I had a friend call me yesterday who lives down at the Mission. She was upset because she was being "disciplined" for her anger and lashing out at someone with poisonous words. The discipline was painful.
I shared this truth with her:
" Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us FOR OUR GOOD, that we may share in HIS HOLINESS. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but PAINFUL. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE for those who have been TRAINED BY IT." Hebrews 12:10 & 11
I told her to thank the people involved in disciplining her because that shows how much they love her and care about her. They are thinking about her future righteousness and peace. Discipline most certainly IS PAINFUL. But God loves us soooo much and knows that a little pain now for wrongdoing will lead to a life of peace in the future.
I was thankful I had this conversation with her because just moments after I got off the phone I needed to hold on to them as I disciplined one of my own children. I thought, "It would be soooo much easier to simply let kids do what they want to do. It requires soooo much time, energy, wisdom, patience, emotion, perseverance, a will to stick it out and do what you say you are going to do, it requires a strength to allow your child to experience some pain, vision to see and care about the future righteousness and peace of the child.
As my child fought me for over an hour, I cannot describe how thankful I was for these words of God guiding me, assuring me, reminding me to hang in there during this painful time now because it will lead to peace in the future.
If you have been "naughty, wrong, sinful, ......." and are experiencing the negative consequences as a result of your behavior, please, please, be thankful to God that his desire is for you to learn from your pain and change your ways that you may grow in righteousness and thus experience a life of peace. If you were disciplined by your parents, please thank them for what you put them through and that they had the strength to stand firm and enough love for you to sacrifice their time, energy, etc....
If you are a parent in the thick of disciplining children, KEEP IT UP MY FRIENDS. We are giving our children a gift beyond measure. May we not become weary.
"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints, BUT LET THEM NOT RETURN TO THEIR FOLLY. Surely, his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE KISS EACH OTHER."
Psalm 85:8-10
"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Prov. 13:24
Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy link
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
May We Be Godly!
My husband is gone to Arizona for the week speaking at a conference. My youngest son, Zeke, is really struggling with his daddy being gone. He bawled the other night crying, "I want my daddy. He is my favorite part of the whole family." Zeke (and all my children) LOOOOOOOVE their daddy. If you've ever seen my husband with his children, you would understand why. He is an AWESOME dad. He is physically & verbally affectionate, he spends time with each one making them each feel special, not comparing them to anyone else but giving them freedom to be who God has made them to be. He disciplines them ("he who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Prov. 13:24) teaching them the ways and words of God. He plays, laughs, and wrestles with them a ton. He is merciful and gracious when they mess up and when he messes up and gets a little too angry at their sometimes foolish behavior he is quick to apologize
and make it right seeking their forgiveness. He tucks them in bed at night singing a special song and praying over them. He takes them with him wherever and whenever he can. He puts them first and often makes sacrifices on their behalf. The other day, Zeke said, 'Dad is the best dad in the whole world because we both had to go to the bathroom and he let me go first." He puts MY PRECIOUS CREAMER in thier oatmeal with much objection from me. He yells, "Honey time" and they come into the kitchen where he drops a splash of honey on their tongues. He is sooooooo good to me and teaches them to love and honor/respect me.
Do you know why my husband is such an awesome dad causing my children to ache deeply in their souls when he is gone? Because he loves Jesus deeply.He admits he is a selfish, angry, unloving man without God and has bent his knee to the one who is love and selflessness asking him (Jesus) to come to dwell within him and to help him walk as he walked through the power of the Spirit of God. It's because he fills his mind with God's words, meditating on them day and night seeking to do what he has heard. We walked out of the movie, "The Book of Eli" this past Friday night talking about who we would be without "The Book" Ohhhhhhhh- how we looooooove the Book because we know and admit that without God, His Spirit, and His wonderful words, we would be two messed up, selfish, unloving, foolish people capable of doing great harm.
However, with the deepest and most sincere THANKS, we have "The Book", which has taught us about God, about his love and his ways, about Jesus who offers to fill us with His Spirit and help us to live life the way He planned. Now, because of God and His words, and a humble and truthful husband who admits his need, I have 5 children who are filled to the brim with love for their daddy and achy souls when he is gone.
Your story is not over yet. I share this simply to give testimony to the power of God and His words. I share this to give witness to his words that say, " I have come that you may have life abundantly". I share this to say
GODLINESS IS WORTH EVERYTHING. IT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR. Seeing my children ache for their daddy and seeing how he has touched the depths of their souls inspires me to be a better mom, a more godly mom. Because GODLINESS touches souls. This isn't just about a dad and his children, this is about the affect of GODLINESS on the souls of those around you. Who is around you? Whose souls would weep and ache if you were not around because you have been "God" to them??????
May we be GODLY. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link
and make it right seeking their forgiveness. He tucks them in bed at night singing a special song and praying over them. He takes them with him wherever and whenever he can. He puts them first and often makes sacrifices on their behalf. The other day, Zeke said, 'Dad is the best dad in the whole world because we both had to go to the bathroom and he let me go first." He puts MY PRECIOUS CREAMER in thier oatmeal with much objection from me. He yells, "Honey time" and they come into the kitchen where he drops a splash of honey on their tongues. He is sooooooo good to me and teaches them to love and honor/respect me.
Do you know why my husband is such an awesome dad causing my children to ache deeply in their souls when he is gone? Because he loves Jesus deeply.He admits he is a selfish, angry, unloving man without God and has bent his knee to the one who is love and selflessness asking him (Jesus) to come to dwell within him and to help him walk as he walked through the power of the Spirit of God. It's because he fills his mind with God's words, meditating on them day and night seeking to do what he has heard. We walked out of the movie, "The Book of Eli" this past Friday night talking about who we would be without "The Book" Ohhhhhhhh- how we looooooove the Book because we know and admit that without God, His Spirit, and His wonderful words, we would be two messed up, selfish, unloving, foolish people capable of doing great harm.
However, with the deepest and most sincere THANKS, we have "The Book", which has taught us about God, about his love and his ways, about Jesus who offers to fill us with His Spirit and help us to live life the way He planned. Now, because of God and His words, and a humble and truthful husband who admits his need, I have 5 children who are filled to the brim with love for their daddy and achy souls when he is gone.
Your story is not over yet. I share this simply to give testimony to the power of God and His words. I share this to give witness to his words that say, " I have come that you may have life abundantly". I share this to say
GODLINESS IS WORTH EVERYTHING. IT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR. Seeing my children ache for their daddy and seeing how he has touched the depths of their souls inspires me to be a better mom, a more godly mom. Because GODLINESS touches souls. This isn't just about a dad and his children, this is about the affect of GODLINESS on the souls of those around you. Who is around you? Whose souls would weep and ache if you were not around because you have been "God" to them??????
May we be GODLY. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link
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