"Growing up, I wanted to be the good kid. The best kid, even. My goal was always to please, and long before I met Jesus, it seems I was already bent toward seeking to earn God’s favor because I was able to earn the favor of others in the same way. I was a good kid, but I wasn’t a godly kid. In our driven-by-behavior world, it’s easy to train kids to do rather than be, to ascribe value by a child’s behavior rather than their status as a child of the Most High God. For example, the conversations we have with our kids and about our kids tend to center around behavior." - M. Wiley Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. Prov. 20.11 Baby girl, we don't expect you to be the good kid. That is not what we want from you. We want to raise you to be honest. To be a servant. One with self-discipline and a good work-ethic. We want to raise you to be obedient and respectful. One who is grateful, thankful and humble. To not claim entitlement. We want to teach you to be loving, kind, and caring. To sit with the new kid. Because it is the right thing, not because it is required of you. We want to teach you to punch, kick, and fight. While also teaching you that it is often best to be silent than to be right. And the greatest battle you will fight isn't against people. We want to teach you that it's okay to have fun, but also firm and unwavering with things that matter. We want to teach you to grow and mature while still remembering that for now you are yet a child. We want to raise you to love the Lord and follow Him. We want to provide an example to follow, not just a set of rules or unrealistic expectations we don't live ourselves. We want to raise you to be genuine. Real. Consistent. Intentional. We want to raise you with a good head on your shoulders, but most importantly a godly and pure heart. We want to raise you to be a godly young lady, not just a good kid. So often "success" in parenting is determined by whether or not they are "good kids". The process of parenting so often lends itself to reward good behavior and discipline unwanted behavior. Behaviors NEED to be reinforced and are glimpses of what is going on in the hearts, but when we only discuss behavior and neglect the heart, we produce children who do good out of duty rather than out of a changed heart. They become doers of the Word, but only to please man and live up to human standard. It becomes a burden of being "good" because no human is capable of being good all on their own. You cannot make men good by law - C.S. LewisA godly kid will be a good kid, but a good kid is not always a godly kid. I am more interested in raising a godly child than a good child. I desire a thousand times more for my baby girl to BE godly than to seem so! There are enough "good" kids, let's raise up a generation of some godly young men and young ladies! I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1.4 I desire a thousand times more for you to BE godly than to seem so!
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Jim
11/5/2020 09:26:50 am
Hi
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Lizzy parkerMarriage.
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January 2023
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