“Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth? Job 38:31-33 I was fascinated by viewing a short clip about a massive Christmas Light display at a home in Pittsburgh, PA. These folks put in an enormous amount of work to make this display happen. Here are just a few of the statistics about this light display: *There are over 200,000 lights connected to over 5 1/2 miles of extension cord. *It took over 3 months to put up the lights, but we work on the display year round. […]
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…if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" Daniel 3:15b If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:17&18 How has the crisis in the financial markets affected your mood? This current situation […]
The political conventions are finished. Now begins the 60 day sprint towards election day. These next few weeks will have a significant impact on your family. Your ability to trust in God will be on display before your children and others who are close to you. I will have several posts on this topic. To get things started here is a previous post on this topic. Take some time to consider the legacy you leave to your children. 2008 is a leap year. The Summer Olympic Games will be held. Who knows what memorable events from 2008 will go down in history? In America there will be a presidential election. That election also marks the end of a president’s term […]
This weekend the Beijing Olympics reach the half-way mark. I continue to be amazed at the skill, determination and stamina of those winning Gold. Whether the sport is Fencing, Swimming, Gymnastics or one of the many others, the Olympic champions are just that – Olympic in stature. As we admire these superb athletes there is even the place for the accurate use of an over-used word – unique. There is only one Michael Phelps. Have we found the modern definition of greatness in this young man? Perhaps, from the perspective of swimming. But the things that make Michael Phelps special are things that the rest of us can only admire from a distance. Here is another name for your consideration […]
Even though summer is officially less than a month old, July 15th is really the halfway point of the season. In less than six weeks the school year will be upon us. A lot is coming up in the next few months – the Olympics in China, the presidential campaign, and, of course, the new school year. I want to say thank you again for your participation in the Shepherd Press Blog. Your comments, typified by ones like Michelle and Kristy, are an encouragement. If you have an area of interest that you would like to see addressed in the blog, let me know, as I am now planning the posts for the fall. Thank you again. May God richly […]
The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. Proverbs 16:21 In Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp identifies three age ranges in children. The first is from infancy to childhood (ages 0 to 5), next is childhood (from ages 5 to 12), and then the teenage years. There are, of course, significant differences within these ranges. A 9-month-old is different than a 5-year–old, and a 13-year-old is different than a 19-year-old. Yet these categories of ages are helpful. Each range marks a transition both in the development of the child and in the responsibility of the parents.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 Lisa posted this comment last week. Her concern is an important one. I am confident that many can identify with this comment. How does one balance caring deeply about God’s reputation through trying to raise godly children who glorify Him and still loving those who profess Christ yet bring shame to Him with the worldly, disrespectful, defiant heart issues they allow in their children? We feel called to homeschool our two daughters and shelter them from worldly and evil influences. Yet even among Christian homeschoolers, I am alone in my worldview. I do not say this with pride: I am truly discouraged and lonely in […]
Recently Berta, Lisa and Heather, as well as others, have made comments that to help sharpen the focus of the blog. Your comments, questions and insights provide direction to the issues we cover. This blog is an interactive forum to discuss the biblical dynamics of raising children for the glory of God. Please continue to offer your thoughts. The next two posts are directly related to comments from Lisa and Heather. I look forward to hearing from you.
Michelle Brock gave a wonderful illustration regarding yesterdays post. I wanted to highlight this for you. Thanks for responding Michelle. One of the treasures I own is a platter my mom brought back from Thailand just after the Tsunami several years back. She found it on the beach in perfect condition, yards away from where many people lost their lives in a resort. The missionaries in this area found many people willing to hear about God, because of this tragedy. Your post reminded me of one of the stories that the missionaries told of the Christians in a particular village who had been persecuted. They requested permission to celebrate Christmas in the village, and were told no. They were required […]
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17 Parents, you should not expect or trust the news media to tell your children the truth about God and his power. The press of the 21st century will not knowingly do that. “So,” you might reply, “what’s the […]