Well, you should because these Malt-O-Meal muffins are "mouthwatering" per Luke!
growing roots and discovering wings
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Accepted!
Tommy signed a contract on his first spec home yesterday! Actually, it is not the first one he started here just the first to sell. The house is not even sheet-rocked! I am SO incredibly proud of Tommy -- he works so hard to be and do the best at whatever he does.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Humility.
I love how Warrior Prayers concludes -- "I don't pray because I have all the answers. I pray because I don't."
My sentiments exactly.
My sentiments exactly.
Tea Town.
Like Mother, like Son... Dade and I LOVE McAlisters! He was hungry after our putt putt game & wanted to get his usual turkey & cheese with applesauce.
My date with The Dude.
Lunar golf... we played two rounds and each won one. He said he beat me since he won the hardest course!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Discovery Science Place.
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| A fun morning with Nana! |
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| Luke built this dragster all on his own -- NO instructions! |
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| Look what Wyatt found! |
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| The science behind why we wear seatbelts. |
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| Using a magnet. |
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| Noise makers. |
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| Digging for Dino bones. |
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| Golf balls in a funnel. |
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| Spinning! |
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| He would have stayed in this room all day! |
Heart Change.
{Encouragement from Brooke}
The Word says that what's in the heart eventually comes out. Bad stuff in the heart? Bad stuff comes out. Good stuff in the heart? Good stuff comes out.
I heard an illustration of this concept once from a pastor friend. He held up a Styrofoam cup with a little water inside and proceeded to ram his hand against the cup so that the water splattered everywhere. Then he asked this question:
"Why did water come out of the cup?"
So... what do you think? Did the water come out of the cup because he rammed his hand up against it? Certainly a possible answer. But consider this: could it be that the water came out of the cup because there was water IN the cup?
Think about it... if the cup had been empty when he rammed it, nothing would have come out.
And so it is with our hearts. Life has a way of ramming us. We get hit. Probably every day. But our response to the hits comes from what's in our cup... or hearts.
"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for our of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." -- Luke 6:45
The Word says that what's in the heart eventually comes out. Bad stuff in the heart? Bad stuff comes out. Good stuff in the heart? Good stuff comes out.
I heard an illustration of this concept once from a pastor friend. He held up a Styrofoam cup with a little water inside and proceeded to ram his hand against the cup so that the water splattered everywhere. Then he asked this question:
"Why did water come out of the cup?"
So... what do you think? Did the water come out of the cup because he rammed his hand up against it? Certainly a possible answer. But consider this: could it be that the water came out of the cup because there was water IN the cup?
Think about it... if the cup had been empty when he rammed it, nothing would have come out.
And so it is with our hearts. Life has a way of ramming us. We get hit. Probably every day. But our response to the hits comes from what's in our cup... or hearts.
"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for our of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." -- Luke 6:45
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Salvation.
There is NOTHING more important than teaching our boys the Good News of Christ. Salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. Even young boys can understand John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever BELIEVES in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life." And Ephesians 2:8-9 -- "For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast." Simple.
I am praying for all of you as you pray for your sons, grandsons, son-in-laws, future son-in-laws. May God help all of us persevere daily in prayer for our precious boys.
I am praying for all of you as you pray for your sons, grandsons, son-in-laws, future son-in-laws. May God help all of us persevere daily in prayer for our precious boys.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Anger.
In your anger do not sin. Ephesians 4:26
The following are lines that I highlighted when I read Good and Angry by Turansky and Miller:
-- Anger is good for identifying problems but not good for solving them.
-- You must think rightly about anger. Emotions are part of God's creation, not of the Fall, and God gave us emotions to be managed and used for His glory.
-- Irritation => Anger => Rage
-- Control is better than venting. Control allows us to use anger as a tool rather than a weapon.
-- Emotions give us signals that something is wrong; that wrong can be internal or external or both.
-- The anger does not define what is wrong.
-- Anger's five basic causes: physical pain, blocked goals, violated rights, unfairness, unmet expectations.
-- Separate the trigger of anger from the response. This takes wisdom!
Reminding myself of these truths helps me in guiding my sons when they become angry. How are you training your sons to be "quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" (James 1:19)?
The following are lines that I highlighted when I read Good and Angry by Turansky and Miller:
-- Anger is good for identifying problems but not good for solving them.
-- You must think rightly about anger. Emotions are part of God's creation, not of the Fall, and God gave us emotions to be managed and used for His glory.
-- Irritation => Anger => Rage
-- Control is better than venting. Control allows us to use anger as a tool rather than a weapon.
-- Emotions give us signals that something is wrong; that wrong can be internal or external or both.
-- The anger does not define what is wrong.
-- Anger's five basic causes: physical pain, blocked goals, violated rights, unfairness, unmet expectations.
-- Separate the trigger of anger from the response. This takes wisdom!
Reminding myself of these truths helps me in guiding my sons when they become angry. How are you training your sons to be "quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" (James 1:19)?
Father's Day.
Saturday after Dade was finished at his football camp, we celebrated Father's Day with Tommy's Dad. We gave him his gifts then headed to Jucy's for lunch. That night the kids and I "treated" Tommy to Pizza King for dinner and gave him his Father's Day goodies -- the new Tim Tebow book, tickets to see comedian Tim Hawkins, a DAD photo collage, and LOTS of handmade cards, pictures and a tape measure. Sunday morning church was followed by a very relaxing day at home. We spent some time with my Dad that afternoon and called it a day. And I took ZERO pictures the whole weekend -- what a shame!
I can still picture the frame hanging up in my dad's old office that held a picture and this quote -- Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a Daddy. And our kids have THE BEST DADDY in the world! One minute he is being pelted with balls by the boys (and reciprocating the fun -- they were ALL covered with red splotches when they were done!) and the next he is watching Audrey perform her nightly ballet routine on the living room rug. Our kids are making so many memories with their Dad, and I am forever grateful for that!
I can still picture the frame hanging up in my dad's old office that held a picture and this quote -- Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a Daddy. And our kids have THE BEST DADDY in the world! One minute he is being pelted with balls by the boys (and reciprocating the fun -- they were ALL covered with red splotches when they were done!) and the next he is watching Audrey perform her nightly ballet routine on the living room rug. Our kids are making so many memories with their Dad, and I am forever grateful for that!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Self-Control.
I like the idea of having specific words to help our boys grasp a concept like self-control. Here are some working definitions for self-control to get us get started:
Self-control is the ability to control myself so that Mom and Dad don't have to.
Self-control means to think before I act.
Self-control is the ability to talk about problems instead of grabbing, pushing, or hitting.
Self-control means that I limit the noises I make when others are around.
Self-control means that I focus on one thing until it gets done, before I move to the next.
And {being a science lover}, I especially like this object lesson to help our boys understand what it looks like to have self-control.
You will need soda pop in a clear bottle and a suitable place to make a mess.
Read Galatians 5:13-15 and 25-26 and ask the following questions:
When we do not use self-control, we end up “biting and devouring” each other, and “provoking and envying” each other. This is not God's plan for our lives. He would rather see us encouraging and building one another up. When we feel like fizzing all over everyone, it is time to get alone with God for a talk.
Help your boys make plans for what they will do when they feel like they are going to lose self-control. Challenge your sons to hold one hand in a fist and clamp the other hand over top of it, pretending that it is a bottle of pop ready to explode. In order to “keep the lid on,” he/she can to come to a parent who will help them bring their frustration to God. As your boys are able, have them go directly to God with their concerns.
ISN'T THIS GREAT?! We are definitely making time for this! What are some creative ways that you have taught or are teaching your sons about having self-control?
Self-control is the ability to control myself so that Mom and Dad don't have to.
Self-control means to think before I act.
Self-control is the ability to talk about problems instead of grabbing, pushing, or hitting.
Self-control means that I limit the noises I make when others are around.
Self-control means that I focus on one thing until it gets done, before I move to the next.
And {being a science lover}, I especially like this object lesson to help our boys understand what it looks like to have self-control.
fizzy mess [science with a twist]
This exercise in simple science is designed to help our boys understand the importance of dealing with emotions before they get to the point of “boiling over.” This project should be done outside or in an area that is easy to clean up!You will need soda pop in a clear bottle and a suitable place to make a mess.
- Shake the bottle of pop up a lot. As you are shaking the pop, explain that life has its shake-ups, too. Life's shake-ups are times when we feel a lot of pressure. For example, perhaps teasing from a sibling shakes you up; maybe it is feeling as though you're not getting your fair share or being treated unjustly. Use examples of things that press your boys' buttons.
- Next, take the top off the bottle of pop and fizz from the pop will fly everywhere. Explain that when we lack self-control, we are just like the bottle of pop. Just as the pop flying everywhere makes a mess, we make messes when we lack self-control.
Read Galatians 5:13-15 and 25-26 and ask the following questions:
- What kind of messes do we get ourselves into?
- Is it a mess when we hurt someone's feelings?
- What other messes can you think of?
- Would you rather live in a family where people encourage each other or devour each other?
When we do not use self-control, we end up “biting and devouring” each other, and “provoking and envying” each other. This is not God's plan for our lives. He would rather see us encouraging and building one another up. When we feel like fizzing all over everyone, it is time to get alone with God for a talk.
Help your boys make plans for what they will do when they feel like they are going to lose self-control. Challenge your sons to hold one hand in a fist and clamp the other hand over top of it, pretending that it is a bottle of pop ready to explode. In order to “keep the lid on,” he/she can to come to a parent who will help them bring their frustration to God. As your boys are able, have them go directly to God with their concerns.
ISN'T THIS GREAT?! We are definitely making time for this! What are some creative ways that you have taught or are teaching your sons about having self-control?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Library of Congress
Gentleness
is carefully controlled strength. Gentleness is like a velvet wrapped brick. The word Paul chose {in Galatians 5} was commonly used to refer to well-trained animals, like elephants and horses.
You can teach your sons about gentleness at the zoo: Elephants are so strong they have frequently been used for logging—to carry large logs and even uproot trees. But these giants are usually gentle, especially when tamed from a young age.
The elephant's trunk in particular is an example of strength coupled with precise control. Its trunk, with more than 40,000 individual muscles, is strong enough to rip branches from trees but sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass!
How are you showing your sons what gentleness is?
You can teach your sons about gentleness at the zoo: Elephants are so strong they have frequently been used for logging—to carry large logs and even uproot trees. But these giants are usually gentle, especially when tamed from a young age.
The elephant's trunk in particular is an example of strength coupled with precise control. Its trunk, with more than 40,000 individual muscles, is strong enough to rip branches from trees but sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass!
How are you showing your sons what gentleness is?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Faithfulness.
Today's topic of prayer was faithfulness. There are many things our boys can be faithful to. Above all, we hope our boys are faithful to God.
{Encouragement from Brooke via Leader's Guide}
Doesn't this one prayer bring with it the solution to everything else we could talk about? A man whose first love is Jesus will be faithful in all {areas of his life}. He won't be perfect, but he will possess the ability to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be faithful. It is something worth praying for.
{Encouragement from Brooke via Leader's Guide}
Doesn't this one prayer bring with it the solution to everything else we could talk about? A man whose first love is Jesus will be faithful in all {areas of his life}. He won't be perfect, but he will possess the ability to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be faithful. It is something worth praying for.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Goodness.
We are entering into the final week of our Warrior Prayers challenge. Have you seen God change you through your prayers for your son(s)? There have been more days than not that I have felt like I needed these prayers more than my boys do. How can I train and encourage them in these areas when I still have so much work to be done in myself?
Brooke raises a question regarding today's topic...
In our efforts to raise our sons are we teaching them that if they do good things they are good? Righteous even? If we teach them that being good is all it takes, if our discipline and training focuses on their behavior {and not their heart}, how will they know they need a Savior?
I think it is important for our boys to know that when their behavior is wrong, it does not mean they are "bad" boys -- for they were made in the image of God (Gen 1:27). And more importantly, they should know that no number of good deeds makes them righteous. Good works are not a condition of salvation. Faith is the only condition. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Eph 2:8-9 We have begun to talk to our boys about storing up treasures in Heaven and how their good works earn them treasures/rewards for Eternity, but Eternal Life is not earned. They obtained that as a gift at the moment they believed in Christ alone for it! Being good is a choice they can make to show love for God and others.
How are you teaching your sons about goodness?
Brooke raises a question regarding today's topic...
In our efforts to raise our sons are we teaching them that if they do good things they are good? Righteous even? If we teach them that being good is all it takes, if our discipline and training focuses on their behavior {and not their heart}, how will they know they need a Savior?
I think it is important for our boys to know that when their behavior is wrong, it does not mean they are "bad" boys -- for they were made in the image of God (Gen 1:27). And more importantly, they should know that no number of good deeds makes them righteous. Good works are not a condition of salvation. Faith is the only condition. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Eph 2:8-9 We have begun to talk to our boys about storing up treasures in Heaven and how their good works earn them treasures/rewards for Eternity, but Eternal Life is not earned. They obtained that as a gift at the moment they believed in Christ alone for it! Being good is a choice they can make to show love for God and others.
How are you teaching your sons about goodness?
Rainy morning.
I temporarily filled the sand box with dry beans and rice, put in measuring cups, sand toys and funnels. I hope this occupies them for a while!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Adrian Peterson football camp.
Dade had the privilege of attending the first annual Adrian Peterson football camp at UT Tyler this Saturday. He was excited to see two of his homeschool friends and my cousin who was helping out. The kids were divided into groups and rotated through a set of varying drills lead by area coaches. Adrian gathered the kids around at the end for a Q&A session and a pep talk. Dade said he learned a lot about football that he did not know.
Kindness.
Immediate Affirmation Produces Results
Immediate praise for work well done is very motivating. It's important to catch your children doing something right. Not only do you want to affirm behavior but also you want to encourage the character development that you see growing. Use words like, "You're becoming very cooperative." Or, "I like the way you are learning to be kind." Praise goes a long way to build good habits.
-- Something I did a while back was create a "fruit of the spirit" container . (I will post a picture later today.) I carry it with me and dole out a piece of fruit candy when I catch my kids exhibiting a fruit of the spirit, such as being kind to a sibling!
I would love to hear how your Warrior Prayers experience is helping you in your parenting!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Patience.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is ... patience." Gal 5:22 Patience is waiting with a happy heart.
Our world does not like to wait. Most everything and everyone moves at the speed of lightning making it even more of a challenge to teach our boys to be patient and wait.
How can we be intentional about teaching our boys to wait with a happy heart?
Having them plant seeds and watching them grow.
Hatching butterflies.
Playing board games as a family where each person gets a turn.
Baking cupcakes or brownies with them.
Making popsicles.
Reading chapter books with them at bedtime {they must wait for the story to continue the next night}.
What have you done or do you plan to do to help your boys learn this valuable quality?
Our world does not like to wait. Most everything and everyone moves at the speed of lightning making it even more of a challenge to teach our boys to be patient and wait.
How can we be intentional about teaching our boys to wait with a happy heart?
Having them plant seeds and watching them grow.
Hatching butterflies.
Playing board games as a family where each person gets a turn.
Baking cupcakes or brownies with them.
Making popsicles.
Reading chapter books with them at bedtime {they must wait for the story to continue the next night}.
What have you done or do you plan to do to help your boys learn this valuable quality?
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Peace.
God's Word covers the idea of peace from all angles. Your son may struggle with anxiety and needs peace in his mind -- Philippians 4:6-7. Maybe he struggles in quarreling with others and needs peace in his relationships -- 2 Corinthians 13:11 Financial peace may be the area he needs help in -- 1 Timothy 6:10 Or perhaps your son needs the ultimate peace found in eternal salvation -- John 3:16, Romans 5:1 In whatever area your son needs peace, turn Him to God's Word.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Joy.
"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
"that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11
"and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy." John 16:20
Sorrow will become joy, not be followed by joy. I love that! Joy is from the Lord. It is our strength to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). And God wants our joy to be FULL!
These truths are hard for me to remember when I am experiencing sorrow. And it seems even more difficult to teach them to little boys whose minds are still growing and understanding our world. When they experience sorrow because their family moves and they must leave their friends or their beloved dog dies, how do we help them so that their sorrow becomes joy? And that their joy may be FULL?
These are the thoughts today's topic has brought me to, that I will be pondering and talking to God about. We have walked through these two events in the past year with our boys, and I honestly do not feel like I helped them seek God so that their sorrow would become JOY. And I want to do better in the future when the coming times of sorrow are upon us.
So... I will pray that my boys will be filled with joy all their days because I want them to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:1-4). What are some ways you help your boys understand what JOY is?
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Love.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 [b]bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails;
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the [f]greatest of these is love.
It is very easy for me to say that I love my boys but my actions do not always align with what God's Word says love looks like. I am not always patient and kind. I am often {VERY} easily provoked. I grow weary of enduring {boy} things -- the noise level, the messes left behind from their experiments and creations, the trail of clothes and Hot Wheels, the balls in every room of the house. Today's topic is definitely an area where I need to look at the log in my own eye before taking notice of the speck in my boys'. I am in need of refining and felt like my prayers today were more for myself so that my boys can see and therefore know what love truly is.
Encouragement from Brooke -- The word "love" is used too loosely in today's world. We 'love' our food, cars, shoes, and hair color. But there is no real definition of the word "love" apart from God. How can we begin to make changes in our life and our vocabulary to help our sons understand the true meaning of the word?
8 Love never fails;
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the [f]greatest of these is love.
It is very easy for me to say that I love my boys but my actions do not always align with what God's Word says love looks like. I am not always patient and kind. I am often {VERY} easily provoked. I grow weary of enduring {boy} things -- the noise level, the messes left behind from their experiments and creations, the trail of clothes and Hot Wheels, the balls in every room of the house. Today's topic is definitely an area where I need to look at the log in my own eye before taking notice of the speck in my boys'. I am in need of refining and felt like my prayers today were more for myself so that my boys can see and therefore know what love truly is.
Encouragement from Brooke -- The word "love" is used too loosely in today's world. We 'love' our food, cars, shoes, and hair color. But there is no real definition of the word "love" apart from God. How can we begin to make changes in our life and our vocabulary to help our sons understand the true meaning of the word?
Connections.
After watching this video, I decided to make some sight word flashcards for the boys. We worked on "ight" words and all had a great time coming up with pictures to draw on the words to help them be more memorable.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Honor.
Teaching Honor... from Joann Miller, RN, BSN at Biblical Parenting.
When families think about honor, they often restrict their thinking to respectful behavior, being polite, courteous, and having good manners. This is a rather narrow understanding and is only a small portion of what honor actually is. Respectful behavior, although a subset of honor, is incomplete in and of itself.
Susie learned manners at an early age. "What a nice girl," people would say. Susie learned acceptable behavior but as she grew older she rebelled against the rules, finding them empty and overly restrictive. Teaching respect is not enough.
Honor comes when you recognize a person's worth or value. Respect focuses on behavior, doing the appropriate thing, whereas honor comes from the heart. Respect acknowledges a person's position, while honor attaches worth to that person. Respect teaches manners and proper behavior in the presence of others. Honor teaches something deeper, an appreciation of that person.
Respect can become an outward technique to make a family look good to others, but honor builds the hidden bonds that provide great strength and long-lasting unity. It's one thing to obey the crossing guard out of respect for his position. It's yet another to show honor to him because you know him as a friend.
Although we're making a contrast between respect and honor, don't assume that honor is good and respect is bad. Both have their place. When children are young, they learn respectful behavior, but as they grow older, they can develop a heart response of honor as well. It's good to teach respectful behavior but it's important that you not stop there. Honor adds a deeper dimension to relationships.
Honor deals with meanness in relationships. Honor does a job thoroughly and with a good attitude. Honor looks for what needs to be done before being asked. All children (and adults) need to learn honor. Teaching it makes a big difference in family life.
How have you seen honor demonstrated in your family?
{I pray that my boys will become men of honor. That they would receive honor but more importantly, give honor. 1 Samuel 2:30 "...for those who honor Me I will honor..."}
When families think about honor, they often restrict their thinking to respectful behavior, being polite, courteous, and having good manners. This is a rather narrow understanding and is only a small portion of what honor actually is. Respectful behavior, although a subset of honor, is incomplete in and of itself.
Susie learned manners at an early age. "What a nice girl," people would say. Susie learned acceptable behavior but as she grew older she rebelled against the rules, finding them empty and overly restrictive. Teaching respect is not enough.
Honor comes when you recognize a person's worth or value. Respect focuses on behavior, doing the appropriate thing, whereas honor comes from the heart. Respect acknowledges a person's position, while honor attaches worth to that person. Respect teaches manners and proper behavior in the presence of others. Honor teaches something deeper, an appreciation of that person.
Respect can become an outward technique to make a family look good to others, but honor builds the hidden bonds that provide great strength and long-lasting unity. It's one thing to obey the crossing guard out of respect for his position. It's yet another to show honor to him because you know him as a friend.
Although we're making a contrast between respect and honor, don't assume that honor is good and respect is bad. Both have their place. When children are young, they learn respectful behavior, but as they grow older, they can develop a heart response of honor as well. It's good to teach respectful behavior but it's important that you not stop there. Honor adds a deeper dimension to relationships.
Honor deals with meanness in relationships. Honor does a job thoroughly and with a good attitude. Honor looks for what needs to be done before being asked. All children (and adults) need to learn honor. Teaching it makes a big difference in family life.
How have you seen honor demonstrated in your family?
{I pray that my boys will become men of honor. That they would receive honor but more importantly, give honor. 1 Samuel 2:30 "...for those who honor Me I will honor..."}
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
a Servant's Heart.
Which verse(s) spoke to you today?
Even though they were not included in the list of prayers, Joshua 24:15 and Matt 25:23 are two verses that come to mind when I think about serving.
I would love to hear how you are training your son(s) to serve others!
And if you have young boys, a resource that might be helpful to you is Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve.
Even though they were not included in the list of prayers, Joshua 24:15 and Matt 25:23 are two verses that come to mind when I think about serving.
I would love to hear how you are training your son(s) to serve others!
And if you have young boys, a resource that might be helpful to you is Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Bucket list.
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We are steadily making our way through our summer to-do list. In years past, I put our activities on scraps of paper in a bowl, but this idea I found it MUCH more creative! The kids helped me create our bucket list:
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Purity.
The word alone can produce fear in a mother's mind. We long for our boys to remain pure in heart, mind and action. The following is encouragement from Hal & Melanie Young, parents of six boys and authors of Raising Real Men.
How do we prepare our guys for the assault on their purity? How do we help them be strong and stay pure? We've got to be open and honest with our boys starting when they are young. Explain and answer their questions and put it all in to the context of God's plan for their purity. Prepare them for what is to come. Pray for them. Make sure they have accountability that helps them stand firm.
Personally, I feel that this is an area where my husband plays a integral role. As a woman, I cannot begin to understand the temptations that boys/men go through as they live their life day to day. Boys need their fathers to encourage them in their purity. They need to see their fathers being faithful to their mothers. Boys need to be taught how to treat a lady. Our boys are still young (7, 5 1/2 and 16 mo) but we are already teaching them that girls are delicate and are to be treated as such. We have taught our boys to hold the door open for other people, but especially for women. These are simple things that can be done from any early age to prepare our boys for this battle.
What are your thoughts on the topic of purity? How are you training up your son in this area?
How do we prepare our guys for the assault on their purity? How do we help them be strong and stay pure? We've got to be open and honest with our boys starting when they are young. Explain and answer their questions and put it all in to the context of God's plan for their purity. Prepare them for what is to come. Pray for them. Make sure they have accountability that helps them stand firm.
Personally, I feel that this is an area where my husband plays a integral role. As a woman, I cannot begin to understand the temptations that boys/men go through as they live their life day to day. Boys need their fathers to encourage them in their purity. They need to see their fathers being faithful to their mothers. Boys need to be taught how to treat a lady. Our boys are still young (7, 5 1/2 and 16 mo) but we are already teaching them that girls are delicate and are to be treated as such. We have taught our boys to hold the door open for other people, but especially for women. These are simple things that can be done from any early age to prepare our boys for this battle.
What are your thoughts on the topic of purity? How are you training up your son in this area?
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Pride.
How have your first five days gone? Have you been excited each day to talk to God about a specific topic for your son(s)? I have felt like my prayers have been more focused and that my thoughts toward and about my boys, more intentional.
In addition to praying for our sons, some ways I can think of to discourage a prideful spirit and encourage one of humility are *Be their example. *Teach them to serve others, to think of others first. I was attempting to work on this with my sons a few years back (at the time they were probably 4 and 5). We were going into the store and to dispel any desires they might have had for me to buy them something, I asked them to think about something we could buy that someone else might need. {Back story: we had recently helped my husband's grandparents move into an assisted living facility. While going through their belongings we had come across Papaw's stash of cash that had been chewed by rodents.} My oldest quickly responded that we could get Papaw some new money since his had been eaten by mice! *Encourage them to admit their mistakes. *Do not tolerate a disrespectful attitude or tone of voice toward yourself or anyone else.
How are you helping your son(s) in this area?
In addition to praying for our sons, some ways I can think of to discourage a prideful spirit and encourage one of humility are *Be their example. *Teach them to serve others, to think of others first. I was attempting to work on this with my sons a few years back (at the time they were probably 4 and 5). We were going into the store and to dispel any desires they might have had for me to buy them something, I asked them to think about something we could buy that someone else might need. {Back story: we had recently helped my husband's grandparents move into an assisted living facility. While going through their belongings we had come across Papaw's stash of cash that had been chewed by rodents.} My oldest quickly responded that we could get Papaw some new money since his had been eaten by mice! *Encourage them to admit their mistakes. *Do not tolerate a disrespectful attitude or tone of voice toward yourself or anyone else.
How are you helping your son(s) in this area?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Avoiding Foolishness.
Recognizing Foolishness
Foolishness is one of the three roadblocks to sibling harmony. Honor offers the solution. Honor teaches wisdom in relationships.
One of the ways that you can recognize foolishness is to listen for the flags. Excuses like, "I was just kidding" or "I didn't mean it" or "I was just playing around" or "I didn't do anything wrong" are all cues that your son is not taking responsibility for foolish behavior. Boys often evaluate life in terms of black and white and when they do something foolish the behavior may not have been wrong. These boys don't recognize that a good behavior can sometimes be wrong because it leads to something bad.
The first solution is to help boys learn to take responsibility for their part of the problem. This is hard for many boys who view mistakes as a sign of weakness. Help yours boys take responsibility for foolishness and you will go a long way to teach them about wisdom.
You might ask, "What could you have done differently to avoid this problem?" This question helps them look at an offense a little differently. Instead of evaluating it based on right or wrong, now the behavior is judged based on its foresight and wisdom.
Of course the solution for foolishness is to help your boys learn wisdom. You want to help them anticipate the consequences of their actions. Tell stories of people who didn't see what was coming. And of course pray with your boys because God says in James 1:5, "If you lack wisdom, ask God."
{Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN -- www.biblicalparenting.info}
One of the greatest sources of sibling conflict is foolishness. Boys often don't recognize the future consequences of their present actions.
Foolishness is one of the three roadblocks to sibling harmony. Honor offers the solution. Honor teaches wisdom in relationships.
One of the ways that you can recognize foolishness is to listen for the flags. Excuses like, "I was just kidding" or "I didn't mean it" or "I was just playing around" or "I didn't do anything wrong" are all cues that your son is not taking responsibility for foolish behavior. Boys often evaluate life in terms of black and white and when they do something foolish the behavior may not have been wrong. These boys don't recognize that a good behavior can sometimes be wrong because it leads to something bad.
The first solution is to help boys learn to take responsibility for their part of the problem. This is hard for many boys who view mistakes as a sign of weakness. Help yours boys take responsibility for foolishness and you will go a long way to teach them about wisdom.
You might ask, "What could you have done differently to avoid this problem?" This question helps them look at an offense a little differently. Instead of evaluating it based on right or wrong, now the behavior is judged based on its foresight and wisdom.
Of course the solution for foolishness is to help your boys learn wisdom. You want to help them anticipate the consequences of their actions. Tell stories of people who didn't see what was coming. And of course pray with your boys because God says in James 1:5, "If you lack wisdom, ask God."
{Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN -- www.biblicalparenting.info}
Friday, June 10, 2011
Integrity.
I still recall very clearly being in Junior High choir the day that Mrs. Neely wrote "INTEGRITY" on the chalkboard and silently left the room. I remember that when she came back, she gave us this simple definition -- doing what was right even if no one was watching. I am not sure what brought this non-musical lesson about that day, but I do know it has remained with me to this day.
I think the best way to teach this character trait to our boys is by living it out for them. Be the example. Keep your promises. Let your 'yes' be your 'yes,' and your 'no,' 'no.' Matt 5:37 Talk to your boys when they see you doing what is right about why you are making that choice. Train your boys to "ponder the way that is blameless" (Psalm 101:2).
I think the best way to teach this character trait to our boys is by living it out for them. Be the example. Keep your promises. Let your 'yes' be your 'yes,' and your 'no,' 'no.' Matt 5:37 Talk to your boys when they see you doing what is right about why you are making that choice. Train your boys to "ponder the way that is blameless" (Psalm 101:2).
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Calf scramble.
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| The boys all participated in the calf scramble -- they ran around trying to pull the ribbon off the calf's tail. When they got back to their seats, Luke told us that one of the calves fell on his leg! Dade almost had a ribbon but tripped just as he was about to pull it! |
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