4 Sep 2016

The Challenges of Moral Excellence

by | posted in: Moral Training, Training | 0

TheChallengesofMoralExcellence

Character training is not a simple process. To the contrary, the moral education of children in today’s social environment comes with many more diverse challenges than in the past generations, especially for those who embrace the virtues and values contained within Christianity.

 

There are motivational challenges. Why should parents diligently train their children to be kind, considerate and caring when so many parents are letting these virtues slip by? There are peer pressure challenges. How should parents respond to friends and relatives who feel “uncomfortable” around children whose “good” and “consistent” behavior challenges the status quo of their own parenting?

 

 There are moral inconsistencies within Christianity to deal with—not an inconsistency in acknowledging common virtues, but rather an inconsistency when it comes to application. Clearly not everyone in the Christian community shares a like-minded commitment when it comes to moral training of their children.

 

The mechanics of moral education also present challenges. How do mothers and fathers actually teach moral truth? How can they make virtues and values meaningful to children? And once taught, how do children acquire the moral initiative needed to follow through on their beliefs? There are the cultural challenges. Parents must stay vigilant of the many moral inconsistencies confronting children each day. Hollywood serves up a culture of death, network TV exploits their innocence, and the Internet is sophisticated enough to identify their secret desires and prey on their weaknesses.

 

Yet, in the end, the refinement of a child’s character is largely the product of Mom and Dad’s direct influence. Unless that influence is willfully surrendered to outside forces or sacrificed to life’s busy demands, children will reflect the moral lessons of their home life. Whatever character qualities are tossed aside or devalued at home will be devalued by the child. It is a simple fact of parenthood—if something is not important to Mom and Dad, it will not spontaneously become important to the child.

 

Yes, moral education is complex and challenging, and society continues to add more challenges to the mix. Yet, we are persuaded by the goodness of God that He has not left us without hope or a way to address the challenges. By intent or neglect, parents are still the greatest influence on their children’s outcomes, and raising morally-sensitive children, whose conduct brings life to the moment, is not a matter of chance, but of intentional parenting. It is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who persevere every day, even in this age of moral diversity.

 

This article reprinted from www.growingfamiliesusa.com website.

28 Aug 2016

Priorities by Angela Pascoe

by | posted in: Moral Training, Routine | 0

Here in the United States, we are getting back in the swing of things now that school has started.  New rhythms and routines bring the perfect opportunity for re-examining our priorities.  We all have different family sizes and schedules, but as Angela points out, “We all have the same amount of time in our day and it is enough.”  You’ll be sure to find some helpful and practical tips about prioritizing!  Angela is a “Contact Mum” in Australia.

 

prioritiesAfter people finish counting my children and comment on how I must have my hands full, the next thing they say is often along the lines of “How do you get everything done?” The honest answer is I don’t get everything done. I don’t work part-time, I don’t meet my girlfriends for coffee several times a week, I don’t attend MOPS, Mother’s Group, Toddler Jam, Jungle Gym and the local playgroup every week. I have to choose my commitments based on my priorities, knowing that it isn’t my list I need to get through, but God’s! I have enough time to do everything He has for me to do. Frustration kicks in when I try to take on more than He asks me to. Jesus reduces my responsibilities to those of today and today is all He asks us me to cope with.

We all have the same amount of time in our day and it is enough. If we start with God’s priorities we will be able to get everything that needs to be done and more abundantly than we expect. Perhaps we need to give up some good things to get on with the better thing of training our children?

So how do we choose these priorities? Because we do have to choose between the good, the better and the best – they won’t all fit in.

  1. PRAY
  • Give everything over to God – yourself, your home, possessions, time, body, mind, your children, your plans and projects, commitments, responsibilities – everything. Hand it all over and ask God what of these responsibilities He wants you to take back.
  1. TALK IT OVER WITH YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE
  • What are his priorities?
  • What is his/her vision for the family?
  • Remind yourself to be willing to hear the answer! Have a teachable heart that is open to the truth, even if you don’t see it quite the same way.
  1. PLAN AHEAD
  • Plan both short and long-term goals.
  • Make a routine. Routine is the key to it all hanging together. Our long-term goals of life are only met by the daily disciplines we follow. The daily grind is what takes us step by step either towards our goals or away from them.
  • Break large projects into day-sized chunks.
  • An immense “to do” list is overwhelming, day sized chunks helps us to see that eventually it will all get done.
  • Hold your plans loosely – be ready, willing and available for God’s plan B, acknowledging His right to alter your day.
  • What will it take? Time, money, mental or physical effort? All change will take a decision by you to make it happen and an investment of some kind.
  1. PREPARE
  • Your routine starts the night before. (Sleep, clothes, meal prep, clean kitchen, tidy space, gear at the door.)
  • Morning – get up early. Give yourself enough time for an orderly morning that includes time with God getting spiritually prepared for the day. We need time before the interruptions come to get God’s leading for the day and His perspective on what is most important, rather than letting the tyranny of the urgent take over.
  1. PROCEED
  • “Your success in life and work will be determined by the kinds of habits that you develop over time. The habit of setting priorities, overcoming procrastination, and getting on with your most important task is a mental and physical skill. As such, this habit is learnable through practice and repetition, over and over again, until it locks into your subconscious mind and becomes a permanent part of your behavior. Once it becomes a habit, it becomes both automatic and easy to do.” (Eat That Frog – 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time)

If we are honest with ourselves we know that we will achieve almost anything we really want to do and the same goes with our parenting. Sometimes the time, effort and commitment involved has us saying that we just “don’t have time” but really we do – we just don’t want to do it enough.

 

Special thanks to Angela for allowing us to share this article from her blog at angathome.com.

21 Aug 2016

The One Degree of Change by Susan Ekhoff

by | posted in: Mom, Moral Training | 0

One degreeI’ve been experimenting with the simplicity and power of a one–degree change.

 

Here’s how it works in principle: When I see a major family issue that needs my attention, instead of defaulting to frozen inaction, I hold the whole thing before the Lord: “Father, I feel helpless to change this. It’s too big for me. What’s the one-degree thing I can do to change it?” In the next weeks He faithfully shows me the one thing that I can do to launch the change.  He is very faithful to guide me and so gentle! I find that I am able to shift that single degree amidst my rigorous routine and limited strength. When the current degree is habit, I ask Him for my next step. Looking back, I stand amazed at how much these tiny course corrections have changed my life.

 

Here’s what it looks like in practice: Last year in January, I began to cry out to the Lord about my family’s health. I couldn’t seem to get traction in a positive direction and I was discouraged.  As I prayed, He revealed – to my surprise! –  that before I could change the trajectory of our family’s health, I would need to change my own.  But I didn’t know where to begin in my life either.

 

After many weeks of listening for His direction (I knew He would speak because He always has before), I remembered quite suddenly that I was an alumnus of a local university with a fantastic aerobic facility. I checked into renewing my alumni status and found that a membership was $25 a year – that’s right – a year! Here was a practically free opportunity that was just 10 minutes from my house! This was the Lord’s direction and I knew it. I started a weight-lifting and treadmill routine that very week.

 

By summer my new routine was established and I began to seek the Lord for my next one-degree change. While at a parenting conference a new friend told me about a green smoothie that was making a huge difference in her health and wellbeing. She even made me a sample and brought it to the conference in a cute jar with a straw. Within thirty minutes I could feel a nice vitamin surge. Here was the answer to my prayer and so easy to add to my morning.

 

By fall I was ready for my next upgrade and the Holy Spirit was not long in revealing it. This one had to do with overriding a habit of negative thinking through the pure Word. I found that YouVersion (a free phone app created by my church) had numerous Bible reading programs and a feature that read the Word aloud. I could listen to the Word while I worked out at the gym – an easy way to shift one-degree based on an established habit. I am now hearing the whole Bible once a year. Ahhhh, that’s health to my body, soul, and spirit.

 

Now that I’ve now been modeling a healthier lifestyle to my family for well over a year, my prayer is that the next one-degree will have a more direct impact on their health.

 

I am learning through experience that the Lord’s intervention is logical, succinct, and peaceful. His kindness is leading me to wholeness – one degree at time.

 

Susan is a Contact Mom with Christian Family Heritage.  For more information about Christian Family Heritage visit www.christianfamilyheritage.org.

14 Aug 2016

Where To Find Good Parenting Advice

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

 


Where to Find Good Parenting Advice

Where do your parenting ideas and beliefs come from? How do you forge your convictions? These days there is plenty of information available to help raise children. The Internet, books, classes and support groups — there’s something for everyone and everyone has an opinion. Some of it is good and trustworthy, but so much of it is not, and that is where problems come in. Opinions vary! If you have a tendency to listen to everyone and everything, then there is a greater chance that you will end up believing anything. As a result, rather than feeling more confident, you probably will feel confused and overwhelmed. We would not desire that for any of our parents. Here is some advice that has, over the years, proven reliable. The best way to sift through different parenting views, philosophies and advice is to look at the fruit produced by the various opinions. Look at families further along in their parenting than you. When seeing character qualities and virtues that you admire in other children or order in a home that you may not have yet achieved, inquire of the parents how they achieved that which you are seeking. From a parenting perspective, and especially for moms, following after a good example is much wiser and safer than following after someone’s ‘good opinion’ or the latest parenting fad. With a good example, at least you know what you’re getting. And isn’t this the point Apostle Paul made in 1 Timothy 6:11 when he encouraged Timothy to follow after the examples and traits that he saw in a righteous life — a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness and courtesy? Anyone can offer a compelling opinion on parenting, but nothing is more persuasive to a mother than compelling behavior. That is why good and respected families are one of the safest places to get advice to help you in your journey of motherhood.

 

This article taken from and used with permission from the Growing Families International website at www.growingfamiliesausa.com.

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