Parenting from Proverbs: Humility

Proverbs 25:6-7:

Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great;
For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,”
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

Proverbs 25:6-7 warns against arrogance, pride, and putting oneself in a high position. I think it gets down to thinking that everything is about me, rather than God and others around me. It gets down to exhibiting arrogance over humility. We ought to be humble. I need to instill and foster humility in my children. They need to understand that yes, they are important, but the world doesn’t revolve around them. Our world ought to revolve around God, serving Him, and telling others about Him.

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#ohElla

#ohElla : a collection of the sweet, funny, and quirky things Ella has said over the past two years or so

• Ella: "I hear the rain talking on the car!" Ruby: "what's it saying?" Ella: "dribble dribble drop"
• Me: “I need a big ol kiss.” Ella: ”I already gave you a kiss!”
• “Are Simba and monkey your friends?” Ella: “Nope, simba's a dog and monkey's a girl!”

 

• Looking at the letters on the basket while shopping: “E for Ella, A for apple, I for Ikea!” 
• "I don't like butter. I like ketchup"
• Ella:"Where is that train going?" Me: "I don't know" Ella: "I think Daddy knows.
• (After I had been putting ice on my hurt ankle): "Do you need more icing?”
• As I'm pouring Ella a cup of juice, she asks what I'm doing. When I tell her she says, "Good idea, Mama!"
• "I need some money for my pocket!"

 

• After Trent threw Ella up in the air and caught her, she said "that was a good catch daddy!"
• "I have a tree! I have a tree!" Ella singing "I have a dream" from Tangled
• I told Ella she had some tasks to do. She's walking around saying "I think I've done all of my taxes"
• "If I don't have any more birthdays I'll just keep getting littler"
• "I had to go check on Mama. She's playing in her kitchen"
• "Mama! Troy is having a lot of fun with me!"
• "My neck is hurting. Cuz I've been talking a lot."
• Trent to Ella: "Where is heaven?" Ella:"In God's mouth"

  

Parenting from Proverbs: Do Not Withhold Correction

Proverbs 23:13-14:

Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell.

Today’s passage is often one that is controversial within the world today. However, as a student of the Bible, I cannot neglect the wisdom and instruction of this passage as well as others such as the following passages:

Proverbs 13:24: “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly”

Proverbs 29:15: “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”

Proverbs 19:18: “Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction.^”

Proverbs 3:12: “For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Proverbs 13:24 is very pointed: if I love my children I will discipline them promptly, but if I hate my children I spare the rod from them. This passage is in direct contrast with most teaching in the world about raising children. Most of the world says that if you love your children you’ll withhold the rod from them. However, I should not fall into the ways of worldly thinking. I need to look God’s Word which is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).  When spanking my children, I must keep the purpose and end in mind, particularly as given in the Bible. I am spanking and disciplining my children because I want to “deliver their souls from hell” (Proverbs 23:13-14); because I want them to have wisdom and avoid shame (Proverbs 29:15); and because I want them to learn obedience, so they learn to obey God.

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Parenting from Proverbs: A Good Name

Proverbs 22:1:

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

There is great value in having a good name; great value in having a good reputation. Proverbs 22:1 states that “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” As part of my physical family, the way I live my life reflects upon my family’s name. As part of my spiritual family, the way I live my life also reflects on my family’s name: the church of Christ. Being blessed to be part of both my physical and spiritual families comes with the responsibility of upholding their names. My responsibility includes starting my children out with a good name by my actions and my life. I need to teach my children the importance of having a good name; but more importantly, the importance of living their lives in such a way that they have a good name. It isn’t about “putting on a show” for others so that they think you are something you are not. It is about living a genuine life in faithfulness to God in which other people are treated, among many other things, with kindness, love, and respect.

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Parenting from Proverbs: Helping Others

Proverbs 21:13:

Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.

There are always those around us who are going to be struggling whether it be financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually, or otherwise. I want to teach my children to be a help to those that are struggling. However, I not only want to teach them to help those who are struggling, I also want to teach them to look for opportunities to help those who are struggling. My children need to see me in action helping others. They need to know and be a part of giving to the poor. They need to know and be a part of bringing food to someone who has lost a loved one or just had a baby. They need to know and be a part of having conversations and studies with others about spiritual things. We need to always be aware of situations where we can help others out, and to act upon those situations. As Galatians 6:9-10 states: “⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

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Drafting Dinner: Weekly Menu Planning

• BBQ chicken tacos with cole slaw and rice (left overs from last week)
• Hamburgers (never got to this last week)
• Breakfast casserole and biscuits
• Parmesan chicken
• Country style steak