Monthly Archives: May 2019

Our Children Face an Uncertain Future

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by Pat Lamb (www.patlambchristianauthor.com) Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book (a devotional book for children)

Train up a child…

Our Children Face an Uncertain Future

         There is a lot of concern in our country at the moment about the issues our children and grandchildren will have to face when they become voting age.  Never before has our country been so far in debt.  In recent years, we have seen one disaster after another in our country.  Our concern for the future of our children is justifiable.

         The question naturally follows, “What can we do to prepare our children for their future?”  There are at least three things I would suggest. In all generations, children need to be given a firm spiritual foundation.  In addition, children need to be informed about the happenings in society, and they need a sufficient education to equip them to be able to cope with finances.

         There is an inborn curiosity about where we came from and why we are here.  If this curiosity is not satisfied at an early age, the search continues into adulthood whether admitted or not.  Sometimes the curiosity is suppressed, but many times children grow up and join cults.  Sometimes they place their hope in owning things or gaining prestige.  They may turn to the “god” of popularity.  Any number of things may be chosen as their god. Time, energy, talents, and money are used in the direction chosen.  On the other hand, if children are given a good spiritual foundation in understanding the Bible and its teachings, their lives are turned in the right direction and time, talents, money, and energy are not wasted on things that really do not count in the long run.  Children who grow up with no spiritual foundation are like a ship tossed here and there in a storm.  They have no anchor.  It has been said that if we go whatever way the wind blows, we will someday be caught in a whirlwind.  Children need a strong, secure anchor.

         The spiritual foundation is, without a doubt, the most important thing that children need to face the future.  In addition, children need to be informed about happenings in society.  They cannot handle having all the problems dumped on them at once.  Parents need to take time and explain happenings in small doses as the child is able to handle the information.  Unfortunately, most children grow up with fragments of information gleaned by overhearing parents complain about political situations.  Parents often find it difficult to keep emotions out of discussions involving our country.  It is alright to interject opinions, but to truly understand, it is helpful for children to know how others reason their convictions.  The word “information” is the key.  Children can surprisingly understand much more than we often give them credit for. If we give them facts, they can often reason truth for themselves.

         Our country is behind several other countries in education.  Our children need to be encouraged by parents to have the right attitude toward learning.  Math is so critical in all areas of life.  Of course, reading is important as well, but in recent years more attention has been given to reading and many children are insufficient in math.  Children need to be taught thriftiness at home. By figuring money saved, math is taught.

         We have a gigantic task in front of us to truly prepare the children for what they are facing.  We must give our best effort to do so. 

My Thinking Book (Daily Devotional Book for Children) May 20

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(This book is available at my website: wwwpatlambchristianauthor.com)

I Want to Grow Like Jesus

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and

men.” Luke 2:52

We can’t go wrong trying to be like Jesus. He was the best example.

He grew in four ways. He got wiser and wiser. His body got bigger and

stronger. God became more and more pleased with Him. People around

Him liked Him.

We should try to get better and better in the same four ways. To be

wise means to get knowledge and use it in a good way. We need to take

care of our bodies so they will be strong and healthy. We need to try to

please God in everything we do. We need to try to get along with people

as much as we can and still do the right things. Good people will like us

when we do what is right.

Experience is the Best Teacher

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by Pat Lamb (www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

Experience is the Best Teacher

         Now that the end of school is near, thoughts naturally turn toward summer activities.  It is a good idea to plan activities for the summer that will teach children those needed things that the school curriculum cannot cover. School vacation is perhaps the only opportunity to teach children what they need to know to provide a good home for their children when they grow up. It also provides an opportunity for family outings that will enhance a child’s understanding of what is taught from books in school.

         Providing experiences during the summer months is the best way to teach children.  These experiences should include the actual doing of housecleaning, cooking, and home maintenance.  In addition, trips should be planned to take children where they can experience first hand some of the historical sites or places of interest.

         A good way to plan the summer is to sit down with the children and ask each to say what he/she would choose to do to help in the home. Children who make a choice are more likely to do the task. If the parent simply gives an ultimatum, the children will complain more.  Ideally, a discussion will occur where the parents explain the reason for the children taking part in the home.  They need to know that it is for their own good as well as to help the family. Chores appropriate to ability need to be selected by each child and a chart should be made to indicate when the child accomplishes the activity.  

Whenever possible, dad and mom need to work side by side with the children to demonstrate how chores are to be done. It is tempting to demand perfection on a child’s first try. The child needs time to master chores and should not be expected to excel right away. Dad or mom can demonstrate how to mop a floor, wash windows, vacuum, polish furniture, dust, or clean special items around the house.  Both boys and girls should be helping in the kitchen with food preparation and cleaning. 

Short or long vacation trips should be planned that will not only be fun, but will be educational.  State and national parks are wonderful places to take children. These trips really do a great deal to add to a child’s vocabulary and when certain events are studied in school, children can relate what they experienced to the reading in the textbook. When a child has a large vocabulary, that child is better able to comprehend what is being read.  Children automatically increase their vocabulary through experiences.

One often overlooked experience that children definitely need is that of church attendance.  How sad it is to realize that there are many children who have never attended a church service.  How can children understand how our constitution came about if they have no knowledge of spiritual beliefs?  How can they grow up to appreciate the reason for the forming of our country if they know nothing about the spiritual beliefs of others?  There are churches all around us and it costs no money to take children to see what happens in church.

It is so very important to keep children busy. If they aren’t kept busy with positive activities, they are left to contrive their own busy-ness, and that is often not a good thing.

A Good Mother Uses Time Wisely

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by Pat Lamb (www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

A Good Mother Uses Time Wisely

Whether we are rich, poor, handsome, short, tall, educated, or uneducated, we all have one thing in equal amounts.  That one thing is time.  We each have 24 hours in a day.  The way mothers use their time may determine whether they or their children become a success in life.  Mothers should try to stay busy, make their busy-ness count positively, and protect their time from being stolen by others who would pressure them to do things that are not productive for their family.

         The 31stchapter of the book of Proverbs in the Bible describes the “perfect” woman.  In the 27thverse of that chapter we read that a good woman “does not eat the bread of idleness”.  One result of modern day conveniences is that we have more time on our hands.  It is tempting to allow ourselves to be idle since we are not required to do as much physical work as our mothers had to do.  I have heard so many women say that they eat too much because they are bored. As a result, they then worry about being overweight.  

The Bible does not say that we stop being mothers when the children reach a certain age. Even if our children are grown and far away, we can still e-mail them or write words of encouragement, make gifts for them and their children, find appropriate books and information to help them, or do many other things to promote their well being.  We need to keep busy being a good mother no matter what the age of the children. Idleness truly does breed contempt.  An idle person is usually not a happy person. Physical exercise produces an enzyme that fights depression.  We need to stay as active as we can, doing productive activities. 

         It is important to choose activities that are beneficial to children. When mothers read to children, it is wise to choose books that not only entertain, but also teach good values. Some books and games have little value for children while others have great value.  Why waste time on something worthless when so much can be accomplished with worthwhile activities.  One of the very best ways to use time well is to allow children to assist with work. This provides time for bonding as well as teaching children how to care for the home. Children and parents can be side-by-side in work and play.

         There are many things that would steal our time.  Even good things can keep us from doing better things.  There may be good TV shows, but we need to ask ourselves whether they are actually worth the time they take by producing positive benefits. Many organizations plead for help from mothers and many of those organizations have worthwhile causes.  If we try to be helpful in too many of them or in too many ways to any one of them, we may be allowing them to steal time that would be better spent with our children. 

         Time passes far too quickly to waste it.  When our children are small, it may seem like forever until they grow up and are on their own.  Those of us who are older know that the time when they are home is so very short in relation to the time when they are away.  My husband and I were married fifty-five years and most of that time was spent together after the children  left home. That is true of many other couples as well. Mom, let’s make that short time count!  

Children Need to Respect Mom

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by Pat Lamb (www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Train up a child…

Children Need to Respect Mom

         For many mothers, Mother’s Day is the favorite holiday of the year.  It is so nice to be honored and hear the expressions of love and appreciation.  However, in many cases, mothers are not given the respect or honor they should receive not only on Mother’s Day but also during the remainder of the year.  

         In order for a mother to be respected, she must do some things to earn that respect, dad needs to encourage the children to respect their mother, and a family needs to attend a church where children are taught the importance of the family and the command to honor parents.

         Although we should each respect our mother whether the respect is earned or not, it is so much easier when the mother does and does not do certain things.  Mothers should have the well-being of the family in her mind and heart first after love for God.  A Godly woman is a woman who is filled with love as described in the 13thchapter of I Corinthians in the Bible.  She is patient with her children and understands each child is unique. She needs to do her best to see that the children are getting proper food and have a clean, orderly house to live in.  She needs to be an encourager.  Her speech should be gentle.  Mothers who use profanity and “street talk” have a hard time getting real respect from children.  

         Dad plays a big role in teaching children proper respect. He needs to set a good example for the children by showing respect to their mother.  In addition to setting the example, he needs to require the children to always speak respectfully and to listen to the mother.  Under no circumstances should he override the mother’s decision in the presence of the children.  To do so indicates that he does not believe that she is capable of making right decisions for them. Children quickly pick up on this attitude and they, too, decide that she is not capable of giving them advice.  If dad disagrees with mom, the issue should be settled between the two of them out of the presence of the children.  When men talk down to their wives in front of the children, the children get the impression that their mother is inferior. Mother’s Day presents an opportunity for dad to work with the children to remind them to do something to show their appreciation and love for their mother.  

         Families who do not attend church are robbing themselves of a great deal of help.  In church, the children are taught the Ten Commandments. They usually are required to memorize them.  One of the commandments tells us to honor our fathers and mothers.  This is not an option.  God holds us responsible to obey this commandment as well as the others.  It really helps to have someone outside the family teaching the children to act properly and to respect their parents. As I watch children in church recite Scripture, sing songs, and learn how to behave properly, I often feel sad to think how many children are missing out on these activities.  These activities, along with camp opportunities, enhance the learning they get at school and home. They get practice in memorizing and they learn Scripture verses about acting correctly which better prepares them for life.

         Although Mother’s Day comes only one time each year, we should teach children to love and respect their mothers at all times.  This positive behavior should become a pattern of behavior to last a lifetime.