Hello World!

I finally did it.

I finally started a blog. 

I had never really considered it until a month ago when I got a bright idea to write a book. A book? Am I crazy? How long might that take? Will I have enough to say? Maybe, maybe not. . . baby steps. . . baby steps. Here I am-- a middle-aged mom who still has some dreams. One 24-year marriage and 4 kids later, I still have things I want to do, things I want to say. So here goes!

Lately, I've been noticing people. You know, people. People are everywhere I go. And as a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, most of those people have children. That's great! I love kids. I've got my own, and they like having friends. So it's good that there are children everywhere I go. But I've also been noticing that these lovely little beings are different than they used to be. Well, maybe it's the adults that are different than they used to be. Okay-- they are BOTH different than they used to be. It seems as if these folks have traded places, much like Tess and Anna Coleman in the movie Freaky Friday. (Further explanation in upcoming blogs.) 

Recently, friends of mine have been letting me in on some of their parenting frustrations. And if you have kids, then you know there are a plethora of frustrations when it comes to child-rearing! Some of these frustrations seem to be easily eliminated though. Well, easy for whom, you ask. Maybe easy for someone who's experienced success with said frustrations employing various methods. Easy for someone who's not necessarily in the thick of it, who has a bit of hindsight.

These parenting conversations were the catalyst for this future author. I just want to help my friends. I want to help these people. If there is something that I have learned that can help them, then I want to do it! So I mentioned to my dear friend, Jackie, that I was thinking about writing a book, and in two seconds flat she told someone to ask me to speak at the monthly homeschool meeting. I figured it was a sign. Maybe this was a worthwhile venture. At least it was time to find out. I wrote a little speech and read several books and gave it the old college try. It seemed to go well, and now here I am to see if my experiences can help anyone out there through their frustrations. There's always a better way.  

So- who am I with all these answers? HA! Back up. SOME answers. Let me tell you about myself. I was born to a farmer and his wife in the southern state of Kentucky. I had a blessed childhood, for my parents loved me and taught me about the Lord. That's pretty much all a kid needs. I married my college sweetheart after many ups and downs, and now three boys and one girl call me Mom. It's a wonderful life. Even through the valleys, we are extremely thankful.  

All my life I've been a teacher. Just ask my mother. She'll tell you I was teaching my stuffed animals at a very young age.  Since then I've taught in the public school system, directed a Mother's Day Out program, led Sunday School, choreographed musicals, hosted home Bible studies, etc. I'm currently homeschooling my youngest two children. (The older two have flown the coop.) Teaching is just part of my DNA. If I have any answers, if I have any truth, I will tell you unequivocally that it has come from the heavenly Father. He is the source of all truth.

What is Discipline?

When I began thinking about parenting frustrations and usually what that boils down to, DISCIPLINE, I realized a few things. As parents, when we think of DISCIPLINING our children, we associate negative connotations with this concept. We think- overwhelming, agonizing, excruciating, and never-ending, to name a few. Even the definition is discouraging: Discipline n.- the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience. Punishment and disobedience don't sound like my idea of a party.  But if we look closer at the word, we notice its root- DISCIPLE. When we think about the word disciple, I doubt that we consider it negatively. Actually, the opposite may occur. If referring to Jesus' disciples, we may think of someone who is specially chosen. At the least, we think of a simple follower or student of a teacher, which warrants no adverse reaction. A disciple may be eager, trusting, hard-working, diligent. These are all great qualities. Therefore, let's think of parenting not as imposing discipline in a negative way but as making disciples! Our children are our personal disciples who we are training to follow God's rules and codes of behavior. This is an important task with eternal consequences which should take top priority.

Disciple in What?

So, if we are the teachers of these little disciples, what rules are we teaching them to live by? All the rules are in the Bible. Yes, the B-I-B-L-E. That's the book for me(us)! Look at Deuteronomy chapter 5. Here Moses is reminding the Israelites of the 10 Commandments that they had promised to keep. Why is he reminding them? 1) We forget, and 2) The people he is speaking to were mere children or unborn when he received the commandments. All of their parents had died in the wilderness. Moses needs to ensure that they know God's rules. Then look at Deuteronomy 6:5-9. Here is what Moses tells the people:

4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deut. 6:5-9

"These commandments" that Moses is referring to in verse 6 include all those commandments in chapter 5. These are our rules. These are our children's rules. THESE are what we are to teach our children when we sit, and walk, and lie, and rise. These are the rules we wear and write on our houses and gates. These rules, God's rules, are the meat of the discipling. And you're saying, "Yeah, that's great and all, but HOW?" Ahhhh- so you know that it is easier said than done. You must agree that children aren't robots with switches that always do exactly what we ask or expect. Well, I say "Amen!" to that sister. God sure does know how to keep things interesting and challenging with those wiggly little tyrants. He surely doesn't want us to get bored!

Let us simply begin by obeying this command. Let's love the Lord and teach his commands to our children. Show them that these are not OUR commands, they are GOD's commands. (We didn't just come up with this stuff last night after they misbehaved.) What's the best way to show them this? Read the B-I-B-L-E to your children every day. Every day? Yes, every day. When they are ten or twelve and can understand it? No. Read the Bible to your children when they are babies. Before they can talk. Before they can walk. Those Bible board books are perfect for drooling mouths and little teeth. Let's talk about God's commands in the car and at the dinner table and by the pool and on the swing. Let's put them on our walls and on our gates. Let us hide the word of God in our hearts that we might not sin against him. (Psalm 119:11)  

Until next time, go forth and disciple!