I don't have much confidence in any advice I can give about raising children. Most of my
suggestions would come from hindsight and observing what I did wrong. Maybe the title of this
piece should be "What I did wrong and how I would like to change it.”

First off, I observe that the age of new parents, although good because of the agility, strength and
courage of those years, is difficult emotionally because the confidence of identity is not yet
settled and the financial stresses that face the young family. So, the advice as to how to raise
children has a parent at a disadvantage. I picture it as having each foot and one hand on a piece
of wood floating on a choppy lake with the last hand holding on to a rope tied to a dock.
Everything is uncertain and making decisions about molding a young child is not the first
thought. A lot of those decisions are not actual decisions but are reactions made from a place of
survival.

My overall suggestion would be to treat a child as a person with feelings and understanding that
are continually changing and to let them emerge in their innocence without fear. I know that's
hard because we operate out of our own upbringing and parents' shortcomings and lack of
understanding.

Another suggestion that goes a long way in any relationship is a willingness and honesty about
being wrong and giving the child the opportunity to forgive. Not only is it good practice for the
child, it is good practice for the parent. The bonding that comes from asking for and giving
forgiveness is like two pieces of metal that are welded, it lasts. And, as a point of clarification,
I'm not talking about just saying, "I'm sorry." It's easy to be sorry for something without the
depth of emotion that is experienced saying, "I apologize. Would you forgive me?"

Lastly, I would say to discipline with love and not from a place of fear or anger. I'm not sure why
but children bring out a lot of anger in parents and, when it lashes out, it is with force. It is also
damaging. I have received it, given it, observed it and grieved it. Anger is more about the person
who is angry than the person it is spewed upon but that is seldom revealed to either party. Anger
is not instructive nor is it healing. Throughout the life of a relationship, anger is the most
remembered emotion. There are better ways to show concern, care or love for a child than anger.

What about love you ask. I see that love is taken for granted. Love is a "right" if you ask some
people. However, you don't often find the unconditional love that is what we people--and
children first of all--need. Love comes from a selfish need that fulfills the person giving it before
it can become unselfish and giving. That's just who we humans are. When we finally come to
understand God's pure love, we can give it to others although it's not quite as pure. And, like God
found when He gave His love, our human love is sometimes misunderstood and/or rejected.
However, when accepted, love is also an enduring emotion that lasts and helps a relationship
survive.

As I look back, I hope the anger is forgotten by the love that endures. I hope the love was
understood so that my children and grandchildren-to-come know they are cherished and cheered
on and will carry that on to others.
 

Kay is a retired Administravie Assitant in the business world and former paster’s wife and Women’s Ministry Leader. Now she puts her passion into writing children’s books, poetry and making posts on her blog, “Ramblings of an Old Woman”. Her self-published year-long weekly devotional, , is now available. As a survivor of three different cancers, Kay exemplifies the courage she found to live her life as God designed her to be: a child of the One True King. Presently, she and Dave, her husband of 50 years, live with their middle daughter and her family in Chesapeake, Virginia. Her other two daughters live in Seattle, Washington and Kansis City, Missouri.
 

The day started no different than any other weekday. The alarm clock radio announced the morning with its usual random position in a song. I lay listening until I noticed that distinct movement from Cindy, signaling she was now awake, too. I slipped one arm out from under the blanket to turn off the radio and rolled over to wrap Cindy in that arm for a good morning hug. That’s when things changed.

I gave a light squeeze and brushed kisses on her cheek. Being cuddly in the morning wasn’t the change. The change occurred in my heart. A joy and thanksgiving burst in me for the gift of another day with her. It grew to a point short of being giddy. Bear in mind, we’ve been married 47 years and I turned 70 a few days later. Routines have become ruts. Something popped me out of my deep habits that morning. After a couple of minutes of more feather kisses and relishing another day with her, we both rolled out of bed and started our day. 

The sense of having received a precious gift from Jesus stayed with me through our devotion time, breakfast, and dropping her at work. As she stepped out of the car, she said the usual, “I love you.” I winked and answered, “I’m so glad Jesus gave me another day with you.” 

Cindy laughed, “You always have to one-up me,” and closed the door.

The story could end there except I have remembered that morning during the Covid-19 isolation with her. Instead of becoming tired of each other’s company and irritable, we have enjoyed working and playing together and creating ways to be with family using technology. 

That morning also triggered something more in me. I experienced a renewed joy in knowing I’m in the Lord’s presence. I think the giddy joy stayed with me all that day because it reminded me of how I need to greet the Lord every morning—joyful and thankful for another day with Him. Such a revelation can seem cliché, but how often do we let our joy in His presence approach the level of being giddy? Does that sound too silly or immature for you? Not for me. It’s how I understand each of the “Blessed is he…” statements Jesus detailed in His famous sermon. Blessed: joyful; thankful; so full of mercy, grace, and His riches to be happy and content—to the point of downright giddy. Let’s lay aside our appearances and protocol and enjoy Him with total abandonment. 

Charles Huff has served as Bible teacher and minister in his church for twenty years. His devotions have appeared in www.christiandevotions.us and four issues of The Upper RoomSeptember/October 2017 through March/April 2018. He also has articles in three anthologies: Gifts from Heaven: True Stories of Miraculous Answers to Prayer/ “Shortest, Biggest Prayer,” compiled by James Stuart Bell; Short and Sweet Too/ “To Sleep—All Night,” compiled by Susan Cheeves King; and Short and Sweet Takes the Fifth/ “Oh, To Have Seen Him!” compiled by Susan Cheeves King.     

Charles entered his first writing contest at last year’s Write to Publish Conference in Wheaton, Illinois, where he received an honorable mention award as a finalist in Almost An Author non-fiction category 

Charles and his wife have traveled three times to the Philippines where they have held pastors seminars and taught in various churches, including remote mountain churches. Having a heart for helping others deepen their relationship with Jesus, Charles writes a blog he calls his Boosterclub Blog. It can be found at www.chashuff.wordpress.com. He is a charter member of Word Weavers of Aurora, Illinois.

When it was time for the Israelites to leave Egypt, they were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and place the blood on their door posts and stay inside until the plague passed over . . . hence the name Passover. It foretold Jesus as the Passover Lamb shedding His blood for the protection, deliverance, and healing for all of us. This is why we celebrate Easter.

Many today are symbolically anointing their doorposts to proclaim God’s protection from the current plague of coronavirus. After seeing a facebook page called Red Door Frames for Passover we found a red Christmas ribbon and fastened it over the door and prayed Psalm 91:9-10, ‘Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.’ This is not a talisman, an object with magical properties. This is a representation of what and Who we believe and pray. 

We should all be praying that the curve of Covid19 be flattened and downright shattered. We should all be praying for those that are already sick. We should all be praying for those that are taking care of the sick. 

Another way to anoint your doorposts is with oil. Oil in the Bible represents God’s anointing and presence, the Holy Spirit, and the joy of the Lord. It’s a fascinating study. So if you don’t have red to place on your doorpost, door frame, put a dab of oil there and proclaim God’s protection over your family and your home.

You may want to pray this: Father, in the name of Jesus, and because of His shed blood, we receive and proclaim Your protection and healing for our family and home. We ask you to heal those already sick. We ask you to protect and strengthen the many who are helping the sick. We thank You that You are a God Who heals. We ask you to remove fear and replace it with trust in You. We ask You to meet the financial needs of so many. We ask You to guide us in doing that which is right, helping those in need, and staying in Your protection until this virus has passed.

Judy DuCharme is an award-winning author who lives in Door County, Wisconsin. She’s an avid Green Bay Packer fan, hence, the Cheesehead Devotionals which take you to the game, introduce you to players and then present an inspirational connection to challenge and encourage you. Judy loves to hike, and her novel, Society of the L.A.M.B., is set in the woods of Door County at some time in the future. Winters in Florida sowed the seed for her historical Cracker Cowboy novella. And current political situations connected with Israel and their past laid the foundation for her most recent suspenseful novel Blood Moon Redemption. Judy has also written several pieces for Guideposts magazines and books after winning one of their contests. Lainey of the Door Islands, Judy’s newest novel, is scheduled to be released in late August, and tells the story of a young girl growing up in the lighthouses around Door County. She and her husband have two children and the cutest grandson in the world. Judy also enjoys jet-skiing and hiking.