TODDLER TIME

With the onset of grandbabies in our lives, Kathy and I are back to changing more diapers and caring for little ones than we have been for the past couple decades.  Actually Kathy is doing much more in the diaper department than I, although I did change my first poopy diaper in 25 years about a month ago.

Since we have raised four kids and they all turned out reasonably well - each has professed faith in Christ, and demonstrated that by their walk of faith, they all attend a Bible-believing church, have married Christian spouses, and I could go on, but these are some examples of what I believe show that they may have been well-raised.  I say this to give myself some authority when speaking on how to raise children who are disciplined, respectful, and grounded in the Christian faith.  In this and some following posts I plan to explore  what it takes to raise good kids - and more importantly teach them to be disciples of Christ Jesus.  I trust these posts will not be considered just as lectures, but if any of you have questions about raising kids well, please comment and I will do my best to give godly advise.  The Word of God is our guide and must always be understood to be infallible.  Never accept the advice of your pediatrician, baby psychologist, or even me, if any of us contradicts the clear teaching of the Bible.

First and foremost you must pray for your children.  It is best to start before they are born.  We all want healthy kids.  Pray that God will save their souls.  It is even more important than their health.  Pray that you as parent may have wisdom to raise and nurture them well.  There are no set rules of parenting that will work for every child.  They are all different and we need God's help in knowing how to deal with the ones He places in our care.  Pray that God will give you the strength and fortitude to do what is right, to be patient, not to lose your temper, and to keep it up for all the years that you are responsible for your children.  Among other things to pray for, pray that you may always be a good example for your little ones - they will follow in your footsteps.

With the advent of children in the home, we all know that the dynamics of our marriage changes.  Where we were a couple, now the family has truly grown - and in many ways become more hectic.  The helpless little baby demands so much of our time, especially Mommy's time.  As they develop, and begin to realize that there are two of you, they bond toward their father as well.  Here, Dad, is where you come in.  Do you realize that your little one's conception of God is formed from his conception of you?  You have an awesome responsibility.  In homes where the mother stays home with her babies, the father's return from work is usually met with delight from his kids.  They can't wait until he is there.  This doesn't last many years, so make the most of it.  Try to be home every evening with your kids.  And spend time with them.  They desperately crave your attention.  The computer, TV, and other work should be put off.  Listen to them, play with them, teach them - it is time well spent.

I don't know if there is anything more important than the time we spend with our kids.  Because  the little ones can get on our nerves, we dads often find excuses to be gone.  We have to work late, go shopping, attend a meeting, or some other lame reason to shirk our responsibility.  Just remember, Dad, that God places the ultimate responsibility of the home on you, because He made you the leader of the home.  Your kids need you, they are desperate for your attention and approval, which leads me to another point.  Give affirmation to your kids.  Never belittle them.  There is nothing more damaging to their spirit than to know that their dad doesn't think well of them.  God does not do this to His special creation.  He proclaims the worth of a soul as more than the whole world.  And He proved that worth by providing salvation at the greatest cost possible.

It is a long hard road that you will be traveling on.  If done well, it will be self-sacrificing.  If done well, it will be worthwhile in the end.  My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you will purpose in your heart to raise your precious children for God's glory.

The Miracle of Ethan

I love the spring of the year.  God's handiwork is so evident in the rebirth of lawns, gardens, and trees.  Although it is a relatively new hobby for me, I enjoy planting bushes and flowers.  I may water, weed, and put down fertilizer, but the spectacular bloom of springtime azaleas or the summer blossom of trumpet lilies can only be attributed to the handiwork of our Creator.  To whom else can we give credit for such intricate and perfect workmanship?

There is even greater creation that God takes a part in, and even more personally.  When conception takes place and new life begins in the womb of a mother, God comes down and breathes into that tiny life His very likeness.  The little life becomes a living soul that will live forever.  Nine months go by and then after a struggle (part of the curse), the little life comes into the world.

This happened this past Wednesday evening when our daughter, Michelle, gave birth to her first child, Ethan Joseph Steele.  He came complete with all the genes and chromosomes he inherited from his parents and looks just like his dad.  He has perfectly formed fingers, two eyes, two ears, a full head of hair, although still missing a set of teeth!

I believe God is personally interested in Ethan.  He chose Ethan's parents.  And God has given Aaron and Michelle a great responsibility - that of raising Ethan to live for God.  I have mentioned in a previous post that my responsibility as a grandparent is to pray for the little guy, give good counsel when asked, and do what I can to aid his parents in pointing him to the Savior.  But God holds parents accountable to do all they can to bring their children to the Lord. 

I don't mean to say that if a son or daughter strays away that it is always the parents' fault.  Part of having a soul or being a moral agent is the ability to choose between right and wrong, goodness and sin.  And just as Adam and Eve  chose to sin while in the Garden, every child that has ever lived (apart from Jesus) has chosen to disobey God.  Is that the fault of the mother or father?  Of course not!

But there are far too many young parents who have shirked their responsibility in this area.  I can't think anything more terrible than to see your children doomed to hell, all because as a parent there were more important things in your life than to spend your energy and time leading them to faith in Christ Jesus.  This is the most awesome and serious duty to which God calls parents. 

I have a lot more time to do things I enjoy than I had several years ago  when my children were young.  But I determined long ago that my enjoyment must be secondary to my children.  Kathy and I have always felt it was important to serve in our local church and for many years we taught primary church and worked in Awana.  We wanted be good role models for our kids to emulate.  We also spent time talking with them, often about the Bible or other spiritual matters.  And when it came to corporal punishment (yes, we spanked), we tried not to do it in anger (it makes my blood boil when I see mothers slap their child's face - never good!), but to explain what we and God expect of them.  We even home schooled for a couple years.  We were not perfect parents by any means, and I say this not to pat myself on the back.  But if it will encourage young parents to keep at it when your children are driving you crazy and it seems hopeless, I promise you, there is light at the end of the tunnel!
 
From personal experience and I know others will agree with me, the teen-age years can be the best years you will spend with your kids.  It's payoff for all the work and sacrifice of the previous 12-15 years of being in the trenches.

Deut. 6:4-9 are words we should take to heart:

'Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, The LORD is one!  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart;  and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.  And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.'

My prayer for my children and for you my dear readers who may be in the child-bearing/child-rearing stage of life is that you take these words of God to heart.  God will reward you for your faithfulness to Him.

Remember God

This morning in church we sang that beloved hymn, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness.' Tears came to my eyes and my hand was raised as we sang those familiar, but powerful lyrics.  The title comes directly from the book of Lamentations.  It was written by the weeping prophet, Jeremiah, and speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.  Jeremiah is lamenting the starvation from the siege, the wanton looting and killing as the city fell, and anger of God against the people living in the city.  Jeremiah doesn't condemn God as to any injustice, but pleads for mercy and that God may remember His people.

If you read the book of Jeremiah, you will realize that he begged these same people for many years to turn back to God. Shortly before the enemy broke through the walls of Jerusalem,  King Zedekiah sought Jeremiah's counsel and despite the entreaties of the prophet, the king refused to turn to God, and soon after was rewarded by watching his sons butchered just before his eyes were blinded by the Babylonians. 

So where is God in all this?  And today, when we face our own very real 'fire-breathing dragons' what do we do?  We would do well to look to Jeremiah and take his advice.  When financial ruin stares us in the face, when emotionally we are drained because of the storms of life, when everything we have worked for all our lives seems to have gone up in smoke, when everyone and everything has turned against us, remember God.  Jeremiah 2:22-26:

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.                                  

 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness                                                     

 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"                          

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.                               

  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Remember the Lord's mercies never cease, even when the city is being ransacked by the enemy.  Remember His compassions are new every morning, even as the enemy is setting fire to Jerusalem.  Read Jeremiah 3:31-32 and understand that because of His lovingkindness (mercy), God will have compassion.  In verse 33 we find that God does not afflict willingly.

For the Lord will not cast off forever.                                                                                                   

Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion

According to the multitude of His mercies.                                              

 For He does not afflict willingly.

The King is at work in our lives, making us fit for a holy Kingdom.  Although He may allow us to suffer, it is never so much that we cannot bear it.  And He is there.  Remember also that the sparrow does not fall without His knowledge. 

My beloved reader, if Jeremiah could break out in praise to the goodness of God in his darkest hour, we would do well to remember that our God infinitely loves us.  If He was willing to die for you and me, surely He will care for us through this life.  As we go through the valleys, let us trust and remember God.

We Also Grieve

There are few who can fully share the sorrow that has fallen upon the parents of small children murdered in cold blood in the small hamlet of Newtown, CT.  These children were young Americans, their parents are fellow citizens, and we grieve with them.  There is little we can say to comfort these folk.  Only time will ease the grief and then there will always be the emotional scars.  My prayer is that God in His mercy and grace will give comfort to those affected by the death of their loved ones.  The senseless killing is horrific, which can only be explained as the actions of a very evil man.  How do people arrive at this stage?  How can we say that God is loving and just when He allows these things to occur?

We live in a sin-cursed world, but God is aware of everything that happens.  In our finite minds, although we  cannot fathom God's purposes, we need to trust in God.  He knows best, and nothing happens without His knowledge, and yes, nothing happens without His permission.

These senseless shootings are occurring more often than in the past.  There was a time when God was invited in the schoolhouse and in the government buildings all across this once great nation.  Five decades ago we decided to kick the Almighty out and replace a belief in God with a belief in evolution and in government.  We are now reaping what we have sown.  A Godless society cannot expect His protection.  Those who have placed their faith in Jesus have a high calling, a purpose for living, and the prospect of eternal life.  Those who accept this life as a senseless evolutionary brief time on earth and then oblivion do not have any hope of a future after this life.  With no sense of eternal judgment, evil people become even more evil.  Their lives are filled with emptiness and despair.  We as a nation must repent and turn back to God.  Sadly too many are now turning to their government and asking them to stop the senseless killings.

Our government cannot help.  It is filled with wicked men and women too.  Many think that gun control measures will stem the tide of violence.  My wife read a news item recently about a deranged Chinese man who used a knife to kill and wound 22 kids.  Guns are not the only means of killing.  Actually if some of the teachers, and perhaps the principal had a gun and were trained to use it, we may have averted this tragedy. 

As darkness descends on our land, may we as Christians stand up for righteousness.  May we be salt and light.

What Next?

<sup>Some of us were surprised that Obama was re-elected to a second term.  With the crowds that came out to hear Romney, and the almost lackadaisical attitude Obama exhibited toward the debates, I was sure Conservatives would flood the voting booths and vote Obama out of office.  Well, as we now know, it did not happen.  And now some are depressed, thinking it is the end of America as we once knew it to be.  They may be right.  We have weak-kneed Republican leadership in the House and Senate.  They are more interested in getting along and getting re-elected than in principle.

 So what do we do now?  There are some who have the means and the will, and they are leaving.  That may not be a bad idea, my forefathers did the same thing when they left the British Isles and Sweden in search of liberty.  But now there is no place to go.  As Ronald Reagan so eloquently put it, 'America is the last best hope for mankind.'  If the United States falls to tyranny, and she is surely heading in that direction, we have no place to flee to.  Others will go underground, perhaps taking a cue from Ayn Rand's popular novel, Atlas Shrugged.  Again, not a bad idea, but with technology the way it is today, it is very difficult to hide from the government if they want to find you.</sup>

^{So what do we do?  It may seem pat, but now more than ever, we need to trust in God.  There are brothers and sisters of ours who presently live in very oppressive countries.  They have families who have turned against them, have lost jobs, have been turned out of their homes, sometimes out of their villages, have been mocked, beaten, jailed, and some have died a martyr's death.  We have no promise that we will be spared.} 

^{Now for the most part, we have much.  Perhaps it is harder to completely trust in God when you have money, job, family, and security that you can trust in.  I know in my case it is a struggle.  I want to trust God completely.  I know He will take care of me as surely as He took care of the Israelites for 40 years in the Arabian desert.  I have experienced time and again answered prayer - God cares for me.  But often I find that I have slipped from complete reliance upon the God of grace to reliance on myself, or money, or others.  It is not a good place to be; there is more stress, unhappiness, depression, and fear.  Remember 'God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' II Tim. 1:7.}

^{Let me urge you to strengthen yourselves in the Lord. Study and hold to the promises of God, seek His presence, cling to Him, love and trust Him.  Do you want to please Him?  Heb. 11:6, 'without faith it is impossible to please Him.'  The days may seem dark, but Jesus is still the Light of the world.  Let's go and proclaim the good news!}

Graveside Service - Miriam Johnson, Oct. 20, 2012

Dust to dust.  When God created the first man, Adam, He created him from dust.  When Adam died, his body was reduced to dust.  So it is with all of us.  And as Eve was created to be a help meet for her husband, so Mom was a true helpmate for her husband.  God blessed the couple with six children, of whom I was number two.  Middle child syndrome runs strong in my veins.  Although I didn't appreciate it at the time, I now know what a task it was to raise six ornery kids, home schooling for many years, and giving each of us a lot of individual attention.

I have good memories of time spent with Mom.  She loved to read to us when we were small.  We would crowd around her on the couch at night and she would read Bible stories.  She was an accomplished pianist and tried unsuccessfully to teach most of us to play the piano.  She loved crossword and jigsaw puzzles.  I am not sure, but she may have even enjoyed home schooling us.  She was a good teacher, but I am sure I tried her patience.  Most of all, Mom prayed and worked tirelessly to see her children come to salvation in Jesus.  When I said goodbye to her last Sunday, although unable to talk, she was lucid, and smiled when I told her we would meet again.  Yes, the circle will be unbroken.  Gathered here are not only her children, but we have grandchildren and great-grandchildren here as well.  My challenge to each of you: don't break the chain.  Pray your children into the Kingdom.  Nothing would please Mom more.

Although we are sad, we do not mourn as others, who have no hope, because Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.'

The last year and a half of her life, Mom suffered from mind-debilitating dementia.  Last week she couldn't speak or move her arms or legs.  Now she can dance and sing the praises of her Savior with a mind that is clear and sharp.  She is reunited with her parents, her husband, a baby she miscarried, and best of all she is with the King Who she served during her sojourn on earth.

My parents, like Abraham of old, went out, not knowing where they were going.  They waited for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  Now Mom has seen the city, she has seen God.  Now Mom is home.

Mom

After living 88 years and 9 months, my Mom finally passed from this life to a new one this past Tuesday.  Although death of loved ones make us sad, as Christ-followers we have a hope which others cannot have.  When God creates a soul, it will never die.  When Jesus walked this earth three days after He had been crucified, He proved that He had the power over death.  Those who trust Him will live forever after leaving this earthly body.

Mom was ready to go.  Her mind was ravaged with Alzheimer's disease, and in her last days was in hospice, since her body would no longer process food and her immune system was gone.  This past Sunday I said goodbye to her.  She was unusually lucid as Paul read from the Psalms.  Although she could not speak, her eyes were open and when I told her we would follow her one day and meet together in Heaven, she was actually able to smile.  I was told that for the rest of her life, she was mostly unconscious until she finally shed her body at 9:30 Tuesday morning.  We can only imagine the glorious reunion in Heaven.

My memories of my mother are good ones.  As the apostle Paul speaks approvingly of Timothy's mother, Eunice's teaching him the Scriptures from an early age, so Mom taught her six children.  It had to be very difficult, the first 5 of us were born less than 18 months apart.  But her patience and loving, careful discipline was exemplary.  Much of our schooling was at her feet, since we were home schooled before it became popular.  More than academics, Mom taught us character.  And yes, we were characters!  Most important to her, Mom wanted us to not only learn about her Savior, but to know Him.  The prayers of both my mother and father have been answered.  I am sure I speak for each of my brothers and sisters when I say, 'Mom, we will meet again.'  The chain will not be broken.