The "Gift" of Our Example

Wow!.... where did the time go!..I think time travels faster the older you get so please be patient with all of us senior citizens who seem too slow on the highways and who just don't have the "rush" of life in our step anymore.  So, it is not that I have neglected the blog, I just turned around the other day and it was Thanksgiving and just turned back and now it is DECEMBER 1! ..Time is rushing by.  

This year our youngest son decided that it would be fun to go to Wal Mart for the midnight sale! ( I usually am sitting waiting for the sun to go down so I can go to bed) But like any good parent, we headed out to get the crock pot that we so desperately needed! It was an amazing experience!  Herds of people headed to different parts of the store forming groups of "deal seekers" waiting for the big announcement over the loud speaker. "It is midnight! GRAB EVERYTHING YOU CAN!" What fun!...grocery carts were like bumper cars!.. Joy was everywhere as people walked off with big smiles and discounted gifts!... Parents, especially, were willing to stand in long lines outside shopping centers all night just to get that special gift for their children. It was really an example of how giving that special "gift" is such an expression of bonding love.  We do well with giving that which unfortunately has no eternal value . We should and if wise, take those opportunities to point to the greatest gift ever given to mankind... Jesus Christ.

As parents, we must also give to our children the "gift" of our example.  Following Christ for our children is most often taught by our walking in the fear of the Lord all the day.  It is probably the best gift we can give our children. Here are a few more things to remember to put under their "tree" this Christmas:

1."Seek to train your children to understand the connection between seeing good and always being blessed and happy, and doing good where we always choose what is right, and being good, having a heart filled with the fear and love of God."

2."Let them see you walk in the fear of the Lord all the day. His holy presence resting on you and brought with you into daily life."

3."Let them see in your conduct that religion is a holy sentiment and emotion, a power in the heart which moves the will in everything to do what is good."

4."Let the light of your eyes and the brightness of your face be the exposition and the confirmation of God's truth, 'Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.' "

May you have a joyous Christmas with the gift of Christ evident in all that you give this season and may our prayer be for the new year to come be, "Lord, help me to teach them the fear of the Lord by instruction, and example, and the spirit of my life. May thoughtfulness, and truthfulness, and love mark the conversation of my home."
(quotes from Andrew Murray)

Back to School: Notebooks, Crayons, and Worldviews

As an administrator for many years in christian schools, I have found that the start of school is always exciting and what a thrill to spend all that money on book bags, school supplies, new clothes, etc.  I am amazed at how important it all has become!  As a student myself in a long bygone era, I would save the best paper sacks for the wrapping of my books so they would not get damaged. I designed each cover with great creativity!..It wasn't just a math book cover but an artistic wonder for all to see. In today's society, we can spend a good amount of money to get our kids and youth "fashionably" prepared for the first day of school. Many of us went out the door with a piece of toast in our mouth, a kiss on the cheek, money pinned in our pocket for milk, and a load of books under our arm!  How things have changed!  Through the years, I have watched under arm books turn to book bags and eventually book carriers on wheels! Most schools today look more like an airport terminal than a school hallway and it is just as much trouble to get a book bag on wheels into a locker as it is to put a carry on in an overhead compartment! I am afraid that we have become too distracted by the material necessities of school and it has consumed the time we need to prayerfully sit down and look at the academic journey ahead of our children for a new year.  Regardless of a child's age, each parent needs to understand the following in relationship to the academic environment and curriculum their child will be introduced to.  A parent needs to understand and pray about:

• Worldview: What is the worldview being expressed in curriculum, and in the classroom?
• Partnership: How will I have a working communication with the academic leaders overseeing my child's academic journey?
• Keeping a Biblical Mind:  Through the curriculum offered, how can I foster a biblically-integrated approach in their thinking?

 Remember, a worldview is a set of basic beliefs and assumptions about life and reality.  It answers what a person believes about the nature and purpose of life in our world. It provides meaning, and it guides and directs the thoughts and actions of its followers. Our educational systems are now full of "worldviews" and it is important that we understand what they are and how they will influence the direction of a classroom. What is your worldview and what is the worldview of the academic leadership you are placing your child under?

I am assuming you are close to having everything ready to go: book bags, lunch boxes (or should I say lunch coolers, peanut butter and jelly are probably not selling well these days.), and I trust a good time of family prayer.  Don't let them out the door without it. And remember that you are designed and gifted by God to direct your child's academic, emotional, and spiritual journey as mandated in Deuteronomy 6.
So be a Christlike partner with your child's teaching staff and as in days of old send an "apple" on the first day. Any "fruit of the Spirit" will do. 

Establishing the journey of Parenting

Ross Campbell, M.D once wrote "... the pathway of parenting, from birth to adolescence, is like a trail that begins in a sun-bathed clearing and twists into an ever more tangled forest, with many unanticipated "crossroads" where difficult decisions must be made. No child is the same; no choice is the same."  I think that all too often we as parents failed to recognize that "tangled forests" can not be avoided or ignored. I believe it is safe to say that the parent of today's driven society is having a difficult time keeping the child on course mainly because they have no idea where they are going.  It is important to prayerfully take the time to chart your child's life course. That journey will involve some serious soul searching on the parent's part to truly seek out God's will for their child's life.  Mapquest won't help but God's word will!  It is full of red and green lights; slow signs, stop signs, and yield signs. It provides a great map of life for your child.  To raise a child to be truly well balanced, Christ-centered, and able to maintain a Biblical worldview will take a greater commitment to the study and application of God's word by you!  If God can move mountains, he can untangle the forest that is ahead. As this new school year begins, find the promises of God that you can stand on and start charting your child's life course.  "For the promise is unto you, and to your children" Acts 2:39

welcome to PARENTING CROSSROADS

I have often said through the years that at times in my parenting journey I just needed a time of "dialogue" with someone over the "crossroads of parenting" that we all come to throughout this journey of raising a child. Often we just don't know which road to take and it can disrupt our goals and developmental directions for our children and youth.  It is my prayer that through the months ahead that with the wisdom that God can give and over 30 years of experience in parenting development, we can together find God's mind and His purpose for the child he has graciously given you.  My desire is to "lift your arms" in your responsibilities as parent and role model. PARENTING CROSSROADS  is an opportunity for you to find help, affirmation, and strength as you endeavor to discover God's blueprint for your child's life. At times, I will just write what is on my heart pertaining to the parenting progress or I will respond to issues in today's society and how we can establish a strong Biblical worldview for our youth to stand on.  Sometimes, I will just listen to your needs... and sometimes we will just pray together.