before this journey started), almost every morning at home Kayden was slow out of his room. It would bother me until I looked in his room and observed why. Most days, he was praying and reading his Bible. So, instead of me rushing him and making him get the day started, I left him be. It’s part of the beauty of homeschool. We started his school day when he finished. His time with the Lord was more important to me than math. His relationship with the Lord was sound and secure before this challenging and very unexpected journey started. The Lord did that, but I had to give Him the space to do it. 

There is nothing more important than Jesus, church (the coming together of the Saints in righteousness), and prayer. Nothing. When I went to church, he went. When I went to prayer, he went. When I prayed, he prayed. When I sang, he sang. I didn’t allow basketball, school events, parties, engagements, plans, etc. when we had church and prayer. I set and made the Lord and our times with the Lord priority. The Lord showed me the importance of this through my Pastor and their family. After understanding this, I set it that way for my household. It remains that way to this day! No compromise on time set with the Lord.

I could go on and on about this, but I’ll go into this more in another blog.

Yet and still, the diagnosis happened. 

Remember, the promise from Jesus. He said, “… Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) This includes when life challenges happen. This promise is a foundational pillar in my life.

Day 9 day in the hospital 

My oldest, Kris, called Kayden. He told Kayden he’s so strong because if this was happening to him, he’d be crying and asking why this happened to him. 

That would be the expectation at some point… but Kayden wasn’t there. 

Did he get tired of being in the hospital? Yes. 

Did he get tired of the nurses waking him up throughout the night? Yes. 

Did he want to go home? Yes. 

Did he get tired of having to take pills? Yes. 

Did he miss his friends? Yes

Did he miss playing basketball? Yes

But did his faith waver? Did he stop praying?  Did he stop believing? 

I asked him— he said no.

So I decided to ask him a series of questions. After all, I’m not the only one on this journey. This was fun for me because Kayden is quiet by nature, so sharing.

Q&A with Kayden (out of the hospital and in remission):

-Were you ever scared? 

Kayden: (With a big smile) No

-Did your faith waver? 

Kayden: Nope

-Did you stop praying?  

Kayden: No 

-Did you stop believing? 

Kayden: No

-Why not? 

Kayden: Well, part was what Pastor told me. Part was what Keith Moore said. 

-What did Pastor say?

Kayden: He said something like- Keep praying. Don’t stop believing, even in good news and bad news keep your faith.  And Jeremiah 17:4.

-What did Keith Moore say that stuck out to you?

Kayden: All of it. 

-What do you do to keep your faith up?

Kayden:  I pray. Whenever I praise the Lord it takes my mind off myself. And I focus on Him and how good He is. So like whenever I feel sad or feel like my faith is down, I just praise the Lord and I thank Him for everything He’s given me. 

-What about now? How’s your faith? 

Kayden: It’s good. 

-Was there a point when you heard the doctors or nurses say things that you got worried?

Kayden: They usually talked with you in the hall. 

**Side note- I did this on purpose. I wanted nothing spoken over him that was opposite of his Father’s Words and promises. I didn’t allow doctors and nurses to talk about treatment or how he was doing in the room. The negative words (words opposite of life) can be curses.

-What about if they said side effects? Did you worry? I think that’s the only thing they were able to get out in the room. 

Kayden: No- you told me not to worry. When I woke up and you’d be praying, I knew I was ok and it made me want to pray.

-Do you know why I always played worship music or Keith Moore?

Kayden: For the atmosphere. To keep an atmosphere of prayer and encouragement. 

-Did you ever get tired of me doing it?

Kayden: Keith Moore got a bit repetitive.

-If I asked you to give your testimony, what would you say?

Kayden’s Testimony:

If anyone asks my testimony I’d say: I laid in the bed and God was working. 

It’s not enough to just go to church. The children need to:

1- See us live as the Lord says

2- To go to prayer and learn to pray

No exceptions.

Why? Because there will come a day, whether they are a child, teen, or adult, that they will need to have a firm foundation in Christ. The parent’s faith is not enough. Christian, my now 22 year old, has faith not based on me, but on Christ. I cultivated it the best way I knew how. When situations arose for him, it was good church leadership that brought him through. His mother’s prayers and his faith in Jesus also helped (he’s got a testimony too). There are no little demons for little children. My adversary is their adversary. The Bible says train them up in the way they should go. Training doesn’t just happen at church. It happens at home. They may not understand why. They may not want to go to church, prayer, etc. That doesn’t matter. Cultivate anyway.

Kayden means warrior and fighter. That is who he is, but for the Kingdom of God, not for man or the world. I’m raising him and his little sister (the other 2 are grown) as the Lord sees fit- not how society, family, or I see fit. I wish I’d known this earlier. However, now that I know… I am raising them to have a personal relationship with the Lord. I pray for them daily. It’s Heaven or bust. Hell is real. I don’t want to walk this walk, minister to others, and my children go to hell. No matter how tired I may get, I maintain my focus. Life may get challenging, and situations may arise. Regardless, I am raising warriors for the Kingdom and ministers of the gospel on purpose. They will have a firm foundation in Christ. I pray we all take this stance with the generation coming up.

I am adding Keith Moore’s Healing series to this blog. I’m also adding a PDF of healing scriptures from the Word of God. It was and is a staple in our journey for faith building and healing. I recommend listening if you are believing for healing.

Be encouraged! God is a healer!!

All is for His glory!!

Lesson in the Journey:

There is NOTHING more important than your children growing in the faith. One day, they will have to stand on it, and your words may not be enough. Prioritize their walk with the Lord- they are your first disciples. Teach them, show them, live it with them. 

Faith over fear.

Promises for the Journey:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Psalm 78: 5b-8

“… He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.”

101 Healing Scriptures

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:0cf17623-7447-4120-ae81-b18b3fda4f78

Keith Moore