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It is very important for us to understand that none of our children are alike, and parents should individualize their raising of each child.

Besides doing everything we can to help our children receive Christ as their Savior at an early age, the following point could be the most important goal for which parents should strive.

Key point for dads:

It is critical to realize that God has made each of our children with their own unique personality and characteristics.  A parent’s job is to properly know and understand each child and then guide him or her in the way that God intends.

A great Bible verse for this is:

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go”

As explained by Charles Swindoll, a great Bible teacher, the emphasis in this verse, in the original Hebrew, is on the way God forms each child individually- not on the way a parent may independently want.

It is critical to take the time to really know and understand each of your children so you can help him or her along the path that God uniquely intends- in contrast to forcing your own ways or biases on them.

Scary prediction: If you do not raise your children individually as God intends, don’t be surprised if they become exasperated with your expectations that don’t fit and depart from Him when they grow up, if not sooner.

Please take the time to really think and pray about this important Biblical issue, and then respond to what God shows you to do.

It will sure make things a lot better if we encourage our children to do what they can do and not force them to do what they were not created to do.

Your brother in Christ,

Al Wylie

Email address allenwylie@msn.com

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Hi Parents,

Apparently a lot of teenagers are sending out pictures of themselves seminude or even nude on their cell phones.  Yikes.

Listed below is a secular article from MSN with a lot of good points in it.

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Talk to your kids about what they are doing in cyberspace.
Just as you need to talk openly and honestly with your kids about real-life sex and relationships, you also want to discuss online and cell phone activity. Make sure your kids fully understand that messages or pictures they send over the Internet or their cell phones are not truly private or anonymous. Also make sure they know that others might forward their pictures or messages to people they do not know or want to see them, and that school administrators and employers often look at online profiles to make judgments about potential students/employees. It’s essential that your kids grasp the potential short-term and long-term consequences of their actions.

Know who your kids are communicating with.
Of course it’s a given that you want to know who your children are spending time with when they leave the house. Also do your best to learn who your kids are spending time with online and on the phone. Supervising and monitoring your kids’ whereabouts in real life and in cyberspace doesn’t make you a nag; it’s just part of your job as a parent. Many young people consider someone a “friend” even if they’ve only met online. What about your kids?

Consider limitations on electronic communication.
The days of having to talk on the phone in the kitchen in front of the whole family are long gone, but you can still limit the time your kids spend online and on the phone. Consider, for example, telling your teen to leave the phone on the kitchen counter when they’re at home and to take the laptop out of their bedroom before they go to bed, so they won’t be tempted to log on or talk to friends at 2 AM.

Be aware of what your teens are posting publicly.
Check out your teen’s MySpace, Facebook and other public online profiles from time to time. This isn’t snooping – this is information your kids are making public. If everyone else can look at it, why can’t you? Talk with them specifically about their own notions of what is public and what is private. Your views may differ but you won’t know until you ask, listen, and discuss.

Set expectations.
Make sure you are clear with your teen about what you consider appropriate “electronic” behavior. Just as certain clothing is probably off-limits or certain language unacceptable in your house, make sure you let your kids know what is and is not allowed online either. And give reminders of those expectations from time to time. It doesn’t mean you don’t trust your kids, it just reinforces that you care about them enough to be paying attention.

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Dear Dads,

It is really important for children to learn that the universe does not revolve around them.  Making sure they know that other people are just as important to God, and helping them learn to share material items with other people is quite important.

Sharing does not come naturally and definitely needs to be taught to younger children.  Older kids can become selfish along the way and need to be reminded too.

Key point for fathers:

Dads need to be teaching their children the importance of sharing with other people and that God will be pleased when they do.

Important Bible verse:

Acts 20:35…… remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

It is amazing how people are becoming more and more self-centered in today’s society. Please be very diligent to help your children not become that way.

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November 2008

Dear Dads,

Here is a question for you.  What is the most important commandment according to the Bible? 

Certainly this is something you would want your children to know, and live by, and Jesus did answer that question when He was here.

Mark 12:29-30  “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this…… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Key point for dads:  

Teach your children that loving God and obeying Him are the most important things they can do.

The next question to consider, if we say we love God, is what will happen if the person really does love God?

John 14:21  “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”

Talk is cheap.  A person’s actions do matter.

These are great reasons to teach your children the Bible, from an early age, and help them learn to live what it says.

One warning here is to not emphasize rules and miss the personal relationship that God wants with each individual person.  It is critical what is in our hearts and that we are responding out of love for the Lord.

One last question to be asked is, do your children see all this in your own life?

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Dear Dads,

It is exciting that the Lord has certain things He would like each of your children to be involved with during their lifetime.

One of the important jobs for a parent is to help each child find the specific “work” or “assignments” that God has for each of them individually.

Key point for fathers:

Dads need to teach their children that God has specific assignments for each of them individually, and then help each child discover and achieve them.

Important Bible verses:

Psalm 138:8 (David speaking) “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me”

John 17:4 (Jesus speaking) “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Colossians 4:17 (Paul speaking) “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”

Please be spending lots of time in raising your children and helping them achieve what God wants to do through them.

You only get one chance with each child.

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Dear Dads,

To be teachable is a tremendous attribute to have.

Oh the hardships and pain that could be avoided, and the blessings that would abound, if children would learn to listen and respond to what the Lord and their parents share with them.

Key point for fathers:

Dads need to instill in their children the quality of being teachable.

Important Bible verse:

Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to advice and accept instruction”

Certainly the Lord can show you how to most impact your own children, but it seems that being teachable would include:

1) Being a good listener (James 1:19) – to actually hear what is being said;

2) Being humble (Philippians 2:3) – to be open to receive;

3) Being obedient (I Samuel 15:22) – when they know it is what the Lord wants.

As your children are teachable and listen to other people, please make sure they know to verify that the Bible agrees with what is being said.

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Hi Guys,

About 60 years ago, American troops stormed the beaches in Normandy, France to set Europe free from Hitler.  Many of us had parents or grandparents who were part of the military then and were therefore part of that overall successful effort.

Yesterday, nine Christians from Calvary Chapel in Milwaukie Oregon landed in Berlin, Germany to storm the gates of Hell to set Germans and Muslim immigrants free from Satan.

Will you please be a huge part of this week’s effort of our nine warriors for Christ, and pray diligently that God will do a great and mighty work there in Paul’s part of Berlin, and actually He could impact all of Berlin if He would.

Thank you,

Al