I think that when teaching our children Bible verses, we parents tend to go for the verses that will benefit us more than our children. For example, one of the first verses that most kids learn is Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Or maybe its the next verse in Ephesians that says, "Honor your father and mother..."
We teach our kids the verses about being thankful, trusting in God, doing everything without complaining and arguing, and to do everything as unto the Lord.
These are great verses to teach our children, and I think we should teach them these things. However, what about the verses that we as parents should learn that would benefit our children?
Here's a few verses that I think we as parents should have memorized and that we should be living out daily for and to our children.
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (particularly our kids!)
"Be joyful always."
"Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness..."
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
"Father's, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
These are just a handful of the Scriptures that we as parents should be putting to daily use. We are the example that our children have to look up to. Most of the bad habits or behaviors that our children pick up in their earlier years are from watching their parents fail in those same areas.
So many times I have started to rebuke one of my kids for a wrong attitude or action and then realized that this was the very thing that I had said or done, or that they are reacting in the same way or with the same attitude that I had portrayed. We cannot take the responsibility of parenting lightly!
Neither should we, however, throw our hands up in despair as we face this job of raising kids for the glory of God. He has seen fit to give us this responsibility, therefore, He has made us capable of carrying out this God given task.
I think that some times I can get caught up in wanting my children to always make the right choices. I have to keep reminding myself that my kids are in training so they probably will make mistakes and will make them often! That's why God has me training them! I need to be careful not to get frustrated with them, but to patiently correct them over and over again. I also need to remember that they are constantly watching my example and I need to make sure that my life is a living example of what I pray that one day they will become.
Here is one more verse that I think we should have memorized. This is in the amplified version. Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, Do not provoke or irritate or fret your children - do not be hard on them or harass them; lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated; do not break their spirit."
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Puzzles
The other day my daughter, Julia and I started a 500 piece puzzle. We have a rectangular piece of plywood that we work on so that we can put the puzzle away from little hands while we are not working on it.
This particular puzzle was of a farm, complete with a beautiful barn, silo, fence and even a herd of scattered cows. We had completed the outline of the puzzle and then gotten the barn, fence and cows done. All that was left was the sky. Most definitely the hardest part of the puzzle since all the pieces were the same cloudy blue color!
We had put the puzzle on the counter in our dining room during quiet time with the hope of finishing it later that afternoon. Everyone was in there rooms and I was engrossed in a book that my mom had passed on. Matt came down and asked if he could get a drink. I said ok, barely lifting my eyes from the page. (I tend to get my nose in a book and become somewhat less than attentive to the world around me!)
After quiet time was over, I heard Julia exclaim, "Oh no! What happened to our puzzle?" Immediately I knew what had happened. Matt must have gotten more that just a drink of water earlier. He has a knack for getting into things, and I guess that he couldn't stand just seeing that puzzle just sitting there!
I told Julia that I was sorry and that I would speak to Matt when he woke up. Then I tried to persuade her to just put the puzzle away. After all we did finish most of it, right? Her response keeps coming back to me over and over again. "But Mom, we didn't get to see the whole picture yet! It's so pretty when you get to see it all finished."
How many times have I been content to only see most of the picture? I feel like I am content sometimes to get a glimpse of the finished project without waiting to fill in those missing pieces that will make it complete.
How often do I do this with my family? Sometimes the things are unimportant such as not cleaning up all the way after dinner - hey, I cooked it didn't I? - or not putting the clean clothes away when they are finished - hey, I washed and folded them, right?
What about the important things? Do I leave them unfinished? Am I content to not take action every single time that one of my kids is out of line? Will this really effect the "main picture" of their lives? Am I content to just listen to my husband pray for the family or am I joining with him in praying for the souls of our precious children?
Those few handfuls of missing pieces could be the very pieces that make my life or the lives of my husband or children complete! Sometimes the things that we see as unimportant are the very things that God intends to use to further His kingdom! These could seem like small things like taking one of your kids shopping with you even though you can do it faster by yourself, just so you can have a chance to talk one on one with that particular child or choosing to play a game with your kids instead of watching TV or reading a book.
Don't get me wrong - time invested in your children is not a small thing! I am just trying to look at it like the pieces of a puzzle. Each piece is so small, yet, without those little pieces, the picture is not complete!
I don't want to get the puzzle most of the way done, only to stop at the hard part - when all the pieces are the same color. I want to persevere until I can see the beauty of the finished work of art. After all, are our lives not a work of art created by our wonderful, loving Savior?
God, help me not to be content to just get a glimpse of Your finished work before seeing the completed picture!
This particular puzzle was of a farm, complete with a beautiful barn, silo, fence and even a herd of scattered cows. We had completed the outline of the puzzle and then gotten the barn, fence and cows done. All that was left was the sky. Most definitely the hardest part of the puzzle since all the pieces were the same cloudy blue color!
We had put the puzzle on the counter in our dining room during quiet time with the hope of finishing it later that afternoon. Everyone was in there rooms and I was engrossed in a book that my mom had passed on. Matt came down and asked if he could get a drink. I said ok, barely lifting my eyes from the page. (I tend to get my nose in a book and become somewhat less than attentive to the world around me!)
After quiet time was over, I heard Julia exclaim, "Oh no! What happened to our puzzle?" Immediately I knew what had happened. Matt must have gotten more that just a drink of water earlier. He has a knack for getting into things, and I guess that he couldn't stand just seeing that puzzle just sitting there!
I told Julia that I was sorry and that I would speak to Matt when he woke up. Then I tried to persuade her to just put the puzzle away. After all we did finish most of it, right? Her response keeps coming back to me over and over again. "But Mom, we didn't get to see the whole picture yet! It's so pretty when you get to see it all finished."
How many times have I been content to only see most of the picture? I feel like I am content sometimes to get a glimpse of the finished project without waiting to fill in those missing pieces that will make it complete.
How often do I do this with my family? Sometimes the things are unimportant such as not cleaning up all the way after dinner - hey, I cooked it didn't I? - or not putting the clean clothes away when they are finished - hey, I washed and folded them, right?
What about the important things? Do I leave them unfinished? Am I content to not take action every single time that one of my kids is out of line? Will this really effect the "main picture" of their lives? Am I content to just listen to my husband pray for the family or am I joining with him in praying for the souls of our precious children?
Those few handfuls of missing pieces could be the very pieces that make my life or the lives of my husband or children complete! Sometimes the things that we see as unimportant are the very things that God intends to use to further His kingdom! These could seem like small things like taking one of your kids shopping with you even though you can do it faster by yourself, just so you can have a chance to talk one on one with that particular child or choosing to play a game with your kids instead of watching TV or reading a book.
Don't get me wrong - time invested in your children is not a small thing! I am just trying to look at it like the pieces of a puzzle. Each piece is so small, yet, without those little pieces, the picture is not complete!
I don't want to get the puzzle most of the way done, only to stop at the hard part - when all the pieces are the same color. I want to persevere until I can see the beauty of the finished work of art. After all, are our lives not a work of art created by our wonderful, loving Savior?
God, help me not to be content to just get a glimpse of Your finished work before seeing the completed picture!
Friday, January 13, 2006
Why All the Arrows??
Some of you that don't know me very well probably have wondered at some point or another why my husband and I have so many children. It is a question that we often have to answer since, by the world's standards, we have a few more children than the average family.
I have always wanted a big family. I remember playing with my sister, and we would "play" our life as we dreamed it would one day be. I always had 8 - 10 kids, named them all and even had a plan for a set of twins somewhere along the line!
I met Dave when we were both 15 and were married by the age of 19 after Dave joined the USAF. We moved to NC and within a couple of months were pregnant with our first child. She was, I must say, a little bit of a surprise, but very welcome! We were so excited! I was the first in my family to be married and this would be the first grandchild on either side. Everyone was ecstatic. Julia was born a month before our first anniversary, and by the time she was 4 months old, we were hoping for a second child.
God blessed us right away and ten days after Julia turned 1, James was born. Again, we were thrilled to have another child and marveled at the goodness of God in our lives.
When Jim was a few months old, we got the awful news that Dave would have to spend his final year of duty in Korea. This would be an unaccompanied tour which basically meant that he had to leave his family behind. Let me tell you, this rocked our world! Here we are with two children under two, we own a house in North Carolina, our families live in Maryland, and Dave has to leave for an entire year!
My parents were gracious and asked the kids and I to come and live with them while Dave was gone. We put our house on the market and packed our things and moved back to Maryland before Dave had to leave.
While Dave was gone, he missed Julia's 2nd birthday, Jim's first words, first steps and first birthday. We didn't get to talk on the phone very much, but there were a constant flow of e-mails back and forth between us.
This was a trying time to say the least, but we look back on it now and can see how God used this situation for His glory in both of our lives. The kids and I even got to spend 3 months in Korea! We were able to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and celebrate with Dave on his birthday before having to come home. These are wonderful memories.
Dave was able to walk out of the USAF and into a wonderful job in which he is still employed today. Now that Dave had a good job and we had a place to live, we were ready for another child. Nine months after returning from Korea, we gave birth to our 3rd child. We named her Christiana.
Up until this time we had pretty much taken the "ordering of our children" into our own hands. While we have never liked the idea of birth control pills, there are other means out there to "control" pregnancies, and we felt free to use them. So whenever we felt ready for another child, we simply stopped using contraception.
Sometime after Christiana was born, however, God made us both aware of the fact that we were not trusting Him to order our lives. Sure, we trusted Him with our lives and trusted Him to provide for our needs, but we were not trusting Him to provide us with the blessings that He wanted to give us.
In the Bible, God makes it clear that He opens and closes the womb. Who then are we to try and "close" our wombs? The argument here might be, "If God wants me pregnant, then won't he just cause the contraception to not work?" I don' t think so. I think that when you say, "I am not ready to have a child, therefore I am going to take every precaution not to get pregnant," you are basically refusing the blessing that God wants to give you.
Let me ask you something. If someone were to offer you a check for any amount of money simply because they felt compelled to bless you in that way, would you refuse it? I don't think so! First of all, you would not like to offend them by refusing their gift, and secondly, who doesn't like to receive gifts from other people?
Well, I believe that children are a gift directly from the hand of God. In Psalm 127 it says that children are a blessing from the Lord. Who are we to refuse His blessings?
It also says in Psalm 127 that children are "like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." We are all involved in a spiritual battle. What warrior would go out to battle without making sure he had as much ammunition (in this case, as many arrows) as he could carry?
I am not saying that everyone should have a dozen kids. Some of you may have a smaller "quiver" than others. I am simply saying that God has given us the opportunity to receive these "arrows" directly from His hand. How can we say no to this gift that He has offered us?
After realizing all these things, Dave and I have given this area completely over to the will of God, and rejoice with every new blessing He sees fit to give us. What an awesome responsibility He as entrusted us with! We are raising the next generation of warriors for Christ! May God grant us wisdom in doing so!
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
Psalm 127:3-5
I have always wanted a big family. I remember playing with my sister, and we would "play" our life as we dreamed it would one day be. I always had 8 - 10 kids, named them all and even had a plan for a set of twins somewhere along the line!
I met Dave when we were both 15 and were married by the age of 19 after Dave joined the USAF. We moved to NC and within a couple of months were pregnant with our first child. She was, I must say, a little bit of a surprise, but very welcome! We were so excited! I was the first in my family to be married and this would be the first grandchild on either side. Everyone was ecstatic. Julia was born a month before our first anniversary, and by the time she was 4 months old, we were hoping for a second child.
God blessed us right away and ten days after Julia turned 1, James was born. Again, we were thrilled to have another child and marveled at the goodness of God in our lives.
When Jim was a few months old, we got the awful news that Dave would have to spend his final year of duty in Korea. This would be an unaccompanied tour which basically meant that he had to leave his family behind. Let me tell you, this rocked our world! Here we are with two children under two, we own a house in North Carolina, our families live in Maryland, and Dave has to leave for an entire year!
My parents were gracious and asked the kids and I to come and live with them while Dave was gone. We put our house on the market and packed our things and moved back to Maryland before Dave had to leave.
While Dave was gone, he missed Julia's 2nd birthday, Jim's first words, first steps and first birthday. We didn't get to talk on the phone very much, but there were a constant flow of e-mails back and forth between us.
This was a trying time to say the least, but we look back on it now and can see how God used this situation for His glory in both of our lives. The kids and I even got to spend 3 months in Korea! We were able to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and celebrate with Dave on his birthday before having to come home. These are wonderful memories.
Dave was able to walk out of the USAF and into a wonderful job in which he is still employed today. Now that Dave had a good job and we had a place to live, we were ready for another child. Nine months after returning from Korea, we gave birth to our 3rd child. We named her Christiana.
Up until this time we had pretty much taken the "ordering of our children" into our own hands. While we have never liked the idea of birth control pills, there are other means out there to "control" pregnancies, and we felt free to use them. So whenever we felt ready for another child, we simply stopped using contraception.
Sometime after Christiana was born, however, God made us both aware of the fact that we were not trusting Him to order our lives. Sure, we trusted Him with our lives and trusted Him to provide for our needs, but we were not trusting Him to provide us with the blessings that He wanted to give us.
In the Bible, God makes it clear that He opens and closes the womb. Who then are we to try and "close" our wombs? The argument here might be, "If God wants me pregnant, then won't he just cause the contraception to not work?" I don' t think so. I think that when you say, "I am not ready to have a child, therefore I am going to take every precaution not to get pregnant," you are basically refusing the blessing that God wants to give you.
Let me ask you something. If someone were to offer you a check for any amount of money simply because they felt compelled to bless you in that way, would you refuse it? I don't think so! First of all, you would not like to offend them by refusing their gift, and secondly, who doesn't like to receive gifts from other people?
Well, I believe that children are a gift directly from the hand of God. In Psalm 127 it says that children are a blessing from the Lord. Who are we to refuse His blessings?
It also says in Psalm 127 that children are "like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." We are all involved in a spiritual battle. What warrior would go out to battle without making sure he had as much ammunition (in this case, as many arrows) as he could carry?
I am not saying that everyone should have a dozen kids. Some of you may have a smaller "quiver" than others. I am simply saying that God has given us the opportunity to receive these "arrows" directly from His hand. How can we say no to this gift that He has offered us?
After realizing all these things, Dave and I have given this area completely over to the will of God, and rejoice with every new blessing He sees fit to give us. What an awesome responsibility He as entrusted us with! We are raising the next generation of warriors for Christ! May God grant us wisdom in doing so!
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
Psalm 127:3-5
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Refreshing Friendships
As a full time wife and home schooling mom, I find that I have very little time to get bored with the trivial things of a "normal" lifestyle. Things like keeping a clean house, cooking wholesome meals, (by the way, have they decided whether ketchup is a vegetable yet or not?) making sure the dog gets fed, and going grocery shopping just to name a few!
A n ideal day at my house goes somewhat as follows:
Everyone out of bed at 7 am and do your morning chores before coming down to breakfast at 7:15. (morning chores include making your bed, putting toys, books, etc. Away, and making sure there are no clothes on the floor) Mom fixes everyone breakfast - usually a bagel or cereal - then we sit down and eat with Dave before he leaves for work. After eating, we have our family devotions and prayer, then everyone kisses Daddy goodbye and gets dressed before starting school.
We have our math lessons first, since, as the day progresses, the minds seems to get duller! While the older kids are doing this, the younger kids get to watch an educational DVD. Our latest find is the Leapfrog series. The first one is The Letter Factory and the second is The Talking Words Factory. (Anyone with preschool age children looking for good teaching movies - this is a must! Matthew, my 3 year old, has mastered beginning sounds, knows his vowels, and is already learning to spell small words!)
After math is Spelling and Art or Typing (depending on the day) followed by English. After English, the older kids go practice their instruments and I have school with the two little boys before fixing everyone's lunch.
After lunch, everyone has to take a "quiet time". The younger kids nap, and the older kids either read quietly or they may listen to music with their headphones on, so as not to disturb anyone else. This is my quiet time as well! Time where I can sit and get alone with God as well as checking my e-mail and of course blogging!
After quiet time the older kids finish up their schooling with History. Once we are finished with the History book, this will be our time for Science. After History, the kids have to complete their chores before they are allowed any computer time. I am usually working on whatever cleaning project I have to get done as well as making preparations for dinner.
Have you noticed that I didn't mention laundry in our schedule anywhere? I guess that is one of those normal things that I forgot about! I do manage to wash our clothes somewhere in the midst of our busy schedule! (Actually, the older kids are doing their share of laundry these days! I am now responsible for washing the clothes of only 5 people!)
After dinner is cleaned up, I am either bathing children, finishing laundry or some other project I am working on while the kids enjoy the rest of their evening playing together. If there is enough time before family worship and prayer, I read a chapter out loud from the series of books called The Archives of Anthropos. These are great books that I enjoyed reading with my family growing up. We are currently reading the 3rd book in the series. This is a great alternative to sitting in front of the television!
Also, throughout my day, I am tending to the various needs of my two year old and my 5 month old. Feeding every 3 hours or so, changing diapers, fixing bottles, etc.
Before putting the kids in bed, we have a time of singing and prayer together. We try and learn a new song every couple of weeks, and usually sing this one every night for at least a week so that the kids can learn the words. It is such a blessing to have our kids singing with us in church as opposed to standing there listening to us!
You are probably wondering why I am bothering to bore you with the details of a day in the life of the Tritts, right? I assure you, this is not to serve as a reminder of the similar lives most of you reading this probably live! Rather, this is to serve as a reminder that we as wives and mothers need to have a break from our very busy lives every once in a while!
This last Saturday, my husband gave me a wonderful treat. He sent me out with my friends and told me to enjoy the day however I wanted! I was able to have uninterrupted conversation with my friends while eating a bowl of fried jalapenos, shared more wholesome conversation over a cup of tea at Starbucks, and then proceeded to go to several stores where I could look at breakable objects without the fear of someone knocking them off the shelf! I was gone the entire afternoon - all the way up until dinner time! I felt sooo refreshed after spending this time with my friends. They were such an encouragement to me and I felt totally ready to come back to my life of "serene chaos" as the Dugger Family calls their family life.
I am confident of my calling to be a wife and a mother of many, but I believe that in the midst of our callings, God gives us these times of refreshing so that we may approach our callings with renewed vigor and anticipation of what God can do in and through us as we serve Him.
So, the next time you feel the need to be refreshed, call up a friend or two and go spend some time being renewed and refreshed so that you can serve God more effectively in whatever calling He has for your life!
A n ideal day at my house goes somewhat as follows:
Everyone out of bed at 7 am and do your morning chores before coming down to breakfast at 7:15. (morning chores include making your bed, putting toys, books, etc. Away, and making sure there are no clothes on the floor) Mom fixes everyone breakfast - usually a bagel or cereal - then we sit down and eat with Dave before he leaves for work. After eating, we have our family devotions and prayer, then everyone kisses Daddy goodbye and gets dressed before starting school.
We have our math lessons first, since, as the day progresses, the minds seems to get duller! While the older kids are doing this, the younger kids get to watch an educational DVD. Our latest find is the Leapfrog series. The first one is The Letter Factory and the second is The Talking Words Factory. (Anyone with preschool age children looking for good teaching movies - this is a must! Matthew, my 3 year old, has mastered beginning sounds, knows his vowels, and is already learning to spell small words!)
After math is Spelling and Art or Typing (depending on the day) followed by English. After English, the older kids go practice their instruments and I have school with the two little boys before fixing everyone's lunch.
After lunch, everyone has to take a "quiet time". The younger kids nap, and the older kids either read quietly or they may listen to music with their headphones on, so as not to disturb anyone else. This is my quiet time as well! Time where I can sit and get alone with God as well as checking my e-mail and of course blogging!
After quiet time the older kids finish up their schooling with History. Once we are finished with the History book, this will be our time for Science. After History, the kids have to complete their chores before they are allowed any computer time. I am usually working on whatever cleaning project I have to get done as well as making preparations for dinner.
Have you noticed that I didn't mention laundry in our schedule anywhere? I guess that is one of those normal things that I forgot about! I do manage to wash our clothes somewhere in the midst of our busy schedule! (Actually, the older kids are doing their share of laundry these days! I am now responsible for washing the clothes of only 5 people!)
After dinner is cleaned up, I am either bathing children, finishing laundry or some other project I am working on while the kids enjoy the rest of their evening playing together. If there is enough time before family worship and prayer, I read a chapter out loud from the series of books called The Archives of Anthropos. These are great books that I enjoyed reading with my family growing up. We are currently reading the 3rd book in the series. This is a great alternative to sitting in front of the television!
Also, throughout my day, I am tending to the various needs of my two year old and my 5 month old. Feeding every 3 hours or so, changing diapers, fixing bottles, etc.
Before putting the kids in bed, we have a time of singing and prayer together. We try and learn a new song every couple of weeks, and usually sing this one every night for at least a week so that the kids can learn the words. It is such a blessing to have our kids singing with us in church as opposed to standing there listening to us!
You are probably wondering why I am bothering to bore you with the details of a day in the life of the Tritts, right? I assure you, this is not to serve as a reminder of the similar lives most of you reading this probably live! Rather, this is to serve as a reminder that we as wives and mothers need to have a break from our very busy lives every once in a while!
This last Saturday, my husband gave me a wonderful treat. He sent me out with my friends and told me to enjoy the day however I wanted! I was able to have uninterrupted conversation with my friends while eating a bowl of fried jalapenos, shared more wholesome conversation over a cup of tea at Starbucks, and then proceeded to go to several stores where I could look at breakable objects without the fear of someone knocking them off the shelf! I was gone the entire afternoon - all the way up until dinner time! I felt sooo refreshed after spending this time with my friends. They were such an encouragement to me and I felt totally ready to come back to my life of "serene chaos" as the Dugger Family calls their family life.
I am confident of my calling to be a wife and a mother of many, but I believe that in the midst of our callings, God gives us these times of refreshing so that we may approach our callings with renewed vigor and anticipation of what God can do in and through us as we serve Him.
So, the next time you feel the need to be refreshed, call up a friend or two and go spend some time being renewed and refreshed so that you can serve God more effectively in whatever calling He has for your life!
Friday, January 06, 2006
Heroes
Long ago, heroes were thought of as those who died for something that they believed in, or someone who was a great warrior and brought peace to many nations. For instance, look at the life of Alexander the Great.
After inheriting his father's kingdom at the age of 20, his goal was to expand his empire as far east as possible. He immediately began conquering the nations starting with the city of Tyre. He then pushed through Palestine, Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan. He also conquered Egypt (or, depending on your perspective, "liberated" Egypt from the Persians). Battle after battle was fought until all of Persia and most of the known lands belonged to Alexander.
Another example of heroes long ago would be the Christians that were martyred during the reign of Nero. Nero hated the Christians because they refused to worship the Roman rulers who were often regarded by their nations as gods. This horrible ruler made it a crime to be a Christian, and anyone who would not renounce their faith would be executed. These executions were often made into a sport or an entertainment that thousands of people would watch. Many heroes of the faith gave their lives for their belief in the one true God.
(I found it interesting that Constantine, the man who became ruler after Nero, declared it a crime NOT to be a Christian. Maybe he became a hero to the Christians living during his reign, but this was the beginning of a weakening in the Christian faith. Think about it. Either claim Christ as Lord or be persecuted. It would stand to reason that those who really didn't believe would claim to be a Christian to avoid being persecuted or possibly killed. This led to weak faith and false teachings. No wonder there is such a need for revival.)
Through the years the term of hero has kept it's status as an object of extreme admiration and devotion, but it seems like the heroes of our time our heroes of our imagination or heroes that are just ordinary people with high ideals and important titles.
Take the heroes of our children today. Instead of admiring people like Abraham or the Apostle Paul, our sons sit in front of the television hoping to be able to imitate the actions of Spider Man or Batman. Maybe they dream of becoming a Ninja like Michelangelo or Donatello, or be able to crash through buildings like Mr. Incredible. Our daughters dream of being as beautiful as Cinderella or Barbie. Maybe one day they will be able to sing and dance on stage like Brittany Spears. (I'm not really up on the modern entertainment...Is she still around??)
What about the people that the adults of today look up to? Just as Nero had the coliseum to enjoy watching the gladiators so long ago, so we have stadiums to enjoy watching our "heroes" perform today. We have concerts where various artists perform amidst the roar of the crowds. (Dare I mention the mosh pits present even within the so called "Christian" concerts?) What about the sports industry? Football, baseball, soccer - each one filled with athletes that so many look up to.
Do I think that having a hero is wrong? No. Not by any means. Having the right hero is the problem we face today. Are the heroes that we allow our children to imitate supporting our desire for them to imitate Christ in all things? Our the heroes that our children dream of one day being just like condoning sinful behavior in any way?
I like watching movies with my kids like Spider Man and Star Wars, but if we let them watch these movies over and over again to the point that their minds are filled with the passion to be just like these ""heroes", has it become anything less than idol worship?
I think that the kind of heroes I want for my children are not those beings with supernatural abilities, but normal human beings with an ambition to follow a supernatural God. Is there anything wrong with hoping that your kids see their dad or mom as a hero? Absolutely not! I can only hope and pray that my children see me as enough of a "hero" that they want to follow in my footsteps. I must continually pray that my life will be an example of godliness for my kids to imitate.
Speaking of her own daughter, Beverly LaHaye writes in her book Understanding Your Child's temperament, "I knew it was my responsibility to protect her from following other role models that would be contrary to what God wanted her to be, because children will look for heroes."
After inheriting his father's kingdom at the age of 20, his goal was to expand his empire as far east as possible. He immediately began conquering the nations starting with the city of Tyre. He then pushed through Palestine, Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan. He also conquered Egypt (or, depending on your perspective, "liberated" Egypt from the Persians). Battle after battle was fought until all of Persia and most of the known lands belonged to Alexander.
Another example of heroes long ago would be the Christians that were martyred during the reign of Nero. Nero hated the Christians because they refused to worship the Roman rulers who were often regarded by their nations as gods. This horrible ruler made it a crime to be a Christian, and anyone who would not renounce their faith would be executed. These executions were often made into a sport or an entertainment that thousands of people would watch. Many heroes of the faith gave their lives for their belief in the one true God.
(I found it interesting that Constantine, the man who became ruler after Nero, declared it a crime NOT to be a Christian. Maybe he became a hero to the Christians living during his reign, but this was the beginning of a weakening in the Christian faith. Think about it. Either claim Christ as Lord or be persecuted. It would stand to reason that those who really didn't believe would claim to be a Christian to avoid being persecuted or possibly killed. This led to weak faith and false teachings. No wonder there is such a need for revival.)
Through the years the term of hero has kept it's status as an object of extreme admiration and devotion, but it seems like the heroes of our time our heroes of our imagination or heroes that are just ordinary people with high ideals and important titles.
Take the heroes of our children today. Instead of admiring people like Abraham or the Apostle Paul, our sons sit in front of the television hoping to be able to imitate the actions of Spider Man or Batman. Maybe they dream of becoming a Ninja like Michelangelo or Donatello, or be able to crash through buildings like Mr. Incredible. Our daughters dream of being as beautiful as Cinderella or Barbie. Maybe one day they will be able to sing and dance on stage like Brittany Spears. (I'm not really up on the modern entertainment...Is she still around??)
What about the people that the adults of today look up to? Just as Nero had the coliseum to enjoy watching the gladiators so long ago, so we have stadiums to enjoy watching our "heroes" perform today. We have concerts where various artists perform amidst the roar of the crowds. (Dare I mention the mosh pits present even within the so called "Christian" concerts?) What about the sports industry? Football, baseball, soccer - each one filled with athletes that so many look up to.
Do I think that having a hero is wrong? No. Not by any means. Having the right hero is the problem we face today. Are the heroes that we allow our children to imitate supporting our desire for them to imitate Christ in all things? Our the heroes that our children dream of one day being just like condoning sinful behavior in any way?
I like watching movies with my kids like Spider Man and Star Wars, but if we let them watch these movies over and over again to the point that their minds are filled with the passion to be just like these ""heroes", has it become anything less than idol worship?
I think that the kind of heroes I want for my children are not those beings with supernatural abilities, but normal human beings with an ambition to follow a supernatural God. Is there anything wrong with hoping that your kids see their dad or mom as a hero? Absolutely not! I can only hope and pray that my children see me as enough of a "hero" that they want to follow in my footsteps. I must continually pray that my life will be an example of godliness for my kids to imitate.
Speaking of her own daughter, Beverly LaHaye writes in her book Understanding Your Child's temperament, "I knew it was my responsibility to protect her from following other role models that would be contrary to what God wanted her to be, because children will look for heroes."
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Happy New Year
I must say that as January 1st was approaching I was both anticipating and dreading the coming of a new year. I admit that I was not really looking forward to starting school up again. I love teaching my kids, but I have been enjoying the break from our daily routine. It's a funny thing though - now that we have started up again, I am thrilled to get the kids back on their normal schedule! I am having a hard time putting my finger on just exactly what I needed a break from! Life is so much easier when your kids have a normal daily routine.
Far more than dreading the new year, I was excited about it for a multitude of reasons, among them was the anticipation of seeing what God would have for our family throughout this year. As most of you know, my husband Dave is running for Harford County Sheriff this year. You can visit his websight at www.trittforsheriff.com I am sure that this will bring many changes for our family, whether he wins the election or not. Dave will be extremely busy trying to run a campaign as well as continuing his full time job. We covet your prayers throughout this time. We both believe that God has lead Dave into this and that He will prove Himself faithful, however, we know it will be a struggle to maintain a healthy family life in the midst of everything else he must do.
While Dave is determined to include his family as much as possible in his campaigning, we know that there will be events that will not be appropriate for children to attend, as well as business dealings that Dave will have to take care of without us. Our family will also be forced into the "public lime-light" so to speak. I imagine that this will bring some negative repercussions along with it. Our desire throughout the whole thing is that God will be glorified and that His will will be done for our family. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
As Dave and I approached the New Year, we decided to address each of our children and give them a character quality to work on throughout 2006. I found a really great websight that lists a bunch of qualities as well as their definitions: www.characterqualities.com We prayed about each one and chose a different quality for each child according to his or her individual needs, then we sat down with each child on January 1st, and presented this quality to them, explained what exactly it means, and then prayed over them asking God to help them develop this particular quality. We are in the process now of printing out each quality and it's definition so that our kids can have these hanging up in their rooms as a constant reminder. We are excited to see how God will work in each of our children's lives.
We pray that God will bless you all as this New Year begins, and that you will keep Him the center of your lives, your marriages, and your families.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Far more than dreading the new year, I was excited about it for a multitude of reasons, among them was the anticipation of seeing what God would have for our family throughout this year. As most of you know, my husband Dave is running for Harford County Sheriff this year. You can visit his websight at www.trittforsheriff.com I am sure that this will bring many changes for our family, whether he wins the election or not. Dave will be extremely busy trying to run a campaign as well as continuing his full time job. We covet your prayers throughout this time. We both believe that God has lead Dave into this and that He will prove Himself faithful, however, we know it will be a struggle to maintain a healthy family life in the midst of everything else he must do.
While Dave is determined to include his family as much as possible in his campaigning, we know that there will be events that will not be appropriate for children to attend, as well as business dealings that Dave will have to take care of without us. Our family will also be forced into the "public lime-light" so to speak. I imagine that this will bring some negative repercussions along with it. Our desire throughout the whole thing is that God will be glorified and that His will will be done for our family. Thank you in advance for your prayers!
As Dave and I approached the New Year, we decided to address each of our children and give them a character quality to work on throughout 2006. I found a really great websight that lists a bunch of qualities as well as their definitions: www.characterqualities.com We prayed about each one and chose a different quality for each child according to his or her individual needs, then we sat down with each child on January 1st, and presented this quality to them, explained what exactly it means, and then prayed over them asking God to help them develop this particular quality. We are in the process now of printing out each quality and it's definition so that our kids can have these hanging up in their rooms as a constant reminder. We are excited to see how God will work in each of our children's lives.
We pray that God will bless you all as this New Year begins, and that you will keep Him the center of your lives, your marriages, and your families.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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