It Is Your Responsibility to Fix My Kid!

I have copied an article written by Al Menconi. He is an author and speaker on raising Christ-centered children in a Media Driven society.  This article left me with a lot to think of as a parent myself. Enjoy! 







Fix My Kid 

An article from Al Menconi

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” 

Most parents I have spoken with desire to fulfill this verse from Proverbs 22:6. The question I am usually asked is, “How is it done? How can we train our children to love God and live for Him?” 
I’m sorry to say, the majority of Christian parents I encounter believe this verse means we should lecture our children about Jesus and then send them to church and Sunday school to follow instructions from their teachers. “Here’s my child, Mr. Sunday School Teacher. Here’s my child, Ms. Youth Leader. Fix my kid. Teach my kid about Jesus.” 
I have talked to hundreds of parents who have tried this approach, and they failed to understand why their children have no desire to live for Jesus. 
In fact, the vast majority of children raised by Christian parents will not live for Jesus as adults. How can this be? If what we believe is true and the majority of our children are rejecting this truth, we need to reexamine our methods of conveying this message of hope to our children. 
Deuteronomy 6:7 indicates how God would have us teach our children to love Him. The two verses before that (5–6) are commands that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength and that the commandments of God should be in our heart. Then in 6:7 we are told to “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.” 

This verse is a command for us to teach our children at four specific times: 

• When we sit down as a family
• When we are walking together
• When we lie down
• When we arise

When the typical Christian family is sitting at home, the television, Internet, DVDs, or video games have much of the attention. The television and other media activity are doing most of the teaching. The worst part is that research has shown these sources of entertainment are also effective teaching tools that are probably teaching values against the Word of God.
In today’s society, people seldom use walking as a means of family transportation, but we drive cars. What is usually happening when the typical family is in the car? They are probably listening to the radio and CDs or watching videos. And what teaching is taking place? For the most part, the entertainment in the car is teaching a philosophy against biblical values. Another missed opportunity. 
How about when families lie down and when they get up? In other words, what are families doing when they go to bed at night and get out of bed in the morning? So many go to bed watching the news or late night talk shows and then arise to the local talk or rock radio station. 
Think about it. Even if the television, DVDs, games, and radio programs were not against biblical values, God says these times are prime opportunities for teaching our children to love Him. Are you redeeming the time?

Toddler with Sleep Problems: Q&A

Lately the question has come up in our parenting class about how to handle children who continually fight bedtime. We have given some advice as have the other members of class. It is apparent that this is a major event in the lives of many families. We parents are already so very exhausted from the everyday rigamarole of life, that we do feel like the walking dead in our efforts to discipline our children after a certain hour of the night we just give up. We need our sleep too.
I just ran across an article written by Dr. John Rosemond on this very issue. I have reprinted his articles in the past when I see the need to share a topic that seems prevalent to the way we parent. So please take time to enjoy and share with those parents that are at the point of "melt-down."  Remember this also, we must first seek Him during these trials and find rest in His love. Christ's strength and wisdom is essential.


"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”"  Matt 11:28-30 




Sleep Problems
Jan 18, 2013 by John Rosemond
Question: For the past several weeks, our just-turned 3-year-old has been waking up and coming into our room at all hours of the night with the usual excuses. He’s scared, hungry, thirsty, lonely, can’t sleep, has to use the bathroom, wants a kiss, and so on. He goes to bed at 7:30 if he takes an afternoon nap and 6:30 if he doesn’t. We are a marriage-centered household, so evenings are for Mom and Dad. Neither of our kids has ever even napped in our bed. When we take him back to his room, we usually lock the door. The next time he wakes up and discovers he can’t get out, he begins crying and kicking the door, waking our 4-year-old. Should we be patient, hoping this phase will pass quickly, or should we punish? We are zombies.

Answer: The living dead, eh? I remember those days well. Our first, Eric, did not sleep the night until he was nearly three years old. The problem was a combination of colic and two very inexperienced parents. I was in graduate school at the time and supporting us by playing in a rock ‘n’ roll band. One night, after trying unsuccessfully to put Eric back to sleep, my choices were to go stark raving mad or write a song. So, because it’s against the rules for a psychologist to go crazy, I wrote a song titled “Three O’Clock in the Morning Rockin’ My Baby Blues.” It was pretty good, actually—a heavy blues number. I started adding verses to it during those early morning rock-a-thons. When Eric finally began sleeping the night, the song was ten pages long, typed, single-spaced.
It is not at all unusual for a child’s sleep pattern to change around the third birthday. Some children outgrow the need to nap around this time. The fact that your son is on-again, off-again with his afternoon nap tells me he’s going through this transition. In that event, I encourage you to stop trying to fight city hall. Dispense with the afternoon nap altogether. Put him to bed at 7:00. Cut his bedroom door in half, just above the knob, then re-hang it and turn the knob around so you can control the lock.
After you put him to bed, close the half-door and lock it. Children don’t like being closed behind a full door because they can’t see out, but they accept the locked half-door fairly readily. Acceptance usually takes about a week.
A second, slightly more painful option is to dispense with his nap, put him to bed at 7:00, and just wait this out. As I said, it’s probably a transition that will resolve itself by the time he’s in high school. But seriously, can you put up with this for a month or so?
Option 3 is to put both boys to bed in the same bedroom, at the same time. Close their door and let them play themselves to sleep. Tell them that as long as they’re quiet and don’t come out, they can keep the light on. If they make noise or come out, the lights go out and they have to go to sleep. If you enforce that calmly, you should be over the hump in a week or so, and you can return from the living dead. I am living proof.

Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents’ questions on his website at www.rosemond.com.
Copyright 2012, John K. Rosemond

Recipe to Share...

Many of you know that not only do I love to eat, I also love to cook. As busy as our family schedule is, I have embraced what I consider one of the most vital  cooking appliances we own. It has saved us time and allows us to come home to a meal all ready to enjoy.
Yup, it's the Crock Pot. What an amazing invention and one that all families should own. I will also share with you another vital component one should use while cooking with their Crock Pot, the Crock Pot Liners. You just use them to line your Crock Pot and then after all is cooked and consumed...lift it straight out and throw it away. Your "always reliable" cooking appliance is ready for the next meal.
Ok, enough bragging on that, I wanted to share with you a recipe from an amazing web site filled with slow cooker recipes...

Here is the recipe for Crock Pot EASY Baked Potato Soup:


20 potatoes, red, cut into cubes
1/4 c. and 2 T. flour, all-purpose
1 1/2 c. bacon, real bits
2 onions, small red, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. chicken bouillon granules
2 T. ranch dressing mix
1 T. and 1 tsp. parsley, dried
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper, black, ground
6 c. water
2 c. half-and-half
1 c. cheese, Cheddar, shredded, or to taste
1/2 c. green onions, chopped, or to taste


1. Place potatoes in the bottom of your crock pot (lined with your crock pot liner).

2. Sprinkle flour over the potatoes, tossing potatoes to coat.

3. Sprinkle bacon bits, red onion, garlic, chicken bouillon, ranch dressing mix, parsley, seasoned salt, and black pepper over the coated potatoes.

4. Pour water into the crock pot.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 7 to 9 hours.

6. Pour half-and-half into the soup; cook another 15 minutes to warm through.

Garnish with Cheddar cheese, bacon bits, dollop of sour cream, and green onion to serve!

Enjoy and here is the link to many more fantastic, time-saving family recipe: Get Crocked

So do you have any great links for family meals? Please share...

5 Practical Ways to Love Your Wife

Much is being preached, taught, and written right now about the marriage relationship, and for good reason.  As someone who is weekly in close proximity to many couples, parents, and families, it's more than alarmist propaganda to say that relationships are in trouble across the board.

So instead of listing all the contributing factors that are leading to the demise of personal human relationships, I would rather offer a handful of helpful hints at how a man can lead the charge in his own home toward a more robust and loving relationship with his wife (women, you can lead, too...but my experience has been that the man sets the emotional tone of the relationship by how well or how poorly he takes initiative).  Here are some simple places to start.

5 Practical Ways to Love Your Wife

1.  Pay Attention - Common sense, boys.  Your wife is giving you a steady stream of information, 24 hours a day, about who she is and what she needs and how she feels.  Turn off your phone, watch SportsCenter later, and watch her.  Listen to her.  Observe her day, the things that cause her stress and the things that bring her joy and the things that frustrate her.  Then use your problem solving skills to step in to her routine and offer what she needs (help with getting the kids ready, a date night to a local Italian place, or a gift certificate to her favorite store).

2.  Help Out Around The House - There is much to be done in the home.  The most common practical thing wives say they would appreciate from their man is a helping hand around the house.  Wash the dishes.  Fold the laundry.  Hang up your clothes.  Teach your kids how to sweep and mop and vacuum and then make them do it.  Ask her to make a list of little projects around the house that she wants completed and then get to work on them.  Ask her every day where she needs help.  Then help her.

3.  Verbally Affirm Her - Men are not known to be super-good at communicating how we feel, so this may be a bit difficult...but learn how to talk to her in positive ways with a loving tone.  Affirm her as a person, as your wife, as a mom, and as a Christian.  Tell her that you notice all of her hard work and that you appreciate her.  Go beyond simple compliments (don't stop giving them) and affirm her character.  Become more aware of who she is and all that she does.  Do those things with her.  Tell her that she is a great woman, over and over again.  Encourage her.

4.  Ask Questions and Be Quiet - Kerry will tell me that she will have 12 different trains of thought running through her mind at any moment, so when I ask her how she is feeling, it gives her a chance to externalize all that is going on internally.  Who better for your wife to share these things with than you, her husband?  Pry into her business.  Get nosey.  Lean forward and stare at her face when she talks.  And let her talk.  Resist the urge to comment, offer advice, or fix her.  She's not a project, she's a person!  Ask lots of questions then listen and learn.

5.  Get Her Away - You may think this is for her, but it's for both of you.  Nothing refreshes her soul or energizes her love for you like getting away for a few hours, overnight, or a few days with her husband.  The pressure subsides.  The to-do list disappears.  The "re-set" button is pushed.  So whether it's dinner, a movie and a long walk in the woods or an overnite excursion to the Holiday Inn in the next town, spend the money on a babysitter and plan a getaway with your wife.  Make these a habit and you will both begin to look forward to them like a kid anticipates Christmas.

But most of all men, be Men of God. Seek Him first and allow Him to wrought your heart and create in you the love that only comes from Him to flow to your wife. No more standing on the sidelines, it's time that you engage.

"So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:33

Family Moments January 2012

Here is the link for the Family Moments for January 2012.
Family Moments January 2012

Remember:

The first Sunday of each month, families have the option of downloading a Family Moments packet to print off at home. These Family Moments Packets will have a central theme for that month and will contain 4 Family Night Moments. The family can do these once a week or all in one week if they choose.  

Each Family Night Moment will have three main facets:  First, there will be a fun, family friendly dinner recipe.  This will be an easy recipe for all to participate in making.  Next, there will be a Bible study which will include activities and applications for all to do during the week. Third, there will be key verses for the family to memorize.

Enjoy and make some great Moments with your family this month!

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  Deut 6:5-7 

Family Moments

A Moment: Webster defines it as a “point of time.”  I prefer to unpack it a bit more. The Latin origin of moment comes from movimentum, where we get our word momentum, and it literally means “to turn the scales.”  Simply put, a moment can makes a difference in our lives.  Now why the English lesson? Let me explain…

Beginning in January of 2013, I will be giving parents a new “tool” for their families’ spiritual tool box: Family Moments.

The first Sunday of each month, families have the option of downloading a Family Moments packet to print off at home. These Family Moments Packets will have a central theme for that month and will contain 4 Family Night Moments. The family can do these once a week or all in one week if they choose. 

 

Each Family Night Moment will have three main facets:  First, there will be a fun, family friendly dinner recipe.  This will be an easy recipe for all to participate in making.  Next, there will be a Bible study which will include activities and applications for all to do during the week. Third, there will be key verses for the family to memorize.  

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  Deut 6:5-7  NASB

If we are to take ownership of raising our children to Love the Lord all their days, then let’s continue to make a difference in their lives; it begins with a moment.

A Growing Bond-Servant to the King,

Joe

Weight-loss tips to help Joe out...and maybe you.

I have decided, once again, that I need to concentrate and get in better health. The needs to start with losing some unnecessary weight. You all know how much I enjoy to eat...so I am in for a fun ride.
So I took the time to look up and research some tips to help me. I thought I would share those also with you. As parents, we really should do our best to set an example for our children and stay healthy for many years to come!


Here are 25 tips for losing weight from registered dietitians Dawn Jackson Blatner, Elizabeth Ward, Bonnie Taub-Dix and Keith Ayoob:


1. Set a realistic weight-loss goals. One-half a pound to 2 pounds a week is about right.

2. Keep track of what you consume. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows.

3. Motivate yourself. Get a pair of jeans or pants that are too tight and hang them in the kitchen instead of the closet to keep yourself inspired.

4. Enlist the help of family and friends. Dieters who have support from a partner at home lose more weight than those who don't, studies show.

5. Move it to lose it. Research shows that people who do physical activities such as walking or biking for two to four hours a week during weight-loss efforts lose an extra 3 to 5 pounds over a year.

6. Pay attention to portions. A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp; a cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn, a baseball; 4-inch pancake or waffle, the diameter of a CD.

7. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of the foods that sabotage your weight loss.

8. Create "a dinner deck." This would include 10 favorite quick and healthful dinners written on index cards. Each card should list the ingredients for the recipe on one side and directions for making it on the other.

9. Avoid hunger. Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.

10. Keep produce on hand. Place a bowl of vegetables such as broccoli, snap peas, cucumbers or carrot sticks in the refrigerator. You can eat them as a snack or when preparing meals to take the edge off your hunger.

11. Stock up on "impulse fruits." Keep things like grapes, clementines, small apples, small bananas and pears around the house. These foods are easy to eat without having to do much cutting and slicing.

12. Make some stealth changes. This will get everyone in the family eating healthier. Buy low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of the full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut the fat and calories.

13. Cut out liquid calories. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose fat-free and 1% low-fat milk.

14. Practice the "Rule of One." When it comes to high-calorie foods, you won't go wrong if you allow one small treat a day. That might be one cookie or a fun-size candy bar.

15. Pace, don't race. Force yourself to eat more slowly, and savor each bite.

16. Hydrate before meals. Drinking 16 ounces, or two glasses, of water before meals may help you eat less.

17. Downsize plates, bowls, glasses, silverware. Using smaller versions of your serving ware will help you eat less food.

18. "After 8 is too late." Adopt the motto for snacks after dinner.

19. Buy a pedometer and get moving. Health experts recommend taking at least 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride length.

20. Treat yourself occasionally. If your chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat, go out for it, or buy small prepackaged portions of ice cream bars. If you love chocolate, consider keeping bite-size pieces in the freezer.

21. Dine at a table. Eat from a plate while seated at a table. Don't eat while driving, lounging on the couch or standing at the fridge. At restaurants, ask for a doggy bag at the beginning of the meal, and pack up half to take home. Take one roll and ask your server to remove the bread basket from the table.

22. Eat out without pigging out. Figure out what you are going to eat in advance of going to the restaurant. Order the salad dressing on the side. Restaurants usually put about one-quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of dressing on a salad, which is often too many calories. Best to stick with 1 to 2 tablespoons. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.

23. Get plenty of sleep. Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. Lack of sleep also plays havoc with your fat cells, recent research showed. This can lead to overeating and weight gain.

24. Weigh yourself regularly. That's what successful dieters and those who manage to maintain weight loss do. Some step on the scales once a week. Others do so daily. Some find once a month is enough.

25. Reward yourself. When you meet your incremental weight loss goals, say losing 5 pounds, treat yourself to something — but not food. Buy a CD or DVD you've been wanting or go out to a movie with a friend.