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Tag Archives: parents

Apples Do Not Fall Far

21 Thursday Oct 2021

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

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accountability, college, foundation, parents, Tags: apples

Your children only do what they are allowed to do. They become what they are allowed to become. The children reflect the parents. As parents, what are you teaching them? We live in a society that has a philosophy of victimization. “It’s not my fault! They did what they wanted to do.”

We teach children to become what they become when we employ a discipline (or lack of) method to shape them as they grown up. In my growing-up years, the law was laid down by dad, and “Brother, you’d better not break that law!” There was accountability. The role my mother played was crucial. She was firm and tender. As a boy going into a young man, her tenderness took more of a shaping route to help me understand things I only thought I understood.

When I was young, I went to college to play football. I did not go to school to learn, except in so far as I needed to play my favorite sport. While in college my interests varied (like a lot of young people), and some of that interest was in the opposite sex. If there was a way for me to spread my wings, I would have traveled that path to do so.

Compared with some of my peers, I was rather tame. Still, I had my head in these worldly activities that were of great interest to me. As it turned out, the worst of my activities was that I dated two girls at one time, one of them a daughter of a preacher. Of those two, I married the better one (she was merciful to me) and 41 years later (married 38) we have two daughters and four grandchildren.

As I was shaped in my earlier days, while on my own in college, it took root.

Here I am 61 years old reflecting on my course and the paths I see many others walk.

Apples do not fall far from the trees upon which they hang. I reflect my parents, and our daughters are a reflection of us. That is not to say that everything I do and did as an accountable adult directly reflects on my parents (deceased), but there is a reflection. Years ago, I heard a preacher say, “You carry three names: you own, you parents, and the Lord’s. Be sure you honor each.”

Regrets are part of life; but many of the regrets we have, how many of them need not to have occurred if only a better decision was made? Can you think of any? I can, and still do think of them every now and again. Why did we make them? There is really only one reason: because we wanted to make them. There are many now who are still paying for those decisions.

The apple does not fall far, let us not be rotten apples.

Family Foundations – A Child’s Response

20 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

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children, correction, disciple, parents, strength, wisdom

“Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction” (Proverbs 19:18, NKJV).

It is a shame to see parents not know how to raise kids, especially those who are convinced they do know how to raise children. The evidence in is the pudding, as they say.

Some parents want to be “best friends” more than they want to develop the young person into a productive mature adult. Evidently, they think that if he or she is a best friend, then the child or children will better respond to them, only to learn the child’s mind is being formed to think, then think with a moral standard, then think with a moral standard that has to be applied, and with all this to learn there are consequences with behavior that fails to live up to what is learned.

“The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray hairs” (20:29).

Strength and vigor are the blessings associated with young people; wisdom is not generally part of this these two qualities, though it is being learned. On the other hand, with older people, their strength and vigor wanes, but through the years their wisdom piles up because of the many experiences.

Parents are to be parents; that is, they are to teach and insist the child learns. Let the consequences have “teeth” if and/or when the child fails to live what is learned. On the other hand, do not let the consequences be such the child rebels to the point of rejecting the parents’ wisdom and love.

Yelling, berating, constant criticism are not virtuous qualities in raising children. Always counter-productive. “They never listen and are always in trouble!” This may be, but they got to this point, how? Parents play more of a role in this than they want to think they do. The evidence of this is in the response of the child / children to the parents.

COMPONENTS FOR LIFE

03 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

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Tags

children, love, parents, wisdom

My son, forget not my law; But let thy heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to the (Proverbs 3:1-2, ASV). A mother in all her years tries to give counsel to her children in such a way her counsel will not only be helpful in navigating the difficulties of life, but counsel that will help the children live a long and prosperous life. Parents like these can say they truly love their own children. This is not always the case, however. Some recent headline: “Police: Parents starve, bind, cage, 21-year-old disabled son” (7.11.2018), “’Faith healing’ parents plead guilty in newborn’s death” (7.10.2018), “Man convicted of attempted homicide in spiking of girlfriend’s drink with abortion pill” (8.2.2018). It is possible the second headline will generate more sympathy and/or understanding with these parents who were deceived by false religion; not likely one will say these parents did not love their child. This is hardly the case with the other two headlines. The problem with all three is their source of philosophy in life: man! With the Lord, however, the guide in life is His way. There is NO CHANCE a child, an adult or anyone will be hurt morally and or spiritually by the Lord’s way of thinking, for He gives guidance in life to instruct people away from moral failings, away from the pitfalls of life that others find themselves in. It is true, it must be admitted, some who have refused the Lord’s way will feel threatened by this way of thinking and seek to administered punishment to the others living in accordance with the Lord’s way. They did this to Jesus should be expected by those who love Him that will be done to those who love the Lord. Nevertheless, as one applies the Lord’s way, before him or her is understanding, moral protection, prosperity and long life. In place the Lord has set the components of life that is best for each.

Let the children come to me

27 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by Ron Thomas in Bulletin Article

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children, parents

In the mind of a child is written such things as love, confusion, certainty, stubbornness, curiosity, selfishness and dependence. All these things are in the mind of a child; unfortunately, in this respect, the mind of a child often follows, then resides in the mind of an adult today. Jesus said to those who prevented the children from coming to Him, “Let the children come to me…” The Lord knew the innocence, immaturity and love that children exhibit. He wants to maintain the innocence to the evil in the world because one chooses not to experience it, but stay on the narrow path; He wants to take the immature and turn that immaturity into a mature understanding of one’s spiritual health, well-being; He can do all this if the love from early on stays strong.

These ways of thinking wrapped in the mind of a child, Jesus can flesh out and correct, modify and eliminate. As parents, guardians and mature adults, we can help the children in these areas. Children are precious, and is it not a blessing in a local congregation when there are many children? I certainly think it is. As adults, allowing the Lord’s maturity being our own, we can make positive contributions to the maturation of children. RT

A Wise Son (A Word to the Wise)

15 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

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Tags

children, father, parents, son, wisdom

A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother

(Proverbs 15:20, NKJV). A child is precious to loving parents. Sometimes, however, the parents are not wise in the life they have chosen to live. This passes to the child. The apple does not fall far from the tree it is said. If the parents are wise, then it is only natural that the child (children) will gain the parent’s wisdom; what is in the heart/mind of a parent does indeed make its way out, and a child is but a sponge. It is a great blessing for the parents to see the children grow into productive citizens and, more than that, into godly saints. On the other hand, there are some parents who exhibit little wisdom and this lack of wisdom is also soaked up by the child. Wisdom is more than just being a productive citizen in society; wisdom is fear of the Lord. When the parents don’t exhibit such, neither will the child. Foolishness! RT

 

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