Dear Morgan; National M&M Day

Dear Morgan;

When I was seventeen years old I was in Germany. At breakfast in our lodge everyone would greet each other with, "Guten morgen!" (Aka: Good morning.) I immediately knew I wanted to name my someday-daughter, Morgen. Several years later I saw a movie about a tough-cookie, girl pirate who took the helm when her captain-dad died. She continued his journey to attain his rightful treasure. It turns out lots of people were also pursuing the treasure and she had her work cut out for her. BUT SHE DID IT! The character's name was Morgen. I was even further certain that I wanted to name my girl, "Morgen."

From before you were conceived I wanted to raise a daughter who was beautiful, knew how to behave as a lady, but could navigate stormy seas and attain the treasures-of-goals she sought, even if it cost her beauty and ladylike behavior. And I felt that this was absolutely a base assumption to have for my child; not only have I personally always felt capable of pursuing and doing anything in my heart, but the rest of your family-tree also showed this capacity.

I named you after my mother, Naomi. Naomi is an AMAZING human. I would need more than a blog to tell of the very cool things she has been involved in and accomplished. (Pretty sure I'll be writing that book.) And your father's mom, Lola, has done equally amazing things. (Another book.)

You, little missy, came from the womb and completely bypassed almost every trait and characteristic of myself and your father. Those two indomitable women, your grandmothers, wove such a tight web of DNA, you were caught in it with no choice but to live forever in their spell.

I named you, Naomi Morgan. That name I had decided upon at seventeen years of age was still in my spirit, and it was the name you'd wear for life. I had no clue how prophetic your naming was. I wasn't TRYING to name you via a spirit of prophecy. But it happened.

The name, Naomi, means, "pleasant," or "sweet." It's my mom's name. It's one of my favorite Bible hero's names. It was a good choice. 

For your middle name, of course, Morgan. 

But, if you'll remember, this came from the German word for "morning." 

Morgen.

I spelled it, M-O-R-G-A-N.

This changed EVERYTHING! Your name went from meaning "Pleasant Morning," to meaning, "Pleasant Seashore."

As you know, we don't have much money to banter about at will. It is highly unlikely that we will ever own a piece of real estate on any seashore. Seaside real estate is among the most expensive property on the planet. It's highly coveted land. It offers the best views. It has the most relaxing and peaceful ambiance. People will spend large amounts of cash for even one night of restful restoration at the seashore. 

But, if there's a storm a'brewing...

VACATE!

VACATE!

VACATE! 

When you were two, and three years old, this was disconcerting. It was a daunting day for this new mommy, when you were four years old, and I picked you up from your first day of school with an IMMEDIATE parent/teacher emergency meeting. The problem was that you had learned to write your name a long time before, in all caps. This new person you hadn't learned yet to trust had the audacity to try to teach you lower-case letters. After throwing a pencil and some crayons, you clenched your teeth, gripped both hands onto your tiny chair and declared loudly, "I WILL NOT WRITE THAT!"

That was disconcerting. 

But a friend gave me a book, To Train Up A Child, by Mike & Debbie Pearl. That book showed me how to batten down the hatches. 

Had I not gotten that book...

Had I not trusted the biblical methods of training in that book...

Had I been a wimp...

You would never have learned to control and channel your storms.

But you were taught how to maintain control and beauty during the storms.

Your person provides beautiful enjoyment for me, like a lovely seaside. I ask your thoughts on a topic, and you restore sanity by pointing me in a right direction. You blow sadness away as I watch you create a drama presentation. You guide me through storms with your piano playing. I've watched you unravel someone's confusion, like a ship's mast being unfurled, with your gift to teach. You release them to sail further than they could before. You are truly such a beautiful, solid place for me to rest in the beautiful seashore of your person. When there are storms you know the drill to secure all that is of value.

And you have your own ship now. You enjoy leaving the shore and pursuing treasures your Heavenly Father has left in your heart and spirit. You're quite adept in sailing your own vessel. Some days you co-captain with me. Some days you take MY helm and navigate for me. 

I'm so thankful for your faith in God, your strength of will, and the reality of your name; Naomi Morgan. 

Best typo ever. 

Love, 

Mom

Feel the Love

When I divorced it affected a lot of people. It shocked and saddened more people than even I personally know. The ripples of who my decision hurt lapped to shores I didn't know existed. It most deeply hurt my children, then my parents and siblings, then my congregation, then my church community across my state, then friends and acquaintances across my country, and even into places across the ocean. It was a terrible realization to bear. 

In hindsight I'm able to see that much of my community wanted to spend time with me. They wanted to share my pain via conversations. They wanted to voice their own pain. And I wish I had been able to accommodate that need. I truly could not. 

Partly because I was too incapacitated in grief to properly function. But mostly because I recognized that I could not heal and recover by recounting my failure again and again, to friend after friend, with person after person. I found healing in attempting to forget those things which were behind, and by PRESSING toward whatever was before. 

I'd been a Bible study teacher for many years through my church, Souls Harbor, and through the years after the divorce, discussing God's healing Word was the only social interaction I enjoyed. I have learned to reintroduce other social engagements into my life, but still, I enjoy most a Bible study. 

Therefore, the people I'm with most often are people who want to incorporate the Bible into their lives in a social way outside of a church service. I teach Bible studies in homes where two or three single women come, I teach in homes where young families with babies, toddlers, and kids are romping and stomping in the background, I teach in a boutique where the owner is Christian and wants customers to be able to access God even in "just a store."

I feel like a new woman these days. I feel strong and healthy. It's not to say that the wounds I inflicted don't ache when seasons change. Much like an old man feeling the aches from a high school football injury. It happened. Holidays, weddings, various church events are like a cold winter that make the scar's presence known. But there's a setting that produces NOTHING but joy, strength, delight, and hope; Bible study.

I love it so much, and from the bottom of my heart I thank every friend who has helped me heal through the medicine of shared-scripture.

Your Kids' Interpretation Of Your Past

Abraham tried to pass off his wife, Sarah, as strictly his sister; twice. While it was true that she was his half-sister, he was purposefully being deceptive.

Isaac ended up doing the same thing.

Only it got worse.

Why would Isaac do this? It did not reap any benefits for his parents. In fact, it would seem to be a humiliating situation to be caught doing such a thing. Isaac definitely experienced for himself the shame of this decision. A PUBLIC PROCLAMATION of his lie was made!

It's possible that in relaying the story "of this crazy thing we did one time" to their son, they did not manage to present it in a negative light. 

I've seen parents inadvertently talk about their life before Christ in a way that makes it seem so fun, and glittery, and romantic to their kids.

I think it is very important to talk about our past with our children. They should know our mistakes. But I think we should be cautious and aware that we are not romanticizing the past in how we relay this information. 

As with Abraham to Isaac, the situation gets worse from generation to generation. Abraham was founding his lie on a partial truth; Sarah WAS his half-sister. For Isaac to repeat this behavior he had to straight-up LIE. In Abraham's case, God stepped in and intervened by telling the king to not touch Sarah. In Isaac's case, God didn't touch that mess. If the king hadn't seen them fondling each other in what they thought was a hidden place, there's no telling what disaster would have insued. And as mentioned before, when the king denounced Isaac, he did it loudly and to his entire nation. I'm not sure what your opinion is when a news outlet reveals a politician has been blatantly lying to the public about a matter, but I'm certain that's how the population felt about Isaac.

I have mad props for Abraham's endurance and faith. But I wish, for Isaac's reputation sake, that he'd have said, "Don't ever do that. Be honest and forthright and trust God to protect you, son."

Let us not giggle when we tell our kids about our foolishness while drunk or on drugs. Let us not high-five each other in conveying stories of narrow escapes. Let us soberly tell our children the damage we caused in our ignorant state. And let us wrap up those stories by telling them how thankful we are to not be living in that destructive place of darkness. Let's make sure they KNOW that because of the price Christ paid on Calvary to redeem us from our stupidity, that every generation henceforth will live in joyful humility and service to Jesus.

Ode To Morgan

Morgan packed her bags for college today. I have no complaints. I will be living with her. But because we've been so focused on the good we expect from the next four years, we weren't realizing what "else" it meant for us. 

it dawned on EACH of us as we were literally walking out the front door to drive her to college that her lifelong "home" will never be the same. Life will move on while she's away; decor, schedules, diet, traditions, routines. NOTHING will be identical when she comes home. We boo-hoo'd separately and sniffled a little together. I'm having a bit of a harder time pulling myself together than she is though.

Here's my very pitiful public therapy in the form of poetry:

From the moment I found you in my womb

I planned for you to be gone.

My arms held your body

But my lungs held my breath

Just newborn

But I knew you'd be gone

I stiffened my lip as we parted a kiss

Kindergarten

I KNEW you'd be gone

But you came home well-rested

From the nap you had taken

We had dinner, and snuggled at home

Off to camps with kids

See?!

Independent and gone

I've known it all along

But I picked you up tired

And hoarse after choir

And drove you back to our home reinspired

Graduation came and down the aisle you went

But this time I knew the drill

They would change your tassel

But it was no big hassle

Because you ALWAYS came home to my thrill

Then it happened so suddenly

It took me by surprise

I'd been planning for this day

But I didn't realize

It was really IT

THAT time had come

When you packed your bag

And it wasn't psyche or fun

Today was the day

I had planned for so long

But not well enough

And it stopped my song

The breath that I held

When you were born

To not get too attached

To give you freedom to soar

The breath poured from my eyes

In the form of rain

And the life I've been in

Transformed into pain

My baby is gone!

It's every mom's fear

But to snatch you from this would be love insincere

It's what you were made for 

It's why we worked hard 

To make you ready

To take the world by storm

Know this, Grown Girl

Every tear I cry

Is a unique memory

That we made in our lives

Every book we read

Every palette for a bed

Every swing set we flew

Every cake candle we blew

These thoughts give me peace

They build my hopes 

They remind life is precious

And we had it better than most

I will cherish every moment

Of togetherness we've spent

My baby is gone

But you come home a friend

Mind Your Spotlight

I have grown up in the most beautiful environment on earth; The Church.

In this place liars, thieves, addicts, bodily ailments, personality disorders, successes, failures, races of the entire globe; we are ALL the same in that each of us stands free and able to lift the praises of our King of kings. The only thing that matters in a church service is what's happening in the present. If in the present moment we are all lifting God's name on high, all celebrating the power of His mercy, all acknowledging His grace, then literally NOTHING else about the person beside us matters. 

Nothing else matters. 

Can you comprehend how POWERFUL that is? That a prostitute can lift their hands to bless God beside a virgin, their prostitution not being an issue, is HUGE! That a thief can stand beside the hardworking laborer without their thievery being recognized is REMARKABLE! On & on these black and white comparisons can go. Only its not actually "black and white" in His presence. In His presence, it's JUST HIM! And there are NO COMPARISONS! Who we are, or have been can receive no recognition. Neither our goodness, nor our badness gets a spotlight. 

The moment we turn the spotlight to display our own righteousness, only the reality of our personal filthy rags will be seen by all. And such awareness pollutes the atmosphere. The moment we turn the spotlight to display the filthiness of someone else in the building; the system sparks, and glitches, and on display is... OUR OWN DISGUSTING FILTHY RAGS.

One's efforts to point out someone else's shame will ALWAYS backfire to spotlight their own. Lowering our gaze to confront or fight battles across the aisle defiles the sanctity of the environment. He can't breathe in such an unmerciful, vengeful place. He will either remove His presence, or remove the offender. Because the only thing "better" about a virgin than a prostitute is her personal memories not being filled with shame. And the only thing "better" about the laborer than the thief is his self-awareness not being degraded. My pastor always reminds us, "We're not better. We're just better-off."

The consequence of sin is heavy; our memory never turns off. Even after the blood covers, the memory is still intact. And memories are painful enough. But in the church, no one human is more worthy of God's protection, defense, and love than another. Memories aren't on display. Only HE can be on display. We are all equally forgiven in repentance. 

Must we repent? Of course. But God and the voice of a pastor will call to repentance. The rest of us must focus on delighting in the goodness, mercy, and majesty of God. Keep the spotlight of our eyes lifted to Him.

Never mess with the spotlight system in the church. The direction of our spotlights is what keeps us safe and protected. They are perfectly turned to illuminate His glory, His mercy, His grace. The love He has for us beams back flawless enlightenment for life.

And we DANCE in His glory!

Rise And Shine!

This Instagram post was a powerful and life-saving pic to wake up to today. My weekend had not gone well. Then to top off that sundae of misery, a trip with my children that I was very much looking forward to had to be canceled. It was the straw that broke the camels back. Me. I'm the camel. First, I sat in my car and boo-hoo'd for a half hour. Next, I took my broken-back to my room, turned off my phone and boo-hoo'd some more. 

It was ridiculous. But it wasn't the first time I've been that far gone. Last night I cried as I thought of the misery of mankind. I watched documentaries about civilizations utterly destroyed, and these justified my tears. I thought of friends who've gone on to Heaven and I vocally envied them, telling God that it was unfair to leave me here so miserable. I wrapped myself in a blanket of sorrow and worry. I woke up this morning still cocooned in the realities of my plight. There is no chance of change. Life really is as daunting as it feels. I'm TIRED of working to believe in the impossible. 

Its possible you've been shrouded in these types of realities as well. They're not imagined experiences and difficulties. They're FACT. If you've endured multiple traumas and tragedies then it's likely you've, like me, experienced the straight out COMFORT found in succumbing to the realities of sorrow and worry. It's called "habit." When a person goes through a difficulty they respond with tears, or anger. They experience a "negative" emotion. And it's not inappropriate to do so. In fact, I believe it's healthy to do so. But the danger is in your brain experiencing this reaction enough times that it decides, "This behavior is the new normal." And as shocking as it is to learn, that negative emotion literally begins to feel COMFORTING. There is solice found in those tears, or worry, or sorrow, or anger.

When you realize that you'd rather be alone, crying in a dark room than doing almost ANYTHING ELSE, then please realize you've developed a nasty habit. If it's any help to you to know; THAT WAS ME. And as I've described my behaviors of last night, sometimes it still is me. It's not ok to remain in this state. 

It's not ok for your personal health. But as I'm aware depression causes you to have absolutely NO CARE for your personal health, I'll go ahead and point out that it's not good for your family either. From your very offspring, to your nieces and nephews. Unfortunately, when one's lack of family is part of the sorrow-trigger, you must realize that "family" is yet a sufficient reason to rise and shine. I don't care how distant in location or relation the family is from you. The very fact that a relative in the future will find you in the research of your family tree is enough to say, "I need to behave better than this for the sake of my family."

The GREATEST reason it's not ok for you to remain in a depressive state is the fact that God has plans for you. We are so enamored with the idea that if God is using someone for His glory, that person will not experience negative emotions. We imagine that someone being used of God has nothing going wrong in their life. They have God's attention and favor, therefore life is a bowl-of-cherries and a bed-of-roses.

It won't take anything but surface research to discover that EVERY "hero of the faith" in scripture experienced choking on some cherry pits. They felt the prick and sting of the rose-thorns in said proverbial luxuries. Being used of God to be a help and benefit in our community does not make one free of problems. But it does make that person more easily available to some benefits not found at home in a dark room.

Our experiences may have created habits that snowball worry, sadness, anger, and depression. These feelings may teel like a comfort zone. And where this Instagram post shows Charlie Brown under such a comforter, I also have in my head the image of dear Linus going the extra mile in portable comfort and carrying his blankey around with him. 

S-t-o-p

[new word]

i-t.

We imagine that "hope" feels fabulous. (We are obsessed with feeling good.) But the scripture lets us know that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Hope can hurt. It can be as uncomfortable as someone ripping the warm, cozy comforter from your sleepy body, exposing you to a crisply-cooled, air conditioned room. Faith can have the same feeling as the light switch being turned on first thing in the morning. We would prefer to stay in the dark, snuggled in our comforter of depression. 

NOTHING triggers anger in me quicker than a rude awakening. I need to wake up in the dark, wrap more clothes around me so the temperature change outside the covers isn't too abrasive. And I need SILENCE. I then need to have a cup of coffee in this slowly-but-surely environment, and THEN, after an unspecified period of time, I'll be happy about being awake. 

Hope and Faith are a necessity. We must accept the reality that hope and faith are not soft, fluffy Care Bears. They can be downright uncomfortable. But THEY ARE LIFE! 

The good news is that faith and hope are also habit-forming. I can pull myself out of a stupor much quicker and easier than I used to be able to. And while I can't deny the realities of facts I really don't want to be a part of my life, I can testify that MUCH good is also a part of my life. I've had some brand new, amazing things come into my life because I kicked off the comfort of worry. I start my physical self with coffee, but I start my inner-self with Jesus. 

Nibbling the Bread of Life (Bible) for breakfast, and sipping from the Cup of the Holy Ghost, I am able to think about some pretty awesome things I want to see in my life. And when I think about goodness, I begin to hope. And hope helps me have the faith to believe in the impossible. 

And here's the habit I've not mentioned yet; LOVE.

In depressive states I cannot love others, and I cannot believe that anyone could love me. But when I begin to hope, and I begin to exhibit faith, I suddenly feel like singing, 

Love lifted me

Love lifted me

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

So, good morning! Whether you're reading this at 2pm, or at 11pm...

GOOD MORNING! 

Rise and shine! 

God has great things available to those who'll kick off the comfort of worry, sorrow, and doubt! 

And God is such a considerate one... For in the same way that I want to wrap myself in warmth even as I'm forced to leave the cozy of my bedspread, Jesus himself wraps us in the comfort of the Holy Ghost to ease us into waking from the nightmare of fear and doubt. And from the better, healthier comfort of God's love we can rise to walk in newness of life! 

Rise and shine! 

https://instagram.com/p/5ZixujB0lV/

Proverbs 13:12 (KJV) 12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life.

Acts 2:26 (KJV)

Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

Romans 4:18 (KJV)

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Romans 15:13 (KJV)

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (KJV)

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Peter 1:13 (KJV)

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.

Let's Talk About Spanking

When Morgan was a toddler, and Madison was a newborn, I was making my way on foot to my parents house. I needed to cross two acres of pasture using a footpath. It had recently rained and the storm had caused limbs, and bunches of Florida's Spanish Moss to lay scattered across the path. Obstacles not normally there and easy to trip on. It was the end of dusk and was nearly dark. Holding my baby in one arm, and helping my toddler over the branches and debris with my other hand, all while carefully making sure I, myself, didn't stumble and fall. It was a precarious situation.

I remember thinking, "Wow. This experience is exactly like parenting. None of us really KNOW what we're doing. We're all just carefully doing our best to get our children down the path of life with as little harm as possible." 

Immediately God's Spirit responded to my thoughts of woe and said, "Not if you're studying scripture. My Word is a lamp to your feet, and a light to your path."

I wasn't particularly feeling spiritual, so it shocked me that God's grace would extend to me without even searching for it. That moment of correction and insight made an impact, and I've tried to be diligent in using His illuminating tool. Thankfully, in those times I attempted worldly shortcuts, I had parents who would remind me to turn the light back on, and caution me to stay on the path. It's easy to adjust one's eyes to maneuvering in darkness. And yet, it's dangerous & costly. I truly am grateful for correction.

My babies are now both taller than me, each are carrying their own "lamps" and together we are quite able to pursue God's callings on each of us as individuals. They've not been perfect. I've not been perfect. We've experienced temptations and sins, forgiveness and mercy, battles and victories. And all along, that beautiful light of truth has faithfully illuminated our path. 

We think that there's no parenting manual. When a baby is born we jokingly say, "They don't come with a manual!" But they DO! In fact, the manual is available before the baby is born. And even more importantly, The Creator of "the product" went to great lengths to make sure we'd know how to properly raise & train His heritage to bring out their greatest potential and value. We've simply deemed it archaic, or not relevant. But my experiences with the Bible, first as a child whose parents used its parenting methods, then being a parent and using its instruction, has proved it to be the best manual in the world.

What we don't have in the Bible are passages telling us, "You'll feel weird, awkward, possibly even 'bad' for spanking your child." What I've seen happen is that parents of toddlers experience this, and decide it's too uncomfortable. So they do one of two things; 1. They revert to modern philosophies of child rearing. 2. They turn a blind eye. 

The problem with reverting to modern philosophies is that 99% of those high-minded philosophers are atheists whose opinions are not truth-based. They are philosophies born of children who's parents didn't pattern their lives after the Word of God. Therefore these authors and television personalities typically come from homes which had addiction abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and other wounding behaviors. The pain and darkness endured in these families have been horrific. They transfer their experiences into their philosophies and opinions about parenting. Why would we then follow the advice of those who were neither raised by the methods of The Creator, nor have they raised their children by God's methods? It's foolish to do so. It's crippling to do so. 

The other alternative to not following the parenting instruction of the Bible is to turn a blind eye to our children's misbehavior. Rather than feel the awkwardness of a spanking, we'd rather let them be rude, impolite, make a mess, and many other far more disruptive behaviors. But the problem with this is that not only is the poor baby (or child) not learning, but the parent who refuses God's training methods is building an immunity to their child's disobedience. The parent builds a tolerance to behaviors that those outside the home are APPALLED at. The parent can't even see the bad behavior clearly because they've become calloused to it. Then, one day, without realization or warning, the child finally crosses whatever emotional line the parent has. The parent EXPLODES in a fury that causes damage far beyond the shortly-lived stings of a proper spanking. Most parents order their lives by this method. They'll use the philosophors methods partially. But the endless explanations are LOST on a child. They merely give the child more time to ponder deception while the parent rambles on and on in a lullaby-voice that puts the child in a stupor. Science has proven that a child's brain DOES NOT function as an adult's brain. Attempting to use the team-player skills you've learned on the job, or the communication ideas you've gotten from a leadership book IS NOT WHAT YOUR CHILD NEEDS. (For those of you who do not know, I have brilliant children. But long explanations never amounted to an ounce of good.) The parent's line of tolerance can change from day to day, hormone to hormone. It's unfair and cruel to a child at how unpredictable this "line" can be. The scripture prescribes that we use spanking. Accept it. 

A proper spanking is NOT across the face. It is NOT connecting to whatever part of the body the hand happens to strike out at. It is NOT with the backside of a hand, nor with a closed fist. A proper spanking is in fact across the non-organ-holding, fatty tissue of the buttocks or upper thighs. It's an emotional experience, but it IS NOT a violent experience. It's a stinging experience, but it is NOT a violent experience. Your job isn't to require tears. Your job isn't to incite screaming. If your child stands stone-cold while you sting his skin with a few strokes. So be it. Don't let this determine, "Spnskings don't work." God didn't call you to demand tears. He called you to teach your child the consequences of the disobedient are not pleasant for ANYBODY. Not pleasant for the parent. Not pleasant for the other siblings. Not pleasant for the child. 

A proper spanking must be a consistent experience. By that, I mean a parent must break the habit of turning a blind eye. EVERY time. Every time. And again I say and add, EACH AND EVERY TIME the child does something that is disobedient, and not productive to their character. Then that child must experience the sting of consequence. You may see your child touch a glass figurine at your home and you tell them to not touch it. But then they, in fact, do touch it again. Your job as the parent is not to excuse their disobedience. Of course they'll have an excuse. Perhaps they didn't hear you say it. Or perhaps they didn't realize you meant don't touch it again, ever. Your child can come up with the most pitiful voice to explain why they disobeyed. It'll break your heart. And your own brain can come up with even MORE excuses for them. But the bottom line is that you said, "Don't touch it." No more explanation is needed. If your child touches it, and there is no following spanking, you have damaged your child in a most extreme manner. 

By not delivering the consequence you have taught them to repeat the behavior. You have stripped them of the safety and protection of discipline. Why would parents be so cruel to their children? Why would parents force their children to grow up not knowing where the line is? Why would parents be so uncaring as to not recognize that those outside the home do not have the same tolerance as the calloused parent for misbehavior? People who think spankings are cruel have never felt the safety and protection of KNOWING the rewards of obedience and the consequence of disobedience. 

If you want an exact copy of a house you've seen, you're going to have to follow the exact plans to get the same house. Don't assume or hope your toddlers and children will be patterned after godliness simply because you're bringing your kids to church. Specific parenting behaviors laid out in scripture will bring about the outcome of a delightful teen. FOLLOW THOSE PLANS TO THE LETTER!

To the mothers in my church, I am wide-open for you to come to me in-person and ask how I'd handle something your baby, toddler, or child is doing. Whether you follow the advice is your business. (We'll ALL know what advice you followed when your child is about 11 years old.) I don't want to answer questions about anything after the age of 13, because that's the stage of path I'm currently being led by God's Word in. I'll answer those questions after I get mine past this piece. But my outcome and experiences, my mistakes and trials have made me feel extremely confident in answering questions for parents of those children under the age of 13. I will gladly show you how the Scripture can be applied and relevant to our current culture of parenting. 

I’m grateful for the parenting manual in scripture. Chuck modern philosophies. Stick with the organic methods of The Creator. I'm so glad I did! 

Side note: Normally I write a blog piece and immediately publish it, grammar-warts, and all. But, I'm a hardcore people-pleaser, and THIS one had me shook. I've re-read it a half a dozen times, I've asked other moms for opinions. I know it's going to make some people mad, other people embarrassed... But I also believe it's correct. I've been to Gethsemene, and I'm prepared for the crucifixion. 

So, off it goes to cyberspace.........