I have been blessed with 3 well balanced, well functioning members of our society, and most importantly...godly children.  eh-hem....adults.  Over the past several years I have been asked by many, what our secret is?  How did we raise these awesome children?  Well I have always given a real "flip" response, "well God knew that I could not handle bad children and would probably be sitting in prison for beating them up, so He gave me predisposed good children".  Well, one day a woman in my church, who I have a ton of respect for as she is a beautiful, kind woman who is well known in society circles and is generous beyond measure.  She invited me to lunch.  Her reason, she said for inviting me to lunch was to pick my brain on how to raise children just like mine, (she has pre-teen and teen children).  I'm glad she forewarned me so that I could take her request seriously and give it some thought.  I have way to much respect for her to give her my usual "off-the-cuff", response.  Not that I do not have respect for the others that asked, it's just that I felt uncomfortable giving advice, as if maybe I was not qualified to do so.  For that I apologize.  I truly mean't no harm.  Please forgive me. 

Do keep in mind that this advice is solely from me and has no scientific backing or factual basis what-so-ever.  You can take it or leave it.  That's up to you.  Cal and I are Christ-followers so we've always used God's Word as our child rearing manual.  Proverbs 22:6 has always been my personal favorite.  “Train up a child in the way they should go; and when they are old, they will not depart…”  In my opinion, for whatever that’s worth, too many Christian parents don’t really understand what that means.  It does not mean that one should beat their children over the head with God’s Word.  That method only makes them feel worthless because they cannot measure up to it.  We can’t do that, so how on earth can we expect our children to do it?  80% of the children that grow up in Christian homes, i.e. in the church, walk away from the faith by the time they reach adulthood.  Unbelievable, eh?  It’s true!  Anyway, back to, “the way they should go”.  I strongly believe that God is trying to tell us that we as parents need to train our children in the way that He wired them up.  That’s “the way they should go”.  Let me explain.  God breathed into each of us certain individual characteristics and gifts that would be conducive to His plan for our lives.  As well as, the necessary tools to do His service.  Therefore, I think it is crucial that we train our children the way that He wired them up.  We need to focus on each of our children’s individual charecteristics and talents.  It takes real work on the part of the parent, because it is our human nature to try and mold them into what we think they should be.  I don’t know about you, but God did not sit me down and tell me what His plan was for each of my children.  However, through reading His Word I do know that I need to do all I can to help them to be exactly what God wants them to be.  I can’t do that, if I am preoccupied with what I want for them.

I could go on and give you lot’s of examples, but I think you get it.  Love your children and raise them to know that there isn’t anything they can do that will cause you to stop loving them.  They may make some really huge mistakes and you may have to correct them, or discipline them in a way that may seem harsh to many, but no matter what they do…….you will never stop being their biggest fan and supporter, and you will certainly never stop loving them.

God Bless all of you and your children.

DawnRae