training

Here is another picture from a disposable camera at Steph's wedding.  This is unflattering for both of us - I think we are squinting from the flash? - but I love it - I'm sitting on his lap - or wait, maybe that is why he is wincing - ha!  I miss him so much... I miss his companionship.  I just miss being with him.  We had so many great times, I've been thinking a lot about mini vacations lately - when I hear that friends are going to the Dells for the weekend, spent the night in the cities, or whatever - I can't help but be sad... lu & mu joe

The biggest thing I am looking forward to in parenting is sharing Jesus with my daughter, and showing her God's love... I get an email, "Standing Strong in the Storm" and the messages from both yesterday and today were about parenting...

…do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

This is going to be a big job...

“It sometimes amazes me how we find it suitable to counsel our children regarding the costs involved in buying a new bicycle or starting a new hobby but we never sit down and discuss the cost of following Jesus. We need to train our children in no uncertain terms that being ridiculed at school, being rejected and facing mockery, is part and parcel of being a Christian. It comes in as a package and you cannot have the one without the other. We need to train our children to sacrifice; we need to train our children to count the cost; we need to train our children that they do not belong to themselves."

“But, once again, if we as parents cannot testify through our lives by being examples of living sacrifices, our teachings will be futile. When was the last time you were ridiculed for the name of Jesus? When was the last time you sacrificed your time and money to work among the lost? When was the last time you sacrificed anything to visit the persecuted church?”