It isn't the big fancy vacations that create strong family bonds, but it is the daily and weekly opportunities to show love that build those relationships brick by brick. The death of my husband has given me a lot of time to reflect on family relationships. I have seen families that have been torn apart by tragedies such as mine, and I have seen families that have grown closer together. As I have analyzed the difference, a common thread prevails. Families who had strong family bonds before the tragedy pull together and form even stronger relationships. Families whose bonds were tenuous cannot withstand the added stress, and those relationships crumble. Strong Family Bonds Eventually each of us and our families will face a crisis. We cannot withstand a storm we are not prepared for. Is your family strong enough to withstand the buffeting winds? Are your family bonds build with brick and mortar, or have they been casually placed pieces of straw? Creating strong family bonds takes on … [Read more...]
They are Children of God
What is the most important truth that you can teach your children? It is that they are children of God? This is a powerful, enabling concept. (Psalms 82:6, Acts 17:28, Hebrews 12:9) Because they are children of God... We can teach our children that He is the father of their spirits, and as such, He loves them just as a parent does. That love is perfect and powerful. He wants them to learn and grow and become like Him so that they can return to Him someday. When children truly understands that they are children of God, then they can begin to understand their divine potential. His love allows them to see capabilities inside themselves that otherwise may remain untapped. His love gives them strength to change and grow and become better than they are. His love can give them moral courage to choose the right. Because they are children of God... We can teach our children that God will answer their prayers. That He will listen to them, understand them, care about them, and help them. … [Read more...]
Train up a Child…
As a young married couple contemplating the start of our family, I remember the idealistic views we had on parenting. It makes me smile and chuckle when I think how completely naive we were. In my mind I saw perfectly behaved children who were just like me, high achievers and goal setters. I wanted for them a life of ease complete with college scholarships, successful careers, and their own perfect little families. Train up a Child... As life has happened to my family, the vision of my future has not come to fruition. We have had our struggles, and the death of my husband has put into perspective the things that I really value. The 'perfect' life I envisioned would not have provided us the growth that trials and difficulties are teaching us. I have learned that life is a growing process. One that takes time and experience. There is a proverb that says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he's old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) As parents, we are … [Read more...]
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