Church and How to Help Your Child See it Differently

9-6-13 While we were raising our children, one thing we wanted them to realize was that we were never going to let them play us against each other or come between us. We took that to the pew at church. We would never sit the kids between us. We just wanted them to see us as a force undivided. Speaking about church and sitting in the pew....

If you are looking for ways to help your child pay attention during preaching:

First try to position them so they can see the pastor. It is hard to listen when you are looking at the back of someone's head.

How to Rear Church Kids

6-14-13 I think because we head up the Zaccheus Class at church people come to us with questions about their kids. I hope it's not because we have become one of the gray heads. LOL

I have had mom's come up to me a few months before their little one turns 2 and moves up to the class to apologies for their child. They will say that they are sorry for the problems that their child has. They are not alone...I never expect a 2 year old to act like a 4 year old. So we are used to this. That is why we (ZC) are here. It is a teaching time. I will tell the mom's what they can do to help is start playing "church" at home. Put in a preaching CD and have the child sit with no TV on and look at the CD player with their hands in their laps for a few minutes. Going over church behavior each time.

Corrie ten BOOM

*Corrie ten BOOM*

Corrie ten BOOM has to be my first Christian hero. Her story is amazing. I had in my possession for a time a cassette tape with her speaking at a meeting. Powerful! http://www.tenboom.org/ She has had many great quotes attributed to her. One of my favorite parts of her story is when her and her father would board the train to go to Amsterdam so her father (a watch maker) could set his watch by the BIG clock and would be able to come back and make sure his clocks were all set with the correct time. This one trip Corrie, who was an old maid at the time, tells her dad that she doesn't know how she will make it without him when he dies. He ask her, "When we get on the train...when do I give you your ticket?" She replied, "Right before we get on the train." He then tells her that's when God will give her the grace she needs to deal with him going home to Heaven the same way...right before she needs it. It is hard knowing that our loved ones will die someday...but we have a loving Father that will give us the grace when we need it. God's love is so amazing. If you have never read anything of hers please do, it is very exciting how God worked and moved in her life.

Cynthia Bell

*Cynthia Bell*

Mrs. Bell is married to Pastor George Bell, Anchor Baptist Church, Columbus Ohio. Years ago when we attended Victory Baptist Temple in Elyria Oh, Pastor Bell and his church people would attend a lot of the same conferences that we did. I had known that the Lord called my husband into the ministry and was concerned because I did not feel I could ever be a pastors wife. I looked around at so many great men of God and saw their lovely, meek, and humble wives standing behind them...doing everything right. I thought well Lord that is NOT me...sorry! Then Mrs. Bell came to speak at a ladies meeting at VBT. WOW! It made all the difference to me...Mrs. Bell wasn't only lovely, meek, and humble...she was more. She was funny, she spoke about things that was real and genuine. She really let me see that to be a pastors wife...you could be human. Thank you Mrs. Bell.

Isaiah 2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

It has been a long time since I have posted anything. That doesn't mean I haven't been reading the Word though. It also doesn't mean I haven't been getting anything from the Word. It just means I have been to busy to do much more than to read and pray.

I have ugly feet...my husband will be the first to say it and I would be the first to admit it. I have A LOT of problems with them. I have psoriatic arthritis and neuropathy. The PA was making it so that I didn't realize that I was getting neuropathy. (Peripheral nerves carry information to and from the brain. Peripheral neuropathy means these nerves don't work properly. Peripheral neuropathy may be damage to a single nerve or to a nerve group). As a result of my physical condition, about a year and a half to two years ago I became acutely aware of my feet. In looking at my feet I started thinking, "Wow I wonder how many steps my feet have taken" so far in my life? Then I think how many of those steps were away from the direction that the Lord was leading. When I think of how bad my feet hurt me at times physically, I can't help but to think of how much more they have hurt me spiritually.

Job 34:3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

Job 34:3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

Not everything we eat is good for us. Even though it might taste good.

Sweets
We could eat a big pan of tres leches cake and though it would be very yummy it would not be the best thing for our bodies. To much sweets can cause a problem now and in the future.

Sour
If you eat a jar of pickles it can cause problems because of the high acidic concentrate. This can interact with you stomach acids.

Bitter
Too much bitter foods will cause stomach problems.

Salty
Too much can cause heart problems.

Umami
Savory taste...too much makes food boring.

Healthy diet
Is a well balance of all the foods...in moderation.

When is comes to what we want to hear I would say sweet is probably at the top of our list. If that is all we ever hear it will cause problems now and in the future.  Of course it isn't good to listen to someone who is always bitter or sour. I really feel that someone who only has savory of the meat to feed you isn't balanced either. So what we need is a healthy diet of it all.

When I was a bus captain in Ohio one of the bus girls came to me one day and asked me a question. She told me that she had committed to doing this play at school but she would have to miss a Wednesday night service to do so. I didn't ask her any questions I just said well you want to be a person of your word, I was a fairly new Christian. Come to find out she had already asked our bus director and his wife...she didn't like their answer and was going to keep asking people until she got the answer she wanted. Also had I had more info...it was a musical with bad songs and dancing.

As we hear the Word or Godly counsel, it is like meat in our mouth....we taste it to see if we like it. If we don't like it we spit it out. Sometimes we listen to ungodly counsel and it's what we want so we eat it anyways or listen to it...and it proves to be bad for us...making us sick.

It is like this verse we keep looking for what we want to hear. We really just need to listen to the Lord... Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. PS. 34:8a

For all things are for your sakes, II Cor. 4:15

II Cor. 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

We go through so much in our lives and we don't understand why, for what purpose. We look at situations and say "okay, now what"? When really it is about others. It was about others for Christ. He didn't die for Himself. He died for others. He also lived for others, for us. What more could we do for Him. He saw that it was important to not only die for us but to show us how to live. If salvation was all it was about then the Bible would be mighty thin. Things that happen to us, God uses for His honor if we allow it. I had the opportunity to speak with a gentleman today. He came over to take a look at what we are getting rid of, it is like a “pre-estate” sale. Anyhow, I was able to talk to him about the Lord and found out that he was already saved. He had gotten away from the Lord and was battling with the things of this world. There is not one person that is above reproach in this life. Boy, but when we see Jesus we won't ever worry about failing Him again. I love the boldness that the Holy Spirit gives us when we surrender to it. It always amazes me how the Lord uses His Word through us. I don't know how many times I have said, “I was just reading this verse in the Bible...” and it would relate to the person I am talking to.

For all things are for your sakes (He uses it and blesses us for it)

that the abundant GRACE (Gods Riches At Christ Expense)

might through the thanksgiving (the expression of gratitude)

of many redound (contribute greatly to a persons credit)

to the Glory of God (Heaven)

I love sharing God's Word!

We always talk about Jesus died for us...but let's not forget He first lived for us.