Fruit Inspection

This weekend one of our children’s pastors came up for one night to talk to us about raising kids. Not that he feels like an expert, but he sees a lot of wrongs and rights being in his position. These are some random notes that I took that I don’t want to forget. And they are in no particular order, so sorry if I sound like I’m rambling.

~We can raise our children like cows or we can raise them like horses. Cows are put in a fence where we feed them and protect them. We take care of them by keeping them safe and watching over them. Horses are trained. We work with them one on one. We spend time with them and gain their trust. Are you going to raise your child like a cow or a horse?

~Kids MUST have acknowledgment from their father. If they can’t get him to acknowledge them, they will try to find acceptance from their friends. And if they are unable to be accepted by friends, they will settle for receiving attention from anybody.

~If you tell your child you are proud of them for something that they have done, what happens if they can’t or don’t do that thing again? Are you no longer proud of them? Pride should not be conditional. Tell your child you are proud of them just because they are your son or daughter. This is a form of acknowledgment.

~Kids need an unchanging purpose: They need to know why they are here. Give them a sense of belonging. Even at church they can take on responsibilities by being “little ministers” to other children in their class. Coach them on the way to Sunday school about how to treat the new kid or what to do if they see somebody crying. If you were taking your son to a little league game, you would talk about possible game scenarios and what his response should be. Take the same approach on the way to church Sunday mornings.

~Kids need passion: They need to be sold out to God. Most of the time kids are passionate about the things their parents are passionate about. What is your attitude about church? Are you excited about going? Let them catch you reading the Bible and praying. If it’s important to mom and dad, chances are it will be important to them. Show them how to have reverence for God.

~Kids need purity: The pure in heart will see God. Darkness is the absence of light. God is light…even a small amount of darkness is not of God. How much darkness will you allow in your child’s life??? Sin should be shocking to them. Impurity in our kids life will kill them spiritually.