AN UPDATE
To make this easier, I just got permission from my friend to use names for all these people y'all have been praying for. My friend's name is Lori and she really appreciates all the prayers. Lori's brother's name is Rusty and his wife, the expectant mother, is named Nicole. The baby's name is Spencer. After more deliberation the doctors have decided to do the C-section in the next 24-48 hours considering the instability of Nicole's blood pressure, its effects on Spencer, etc. So needless to say, the next two days are very critical. Add to this the situation with Lori and Rusty's parents, Donna and Sam. Sam has cancer and is in the middle of taking some very strong medication as part of a clinical trial. He's obviously feeling the effects of the medication and is not able to rest very well. Donna and Sam will have to leave right after the baby is born to go to Texas for more cancer treatments.
Again, thank you for your continued prayers. A final review of SACH is forthcoming very soon, I promise!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
PLEASE PRAY...
A good friend of mine has an urgent prayer need. Her brother and sister-in-law are pregnant with their first child. She was taken to the hospital yesterday and diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 27 weeks gestation. Unfortunately the baby, a boy, will have to be delivered today as the doctors have been unable to stabilize blood pressure, etc. Please pray for them today as the Lord brings them to mind. Added to this stress is the fact that the grandfather of this baby (the father of my friend and her brother) has lung and kidney cancer and is getting treatments in Texas every other week. They have to leave for Texas in a couple days so he can get his treatment so they will have to leave soon after the baby is born and in such a fragile state.
Thank you for your prayers for this family; they are Christians.
A good friend of mine has an urgent prayer need. Her brother and sister-in-law are pregnant with their first child. She was taken to the hospital yesterday and diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 27 weeks gestation. Unfortunately the baby, a boy, will have to be delivered today as the doctors have been unable to stabilize blood pressure, etc. Please pray for them today as the Lord brings them to mind. Added to this stress is the fact that the grandfather of this baby (the father of my friend and her brother) has lung and kidney cancer and is getting treatments in Texas every other week. They have to leave for Texas in a couple days so he can get his treatment so they will have to leave soon after the baby is born and in such a fragile state.
Thank you for your prayers for this family; they are Christians.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
APOLOGIES
VBS all week + tyranny of the urgent + a touch of laziness = no SACH review this week. Sorry.
Blessings on your week. What have y'all been doing? Go here to see who will be joining our family on July 9th!!)
VBS all week + tyranny of the urgent + a touch of laziness = no SACH review this week. Sorry.
Blessings on your week. What have y'all been doing? Go here to see who will be joining our family on July 9th!!)
A NEW ADDITION! (no, it's not a baby)
On July 9th, Lord willing, we will be picking up this little guy and bringing him home to join our happy family. Needless to say, we are busy preparing our home for the new arrival.
On July 9th, Lord willing, we will be picking up this little guy and bringing him home to join our happy family. Needless to say, we are busy preparing our home for the new arrival.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
SHEPHERDING A CHILD'S HEART - pt. 8
Before embarking on the review this week I wanted to respond to some points brought up in the last review. First of all I want to make it clear that I am not here to defend myself or Mr. Tripp. I earnestly pray that the things I write and the conclusions I come to are glorifying to God over and above all things. I am also not interested in making my blog an arena for all-out debate on the issue of spanking. I am sure there are other places to go and do that in cyberspace.
I think the main issue here is our interpretation of these critical passages in Proverbs. In rereading Sproul's book Knowing Scripture I've been reminded of this crucial point - to say that a passage of Scripture has two equally valid and yet opposite interpretations is saying that God speaks with a forked tongue. Therefore, the passages on the rod either mean God approves of spanking or it doesn't. At the end of the day we cannot come to the conclusion that it can mean both. One interpretation is right and one interpretation is wrong. I say this in all humility agreeing with Sproul when he says, "If my views cannot stand the test of objective analysis and verification, humility demands I abandon them." (Knowing Scripture, p.40) In the link to Dr. Sears' opinion on spanking, I found a very weak argument. He openly admits that while he has prayed for wisdom and come to the anti-spanking position others have prayed for wisdom and come to the opposite position. He then says that it seems that God is saying that this is not an either/or decision but that both sides should stay open to one another. What does that mean? It seems to me that he is taking the subjective stance to Scripture which Sproul has just warned us not to do. His article has a lot of unsubstantiated opinion in it (i.e. "Spanking can tend to devalue a child, making him feel weak and powerless. This kind of self-image will not help him fight off tempation in the future.") and his handling of Scripture is IMHO pretty sloppy. He makes the argument that the word rod does not mean a tool used for corporal punishment. He uses Psalm 23 to make this point, and states emphatically that a shepherd never uses his rod to physically punish his sheep. I was intrigued by this argument because I am not a shepherd and have never lived around sheep. But I did remember that I had a little book on my shelf called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. This is what I found in the section about the rod: "There is a second dimension in which the rod is used by the shepherd for the welfare of his sheep-namely that of discipline. If anything, the club(rod) is used for this purpose perhaps more than any other." So the argument that a shepherd never uses his rod to discipline his sheep is pretty weak in my opinion. Sears then quotes 1 Cor. 4:21 to make the argument against the rod - "Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness?" Using this as a prooftext to argue against the rod is really bad hermeneutics. This passage has nothing to do with parent/child relationships. It is talking about how Paul wants to admonish and exhort his fellow believers and new converts. If anything, this verse underscores the true meaning of the rod - an instrument used for corporal punishment. So I think Dr. Sears argument is, in the end, not biblically sound. The last point I want to make about this has to do with the nature of God. In humility, I want to argue that God has used the infliction of pain and suffering to mercifully and lovingly discipline and mold His children. The apostle Paul suffered prolonged pain from his "thorn in the flesh". We do not know what this was exactly but we know that God brought it and Paul learned to not exalt himself because of it. God allowed Job to go through tremendous physical suffering. Finally, I want to quote a big chunk of Hebrews 12(NASB) to further emphasize the relationship between how God disciplines and how he expects earthly fathers to discipline -
"For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and he scourges every son whom He receives. It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful ("painful" in ESV, NKJV, NRSV); yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
OK, now onto the review
Chapters 14 - Infancy to Childhood: Training Objectives
Chapters 15 - Infancy to Childhood: Training Procedures
Even though I agree with Tripp's main points in these chapters, I did have some reservations with his applications. First the good: Mr. Tripp states that ultimately obedience is not a parent/child issue but a child/God issue. Our children are called to obey us in the Lord. This is sobering to me and I am further encouraged to have the right goals, to give clear directives, and to be consistent. Tripp says that we are always training our children for better or for worse. Our children, especially in these formative years, need to understand the importance of submitting to authority. Now the bad news: there was one paragraph which seemed a little "Ezzo-ish" to me. He states, "Acquaint your children with authority and submission when they are infants. This training starts the day you bring them home from the hospital." When I read this I immediately thought of the strict schedule feeding that Ezzo promotes. While I employed Babywise methods with our children, I have recently come in contact with many godly mothers who do not use these methods and it has humbled me and opened my eyes. I was disappointed that Tripp never elaborated on the "how" of acquainting your newborn with authority and submission.
In chapter 15 I had a problem with the way he applies his theories on obedience. While I agree with his position on the rod and the need to teach our children to submit to authority, I felt uncomfortable with the way he presented his application. Ever since I became a parent I've read theories on discipline and how to discipline, just like everyone else. Over the years, thankfully, I've learned to beware of those teachers who imply that their application of the theory is the one right application. Again, we need to go back to the lessons of good hermeneutics. Sproul says, "A particular statement may have numerous possible personal applications, but it can only have one correct meaning." (Knowing Scripture p. 39) The interpretation of the rod passages in Proverbs can only have one correct meaning but the application of the rod in the home will look a little differently in different homes. This is the problem I have with chapter 15. Tripp makes the issues of discipline look too black-and-white. We all need much wisdom in implementing discipline. Each child is created differently with specific needs. There will be many different discipline situations throughout our children's lives. Any parent with more than one child can attest to the fact that they will have different struggles with different children and sometimes will not know what to do. Again, wisdom is paramount.
Before embarking on the review this week I wanted to respond to some points brought up in the last review. First of all I want to make it clear that I am not here to defend myself or Mr. Tripp. I earnestly pray that the things I write and the conclusions I come to are glorifying to God over and above all things. I am also not interested in making my blog an arena for all-out debate on the issue of spanking. I am sure there are other places to go and do that in cyberspace.
I think the main issue here is our interpretation of these critical passages in Proverbs. In rereading Sproul's book Knowing Scripture I've been reminded of this crucial point - to say that a passage of Scripture has two equally valid and yet opposite interpretations is saying that God speaks with a forked tongue. Therefore, the passages on the rod either mean God approves of spanking or it doesn't. At the end of the day we cannot come to the conclusion that it can mean both. One interpretation is right and one interpretation is wrong. I say this in all humility agreeing with Sproul when he says, "If my views cannot stand the test of objective analysis and verification, humility demands I abandon them." (Knowing Scripture, p.40) In the link to Dr. Sears' opinion on spanking, I found a very weak argument. He openly admits that while he has prayed for wisdom and come to the anti-spanking position others have prayed for wisdom and come to the opposite position. He then says that it seems that God is saying that this is not an either/or decision but that both sides should stay open to one another. What does that mean? It seems to me that he is taking the subjective stance to Scripture which Sproul has just warned us not to do. His article has a lot of unsubstantiated opinion in it (i.e. "Spanking can tend to devalue a child, making him feel weak and powerless. This kind of self-image will not help him fight off tempation in the future.") and his handling of Scripture is IMHO pretty sloppy. He makes the argument that the word rod does not mean a tool used for corporal punishment. He uses Psalm 23 to make this point, and states emphatically that a shepherd never uses his rod to physically punish his sheep. I was intrigued by this argument because I am not a shepherd and have never lived around sheep. But I did remember that I had a little book on my shelf called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller. This is what I found in the section about the rod: "There is a second dimension in which the rod is used by the shepherd for the welfare of his sheep-namely that of discipline. If anything, the club(rod) is used for this purpose perhaps more than any other." So the argument that a shepherd never uses his rod to discipline his sheep is pretty weak in my opinion. Sears then quotes 1 Cor. 4:21 to make the argument against the rod - "Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness?" Using this as a prooftext to argue against the rod is really bad hermeneutics. This passage has nothing to do with parent/child relationships. It is talking about how Paul wants to admonish and exhort his fellow believers and new converts. If anything, this verse underscores the true meaning of the rod - an instrument used for corporal punishment. So I think Dr. Sears argument is, in the end, not biblically sound. The last point I want to make about this has to do with the nature of God. In humility, I want to argue that God has used the infliction of pain and suffering to mercifully and lovingly discipline and mold His children. The apostle Paul suffered prolonged pain from his "thorn in the flesh". We do not know what this was exactly but we know that God brought it and Paul learned to not exalt himself because of it. God allowed Job to go through tremendous physical suffering. Finally, I want to quote a big chunk of Hebrews 12(NASB) to further emphasize the relationship between how God disciplines and how he expects earthly fathers to discipline -
"For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and he scourges every son whom He receives. It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful ("painful" in ESV, NKJV, NRSV); yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
OK, now onto the review
Chapters 14 - Infancy to Childhood: Training Objectives
Chapters 15 - Infancy to Childhood: Training Procedures
Even though I agree with Tripp's main points in these chapters, I did have some reservations with his applications. First the good: Mr. Tripp states that ultimately obedience is not a parent/child issue but a child/God issue. Our children are called to obey us in the Lord. This is sobering to me and I am further encouraged to have the right goals, to give clear directives, and to be consistent. Tripp says that we are always training our children for better or for worse. Our children, especially in these formative years, need to understand the importance of submitting to authority. Now the bad news: there was one paragraph which seemed a little "Ezzo-ish" to me. He states, "Acquaint your children with authority and submission when they are infants. This training starts the day you bring them home from the hospital." When I read this I immediately thought of the strict schedule feeding that Ezzo promotes. While I employed Babywise methods with our children, I have recently come in contact with many godly mothers who do not use these methods and it has humbled me and opened my eyes. I was disappointed that Tripp never elaborated on the "how" of acquainting your newborn with authority and submission.
In chapter 15 I had a problem with the way he applies his theories on obedience. While I agree with his position on the rod and the need to teach our children to submit to authority, I felt uncomfortable with the way he presented his application. Ever since I became a parent I've read theories on discipline and how to discipline, just like everyone else. Over the years, thankfully, I've learned to beware of those teachers who imply that their application of the theory is the one right application. Again, we need to go back to the lessons of good hermeneutics. Sproul says, "A particular statement may have numerous possible personal applications, but it can only have one correct meaning." (Knowing Scripture p. 39) The interpretation of the rod passages in Proverbs can only have one correct meaning but the application of the rod in the home will look a little differently in different homes. This is the problem I have with chapter 15. Tripp makes the issues of discipline look too black-and-white. We all need much wisdom in implementing discipline. Each child is created differently with specific needs. There will be many different discipline situations throughout our children's lives. Any parent with more than one child can attest to the fact that they will have different struggles with different children and sometimes will not know what to do. Again, wisdom is paramount.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Thursday, June 09, 2005
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER...
Please go over to Jay and Ruthanne's site and rejoice with them as they just welcomed their 8th child into this world. Her name is Jalena Pearl and she was born just after midnight. Maybe soon I will finally be able to meet this fine family and their newest blessing. There are quite a number of "blog-sisters" in Alabama.
Blessings to you Jalena, Jay, Ruthanne and all the Shepherd family!!!
Please go over to Jay and Ruthanne's site and rejoice with them as they just welcomed their 8th child into this world. Her name is Jalena Pearl and she was born just after midnight. Maybe soon I will finally be able to meet this fine family and their newest blessing. There are quite a number of "blog-sisters" in Alabama.
Blessings to you Jalena, Jay, Ruthanne and all the Shepherd family!!!
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
SHEPHERDING A CHILD'S HEART - pt. 7
Today we get into the controversial stuff I suspect because we'll be talking about the rod. I'm glad Karen and Lis are joining in as we consider these next two chapters.
Chapter 11 - Embracing Biblical Methods: The Rod
It's important to keep in mind that in this chapter Tripp is only laying out the why of using the rod, not the how or when. I had to keep reminding myself of that because a lot of the time I just want to rush into the checklist of when to spank and how to spank.
We ended last week with the need to have rich and varied communication with our children. In this chapter Tripp emphasizes from Scripture that there is a deeper need inside your children which communication alone cannot address. He says, "The child's problem is not an information deficit. His problem is that he is a sinner...The rod functions in this context. It is addressed to needs within the child. These needs cannot be met by mere talk." He then goes on to quote Proverbs 22:15 ~ "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Throughout this chapter Tripp emphasizes from Scripture the depth of the child's need, the God-ordained method of using the rod to address that need and the severity of the consequences if the child is left undisciplined. In a short paragraph here is Tripp's definition of the rod ~
"The rod is a parent, in faith toward God and faithfulness toward his or her children, undertaking the responsibility of careful, timely, measured and controlled use of physical punishment to underscore the importance of obeying God, thus rescuing the child from continuing in his foolishness until death."
Tripp then goes on to elaborate on the things the rod is not~
Not the Right to Unbridled Temper
Not the Right to Hit Our Children Whenever We Wish
Not Venting of Frustration
Not Retribution - it is not a payment due, it has a goal of restoration
Not Associated with Anger
Then he answers some objections to the rod and concludes with the fruit of the rod. He also makes the point that the use of all these methods must be balanced. Communication and the rod go hand and hand. This is where I need to do the most work I think.
I don't want to just gloss over these last things but I think I can address them by saying this: I believe Tripp's points are in line with Scripture. He continues to come back to Scripture to back up the assertions he gets from Scripture. We use the rod in our home (in my case it's a wooden spoon.) I am thankful for the teaching I received on the use of the rod early in my journey as a parent. What is in this chapter is much needed reinforcement for me. I received wise counsel from many different people who I respect as parents. I have seen the fruit of properly and calmly administered corporal discipline. This doesn't mean that I don't struggle with it though. As with many other areas of life, it comes down to belief. Do I believe what God's word says and do I fear Him enough to obey Him instead of my own desires or the popular wisdom of this age? I think questions arise when we read these proverbs which have such severe warnings for children who are not disciplined with the rod and then we look at ourselves or other people who have turned out just fine without being spanked. I think the problem there is we can never have a crystal clear picture of what is going on in the hearts of our chilren. Are we going to trust our own incomplete observations or are we going to trust in what our God and King has said in His holy, inerrant word? He created our children, He wove them together in our own wombs! Should we not trust Him then? He knows our children and their needs to an exponentially greater extent than we do.
I don't mean to judge or condemn any who read this who do not use the rod. I have never met 99% of those people who read my blog. I don't have an understanding of your particular family dynamic. So if you have a problem with what Tripp has laid out please back it up with Scripture and speak kindly.
Chapter 12 - Embracing Biblical Methods: Appeal to the Conscience
In this chapter Tripp does not introduce another method but further emphasizes what must be the foundation of all our correction and shepherding as a parent ~ the gospel. Our discipline must open our children's eyes to their sin so we may lead them to the cross. Again the point of all this is not so our children can live up to some keepable standard. The whole point is to show them that they can't but Jesus delivered Himself up for them so they may be free from the power of sin and death so they may glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
I fail as a parent every day. My job as a parent isn't to try to live up to some keepable standard either. I need to preach the gospel to myself as well and continually offer back my children to Him that He may do the inner work in their hearts that I cannot do even if I perfectly applied every biblical method there is. Pray and believe, pray and believe, pray and believe...
Today we get into the controversial stuff I suspect because we'll be talking about the rod. I'm glad Karen and Lis are joining in as we consider these next two chapters.
Chapter 11 - Embracing Biblical Methods: The Rod
It's important to keep in mind that in this chapter Tripp is only laying out the why of using the rod, not the how or when. I had to keep reminding myself of that because a lot of the time I just want to rush into the checklist of when to spank and how to spank.
We ended last week with the need to have rich and varied communication with our children. In this chapter Tripp emphasizes from Scripture that there is a deeper need inside your children which communication alone cannot address. He says, "The child's problem is not an information deficit. His problem is that he is a sinner...The rod functions in this context. It is addressed to needs within the child. These needs cannot be met by mere talk." He then goes on to quote Proverbs 22:15 ~ "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." Throughout this chapter Tripp emphasizes from Scripture the depth of the child's need, the God-ordained method of using the rod to address that need and the severity of the consequences if the child is left undisciplined. In a short paragraph here is Tripp's definition of the rod ~
"The rod is a parent, in faith toward God and faithfulness toward his or her children, undertaking the responsibility of careful, timely, measured and controlled use of physical punishment to underscore the importance of obeying God, thus rescuing the child from continuing in his foolishness until death."
Tripp then goes on to elaborate on the things the rod is not~
Not the Right to Unbridled Temper
Not the Right to Hit Our Children Whenever We Wish
Not Venting of Frustration
Not Retribution - it is not a payment due, it has a goal of restoration
Not Associated with Anger
Then he answers some objections to the rod and concludes with the fruit of the rod. He also makes the point that the use of all these methods must be balanced. Communication and the rod go hand and hand. This is where I need to do the most work I think.
I don't want to just gloss over these last things but I think I can address them by saying this: I believe Tripp's points are in line with Scripture. He continues to come back to Scripture to back up the assertions he gets from Scripture. We use the rod in our home (in my case it's a wooden spoon.) I am thankful for the teaching I received on the use of the rod early in my journey as a parent. What is in this chapter is much needed reinforcement for me. I received wise counsel from many different people who I respect as parents. I have seen the fruit of properly and calmly administered corporal discipline. This doesn't mean that I don't struggle with it though. As with many other areas of life, it comes down to belief. Do I believe what God's word says and do I fear Him enough to obey Him instead of my own desires or the popular wisdom of this age? I think questions arise when we read these proverbs which have such severe warnings for children who are not disciplined with the rod and then we look at ourselves or other people who have turned out just fine without being spanked. I think the problem there is we can never have a crystal clear picture of what is going on in the hearts of our chilren. Are we going to trust our own incomplete observations or are we going to trust in what our God and King has said in His holy, inerrant word? He created our children, He wove them together in our own wombs! Should we not trust Him then? He knows our children and their needs to an exponentially greater extent than we do.
I don't mean to judge or condemn any who read this who do not use the rod. I have never met 99% of those people who read my blog. I don't have an understanding of your particular family dynamic. So if you have a problem with what Tripp has laid out please back it up with Scripture and speak kindly.
Chapter 12 - Embracing Biblical Methods: Appeal to the Conscience
In this chapter Tripp does not introduce another method but further emphasizes what must be the foundation of all our correction and shepherding as a parent ~ the gospel. Our discipline must open our children's eyes to their sin so we may lead them to the cross. Again the point of all this is not so our children can live up to some keepable standard. The whole point is to show them that they can't but Jesus delivered Himself up for them so they may be free from the power of sin and death so they may glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
I fail as a parent every day. My job as a parent isn't to try to live up to some keepable standard either. I need to preach the gospel to myself as well and continually offer back my children to Him that He may do the inner work in their hearts that I cannot do even if I perfectly applied every biblical method there is. Pray and believe, pray and believe, pray and believe...
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
I AM IN A FIGHT...
I am fighting for delight, for joy, for more faith. From the end of February until about the middle of April it seemed I was living Habakkuk 3:19 ~
"The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places."
The intimacy with the Lord through His word was so rich and almost tangible. Lately I haven't been treading those high places as much. In the past I would get so down on myself that I was so up and down spiritually. I would expect these times to last forever and I was sure I had found IT - the one method for a higher plane of spiritual existence.
I praise God for what He has taught me and what I experienced during those six weeks. So what do I do now? I am still in this flesh, I am still here on this earth with its decay and trouble. It is a fight, it is a struggle - this life of faith. Why do I keep forgetting that? Why am I so complacent sometimes and even cynical. Here RC Jr. describes the deadly result of cynicism - a hardened, cold heart. And here John Piper preaches on fighting this fight, on using the word of God soaked in prayer to give you the right ammunition. Paul was right when he said ~
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
and
"...but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12b, 14
O Lord, have mercy on me and give me the strength and the desire to fight this fight. It is a good fight for the reward is You and in Your presence is fulness of joy and at Your right hand are pleasures forever.
I am fighting for delight, for joy, for more faith. From the end of February until about the middle of April it seemed I was living Habakkuk 3:19 ~
"The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places."
The intimacy with the Lord through His word was so rich and almost tangible. Lately I haven't been treading those high places as much. In the past I would get so down on myself that I was so up and down spiritually. I would expect these times to last forever and I was sure I had found IT - the one method for a higher plane of spiritual existence.
I praise God for what He has taught me and what I experienced during those six weeks. So what do I do now? I am still in this flesh, I am still here on this earth with its decay and trouble. It is a fight, it is a struggle - this life of faith. Why do I keep forgetting that? Why am I so complacent sometimes and even cynical. Here RC Jr. describes the deadly result of cynicism - a hardened, cold heart. And here John Piper preaches on fighting this fight, on using the word of God soaked in prayer to give you the right ammunition. Paul was right when he said ~
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
and
"...but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me...I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12b, 14
O Lord, have mercy on me and give me the strength and the desire to fight this fight. It is a good fight for the reward is You and in Your presence is fulness of joy and at Your right hand are pleasures forever.
Saturday, June 04, 2005
CLEANING QUIZ
I know some of you are in nesting mode (Ruthanne and Ann!) and I am busy cleaning my house today after being on semi-vacation. Sometimes I just get in a real cleaning mood; my husband calls it being a white tornado. So just for fun I have some questions to ask. If my lurking friend Jane is out there, she may finally be prodded into commenting since I know her best friend is Clorox, LOL!
Three questions -
1. What are some of the best new cleaning products out there? What new gadget is really worth the money? Conversely, what one product is totally useless?
2. What is your best homemade cleaning agent?
3. What is your least favorite cleaning job? How do you psych yourself up or pray yourself into doing it with the right attitude?
**Bonus question for all you Flybabies out there - Is the Flylady duster really worth it?
Have fun!
I know some of you are in nesting mode (Ruthanne and Ann!) and I am busy cleaning my house today after being on semi-vacation. Sometimes I just get in a real cleaning mood; my husband calls it being a white tornado. So just for fun I have some questions to ask. If my lurking friend Jane is out there, she may finally be prodded into commenting since I know her best friend is Clorox, LOL!
Three questions -
1. What are some of the best new cleaning products out there? What new gadget is really worth the money? Conversely, what one product is totally useless?
2. What is your best homemade cleaning agent?
3. What is your least favorite cleaning job? How do you psych yourself up or pray yourself into doing it with the right attitude?
**Bonus question for all you Flybabies out there - Is the Flylady duster really worth it?
Have fun!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
SHEPHERDING A CHILD'S HEART - pt. 6
Join Karen, Lis and myself as we continue to review Ted Tripp's book, Shepherding a Child's Heart. Please excuse my tardiness in posting today. We have been on a vacation, of sorts. We went on a short trip to SC to visit my parents and planned to come back this week and do all sorts of fun outdoor activities and day trips. The weather has not cooperated so our plans have been changed a little. Anyway, this review will be a bit shorter than usual since it's late and I want to go to bed.
Chapter 9 - Embracing Biblical Methods: Types of Communication
Chapter 10 - A Life of Communication
These two chapters go hand in hand quite nicely. He first lays out the types of communication we need to have with our children. The way we speak with our children should be so much more than laying down a rule and then correcting and disciplining for an offense. It is a many layered approach to communicating with your children and talking with them about the things of God and the things of life. The types of communication he includes are:
Encouragement
Correction
Rebuke
Entreaty
Instruction
Warning
Teaching
Prayer
His main point in both chapters is that we need to sensitively and biblically communicate with our children according to their needs and the need of the moment. This takes patience, time, effort, prayer and lots of sacrifice. As most of us know who have more than one child, each child requires a different approach. This is why I like this book so much. I have discovered the missing piece in disciplining my children -- cultivating relationship. Mr. Tripp emphasizes this point over and over, especially in these chapters about communication. He also points to two very important parts of Scripture throughout his discussions: Deuteronomy 6 and the whole book of Proverbs. Deuteronomy 6 is instructing parents, specifically fathers, to incorporate a lifestyle of biblical communication and instruction in the home. In Proverbs, you see the writer continually entreating his son to listen and pay attention to his teachings. In the past I have wanted to settle for a three step plan for parenting. Just give me the list of offenses that need to be punished and the correct punishment for each offense and I'll be happy. My friends, it doesn't work that way!! The Lord wants us to have a rich and rewarding relationship with our children. This can only come through a process of radical, dying to self sacrifice on behalf of our children. It can only come when we stop thinking about our agendas and start really listening to our children, even our toddlers who continually ask the same questions. AARRGGHH! isn't that frustrating at times! The cost is high, as Mr. Tripp points out, but the benefits and rewards of this sacrifice far outweigh the cost. I saw this lived out yesterday as I stopped at my local homeschool bookstore. It is a family run business and yesterday I was doing business with the family's eldest son. He was very helpful and very talkative. One thing he couldn't stop talking about was how much he loved and appreciated his parents now that he's 23 years old. He understands so much more the sacrifices his parents made and how hard it was for them. I could tell that this family was very close and those parents had made the sacrifices necessary to enjoy the benefits of a rich relationship with their children later on. I have already tasted some of these benefits with our 8 year old son and I look forward to the days when we will be able to enjoy even richer and deeper communication with him and all of our children.
Please feel free to comment and share your experiences. Blessings!
Join Karen, Lis and myself as we continue to review Ted Tripp's book, Shepherding a Child's Heart. Please excuse my tardiness in posting today. We have been on a vacation, of sorts. We went on a short trip to SC to visit my parents and planned to come back this week and do all sorts of fun outdoor activities and day trips. The weather has not cooperated so our plans have been changed a little. Anyway, this review will be a bit shorter than usual since it's late and I want to go to bed.
Chapter 9 - Embracing Biblical Methods: Types of Communication
Chapter 10 - A Life of Communication
These two chapters go hand in hand quite nicely. He first lays out the types of communication we need to have with our children. The way we speak with our children should be so much more than laying down a rule and then correcting and disciplining for an offense. It is a many layered approach to communicating with your children and talking with them about the things of God and the things of life. The types of communication he includes are:
Encouragement
Correction
Rebuke
Entreaty
Instruction
Warning
Teaching
Prayer
His main point in both chapters is that we need to sensitively and biblically communicate with our children according to their needs and the need of the moment. This takes patience, time, effort, prayer and lots of sacrifice. As most of us know who have more than one child, each child requires a different approach. This is why I like this book so much. I have discovered the missing piece in disciplining my children -- cultivating relationship. Mr. Tripp emphasizes this point over and over, especially in these chapters about communication. He also points to two very important parts of Scripture throughout his discussions: Deuteronomy 6 and the whole book of Proverbs. Deuteronomy 6 is instructing parents, specifically fathers, to incorporate a lifestyle of biblical communication and instruction in the home. In Proverbs, you see the writer continually entreating his son to listen and pay attention to his teachings. In the past I have wanted to settle for a three step plan for parenting. Just give me the list of offenses that need to be punished and the correct punishment for each offense and I'll be happy. My friends, it doesn't work that way!! The Lord wants us to have a rich and rewarding relationship with our children. This can only come through a process of radical, dying to self sacrifice on behalf of our children. It can only come when we stop thinking about our agendas and start really listening to our children, even our toddlers who continually ask the same questions. AARRGGHH! isn't that frustrating at times! The cost is high, as Mr. Tripp points out, but the benefits and rewards of this sacrifice far outweigh the cost. I saw this lived out yesterday as I stopped at my local homeschool bookstore. It is a family run business and yesterday I was doing business with the family's eldest son. He was very helpful and very talkative. One thing he couldn't stop talking about was how much he loved and appreciated his parents now that he's 23 years old. He understands so much more the sacrifices his parents made and how hard it was for them. I could tell that this family was very close and those parents had made the sacrifices necessary to enjoy the benefits of a rich relationship with their children later on. I have already tasted some of these benefits with our 8 year old son and I look forward to the days when we will be able to enjoy even richer and deeper communication with him and all of our children.
Please feel free to comment and share your experiences. Blessings!
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