| '...The most precious treasure a man can find.' Proverbs 31:10 |
| Erma Bombeck wrote: 'When God was creating mothers, on His sixth day of overtime the angel said, "You're fiddling around a lot on this one." God replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She's to have 18,000 replaceable moving parts, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a kiss that cures anything from broken legs to disappointed love affairs...and six pairs of hands!" "Six pairs of hands? No way!" the angel said. God said, "And the challenging bit is the three pairs of eyes mothers need. One pair that sees through doors, another in back of her head that sees what she shouldn't be able to see, another in front for looking at a child who's goofed and saying, 'I understand, and I love you', without speaking." The angel said, "Lord, take a break. Tomorrow..." "I can't," God said. "I'm close to creating something so like Myself. Already she can heal herself when she's sick, feed a family on a pound of minced beef, and get a nine year-old to stand under a shower!" Touching her, the angel said, "She's too soft!" "But so tough!" God replied. "You can't imagine what this mother can endure." "Can it think?" asked the angel. "Not only think, it reasons and compromises," God said. Running his finger across the mother's cheek, the angel said, "There's a leak!" "It's not a leak," God said. "It's a tear." "What's it for?" asked the angel. "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness and pride." The angel declared, "Lord, You're a Genius!".' Just a columnist's fictional story, but well worth pondering. Thanks, Mum! |
| I am sharing the belle, I get messages daily from UCB, life changing I must say. We can all get there, we need to make the choice to today! #Godhelpus Thinking and Acting Like Jesus (1) |
| 'Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.' Philippians 2:5 |
| Max Lucado writes: 'What would your life be like, even for one day, if you were to think and act like Jesus? If His priorities governed your actions, His passions drove your decisions and His love directed your behaviour? What would you be like? Would people notice the change in you? Would your family see something new? Would your co-workers sense a difference? What about the less fortunate; would you treat them like you normally do? How about your friends; would they detect more joy? How about your enemies; would they receive more grace and mercy? And how would it affect you personally? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you view death differently? Would you pay your taxes differently? Any chance you'd need fewer aspirins or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays? Or when the deal falls through, or people don't do what you want them to? Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing? Pause and think about your schedule, obligations, engagements, outings and appointments. With Jesus fully in control, would these all change? Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants! "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." If you committed to living this way for a lifetime, or a year, or even a month, you would be a transformed person. So just try it for one day: today!' |
| 'Point your kids in the right direction...' Proverbs 22:6 |
| The 'coach/trainer' style: These parents provide direction by teaching and example, modelling respect, responsibility, safety, trust and maturity in how they treat the child. They are 'in charge', yet always preparing the child for the 'in charge' role in due time, delegating authority to the child when they are ready. Respect, not intimidation, is used to train kids, understanding that a respectful child will follow the rules even in your absence. Responsibility is modelled by the parent's refusal to make (or accept) excuses. Independence is encouraged by how well children handle limits and controls. The parent is solution-focused, not problem-focused; forgiving; acknowledging their own failures; and directing kids to the future, not the past. These parents choose their battles wisely, avoiding damaging arguments but holding the line in matters of faith, respect, trust, honesty, responsibility and consequences. Mistakes are used to teach, not shame. Such parents are transparent, admitting their own shortcomings and apologising when it's necessary. The rules are clear, consistent and fair. They don't issue repeated 'warnings', and consequences apply without exception. Administering discipline is done with nurture, respect and reassurance. What are the pluses of the style? It provides kids with a safe, protective, loving environment for learning, while you, the parent, model respect, responsibility, trust and autonomy. Movement toward adulthood is a joint parent-child project. What are the minuses of this style? None! Called from 'UCB Word for Today' by Bob and Debby Gass |
