Archives for “Parenting”
I suspect this will be a land mine upon which I will throw myself – but here it goes. This is using sweeping generalizations, which means exceptions exist (but may not be the rule). Males, tend to want to be of service and/or want to solve problem(s). We’re hardwired to this behavior. Females, tend to [...]
Bouncing Ball I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity. ECCLESIASTES 2:11 There are seasons in life when our work requires more of us than it does at other times. Tax season for the accountant. Christmas season for the retailer. Whatever [...]
A really important message today- If we’re not present for and with our children– the casualty and cost later in their lives will be much more than whatever we think we are doing to benefit them today. Don’t get into that kind of defecit– it is a slippery slope into comlplete irresponsibility. Ephesians 6:4 And [...]
Seizing the proper moment to impart a lesson….requires mindful-ness and awareness, or ‘just in time opportunity spotting’… 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NCV) I tell you that the “right time” is now, and the “day of salvation” is now. The Greek New Testament uses the word kairos for what Paul calls “the right time” here, in distinction [...]
I am heartened by the character of our new leader– both the attitude and the principles he espouses and acts upon– in his Letter to My Children, by Barak Obama I cannot but help feel that the leadership of America has been restored to integrity.. Carey Casey, in his Championship Fathering site, adds: Tell your [...]
More on the same theme— What have you done (today) to spend time with the people you love (and NOT the work-place)…. Ephesians 5:17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. As the kids surrounded my car like a band of whooping Indians, screaming, “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” [...]
Wow! This is a very valid point— no matter how much you give of yourself at your ‘job’, make sure to leave plenty extra for your home and family life too!!! Ephesians 5:15,16 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time. Driving home one [...]
What sort of activity are we doing that shows us we are not aligned with God? Are we able to connect and experience a sense of responsibility for situations we encounter? God tends to use those who’ve been broken by something, as an advocate and tool(or guide) to others who are also enthralled by that [...]
Giving thanks, in all we do/have/be – while important, also can be enriched by really spending time with loved ones- including letting them know just how much you cherish them… The Rainey’s provide practical experiential advice regarding this. Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. I once read of a [...]
The key to remember here is a simple idea that Jesus clearly articulated: “‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” [Matthew 23:39 / Gal 5:14]. If we truly wish to emulate Christ– we must love without condition, with great compassion– and forgive the moment a wrong-doing occurs. Let go of the need not only to ‘defend’ but [...]
The Rainey’s outline some of the benefits and risks of teaching our children how to be responsible. This is really great advice– as, if we don’t teach our children to be responsible, we can expect to have to always carry them even when they’re adults… God does the same for us– we are not perfect, [...]
The Rainey’s get us to thinkning about the positive memories of our parents. Philippians 1:2,3 (NIV) Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. I wonder how many of us thank God every time we remember our parents? Almost everyone [...]
Proverbs 31:28,29 Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.” The crowning glory of the woman in Proverbs 31 is that her children and husband praise her. I think one thing we’re not emphasizing today is praising moms [...]
Titus 2:4,5 That they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored. Our society often sends the wrong signals to mothers. It tells moms they are dispensable. [...]
John 8:44 Whenever he [the devil] speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. I can think of at least four lies Satan tells families:
Genesis 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. How do you communicate to your children that they are cherished and accepted both by you and by God, while still holding up realistic standards for them? The world places a [...]
Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. The stereotype of the executive in the three-piece pinstriped suit working long hours to make it to the top has been around for decades, but his female counterpart is a more recent development. Today, a growing [...]
Philippians 2:15 Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. During the next year, Barbara and I notched the bowstring with another arrow, Benjamin, and prepared for our second release. We spent a [...]
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Our daughter Rebecca was involved in gymnastics, and she was doing well. As her level of skill increased, she was expected to spend more time at [...]
Titus 1:6 If any man be above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. Is there a minister at your house? The apostle Paul wanted elders in the church who could also minister the gospel to their own households. When I suggest to fathers that they [...]
Phillipians 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. In one of Charles Shultz’s “Peanuts” cartoons, Charlie Brown [...]
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt. As a wife and mother, I often ask myself, “What values are being communicated by what Barbara Rainey says?” I heard the crashing sound of the Hummell figurine, and my mind raced back to my grandmother. She had purchased the [...]
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. If, as the previous devotion maintained, much of what comes into our homes via television does not contribute to a sound Christian home, then what can be done to manage this monster? Why not start a “Just Say [...]
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. As much as children need love from a dad, they also need a dad who is a warrior, involved in the battles they face every day. I was enjoying the Barcelona Olympics when I observed a father-son scene [...]
Genesis 3:12 And the man said, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Although we technically have six children in our family, occasionally we are visited by a seventh child called “Nobody.” Nobody spills apple juice, jelly and peanut butter on the floor and [...]
