Demon Hair and Parenting Preparation

My son Hudson woke up today with two almost horn shaped clumps of hair sticking up off his head. Ironically, he also woke up with a bad attitude. This semi-humorous moment (a child with a bad attitude and hair to match) reminded me of my five year old son's tendency to be rebellious. You see, parents like me sometimes have a problem with not preparing themselves for the daily onslaught of their own children's tendencies to be downright sinful. Wise parents will take their kids selfish hearts seriously because they know that their bad behavior is just the rotten fruit of a selfish and sinning heart. And the heart of our children is what Jesus wants!

So how do we prepare to go heart to heart every day with our children?

Pray for your own heart and then pray for theirs. Pray that your children would have a passion for Jesus Christ above all things! Then go after their hearts at every opportunity. Council them, encourage them whenever possible, take them on dates and ask them questions about their relationship with Jesus, correct them in love, discipline them with loving courage but without anger, give them gospel truth to sink their teeth into...

Our kids are beautiful and they are a blessing, but don't be naive! Get ready for heart work, and even some heart warfare. Get a strategy! Prepare. Here they come...and Hudson's morning hair tells the story of all our kids.

PRAYER: May the grace of Christ fill our homes and help us on bad hair days!

I Suggest Snow Worship

Please understand that my proposal to engage in snow worship does not mean that I am suggesting we all go on a pilgrimage to Michigan, make snowman gods and bring them back to large walk in freezers for their preservation and worship. Nor is it my attempt to introduce a more northern approach to Christianity by suggesting that snow and spirituality somehow go hand in glove. Worship has nothing to do with sun or snow, Michigan or Georgia, or even Jerusalem (see John 4). To understand my snow worship suggestion, a little personal story may be in order.

Christy and I began our illustrious marital journey breathlessly in love and broke. But when you’re floating on the clouds of matrimonial myopia, and all you can clearly see is the beloved before you, little things like money seem so unimportant…so, unromantic.

Just Say "No!" to YEBO - A Poignant Poem for Prodigal Pipsqueeks

 Just say "No!" to YEBO

When grandma says, “Clean your plate.”

And you eat it all but one lone grape.

She points it out, and you say “No!”

That, my little friend, is YEBO.

When you’re at the mall with family shopping;

And Dad declares, “No toy store stopping!”

So you whimper, whine, wail and woe!

Don’t you know that’s YEBO?

When the teacher says, “Let’s all be quiet.”

And you stick your tongue out and start a riot;

Then off to the principle you go.

Well, that’s a bunch of YEBO.

When mom tells you to clean your room;

But you hide the mess in the closet of doom,

Cause you don’t want to miss your favorite show...

We all know, that’s YEBO.

When God says, “children obey your parents.”

And you assume He’s talking to neighbor friend Clarence.

So a fool you live, and a rebel you grow,

Your life you  waste in YEBO.

Stand up all children from YEBO take flight

Your parents must lead you must comply.

There’s blessing for both if God’s way you will go.

And just say "No!" to all YEBO!

by Steven Canfield Jr.

© Steven Canfield Jr. 2010