Proverbs 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy,
but the rod of discipline drives it far away.
I just read a book that talked about this verse. The author—with whom I agreed about a great many things—insisted that this verse spoke of corporal punishment (spanking) and that every child (until a certain age) needs spanking to “get rid of the foolishness.”
I’m not so sure I agree.
It’s never easy living with an alcoholic. Sometimes we try so hard to live with the alcoholic that we end up enabling them to drink. The problem is we don’t see the alcoholic as being sick but someone we don’t like to be around when they are drinking.
If they were in bed sick with the flu we would know how to care for them, but when they are drunk sick there is nothing we can do, other than watch them drink themselves to oblivion. Sometimes we take it personally and think they drink so much because of something we have done, but we shouldn’t blame ourselves for the addictions in other people.
Reflections on Alcoholism (Living with an Alcoholic) Read More »
This is an excerpt from a letter from Legh Richmond (1772-1827) to one of his daughters. We all can be instructed by these words.
My dear daughter,
May my dear child be preserved from the defilements of a vain, dangerous, and destroying world. You know not, and I wish you never may know–its snares and corruptions!
I send you the following applications of my sermon on Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
On circumspection of walk, redemption of time, and general sincerity of character:
1. Adhere most scrupulously to Scriptural truth; and labor to preserve the strictest integrity, simplicity, and sincerity.
A Pastor’s Letter to His Daughter Read More »
The following questions and their answers link to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) web site. This does not imply an endorsement of BGEA and its related ministries by CIR or visa versa.
Why won’t my parents let me grow up and have more freedom?
Growing up is very difficult—for both you and your parents. They remember a little bundle of joy that they held and nurtured as a baby and now they see a budding adult. These days, children face things and know about things that their parents would never have imagined at the same age. The teenagers of today look older, act older and want to be older than their counterparts did just 20 years ago. It is the desire of all Christian parents that their children know Christ at an early age and then walk with Him for the rest of their lives. They are called by God to work towards that end.
Why won’t my parents let me grow up and have more freedom? Read More »
In what circumstances, if any, do we teach our kids that it is good to fight back?
There is a big difference between defending and protecting oneself from severe harm and seeking revenge. Differentiating between these two extremes is very difficult for a child. That is why Christians have maintained a standard of not fighting back. Children, by human nature, will almost always lash out at their enemy, even if they are not in any danger. They become angry and unreasonable in the face of a wrongdoing directed toward them.
Should we teach our kids that it is good to fight back? Read More »
In the United States, it is estimated that about 2,500 teens daily abuse these “legal” drugs for the first time. They do so to get high, relieve stress or to self-medicate. One alarming finding of the survey is that most teens get those prescription drugs from their own family members or from friends, usually without them knowing about it.
There are steps that parents can take to prevent this type of drug abuse in their homes and protect their children from the dangers of the misuse of prescription drugs.
Get Rid of Old or Unused Medications
Protecting Kids from Prescription Drug Abuse Read More »
