The Greatest Gift For A Child

I’m back after the hostile takeover.  Since this is the Valentine’s season, I would like to share my opinion about Love. 

I believe that the greatest gift that a parent can give a child is the love for their other parent.  In our world today, with the divorce rate climbing every year, our children need to see that their parents love each other. 

I know that many are thinking that the greatest gift to give a child would be salvation.  I agree, but the point that I am trying to make is, how can you model the love of Christ if you can’t even love your spouse.

Let your children know that you love their mom or dad.  It will give them a strong foundation and some added security in a very chaotic world.

A Hostile Valentine Takeover

Hello Bloggers! This is the wife of the BlueCollarParent, and because today is Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to do something that will drive my husband CRAZY! Tell you about him (or at least how I see him). I’ve known the BlueCollarParent since before he was a parent! When I met him, he was a young fireball that had the whole world figured out. I’ve watched as he has learned that he doesn’t have all the answers. His desire to be a great dad and husband has come in part from his awareness that he has things to learn.

A professor once told me, “When you stop learning, you die.” At the time I thought he was trying to tell us if we quit studying, we’d croak. With age I realize that he meant until we die, we are learning. One of the greatest qualities I see in my husband of 14 years is that he is not afraid to acknowledge when he is wrong and to learn to do it better. He hasn’t made being his wife an easy thing, but I must say it is getting easier every day. Just because we are learning together how to make our family better.

The First principle of the BlueCollarParent is to show your children love and affection everyday. Today is an EXCELLENT day to let your children know you love them. (And to let your husband know that you love him and Thank God for the gift of his love!)

Cease Fire?

Does Diet, Health, and Nutrition Really Matter?

Last night we attended a Valentine’s dinner at our church.  The menu contained food that I don’t particularly care for.  So, when I didn’t eat what was being served, the people at my table began to question me about my dietary standards.

I didn’t want to get into a long discussion about health and nutrition with them.  But, what happened last night caused me to be thinking about health issues this morning.  I’ve added some links to my blogroll that I read on a regular basis.  These sites have helped me try to live a healthier life.

My chief concern in posting these links (Matt Furey, Healthmasters, and Tim Kauppinen), is to get people to think about their health standards.  We are seeing too many people die and suffer from cancer, diabetes, and obesity.  Many of the different kinds of cancer can be avoided.  Men, look at the statistics of  those dying of prostate cancer. 

As a young man who is now in full-time ministry, I know that conducting funerals will be a part of my future.  If I can save my people some pain and suffering, I want to try and do that.

So, do some research folks.  A few changes now in your diet and health practice, may save you some pain, suffering, and heartache down the road.

TIME: We Can Never Get It Back

I want to comment this morning about something that is very important to me.  The subject that I write about is my time.

Paul told the Ephesians:  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Time is something that we can’t get back.  We have to make decisions about what we are to do with our time.  Who gets your time?  How much time do you spend with God?  How much time do you spend with your spouse?  How much time do you spend with your children?

In my list of priorities, time with God and my wife are at the top of my list.  But, since this is a parenting blog I want to focus on the time we spend with our kids. 

Have you ever looked at your schedule to see how much time is spent with your kids?  I ask the parents who attend my parenting classes to chart their days for me.  I want them to look at their calendars and see how much time is spent day to day with their children.  The typical parent is lucky to get 30 minutes a day with the child.  Now tell me, how are you going to be the influence that God wants you to be in 30 minutes a day?  Christians look at the statistics being put out.  80% of your converts will be under the age of 18.  70% of those converts will leave the church after graduating high school.   I would love to see these stats change.  I think that if they are to change then the parents have to get more involved.  We need to be a bigger influence in the lives of our children.

If we want to pass along our faith and values, then we have to spend more time with our children sharing those things.  Remember you will reap what you sow.  If your faith and love is important to you, and you want to see these attributes in your children, then you must sow them in.  If faithfulness to the church is important to you, then you must pass this along to your children.  Don’t send your kid to church activities.  Go with them.  Be involved.

There are no do-overs in parenting.  You only get to do it once.  You must make wise decisions with your time.  After my children are grown, I want to be able to look back and say that I did it right.

New Beginnings

Today I begin my new position at Immanuel Baptist Church in North Augusta, SC.  This past weekend we moved into our new home and we got to meet many of our new church family.  The love and hospitality that we were shown was amazing.  When we pulled into the church parking lot on Friday, there were a dozen people here to help unload, unpack, and set-up everything in our home.  What a blessing!  We will have meals prepared for us until Tuesday, our pantry was full, and we have a month’s supply of paper products.   All that I can say is that I am amazed at the blessings of the Lord, and the love and kindness that we have been shown has made it alot easier to get over being homesick.

Last week I watched a movie called Gridiron Gang.  I cannot endorse this movie for anyone who would be offended by vulgar language.  There was alot of it.  But, I would like to comment on the movie because it shows the real life issues being faced by inner-city kids.  This movie was based on a true story, and I love football so I had to watch it (I also like the Rock,  I used to be a wrestling fan).  

The movie shows us that many kids are growing up in homes where survival is the top priority of the family.  I can’t imagine living in an environment where drive by shootings are common, drugs are everywhere, and adults abuse the kids daily.  Love is not normal, and selfishness is the top priority.  It bothers me to see parents put their own WANTS and DESIRES above the NEEDS of their children.  The kids in this movie are in jail and the focus of the movie is that one of the corrections officers uses football to get the kids to straighten up.  But, what I saw in the movie is how the lack of praise, love, and affection has sent these kids into a life of delinquency. 

Remember, you reap what you sow.  These children have never been shown love.  They are frustrated, and they don’t know how to return love.  Many are in survival mode from an early age, and the general public is upset that these kids turn to a life of crime.  I am not excusing bad juvenile behavior.  I am asking you to try to understand what kind of environment these kids come from, and let’s share the love of God with them, and let them know that someone cares.  I would also like you to see the importance of loving your own kids and building them up for the glory of God.

Tell your kids that you are proud of them this week, just for being your son or daughter.