Bloggy Giveaway!

We're getting into this giveaway late, but welcome to those of you who made it to our site!

We are a relatively new blog and website hoping to provide moms with tips on mothering and marriage, ideas for entertaining your children, and support to help you be the best mom you can be. Take a look around our main site to find information on everything from starting your own music playgroup to keeping the romance in your marriage after kids! Check our blog daily for ideas to entertain your kids and keep your sanity as a mom, while at the same time raising your children in a Christian environment. Our archives contain all kinds of ideas on projects and activities based on the letters of alphabet, and our recent posts contain lots advice on a variety of parenting topics. We would love for the blog to become a platform for discussion on these topics, so come back and join the conversation! Currently, we are discussing discipline.

The giveaway is a bible study specifically for mothers (Mom's Best Wisdom Bible Study), and we will through in a few other mom books too!

(The book was written by Ellen Mongan, a mother of seven children, and a Christian writer and speaker. She, along with her daughters, Tarolyn and Amanda, founded this site.)

To win, simply leave a comment giving your best mothering tip! Since we’re entering this carnival late, the giveaway will end at 9 pm (EST) on Saturday, November 1st.

For more great giveaways, visit the carnival at Bloggy Giveaways!

P is for Plan

Dear Moms,
Did you ever hear the Girl Scout Motto? It is “BE PREPARED.” Motherhood is one job in life that you never know all the answers . You must expect the unexpected, yet the best advice I can give you is, “IT ALWAYS HELPS TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK.” Yes, just like your favorite school teacher used to say. So I guess, the Girl Scout Motto works for Motherhood, as well. In other words. Have a well thought out Plan. In fact that is the next key word in our study of discipline. Having a plan is step two of Intelligent Decisions. Reading about motherhood gives you the information on a problem that may arise. Once you have read the material, then you, mom, need to plan how you will implement the information if that discipline problem occurs. You do not want to be caught off guard. You do not want to just discipline as you go. As my husband says, “Moms, need to make thoughtful decisions.”
Have a plan. Now I am wise enough to know that sometimes the plan may not work. Yes, even the most well thought out plans fail. A mom might be heard saying, “IT LOOKED SO GOOD ON PAPER.” OR, “I GUESS DR. DOBSON WAS WRONG.“ No, Dr. Dobson wasn’t wrong. Remember every child is different and every mother is different. This is the beauty of the fact that, “ WE ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE,” from Psalms. Mom, “IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY, AGAIN.” Have the same rules for each child every time. BE CONSISTENT. Try the plan for a few days, and if no Victory is in sight, research a new plan. This will result in perseverance, a wonderful character trait that a mom can’t live without. Seek and you will find the answer. After being a studier of God’s Word for over 30 years, I am convinced, that there is an answer to every problem in the Word of God. We just have to dig deep enough and search hard enough, and pray fervently enough.
Sometimes our answer comes to us from another person., that would be, “GOD WITH SKIN ON.” Oh how I thank God for the Body of Christ. When I was raising my children, I always had an Older Woman, as described in the Book of Titus. A woman, older and wiser than I, who had walked the path before me that I was now trodding. I think every young mother should actively seek out such a woman who can mentor them along the path and help them through the hard spots. These woman are not only a wealth of knowledge, but an ear to listen to you and even sometimes a shoulder to cry on. Isn’t that why God in His wisdom suggests that the older woman should teach the younger woman. Read Titus.
It is my personal belief that Mary went to visit Elizabeth, (found in LUKE) not only to serve her, but also to sit at her feet and learn from her some motherhood skills. Mary was a young girl, Elizabeth an older woman. Elizabeth had probably nurtured, many children before. This is just my personal opinion. You will not find it in the Scriptures, but doesn’t it make sense to you? Otherwise, why would a newly pregnant, probably very nauseated young girl, like Mary make a long trip on a donkey of all things, to serve her on in years, cousin. We do know that Mary had a good heart, but I suggest that she had a seeking heart as well. The Book of Proverbs says, “A WISE MAN LISTENS TO THE COUNSEL OF MANY.” There was no one wiser than The Blessed Mother.
So mom read all you can, then formulate a plan, seek the advice of an older woman and pray a lot. Then be flexible and humble enough to admit when the plan is not working. Then it is back to the drawing board. As the old song goes, THEN PICK YOURSELF UP, DUST YOURSELF OFF AND START ALL OVER AGAIN. I told you that you won’t know all the answers. I guess you could say that MOTHERHOOD IS GOD’S WAY OF KEEPING US HUMBLE. It can baffle at times even the wisest of us. I told the Pre Cana Class, that my husband and I teach, “ IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR MARRIAGE FROM BEING BORING, HAVE A HOUSEFUL OF CHILDREN,” Yes, mom, If Your Quiver Is Full, Your Life Will Never Be Dull. You can Quote me on that, because I live it.
So mom what do you think? Are you a planner? E -Mail Ellen.

www.momsbestwisdom.com

I is for Ingenuity

Dear Moms,

The next key word for the letter, “I” of discipline is INGENUITY. They say “ NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION.” Never is a mother in more need, than in the area of daily wisdom for discipline. A mother needs to be on her toes, think on her feet, and be creative. This is a must. She must do all she can to keep her eye on the goal of raising these children to be strong Christians and well adjusted human beings. If her focus is not on that goal, discipline can become tedious and a chore, rather than a necessary training,which if done right will provide good fruit and growth in character. We all know how long it takes us to grow in character; this truth alone should give us the patience needed to patiently train our offspring. After all, our Father God is ever so patient with us. Scripture says, “BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER PATIENTLY.” I think God was thinking of moms when He said that. Remember mom it does not say BE A BEAR. Although too many sleepless nights with a newborn, makes you feel like that some days, especially when facing your toddler who decided that her favorite word for the week is going to be NO. That just brings out the Bear in all of us; nonetheless, patience is the rule.

As I said earlier in the week, there is more than one way to discipline a child. This gives us moms a chance to use the creative side of the brain. A good rule of thumb is try to make the punishment fit the crime. For example, if they spill their drink on purpose, because accidents happen, let them wipe it up, providing them with a cloth. You can kindly say, We drink our drinks. We don’t spill our drinks.” If they snatch a toy, you might kindly say, “Sean had that toy first, let’s return it.’ Then encourage them to give the toy back to their friend. You might add, we will set the timer and when the buzzer rings, it will be your turn to play with the toy. If a teenager is late for curfew he could be grounded. In my home if a child did not start his chores, I would set the timer and when it would buzz, I would promptly assign them an additional chore, always with a smile and a kind explanation. It sure beat yelling.

I already shared how and when we would spank in our home. See danger, disobedience and disrespect. There is also time out as a discipline for young children. Time out should be age appropriate. I would not start time out until they are almost two. Then I use, the rule, two minutes for two year olds, three minute for three year old and so on until five year olds. I would place them in a time out chair in the same room with me. I would never use the words bad boy or even bad chair, because that is name calling. We want to build our children up and not tear them down. I would kindly say, “You need time to cool down,” that is if they were angry. Or , “You need time to think about what you just did,” if they were mean to a friend. Or even, my personal favorite, “You need time to pray to Jesus to change your attitude.” I personally feel that once they are five, it is safe to put then in their room, because sometime removing them from the situation in a tangible way has a quick way of bringing results. In other words, they miss the fun and are anxious to get back to where all the people are.

Discipline as we said in a previous blog, is used to change a behavior. If the behavior is not changing it should become evident to you mom, that that form of discipline is not working. Another way of changing behavior is using the positive, rather than the negative. Think Rewards, Think accomplishment Charts, Think Praise. I tell mothers that when, if at all possible, encourage the positive behavior and ignore the negative behavior. For example if you make an issue out of eating, most likely your toddler will use not eating as a power play. If you scream every time they smash the cookies in the rug , this will become a behavior they do often, daily if possible, especially if your “cookie smasher” is two. Try instead to PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE good behavior then Praise some more. I promise you results will come quickly. A positive parent will say often throughout the day, “I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!” Or “I LIKE THE WAY YOU ARE SHARING WITH YOUR FRIEND!” Or, “I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!” This works with all ages, especially teenager. I am a positive parent. Do you know what my teenage boy says to me? He says, “MOM, YOU KNOW WHY I DON’T LIKE YOU?” “WHY,”I kindly respond. “BECAUSE, YOU ARE TOO NICE. IF YOU WERE JUST NICE SOME OF THE TIME, THEN IT WOULD BE SPECIAL, BUT YOU ARE NICE ALL THE TIME.” Yes, teenagers are like two year olds. If that is the only thing your child doesn’t like about you, mom, I’d say that is a job well done. Positive Parenting will never fail and the good news is they outgrow most of the behavior problems.

Lastly, don’t forget to pray. Ask God for an Ingenious way to handle a particular problem that has you stumped. Our God is a personal God who knows you and knows your child. Also pray with your child to over come a behavior problem. It will give you both Hope.

What do you think? E-mail Ellen (momsbestwisdom at yahoo dot com)

www@momsbestwisdom.com

C is for Control

Dear Moms,

The next key word is control, as in self control. Self control is a fruit of the Spirit. Never is this fruit more needed than when a person becomes a mother. You will use that fruit daily, I will promise you. I remember the day the Lord began to teach me the fruit of self control, like it was only yesterday. I was in the produce department of our Publix’s Grocery Store. Out of the blue, the Holy Spirit quickened to me, “I’m going to give you the fruit of Self Control.” I was ecstatic; it was a fruit that I needed desperately because I had so little of it. Then the Holy Spirit continued, in his still small voice.” You don’t understand, I’m going to give you the fruit of self control, like I gave you the fruit of Patience. You have to choose it. I will give you many opportunities to do this.” Then I remembered, the gifts of the Spirit are just that, free gifts. The fruits of the Spirit, on the other hand, God has to grow in you as you cooperate with Him and make right choices. Once this fruit is established in your heart, it will help you in all areas of your life.

Now back to self control in discipline. Discipline is lovingly guiding our child in the way of the Lord. We must never respond in anger and lash out at our children. Discipline is not name calling or shouting at your child. Discipline is not beating your child. Discipline is not slapping your child across the face. This is abuse. You must never hurt your child physically, with the exception of a spanking done in the way I explained under disobedience. Remember, never spank in anger. You must never verbally abuse your child. This will wound their spirit. Do you see why the fruit of Self Control is so important to a mother?

If your child does something that causes you to get angry, especially out of control anger, you may need to call a TIME-OUT for yourself. It will give you time to collect your thoughts, get yourself together, and then, handle the discipline situation controlled and calm. This is where self control comes in. You will be tempted to just react. My advice to you is, avoid the temptation and use your self control. Yes, control yourself, because that is self control in action. You’ll be glad you did.

Children are like wet sponges, it has been said. They will soak up everything that is said to them. This will form their self image. Words said in anger can affect them the rest of their lives. Words once said, cannot be taken back. In the same way discipline wrongly administered cannot be erased. So, what is a mother to do? We are human and we all make mistakes. If we lose our temper, we must be humble enough to ask our child’s forgiveness. Then we should pray to God to heal the hurt. This will teach your child that discipline is a loving part of parenting. It will also teach your child how to mend a relationship if they lose their temper.

Remembe,r Mom, your children are watching you. They will do what you. Yes, they are copy cats. They will copy your bad behavior, as well as your good behavior. Pray to God to learn the fruit of SELF CONTROL, so you can pass it on. Be patient with yourself; it will take time. Start today. Vow to be a mature parent who can discipline your child with full control over your flesh. As John the Baptist said about Christ, Jesus, Our Lord, “We must decrease and He must increase.” Then Jesus, himself said, “We must deny our very self and take up our cross and follow me.”

The Passion of Jesus is the ultimate lesson of Self Control. We must be imitators of Christ.

Mom, how do you cope with your anger? How do you practice Self Control?

As always,

Ellen

www.momsbestwisdom.com

S is for Sincerity

Dear Moms,

Have you ever played Poker? Picture your expression when the you are dealt FOUR ACES, right off the bat. Do you smile and spill the beans to the whole poker table? Not a chance!!! What do you do? You use your Poker Face, Mom. A POKER FACE that doesn’t even give a clue of what is behind those cards you are holding…Then you casually BID BIG. That same POKER FACE that you use in that well-loved card game, believe it or not, also comes in handy in disciplining your children. Why? Because Children can be so cute when they are naughty. Let me clarify that, young children. There is nothing funny about a disrespectful, disobedient teenager. I always say that you can’t spoil a child with Love, but you must always train a child with love, as well. You don’t want to raise a SPOILED BRAT. By the time you have a teenager, they should be trained in Godly principles. Teenagers will rebel to some extent, just like a two year old will have Temper Tantrums, but there should be a certain respect there, that they know they can only go so far. Now back to the Poker Face, this is just what you use when your child has done something so funny, yet nonetheless, against the rules of the home. You have no choice but to follow thorugh with the consequences that are given for that wrong action. As a mom, you must look the child right in the eye, yes eye ball to eye ball, and correct them in love. Mom, if you want them to change their behavior, don’t laugh, smile, or give in when you are disciplining. Poker Face your way through it, and don’t let on that you feel they are too cute to punish.

Be Sincere...SINCERE IS OUR NEXT KEY WORD.. MOM, if you say it, you mean it! As scripture says, “ LET YOUR YES BE YES, AND LET YOUR NO BE NO.” Be Firm and, “STICK TO YOUR GUNS.” When I was raising my seven, a very common thing I would say to my pre-schooler or toddler was, “I’m the MOM!” What would they say back? I know you want to know, Mom. They would say back to me in the most grown up voice that they could muster up, “NO, I’M THE MOM.” To which I would say, “ WHO’S IN CHARGE?” They would answer, “I’M IN CHARGE.” They actually thought that they were in charge. They were under five. This is great mom because it gives you the opportunity to let them know who is in charge. Who’s the BOSS?? Mom, Is It Them Or Is It You? The sooner this is established, the more peaceful your parenting experience will be. The later this is established, the HARDER your parenting experience will be. This is your choice, Mom, YOU ARE IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT. Don’t give your keys to the car to your child at too young an age or they will be running you over. In other words, IT IS YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR RULES. This should be understood at two and at teenage years too. YOU’RE THE MOM!!! Parent the child with SINCERITY. Things will go better if you do.

It is much better to have, FEWER RULES AND MUCH MORE CONSISTENCY. If you say it, you mean it or they will get your number very, very quickly, even if they are only ONE YEAR OLD. So mom don’t make Rules for most days when, you are too tired, too sick, or too busy to follow through. IF YOU SAY IT, MOM, YOU MEAN IT!!! Don’ t make rules that you won’t follow through with if they are just too cute. IF YOU SAY IT MOM, YOU MEAN IT. Whatever you do, don’t make a rule that you let them talk you out of, that is just what we Moms call manipulation. . SO WHAT IS A MOTHER TO DO? If you are sick or extra tired or too busy, get extra help to come in, like a friend or relative. If this is not possible, farm the children out or pay someone to watch them. If all else fails, be creative, limit their space, so you can lie on the couch and still keep a good eye on them. Have a special emergency basket of special things to do that are new and different, that you pull out on just these occasions. New and different are the recipe for success here. This will always hold their attention for a longer period of time, than old and familiar. Here’s some Ideas:
1. Stickers or foam stickers
2. New crayons and coloring books
3. Indoor bubbles
4. Play dough and new play dough toys
5. Water Paint or New books to paint that don’t require paint, just water
6. New Books to read together
7. A New Quiet Toy

I just heard a great talk by a father of six children. The main point was SIMPLIFY. He used the words CRAZY BUSY. Our children should rank among the most important things in our lives, next to God and our husbands, of course. Mom, we never should be too CRAZY BUSY to care for them well and to take the time to train them properly. Take an honest look at your life. Where is your time being spent? What are some things you can eliminate so that your children can spend quality time with you?

Mom, to conclude, “SAY WHAT YOU MEAN, AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.” Be Sincere. Being a person of your word teaches your child, not only to obey you, but also to trust you. It will also, when given the test of time, teach your child to respect you. Children need limits. They find safety and security in limits. Be Proud, Mom, if you are the mother, who your child says to a friend once you have given a direction, “MY MOM MEANS WHAT SHE SAYS.” It is then that you know in your heart that you have done your job well.

What Do you think, Mom? E-Mail Ellen. I’d Love to hear from you.

www.momsbestwisdom.com

I is for Intelligent Decisions

Dear Moms,

The next key-word is Intelligent Decisions for the letter I of Discipline. As moms, we need to make intelligent decisions daily, sometimes hourly. Motherhood is an on-the-job training career. Why? Because every child is different and every situation is different. Let’s face it, mom, every day is different. They say, “VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE.” Children have a way of making that cliché a reality in your life. So what’s a mother to do to have the wisdom of Solomon and the heart of the Blessed Mother, Mary?

READ, READ, READ, and learn all you can from the experts about discipline. There are some fabulous Christian authors out there. Here are a few:
1. Dr. James Dobson
2. Dr. Gary Smalley
3.Dr. John Trent
4.Dr. Kevin Leman

Anything written by these four authors, I can highly recommend. I’m sure you have some favorites as well. Let me know your favorites! Read when you are pregnant because it is never too early. Read as you nurse your newborn baby. Mom, never stop reading. As you read, you will begin to form your own philosophy of motherhood, taking a little bit of wisdom from each person. It is very important that you become the unique mom that God created you to be. In fact, all moms should be different because all children are different. When a problem arises, research the issue from a variety of sources, and then decide how you will handle the situation. Think before you act. Use your brain.

Scripture says in Proverbs, “A WISE MAN SEEKS THE COUNSEL OF MANY.” I know that this applies to women as well. So, talk to your spouse first. Make sure you are in unity on every discipline decision. Remember scripture says, “A HOUSE DIVIDEDED AGAINST ITSELF WILL FALL.” Also, talk to other mothers, and talk to your mom. If at all possible, have a spiritual mom as well, to sit at their feet and learn the skills. The happiest and most successful moms are those who are surrounded by a network of caring woman. Of course, all of this should be run by your husband no matter how brilliant it sounds. God has entrusted these children into both of your care. Part of making intelligent decisions is making them together. So, think before you act and learn all you can. Learning the proper parenting skills will help you in many facets of life

The Bible is also an excellent resource for learning how to discipline your child, especially the book of Proverbs. It is amazing how God can direct you to just the right passage, which will give you just the right answer for a daily dilemma that you are facing in disciplining a particular child. It is the LIVING WORD and we have a Personal Savior, that’s why.

God taught me a long time ago that you can’t just pray and do nothing. You also can’t just take matters into your own hands either. In almost every area of life, PRAYER PLUS EFFORT= VICTORY IN JESUS. Let me repeat that. PRAYER PLUS EFFORT= VICTORY IN JESUS. That is tried and true. So, pray as if it all depends on God and act as if it all depends on you. Seek until you find the answer. YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGHTENS YOU.

The vocation of Motherhood gives you the opportunity to grow in so many areas. Use all your resources, Books, Wise Counsel, Scripture Study, and Prayer. Then, make an Intelligent Decision.

Do you have a discipline problem that has you stumped? Ask Ellen--I don’t have all the answers, but I may have an answer for your particular problem. E-mail me at www.momsbestwisdom.com.

D is for Danger, Disobedience, and Disrespect

Dear Moms,

For the letter D, the key words are Danger, Disobedience and Disrespect. That’s three words, isn’t it? Three important words, I might add. That is because in our home we only discipline for DANGER, DISOBEDIENCE, AND DISRESPECT. Our rules are clear and few, this avoids confusion for the parent as well as the child. If the rules are obeyed, all live in peace and harmony. If the rules are broken, discipline is administered quickly and as an act of love. This is to encourage the behavior to change in a child, not to hurt the child or wound their spirit. We try to make LOVE OUR AIM, as scripture states.

First off, before I begin, this applies to toddlers and above (a two year old toddler and up).
We never, ever discipline a newborn baby, Mom. A newborn baby needs to be cared for and loved. If you get frustrated with a newborn, guess who needs to be disciplined? YOU DO!!!!!!!!! You need to call a Time Out for yourself and call someone over to watch the baby. At the age of one and up, once a baby is mobile, they should be disciplined by slapping their hand, only if doing something dangerous, like running towards the street. This shall be done swiftly, more as a shock to them, and not to hurt them. The house should be baby-proofed in such a way that very little discipline is needed. Plus your baby should be carefully watched so that very little danger exists. Mom, they are babies; they don’t know what is dangerous. They are exploring the world around them. Healthy and normal babies are curious. That is a good thing.

Once the child begins to enter the toddler stage, they begin to test limits. That is their limits and your patience that they are testing. Any mother of a toddler will agree, this is a trying time. Yes, age two is the time to train a child, not only potty train them, but also train them to get under your authority and obey you. If your child is doing something dangerous, this requires an immediate response, without a warning. A quick swat on the bottom or a slapping of their hand works. This would include such things as, touching electric outlets, going in the street, putting their head in the toilet or wrapping the mini blind cord around their neck. I have had my toddlers try all these things. I learned to always be in the same room as them at all times. I also learned that this too shall pass. On my last child, I think he was ten years old before I stopped saying, ”WHERE’S SEAN? If he wasn’t with in my view, I knew that he was up to something.

That brings us to disobedience. Once you have established the rules and they disobey them, they need to be disciplined. You must go over your rules daily for toddlers so they are clearly understood. Toddlers easily forget. I always give a warning, but only one warning, never two. When I was a young mother I read a pamphlet on discipline, and I formed my view of spanking, on the wisdom I gained from that flyer. Before reading the pamphlet, I was totally against spanking, but spanking done in this fashion, I see as a total act of love. I would love to locate that pamphlet again and give it to every mother in the world, but I’ve sinced misplaced it. This is what I gleaned from that little pamphlet: If disobedience occurs, I peacefully take the child in another room. I talk to them about what happened and make sure that they understand what they did wrong. Then, I lie them across my lap and spank them three times with a small wooden paddle, or wooden spoon, just enough to be uncomfortable, not to hurt or abuse. Then I hug the child and make them ask my forgiveness for disobeying. Lastly, we pray to Jesus to first of all forgive them, and secondly help them to not do this behavior again. If they injured another child, they must then go and ask that child’s forgiveness. The whole process of disciplining that child for a wrongdoing takes at least fifteen minutes. It is not taken lightly by me or by the child; it is done in love and never rushed or done in anger. This is discipline administered properly. It is very important that the child knows that you love him even when you have to discipline him. Even God disciplines those he loves. Don’t expect more out of your child than is age appropriate. Saying, “I WILL SPANK YOU IF YOU DO NOT CLEAN YOUR ROOM,” to a three year old is overwhelming. No, it is impossible. There are more ways to discipline than just spanking. We will talk about that in a different key word.

As I stated yesterday, children need to be taught to respect authority. You and your spouse are the authority in your home. Disrespect is not tolerated in our home. As they test your authority, rules and discipline have to be set in place. This is especially true with teenagers. A good discipline is to say, “Go to your room and think about the way you have spoken to me, OR CHANGE YOUR ADDITUDE OR YOU WILL LOSE THE USE OF THE CAR!” Fathers must protect mothers in this area by teaching the children to respect their mothers .

DO you dare to discipline? Do you see discipline as an act of love or a pain in the neck? Take this to prayer. This is a very important tool in motherhood. It is the difference between raising a child to be a blessing to you and others or a burden. I say DARE TO DISCIPLINE--and give your child the training they need to be people of character to make a difference in this world. That’s all for ELLEN.

www.momsbestwisdom.com

Discipline

Dear Moms,

I love having a daily blog. I never in a million years would have ever dreamed that I would be able to, first, learn computer, and second, actually like Blogging. When I began my website, www.momsbestwisdom.com, my daughter, Tarolyn, told me I had to Blog everyday. For one thing, that seemed overwhelming, and for another thing, I did not actually know what a Blog was, I must admit. It’ s been a whole year since my website became a reality, and look who is Blogging every day almost. That has to be a miracle of God, and if you knew me, like my friends and family do, you would agree. Yes, for the first few weeks I was convinced that they forgot to put a Q on the keyboard. Then, no lie, I just found the !!!! (Exclamation Mark). I learned that, "YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.” I also learned that you get out of something what you put into something. Lastly, that learning computer is a discipline. That’s right; it is a discipline, a training, a trail and error, a learned process.

A young mom I was talking to the other day was asking me a question about disciplining her child. I gave her my card for momsbestwisdom and promised her I would use the topic of discipline on my website. It’s a great subject and I hope I can give a little wisdom on discipline this week.

God came into the world to save sinners---THAT’S US. Yes, all people are born with a sinful nature. That is because Adam and Eve chose to sin. Remember, they disobeyed God in the garden. Our children, as precious as they are, and as cute as they can be, are born rebellious and disobedient. We have to train them to do what is right, and to follow Jesus. In a way they are our disciples. If we train them well, we are cooperating with God to win them to Jesus. That is our goal as parents, to see our children come to know the Lord. God made us to know Him, to love Him, and to be happy with Him in heaven. That’s why he made our children as well. These offspring, that we call our flesh and blood, are just on loan to us from our Heavenly Father. They are really his children, not ours. Never was that more evident than when our baby Zachary, full-term was called home to Jesus, at only two hours old. A friend remarked, “Our goal as parents is to lead our children to heaven and you know for sure one of your children is there with Jesus.” What a comfort those words would become. What a reminder that these blessings are on loan to us from God.

Discipline is an ongoing process in life. It is a never ending process, which you never outgrow. There are certain rules and laws we must obey in our society, LAWS OF THE LAND. For example, there are speed limits, and if you do not obey the rules, you get a ticket. There are laws of the Church. If you do not obey them, things don’t go well for you. There are even laws that rule a marriage. If we obey the laws, we live in harmony with our world. If we do not obey the laws, there are consequences. Having rules gives us peace. Just as we have a certain respect for authority, like police, disciplining our children will teach them respect for authority. Mom, you and your husband are the authority in their lives. They must learn to obey you and come under your authority. This is essential if they are going to become responsible, well-adjusted members of society.

God’s Word says, “DISCIPLINE YOURSELF UNTO GODLINESS.” Maturity comes by learning skills at an appropriate time. Immaturity comes by learning the skill later or not at all. Our children are, in a way, our first disciples, so teach them well. Remember, you can teach an old dog new tricks, but wouldn’t it be better to teach a new dog old tricks? The godly wisdom you have, mom, you are called by God to impart to your children. We want our children to not make the same mistakes we made, and to not have to learn the hard way. So, teach your children, train your children, discipline your children and the fruit will be good.

When I was a young mother, I was getting frustrated about saying the same thing over and over again to one particular child. I must have been complaining to the Lord because God spoke to me loud and clear, in His still small voice. I almost had to look over my shoulder to see if He was visible in the room because I was that aware of His presence. HE said, “IF THEY WERE ALREADY TRAINED, I WOULDN’T HAVE ASKED YOU TO TRAIN THEM.” The scripture immediately raced through my mind from Proverbs, “TRAIN UP YOUR CHILD IN THE WAY OF THE LORD, AND WHEN HE GETS OLD, HE WLL NOT DEPART FROM IT.” What a PROMISE!!!!!! I don’t think I ever complained again, at least not in that area. God had cured me. GOD’S PROMISE WAS WORTH THE EFFORT TO ME. Is it worth the effort to you, mom?

This week and next, I will take the letters of the word D-I-S-C-I-P-L-I-N-E and give you a key word to remember in this area. So, don’t forget to check the website. I guess I should close because I am disciplining myself to exercise an hour a day, and I need to be faithful.

As always,
ELLEN