9/1/13

From Gary... Better kids- better world























Time has a way of blurring memories.  My youngest daughter is 41 now, so I don't often think about all the WORK it took to raise all three girls.  Did I say HARD WORK- NO, WELL I SHOULD HAVE.  But the results speak for themselves.  The cartoon encourages us to train our children and its cute, but frankly, I like the advise from the book of Proverbs much better...

Proverbs, Chapter 20
  11 Even a child makes himself known by his doings,
whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.


Proverbs, Chapter 22
  6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.


  15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child:
the rod of discipline drives it far from him.


Proverbs, Chapter 23
 24 The father of the righteous has great joy.
Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.


Proverbs, Chapter 29
 15 The rod of correction gives wisdom,
but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.



Discipline, correction, encouragement and many, many prayers should do the trick.  Beyond these things, I really don't have any other advice.  Only that the order of the first sentence should be prioritized according to the personality and actions of the child.  In retrospect, I think that I was just OK as a Dad.  If I could do things over again, I think I would study the Bible with them more, ask them questions and LISTEN.  But, hey, everyone is different- just do the best you can and leave the rest up to God.  I know that HE disciplines!!!