Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘mother’
Guest Post: “When Two Worlds Collide”
Mark Fowler and his wife Stephanie have been special friends to me and Tammy since college. The Lord is using them to lead a growing church in Elizabethton, TN. We had the privilege to be there again recently and were so blessed. His guest post and the available resource will be a help to many. Thanks for reading! Please share it with others… Is it possible to live in two worlds at once? As a child of God we live each day in the reality of two worlds. We know the Bible teaches us that we are a citizen of heaven and that we are pilgrims in this world. The daily struggle we face is that this world is all…
Read MoreA Mother’s Day Meditation: “The Law Of Thy Mother”
Proverbs opens with a father speaking to his son and closes with a mother speaking to her son. Children need the influence and instruction of both dad and mom. In the first chapter of this book of wisdom Solomon wrote, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother” (Proverbs 1:8). I am thinking today of many things that my father has instructed me in. But as we approach Mother’s Day I have returned again to this beautiful phrase, “the law of thy mother.” Mother’s have laws for sure! And they know how to enforce them. Yet the greatest laws are not laid down in words but in actions. Life teaches more than…
Read MoreHappy Homes
One of the most wonderful gifts that my parents gave to me growing up was a happy home. Yes, they had rules. No, we did not get to do whatever we wanted to do. But there was never the sense that we were “missing out.” After all of these years it is the joy of the Lord that I witnessed in my parent’s lives that has stayed with me. Many years ago Pastor Sexton preached a message titled “Living on the Sunny Side of Life.” One statement that he made seems especially appropriate today: “Don’t just live on the right side – live on the bright side.” Christ has designed it so that we can have both! One of the…
Read MoreA Tribute to My Mother
“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” 2 Timothy 1:5 To have a Timothy you need a Eunice. Long before the Apostle Paul influenced this young man the sincere faith of his mother was making its lasting impression. Long after Timothy had become an effective minister of the gospel it was the faith of Eunice that continued to serve as his example. I thank God for my Eunice. My mother is a woman of great faith in God. She is, in the words of my wife, “the perfect example of Proverbs 31.” Every line. All of…
Read MoreA Word for Young People About Parents
Like most children, when I was very young, I memorized the Ten Commandments. The fifth commandment says, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” It is repeated eight times in the Bible. As a boy, if my mother said something once I was supposed to listen. If she said it twice, I was definitely supposed to listen. If she had to say it three times, it was too late to listen! When God repeats something it is always for emphasis. This is God’s word to every young person: “Honour thy father and thy mother.” For many years I quoted it without even knowing what it meant. The word honor means to assign value to something, to treat it as a prize. …
Read MoreAcres of Diamonds
When I was thirteen years old an elderly preacher in the mountains of West Virginia gave me a book. It was old and dusty. There were no pictures and at the time it seemed like a good book just to put on the shelf. Several years passed before I actually read its yellowed pages, but after reading them I would never forget them. Russell Conwell was a preacher and educator. He started what is now known as Temple University in Philadelphia. Conwell traveled the world giving a very famous lecture over 5,000 times. Any honorarium that was given to him was in turn given to some young person to help them through college. But the value of his lecture was…
Read MoreLessons God Is Teaching Me about My Family – Part 2
Home is the greatest classroom on earth…and not just for the children. Every day there is more to learn, and our failures serve to remind us that we have not arrived. In addition to the thoughts I shared in the last post, the Lord is teaching me: 8. Never argue in front of the children. Now, I am sure you are thinking: “We never argue at all.” Then perhaps you are farther along than me! All married couples have “discussions” and some of those should be done in private. Don’t talk about problems in front of your children. Speak in faith and encourage them to face their own problems depending on the Lord. 9. Play good music around the house.…
Read MoreLessons God Is Teaching Me about My Family – Part 1
The kids are growing up so quickly. At the same time I feel like I am getting old so quickly! Life moves along at a rapid pace and God is teaching me many things. I am not the husband or father that I should be. More and more I thank God for the wife that He has given to me and the mother that she is to our three children. Our home is not perfect. No home is. Every day the Holy Spirit is showing me areas that we need to work on. I would like to share a few things that God is teaching me. These are not the words of a teacher. They are the words of a…
Read MoreLessons My Children Are Teaching Me
Children are often the best teachers…”out of the mouth of babes.” Tammy and I want to teach our kids everything we possibly can, but I realize that often God is using them to teach us. Many lessons have been learned through my own failures as a parent. School is in session every day and the classroom is our home. This list is by no means exhaustive but here are a few of the lessons my children are teaching me… 1. Peer pressure starts early (and never ends!). It is fascinating to observe the influence that older siblings and peers have on young children. Everyone wants to belong, to be accepted. Learning to live for the approval of One is among…
Read More
