Chapters 9 & 10

Hey, ladies! Last night's book club discussion was awesome! I'm thankful for all of you who have committed to reading and studying what God's Word says about training our children in righteousness. I'm grateful for God's Word that always instructs us as moms! Alicia reminded us that the BIBLE is our Bible, not our book, Don't Make Me Count to Three. Good point!

The last 2 weeks we have spent on learning and refining our strategies for giving a Biblical reproof--the VERBAL part of what we do. We obviously do this all day, everyday--for all kinds of situations. We spent a lot of time talking about reproving our children for disobedience, but let's not forget the JOY of instructing them when they're NOT disobeying. . just as we go about our day. It's so sweet and powerful at the same time to be able to say "Thank you, God, for the ______ (sun, wind, rain, friends, keeping us safe in the car, providing all these groceries, providing new shoes for you, giving you courage on the playground, giving you endurance to complete your homework). I've always loved the "catch your kids being good" game--letting them know in a specific way that I see and appreciate them for ______________(being patient, kind, generous, helpful, etc).

Last night (and next week) we're talking about the other major piece of training our children--the rod. We know God's Word says to use the reproof and the rod--and that we are showing faithfulness to God and to our children when we take up the rod. Somehow it's so sensitive, though! We want to "do it right"! We all have different life experiences that play into our view of spanking, and we need to sort through them in the light of God's Word! Ladies, remember to bring ALL your cares to the Lord! If you feel unsettled about the spanking issue--bring it to Him! He cares for you! He loves your children! Pour out your heart to him--what your fears and concerns are, your desire to be obedient to his Word, your desire to trust His plan, whatever it is! He will be faithful to hear your cry!

Here are a couple of questions from last night that we discussed. Tell us what you think. Click on the "comments" button--it will pop up a place for you to comment and post! Easy!

From chapter 9 (pages 101-106)
Ginger Plowman gives us 5 Worldy Methods that parents use in an attempt to obtain obedience from their children. They are:
1. Bribing
2. Threatening
3. Appealing to their emotions
4. Manipulating their environment
5. Reasoning with the child

Which do you tend to use the most? What is the fundamental problem with these 5 methods? Do they ever work/are they ever appropriate?


From chapter 10
Do you agree/disagree that "if [your child] is old enough to disobey then they are old enough to be trained to obey"? (page 110)

Do you agree/disagree that it is "unfair" to inconsistently apply the rod? (page 113)

Update!!!

Ladies!! I am SO SORRY about getting behind on updating our book club blog! I have just not squeezed out the moment to do it. . until now! Know that you are on my mind and in my prayers daily! I have praying that you will have great COURAGE to ENDURE in all that you are learning through our book study. We are nearing the end of our book, and I know you want to finish strong! Don't give up! We have missed you if you've been out the last week or two. Please try to come these last 2 weeks and enjoy the fellowship of our times together. Each and every week I am so encouraged by hearing how other moms are applying these wonderful principles that we're learning.

Here's a review of where we've been so far in our study. .

PART 1: REACHING THE HEART OF YOUR CHILD
Chapters 1 & 2 Being a mom is a high calling. God's Word will equip you, as a mom, to execute your calling with great skill. Remember that we are after the hearts of our children--not just well-behaved children. If we're only attempting to control their behavior without reaching their hearts, we'll be raising up mini-hypocrites! Ephesians 6:4 says to "Bring them up in the DISCIPLINE (the rod) and the INSTRUCTION (the verbal reproof) of the Lord. Proverbs 29:15 says that "The ROD and REPROOF give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother."

Chapters 3 & 4 We must TRAIN OURSELVES TO USE SCRIPTURE to teach, rebuke, correct, and train our children in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). We want to learn to draw out attitudes of the heart by asking heart-probing questions--teaching our children to think like Christians. A key component of training our children in righteousness is walking them through the CORRECT response. This way, we're not only teaching them what to "put off", but we're also teaching them what to "put on" (see Ephesians 4:22-24). Taking the time to re-enact the scene and role-play the correct response are important training tools.

PART 2: GIVING A BIBLICAL REPROOF
Chapters 5 & 6 Use SCRIPTURE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MOMENT to instruct/give a reproof. God's Word is our #1 tool as mothers. It will pierce their hearts and expose the wrong by shedding light. It is time to give a reproof whenever our children sin--whether it was intentional or unintentional--and certainly before administering the rod.

Chapters 7 & 8 We must examine our OWN MOTIVES before disciplining our children. Are we reproving our children because our OWN wills were violated (we were inconvenienced, aggravated, embarrassed, irritated, etc.) or because GOD'S will has been violated? Also, beware the difference between scolding your children and reproving your children.

Part 3 is going to be an in-depth look at the use of the rod in training our children in righteousness. For those of you with really little ones, this is going to give you a wonderful foundation/framework to use in the coming years. For those of you in the middle of the "spanking years" this will solidify your "technique" and give you confidence that you are following God's plan in this important area. For those of you whose children are past spanking, we'll be considering other methods of "administering the rod". Come ready to share what works (or doesn't work) in your home!

See you Wednesday!!