Significance - what does it mean? do we need it? how do we get it? At my Bible study yesterday we were discussing the unio mystica - mystical union - that we are one with Christ. It was lesson 8 of Focus on the Family's The Truth Project. The idea of our desire for significance was what was our main source of hinderance to unity - oneness with Christ. We all heard it but I dont think we all believed it or really felt that our significance in Christ is enough. I was thinking about it some more and really believe that when we can see that we are significant because we are a child of The King and that our purpose is to bring glory to Him, we will have that oneness. The more we try to find significance or purpose in anything else, the more we won't find it - our children grow up and seem to not need us, a husband finds it somewhere else, we never get the promotion at work so we get angry, and it goes on and on. If we can see that we are a child of God and really grasp that - what more do we need! Our lives will then be lived in trying to bring Him glory! All we do will be out of love for Him - we will love our children sacrificially, our focus towards our husband will be for his well being and meeting his needs in whatever way we can, we will do our work to the best of our ability without worry of salary increases or promotions. We will support those around us who are getting promoted or doing well without any jealousy or envy. We will want only whats best for those around us because all we do will be done to bring glory to God. Our children will pick up on the fact that God is real to us and all we need and they will probably be more likely to live their lives that way. If they sense that we are constantly tyring to find meaning and purpose elsewhere, I think they will sense that as well and do their own searching out in the world - we can only pray that in their searching they will finally realize what we should have realized from the beginning - God is enough! When we can see how very significant we are in God's eyes, nothing else will matter. Why can't we get it. What does this world have to offer. Just as was said at the Bible study - we are prostituting ourselves anytime we go looking for our significance anywhere else but in God! You are a child of God, the creator of the universe - don't you get it! How much more significant can you get!

encourage our young adults

When are we going to stop pampering our young adults. There comes a time when they need to be encouraged to look beyond themselves and see that they can be an assest to a situation instead of listening to their every like and dislike and catering things to them. We need to encourage them to see the benefit in being around people outside their age range. They need to look to ways that they can be an encouragement and make something better instead of expecting everything to be rearranged for them simply because they don't think they will like it. They go off to college and will be with many different types of people and in classes with professors whose style of teaching they might not like - do we allow them to complain and expect Momma and Daddy to fix it all for them or do encourage them to accept the challenge and rise above it and learn from it and even make the situation better by their presence - let them know they have things to offer. I would hope we encourage them not pamper them. The rest of thier life will be filled with accepting challenges and adjusting to them. Let's let them know they can handle it and are special enough to make things better.

My Daddy

Some things I know and remember about my daddy - He is one of the most Christ like men I know - meek, humble, confident, kind, considerate, caring, dependable.
He is a great man; great father, great husband; responsible employee.
He very much likes routine. Everyday is pretty much the same for him. Growing up, he woke up the same time everyday and would shower, shave, get dressed, have breakfast and leave for work. I'm pretty sure he would read his Bible in there somewhere, too. I'm just not sure of the order. Once his shoes were on, they were on for the day and didn't come off until it was time for his shower right before bed time. He spent most of his free time studying and preparing for Sunday School lessons or just reading for enjoyment. He always had time for us though if we needed help with anything. He was pretty consistent with his night time shower, too, and it didn't matter if we were sitting there in the room when he came out - he headed to bed any way. He never forgets to pray before a meal and it is pretty much the same prayer all the time but he means it every time - he wants only what is God's will. He is thrifty and is not someone who needs alot of stuff or the latest gadget or gizmo - he is content with what he has. He would figure out a way to make his business trips work for vacations for the family during the summer. I remember one time getting free haircuts at a school he was checking out and we were able to go to the Grand Canyon, Petrafied Forest and some other cool places out that way. We seemed to always have car trouble on those trips but that never seemed to stop him or concern him too much. I remember one trip sitting on the side of a dessert road in the middle of no where and then the next thing we know we are sitting on the porch of some stranger in Globe, Arizona, just visiting and chatting like we were family. The auto mechanic was not open for the weekend so we stayed there in Globe, Arizona with some really nice people until our car was fixed. No worries. Another time daddy had to test a speed reading course so he signed us up as a family and we all participated - it didn't matter that I could barely read - he was sure it would be beneficial to me and I think it was. There were a couple of things that bugged him. He didn't like to have to order my cheeseburger plain from McDonald's but he always would and one time I had gotten some hirachi sandles for Christmas and they broke a day or two after I got them - he was so mad - he walked over to the store where my mom had bought them and made them give me another pair even though he didn't like them and couldn't understand why I wanted them. He also didn't like it when I wouldn't try my asparagus - he thought he was going to have to take me to the bathroom but I think I ended up trying it so that didn't have to happen. I don't really remember much about discpline other than he had a skinny little belt that he said he would use if he needed to but I do remember one time leaning over the bed but I don't remember the spanking just the hug afterwards - I don't even know what I did. He is the best daddy ever.

Write a book

Someone said to me that they told someone else that Terry and I should write a book and that got me to thinking - what would I write. Their comment was in reference to raising kids because they, like me, think my kids are wonderful and for some reason they thought it had to do with Terry and me but I don't know that that is totally accurate. I think if I were to write a book about raising kids I would have to start by talking about our parents and how they raised Terry and me and more importantly how they prayed for us and then prayed for each of our kids. That would be the biggest point I could point to. Then thinking more about that and how we were raised I was thinking about my parents and the way they were. I think I will probably some day just sit down and write stuff about each of my parents and different things they did and what I learned from them. Terry and I have also been invited to join the young marrieds for their monthly marriage get-together to share with them how we met and stuff and then to answer questions they have for us. I've had a bunch of thoughts I would love to share with them so I'm probably going to post some of those thoughts sometime, too.  For now, tho, here are some random thoughts about parenting:
-Love and Respect your spouse - keep that relationship healthy and happening
-Live the life you want them to live - be a good example, a Christ-like example
-Respect them - they are a precious creation God has entrusted to you worthy of the same respect you are worthy of.
- Assure them often of your love no matter what they do - let them know that nothing will change that.
- Do more than just give them commands all the time - show and interest in them as a person
-Remind them of who they are -a child of the King! - and that certain behaviors are not becoming to a prince/princess and even instill pride in a family heritage, "You're a Stockholm with Sumrall, Darrow, Johnson in you and that's pretty special!"
- Don't use embarrassing them as a form of punishment or behavior correction - usually just makes you look awful and humiliates the child doing nothing for their self-esteem
- Talk to them
-Care about them and their friends - don't see them as a bother/a pain/in the way.
-Remember that you are the parent and it's not something you have to prove - it just is!
- Routine and consistency is good for a child but do allow for some flexibility so life isn't too rigid
-Remind them that you say no to some things because you love them and want the best for them and explain the negatives of that choice if they make it - "don't touch the hot stove because it will burn you" "don't run out into the street because a car might not see you." etc.

Oops

I was trying to find the johnfourteentwelve blog spot and ended up creating my own. I guess I am going to have to go back to my e-mail and click the link to get to it. Who knows, I might actually really blog some day but for now this is it.