this piece, was supposed to post yesterday but I revised, revised and revised again because of the subject matter. I apologize for the delay.
The Dead Sea Squirrels>>>more
devotions from rbc ministries
great audio sermons to help you and I as parents:
Pastor Paul Shepard's
Raising Kids Right - Part 1a
Raising Kids Right - Part 1b
The devotion from today was kind of cute but will hit home to many parents. Children are a gift from God and they are amazing and it's very true, at a very young age children are like a sponge and soak up in their developing brain just about everything they hear or see. What you pass on to your children can be a blessing to you or a curse. In this day and age parents really do not believe that but it's true. We tell our children don't use profanity but if they hear you and I swearing all the time, don't be surprise if it's past down to them. As well as smoking, drinking, telling lies...that passes right down to them. Children are very smart, very intelligent, they do what we do many times, not what we say.
I knew at a early age I didn't want children because I knew in my early 20's what it would take to raise children and I could not give them; quality time, quantity time, health insurance, love, love and more love. My prayers are with parents today, especially single parents because you have a much greater challenge today. I am a 1970's child(born in 1965...to many in Vox that makes me as old as Duncan McCloud of the Clan McCloud) to me the last era of most parents really being involved with their children's lives. That was the last era that when a teacher sent a note home with you it wasn't going to very pretty once your parents saw it; it was the last decade when most teachers and parents worked as a team.
When I hear now how some parents jump all over the teachers first then ask questions later it makes me cringe. Some parents have the right to do so because not all teachers are perfect and lets be honest, some teachers should not be in our school system at all but most teachers are dedicated educators and are working on a limited budget as it is and to compound that with some parents who are not teaching their children manners and having respect for authority only makes the matter worse.
My wife and I have been married for over 6 years now and it's been challenging everyday because of the struggle between me and the step children. She was married for 16 years previously and her ex husband and I are like night and day. Where he ran the streets, I'm a home body for the most part. Where I try everyday to put God first...her second...me third, the ex husband always put his needs before her or the children. Their children are grown and out of the house but guess who they gravitate too? Maybe later in life they will realize their father did more harm than good but for now it's a everyday struggle between us because when deep down inside when you have on man figure who tried to be their "buddy" and another that's trying to set Godly principles and values in their lives of course they're going to gravitate to the former, it's human nature. Later in life they will realize I was trying to prepare them for life and not trying to be a dictator...time will tell.
Parents today have a very challenging road ahead, your choices in finances, friends, how you treat and communicate with your spouse is being watch very closely by your children. And with all this from the world teaching children it's okay to live together without marriage, it's okay to sleep around, it's okay to live by your rules and your rules alone, not having respect for authority. We can not shelter our children, have them live in a plastic bubble but when applying the Word of God, letting your children see that you and I are not perfect and seeing you and I apologize when we're wrong, treating people the way we wish to be treated will go a very long way in their lives. Will our children make some mistakes in their lives, yes...will they push against the principles we are trying to teach them...yes; but will they respect and love you and I down the road...YES!! It's better to teach, discipline, correct your children when they are young than try to raise them once their grown and you and I as parents will not have to live with many regrets if they do choice to go down the "wrong" road of life.
The book of proverbs gives a very good blueprint on how we should raise our children. If we go by those principles and our children still choose a path of chaos and destruction for their lives, you will feel less regrets because you have placed within them Godly principles and we must remember God has given all of us free will to choose our path in life. Parents that haven't taught these principles, does this make you terrible parents, of course not. My mother was a God fearing woman but I did not know anything about the book of Proverbs until I became an adult. We as parents do the best with what we know and what tools we have at the time, this is just another tool I am passing on to you because nothing is more hurtful than to have past regrets hanging over our heads and weighing heavy on our hearts.
Like I have written before, I do this out of love and I'm not trying to be popular, I'm trying to live God's way. I grew up on both sides of the fence and let me tell you, I will have to live with some of the choices I have made for the rest of my life and I can not take them back. I'm not perfect, we as parents are not perfect but doing things God's way will bring more joy than pain when raising children and less guilt in our lives.
Be Blessed, Be Safe, &
Have a Great Day
DarrenKeith~
Praying For Our Children
from Christian Embassy Church
Joy
"Heavenly Father, grant that my children would be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit".
1 Thessalonians 1:6
from Christian Embassy Church
Joy
"Heavenly Father, grant that my children would be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit".
1 Thessalonians 1:6
other devotional readings for Friday:
audio messages for Friday:
tech news for Friday:
- Expectations, tempers rise as PS3 debut nears
- Extended Warranties Unwarranted, Except For Apple's
- Open source, from Apache to Zimbra
tech podcast for the noggin:
national & world news:
- Boil-water advisory hits millions in Vancouver
- Military may ask $127B for wars
- Letter from China: Growing Chinese trade with Africa a threat
