Thirteen Thursday

Thirteen things I want my children to know and remember. Whether they take my counsel or not will be their decision.

This is not an exhaustive list! And it is in no particular order.

1. Love God. For Who He IS. Not for Who you want Him to be, or Who your pastor says He is, or Who I say He is, or even Who you think He is. Search His Word to know Him better and humbly remember something J. Vernon McGee said, "The more I study the Word of God, the less I know." You should never "arrive" in your faith. You should never be finished with your study. And cling to the one Who is capable to save.
   
2. Take care of your body. Don't be an expensive, high-maintenance wife, but do see the dentist every six months. Remember, you and your husband will be one flesh -- literally. Your gum disease will be his gum disease. And eat well; believe in the consequences to avoid them.
   
3. Read to your children even when they're old enough to read to themselves -- and do it with inflection, drama, dynamics. Reading aloud is no time for inhibition; you'll bore your audience to death.
4. Don't be afraid to share your questions and doubts with the Lord; it doesn't mean you're not saved and sealed. John the Baptist questioned his own understanding in Luke and Abraham did it in Genesis.
5. Mind your manners. Manners matter. They show your respect for those around you. Remember that familiarity breeds contempt. Minding your manners doesn't necessarily mean being uptight; if you practice them, they will become second nature.
   
6. Don't expect saved behavior out of unsaved people. To do so makes you critical and critical people repel the lost -- and the saved too sometimes!
7. Don't be satisfied to treat others as you would have them treat you, but rather: treat others as they need to be treated.
   
8. Buy knit so you won't have to spend too much time in the sauna...I mean laundry room, ironing clothes for your family. But when you are ironing, give a little steam to your husband's handkerchiefs. It makes them crisp, and that makes you kind.
9. Learn to sew and don't compromise your daughter's (or your) modesty and chastity to the fashion of the day.
10. Be a good steward of your God-given talents and resources -- use them for His Kingdom; rejoice, and never envy, over the gifts given to another.
11. Never buy new something that is going to look used in a month anyway.
12. Trust your parents. We will not give you a stone when you ask for a fish. We love you and want you to have a good life. Let us help you discern the transparency and compatibility of your future spouse.
13. Focus on just one thing. If you're going to be a wife and mother, then be a wife and mother. Don't try to do it on the side. It's not a hobby.