Resolved...

Every year, I purposefully read Jonathan Edwards "Resolutions." He is definitely one of my favorite "old guys" to read. Many years ago, he wrote his own set of "Resolutions." To me, it's critical at this time of year as we look back on one year and look forward to another. Some of my favorite "Resolutions" include...

Resolved, never to do anything, which I would be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

I'd venture to say there aren't too many people who think this deeply and this seriously about themselves. Self-examination is often a painful, yet fruitful exercise. Every time I read them, I think about how silly it is for me to think I'm really doing something important when I give my best effort to lose 10 pounds. Guys like Edwards had such perspective when it came to God and the world they lived in.

I highly recommend reading these "resolutions" and then let them "read you."

Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions (1722-1723)

The Cure for the Common ________

You may be thinking that I'm going to finish that sentence with "cold." I very well could, but I don't know if they've ever found a cure for the common cold.

Instead, I had a whole other epidemic in mind. As a minister to the next generation, one of the things I continually see in suburban kids is a sense of entitlement, which can often lead to "laziness." Personally, as I look around at kids nowadays, I see a lot of laziness. However, much of that laziness has been created by mom and dad under the guise of "love" or "I don't want them to fail" or many other justifications.

But is there a cure? Well, if there is a cure...it's going to start with individual parents. I read a fellow blogger the other day who seemed to be on to something about parents creating a cure for laziness in their homes. He proposed some decent ideas. Some you could adopt, and I'm sure there are others he hasn't listed.

Reverse the Laziness Curse

He's got some really good ideas in there...some personal favorites included:

• "Intentionally bore your kids"
• "Make your kids WORK"

What do you think? Is laziness pandemic in our community and in our children?

Merry Christmas...

And the angel said...

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

May you have a blessed Christmas celebration and may this thought be in the forefront of your mind as you celebrate.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

What You're Singing...

Whether or not you realize it, the more you hear/sing something, the more familiar it becomes. Sometimes, something can become so familiar that it loses it's power and ability to impact us. One of those "familiar" things I was faced with recently was Christmas songs.

Everyone loves "Joy to the World" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." Christmas songs have undoubtedly become part of our culture/world (i.e. - entire radio stations dedicated to them starting at the end of November).

On a hunch, I went and looked up many of the lyrics to these songs, and God was gracious and reminded me of just how powerful this Christmas idea is.

Listen to these lyrics...

"He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found." - Joy to the World

"The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight" - O Little Town of Bethlehem

"Born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth." - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

What if, this Christmas, as you were listening to a song, you asked your children about the lyrics of the songs that they may or may not know by heart? Can you imagine what would happen if dads and moms and kids were driving in the car talking about the realities that some of those very popular, and yet familiar, Christmas songs pointed to.

If that's not a conversation starter...I don't know what is!

Traditions are important...

Christmas is only a few days away, and it's always been my favorite holidays of the year. I don't think it has much to do with the presents (although I did love presents growing up). For me, Christmas brings back all kinds of memories and traditions. Here are a couple...

• Every Christmas Eve before bed, we would read Luke 2.
• My dad would always let us open one present on Christmas Eve to "prime" the pump.
• When I got older, our family would sit down and watch our favorite Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story" and laugh about BB guns, frozen poles and tongues, and leg lamps.
• As much as we wanted to rush through the pile of presents, my parents only allowed one person to open a present at a time. We all took turns and everybody got to see the joy on the face of the person opening the present (plus, it taught us a little patience, too).

If you have children, know this. Christmas time is full of opportunities to create long-lasting, meaningful traditions. Some of them are goofy and some are very serious, but this time is like no other when it comes to memories being made and traditions being created. Look for ways to create those kinds of special moments with your kids over the next couple of days.

Christmas is Dangerous...

Usually, those two words don't go together, but the more I think about it, the more I believe it. There is no other time of the year where children are tempted to be more self-centered and selfish. I don't really know what it is. It could be the fact that everyone is asking them "what they want." It might be tons and tons of commercials that are purposefully directed at your children. It might be that for your kids, Christmas, despite all your efforts, is still all about them.

And so, because of that...it's my belief that Christmas is a dangerous time for the hearts of your children. Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to "guard our hearts, because they are the wellspring of life." What are you doing over the next few days to protect the hearts of your children from the greed-inducing, selfishness-producing, and materialism-enhancing holiday season.

Here are just a couple of thoughts off the top of my head...

• Reward and acknowledge generosity and selflessness in your home
• Ask the children about what they're giving for Christmas as much as you ask them about what they want for Christmas
• Give them change/money to give to the bell-ringers outside of stores and then explain where that money goes
• Clean out their rooms of "old" toys in preparation for the new ones and give it to worthy organization/charity

I'm sure there are more, but I'll let you be creative on the rest!

What are you waiting for?

I've got a website that I am constantly looking at. In fact, along with a couple of others, I have this particular website set up so that any new posts/articles are sent directly to my email inbox.

If you're not following "Orange Parents" ... you should be.

What are you waiting for?

You'll find all kinds of incredible insights into how to be the kind of parent to your kids that only you can be...and, in doing so, fulfill a portion of God's call on your life as a parent.

Not Me! (a little Monday humor)

My dad always told me that if he ever caught that "Not-Me" guy, he had a number of spankings coming his way. You see, my sister and I had a way of, when something was broken, misplaced, etc, the answer to my father's question, "who did this?" was always "NOT ME!!!"

One day, my Dad discovered that the creator of the famous cartoon "Family Circus" dealt with the same issue. Enjoy!



This one always makes me laugh!

Raising the Volume?

One of the things that God has naturally gifted me with is what I would call "a voice that carries." Some people may call me "loud," but I'm going with a "voice that carries." As a children's pastor, there are times when this comes in handy. One of the ways it comes in handy is when I need to get the attention of a group of children who are being loud. My father modeled for me how to be "stern" as well. I remember as a child, him only needing to say it once.

One of the things that I, personally, have to watch out for with my interactions with children is to be careful of how much I might use that voice. I'm quick to admit that there have been times when I've straight up yelled very loudly at a child who was about to or had already done something ridiculous and dumb. I'm not always perfect, and sometimes I probably use that "yelling" voice more than I should. I'm not a parent yet, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that there's been some form of "yelling" in your house in the last couple of weeks. I ran across an interesting article the other day on this subject. I submit it to you for your consideration.


Here's a Dad's take on yelling - Why Yelling Doesn't Work


There are times for a stern and loud voice. Sometimes the distance between your child and yourself if far enough away to necessitate a loud and strong voice. I'm not going to say that there aren't times when a very loud voice (even yelling) might be necessary, but if you find yourself yelling a lot you may want to ask yourselves some of the hard questions that this article brings up.

You're in a war...

Because you live in the United States, and because you live in the suburbs (if you live within 15 miles or so of Firewheel Church), your kids will battle consumerism, selfishness, and materialism all their lives.

What's even scarier is that it's Christmas time right now, and the danger is for kids to begin to think that this time of year is all about them. I'm not saying throw out the presents and don't do Christmas this year, but I am asking you to consider how you can "war against" this mindset in your home and your families.

One of the easiest ways to battle materialism and selfishness is to begin to develop children with a generous heart and promote generosity in your family. Do you have a plan for that. Here's a quick little message to give you some inspiration.

What have you done to teach your children the importance of giving?

Repost: Christmas Tips for Dads

This is a re-post from last Christmas...but it's well worth it!

Now's the time, Dads! The Christmas season gives you lots of opportunities to create memorable moments in the lives of your children. Fight the temptation to fall into the same old patterns, or even worse, stress/worry yourself so much that Christmas time isn't the joyful time it was intended to be. Here's a list of things you need to be thinking about and challenging yourselves with.

#1 – Dad needs a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?

#2 – Dad needs to check the local guides for what’s going on to make fun holiday plans for the family.

#3 – Dad needs to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is your calendar ready for December?

#4 – Dad needs to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy?

#5 – Dad needs to give experiences and not just gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season?

#6 – Dad needs to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to?

#7 – Dad needs to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt and bless?

#8 – Dad needs to schedule a big Christmas daddy date with his daughter. Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy daddy date?

#9 – Dad needs to schedule guy time with his son. Dad, what are you and your son going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun?

#10 – Dad needs to help Mom get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mom with getting things ready?

#11 – Dad needs to ensure some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, and can you smell cookies and cider in your house?

#12 – Dad needs to snuggle up and watch some fun shows with the kids, especially the little ones. Dad, is the DVR set?

#13 – Dad needs to take the family on a drive to see Christmas lights while listening to music and sipping cider. Dad, is it mapped out?

#14 – Dad needs to help Mom get the kids’ rooms decorated. Dad, do the little kids get lights or a small tree in their room?

#15 – Dad needs to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how’s your pastoral work going with each of your kids?

#16 – Dad needs to repent of being lazy, selfish, grumpy, or just dumping the holidays on Mom. Dad, are you a servant like Jesus to your family?

This list was developed by Mark Driscoll - Daddy Christmas Tips

Christmas Stress?

Are you stressed out already? Are you wondering how you're going to fit all of those holiday parties and commitments into one month? Are you stressed out about how you're going to get the shopping list done?

If you're anything like the rest of us, there is undoubtedly some Christmas stress that has happened or will happen sometime this month.

I ran across a series of writings about ways to combat the Christmas stress when it comes to your family.

Christmas Stress, part 1
Christmas Stress, part 2
Christmas Stress, part 3
Christmas Stress, part 4


Enjoy!

3 Websites You Should Know About

Here are three websites that you should know about as a parent. They are all connected to one another, but they each offer something unique.


Family First is a great ministry designed to help "promote principles for building marriages and raising children. They have three main avenues (websites) they use:


All-Pro Dad - They have a daily tip for dads called the "play of the day" that can be sent directly to your inbox each day. I know a few dads who get this every day, and they agree that a little inspiration on a daily basis helps remind them of their charge to be the men in their families that God has called them to be. Other cool resources available, too.

iMOM - Website designed just for moms. Much like the dads, there's a daily tip that you can sign up to receive. Sign up, moms!

Family Minute - Every weekday, there's a one minute audio podcast designed to help families. This can be delivered right to your inbox as well.


If I were you, I'd sign up for these things. There's something about regularity that helps you in your marriage and parenting journey.