Destroy Children- "Exasperate Them"
Monday, December 31, 2007
Ephesians 6:4 (New International Version) (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Exasperate - (Defined by Merriam Webster's Dictionary)
Involved in my own feelings, I fail to follow God's instruction on raising my child. I was not compassionately nurturing my child. Later that evening, my wife revealed that my son did not properly clean the floor because he did not now how. You see, my son was trying to honor me with the best of his ability, but it was not enough for me. He had the proper attitude, I did not. As he was lying in bed, a broken father had to ask his son for forgiveness.
Children prepare for adulthood by witnessing our actions. Do not push your children to the point of anger, instead teach them compassion and kindness. Focus on correcting the attitude. If the attitude is right, then make sure they clearly understand the issue. Have patience as God has unending patience for us. Also, never discipline with an angry hand. If your heart is not right, then take heed and do not punish. Instead step back and ask your spouse to help. Also, teach you children why you discipline so they may truly understand a biblical world view. Guidance without understanding leads to dictatorship.
Posted byAnonymous at 12/31/2007 0 comments
Labels: child development, family, foundations
Homeschool Fun
Thursday, December 27, 2007
posted from:
http://www.timhawkins.net/video-audio.htm
Posted byAnonymous at 12/27/2007 0 comments
Another Christmas Gift
Posted byAnonymous at 12/27/2007 0 comments
Labels: family, traditions
A Christmas Gift
A Christmas gift from grandchildren.
Posted byAnonymous at 12/27/2007 0 comments
Labels: family, traditions
Debt: Building Honor or Causing Destruction?
Monday, December 17, 2007
Over the last 50+ years, we have become dependent on the all mighty 2 1/8 inch by 3 1/8 inch sheet of plastic with a magnetic strip. It comes wrapped in any color or image of your choice. Toys are teaching children to just charge it. Commercials chastise the use of cash for slowing down efficiency. Customer loyalty is built by advertising to high school students. Deals come by means of low interest rates or no interest for 3, 6, or even 12 months. And there is my all-time favorite, "Let's cash advance our Visa card to pay the Discover card."
I am not alone in knowing how the chains of debt feel. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis, for every $1.00 earned, each American spends $1.22 [1]. This snowball of a spending trend, sparked by credit cards, leads to an enslaved path of destruction.
In biblical times, debt could lead to slavery; see Mathew 18:26-28 . "If you're in debt then you're a slave, in the sense that you do not have the freedom to use your money to powerfully change your family tree[2]."
Let me clarify, I am not stating that the use of credit is evil. However, I do agree with Dave Ramsey's comment that the use of debt limits our ability to build a Heritage on Honor. A mortgage is not evil; it is the person who sinfully purchase more than what they can afford. We should be good stewards of what we have been entrusted with.
Our children need to be taught and given examples of how to live without debt. They will be bombarded with advertisements that teach them to live the American dream by using a credit card. Without our example and teaching, our grandchildren may seek a life of servitude to debt. I like Dave Ramsey's example how a family tree can change from a debt-free life. Imagine a life of financial freedom giving you the ability to have no mortgage. Your children have learned how to manage finances and live a debt-free life. What kind of heritage could you build by being able to purchase your children's first home for them, with cash, as a reward for living a debt-free life? What kind of example will this set for your generations for come? Good stewardship is way to build a Heritage of Honor, but debt is the destructive opposition to stewardship.Footnotes
1. Sourced from "Financial Literacy" from Ad Council web site at http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=373.
2. Sourced from Dave Ramsey on "Dept" from MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com https://www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com/members/index.cfm?fuseaction=dspCat&intCatID=52
Posted byAnonymous at 12/17/2007 0 comments
Labels: family, hetigate, money, traditions
Preservation of Honor Contest
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Do you have a blog, web page, or on-line journal? Do you have a story about how you preserve family traditions, events, lineage, or stories; stories that develop a focus on Godly living? If you do not have a blog or such, then email it. Well here is your chance to win a great movie produced by Vision Forum:
Curious about the movie? Read my blog about it here.
Here is what to do:
1. Post an article about how you or your family preserves testimonies, stories, heirlooms, or anything else in order for future generations to turn to God. What is it, why is it important, and how will it build a "Heritage of Honor?" Must be posted before 12/20/2007.
NOTE: If you do not have a blog then email iT to HeritageOfHonor@sbcglobal.net or post it in the comments.
2. Leave a comment here with the location of your posting and a way to contact you.
3. A winner will be chosen on 12/22/2007.
Give all thanks and credit to:
Become a Vision Forum Affiliate...
Posted byAnonymous at 12/16/2007 0 comments
Labels: family, fathers, fore-fathers, heritage, heritage of honor, traditions
Traditional Spending Habits
Saturday, December 15, 2007
As a child, I watched my grandfather purchase a saw when he needed one. When the garden tractor broke-down, he would buy another one. When fishing tackle went on sale, he would add to his tackle boxes. My grandfather enjoyed life and I learned to buy whatever, whenever I had the money. My parents' love taught me many truths about life, but I personally failed to learn good spending habits.
When my wife and I purchased our first home, I needed to fill to it with all the stuff that took my father and grandfather years to acquire. My spending habits caused years of servitude to debt. Unfortunately, I had to learn about bad spending habits through experience.
It is fairly common knowledge that it takes twenty one days, or twenty one times, to make something a habit[1]. The problem lies in the time it takes to realize a bad habit and the consequences of those habits. As the saying goes, "Bad habits die hard."
To protect my heirs from learning my bad habits, I must change mine. Also, I must teach them how to become good stewards of the money we are entrusted with. After they learn where money comes from (see Allowance vs Commission), then they should be taught how to handle that money. I like Dave Ramsey's approach to split the money into three envelops; Giving, Saving, and Spending [2]. A child that tithes his earned money will learn more than a child who is given dollar to put into the offering plate. The child learns how to set-aside hard earned money for savings or emergency funds. In addition, he learns how to manage funds for buying toys or candy.
This is what Dave Ramsey considers changing the family tree; I consider it a way to establish a heritage of honor. Let's not give our children the opportunity to learn bad spending habits. Instead, we should teach them to properly manage funds and how they can teach their children to do the same.
I would like to recommend the use of Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace Junior."
Footnotes:
1. McDonald, T. "Breaking Bad Habits - 5 Simple Steps fro Changing a Habit," http://ezinearticles.com/?Breaking-Bad-Habits---5-Simple-Steps-for-Changing-a-Habit&id=71021
2. Ramsey, Dave. "Financial Peace University," 2006, www.daveramsey.com
Posted byAnonymous at 12/15/2007 0 comments
Labels: child development, family, foundations, money, traditions
Commission V's Allowance
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
During my upbring, it was either do the chores or get the belt. We did get allowance, but it was just that; an allowance. Dave Ramsey suggest that children should receive a commission instead of allowance[1]. The purpose is to use chores as an opportunity to teach children the biblical concept of work and money. Commission for chores does not denote that chores are voluntary.
I find Mr. Ramsey's use of the term commission interesting. The word "commission" as a transitive verb is defined as "to appoint or assign to a task or function [2]." Would this mean we are to commission our children for their commission?
Mr. Ramsey's way of rewarding children for completion of chores teaches them that they will be compensated for entrust responsibilities. Ensure each child knows how to do the task, what quality is acceptable, and when it is to be completed. Based on their performance, they are given either commission or discipline. If a child does more than what is expected, then compensate them. If they fail while attempting to do additional choirs, then help them get back-up and encourage them to continue. Hum, this is beginning to sound just like an every day job. Mr. Ramsey recommends using a dry-eraser board to keep weekly record of chores completed and how much they earned.
I write this because I have yet to fully assimilate this plan in my home. I find this way of assigning choirs to be a good teaching tool. At the dinner table, my family read about Paul's warning against idleness (2 Thessalonians 3: 6-19). This is one way to teach our children the importance of earning our food; that things in life are just not free.
Footnotes:
1. Ramsey, Dave. "DAVE RAMSEY’S FINANCIAL PEACE JR. TEACHES KIDS THE IMPORTANCE OF MONEY MANAGEMENT". DaveRamsey.com 11 Dec 2007. http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/cms/index.cfm?intContentID=3203
2. "Commission." Merriam-Webster Online. 7 Dec 2007
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/commission
Posted byAnonymous at 12/11/2007 0 comments
Labels: child development, money, traditions
Building a Heritage of Honor through $$$$
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
- It's not a get rich quick scheme!
- It's not immortality for sale!
- It's not buying great children and grand-children!
- It is teaching our generations, by example, how to build honor through stewardship!
- It is about changing the family tree to exemplify faith in God!
- It about teaching our children what we were not taught!
I am currently attending Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" with a group of other believers. I am struck at the opportunities we, as parents and grandparents, have to build a Heritage of Honor by the way we handle our money.
As Christmas comes around the corner, I would like to discuss a couple of these topics for the next few weeks.
Posted byAnonymous at 12/04/2007 0 comments
Importance of Establishing a Heritage
Monday, December 3, 2007
I once heard somebody say, "We need to be reminded more than we need to learn." The family testimonies build layers upon layers of foundations for establishing faith in future generations.
Exodus 16: 32 - 35 (NIV)
God knew his people would need an established Testimony (Ark of the Covenant) for generations to come. How are we doing for our generations to come?32 Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.' "
33 So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come."
34 As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept. 35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.
Posted byAnonymous at 12/03/2007 0 comments
Labels: foundations, generations, heritage, testimony
