Tag Archives: children

The day after

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Christmas used to be fun when when I was young, but as I grew older, it has lost its magic and allure. For the last couple of years it has been anything but remarkable. One cannot enjoy Christmas with out being surrounded by people, children, family, gifts & fire works.

This Christmas it was just me and my mom taking turns staring at empty walls. I was hoping that I would receive some pics of my kids as a Christmas present, but that was not to be. Never mind the gifts I brought for them without even having a proper address to send to. I eventually got the address of the church that they attend.

I do not know how bachelors survive into their old age. I find it boring and depressing. So I am really not enjoying this phase of my life…. especially because my children are reaching out towards the cusp of adulthood.

Anyway Christmas is overpriced and oversold.  No one enjoys Christmas more that retailers and profiteers.

hil_robin_williams_about

 

 

 

 

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Some Things Never Change

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And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you.”
1 Chronicles 28:20

As a worldview, postmodernism is skeptical of historical, sweeping, or traditional truth. It says truth is defined by social and historical contexts. Therefore, what was true yesterday may no longer be true today.

Christians can be infected by postmodernism without realizing it. They can become skeptical of the Bible as a source of eternal truth. They can question whether one set of values, morals, and doctrines can be the same for every generation. Moses, when instructing parents about raising their children, took no such view. The instructions contained in God’s covenant were to be permanently incorporated into the lives of families in Israel, generation after generation. Times may change, but God never changes (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). God’s Word (1 Peter 1:23) and His will (1 John 2:17) remain the same.

As you prepare your children and grandchildren for living in changing times, make sure they build their lives on what never changes: God’s Word (Isaiah 40:8).

Teach Your Children Diligently

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And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children….
Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Deuteronomy 6 is the Bible’s premier passage on parenting. It tells us we should: (1) Love the Lord our God with all our hearts; (2) Study His Word constantly; (3) Teach our children diligently when we sit at home, walk down the street, go to bed at night, and get up in the morning (verses:5-7).

Parenting can be synonymous with mentoring, and parents should provide their youngsters’ first experience with discipleship. Take Abraham Lathem of Pennsylvania, for example. He loved the Bible and could quote most of the New Testament. He taught his son, Lance, to get up every morning to memorize Scripture. Lance became a Chicago pastor who encouraged his teenagers to memorize the book of Romans. One of his students, Bert Long, did so—and later established a tremendous ministry as a missionary physician in Africa.

Our greatest obligation as parents is to share God’s Word naturally with our children every day. When we fill ourselves with Scripture, our children get the overflow, and the effects can be lifelong and eternally lasting.

Trust Him With Your Children

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And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.”
Genesis 42:36

Few people worry more than parents. It’s hard to raise children in a culture like ours; most parents have lots of sleepless nights worrying about their kids, whatever their age. Sometimes we worry more about them as young adults than we did when they were schoolchildren or teenagers. Jacob’s sons nearly drove him crazy. When we read the story of Jacob’s twelve sons, we can understand why he told them, “You have bereaved me.” It’s a saga of corruption, rivalry, and even violence.

Yet somehow the sons of Jacob were ultimately resolved in the end. By the end of Genesis, they are reconciled; and by the end of the Bible, their names are on the gates of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12).

Parenting is filled with highs and lows. Store up the good moments, the golden moments, to get you through the tough ones. And whatever the moments bring, pray. The prayers of a righteous parent are powerful and effective. Whenever you’re tempted to say, “All these things are against me,” remember Romans 8:28—all these things are working for the good of those who love Him.

Blessed! Precious Is Our Family

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For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Colossians 1:9

How do you pray for family members? Our families are our greatest blessings—and sometimes our greatest burdens. When we have tension in our marriages or homes, we suffer deep pain, anger, or anxiety. When we’re worried about a loved one, the distress can become obsessive.

There are four things we can do in every circumstance: (1) Love unconditionally. Remember, loving someone doesn’t mean endorsing his or her behavior. (2) Model the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When you’re loving, joyful, peaceful and patient, it always improves the climate. (3) As much as possible, keep open the lines of communication. (4) Pray. Convert the prayers of Paul into prayers for your family. For example, the churches in the Colossian region were troubled, but Paul prayed: “…that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:9-10).

Our families are precious blessings that should be treated with prayer. Remember, God can do more with them than we can.

Jesus…is infinitely concerned about those we love and for whom we pray, and he wants to pray with us for them.
Jill Briscoe in “Prayer That Works”

Was I too harsh on you?
Is that why you had to leave?
I shirk at the though of my rage-
that which I hate the most.

I think about you everyday.
Remember how we used to play peek-a-boo.
how we used to tickle each other
wrestle and scare each other

There isn’t a day passed
Every waking moment
my minds eye is filled-
with your countenance

My heart sighs and heaves,
my brow scrunched with remorse.
I miss you so much.
Why did you have to go?

My folks told me
love flows downward more
than it flows upward
How true is that?

I will never deserve your love
because I was never there for you.

Never there to wipe your tears,
never there to hold you or give you a tight hug,
never there to play a game of Uno or Monopoly,
never there to share a laugh or an awkward moment

my world collapsed when u left.
There is a hole in my heart
and it yearns to be filled.

someone asked-
fill it with the love of GOD?
Really?
That was easy!

My will collapsed
walking about like a stray dog
edging towards anonymity
with a death wish for ambition.