The Ten Commandments

Many parents will see the Ten Commandments as a set of rules, that if followed, will guarantee entrance into heaven after death. However the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to force people to realize that they cannot perfectly obey the Law set by God, and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace! Remember to teach your children the truth - that NO ONE can perfectly obey the Ten Commandments! The Ten Commandments demonstrate that we have all sinned and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace, available only through faith in Jesus Christ!


1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command is against worshipping any god other than the one true God. All other gods are false gods. Remind your children of this OFTEN because they will be told by the worldly views that it does not matter which god you worship, you will allll bbeeee fiinnnee.

2) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them..." This command is against making an idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol to represent God is to worship a false god. Tell your child that creating a god that serves as a convenience to them is not okay!

3) “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This is a command against taking the name of the Lord in vain, such as "oh my G*!, etc. Teach your child that we are not to treat God’s name lightly. We are to show reverence to God by only mentioning Him in respectful and honoring ways!

4) “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." This is a command to set aside the Sabbath as a day of rest dedicated to the Lord.

5) “Honor your father and your mother" This is a command to always treat one’s parents with honor and respect. Even from a very young age, I began to teach this in my home! Treating parents with honor and respect could be taught by - teaching your child to obey immediately without argument, helping parents without being asked, cleaning up your own messes, using your manners with your parents, do what your parents ask of you even if others do not, etc.

6) “You shall not murder.” This is a command against the premeditated murder of another human being. Simply, to children, we do not kill.

7) “You shall not commit adultery.” This is a command against have sexual relations with anyone other than one’s spouse. Teach your children the basics about what it means to be married, the rest will come later!

8) “You shall not steal.” This is a command against taking anything that is not one’s own, without the permission of the person to whom it belongs. This, of course, is easy to teach!

9) “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This is a command prohibiting testifying against another person falsely. It is essentially a command against lying. Again, easy to teach. When your child does lie or take something that does not belong to them, correct them and explain to them why they are wrong - be sure that they apologize to you and to God.

10) “You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” This is a command against desiring anything that is not one’s own. Coveting can lead to breaking one of the commandments listed above: murder, adultery, and theft. If it is wrong to do something, it is wrong to desire to do that same something! Teaching children to be content with what they have can be difficult in this "me me me me" age! Everyone is taught to get this and that because they deserve it! Do what makes you happy! Many are not teaching the youth to simply be content and happy with what you already have.

Bible verses to check concerning the Commandments:

Romans 3:23, Romans 7:7-11, Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21, Ecc. 7:20

FAMILY WEB

http://family.webshots.com/album/337868616isfPfW

Kids Christian Wallpaper for Your Child's (Or the family's!) Computer!

JUST FOR FUN - TRAVELING!!!

Okay, this blog is not a biblical blog, but a good one for any parent!!!

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Time flies when you’re having fun - The miles fly by too! You can make a long family car trip seem a lot shorter if you have fun with your kids along the way. Plan ahead with a few car activities, and making the journey can be as much fun as the destination!

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

---Make a Trip-Journal or Scrapbook
Give everyone a big spiral bound sketchpad and a box of crayons or markers. Each day of the trip or for each event along the way, draw a picture of what you did that day, or draw a map of where you went, and write about it. You can also paste in souvenirs.

---Get a Good Songbook With All the Lyrics
It surprising how many songs you think you know, but you don't really know all the words. Have a singing marathon and learn the old classics by heart!

---Give Your Kids an Allowance for the Day
Tell them that this money is for snacks, treats, souvenirs etc. Help them learn to budget their money and make good choices.

---Let Your Children Have a Map
Give your kids their own copy of a map of where you are going. Show them how far you have come, how much further there is to go and let them mark it with a crayon. Every time someone asks "How much further?” let them see for themselves. You might also like to get a compass and show them how it works along with the map!

---Have Bubble Gum Blowing Contests
The weirder the gum the better. Get it at the rest areas and try all the different flavors.

---Magnetic Board Games
Do your children know how to play classic board games like Chess, Backgammon, Checkers, or Chinese Checkers? What better time to learn than in the car to pass the time! The magnetic car versions of these games are nice because they are small and compact, and have easy ways to store the pieces so they don't get lost.

---Counting Cows
Count the cows you see on your side of the car. If you pass a cemetery on your side of the car, you lose all your cows. The one with the most cows wins. I LOVE THIS ONE!!! ;)

---Read Out Loud
This passes the time quickly in the car for the reader and for the family members who are listening.

---Play Favorites
Have everyone think of different "favorite" questions for the group. What's your favorite... movie, flavor of ice cream, song, game, toy, place to visit, restaurant, book, animal, fish, etc. Be creative and don't forget to ask the driver too!

---Aluminum Art
Give everyone a sheet of aluminum foil. Have them mold it into anything they want: animal shapes, Frisbees, balls, jewelry, crowns, headband, necklaces and masks. Be creative. It’s inexpensive fun and easy to clean up. Toddlers love this one too!

Remember that it's sometimes nice to sit in the back of the van with your kids while Dad is doing the driving and play some games right along side them. You might be surprised at how much fun you have too. Happy travels!

Molding Your Children To Be Self-Disciplined

Self-Discipline - it's a BIGGIE!!! I'm talking to parents of toddlers here - now is the crucial time!!! Don't wait!!!

As a parent and a childcare provider, I find myself correcting children for interrupting, being wild, not following instructions or for not controlling their hands or mouths. These all require self discipline or self-control.

Young children (especially ages 2-5) are by nature very impulsive. Part of the solution for impulse control is to learn self discipline! So many relational and personal problems now and in your child's future can be avoided or controlled when one has self-control!

Here are some TRIED AND TRUE suggestions for teaching it to children:

1. Teach children to come when they are called! When a parent calls a child, that child shouldn’t yell, “What?” from across the house, parking lot or playground. (This drives me bonkers!!!)Children can learn to come to the parent, within a few feet, in order to have a dialog with the parent. This helps children learn that self-control sometimes means that we must give up what we would like to be doing in order to do something else. If you have a young child with a favorite toy, you know that this can be very difficult for them. Put the toy down to go see what Mom wants? Are you kidding me? ;)

2. Teach children to respond positively to correction. Woah-tough! Most children don’t like to be corrected and respond negatively in either aggressive (anger) or passive (bad attitude) ways. This is unacceptable and becomes a super opportunity to teach self discipline! Teach children to respond to direction (whether they like it or not) with a good attitude as well as right behavior. This requires self-control and helps children learn to control their impulses!

3. A number of social skills require self-control. Praise your children when they demonstrate this quality and point out areas they need to work on. Listening, knowing when and how to interrupt, anger control, reporting back after completing a task all require self discipline. I have found that talking about all of these things throughout the day until my son BEGAN to take control really made a big difference!

4. Encourage your children to take on activities that build self discipline! They may include sports, music lessons, memorization of scripture, a clean room, or a host of other activities!

5. When a child receives a reward like payment for a job accomplished or even a star on a chart or special treat, talk about self discipline. External rewards give a great opportunity to talk about internal rewards. The real benefit to a doing chores is not the money, it’s the building of self discipline. “I know you would have rather played the game but I like the way you took time to feed the dog. That shows self discipline!”

6. Use bed times to teach self discipline! Some children have a hard time going to bed without creating a battle and this becomes a great opportunity to teach self discipline to children. After all, it requires a lot of self-control for a child to stay quietly in bed while parents are still awake! You are shaking your head right now, because you know EXACTLY what I am talking about! :) Set a bedtime, develop a routine which covers all the necessary bedtime tasks and work at getting your child to stay in bed without Mom or Dad falling asleep in the room! This requires work on the part of the parent but will pay off tremendous dividends in the end. Trust me! WHEW!

7. Morning routines, chores, and family schedules become opportunities for children to learn responsibility and self discipline. Teach your child that Responsibility is “doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” The rewards for being responsible are called privileges. The child who is responsible to get ready and be at breakfast by 7:30 a.m. is allowed the privilege of staying up until their 8:00 p.m. bedtime! Being able to choose one’s clothes is the privilege for getting dressed before the deadline.

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Some parents may try to give their children an easier life than they had or they try to make their children feel good at the expense of good character. Unfortunately, this often translates into more freedom and less self-control! It's not okay!

A wise parent will use childhood to prepare a child for success as an adult. Self discipline is one of the most important character qualities your child can develop! Ironically, spoiled children are not happy; self disciplined children often are!

So teach your little ones, Many times we want to do something and feel that we cannot wait, but when we do wait and exercise patience, we discover that we really did not want it in the first place. No impulse! We must learn to control our actions and feelings!

__For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. 2Timothy 1:7 __

Do not be afraid to teach self-discipline to your children! This will SURELY help them in future situations and will help them also to live a life that pleases our Lord!

Amen to that!

The Kids Zone

Great website for your kids here! It's the Kids Zone!!!

http://christcenteredmall.com/kids/

This is for older children - some GREAT "stuff" that they will love!

-a "clean" Christian Christian Chatroom, Christian teachings, Biblical profiles, the Jesus Story, a bunch of games and activities, book reviews, and much, much more!

webchurch.com

You'll LOVE this website!

"A collection of Children's praise and worship music performed by children so you can lead your children in worship. Or, if you're an older child, you can play them yourself. While listening to the music, you can use our searchable Bible to look up the words or topic of the song, or anything else, in the Scriptures. "

http://www.web-church.com/christian_music_for_kids.htm

God Bless :)

Telling Kids About Satan

The Devil is a Liar, Thief, and Murderer

Tell your children all of this only AFTER giving them a Strong reminder that Jesus is on their side, He will protect them, He will watch out for them, He will make them strong if they will ask Him for help! Tell them not to be afraid to talk to us about the Devil and to ask questions, God wants us to know Satan for what he really is! So DON'T BE SCARED!

It's important for parents to explain to their children that Satan is the god of this sinful world (2nd Corinthians 4:4).

Children need to be taught that the Devil is a liar, but appears deceitfully as an honest person (Matthew 7:15). The Devil is a fallen angel of darkness; but he deceitfully appears to people as an angel of light from Heaven (2nd Corinthians 11:13,14).

Satan is a villain, who comes only to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Kids are being brainwashed nowadays by the Devil's crowd, to think that "wicked" is something good. Lots of music on your average Hit music station today is nothing less than a course on fornication, rebellion, substance abuse, immorality, etc. As a result of 'courses' such as this, abortion is commonplace in America, to remedy our fornication problem in the U.S.

It is sad, and tragic, what has happened to the United States. The best thing parents can do today is to continually teach their children from the Scriptures!

Show your kids in the Bible 2nd Timothy 3:1-7. Explain it to them. Show them 2nd Corinthians 11:13,14 and warn them about false prophets who will try to deceive them. The best defense is a strong offense! The best way to prepare your child to deal with the hellish world we live in today is to teach them the Word of God.

Teach them that abortion is murder, because God said, "Thou shalt not kill" in Exodus 20:13. Teach them that the New Age Movement wants to brainwash them to believe that there are "many paths to the light"; BUT, the Bible proclaims that there is ONLY one way to Heaven, and that is exclusively through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12; 2nd Thessalonians 1:8,9).

Remember, The best defense is a strong offense! Teach your children about sin from the Word of God!

Christian Explorers!

Check out this website for your little Christian Explorer!

It is filled with lessons, answers to questions, mazes, games, stories...ALL KINDS of fun things!

My son especially likes to play Animal Warp (creating strange animals)!

http://christiananswers.net/kids/menu-act.html

Have fun!!!

Bringing Gifts To God

Read to your children the story in Deuteronomy 26:1-11 about bringing gifts to God. It is a story of a thankful family bringing gifts of food to God's house for the minister or priest to use, possibly to give some to the poor!

With Ethan doing chores now, he is receiving a commission (yes, we do call it a commission! He is only paid for the chores that he does, it is not an allowance given 'just because'). My husband and I have pondered upon many questions pertaining to this new addition in raising our child! We believe that we have made it clear to him that giving to God is so important!

Do you ask yourself the following questions? If so, I propose some answers to think over! These are just my own personal opinions - not a study course in giving! ;) But I will say that we have been successful so far in beginning to teach our son about giving!

*Are children exempt from giving?

No! We might think about it by asking: Are children exempt from Christianity? (Giving, we know, is simply part of Jesus’ “everything I have commanded you” in Matthew 28:20.)

The answer to that question is clearly NO! In fact, Jesus says, the kingdom of God belongs to children in particular (Luke 18:16). And if children can be Christians, then children can certainly give to the Lord, right?!

The Bible teaches that giving is the privilege and responsibility of all God’s people, regardless of age or income. Teach this to your child!!!

* At what age should children start learning about generosity?

As early as they can understand! My son is four, but I think that we could have taught him to be Giving before now!

The words of Moses to the people of Israel are relevant in this regard: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

By the things parents say and do in the home, day in and day out, they teach their children how to live! Toddlers may watch you put money in the offering plate. School-age children may give out of their own money (this is what Ethan does - he takes 2 dollars out of his weekly commission and gives it to church). Adolescents may give out of their own babysitting income! But whatever their ages, you have a chance to teach your children about generosity—and God’s generosity in particular—by the things you say and do in their presence today!

*When the offering plate comes around at church, should I give my children pocket change to put in it?

Giving children spare change to put in the offering plate is certainly okay, but there may be other and perhaps better ways to teach them about giving to the Lord! For example, depending on their age, parents might want to pay their kids in return for small chores around the house, and then teach them to give an offering from their own income! Or parents might want to take them along to bring a meal to a needy family, so that they see more concretely where their offerings go! Giving children spare change for the offering plate is fine, but it is good to consider other teaching opportunities as well. Parents should use creative means to teach their children about God’s generosity and our response!

*How can I encourage my children to talk with their friends about giving?

I think that there are several things parents can do! First and most importantly, they can talk about and model generosity, so that their children learn it by example (Deuteronomy 6:7).

If kids learn at home that giving is important, they will naturally talk about it outside the home.

Second, if it is very important to you, you may want to simply suggest to your children that they talk about giving with their friends!

Third and finally, parents should probably not worry about this issue. Children need to understand God’s gift to them before they can talk meaningfully about giving with their friends!

Hope you find this helpful!!! :)

God Created The Heavens!

God created the Heavens Craft!!!

Collect a few baby food jars. Let your children paint the lids, and fill the jars with water, glitter, and moon and star confetti. Explain how God created the Heavens! EASY AND FUN!!!

Special Thanks to Tiffany Jonas from Ohio for this great craft!!!

Don't Be Afraid At Night!

If your toddlers are anything like mine, they might be getting SCARED of the DARK at bedtime! We close the closet, give him a nightlight, check under the bed, leave the door open and hall light on, even have Dad kill whatever WAS there, it's just about impossible to help the poor little guy!

After having my son, Ethan say his prayers I summarize this verse for him, and believe it or not, praying with him almost always makes him feel better! Isn't God GOOD???

"I laid me down and slept; I awoke;
for the Lord kept me." ~Psalm 3:5

This verse helps him to remember that he does not need to be afraid to close his eyes, in fear that he might be missing out on something scary going on. God is with him, Jesus is in his heart, and he will keep him safe, and brave all night until morning!

Good luck and God Bless!

The Kids Ark!!!

Check this out!

A FUN kids Christian magazine!!!

Order yours now!

Kids LOVE getting their own mail!

http://www.thekidsark.com/

This One Is For BOYS!!! ...and little ladies too ;)

OOZE!!!

it's like playdough only slimier

***2 cups of liquid starch and 1cup of glue and whatever food coloring you choose.

Ooze is slimier than play dough. It's like Nickelodeon Gack if you have seen it! You can't build anything with it but it's GROSS and SLIMEY and my boy LOVES it!

Outreach Ideas!

Here is an outreach idea for kids!

If you know children that don't always get to go to church, try this!

Use coloring pages to send them lessons about the love of God. Every other week send them 2-3 pics at a time along with a self-addressed stamped envelope so they can send it back. After you receive and review, call them, talk about the meaning of the pictures and if see that they got it, then their pics get a bunch of cute stickers telling them How GREAT They did and what a SUPER job they did… I follow up with a special prize sent overnight 2nd day to both of them for their efforts.

So, they never know exactly when new pics are coming or when they'll get their box surprise.

What a fun way to learn of God's love!

Thankful for Good Friends, And Choosing Friends Wisely

Mold Your Children To Be Thankful For Their GOOD Friends, (And To Choose Them Wisely!)

How important are friends to children? Probably more important than we know! But do our children know how to choose good friends?

The Bible tells us to choose our friends carefully. This is difficult for some children, so we must mold them to be kind to everyone, but at the same time, choose only friends who are GOOD for them.

God wants us to spiritually grow and mature in our walk with Him! He will help us to choose true friends in this life to help transform us! Sometimes we lose friends - and this saddens us, but we must know that God will take friends out of our lives because they may be negative influences on us. They may be holding us back spiritually, and if we find that they criticize us for wanting to grow in Lord, then we know that God has taken them out of our lives for a reason.

You know that if your children start hanging out with the wrong type of crowd, they can become very easily corrupted in a very short period of time! This is something that worries me as my son will be starting school in just over a year! As a result, you will become very protective on who your children will be choosing to be their friends once they become old enough to start choosing who their friends are going to be.

It is the exact same way with God the Father! This is why God will be moving very early on to take out these negative influences in your life. Once this starts to happen, you have to go with the flow or you could cause God to start pulling back on you. And once that starts to happen, you could start to backslide and everything could start to shut down!

If you will allow God to remove the people that He does not want you to have in your life - then what He will start to do is to bring in the people that He will want to have in your life. I call these types of friends "God-friends." These people will be other godly, Spirit-filled Christians who are truly walking in good stead with the Lord and they will now be the people that He will want you to share your walk with!

I encourage you to tell your children the story of David and Jonathan in 1Samuel 20:4-17. They are good friends, and though Jonathan could feel sad or angry with his friend for being able to become King, he is glad. Tell your children that these friends are GOOD for each other. Teach them to be sure to thank the Lord for their good friends, and to watch out for those who are trying to lead them in the wrong direction! Just because we are supposed to be kind and loving to all, does not mean that we can be friends with everyone!

"The righteous should CHOOSE HIS FRIENDS CAREFULLY, for the way of the wicked leads them astray." (Proverbs 12:26)

Teaching Our Children That God Will Give Them All That They Need, But Not Always What They Want

Examine the Bible story in 2Kings 4:1-7.

These verses tell the story of a woman and who must make enough money to pay to keep her children. She is to sell oil from her jars, and while these jars would normally empty, God keeps them filled!

This story tells us that God always provides us with what we need! This is difficult for children to understand, as they believe that they need everything!

Even as adults, there are SO many things that we say we NEED! We need new tvs, new cars, new clothes! Often times, we must truly examine our lives to figure out what we really need and what we just want.

Remind your child at different times during the day of things that they need. For example, at breakfast time, remind them that we NEED food to survive. Later, if they receive candy or a special treat, remind them that we do not NEED candy. Sure, it tastes good but it is not something that we NEED. If at a time during the day your child should ask for something that they cannot have, remind them of the difference between what they need and what they want. Tell them that God will always provide them with what they need in life. If they do not get something that they want - help them to remember that God is in control, and sometimes, even when we think that we need something, we may be wrong!

Mold your children to understand that God can give us what we need because God knows ALL!

I have prayed this prayer with Ethan in the past after reading the story of the oil jar that never gets empty, "You gave the mother what she needed, Lord God; thank You for giving me all that I need. Amen."

A Mother's Prayer

Precious Heavenly Father,

Give me patience when little handstug at me with their many demands.

Give me gentle hugging armsto help protect them from rebellions harm.

Give me wisdom from aboveto teach these little ones of your love.

Give me strength, the rod not to sparethat they may obey and live under your care.

Give me a spirit...quiet and meeklet my words show kindness as I speak.

Give me the ability to teach from the heartto help my children learn your Word from the start.

Give me the words you'd have me sayto teach my children how to pray.

Give me time, special moments to share that they may know, "Mommy really does care".

Give me hands that work willinglya steadfast example that I may be.

Give me courage to stand in your mightto teach my little ones to always do right.

Give me boldness to do all these and morethat I may not be ashamed when I stand at your door.
Thank you Father, In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Author Unknown

All About Me!!! (God Makes Us Special)

You'll need: pictures of each child,paper,and information about the kids

Directions:Ask kids questions about themselves such as: What is your favorite color? What is your favorite food? What color are your eyes? etc.

Type or write up the answers and post them in the house with a picture of each child next to their answers. People who enter the house can learn more about the kids and the kids can learn more about each other!

Teach your kids that God gives us each characteristics that make us Special and Unique!!!

My husband and I have tried to make it a habit to watch more movies, more often that bring us closer to Jesus, we want our sons to be able to experience this as well!

This website is full of good Christian movies for adults and children!

http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=59

So helpful!

Why The Flu???

Has your child ever asked you why he's got the flu? Mine wants an answer for everything! This was something that I had to do research on, because I, myself was unsure of the answer!

I found an article on Ray Comfort's Blog Site answering this same question for someone else! Here are some bits and pieces for you to read, and to decipher for your child!

*******When God made Adam and made Eve, He made them perfect! There was no disease, suffering, pain and death. When they rebelled against Him, He cursed them and the earth, and we now live in what is commonly called a "fallen creation."

Study the soil for a moment. It naturally produces weeds. No one plants them; no one waters them. They even stubbornly push through cracks of a dry sidewalk. Billions of useless weeds sprout like there’s no tomorrow, strangling our crops and ruining our lawns. Pull them out by the roots, and there will be more tomorrow. They are nothing but a curse."

Consider how much of the earth is uninhabitable. There are millions of square miles of barren deserts in Africa and other parts of the world. Most of Australia is nothing but miles and miles of useless desolate land. Not only that, but the earth is constantly shaken with massive earthquakes. Its shores are lashed with hurricanes; tornadoes rip through creation with incredible fury; devastating floods soak the land; and terrible droughts parch the soil. Sharks, tigers, lions, snakes, spiders, and disease-carrying mosquitoes attack humanity and suck its life’s blood. The earth’s inhabitants are afflicted with disease, pain, suffering, and death.

Think of how many people are plagued with cancer, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, emphysema, Parkinson’s, and a number of other debilitating illnesses. Consider all the children with leukemia, or people born with crippling diseases or without the mental capability to even feed themselves. All these things should convince thinking minds that something is radically wrong. Did God blow it when He created humanity? What sort of tyrant must our Creator be if this was His master plan?

Sadly, many use the issue of suffering as an excuse to reject any thought of God, when its existence is the very reason we should accept Him. Suffering stands as terrible testimony to the truth of the explanation given by the Word of God.

But how can we know that the Bible is true? Simply by studying the prophecies of Matthew 24, Luke 21, and 2 Timothy 3. A few minutes of openhearted inspection will convince any honest skeptic that this is no ordinary book. It is the supernatural testament of our Creator about why there is suffering... and what we can do about it.

The Bible tells us that God cursed the earth because of Adam’s transgression. Weeds are a curse. So is flu and all other diseases. Sin and suffering cannot be separated. Again, the Scriptures inform us that we live in a fallen creation. In the beginning, God created man perfect, and he lived in a perfect world without suffering. It was heaven on earth. When sin came into the world, death and misery came with it.

Those who understand the message of Holy Scripture eagerly await a new heaven and a new earth "wherein dwells righteousness." In that coming Kingdom there will be no more pain, suffering, disease, or death. We are told that no eye has ever seen, nor has any ear heard, neither has any man’s mind ever imagined the wonderful things that God has in store for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Think for a moment what it would be like if food grew with the fervor of weeds. Consider how wonderful it would be if the deserts became incredibly fertile, if creation stopped devouring humanity. Imagine if the weather worked for us instead of against us, if disease completely disappeared, if pain was a thing of the past, if death was no more. *******

(To easily explain this to younger children that would find this Extremely difficult to understand, I have told Ethan - people get sick because of Sin. Though God loves His people, he hates sin. And when sin came into the world, God cursed the world with sad things that we don't like - just like sickness.)

It sounds complicated, after this long explanation - but really, it is quite simple!

Teaching About Homosexuality (THIS IS A SENSITIVE SUBJECT - SO READ CAREFULLY!)

First of all, it is so important to each our children that God doesn't hate people! But Yes, God does hate homosexuality, with a passion, just as God does ALL sin (Psalm 97:10; Hebrews 1:9). This is not a hatred that focuses from God onto this sin ONLY, and we need to be sure that our children understand that!

God loves people so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins (Romans 5:8; John 1:1-3,14; 1st Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:9). God hates the sin; but He loves people (2nd Peter 3:9). MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS UNDERSTOOD! We are NOT to hate anyone! The only thing that is okay to hate is SIN! Because we want to do good by GOD.

The sad truth is that you can't tell most Americans the truth nowadays, because they either flare up in hostility and rage or could care less. Many Americans have become hostile towards the truth.

Parents - Beware of those spreading false claims! Oprah says... If your little daughter wants to be a boy... let her! This is frightening to me, because I used to be a HUGE Oprah fan, until I realized that she is just constantly spewing sinful lies while claiming to be a Christian! She actually encourages parents to support their children's desire for sex-change surgery when they get older. This just sickens and scares me! Think about how many moms out there are Oprah fans! I was one... Until sometime last year when I realized that she just wasn't making any sense to me anymore! Also, Rosie O'Donnell who recently labeled Bible-believing Christians to be "terrorists" because she is a homosexual married to another woman, and does not like uncompromising Christians!

I encourage parents to TEACH their children about the Bible, sin, and how to survive in the crazy world we live in today. Children desperately need to be taught that homosexuality is a sin, because God in His Holy Word says so (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:24-32; 1st Corinthians 6:9; Jude 1:7). There is NO controversy if you believe the Bible.

Proverb 22:6 instructs parents to, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This is not to say that a child won't ever go into sin and break our heart as parents. (This is bound to happen, we are not perfect as human beings, but we must try!) What it DOES mean is that the foundation has been laid. The building may burn to the ground one day (hopefully not), but as long as there is a firm foundation, the house can be rebuilt! WHEW!

REMEMBER KIDS: It's okay to Hate, If You Hate Sin!

It is vitally important that parents also teach there children not to hate people. There must be a balance! Here is the issue - Everyone hates something. You're either going to hate sin, or else you are going to hate God's Law in the Bible that exposes and condemns sin. If we love the Lord, then He commands us to hate evil (Psalm 97:10). Parents should teach their children to hate sin, but equally love people with God's love. I view every person, no matter how much I may dislike them, as someone for whom the Lord Jesus Christ was willing to die for.

Love is Not Compromise

Children also need to be taught that love is not compromise. The homosexual community has hurled accusations against Bible-believing Christians, that we are not following in the footsteps of Jesus, who taught love and was a friend of sinners. Carefully notice that the Bible says Jesus simply took the Gospel message to those who were willing to hear it. Jesus did preach against sin. In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus preached against lust, hate, divorce, promise breaking, et cetera. In John 2:15, Jesus became physically angry over sin.

Love is treating people the way God wants us to treat them, as ourselves. Matthew 7:12, aka, "The Golden Rule," states... "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." We need to warn people of the judgment to come... "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1st Peter 4:17). If we care about others, then we should be compelled to warn them about Hellfire, where they are headed. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8,9... "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction..."

Homosexuals say, "If you love me like Jesus does, then you won't preach to me, because Jesus didn't go around condemning people." Jesus didn't have to condemn anyone, because the Old Testament Law condemns all mankind (Romans 3:19). From Genesis to Revelation, God's men preached hard against sin, yet as unbelievable as it is, many sinners today get the wrong notion that Jesus was a pacifist who never spoke out against sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus was a preacher of righteousness.

Parents need to Remember, The best defense is a strong offense! Teach your children about sin from the Word of God.

Do Not Be Afaid To Be Different in a World of "Just Let It Lay"! Teach your Child The Truth!

FREE DOWNLOADS!!!

FREE DOWNLOADS! - FREE CHRISTIAN MUSIC FOR KIDS -

http://www.ilovewavs.com/ForKids/Christian/KidsChristian.htm

We LOVE these songs! Ethan likes to do all of the actions. He's a great dancer ;)

Years Of The Dash!!!

Check this Blogger out!

My friend, Brenda created a blog site to encourage other believers, and she does an awesome job! I check it out just about every night!

http://www.yearsofthedash.blogspot.com/

God Bless!!!

The Importance of Truthfulness

All Children Tell Lies, But How Can We Stress The Importance Of Truthfulness To Our Children and Mold Them Into Trying To Be Honest???

What constitutes a lie? Really?! Is it really a lie if it's just a little white lie? Saying something that you hope is true, but may not be? How bad is a lie if it's just a 'little one'?

When a child lies, trust is broken and relationships suffer. Sometimes we, as parents do not know how to handle dishonesty. The usual disciplinary action does not seem to fit, but we cannot just let them off the hook. "Don't lie next time" is not going to do the trick!

Here are some ways that I have dealt with lying. Again, as stated in the blog concerning Anger, I use other time to talk to my child about lying, not only when he has been caught in a lie. All he will be thinking about is how soon he can get away from your 'all-knowing eyes'!!

^^^^Talk about truth and reality and how they are different. Talk about pretend, make believe and possibility.

^^^^Use the verse in Proverbs 30:32 to teach your child to stop talking the the middle of speaking a lie. I have stopped Ethan mid-sentence to tell him, "Wait a minute, you need to think about what you are saying." Teach your child to stop and think, "Is this a truth or a lie?"

^^^^Require your child to earn trust. For example, if your child takes a piece of candy from the jar and claims that he did not, but you catch them in a lie - let him know that you know the truth and that he must earn your trust again. This may hurt your child at first (which sometimes hurts mom even more!) but it is for his own good. Children need to know that from lying comes mistrust.

^^^^Teach honesty by reading or telling stories like "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", "Pinoccio" and "The Emperor's New Clothes"! (Oldies but goodies!)

^^^^Always give an outlet for storytelling, simply because children have WILD imaginations! Pretend play, story telling, it's ALL GOOD as long as they know the difference between make believe and the truth!

In the Bible Peter tells a lie. He claims not to know Jesus at all, he lies because he is afraid that he will be hurt if people find out that Jesus is his friend. (Matthew 26:69-75)

Mold your child to be honest. Teach them that when they feel like telling a lie, they need to ask the Lord, Jesus Christ to make them strong to say only what is TRUE!

Guess What You Hear???

This is a fun activity in which children guess which sounds are made by different items, and learn that Jesus knows exactly who we are when we pray, and the activity only takes a few minutes!

Materials:Whistle, Harmonica, Stapler, Bell, Baby rattle, Any other familiar item that makes a nice sound

Put all of your noisy items in a bag, have your child close his eyes as you take one item at a time out from the bag, and make a noise with it! (Be sure to have your child face the other way, I know mine is a PEEKER!) After making the noise, place the item back into the bag, and then let him open his eyes. Then ask him if he knows what the item was by the sound he heard. Let him know if he was right or wrong before going to the next item in the bag.

Explain to your child that sometimes we can tell what something is just be the sound it makes! At other times, just hearing the sound is not enough. We need to see it also! But when we PRAY, we don't need to worry about how we sound, or if God will hear us. He will know who it is, because Jesus takes our prayers to the Father. We can pray and be sure that God will hear and answer our prayers.

The Bible says, "And we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for." 1 John 5: 14,15.

Mold Your Children To Follow The Rules!

This activity will cover the topics of rules, obedience and sin!

It is an activity to teach children that the world and their home is a much better place because of rules!

Materials:Poster board, Different colored markers, Clip art or pictures that relate to the rules, Glue

Explain to your children that they can help you create the house rules! (This sounds CRAZY to some, right?!) Have the children make suggestions on what they think would make good rules for the home. You may want to have paper and a pencil ready and be ready to jot down the children's ideas!

After the children and the adult's rules have been written down, share all of these rules with the children, ask them which ones they think are more important and why!

Take the poster board and write the rules you have decided to use in your home (a playroom, the refrigerator, etc.), starting with the ones the children thought were most important. Since some children doing this activity can't read, have the kids glue a related picture next to each rule, this will help the children remember the rule even if they can't read!

Knowing that there are rules will help the children feel safe and secure!

Tell your children that God has a set of rules that people are to follow as well. When people follow God's rules the world is much better place! When we don't follow God's rules it's called sin.

Who knew creating rules could be so much fun?!

A PARENT'S PRAYER! (This one is for Mom AND Dad!)

Oh, God, make me a better parent.

Help me to understand my children,

To listen patiently to what they have to say

And to answer all their questions kindly.

Keep me from interrupting them,

Talking back to them and contradicting them.

Make me as courteous to them

As I would have them be to me.

Give me the courage to confess my sins

Against my children and to ask of them forgiveness,

When I know that I have done them wrong.
May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my children.

Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or

Resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.
Let me not tempt a child to lie and steal.

So guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate

By all I say and do that honestly produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.
May I cease to nag:

And when I am out of sorts,

Help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.
Blind me to the little errors of my children

And help me to see the good things that they do.

Give me a ready word for honest praise.
Help to treat my children as those of their own age,

But let me not exact of them the judgments and conventions of adults.

Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves,

To think, to choose, and to make decisions.
Forbid that I should ever punish them for my self-satisfaction.

May I grant them all of their wishes that are reasonable

And have the courage always to withhold a privilege that I know will do them harm.

Make me so fair and just, so considerate and companionable to my children that they will have a genuine esteem for me.

Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children.

With all thy gifts, Oh God,

do give me calm and poise and self control.

Written by Dr. Garry C. Myers

Christianity Oasis!

Check this site out for kids Christian Online Games!

These games are for 'bigger kids' - my preschool aged son has not played these, but I have checked them out for myself!

Take a look at C-O-O-L Scramble, C-O-O-L Bible Puzzles, and C-O-O-L Battleship!

http://www.christianityoasis.com/Keyword/C_Games.htm

How To Create a Daily Devotional Plan With Your Child

Here's How!!!

-Decide On a Time

If you or your child view your time spent alone with God as an appointment to be kept in your daily calendar, you will be less apt to miss or skip it! There is no “right” and “wrong” time of day! Whatever time of day you choose, let it be the best time of day for you. Perhaps a lunch break or your child's nap time fits better into your agenda! For your child, pick a quiet time - maybe right before nap or before bed!

-Decide On a Place

Finding the right place is key to your success! If you try to spend quality time with God lying in bed with the lights off, failure is inevitable! For Ethan and I, I chose our comfy couch with good reading light. I make sure that I've got my Bible, pen, journal, devotional book and reading plan ready for he and I!

-Decide On a Time Frame

Once again, there is no standard time frame for personal devotions! And parents sometimes just find WHATEVER time becomes available! Let's face it, as a mom or dad, you're busy! You have to decide how much time you can realistically commit to each day! Getting started with 10 minutes a day can quickly develop into more. Some adults can commit to 30 minutes, others an hour or more a day. Young Children need less time. Start with a realistic goal that you feel you can meet.

-Decide on a General Structure

Spend some thought on a general structure for your devotional and how much time you and your child will spend on each element of your plan! This would be like an outline or agenda for your meeting, so you don’t wander about aimlessly in thought and end up accomplishing nothing!

Be sure to Choose a Bible Reading Plan or Bible Study.
Plan to Spend Some Time in Prayer.
Consider Spending Some Time in Worship.
Consider Spending Some Time Writing in a Journal.
Commit to Follow Your Daily Devotional Plan.

Be Flexible and Willing to Make Changes to Your Plan.

This can be a SUPER experience for you and your child to grow together spiritually! Take advantage of it and teach your child early participate in daily devotionals!!! ;)

Teaching Your Child About Angels

Lately, Ethan has had some questions about Angels. He wants to know what they are, who they are, what they do, and whether or not people can turn into angels. Unfortunately, many do not know what to believe when it comes to Angels! I myself had no idea what the answers were to any of these questions no more than a few years ago! I even believed that after you died and went to Heaven, you, the human would actually BECOME an Angel!

The truth is Angels are not human beings, they do not marry or reproduce as humans do. And though we do not know when exactly angels were created, we do know that they have not existed from all eternity. (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2,5). Colossians 1:16-17 tells us: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Can we trust all angels? It would be pleasant to think that we could, but NO! While all angels were originally holy, there were some that opposed God and obeyed Satan, God's enemy. But remember (and remind your children) our God who created all beings is still in charge, and He will bring the 'bad angels' or 'demons' to a final defeat!

To answer another of Ethan's question, I searched scripture to find out what exactly angels do. I knew to immediately tell him that they worship and praise God! But being a four year old, he wanted to know, of course, "What else?" So I found that angels do more than worship and praise God.

***They also reveal God's will to men, as they revealed the law to Moses.
***They guide, just as they gave instructions to Joseph about the birth of Jesus. ***They provide - God used angels to provide needs such as food for Hagar. ***One of the most comforting things to find (one which I hoped was true) was that they do provide protection, keeping God's people out of danger, as in the cases of Daniel in the lion's den, and his friends in the furnace!
***Delivering, as in Acts 5 when the angels released the apostles from prison.
***They also answer prayer! God uses his angels various times throughout the scripture to answer the prayers of His people.
***And Caring for Believers at the moment of death, this one I also find to be very comforting!

When teaching your child about angels, refer to the story of God's angel helping Peter. (Acts 12: 1-17) Remind your child that sometimes God sends angels to help even if we cannot see them! What a way to brighten your child's day! God Bless ;)

This One's For You : THE PARENTS! :)

Looking for Christian Family Inspiration?? Take a look....

http://www.famci.com/

Overcoming Evil With Good!

Teaching Children to Overcome Evil With Good Can Be Very Difficult!

Even teaching MYSELF to overcome evil is not an easy task. We must overcome many forms of evil day to day - feelings of revenge, rage, hate - these emotions towards others can be hard to crush. Evil can overcome us easily, but God is on our side! Ask Him for help to overcome these feelings towards others!

Be not overcome of evil,
but overcome evil with good.~Romans 12:21

Since men became enemies to God, they have been very ready to be enemies one to another.

And those that embrace religion, must expect to meet with enemies in a world whose smiles hardly agree with Christ's. . we must teach our children to study the things that make for peace; without offending God or their own conscience!

This is a hard lesson for adults and children! When our passion for something or someone is up, and the stream is strong, let it pass off! Teach your child that he must love even his enemies, as God would want him to. Insead of focusing on how someone has wronged him, teach him to try to think about how the other's life may be different from his. Perhaps they have sad things happening in their homes, how they may have been hurt in the past, or maybe they do not yet know the love of Jesus, our Savior.

If our enemies are not totally melted by kindness, we cannot seek vengeance! Remind your child that those who revenge are conquered, and those that forgive are conquerors! Winners! Be not overcome of evil. Make God and Mom and Dad happy, and proud of you!

A Prayer In Your Pocket!!!

Christian Craft for Kids!

You'll need : Colored Construction Paper, A Cardboard Toilet Paper Tube for each Child, Wrapping Paper, Stapler, Markers, Scissors, Crayons, Glue

Directions:Start by cutting the wrapping paper into a size that fits the cardboard tubes. Cut the construction paper in half lengthwise. Fold these pieces in half, and place one inside the other. Staple along the fold to form a book. Write "I pray for my church, my friends, and my family" on the booklet.

Give each child a piece of wrapping paper and a cardboard tube. Have them glue the paper to the cardboard tube. Set them out to dry. Have them draw a picture of their church, friends, and family on each page of their book. Roll up the books and place them in the tube. Have the children slip these in their pocket to take home.

Encouraging 'Dad' To Participate In You Child's Molding!!!

Okay, Mom. Yes, your job as a mother is important. Yes, your children LOVE you in a special way. And yes, you have to take advantage of this time with your children while it is available to you! BUT - don't forget, you didn't create these children on your own! Who helped? Creating children takes 3 - not one! A WOMAN, a MAN and GOD! And everyone must be included in the process of raising your child!

As a homemaker (and babysitter) I am with my kids all day, every day! We have a GREAT time, and I love being able to spend so much time with them, but let's not kid ourselves, Moms - WE NEED SOME HELP! Getting help from our Lord, Jesus is easy. We can pray for our children, teach our children about Him and His ways, and teach our children to pray. But Dad? That's a tough one!

Women are created by God as nurturing beings, Men are usually just not quite the same!

Here are 6 ways that I have found to be TRIED AND TRUE to Get Dad Involved:

1) Respect differences! Mothers parent differently than fathers! I have noticed with our boys that there are major differences in the way my husband holds our children, plays, talks with and disciplines them. It’s important for me not to expect Dad to do everything just how I do and to be accepting of his methods. Just because his style is different doesn’t mean it’s wrong!

2) Be Specific! I used to tend to make the statements to my husband that I needed more “help.” That doesn’t give him much direction of what is needed! To get more response - moms should try to be more specific about what it is they would like dad to do. For example, mom could state she needs dad to help more with toy clean up, giving baths, driving to extra curricular activities, etc. He might NEVER know what you need or want help with when it comes to the kids, so you MUST tell him!

3) Avoid Gate-keeping. Many moms take the reigns of raising the kids and try to do it all! Then when they get frustrated they look at dad and wonder why he’s not more involved! (I myself learned quickly with our first, okay-this is not meant to be done alone!) Get dad involved from the beginning and try not to hover over him! I know that I have a tendency to want to step in if my husband is having a difficult time when it’s better to give him the chance to figure out a solution, which will help him feel more confident later!

4) Make it Enjoyable! If children only see dad as the one that dishes out discipline then the kids and dad are really missing out! You remember being little and getting in trouble with Dad, right? It was a BIG deal, and we don't want that to be the only thing that our child remembers about time with their father! Moms should try giving dad plenty of opportunity to do fun activities with dad and not just call him into the picture if there is a discipline problem.

5) Give Praise! A great way to get dad more involved is to recognize what he does and compliment him on his efforts. Many men (like my hubby) are working behind the scenes to do things for their family and often those efforts go unnoticed. Dads are often economic providers, teach morals, are role models, playmates and give support to moms. They deserve more praise than we often remember to give them! I know my husband does, I LOVE YOU, ERIC! ;)

6) Avoid Overprotecting! Let’s face it, dads like to play rougher than most moms are comfortable with. Can you say, "Uncle Dustin and the famous flying child?" There is one in every family! Usually Dads are just this way! Try to look the other way and let them have some fun instead of overprotecting the kids and putting a stop to their roughhousing.

7) Team Effort! Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when getting dad involved is that parenting is a team effort!

So what do our Christian husbands need to know? The best commandment in the Scripture that I have found is this: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5). And in verse 2, we read, "...so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life." The following verses state, "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up" (verses 6-7).

Also, Ephesians 6:4 is a summary of instruction to parents, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

I believe that the Christian father is really the instrument in God's hand! Christian discipline from both mother AND father is needed to prevent children from growing up without reverence for God, respect for parental authority, knowledge of Christian standards, and habits of self-control.

As the father is faithful in role modeling, what a child learns about God will stand your child on solid ground throughout their earthly lives, no matter what they do or where they go!

Here is a website I found with great kids Christian coloring pages and worksheets!

http://www.coloring.ws/christian.htm

ENJOY!

Anger

The Bible - teaching about anger teaches that it is an honest and basic emotion, but that it can and MUST be managed! Anger is something that I have to try to work through all of the time, as most mothers do! I find that I can be quick to irritate in certain areas of my life, and have to be so careful not to let my frustration take the wheel! Since having children, I have had to try even harder to be EXTRA careful, to try to practice control over my anger.

Moms - you have to hold your tongue! (We all slip, yes! I know I do!) But here are some things to work towards:

*No cursing
*No screaming
*No throwing household objects!!!

The usual Christian attitude toward begin angry is that we tend to deny it, justify it, smother it, confess is as sin, or stuff it down until we nearly explode! But what is the Bible teaching about being angry? What do we need to learn for ourselves before teaching our children?
------"Be angry, yet do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26). This statement implies several things: all of us feel angry at times, but we have a choice in how it is expressed.

Consider the story of Cain and Abel in Gen. 4:2-8. In verse 7 God tells Abel that he must learn to master his anger. How can we teach our children to master and control their anger?
To begin with, I don't wait until the child is already angry to talk to him about controlling it. I have found that if I talk to children while they are angry, my words just go in one ear and out the other! Their thoughts are filled with vengeful, irritated and frustrated emotions, and they just do not take in the information that you are wanting them to receive!

I have used the following to teach children about anger:

-Reading the story of Cain and Abel from the Bible
-Making angry face cookies (see end of blog for materials used)
-Teaching the "Breathing Technique" - taking big, slow deep breathes before using Angry Words
-Praying for God's help to control anger

*******A story from SpecialMomentsWithGod.org ******************

Hatred and Anger are buddies
Controlling our anger is a must
It takes a lot of effort
But Anger we cannot trust

The Bible is our answer
In Proverbs it does say
Do not stay with angry friends
Cause they can change your way

________________________________Angry Face Cookies _____________________________________

Ing:
Pre-baked sugar cookies
Raisins, Choc. chips, thin red licorice

Directions: Give each child a cookie, and a few items to decorate it with. Show children how to make angry faces on the cookies, using decorating ingredients. When each child is done making their angry face, talk about how they can turn anger into a good thing. (Turn your piece of licorice to make a smile out of the frown.)

"Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.” Billy Graham quote


As a Christian mother, I am constantly trying my very best to Mold my children, to give them the best concrete base that I am able to before sending them "out into the world" to make decisions on their own, to lead others to Christ, and to SURVIVE in this world that is ever falling deeper into Sin!
I have created this blog site, hopefully, to inspire my fellow moms to stand up - do not be afraid to Mold your children! Do not be afraid to tell them the Truth, even when the WORLD is filling their little minds with False Claims:

"Evolution is REAL."
-----The Bible tells us that (Gen 1:20, 21) Marine life was created all at once. (Gen 1:20, 21)Birds and fishes were created on the same day. (Gen 1:20-31) Birds and whales were created before reptiles. (Gen 2:7) Man was made from the dust of the earth. (Gen 2:5) Man was created before rain. (Gen 2:21, 22) Man was created, then woman.

"The unborn human is Less than human."
-----The Bible tells us : Galatians 1:15-16a - "But when He who set me apart, even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles."

"It is okay to engage in pre-marital sex if you are 'in love'."
-----The Bible tells us : "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (Hebrews 13:4)

"Pornography is just 'normal' nowadays"
-----The Bible tells us : Matthew 5:28 "If a man looks on a woman to lust after her, he has committed adultery with her already in his heart."

"You can get to Heaven just by believing in God or by doing 'good things'."
-----The Bible tells us that Satan (the Devil) believes God exists. In fact, he talks with God in Job chapters 1 and 2. Yet, he is not going to heaven—he is going to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (hell). This is recorded in Revelation chapter 20, verse 10.

"Going to church will get you into Heaven."
-----The Bible says NO. For example - If going to a restaurant does not turn you into a hamburger, why do you think going to a church will turn you into a saint? (Yes, that was supposed to be humorous, but the concept is completely valid.)

"Homosexuality is 'okay'."
-----The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

*******************

So, Moms and Dads: we cannot pretend or fool ourselves into believing that hugging and kissing our children, telling them that they are loved and that God loves them is enough to help them to live a life that would please our Lord, Jesus Christ! It simply is NOT enough! We must do more!
Everyday we have to live and breathe the gospel to our children, set an example, and know that they are ALWAYS watching, ALWAYS listening, and they truly crave our guidance! Don't you see your child's eyes begging you, "Mother, mold me!"???

Deuteronomy 11:19 ESV You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.