Thursday, July 29, 2010

Bringing up Children is no Part-time Job

Original Post From Generation Cedar


Bringing up Children is no Part-time Job

It starts as early as sunrise some mornings. And though I’m sleepy, I have a choice.

I can let my sleepiness be an excuse to waive off the challenges of the early morning, or I can rise up, face those little people with a smile and a cheery, “Good morning, doll face”, and get my mommy gear on.

I know you’re hungry, but don’t whine. Be patient while I cook the grits.”

The training begins.

“Will you please get the spoons for me?”

“Speak kindly, please, she didn’t mean to do that.”

Reminding, replacing, encouraging, embracing.

“Who left their bowls at the table?”

Even though it would be easier to just take it to the sink myself, I go downstairs to call them up.

Habits are being formed, like railroads, as Sonya Shafer says, that will guide them for the rest of their lives. Regular, good habits will give them a much easier ride.

There seems, in our day, to be a lot of children derailing. Someone didn’t take the time.

“Let me show you how to hang up your clothes.”

“No, you don’t speak to your brother in that tone of voice.”

“Why don’t you let her go first…isn’t that what the Bible says?”

“Thank you so much for getting your sister out of the high chair. You’re going to be a great Dad.”

Not even day by day, but minute by minute, we build them, shape them, grow them.

Cultivating habits of attentiveness, diligence, courtesy, integrity, honor, service, love, gratitude.

“Look people in the eyes when you speak. It shows them you care about what they are saying.”

And I must prove I mean it by stopping to look them in the eyes….a hundred times a day.

It’s a relentless job. There is little room for rest. And sacrifice is always required.

But there is sweetness and peace in doing hard things that will impact the future, all the way into eternity.

Now that’s big.

A bigness worth a full time effort.


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

How to Love One Another: Affirm, Share, and Serve

How to Love One Another: Affirm, Share, and Serve

Most of us are familiar with the “one another” commands of the New Testament. In the study guide for Gospel in Life: Grace Changes Everything, Tim Keller offers a helpful taxonomy under the categories of affirming one another, sharing with one another, and serving one another. These form, he says, “nine ‘community-building practices’—specific behaviors that build Christian community.” For a more detailed unpacking of each point, see pp. 58-71.

Affirm

1. Affirm one another’s strengths, abilities, and gifts.

2. Affirm one another’s equal importance in Christ.

3. Affirm one another through visible affection.

Share

4. Share one another’s space, goods, and time.

5. Share one another’s needs and problems.

6. Share one another’s beliefs, thinking, and spirituality.

Serve

7. Serve one another through accountability.

8. Serve one another through forgiveness and reconciliation.

9. Serve one another’s interests rather than our own.

How to Love One Another: Affirm, Share, and Serve

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

How to Raise a Spoiled Child

  • Don’t expect too much of him too young, assuring yourself that “he doesn’t understand”.
  • Laugh at “how cute” it is when he throws his food down from the high chair.
  • Comfort him when he throws a fit; at least give him the thing about which he is throwing the fit.
  • Make sure he gets to do/have “what everyone else does/has”.
  • Don’t ever make him earn money to buy things he wants.
  • Make excuses for him when he misbehaves. This will help him learn to blame his problems on everything or everyone else.
  • Wash all his dishes, make his bed, clean up after him and keep telling yourself that “childhood is just for fun–he’ll grow up later”.

And above all else, to successfully raise a spoiled child, let him think the world revolves around him, his food preferences, his recreational needs and his whims. Do whatever you have to do to keep him in the center of the universe, including but not limited to refusing any more children from God. After all, spoiling one or two is difficult (and costly) enough.


The above text is a post from Generation Cedar.



Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Pro 13:24


Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. Pro 22:15


Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

Pro 23:13


The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Pro 29:15


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

C.J. Mahaney - A Testimony to God's Grace

C. J. Mahaney's testimony is a perfect example of sinful man would never choose God.



Friday, July 16, 2010

Frugal Friday: Save Money Grocery Shopping

Shop for produce at a local farm stand.
Always grocery shop with a list.
Take advantage of sales on items that you would normally buy.
Only shop once a month.
Stockpile staples when prices are low.
Keep track of prices by unit cost.
Buy generic items.
Plan meals according to what is on sale that week.
Take advantage of rainchecks if the store doesn’t have a sale item that you need.
Buy enough of a sale item to last 12 weeks. That’s about how long sales take to cycle.
Shop at discount marts: Grocery outlet, The Dollar Store, etc.
Take advantage of stores that double coupons.
Watch out for deals on things that your friends need, and have them do the same for you.

For more tips, click here.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

This Should Scare Us

The replacement rate is 2.1 children per couple, which means a population isn't dying. Keep in mind, NO population has EVER has ever survived and come back from a birth rate of 1.3 or lower! It is the point of NO RETURN! It is OVER for that society. The country will continue to exist but their will be another population from another part of the world who ends up being that culture.

The U.S. population is down to 1.9 from to 2.6 in 2001. We haven't been at a replacement rate since the 70's.

Western European nations range from about 1.4 to the lowest in the world which is Italy where they are the home of the Roman Catholic church that doesn't believe in birth control. Think about that one for just a minute.

After World War II, Western European nations and the U.S. had a "baby boom". So, there were HUGH numbers of births right after the war. Because of the "baby boom", the population swelled and life expectancy has increased since then. So you have a larger number of people moving through a society and living longer. As a result, our population numbers have been growing even though our birth rates have been declining both here and in Europe.

Japan has a birth rate of about 1.4. Japan is shortening their work week and sending people home with incentives. Why? Because they are beginning to see the problem. In Japan they didn't have a "baby boom" therefore they didn't have the large swell of people that move through their population for a long period of time so their population continued to grow even though their birth rate was low. Which means they saw the result of decreasing birth rates before Western European nations and the U.S. We haven't seen it yet. It's going to happen very rapidly though, when the "baby boomers" begin to die off in mass. Then our (U.S.) numbers will begin to fall rapidly and only then will we begin to realize we have a troubling birth rate. We appear a lot healthier than we actually are. Average age of first births in the U.S. is around 27 up from 21 in 1970, which decreases the number of child bearing years.

Russia's population in 2005 was around 140 million. Their projected population for 2050 (just 45 years later) is 70 million. They are currently shrinking at a rate of 700,000+ each year. They are dying right before our eyes because of their birth rate. So, what are they doing about it? The Russian governtment is offering women $9,000 to have a baby. And, if the mother had a job prior to giving birth, they will also give her 40% of her salary to STAY HOME and raise the baby. Sadly though, it isn't working. Why? Because birth rates are a world view issue not an economic one. Let me prove it to you. Does the average family in the U.S. make more money now in 2010 or did they make more in 1910? Even if you adjust for inflation, the average family makes more now, in 2010. But yet, in 1910 we were having more children per couple than in 2010. In 2010 we talk about how many children we can "afford" but in 1910 when families were making far less money, they talked about how many children they could be blessed with. Again, it is a world view issue not an economic one.

So, they are trying this in Russia, Spain and Sweden and it isn't working. Why? Well, how much money would it take to change your world view? Money doesn't change your world view.

Dr. Voddie Baucham
The State of the Family
MS Homeschool Conference, 2010



"Christians must recognize that this rebellion against parenthood is nothing less than an absolute revolt against God's design."
Albert Mohler

And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." Gen 1:22

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psa 127:3

Worship Wednesday: It Is Well With My Soul



When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Enchilada Dip



INGREDIENTS:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
halves
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) jar mayonnaise
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place chicken breast halves on a medium baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from heat, cool and shred. Place shredded chicken in a medium bowl, and mix in cream cheese, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, green chile peppers and jalapeno pepper. Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Meditation Monday: Spurgeon Quote

I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, 'You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.' My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will--C. H. Spurgeon

The Bible says prior to salvation, all people are dead in sin-- spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). In this state of death, the sinner is utterly unable to respond to any spiritual stimulus and therefore unable to love God, obey Him, or please Him in any way. Scripture says the mind of every unbeliever "is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:7-8, emphasis added). That describes a state of total hopelessness: spiritual death.--John MacArthur


And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Eph 2:1-3

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Rom 8:7-8

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Frugal Friday: Razors

Today's frugal tip is one I learned from my very intelligent & handsome husband. He has very coarse facial hair and can go through razors faster than Speedy Gonzales can run. Seriously, because of the type of hair he has, only the more expensive brands will do a good job without tearing up his face. So one day, he tells me about his experiment which will make his razors last longer. He took a regular pint jar and filled it with rubbing alcohol and set it on the counter next to the sink. When he is done shaving, he swishes the razor around in the alcohol, then dries it with a towel. Apparently what dulls the blade is rust caused by water on the blade that you can get off by just wiping with a towel. The alcohol evaporates the water, therefore the blades will last longer. For instance, a razor used to last him about a week. YIKES! I know! Expensive!!! Now, they last between 3 to 4 weeks. Isn't that awesome!!!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Tasty Tuesday: Watermelon & Strawberry Lemonade





Recipe Yield 2 quarts

Ingredients
8 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup white sugar
2 cups water

Directions

1. Combine the watermelon, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Click here to read reviews of this recipe.

Chore Time and Practical Living Made Fun

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