Honesty is “being careful of what you say and do so others can trust you”. As usual God is our example. Many times in Scripture God says, “I have said it; I will perform it.” Hebrews 10:23 says “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”
We are encouraged throughout Scripture to be honest:
Proverbs 11:1 The Lord hates cheating, but he delights in honesty.
2 Chron. 18:15 … say nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord
Ephes. 4:15 …speaking the truth in love…
In teaching our children honesty, we must be an example to them. Always do what you say you will do. If you make a promise, keep it; and never make a threat in disciplining that you can not follow through with if they disobey (example: I will throw you out the window if you scream one more time) Children need the security of knowing they can trust Mom and Dad. A child’s healthy relationship with his parents paves the way for a healthy relationship with God. We are God’s representative to them and need to show them they can trust us and Him.
Tell your children stories of men and women in history who told the truth and those that didn’t and suffered the consequences. Here are a few book or website suggestions:
With a new grand baby in our family, sleep has become a big topic of discussion. At the top of Becca’s Christmas list was “sleep”. Grant has now given them some nights of sleeping all night!!!
The night feedings are a great time to memorize scripture and pray. I think probably one of the main scriptures and prayers I had at that time in my life was Psalm 127:2 . . . He gives His beloved sleep.
Psalm 4:8 (I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe) is a great verse to have young children memorize if they have a problem sleeping. Guide them to memorize any “I will” verses as it helps bring their wills under God’s control.
There are also foods that are supposed to help you sleep. Here are a few I found in my research: lettuce, bananas, oatmeal, turkey, warm milk, and chamomile tea.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful if you or your child are having trouble with insomnia.
As we think of resolutions and goals for the new year, remember to consider what you want to build into your children this year.
Some suggestions are:
thoughtfulness
forgiveness
brotherly love
initiative
mind to work
orderliness
kind speech
redeem the time (use time wisely)
generosity
contentment
gratefulness
obedience
How about focusing on a different quality each month. Use the word often with a simple meaning. Point out the trait in movies you watch or books you read together. Each month think of activities to reinforce the quality you are emphasizing. Find a Bible verse that speaks of the trait and memorize it together. Be creative in making a copy of the verse to put on the fridge.
May you have a year of redeeming the time you have with your children. Have fun together as you concentrate on consistently and creatively building character into their lives.
Ephes. 5:16 (KJV)
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephes. 5:16 (NIV)
making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
