A Mother Called Wisdom

Written by Jack Hayford

Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding; for I give you good doctrine: do not forsake my law. When I was my father’s son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, he also taught me, and said to me:

“Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life. - Proverbs 4:1-13

Everything is Possible for Her who Believes

Sharon Jaynes 

 

Everything is possible for him who believes, (Mark 9:23 NIV).

Once, a distraught father had an unruly son with multiple physical and emotional problems. Many people even said the boy was possessed by a demon. The dad had tried everything, but the boy continued to demonstrate anti-social behavior: throwing himself in the fire and then in water.

That sort of behavior, on top of frequent seizures, rolling on the ground, foaming at the mouth, and an inability to talk, made the dad desperate to find a solution. He even took the boy to some faith healers who were traveling through his hometown. But nothing seemed to work.

Planting Sweets

Kate Motaung

One spring morning at church, a friend gave our four-year-old daughter a piece of candy.  She cupped it in her palm, wrapped her fingers around it and cherished her newly acquired treasure. 

About half an hour later, as we were about to leave, I noticed in the church parking lot that she no longer had her prized possession. 

“Where did your sweet go?” I asked her.

“Oh, I planted it in the dirt over there so it will grow into a tree full of sweets.”

Relax, Parents: There's No Need to Put the Christ in Christmas

By Amanda Marcotte

The Rockettes don't flash their legs to celebrate the Virgin Birth.

Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

In our age of neurotic parenting, it should come as no surprise that irreligious parents might succumb some to the evidence-free claims of many that children must be raised in a faith tradition in order to achieve some ill-defined "values". Andrew Park at Salon has a piece up about his attempts to inject a little religion into the holiday festivities. (By "religion", he of course means "Christianity", because as concerned as he is about exposing his children to faith traditions, he isn't concerned enough to start fasting for Ramadan and teaching his children about the prophet Mohammed.) 

WHY MOMS DON’T ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW BEST

By Sheila

Each Friday my syndicated column appears in several newspapers. Here’s this week’s!

I’ve been giving advice to men about relationships lately, and I thought I’d continue the trend today, since I like telling men what to do.

Let’s start with a misconception men often have. Many men think that if they have mastered the sentence, “Whatever you want is fine with me, Honey,” they have hit the relationship bullseye.

Unfortunately, if that’s you, you’re likely in for a rude awakening. Imagine this: your wife asks you whether little Johnny should take soccer this year. You smile and utter those magic words, and then incomprehensibly she storms off! Something got lost in translation.

It’s Only a Season

Trish and I have been talking a lot lately about seasons of life. As parents of two teenagers and one that drives, we have entered a new season of life. New seasons of life can be exciting. But not all seasons of life feel good. They can be painful, lonely, heart-wrenching or dry.

As I think about people in Scripture, their lives seemed to have seasons. Jacob went through a season of being deceitful, then a season of running. Joseph went through a season of being the favorite, then a season of being resented, then a season of being forgotten in an Egyptian prison, then a season of great success. 

Boomerang Kids and Empty Nest

It has been only one month since I’ve experienced the “EMPTY NEST” transition.  I knew in my heart that my 28 year old daughter needed her own adult space and a sense that her life was moving to a new level. Other friends her age were making changes in their lives. I didn’t want her to be left behind on our television couch with the remote control in her hand. I wanted her to feel a different kind of control, one that brought a rush of excitement from four walls she could call her own and the satisfaction of balancing real life responsibilities.

We spent several weeks together looking for a place that felt like it might be not too far or well located.  That process in itself bonded us more closely, gave us time to talk and laugh about moving out. Yes, we worried about the finances, but these would be inevitable and secondary to the need for a change that would make her feel like she was moving forward. 

Seven years prior to this recent empty nest change, we had the BOOMERANG kid returning home after her graduation from college.  Like many families, we knew this stage would be the safety net she needed to become not only economically independent, but also emotionally ready to decide when and where she would become an adult woman on her own.

The Father of Spirits

 "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" (Hebrews 12:9)

Human parents transmit physical characteristics to their offspring, but our spiritual attributes come from God, for He is "the Father of spirits." Paul recognized that all men are "the offspring of God" (Acts 17:29), and that each man is still "the image and glory of God" (1 Corinthians 11:7).

Thus our spirit/soul nature, as distinct from our body of physical/mental flesh, has come from God, who created it and united it with our body, evidently at the moment of physical conception in the womb. It is obvious that the "image of God," man's spirit/soul nature, could not be transmitted genetically via the "genetic code" and the DNA molecules, for these are simply complex chemicals programmed to transmit only the physical and mental attributes of the ancestors to the children. 

Heart Problems: A Dad Shaped Hole

Written by H. Norman Wright

Not every girl gets to be Daddy’s little girl. Many are missing the father-daughter relationship that is so essential for any child to have. The following excerpt is from H. Norman Wright’s A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart. Dads, see for yourself and learn how to help heal that ‘dad-shaped hole’ in your daughter’s heart. Daughters or even sons, consider what Wright has to say about that hole in your heart.

I’d like to begin this first chapter with June’s story. In many ways her story mirrors the cry of countless daughters just like you, who struggle with the effects of a dad who wasn’t there for them. Year after year they cry: Daddy, where are you? Who are you?

Balancing Work and Family

Written by Greg Leith

I slipped into his room late one evening as I arrived home from work so that I could give him a goodnight snuggle and a kiss, only to find him wide awake. “Hey Dad, it’s Wednesday!” my 12-year-old said.“Tonight was our date night, Dad! You forgot!”

Somewhere between the deadlines and the meetings and the to-do list, I’d forgotten the most important responsibility in my life — my family. It had also been weeks since my wife and I had a date together. I knew things needed to change — and fast. I needed to focus on my family and let them know they were just as important as my work.

We set out to meet our work goals and somehow in the midst of it all, we forget that waiting at home is that young boy wanting to play catch, that teenage girl who needs to talk about boys, or that spouse that needs to be treated with all the attention we used to give when we were dating. Why does it happen? How does it happen? How can you prevent it from happening to you?

Teenagers and the Internet

In the 60's, Christian parents were outraged over the "shocking" youth culture.  However, parents today may wish for the "good old 60's," because on all levels, kids today are into far worse stuff, thanks mostly to the Internet. 

Who would have ever thought that the Internet would beat out television and movies as the most time-consuming form of entertainment for teens? It has! 96% of all teens in the U.S. daily access the Internet, averaging more than four hours online every day. It now affects every family in some way, since it can be accessed in many more ways than it once could, and it is being used by teens in ways that may shock some less Internet-savvy parents. So, it is especially important for parents to know how their kids are interacting via digital media today, while also understanding that completely removing it isn't always the best move.

The Problem with Genderless Parenting

Chuck Colson

You may have heard the public outcry over the parents in Toronto who have decided to keep their baby’s gender a secret.

When Kathy Witterick and David Stocker sent an e-mail to friends and family announcing the birth of their baby, Storm, they wrote: “We’ve decided not to share Storm’s sex for now -- a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation.”

According to Yahoo News, “only the parents, their two other children (both boys), a close friend, and the two midwives who helped deliver the now 4-month-old baby know its gender. Even the grandparents have been left in the dark.”

Witterick and Stocker say they hope that what they’re doing will make the world “a more progressive place,” but that doesn’t seem to be working out too well.

Help for Empty Nest Syndrome

Empty nest syndrome can cause symptoms of depression and a loss of sense of self, but preparation can help you transition to your new parenting role. Here's how.

By Diana Rodriguez

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

One day, the house is full of noise. You’re tripping over sneakers left in the middle of the living room floor or complaining for the zillionth time that the new driver in the house didn’t leave any gas in the car.

And then they’re gone.

Life takes myriad twists and turns and, even when you expect them, they're not always easy to handle. Parents know their children will leave home one day, but transitioning through this stage of parenting can be difficult, no matter how proud you are that they’re all grown up or how you might be looking forward to re-focusing on your marriage.

"The second-to-last definitive phase of family development would be the empty nest," says Grattan Giesey, MSSA, a licensed social worker in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "It's the time at which the last child leaves the house and basically does not return."

Where Are the Fathers?

We face an unprecedented crisis in America today—the physical and emotional absence of fathers.

by Dave Boehi  

You see it in the awe-struck eyes of young boys in the inner city who look up to local gang members as their only role models.

You see it in the weary eyes of a mother trying to put her three young children to bed while her husband watches ESPN in the family room.

You see it in the downhearted eyes of a single mom whose former husband found another woman and moved across the country, leaving her with two angry teenage boys.

And you see it proud eyes of young men who feel they prove their manhood by impregnating teenage girls.

What you see, in short, is a cultural crisis that is more serious than many people realize—the absent father syndrome. Today's media often portrays the "New Father"—present in the delivery room, involved in raising the children, sharing household chores. But statistics tell a different story. Thanks to rising rates in divorce and illegitimate births, increased acceptance of premarital sex, and a growing confusion over male and female family roles, one can safely say that a growing number of "New Fathers" today are physically or emotionally removed from the lives of their children.      

It's as if America is determined to test the relevance of a philosophy satirically voiced by playwright Oscar Wilde: "Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That is the only proper basis for family life."

Time cover shows mom breastfeeding 3-year-old

By BETH J. HARPAZ | Associated Press

On Nursing a Toddler: Why that TIME Magazine Mom Could Have Been Me

NEW YORK (AP) — Shocking or no big deal? A woman breastfeeding her 3-year-old son is the cover photo of this week's Time magazine for a story on "attachment parenting," and reactions ranged from applause to cringing to shrugs.

The photo showed Jamie Lynne Grumet, 26, a stay-at-home mom in Los Angeles who says her mother breastfed her until she was 6 years old. She told the magazine in an interview that she's given up reasoning with strangers who see her son nursing and threaten "to call social services on me or that it's child molestation."

Mental Health Myths

"KIDS WILL BE KIDS" Myth: Teenagers don't suffer from "real" mental illnesses — they are just moody. Fact: One in five teens has some type of mental health problem in a given year. (National Institute of Mental Health/Harvard University Study June 2005) Myth: Talk about suicide is an idle threat that need not be taken seriously. Fact: Suicide is the third leading cause of death among high school students and the second leading cause of death in college students. Talk about suicide should always be taken seriously. (Jed Foundation) Myth: Childhood mental health problems are really the result of poor parenting. Fact: If someone in your family has a mental illness, then you may have a greater chance of developing the illness, but mental illness generally has little or nothing to do with parenting. One in four families is affected by a mental health problem(Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health)

The Woman's Role in the Home

I was asked to speak on “The Woman’s Role in the Home”. Let me say right off, I certainly don’t claim to “have arrived” in any of these areas.........the Lord is still chipping away at me. But I would like to share with you what the Lord has laid on my heart in this area of the “Keeper at Home”.

I enjoy coming up with acrostics when I’m able, and as I was thinking on this topic the Lord gave me this acrostic for the word “HOME”.

H – Honour the Lord. In the old Webster’s 1828 dictionary, the definition for honour is – “To reverence; to manifest the highest veneration for, in WORDS and ACTIONS; to entertain the most exalted thoughts of ; to worship; to adore.” Before we, as Christian wives and mothers, can fulfill our role in the home, we must let Christ have first place in our lives. Sometimes this requires God getting our attention by bringing us to our knees until we finally acknowledge that He is “All we have and All we need”. In order to explain this further, I’d like to share a brief testimony. The older I get, the more I enjoy sharing it because I realize the mercy and longsuffering that God has shown me.

I was raised in a Christian home where both parents loved the Lord. Since Dad took his family to church “every time the doors were open”, I heard the gospel at a very early age. My Mom told me I came to her when I was very young, wanting to be saved, but I have no remembrance of that time. My earliest memories of the Holy Spirit dealing with my young heart are when I was around the age of 5 or 6. I would lay in bed at night, afraid that Jesus had come back and taken my parents and I was left behind. Many times, I would quietly get out of bed and walk to my parents’ bedroom door where I would stand and call out to my mother. When she finally awakened and answered me, I was fine. Mom was still there. I could go to sleep now.

It wasn’t until I was 8 years old that the Holy Spirit convicted me of my lost condition. It was on a Saturday night, Dad was at the Saturday night men’s prayer meeting and I was already in bed asleep. That night I dreamed that the rapture had taken place and I was not ready to go. I awakened in fear and went straight to my mother. After telling her about my dream and my fears of not being saved, Mom took her Bible and shared scripture with me. It was on that night that I made sure of my salvation. In Job 33, starting with verse 12 the Bible says, “Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.” And then starting in verse 24, “Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth: He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness. He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.” That is my testimony. After praying with me, Mom showed me the verses in I John 5:11-13

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” I remember her emphasizing the word “KNOW”. I’m so thankful that we can KNOW!

I’m ashamed to say that there was not much growth after salvation. I Corinthians 3:1,2 says “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” Those verses describe me for the next several years. Oh, I had a “head knowledge” of the Bible. I knew all of the familiar Bible stories by heart and could quote many Bible verses, but I had no application of spiritual principles in my life. This immaturity led to my straying in my Jr. High and Sr. High School years. It wasn’t until after Jim and I were married that the Lord began dealing with me about certain things.

Jim was saved the year before we were married and although I had been saved for several years now, we both were very young in the Lord. After our marriage, God led us to a little independent Baptist church and for the first time that I can remember in my Christian life, I began to hear preaching on the Christian walk. God began dealing with my heart about things that I needed to confess. Many nights, Jim would stay up and talk with me and then we would pray. This repentance brought forgiveness and some growth, through preaching as well as trials where we learned to lean on the Lord. Up until this time, however, I had no consistent personal time with the Lord. I knew I should be reading my Bible daily as well as praying, but my quiet time was more “hit and miss” as I allowed other things to take its place.

The turning point in my Christian life came in early ‘96. I had just given birth to our 5th child, Bethany, in December ’95 and I guess I experienced what some people would call a major case of “postpartum depression”. Unlike other times, I just couldn’t “bounce back” this time. I felt so overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being a wife, mother, teacher, etc. I now had 3 children in grade school (we homeschooled), one toddler and an infant and I just didn’t know if I could do it all! Of course, in my eyes “nobody understood”, not even Jim. (Even though I remember him telling me not to worry about the schooling right then…….."just take your time, rest, start back when your ready".) I really didn’t feel like I could talk to anybody. There were many nights when I would get up, not wanting to disturb Jim, and just sit in a room by myself and cry. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, God was bringing me exactly to the place He wanted me to be. Finally, one night I got out of bed and as I sat there crying, I began calling out to God. In total desperation I cried, “Lord, You’re all I have, and You’re all I need.” THAT WAS IT! That was exactly where God wanted me…TOTAL surrender to Him!!!! Oh, what a sweet peace I felt that night……..a peace that passeth all understanding! I could never begin to try to express the burden that was lifted that night. It was after I gave the Lord first place in my life that I began to have a hunger for His Word like never before. I had such a strong desire to grow and this led to a consistent personal time with the Lord. As I said earlier, before we can fulfill our role in the home, we MUST let Christ have first place in our lives and sometimes this requires God getting our attention by bringing us to our knees.

When we begin to honour the Lord in our lives, it will be evident not only in our words, but in our actions. Our love and adoration for Him will become so strong that just the THOUGHT of bringing a reproach to His name will grieve us. Truly honouring the Lord will change how we walk, how we talk, how we live. And, it will change the kind of wife and mother that we are. Our husbands will begin to notice a change in us. That perhaps “nagging wife” will turn into a “praying wife”. Our children will notice Momma reading her Bible more and more.


I read a quote the other day by Sis. Linda Townsend, a pastor’s wife, and I’d like to share it with you. “A house isn’t a home without the heart of the homemaker being right with God.” How true this is. We must have our hearts right with God before we can minister in our home as God would have us.

O – One Flesh. Genesis 2:20-25
gives the account of God creating Woman. We know that Eve was created for Adam to be an help meet, according to verse 18. Then, in verse 23 we read Adam’s response when God brings Eve to him. In verse 24 we see how God describes the union of man and woman. He says that they shall be “one flesh”.

What does it mean to be “one flesh”? Several times in the New Testament, this term is mentioned in reference to a husband and wife, and each time, it speaks of two becoming one…..two individuals….man and woman…becoming one. When the two become one, there is now only one head….the husband. Ephesians 5:23

– “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: …” So, we’re not talking about some “two-headed” monster. Since the husband is to be the head of the home, the wife’s role in the home is to be in submission to her husband. Ephesians 5:22

– “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord”. To be in submission means “to yield, resign or surrender to the power, will or authority of another”. Let me add right here, this is NOT just an outward act. True submission comes from within the heart. It’s very easy to submit on the outside and all the time be rebelling on the inside. If you are trying to live like that, I guarantee that you are having constant turmoil within. Real peace only comes when we acknowledge the God-given role of our husband as the head and we in submission to them.

Not only is there peace in submission, there is also protection. I wish I had been taught the BLESSING of submission as a young wife but unfortunately I am learning that many years later. Just a few years after we were married, God blessed us with our first child…..a new responsibility for both of us. One by one, as the babies came along, my responsibilities grew. In 1990, after much prayer, we began to homeschool our children. I now had a full-time/over-time “job” and I needed to realize my limitations. I just couldn’t do everything. I used to have a hard time saying “No” when asked to be in charge of or take part in a particular event. Because of this, I would find myself many times “in over my head” with responsibilities.  

Since the only kind of involvement our family had was church or homeschool related, these events were “good” in themselves but also very time-consuming. If you have ever found yourself in this situation, you will have to admit that most of the time some area will be neglected and many times it is your own family. It wasn’t until I really began to acknowledge in my heart that Jim was the head of our home, that I had the freedom to say “No” when needed. Before, when I was asked to do things I would either say “Yes”, knowing in my heart that I shouldn’t be taking on anything else, or I would say “No” and then worry about it for weeks. Now, I go to my husband and tell him the situation, we discuss whether I should or shouldn’t agree to something and then I can give an answer. Either, “Yes, my husband said I could” or “I’m sorry, my husband said he didn’t think I should be taking any more on right now.” When Jim discourages me from doing something, he is simply protecting me from “overloading” myself. The best part about this is that I can walk away with a perfect peace, knowing that I did the right thing. You may think this is silly, but it’s a blessing to me. With submission there is an inner peace and there is protection. Let me add quickly about the protection. Since we are teaching courtship with our children as opposed to dating, our daughters have that protection knowing that any young man has to go through Daddy first. If God allows them to marry, that protection will be passed from Daddy to their husband.

So, being one-flesh with your husband, where two become one, means acknowledging that there is only one head now and that head is your husband as you submit inwardly as well as outwardly to him.

Quickly, I want to mention a few other things in reference to a woman’s role as a wife and then I’ll move on. Proverbs 31:11

,12 says “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Our husbands should not have to worry about their needs being met in the home, whether physical or material. I Corinthians 7:3-5 says, “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.” When two become one….one-flesh…their priorities change. They now should be concerned about pleasing their spouse. Verses 32-34 of that same chapter speaks on this: “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” Let me add right here. So many young unmarried adults, desiring to be married but waiting on the Lord, often wonder what exactly their “purpose” is as a single Christian. This passage deals with that question as well.

And then, in the book of Titus, chapter 2, Paul lists characteristics and duties of both the aged and young men and women. Verse 4 says that the aged women are to teach the young women and one of the things they are to teach them is to love their husbands. How are they to teach this? I believe they are to teach by example. This may seem “elementary” to you…I would imagine that every married lady in here, if asked, would say, “Yes, I love my husband.” But, do our actions show it? Does our husband know that, after however many years of marriage, he’s still the most wonderful man….that you’d marry him all over again? Do your children know that Momma and Daddy love each other? Courtney doesn’t know it, but several weeks ago she paid her Daddy and I one of the best compliments she could ever give. Stephen and Caleb had orthodontist appointments and since the orthodontist is 2 ½ hours away, all of the children went with me and we made a day of it. I dropped Courtney and Joshua off at the mall with the little girls, and we went on to the orthodontist just a couple miles away. When we came back to pick them up, I wanted to go to the Dollar Tree that the kids had raved about the last time we had come. As we walked in the store, Courtney wanted to show me a picture frame she had seen that was just “perfect” for Daddy and I. I made my way through the store, somehow missing the frames, and as we were finishing looking, Courtney mentioned the frame again. As the two of us walked back to that section, she was telling me how cute it was but she had no idea where I could put it. When we got to that aisle, she picked up a very different kind of frame. It looked just like a license plate…a red one with gold numbers and letters. The “license number” was NUTZ 4 U and the state was the “state of bliss”. I loved it! I told her it would look cute in my kitchen (my kitchen is red and white) and I could save it and give it to Daddy for our anniversary in July. As I thought about this later, it thrilled my heart to know that our 20 year-old daughter knows that Momma and Daddy are still “nuts” about each other. I believe, aside from parents that truly love the Lord, the best gift you can give your children are parents that love each other.

M – Mold Your Children. When I think of the word “mold”, I think of The Potter, God, molding the clay, us, into useful vessels as it speaks of in Jeremiah 18. As Christian mothers, we can and should be instruments that God can use to mold our children. Our desire should be for our children to grow up to be vessels fit for the Master’s use. Molding our children into these vessels is a continual process. Our teaching and training time with them cannot be “here a little, there a little”. If a potter works on a lump of clay for a while and then sets it aside, intending to come back to it at a later date, what is going to happen to the clay? It will become hardened. So it is with children. If we neglect to teach and train them daily according to the principles found in God’s Word, there is danger of them becoming hardened to the things of the Lord. How can we as mothers be used by God to “mold” our children? Deuteronomy 6:6,7 says, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:” What you teach your children must first be in your heart. If you are not allowing the Lord to speak to you DAILY through His Word, you cannot effectively teach your children. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” These verses tell me that I need to be speaking of the Lord and His Word throughout the day….while cooking supper, teaching math, folding laundry, playing, cleaning, etc…..I need to be sensitive to opportunities God gives me to apply Biblical principles to “day-to-day” situations. I have found that the more time I spend in the Bible, the easier this is to do. Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Whatever I have hid in my heart is going to naturally come out in my conversation.

There are many principles from God’s Word that we need to be teaching our children as we are used of God to mold them, but I would like to quickly name a few.

We need to teach them of their need for a Saviour and God’s wonderful plan of salvation. Salvation is only through repentance and faith in the finished work of the cross. Romans 10:9 ,10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness ; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” And, II Peter 3:9
says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” I cannot save my children…they must each trust Christ as their own personal Saviour. 

We need to teach them the importance of reading God’s Word. Tell them how precious God’s Word is and how we need to love and treasure it. Psalm 119:97 says, “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” Our attitude toward the Bible will affect their attitude. But, we not only need to stress the importance of reading their Bible, but also to live it. James 1:22 says, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only…” Teach them the importance and privilege of prayer. Teach them, by example, to go to the Lord about everything….every burden…every decision to make. The last part of James 4:2 says, “ye have not because ye ask not” and then II Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” How many times have we missed having a burden lifted, or lacked wisdom in making the right decision simply because we didn’t ask? James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally…” Teach your children the power of prayer. Teach them to be faithful to the Lord’s house. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Psalm 92:13,14 says, “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Teach them, once again by example, the importance of faithfulness to God’s house. Psalm 122:1 says, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Are you “glad” when Sunday morning comes? Children learn much by example. 

Teach them to choose godly friends. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” How many Christian young peoples’ testimonies or even lives have been destroyed simply because of a wrong friend? Psalm 119:63 “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.” The right kind of friends will encourage and build you up in the faith. I heard a preacher once say, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you what you are or what you soon shall be.” 

Teach them that they can and should be godly examples to others, even in their youth. II Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Don’t believe the lie that it is “normal” for every child to “sow their wild oats.” Yes, some children will rebel. “…a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” Proverbs 29:15 , but children do not have to go through a time of rebellion. Proverbs 20:11 says, “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” We should expect godly behaviour even in our children if they are saved. 

Teach them the blessing of obedience as well as honour. Ephesians 6:1-3 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” But not only teach them the blessing, but warn them of the danger of disobedience and disrespect. Proverbs 30:17 says, “The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.” Proverbs 20:20 says, “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.” The obedience and respect that we are to teach them should not be only toward parents. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” We need to stress the importance of respect and obedience toward our pastor, teachers, etc. It’s a sad day that we are living in. I’ve never seen so much disrespect for elders among children. The saddest part about this is that much of it goes on in our own churches. I’m reminded of the story in II Kings when the little children came forth and mocked Elisha. God brought swift punishment on these children. If you love your children, you will teach them the importance of obedience and respect for their elders.
Teach them to one day teach their children. Psalm 78:1-7 says, “Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” A favorite example of this is found in II Timothy 1:5 “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” Our desire for our children should not just be to see them grow up and remain faithful to the Lord. We should teach them to instruct their children also…and so on.

E- Encourage Other Women. Again, in Titus 2:3-5, Paul speaks of the aged women’s responsibility to teach the young women. I just want to touch on this briefly because this can pertain to the woman’s role in the church as well as the home. I really believe that we as Christian ladies are lacking in this area and it is a burden on my heart. We need some Titus 2 women…women who will take the TIME to teach and encourage the young women and yes, it does take time. This teaching needs to start in the home as we train our daughters to be “Titus 2 young women”. And then, we need to be encouraging the young women in our church to pattern their lives according to the principles found in God’s Word. I came across this poem the other day in a little publication called WOMEN IN THE HARVEST, and it is so fitting for what I’m speaking of. I’d like to share it in closing. The title of the poem is:

SHOW ME THE WAY by Karen Groves

Show me the way, dear mother,

Teach me to obey;

Keep yourself modest, innocent and pure,

For I’m following your footsteps each day.

Teach me, mother, to keep my tongue,

To always watch and pray;

Some unkind word coming from my lips

Could hinder me from sharing God’s way.

Mother, could you show me

How my husband and children to love?

For one day God will bless me and

Another crown will be for you above.

Help me to make good judgments, mother

So when I’m a keeper at home;

I will not make some awful mistake

Like many others we have known.

Walk a little plainer, mother,

For one day I will be like you;

Working willingly for family and friends,

Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?

Rachel Harkins

http://www.learnthebible.org/the-womans-role-in-the-home.html

Resurrection Power for Parents

Barbara Curtis, Crosswalk.com Contributor




As a writer/encourager of parents, I often hear from moms like me who not only suffered as children at the hands of others but are further burdened by the realization that as they struggled for emotional balance they caused suffering for their own children too.

Here’s just a sample excerpt from the heart-wrenching story of a mom who’d transcended much to finally become a good mom:

Can these things -- these insecurities and emotional damage/neglect, or feelings of loneliness and somehow feeling rejected -- can these things be healed? I know God can -- and is willing to -- do anything. And He works with and through our mistakes. And He loves our children more than we do. I still wish I knew, though, of ways to perhaps correct mistakes that were made, judgments that were made in haste, or excessive punishment for simple childish behaviors and mistakes, simply because Mommy's heart and mind were enduring more in life than she could handle. My heart still hurts over all of it.

My babies are so precious, such sweet, kind, loving children who are a joy to everyone who meets them. And my heart still breaks every time I think of years past when they needed a mommy and Mommy was too wrapped up in personal turmoil to really and truly see them and respond to them the way they needed. How do you get past all of that? How do you help to heal those hurts, outside of moving forward and just plain doing things differently? Is that all you can do? I am so thankful for a God of redemption and grace and mercy. Surely He will be that in my children's lives as well.

For those of us who came from shattered pasts, these words may sting. Even if we’ve recovered, we worry about the time before God got hold of us and wouldn’t let go.

And I can think of no better time to offer this for reflection than as we approach Easter. This week we will focus intensely on Jesus crucified for our sins, and through Lent we have asked God to show us – no matter how much it hurts – all the times we have made the wrong choices, all the hurt we have caused others and all the occasions on which we have grieved Him.

Each of us starts this journey of parenting wanting to be perfect – many of us determined to be better mothers than our own. But parenting has a way of breaking you. Inevitably something happens that brings us face to face with the reality of how far short we've fallen. And it seems that those who’ve tried the hardest often have farther to fall when God brings us to the realization that we’ve tried to do it on our own steam, not understanding our dependence on Him.

When Jesus healed, the blind could see, the lame could walk, the possessed found peace. We can do that too, trusting in Him to guide our sight, our steps and our sanity as we move forward with our lives. For mothers who need a fresh start, I just want to encourage you to focus on the path in front of you and not to be crippled by your past. Our children at some point will have to deal with the fact that their parents were not perfect. It will be a test by which God will help them grow – if they let Him.

My point is that God is bigger than any mistakes you have made.

Is something troubling you today? Are you feeling remorseful, guilty or unworthy? The celebration of Jesus's sacrifice for us – His death and Resurrection – is a wonderful opportunity to confess and lay these burdens at the foot of the cross, to apologize to anyone you have hurt, to mend broken relationships and to allow the Resurrection to shine in your own life beginning this moment.

Blessings to you all this Easter!

Barbara Curtis is an author and mother of 12 who blogs at MommyLife.net.

http://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/easter/resurrection-power-for-parents.html

Pastor Tim's Parents

Pastor Tim's Parents

Tim's parents didn't know where they had gone wrong to cause their son to turn out to be a . . . . pastor.

http://www.cybersalt.org/funny-pictures/pastor-tims-parents

Five Friends Every Mommy Needs Because friends are what keep mothers sane.

By Olivia Yao, Three Moons | Yahoo! SHE 


Have you noticed that ever since you became a mommy, almost everything about your life has changed? You’re probably rolling your eyes and saying “Well, duh, of course it has. Does that even have to be pointed out?” But I’m not talking about the obvious changes. I’m talking about the little ones that creep up on you and throw you for a loop because you never expected them to happen! One of those changes is your choice in friends. Because no matter what you say, your total revamp of lifestyle affects who you hang out with and who you turn to.

1. The Mommy Friend whose child is about the age of yours

She’s the friend who understands what you’re going through because she’s living the exact same thing you are. Your conversations range from potty training to overly competitive moms to whether today is a good eating day or not. You share tips, ideas, frustrations, and milestones, and are always ready for a play date or even just a chat over coffee to escape the madness of home. She’s on your speed dial or phone’s list of favorites because when you need to vent about how you’re about to lose your cool, you know she will talk you through it and tell you about the time you helped her calm down when it was her toddler throwing the tantrum.

2. The single or childless girlfriend

Remember how carefree you used to feel before you decided to turn your life over to an overly demanding preschooler? Hanging out with your single girlfriend will show you there is more to life than diapers and baby wipes. At first, you may envy her lifestyle and long for the days when you could just fly off to Boracay at a moment’s notice, but eventually, you’ll realize that just hanging out with her and hearing about a life totally different from your own can be loads of fun. She not only takes your mind off your nursery-rhyme singing existence but reassures you that there’s more to you than just being a mommy.

3. The friend who has known you forever

She’s probably the one you call your best friend. No matter where your life leads, you know she will be by your side, rooting for you, telling you like it is, and reminding you how it was. She’s the friend who knows you in and out and sometimes even better than you know yourself. She knew you even before you became a mom and will remind you that you have goals for yourself as well, not just your current goal of getting your toddler into the best preschool possible. She is the friend you turn to when you need someone to give you the perspective you need because she’s been there through every phase of your life—and will continue to be long after your kids move out and start having babies of their own.

4. The shopping or travel buddy

This is the friend who is always bugging you to get away and take a break, and is willing to go on that break with you. She will take you shopping (and not for baby clothes or groceries, please!), to the salon, or on a mini break to the beach. She will also badger you to go on a vacation with your family. She’ll bring her kids and you’ll bring yours, and you’ll remember that getting away—even if it causes even more madness—is always fun and creates wonderful memories you’ll be talking about for years.

5. Your mom

Yes, you read that right. Never have I appreciated my mother more than when I became a mom myself. The overpowering love I feel for my daughter made me realize that my mom probably feels that way for me too—something I never fully understood before. Plus, your mom is the best person to turn to when you don’t understand what’s going on with your body, your child, or your marriage. She most probably went through all of that and survived. Even when it comes to small things like what to give your child’s preschool classmates, she’s the person to call. Never before has your connection been stronger, and never before have you appreciated her so much.

Who are your top five friends?
Olivia has been writing ever since she can remember. She has written for health, teen, parenting, and children's magazines. Her latest endeavor is being a mom to her three-year-old daughter—her toughest assignment yet. Swap stories with her at threeolivias@yahoo.com.


http://ph.she.yahoo.com/five-friends-every-mommy-needs.html;