1. First & foremost, love your child. Self-esteem is a valuable
Commodity. A few kind words or a simple hug from you as your
Children are growing up could save thousands of dollars in therapy
Bills down the road.
2. It is essential to the continued good health &well-being of any
Parent to cultivate a possitive outlook as much as possible. No, I
Don't mean running out &joining the Barney fan club. What I mean is
That it is important to welcome every good thing that comes into
Your life, so that as you show gratitude, your child learns to
Likewise develop gratitude. You can't expect your child to develop
Such things without first learning them from you.
3. As a parent, you have incredible power &influence in shaping the
Life &attitudes of your child. Its a big responsibility. Being a
Parent is a task &obligation that defines us, our role, &our
Community from that point onward. Parents shape the future through
Their children. Think about what you teach your child, the words you
Use around them, &the way you respond to their needs &demands.
4. Be fair, honest, &open in how you treat your child. No good comes
From lying to your children. Attempting to teach your child the
Concepts of honor, integrity, &honesty will force you to adhere to
These same things. If that doesn't teach you some humility, nothing
Will.
5. The best thing about being a parent is that you get to do all the
Things you wish you could have done as a kid, &in a way you can heal
You own inner child.
6. I do not preach to my child. I dislike proselytizing, &will not
Condone it in my home. I raise my child to be tolerant of other
Religions. I encourage my child to think for herself, to make up her
Own mind, &to feel free to discuss or question anything. If I can't
Explain to her that I need to get some sleep so I can go to work in
The morning, how am I going to explain such things as manners,
Bounderies, spirituality, or (eventually) sexuality to her? I see my
Child developing in leaps &bounds &going places I could never have
Gone at her age. Watching her grow has given me a renewed
&deepenedrespect &reverance for the way life works.
7. Laugh &play with your children. Be part of their fun. It will
Strengthen your bond &it can heal a lot of the grimness &hardness we
All accumulate over the years. Your kids can teach you a lot about
How to be happy, to reconnect with the child-self within all of us
&how to make life special again.
8. Act responsibly &show some respect to your children. If they want
To follow in your footsteps, there's plenty of time to do things
Right. Your children don't have to be initiated to grow up within
The Craft. When &where it's appropriate, include you children.
Create your own rituals together, traditions that the whole family
Can share &take pride &pleasure in. Provide them with suitable
Activities, like seasonal crafts &decorating the house. Take this
Special time to teach your children the stories &myths, the reasons
You do what you do. Give them the chance to participate in the fun
Pagan stuff &don't make a big deal about what goes on in the circle -
- leave that for another day, when they are more mature &ready to
Deal with it in a spiritual context.
9. Always let your child know that you love them &take pride in
Them, no matter what. The three most powerful magic words in the
English language are "I love you." Don't be afraid to use them on
Your kids frequently.
10. You're human &make mistakes. WE all know this. Make sure that
Your children know this, too. That way they'll know its ok for them
To make mistakes, &then they won't have to watch as you fall off of
That pedestal they might have built for you. Their expectations are
Shaped in response to your own. Cut them a little more slack than
You do yourself. They haven't made all the same choices you have,
&they may see things differently than you do.
11. Empower your kids. Teach them how to get things done. As they
Get older, show them how to do things for themselves. Learning how
To cook or help to so the laundry can cultivate problem-solving
Skills better than practically anything else. After a few domestic
Training sessions, you'll find the shared context useful in
Explaining all manner of things to them down the road.
12. Encourage your children to read, first by reading to them, then
by having them read to you. One of the most powerful &important acts
of magic in literacy. This is a very important gift to give your
child, &one that will enrich &enhance their life.
13. Listen to your children. They can sometimes teach you a great
deal about things you probably have been taking for granted for a
long time. Just remember that you're the parent &it's up to you to
set the limits &boundaries for you children, not the other way
around. Give them their say, but the final decision is yours.
GOT THIS FROM: Michele from HomesteadBlogger
www.homesteadblogger.com/MicheleC11/
Friday, May 28, 2010
TEACHING OUR CHILDREN TO LOVE GOD
by
Julia M. Faulkner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Deuteronomy 6: 5, 6, & 7, we read that we should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and might. It also says for us to teach these words to our children, telling very specifically how to do this. But I believe it would be wise if we were first ask ourselves if we can truly say we love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and might. Practice what you preach definitely applies here (I Timothy 4:12).
Take some time to study the following verses. First of all, why should you love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and might? Romans 6: 6?9, 2 Corinthians 5: 17 & 18, Romans 5:6, and Romans 12:1 are just a few reasons we should be able to love the Lord so fully! Then you might ask yourself how you can love the Lord in such a way. Read 1 John 3:18 and Hebrews 1:9. As an example of what not to do, study Ezekiel 33:31. Finally you need to see if there are things hindering you from loving the Lord as you should. Just a few verses of scripture should have you searching your heart. Galatians 1:10, Luke 16:13, & Matthew 6:21 are just a few examples of hindrances in our love for the Lord. More specifically, where is your heart? Have you left your first love (Revelation 2:4)? Then you need to claim I John 1:9 and seek God's forgiveness.
Now that we have examined our own love for the Lord, how do we go about teaching our children? First off, we must begin when they are young, as pointed out in Proverbs 22:6 and II Timothy 3:14, 15. You can never begin too soon! Ephesians 6:4 is a very helpful verse.
The most logical way to begin is to show your child what the Bible says about God and his love for man. The following verses will help your child know exactly how much God loves him/her: I John 4: 19 (God loved us first), John 3:16 (God loves the world and sent His son), and Romans 5:8 should get you started. I would suggest helping you child(ren) memorize these verses as soon their verbal skills will allow. Usually 2 or 2 1/2 years is a good time.
I John 4:19 tells us that we love God because he loved us first. I don't think we can teach our children about loving God without first teaching this very important verse. From there I suggest teaching Romans 3:23 and 6:23. These two verses talk about man's sin and God's gift of eternal life. Not only does the child see the extent of God's love here, it's an early introduction to the plan of salvation! And isn't that the ultimate goal? If a child never realizes how much God loves him/her, how can he ever accept the wonderful sacrifice of God's son for our unrighteousness?
To me the sweetest memory is of my children singing "Jesus Loves Me" when they were but about 2 years old. II Corinthians 9:6 is an especially encouraging verse for parents trying to raise children in a Godly manner. Basically it says that we reap what we sow! So be careful of what you allow to be planted in your child's mind. One of the worst offenders is the television. But music, books, friends, and many other factors influence your child in undesirable ways.
Read Proverbs 19:27. If you teach your child right from wrong as each situation arises (i.e. bad language on TV. ? tell him/her that it is displeasing to God, and change the channel!), then they will remember the right thing to do next time the incident comes up. You'll be surprised at how often you'll be witnessing to your child about what does and does not please God. "Train up a child . . ." (Proverbs 22:6) is basically what I'm trying to say here.
I cannot say enough about how important it is to begin teaching our children from a very young age. I'm sure that it makes as much sense to you as it does to me that it is easier to teach correct behavior and attitude from the start, than to have to go back and correct it later on. Proverbs 22:6 really does work wonders! It takes more effort to change someone's thinking about something than to start out doing the right thing from the beginning. You've heard the old saying about someone being "set in his ways"? Well, it does not take a child very long to become accustomed to undesirable habits.
Pray with your child daily at times other than meals and bedtime. One suggestion would be to pray with your child each morning before he/she leaves for school for the day. It is a scary thought to think of the influences our children are exposed to when we are not there. So, in light of that thought, pray that the Lord will help your child to know what is right and wrong and that they will be able to resist the pressure of their peers to participate in behavior and activities that are not in alignment with what they have been taught at home. Also ask God to help your child to be a good witness for Him.
Can you think of other things to pray for? If your child is having any problems at school (teacher, bullies, school work), help him/her to memorize 1 Peter 5:7. I have often helped Elizabeth pray that the Lord would help her to do well on tests and school work (especially if she was having any particular difficulties). Doing these few simple things will help cultivate your child's trust in the Lord.
But don't forget what I Thessalonians 5:18 says (a good verse to memorize). To give thanks!
As I come to a close, I would like to share with you a few ideas in training up your child. These things really don't take long, but the rewards will be well worth your effort. Besides the memorizing of scripture, I recommend reading the Bible to your child(ren) daily. And I don't mean bible story books, either! Take your Bible and read from it to them. When a child is able to read on their own, let him/her read to you. While it is true that there are some long, hard words to read, there are plenty of passages simple enough for even a child to read. The point is to teach good habits for personal Bible study. For any of us not reared in such a manner, the importance of this practice should be very clear. I still struggle with being dedicated in my daily Bible study. At any rate, a good time to do this is right after school or right before bedtime. An extra benefit of doing this is the precious memories the child will have of you sharing God and His word. It blesses my heart to hear preachers talk about how their parents did this very thing with them when they were growing up. Don't you want to be remembered as a godly parent? I know I do, but I often fail.
My final point is to simply talk to your child everyday about God and His love for him/her. According to Deuteronomy 6:7 we should be talking to our children about God all the day long. From the time we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night. I like to play a little game each night as I tuck the children into bed. After they have said their prayers, I ask each child who loves them the most; even more than mommy or daddy. The answer of course is Jesus! And then I ask them if they know how much that Jesus loves them, and what did Jesus do to show his love? He died on the cross to save us from our sin, so that we can one day come and live with Him in Heaven. Even Rebekah at two years of age could answer these questions. Although she may not have fully understood what it all meant, I knew I had planted the seed.
If you will just follow the few simple ideas I've given you here (start young, read the Bible to your child, help them to memorize scripture, and so forth), then I'm convinced that your child won't have much trouble loving the Lord his God with all of his heart, soul, and might!
Note ? You may wonder why I did not include the scripture text with the references I gave. It is really quite simple. While I wanted to give scripture to back up what I tried to say here, I feel that it is your responsibility to look up the text during you private bible study time. Please don't just read over what I've written. Take the time to look up all of the verses I've included. You never know what God will show you!
by
Julia M. Faulkner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Deuteronomy 6: 5, 6, & 7, we read that we should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and might. It also says for us to teach these words to our children, telling very specifically how to do this. But I believe it would be wise if we were first ask ourselves if we can truly say we love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and might. Practice what you preach definitely applies here (I Timothy 4:12).
Take some time to study the following verses. First of all, why should you love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and might? Romans 6: 6?9, 2 Corinthians 5: 17 & 18, Romans 5:6, and Romans 12:1 are just a few reasons we should be able to love the Lord so fully! Then you might ask yourself how you can love the Lord in such a way. Read 1 John 3:18 and Hebrews 1:9. As an example of what not to do, study Ezekiel 33:31. Finally you need to see if there are things hindering you from loving the Lord as you should. Just a few verses of scripture should have you searching your heart. Galatians 1:10, Luke 16:13, & Matthew 6:21 are just a few examples of hindrances in our love for the Lord. More specifically, where is your heart? Have you left your first love (Revelation 2:4)? Then you need to claim I John 1:9 and seek God's forgiveness.
Now that we have examined our own love for the Lord, how do we go about teaching our children? First off, we must begin when they are young, as pointed out in Proverbs 22:6 and II Timothy 3:14, 15. You can never begin too soon! Ephesians 6:4 is a very helpful verse.
The most logical way to begin is to show your child what the Bible says about God and his love for man. The following verses will help your child know exactly how much God loves him/her: I John 4: 19 (God loved us first), John 3:16 (God loves the world and sent His son), and Romans 5:8 should get you started. I would suggest helping you child(ren) memorize these verses as soon their verbal skills will allow. Usually 2 or 2 1/2 years is a good time.
I John 4:19 tells us that we love God because he loved us first. I don't think we can teach our children about loving God without first teaching this very important verse. From there I suggest teaching Romans 3:23 and 6:23. These two verses talk about man's sin and God's gift of eternal life. Not only does the child see the extent of God's love here, it's an early introduction to the plan of salvation! And isn't that the ultimate goal? If a child never realizes how much God loves him/her, how can he ever accept the wonderful sacrifice of God's son for our unrighteousness?
To me the sweetest memory is of my children singing "Jesus Loves Me" when they were but about 2 years old. II Corinthians 9:6 is an especially encouraging verse for parents trying to raise children in a Godly manner. Basically it says that we reap what we sow! So be careful of what you allow to be planted in your child's mind. One of the worst offenders is the television. But music, books, friends, and many other factors influence your child in undesirable ways.
Read Proverbs 19:27. If you teach your child right from wrong as each situation arises (i.e. bad language on TV. ? tell him/her that it is displeasing to God, and change the channel!), then they will remember the right thing to do next time the incident comes up. You'll be surprised at how often you'll be witnessing to your child about what does and does not please God. "Train up a child . . ." (Proverbs 22:6) is basically what I'm trying to say here.
I cannot say enough about how important it is to begin teaching our children from a very young age. I'm sure that it makes as much sense to you as it does to me that it is easier to teach correct behavior and attitude from the start, than to have to go back and correct it later on. Proverbs 22:6 really does work wonders! It takes more effort to change someone's thinking about something than to start out doing the right thing from the beginning. You've heard the old saying about someone being "set in his ways"? Well, it does not take a child very long to become accustomed to undesirable habits.
Pray with your child daily at times other than meals and bedtime. One suggestion would be to pray with your child each morning before he/she leaves for school for the day. It is a scary thought to think of the influences our children are exposed to when we are not there. So, in light of that thought, pray that the Lord will help your child to know what is right and wrong and that they will be able to resist the pressure of their peers to participate in behavior and activities that are not in alignment with what they have been taught at home. Also ask God to help your child to be a good witness for Him.
Can you think of other things to pray for? If your child is having any problems at school (teacher, bullies, school work), help him/her to memorize 1 Peter 5:7. I have often helped Elizabeth pray that the Lord would help her to do well on tests and school work (especially if she was having any particular difficulties). Doing these few simple things will help cultivate your child's trust in the Lord.
But don't forget what I Thessalonians 5:18 says (a good verse to memorize). To give thanks!
As I come to a close, I would like to share with you a few ideas in training up your child. These things really don't take long, but the rewards will be well worth your effort. Besides the memorizing of scripture, I recommend reading the Bible to your child(ren) daily. And I don't mean bible story books, either! Take your Bible and read from it to them. When a child is able to read on their own, let him/her read to you. While it is true that there are some long, hard words to read, there are plenty of passages simple enough for even a child to read. The point is to teach good habits for personal Bible study. For any of us not reared in such a manner, the importance of this practice should be very clear. I still struggle with being dedicated in my daily Bible study. At any rate, a good time to do this is right after school or right before bedtime. An extra benefit of doing this is the precious memories the child will have of you sharing God and His word. It blesses my heart to hear preachers talk about how their parents did this very thing with them when they were growing up. Don't you want to be remembered as a godly parent? I know I do, but I often fail.
My final point is to simply talk to your child everyday about God and His love for him/her. According to Deuteronomy 6:7 we should be talking to our children about God all the day long. From the time we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night. I like to play a little game each night as I tuck the children into bed. After they have said their prayers, I ask each child who loves them the most; even more than mommy or daddy. The answer of course is Jesus! And then I ask them if they know how much that Jesus loves them, and what did Jesus do to show his love? He died on the cross to save us from our sin, so that we can one day come and live with Him in Heaven. Even Rebekah at two years of age could answer these questions. Although she may not have fully understood what it all meant, I knew I had planted the seed.
If you will just follow the few simple ideas I've given you here (start young, read the Bible to your child, help them to memorize scripture, and so forth), then I'm convinced that your child won't have much trouble loving the Lord his God with all of his heart, soul, and might!
Note ? You may wonder why I did not include the scripture text with the references I gave. It is really quite simple. While I wanted to give scripture to back up what I tried to say here, I feel that it is your responsibility to look up the text during you private bible study time. Please don't just read over what I've written. Take the time to look up all of the verses I've included. You never know what God will show you!
Titus 2 Conference...
I am trying to get a conference set up at our Church on Oct. 1-3, Lord willing, with the Maxwell's from http://titus2.com/. Any who are close by King's Mountain, NC then or maybe your family would like to plan your vacation for that time and come join us.
There will be food, fellowship, singing, preaching and of course a great conference from the Maxwell's. So please come and join us for this great time of worship, fellowship and teaching. Here is the website to our Church with the address http://lovevalleybaptist.com/
~Christian Country Mama~
There will be food, fellowship, singing, preaching and of course a great conference from the Maxwell's. So please come and join us for this great time of worship, fellowship and teaching. Here is the website to our Church with the address http://lovevalleybaptist.com/
~Christian Country Mama~
Friday, May 21, 2010
Welcome!
This is my Blog about my girls and their school work and events in our class room. I will be posting some of their class work, activities and field trips that we go to.
Below are pictures of my girls on our first week of school this past year.
Because of the move and trying to get settled in, we've went a bit on the slow side this year. BUT we will be having classes this summer a bit, to try to catch us up.
Tuesday, May 25th our Home School group is suppose to be going to the zoo, in Asheville, NC or it may be Columbia, SC, either way I will be taking pictures and post a few of them on here! It will be "our" first time at a zoo together. And "my" first time since I was about 12, I believe. :0P
Well that is about all for now, but I will post more soon. Thanks for stopping by and Blessings to all.
~Christian Country Mama~
Below are pictures of my girls on our first week of school this past year.
Because of the move and trying to get settled in, we've went a bit on the slow side this year. BUT we will be having classes this summer a bit, to try to catch us up.
Tuesday, May 25th our Home School group is suppose to be going to the zoo, in Asheville, NC or it may be Columbia, SC, either way I will be taking pictures and post a few of them on here! It will be "our" first time at a zoo together. And "my" first time since I was about 12, I believe.
Well that is about all for now, but I will post more soon. Thanks for stopping by and Blessings to all.
~Christian Country Mama~
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