Children see! Children do!

Have you ever heard your children fighting in a different room of the house and you shout down the hall: "Stop your yelling"!  Maybe a little later it then occurred to you that they learned to yell by watching and listening to how you deal with frustrations and difficult things in your life. We've all heard the saying "you are what you eat"!  But on a much deeper level our children are what we are. They are what they see and hear. Lately God has been transforming they way we think about our children. As parents, teaching our children is only a part of the command to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord".  Every word said, every attitude they see and every action and reaction of the parent is being cemented into their very being as the "proper" way to live life and handle situations that arise.  Parenting is so much more than going to a good church and teaching our children well.  Parenting is first being exactly what we want our children to be!  Luke 6:40 "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."  Don't complain about your childern. They are like you!

Influence

Parents consider what impact your life is having on that of your children! Ponder this quote from William Law.

"If parents viewed themselves as priests, they would be daily calling upon God in a solemn, deliberate manner.  It would make them very careful of everything they said or did, lest their example should hinder the very thing that they were constantly praying for on behalf of their children.  - William Law

Sssssssssssss!!!

Since we're on the snake story we might as well continue.  In the past week and a half we've seen 3 snakes.  That's too many in a life time let alone in a little over a week! The last two were puff adders.  Yesterday we made sure this one wouldn't do any damage to our children! It was 82cm long (about 32 inches).