Parenting, Values

The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to the land?  Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"  "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said.  ~ Genesis 24:5-6

So I said:  "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.  In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.  Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.  But you remain the same, and your years will never end.  The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you." ~ Psalm 102:24-28

My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching.  Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.  When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.  For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life... ~ Proverbs 6:20-23

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." ~ Acts 2:40

     The older my children get, the more I worry about them.  I see things on TV and hear things on the radio that do not match the values I want them to have.
     Today, as I was driving to my Mom's house to pick up my daughters, I saw three young teenagers walking down the sidewalk.  From a distance, I thought it was 3 boys.  The one in the middle, who appeared to be shirt-less, had their arms around the shoulders of the two on the outside.  As I got closer, I realized that the middle person was a girl in a string bikini top.  My daughters are 10 and 6.  I will not let them out of the house wearing a bathing suit top that looks like a bra to just walk down the sidewalk.
     I know that my daughters think that we are "mean" and "strict" because we haven't gotten them cell phones.  I do not see the need for them to have cell phones as they are always with me, my husband, or another adult that has a phone they could use in an emergency situation.  Many of my oldest daughter's friends have cell phones.  I am not judging their parents, but I do not believe that a cell phone is a necessity for a 10-year old.
     Each year as they approach adolescence, I see my daughters pushing the limits a little bit more.  I pray that God will guide my husband and me as we parent them and try to train them to follow God's ways. 
     May God bless you all.  Thanks for reading! :)

Career, God's Watchfulness

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her, "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." ~ Genesis 16:13

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall intothe heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  The LORD Almight is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.  "Be still, and know that I am God' I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. ~ Psalm 46

You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for dakness is as light to you.  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ~ Psalm 139:5-16

When you pass through the waters, I wll be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will now sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. ~ Isaiah 43:2

     I have been on one of three music team at my church for about 16 or so years.  In that time I have learned and led lots of music.  I have had several discussions with people on my music team and in our Sunday School class about having songs go through my head when I read Scripture.  Today is no different.  I have many songs going through my head.
     When I was in the 2nd grade, my great-grandmother passed away.  I sang at her funeral at her request because I "had music in me."  I thank God for the gift of music that He has given me.  It is through my musical experiences that I have come to have a closer relationship with Him.
     The songs playing in my mind, along with the words of God, remind me that God will always be by my side.  I have no reason to fear because He will protect me.  There is no place that I can go that God will not be with me. 
     The words also remind me that I am one of God's precious creations.  I was wonderfully created by God, my heavenly Father.
     When I have doubts, which I do often, I need to just be quiet and let God be God.  This is a difficult thing for me to do.  I like to feel in control of my life and circumstances, but I know that God's will will be done.
     I trust that God has put me where I am supposed to be for my career.  I am a music teacher getting ready for a new school year.  I have just begun a second part-time career introducing others to safe, natural products.  I am seeking God's direction in this new adventure.  I pray that God will guide my words and actions with this new career.
     May you experience God's will in your life as well.  God bless you!

Accountablity, Choices

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"  The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

 

"Adam blamed Eve.  Eve blamed the serpent.  It was the first game of pass the buck in human history.  Some of us may still be playing this game.  We fail to accept responsibility before God for our own feelings, thoughts and behavior.  We say it's our boss's fault that we missed our child's baseball game, when we scheduled the appointments.  We may blame our spouse for failing to allow us to finish school, when we are the ones who gave up too soon.

Each one of us has a choice.  We can choose to accept the things we can't change and learn to act on the things we can change.  We gain self-respect when we decide to stop blaming others for our dilemmas and start taking responsibility for our own choices." ~ Joan C. Webb in Women's Devotional Bible 2

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold. ~ Proverbs 8:10

Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt.  And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." ~ Hosea 5:15

It is written:  "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"  So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. ~ Romans 14:11-12
     
     As a mother of a child diagnosed with epilespy, I wonder if I am guilty of passing the buck on her education.  My oldest daughter repeated kindergarten because she wasn't socially ready to move on after the first year.  During her second year of kindergarten, she was diagnosed with epilepsy.  The neurologist estimated that she was having absence seizures (staring spells) approximately 200 times a school day.
     When I brought the diagnosis back from the neurologist, her teacher refused to accept the diagnosis as a reason for her not following directions.  We, on the other hand, believed that she wasn't following the directions, because she wasn't hearing them. 
     Since then, she has struggled in school.  She was on meds for the end of her 2nd year of kindergarten and all of first grade.  At the end of first grade, an EEG showed no seizure activity, so she was weaned off her medicine.  Praise the Lord we have not seen any seizuring since then.  She had an EEG in August before she started 2nd grade and again in August before 3rd grade to confirm that she was not having seizures that we were missing.
     In 2nd grade she seemed to be struggling, so we took her to our local Sylvan Learning Center and their testing revealed she was behind in reading.  So, we began a 9-month reading program with them.  She thrived there and got caught up and even started into 3rd grade level skills before school started. 
     When she started 3rd grade, we chose to wait to have her tested at school for learning problems because we wanted to see what she could do on her own since she was caught up again.  By November, her teacher expressed concern because she seemed to be slipping again.  So we had her tested.
     Her test results showed that her IQ is Low Average.  Her scores on her testing were too close to her IQ (less than 20 points away), so she doesn't qualify to receive help.  I have expressed my concern as a parent not being able to help my child.  I am a teacher myself, so it is VERY frustrating to me that I am powerless to help my child who is struggling.
     We are now just three weeks away from my daughter entering the 4th grade.  Although my child is not currently on meds for epilepsy, her neurologist has told us that it is possible as she enters into adolescence that the seizures will resurface and could even be worse than the were a couple years ago. 
     How do I, as a parent and employee of the school she attends, continue to fight for the best education possible for my child and still keep my job?  How do I explain to her teachers and the administration that I am NOT making excuses for her performance?  She has a medical diagnosis and should be given additional help.
     Am I guilty of "passing the buck"?  Or am I guilty of "loving my child and wanting the best for her"?  I honestly don't know.

Creation

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."  Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food."  And it was so.  God saw all that he had made and it was very good.  And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day." ~ Genesis 1:27-31

     I love to be out in nature and enjoy the beauty of what God has created.  Although I have allergies year round, I especially enjoy spring when everything is turning green.  I love to see flowers budding and bursting with color.  I am grateful when trees grow their leaves again providing shade. 
     I also really enjoy autumn and the bright colors of the leaves.  The various shades of red, orange, gold, and brown are spectacular against the bright blue sky.
     We had the opportunity to be in Clare, MI over the weekend.  As we sat on the deck of our cabin and looked out over the trees and fields, Russ and I talked about how peaceful it was and how we wished we had the thick woods and rolling hills of Clare closer to our home in Ohio.  We began talking about our family vacation next summer.  We would like to go back to Clare and spend a week there.  We would like to take some of the walking and biking trails with our daughters and experience God's creation in a different way than we can at home.
     Thank you, Lord, for the reminder this weekend that everything we see was created by you.  Indeed, we saw all that You have made and it is very good!

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory above the heavens.  From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.  When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:  all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! ~ Psalm 8

Praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.  Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.  Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.  Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.  Let them praise the name of the LORD for he commanded and they were created.  He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. ~ Psalm 148:1-6

"To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.  Lift your eyes and look to the heavenss:  Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. ~ Isaiah 40:25-26

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." ~ Revelation 4:11