Welcome to Thinking About Home. I'm Richard O'Ffill, 00:00:30.19\00:00:34.76 and I am filling in for our host which is Kathy Matthews. 00:00:34.77\00:00:38.28 And the reason I'm doing that is because 00:00:38.37\00:00:40.17 she is our guest today. 00:00:40.18\00:00:41.50 You do that funny. Welcome to the program. 00:00:42.67\00:00:45.00 You do that better than I do? 00:00:45.01\00:00:46.66 I have to explain it to the people, 00:00:47.24\00:00:48.21 otherwise they'd be all nervous and they say, 00:00:48.22\00:00:49.83 what ever happened to Kathy? I know, 00:00:49.84\00:00:51.08 I don't want you to think that I am gone, because I am not. 00:00:51.09\00:00:53.68 I'm really not. Anyway, it's so nice to 00:00:54.54\00:00:58.12 you know be able to do a program again together 00:00:58.13\00:01:00.24 and you and I have a good time, don't we? Yes, 00:01:00.25\00:01:02.39 I enjoy it very much. You know, I think we ought to tell 00:01:02.40\00:01:05.53 our viewing audience that you know what we do here 00:01:05.54\00:01:09.68 on the program is not to say the last word, 00:01:09.69\00:01:13.40 did I get the right. Right. 00:01:13.41\00:01:14.38 We don't have the last word to say. 00:01:14.57\00:01:16.61 And we might not even have the best word to say. 00:01:17.15\00:01:20.65 There might be a better way, but we do hope that 00:01:20.66\00:01:24.80 on Thinking About Home that we encourage ourselves to think, 00:01:24.81\00:01:29.85 that we need to be pressing on. We need to be doing better, 00:01:29.86\00:01:34.20 and so what we're going to do in the program today, 00:01:34.59\00:01:37.34 especially in the program today is to give some concepts 00:01:37.35\00:01:41.31 and other people might see it other way. Yes. 00:01:41.32\00:01:44.83 I think this is important that we start there,those of you 00:01:44.84\00:01:47.72 who are watching you might see it at a different way. 00:01:47.73\00:01:49.52 You might have a completely different point of view. 00:01:49.53\00:01:52.11 But at least you are hearing us talk about it, 00:01:52.12\00:01:54.14 and we hope that as we talk about it 00:01:54.15\00:01:56.18 that you will be thinking about it in the end, 00:01:56.19\00:01:58.71 that as we Think About Home that will be better parents. 00:01:58.72\00:02:01.03 Amen. Because the subject today, yes, is parenting. 00:02:01.04\00:02:03.66 Yes, it's parenting. Well, you know parenting is a big subject 00:02:03.67\00:02:09.05 and we can't possibly cover it all. And I had 00:02:09.06\00:02:12.18 the most terrible time trying come down to just a few things 00:02:12.19\00:02:15.84 that I can talk about. But if you know 00:02:15.85\00:02:19.04 I were in a course, I facilitate a course. Right. 00:02:19.05\00:02:22.62 And I've developed some of my own material. 00:02:22.63\00:02:25.20 You know you've got a lot of time and you got a lot of 00:02:26.27\00:02:28.40 Reports that you can build with parents. 00:02:28.41\00:02:29.98 I can't do that very well here. We only got a few minutes 00:02:29.99\00:02:33.02 and it aggravates me, it frustrates me. 00:02:33.03\00:02:35.68 You know those jokes they used to say when we were kids, 00:02:35.69\00:02:37.95 they'd say tell us all you know in two minutes. 00:02:37.96\00:02:39.88 Two minutes, I can't do that. 00:02:39.89\00:02:42.18 But it is true and as we talked before 00:02:42.19\00:02:43.64 that do you have seminars that you present, 00:02:43.65\00:02:45.68 because the subject of parenting is big on your heart. 00:02:45.69\00:02:49.33 It's big. And, so we're gonna talk about 00:02:49.34\00:02:52.28 some specific aspects of parenting. And but, anyway, 00:02:52.29\00:02:55.81 lets start out, parenting as it is on your heart. 00:02:55.82\00:02:58.43 Yes, and, I wanna talk about how I got started. 00:02:58.44\00:03:01.28 Yes, please do that. I want to get started and 00:03:01.29\00:03:02.26 helping and mentoring others about parenting. 00:03:02.27\00:03:05.32 But I have to talk about my own parenting 00:03:06.75\00:03:07.72 a little bit in the beginning. And, as I mentioned once 00:03:07.73\00:03:10.25 before I am the youngest of 12 children. 00:03:10.26\00:03:13.04 And so there was a big family 00:03:13.31\00:03:14.51 and there was a very strong sense of our father in the home. 00:03:14.52\00:03:18.61 There wasn't what you call really a Christian 00:03:18.62\00:03:21.41 aspect in our home, but there was a whole 00:03:21.42\00:03:23.10 lot of common sense it seemed like. Sure. 00:03:23.11\00:03:25.07 And when the time came that I became the Christian 00:03:25.08\00:03:29.27 and we were going to have child, 00:03:29.28\00:03:30.71 we had just studied the second coming of Lord 00:03:30.72\00:03:32.98 and we weren't gonna have children. 00:03:32.99\00:03:34.26 We had decided we weren't gonna have children. 00:03:34.27\00:03:35.72 Tom and I, probably about six weeks into that thought, 00:03:35.73\00:03:39.59 we were lying in bed one night and it was as if the same 00:03:40.41\00:03:43.55 subject about not having the child was on each mind. 00:03:43.56\00:03:47.42 And I just spoke out of the blue, you ever do with Betty 00:03:47.76\00:03:49.92 where were you've talked about subject a week ago. 00:03:49.93\00:03:52.59 I'm sure we do. And, then we bring it up. 00:03:52.60\00:03:53.84 I am sure we do. And, then she knows exactly 00:03:53.85\00:03:55.64 what you are talking about without going back 00:03:55.65\00:03:57.78 and talking about what it is. And, I just said 00:03:57.79\00:04:01.35 I don't know what it would like and he said 00:04:01.36\00:04:03.41 I don't know either and we both were thinking 00:04:03.42\00:04:05.33 about not having children. So we slipped out of bed, and knelt 00:04:05.34\00:04:11.68 beside the bed and we asked Lord, 00:04:11.69\00:04:14.07 the time is so short we feel. If you want us to have children, 00:04:14.08\00:04:16.87 because we've been married almost ten years at this point. 00:04:16.88\00:04:19.11 If you wanna us to have children 00:04:19.12\00:04:20.29 then you are going to have give us children, 00:04:20.30\00:04:22.03 and I could have a child by that time, but I didn't. 00:04:22.44\00:04:25.81 The very next possible time that I could have conceived a child 00:04:25.82\00:04:28.84 I did. After that prayer it was just six weeks or so and 00:04:28.85\00:04:33.23 and I was pregnant. And six or nine weeks or so and 00:04:33.24\00:04:37.17 I found out, then I found out very early. 00:04:37.20\00:04:39.20 So it was an amazing thing and I believe that God gave us, 00:04:39.60\00:04:44.05 a prayed for child. Absolutely. And so as it, 00:04:44.06\00:04:48.24 I was 28 by the time she came along and Tom was 31, 00:04:48.25\00:04:52.03 and seem to me like a lot of parenting was common sense, 00:04:52.04\00:04:57.51 though I had several sisters that was worried about me. 00:04:57.52\00:04:59.58 Because I was very social person and I had a business 00:04:59.59\00:05:02.52 at the time and I, they though I was not going 00:05:02.53\00:05:04.72 to make a very good mother. And, you know excuse me 00:05:04.73\00:05:06.37 for interrupting you know I don't know who made up 00:05:06.38\00:05:08.07 the word common sense, because it's so rare. 00:05:08.08\00:05:09.92 It's not very common, is that right? Go ahead. 00:05:09.93\00:05:13.28 Okay, well anyway, so we had our first daughter, 00:05:13.29\00:05:18.30 and I am, I have to admit that I wasn't a mother. 00:05:18.31\00:05:21.30 I didn't have any, I really wasn't a good mother 00:05:21.31\00:05:24.04 in the sense of my own standards for myself. Okay. 00:05:24.05\00:05:26.97 I wasn't a good mother in the sense 00:05:26.98\00:05:28.79 that I wanted to be out there in the social life, 00:05:28.80\00:05:32.65 still it was difficult for me to be at home. 00:05:32.66\00:05:35.56 It was difficult for me to just get away from business 00:05:35.57\00:05:37.90 and just stay and be a mother in the home. 00:05:37.91\00:05:40.06 Don't lose that thought, but in my generation 00:05:40.07\00:05:42.54 we didn't have that trouble, so you were 28 00:05:42.55\00:05:44.55 and just see a back in the old time of days. 00:05:44.56\00:05:48.01 When was that? We would have children almost 00:05:48.02\00:05:49.93 you know a year or so after we married. 00:05:49.94\00:05:53.05 And so, we didn't have this adjustment time 00:05:53.06\00:05:55.42 where you have to kind of psyche yourself up. Yeah. 00:05:55.43\00:05:57.56 And then change your life so drastically, 00:05:57.57\00:05:59.18 I can't remember in my married life 00:05:59.19\00:06:00.59 when I was the father, but there you were. 00:06:00.60\00:06:03.62 There I was and I, the Lord really convicted me 00:06:03.63\00:06:06.40 that I needed to be home with my daughter 00:06:06.41\00:06:08.47 and she was 14 months old by that time, 00:06:08.48\00:06:10.58 and it was difficult for me to let go of the work life. 00:06:10.59\00:06:14.24 And I, as I began to study and read 00:06:14.25\00:06:18.88 and for the next eight years after that it seemed like 00:06:18.89\00:06:21.74 I've observed studying Spirit of Prophecy 00:06:21.75\00:06:25.14 and the Bible like a sponge. And it became very obvious to me 00:06:25.15\00:06:30.01 that there was a lot of parents they just simply did not know 00:06:30.02\00:06:32.84 what to do with their children. And a lot of the things 00:06:32.85\00:06:35.73 that I was reading, my father had done with me, 00:06:35.74\00:06:38.75 some sample things. Of course. Such as, 00:06:38.76\00:06:41.91 who is in authority here? Well it was him, 00:06:41.92\00:06:45.52 and there was no question about it. 00:06:45.53\00:06:47.18 Now I am not talking about someone who had me 00:06:47.19\00:06:51.95 under their thumb, was harsh, some kind of dictatorship, 00:06:51.96\00:06:53.68 dictatorship. But there was no question 00:06:53.69\00:06:56.52 who was in authority, and that made things easier. 00:06:56.53\00:07:00.58 Because, the Lord has put a role in the family. 00:07:00.59\00:07:03.70 Really He has and I already knew that and I wasn't afraid 00:07:03.71\00:07:09.02 of the child. The Lord has assigned 00:07:09.03\00:07:10.70 the responsibility to get on. He had assigned it, 00:07:10.71\00:07:12.35 yes and we weren't afraid of our children 00:07:12.36\00:07:15.22 and we had some strong willed one, 00:07:15.23\00:07:20.85 so it was, it was something that had to be a jump ahead, 00:07:20.86\00:07:24.09 I had keep who I was. And I can't say that I didn't 00:07:24.10\00:07:28.82 make a lot of mistakes with some indulgences 00:07:28.83\00:07:30.81 and permissiveness and so forth. But after some studying 00:07:30.82\00:07:36.35 and some asking of people that I had a lot of respect for. 00:07:36.36\00:07:39.82 I began to realize what I needed to do as a parent. 00:07:39.83\00:07:42.88 All right. And mentoring others began to be something 00:07:42.89\00:07:46.22 that I wanted to do eventually. Because I've had to have some 00:07:46.23\00:07:49.09 experience under my belt. Which is what parenting is, 00:07:49.10\00:07:51.10 is mentoring, is mentoring our children, 00:07:51.11\00:07:52.62 is it not? Well it is, and but once they began to get 00:07:52.63\00:07:58.29 a little older and there began to be some comments 00:07:58.30\00:08:00.48 about you know, you just kind of happen like, 00:08:00.49\00:08:04.10 how did you get her to do that. I began to realize 00:08:04.11\00:08:07.88 that it didn't come easy in some folks home. 00:08:07.89\00:08:10.94 And, it wasn't just because I had a really great 00:08:10.95\00:08:13.76 little child to work with, that was not it at all. 00:08:13.77\00:08:16.31 I had a strong willed little girl. 00:08:16.32\00:08:17.90 And, but, she was pleasant and happy and, 00:08:17.91\00:08:22.22 so any how. In other words, the people were seeing 00:08:22.23\00:08:25.22 are you with... And make some comments. 00:08:25.23\00:08:28.98 And they are saying how is it that this little girl 00:08:28.99\00:08:30.61 seems to be so obedient. So,I just can, 00:08:30.62\00:08:32.38 I kind of came into it. And even I can't say 00:08:32.39\00:08:37.32 how did this little girl become so obedient, 00:08:37.33\00:08:39.71 because there were, there was the relationship of 00:08:39.72\00:08:42.32 how to get her to do what needed to be done 00:08:42.33\00:08:44.17 and it wasn't, it wasn't manipulation, 00:08:44.18\00:08:46.10 it was just an understanding. 00:08:46.11\00:08:47.25 No. And so I became interested in that, 00:08:47.26\00:08:51.56 and I have observed that a lot of parents were dealing with 00:08:51.57\00:08:54.99 a lack of common sense. They, they, especially 00:08:55.00\00:08:59.39 in the Christian realm, they tended to be, 00:08:59.40\00:09:02.73 I wanna be like Jesus. And, so therefore 00:09:02.74\00:09:06.80 they wanted to be very kind and tender and merciful. 00:09:06.81\00:09:10.02 And they were beginning to allow their children 00:09:10.03\00:09:12.66 to just run all over them. And they felt like 00:09:12.67\00:09:16.20 they needed to do this to be Christ like. 00:09:16.21\00:09:19.21 No, no, excuse me for coming in there, 00:09:19.22\00:09:21.42 because it occurs to me that there was a day 00:09:21.43\00:09:24.23 in which we would call this kind of parenting, 00:09:24.24\00:09:26.95 an indulgent parent. But now in this age, yes, 00:09:26.96\00:09:30.37 they say a kind, considerate.... A child centered parent, 00:09:30.38\00:09:33.06 is child centered. Alright. But it used to have another name. 00:09:33.07\00:09:36.25 Permissive kind. Yeah, it was a permissive, 00:09:36.26\00:09:39.59 indulgent parent. Yes, right. Yeah, now you are not saying 00:09:39.60\00:09:42.65 that we shouldn't be kind and... Not at all, and, that's why 00:09:42.66\00:09:45.94 I can't address everything that I want to address. 00:09:45.95\00:09:47.89 So, I've to zero in on something. 00:09:47.90\00:09:50.44 Go ahead. And, but I wanna, you know the parents today, 00:09:50.45\00:09:55.40 there is a multitude of material in psychology 00:09:55.41\00:09:58.85 that parents could go to. But, a lot of it does not, 00:09:58.86\00:10:04.65 nearly all of it, does not really have 00:10:04.66\00:10:06.52 biblical principles in it. We have either one side 00:10:06.53\00:10:10.81 or the other or something that's completely off the ball. 00:10:10.82\00:10:13.93 And I think secular parenting teaches either control 00:10:13.94\00:10:19.63 or self-actualization and I would just say that 00:10:19.64\00:10:23.73 the former. Often are two extreme positions. Yes, 00:10:23.74\00:10:26.40 they are! The former would had to do with some, 00:10:26.41\00:10:30.28 the harsh authoritarian, 00:10:30.29\00:10:32.82 or making the parents wishes supreme. 00:10:32.83\00:10:35.96 And the latter would have do with the child's wishes 00:10:35.97\00:10:39.11 being supreme. You know Kathy it occurs to me that many times, 00:10:39.12\00:10:44.16 we seem to be confronted with, 00:10:44.17\00:10:47.01 and I think we have an expression, 00:10:47.02\00:10:48.23 we're the lesser of the evils. In other words somebody 00:10:48.24\00:10:49.83 will come to you and say of which you think we ought to be, 00:10:49.84\00:10:52.52 should we be this or this, yes. When the fact 00:10:52.53\00:10:54.91 is we should neither, neither, we should be something else. 00:10:54.92\00:10:57.90 And I think that's what I hear you saying. 00:10:57.91\00:11:00.11 There are two extremes, and a person says well, 00:11:00.12\00:11:03.12 if I've got be a Dictator or let the child develop itself, 00:11:03.13\00:11:07.16 right, right. I'll let the child develop itself. 00:11:07.17\00:11:08.38 But that really isn't the option that the scripture 00:11:08.39\00:11:10.42 would refer us to. Well, no and yet there is a blend of 00:11:10.43\00:11:13.73 discipline and warm communication can work together 00:11:13.74\00:11:17.70 and I believe that's what the Bible presents to us, 00:11:17.71\00:11:20.99 neither fully one side, or the other. 00:11:21.00\00:11:23.27 Now, I would like to say too that having been to some 00:11:23.28\00:11:26.45 of the places that I've been, I see and when we were doing 00:11:26.46\00:11:28.98 property management, what I see is not just, 00:11:28.99\00:11:32.18 not just harsh or indulgence. What I see often times 00:11:32.19\00:11:37.79 is indulgent, indulgent, indulgent, indulgent, 00:11:37.80\00:11:41.57 then explosion. Okay. And then harsh you know... 00:11:41.58\00:11:45.08 Going from one extreme to the next. Oh, yes, 00:11:45.09\00:11:47.64 and just until hostility develops between 00:11:47.65\00:11:50.46 you and your child and that's when parents are read to pull 00:11:50.47\00:11:53.46 their hair out, they don't know exactly what to do. 00:11:53.47\00:11:56.13 Well, where do we begin? What is the best thing 00:11:56.14\00:11:58.91 in parenting? Its God's word. It's got be in God's word 00:11:58.92\00:12:04.23 and I think it, I think well haven't we always done, 00:12:04.24\00:12:07.45 isn't that what we used to do in authoritarian, 00:12:07.46\00:12:09.34 wasn't that God's word. Now, now, hold that just a second, 00:12:09.35\00:12:12.09 because it occurs to me and I don't wanna be disrespectful. 00:12:12.10\00:12:16.83 But you know you can make the Bible say about 00:12:16.84\00:12:18.61 anything you want to. Yes. And I read a term one time 00:12:18.62\00:12:21.96 is called bibilize. See, I think it's possible to take a concept 00:12:21.97\00:12:28.64 that's really not in harmony with the word of God. 00:12:28.65\00:12:32.28 Go find some little text for it some place, 00:12:32.29\00:12:34.73 you know sort of out of context, it doesn't fit the picture. 00:12:34.74\00:12:37.00 And impose it and say well, here is the Bible text for that. 00:12:37.01\00:12:39.35 When the truth is, it's not within the Bible principle. 00:12:39.36\00:12:42.62 But it maynot be a Bible principle, 00:12:42.63\00:12:46.56 and I think this is important that we address this. 00:12:46.57\00:12:50.23 Because not everything that has the word 00:12:50.24\00:12:53.06 Bible painted on it, right, is necessarily following 00:12:53.07\00:12:56.70 a biblical principle. Biblical principle, 00:12:56.71\00:12:58.05 that's right. And I think in the past 00:12:58.06\00:13:00.80 when everybody said, do it or else, and felt 00:13:00.81\00:13:04.61 that was the Bible way. It took a portion of, 00:13:04.62\00:13:09.15 how I can I say this without being misunderstood. 00:13:09.16\00:13:12.15 I don't think we've truly seen the depth of biblical principle, 00:13:12.16\00:13:16.90 or biblical modeling of parenting shown yet. 00:13:16.91\00:13:20.14 I don't think we've really seen it, 00:13:20.15\00:13:21.71 not yet but not often. And when that happens 00:13:21.72\00:13:24.61 in our heart or we need it to be happening in our heart, 00:13:24.62\00:13:29.85 a good blend of discipline and warm communication. 00:13:29.86\00:13:33.99 But I wanna, I wanna go to a scripture Dick, 00:13:34.00\00:13:38.73 and it's in Deuteronomy 6. And I think this is where 00:13:38.74\00:13:42.34 we have to begin. And it starts at Deuteronomy 6 verse 4, 00:13:42.35\00:13:46.95 And it says Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one God, 00:13:46.96\00:13:51.03 one Lord, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God 00:13:51.04\00:13:53.92 with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, 00:13:53.93\00:13:56.17 and with all thy might, And these words, 00:13:56.18\00:13:58.79 which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. 00:13:58.80\00:14:02.70 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, 00:14:02.71\00:14:06.33 and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, 00:14:06.34\00:14:09.17 and when thou walkest by the way, 00:14:09.18\00:14:10.96 and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 00:14:10.97\00:14:14.00 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, 00:14:14.01\00:14:17.57 and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 00:14:17.58\00:14:19.70 Now, I've a question. Who is it He's talking to? 00:14:19.71\00:14:23.91 Make it easy. It is, it's pretty easy, 00:14:23.92\00:14:25.90 who is he talking to? Let me guess, 00:14:25.91\00:14:26.88 who is He talking to? It sounds like 00:14:26.89\00:14:28.55 he's talking to parents. He is, well He said Hear, 00:14:28.56\00:14:31.19 Israel. Yeah. Okay, they are the responsible 00:14:31.20\00:14:33.60 ones listening doesn't mean the youth weren't there, 00:14:33.61\00:14:36.78 the young people weren't there. But he's talking to the parents. 00:14:36.79\00:14:38.88 He is talking to parents. And do you remember 00:14:38.89\00:14:42.65 what he said where should it be? No, I didn't know, 00:14:42.66\00:14:46.48 of course our viewing audience, they weren't with us 00:14:46.49\00:14:49.86 when we were kind of talking, you know working up to this. 00:14:49.87\00:14:51.70 Yes. So, I know all the right answers to this, 00:14:51.71\00:14:53.91 you know so they won't think I'm smarter or something. 00:14:53.92\00:14:56.66 I'm hearing... It's pretty simple though. 00:14:56.67\00:14:58.65 I'm hearing this text say that is being addressed 00:14:58.66\00:15:01.77 to parents and it's saying that the word of God should be 00:15:01.78\00:15:05.37 in our own hearts. Yes. It's got be in our own hearts. 00:15:05.38\00:15:08.41 Yeah. And I think that where we're going to go is 00:15:08.42\00:15:11.56 that maybe it's possible, this is kind of 00:15:11.57\00:15:14.13 on the negative side for parents to be trying to teach 00:15:14.14\00:15:18.45 their children something that isn't in their own heart. 00:15:18.46\00:15:20.42 Yes, exactly. But he is saying teach it to them 00:15:20.43\00:15:24.33 he said in thine own hearts and then he said how, 00:15:24.34\00:15:27.06 teach to them how? You have to help me 00:15:27.07\00:15:30.99 out with that, I grew a blank. Diligently, 00:15:31.00\00:15:33.61 that's right. Okay is that... And diligently mean 00:15:33.62\00:15:36.46 just intentionally, intentionally, this would be 00:15:36.47\00:15:38.86 a word that we would use these days. Right, 00:15:38.87\00:15:40.45 how? We use the word diligent, when we would say, 00:15:40.46\00:15:43.72 you know you got be intentional about that. Yes, 00:15:43.73\00:15:45.65 that kind of a replacement word now but diligent, 00:15:45.66\00:15:48.10 we don't say as much. Right. But to teach it to them 00:15:48.11\00:15:50.12 diligently means intentional. And it means obviously 00:15:50.13\00:15:53.46 that you need to know something about what you're doing 00:15:53.47\00:15:56.24 and you can't just assume a child's is gonna grow up 00:15:56.25\00:15:58.45 with your values, or on its own, and be a child 00:15:58.46\00:16:04.48 that's going to accept Christian values. 00:16:04.49\00:16:07.18 It simply isn't. It's got to be taught to them diligently. 00:16:07.19\00:16:09.59 And, so I would, if we're under the hand of God. 00:16:09.60\00:16:14.72 And it's in our heart then... Lets see, 00:16:14.73\00:16:20.75 because this program is so small, 00:16:20.76\00:16:23.78 so short in time, I've to start somewhere. 00:16:23.79\00:16:27.47 So, after it's in our heart, I just would like to 00:16:27.48\00:16:31.64 read a couple of things about, 00:16:31.65\00:16:33.14 that I, out of a favorite book of mine. 00:16:33.15\00:16:39.93 And it's about training and not just telling a child 00:16:39.94\00:16:46.06 what to do. And I had a tendency just to tell them 00:16:46.07\00:16:49.59 what to do. And I had to learn much more about training 00:16:49.60\00:16:53.76 a child what to do. And training takes intentional 00:16:53.77\00:16:57.51 and diligent effort. Okay, and it says 00:16:57.52\00:17:00.63 here on page 38 of the book. You can see all my goodies here 00:17:00.64\00:17:03.61 I've marked all kinds of things. Okay, a Child Guidance. 00:17:03.62\00:17:05.72 And the book is called Child Guidance, 00:17:05.73\00:17:08.25 and it was a favorite of mine, there has been a lot of material 00:17:08.26\00:17:11.88 out now that can match this, but most do not. 00:17:11.89\00:17:15.21 It's not better then that. It's not any better than this. 00:17:15.22\00:17:17.78 And right here we're talking about on page 38, 00:17:17.79\00:17:21.10 it says many fathers and mothers seem to think that 00:17:21.11\00:17:22.90 if they feed and clothe their little ones, 00:17:22.91\00:17:25.19 and educate them according to the standard of the world, 00:17:25.20\00:17:27.62 they have done their duty. They are too much occupied 00:17:27.63\00:17:30.59 with business or pleasure to make education 00:17:30.60\00:17:34.14 of their children the study of their lives. 00:17:34.15\00:17:36.33 They do not seek to train them, so that they will employ 00:17:36.34\00:17:39.84 their talents for the honor of their Redeemer. 00:17:39.85\00:17:41.84 Solomon did not say, 00:17:41.85\00:17:43.52 "Tell a child the way he should go, 00:17:43.53\00:17:46.05 and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 00:17:46.06\00:17:48.26 But, "Train up a child in the way he should go, 00:17:48.27\00:17:51.98 and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 00:17:51.99\00:17:54.70 So training to me says that, I need to address 00:17:54.71\00:17:59.58 the attitudes of the heart. All right. I'm not just asking 00:17:59.59\00:18:03.23 them merely to behave. Now, do I want good behavior? 00:18:03.24\00:18:06.10 Of course. Do I expect the child to become 00:18:06.11\00:18:08.76 reverend and respectful, and that doesn't come naturally. 00:18:08.77\00:18:12.94 So yes, I want good behavior. But, I want to say first 00:18:12.95\00:18:21.76 that child training, if you do not address the heart, 00:18:21.77\00:18:22.74 you've missed it. Okay. Okay, now we've talked about this 00:18:22.75\00:18:27.67 little before we got started. 00:18:27.68\00:18:29.08 Addressing the attitudes of the heart 00:18:31.87\00:18:34.04 takes moral reasoning. 00:18:34.05\00:18:38.20 Can you reason morally with a two year old? 00:18:38.21\00:18:43.97 Do you know I would just say to our viewers 00:18:43.98\00:18:46.65 when Kathy and I... And somebody might said yes, 00:18:46.66\00:18:48.22 my child, you can do that. I told Kathy that 00:18:48.23\00:18:51.26 I've an experience for this. Because Betty, 00:18:51.27\00:18:55.57 before the birth of our first child Cindy. Yes. 00:18:55.58\00:18:58.98 Read this book Child Guidance, and something popped out, 00:18:58.99\00:19:04.53 was about reasoning with children. 00:19:04.54\00:19:05.97 Yes, and go ahead. And of course, and of course, 00:19:05.98\00:19:09.16 of course we must reason with our children. 00:19:09.17\00:19:10.85 Yes. But I think that what we're gonna go in the program 00:19:10.86\00:19:13.51 now is that, is that when a child is first born. 00:19:13.52\00:19:17.11 In other words, you got to have something 00:19:17.12\00:19:18.09 to reason with. Yes, you do. 00:19:18.10\00:19:19.54 Can you reason with a two year old? 00:19:19.55\00:19:21.68 And, so, I think that if we, if we... 00:19:21.69\00:19:24.72 I think we kind of got ahead of ourselves, 00:19:24.73\00:19:26.68 because I think Betty began to reason with Cindy. 00:19:26.69\00:19:30.36 And she reasoned with her to the place 00:19:30.37\00:19:31.87 where a little two year old like you said, 00:19:31.88\00:19:33.58 felt that if she was given a good reason 00:19:33.59\00:19:35.68 for the little two year's old mind, 00:19:35.69\00:19:36.92 she didn't have to do it. And I think that you got 00:19:36.93\00:19:39.87 problem with that. You do. Well, I hope you do. 00:19:39.88\00:19:42.36 I do, I do. And there is, and there is certainly 00:19:42.37\00:19:46.81 reason for it. A child does not have the experience, 00:19:46.82\00:19:49.68 they don't really have the moral, 00:19:49.69\00:19:51.05 the capacity to reason at those early ages. 00:19:51.06\00:19:53.24 No. I'm not talking about the possibility of some prodigy. 00:19:53.25\00:19:57.53 I'm talking about the average child. Right. 00:19:57.54\00:19:59.45 The average child cannot do this. 00:19:59.46\00:20:00.56 Now we will read another couple of things. Okay. 00:20:00.57\00:20:02.48 Out of Child Guidance, page 82, it says begin 00:20:02.49\00:20:06.39 the Teaching Early - Obedience to parental authority 00:20:06.40\00:20:10.35 should be inculcated, what is that? 00:20:10.36\00:20:14.61 Just get it into their heads. Yes, but I was fascinated 00:20:14.62\00:20:17.17 with that word, when I first read it 00:20:17.18\00:20:18.50 several years ago, so I looked up 00:20:18.51\00:20:19.94 in the dictionary. Okay. It means to make a path. 00:20:19.95\00:20:22.54 All right. You have to make a path. 00:20:22.55\00:20:23.97 Now, with all that we know about brain function and dendrites 00:20:23.98\00:20:28.76 and neurons, and pathways. You have to, 00:20:28.77\00:20:32.51 you have to help them with disarmament and wisdom. 00:20:32.52\00:20:35.57 It has to be a path in their frontal lobe, 00:20:35.58\00:20:39.86 so to speak. So, we need to inculcate from when? 00:20:39.87\00:20:43.23 From babyhood, from babyhood. Now, we're not talking about 00:20:43.24\00:20:47.49 the five or six year old. We're still talking about 00:20:47.50\00:20:50.29 the younger age. So, they're just starting out. 00:20:50.30\00:20:51.97 Training, it says, obedience to parental authority. 00:20:51.98\00:20:56.06 Now, I'm gonna go down just a little bit further, 00:20:56.07\00:20:57.83 still talk about reasoning. Okay. And the title 00:20:57.84\00:21:01.66 to this little section is, Before Reason Is Developed, 00:21:01.67\00:21:04.07 one of the first lessons a child needs to learn 00:21:04.91\00:21:07.12 is the lesson of obedience. Before he is old enough 00:21:07.13\00:21:11.36 to reason, he may be taught to obey. 00:21:11.37\00:21:14.12 Now many, before we were talking about a moment ago. 00:21:14.59\00:21:17.10 You wanna reason too early, well what does that 00:21:18.55\00:21:20.31 make out of the parent? The parents' almost 00:21:20.32\00:21:23.42 asking permission, almost asking the child 00:21:23.43\00:21:25.33 and say would you mind obeying me, 00:21:25.85\00:21:27.83 would you do me a favor? Yes, because they're, 00:21:28.11\00:21:30.63 because many Christian parents want to be as Christ 00:21:31.38\00:21:34.12 like as possible, they mistake their Christ likeness... 00:21:34.13\00:21:37.58 Oh boy, I hope you don't take and pick my words apart. 00:21:37.59\00:21:43.95 There is so much to this, that I just cannot get 00:21:43.96\00:21:46.62 everything I like to in. But because parents want 00:21:46.63\00:21:50.93 to reason when a child too soon, 00:21:50.94\00:21:53.76 they forget that the first lesson is obedience 00:21:53.92\00:21:56.70 and they try to reason and coax and plead, 00:21:57.27\00:22:00.65 and then become threatening repeating parents. 00:22:00.99\00:22:03.91 And then explosion happens, see. 00:22:04.30\00:22:06.40 So, now let me read a little bit more. 00:22:07.86\00:22:09.45 It says, few parents begin early enough 00:22:09.46\00:22:12.41 to teach their children obedience. 00:22:12.42\00:22:13.90 The child is usually allowed to get two or three years 00:22:13.91\00:22:17.91 the start of its parents. Who forbear to discipline it, 00:22:17.92\00:22:22.34 thinking it is too young to learn to obey. Alright. 00:22:22.35\00:22:25.57 Okay, so, we wanna address the attitudes of the heart, 00:22:26.13\00:22:30.21 but we want to do that in an age appropriateness. Okay. 00:22:30.22\00:22:34.11 So, we start with our parenting first lesson is obedience. 00:22:34.20\00:22:39.69 Now, there is a first, there is a thing 00:22:39.70\00:22:45.29 that we need to learn as parents. 00:22:45.30\00:22:46.85 How do I get from... to there from here? 00:22:48.00\00:22:50.87 Yes, right. And one of the... 00:22:50.88\00:22:53.37 because I wanted to zero in on one little something 00:22:53.89\00:22:55.90 that I could give is, if a parent wants to be consistent, 00:22:55.91\00:23:02.05 or if a parent wants to teach obedience, 00:23:02.40\00:23:04.62 then they need to learn to be consistent. Okay. 00:23:04.63\00:23:06.69 Of course we already talked about being in your heart, 00:23:06.70\00:23:08.42 kindness. Right, right. 00:23:08.43\00:23:09.64 But a little thing is, if you would learn to help 00:23:10.48\00:23:15.24 the child to do first time obedience, 00:23:15.34\00:23:18.15 not just first lesson is obedience. 00:23:18.33\00:23:21.07 But if you would do first time obedience that means what? 00:23:21.32\00:23:25.86 When if I'm asking the child to do something, 00:23:26.27\00:23:27.95 then I don't allow myself to get to the point of hostility. 00:23:28.81\00:23:31.77 If the child is not obeying, when you ask them to do 00:23:32.52\00:23:35.91 and if it's within reason I mean, 00:23:35.92\00:23:37.35 I'm not talking about every little thing. 00:23:37.36\00:23:38.92 And its in reason you've asked them 00:23:40.18\00:23:42.58 then teach them to obey the first time you asked. 00:23:42.76\00:23:46.02 Then you can avoid a great deal of becoming indulgent 00:23:46.78\00:23:50.62 and becoming too permissive, and becoming hostile 00:23:50.63\00:23:53.33 because they didn't obey you. Just one little thing, 00:23:53.34\00:23:57.17 teach first time obedience. And that just going back 00:23:57.51\00:24:02.53 to the thing that says, because you know, 00:24:02.54\00:24:06.49 because I've asked you, you need to learn to obey me. 00:24:06.50\00:24:09.70 Now, I see a little a smirk on you. 00:24:10.53\00:24:13.31 No, no, because I remember my dad, 00:24:13.32\00:24:15.44 and you know he would say because I would say why. 00:24:16.03\00:24:19.42 Then I'm not talking about a little one, yes, 00:24:19.67\00:24:20.87 and we are talking early start year. 00:24:20.88\00:24:22.91 I'm talking about an early start, an early start; 00:24:22.92\00:24:24.76 we are not talking about what to do when you 00:24:24.77\00:24:26.62 are later on necessarily. But I can remember, 00:24:26.63\00:24:28.33 I can remember as a little boy, I say why, because I said so. 00:24:28.34\00:24:32.09 Well, no. But I don't object to that, 00:24:32.10\00:24:34.66 because I think that's consistent that, 00:24:34.67\00:24:36.87 that we must train up our children to be obedient. 00:24:36.88\00:24:41.13 You see some people will even argue 00:24:41.26\00:24:43.32 in the later on into Christian life. 00:24:43.33\00:24:44.95 Well, you know God doesn't expect 00:24:45.20\00:24:46.54 us to obey unless we understand. 00:24:46.55\00:24:48.61 And I would, I would argue that I don't think 00:24:49.04\00:24:52.17 we are going to ever, I don't think we're ever going 00:24:52.18\00:24:54.50 to understand until we obey. And that's what I hear 00:24:54.51\00:24:57.20 you saying Kathy, that if we are going to 00:24:57.21\00:25:00.51 teach the child how to reason. 00:25:00.84\00:25:02.26 We are talking about moral values. 00:25:02.73\00:25:04.33 Yes. Then they have to start with obedience, 00:25:04.34\00:25:06.83 not with the reason, I think that's what you are saying. 00:25:07.04\00:25:08.68 That's right, that's where we have to start 00:25:08.69\00:25:10.42 and you know our time is almost gone 00:25:10.43\00:25:12.06 and I've got nowhere. That's because you know 00:25:12.07\00:25:14.02 this is a seminar that will probably last for five nights. 00:25:14.03\00:25:16.66 You will, yes actually when I'm facilitating a seminar, 00:25:17.49\00:25:20.57 that last 18 weeks. And, now I use other material, 00:25:20.58\00:25:24.31 I have used some good material by some friends 00:25:24.32\00:25:27.52 that I feel like matches what we get from the Bible 00:25:27.53\00:25:29.82 and Spirit of Prophecy. And I incorporated more things. 00:25:29.83\00:25:33.33 But you know because I've had little opportunity, 00:25:33.34\00:25:37.75 I hope people will give me the benefit of the doubt, 00:25:37.76\00:25:39.86 there are, there so many other things that we can move to. 00:25:39.87\00:25:42.95 Well, Kathy, what I've heard you say 00:25:42.96\00:25:44.41 in this program and as we mentioned 00:25:44.42\00:25:47.51 you know you did lay down all the reasons, 00:25:48.07\00:25:50.98 read all the books. But I think the appeal 00:25:50.99\00:25:53.32 is lets don't be afraid to teach our children to obey. 00:25:53.33\00:25:57.43 To obey us, right. And, we do that because 00:25:57.44\00:26:02.07 God told us to do. The first thing that he asks 00:26:02.08\00:26:05.04 of us is to obey. The first thing we ask 00:26:05.05\00:26:07.44 of our children is to obey, and obviously I think 00:26:07.45\00:26:09.76 you've already ruled out. Are we gonna do like dictators? 00:26:09.77\00:26:12.69 No, we're gonna do it like this? No... 00:26:12.97\00:26:14.90 It has to be in our heart. It's in our heart, 00:26:17.42\00:26:19.31 it has to be has to be Christ like in our heart. 00:26:19.32\00:26:21.38 Now the child might, might not always want to follow along, 00:26:21.39\00:26:25.46 but probably the biggest favor we do to our children 00:26:25.72\00:26:29.61 is in teaching them to obey. Yes. 00:26:29.85\00:26:31.85 That's what I'm hearing you say. I want to clear up something 00:26:31.86\00:26:33.54 before we are going into our prayer and that is, 00:26:33.55\00:26:36.33 at the right time, we need to give the 00:26:37.16\00:26:39.58 moral reasons why so. Of course. 00:26:39.59\00:26:41.74 We can go into that some other time, 00:26:41.75\00:26:43.50 but because they need a moral warehouse. 00:26:43.51\00:26:46.26 They need something to relate to, 00:26:46.27\00:26:48.06 so that when they're not around mother and daddy 00:26:48.07\00:26:49.81 that they can obey from their heart, 00:26:50.24\00:26:52.76 but that's later... From a principle that they've learned. 00:26:52.77\00:26:54.66 From a principle that they've learned. 00:26:54.67\00:26:55.95 So, its not just do it, it's just because I said so, 00:26:55.96\00:26:58.62 so don't go away thinking I am talking about that. 00:26:58.63\00:27:02.35 Well, no and I didn't hear that. I think what you've talked about 00:27:02.36\00:27:06.59 is how should we start our children, 00:27:06.60\00:27:09.43 and what should we start them with. 00:27:09.44\00:27:11.31 And now, let's start them with the obedience. Right. 00:27:11.32\00:27:13.57 And from there they have sanctified reason. Right. 00:27:13.75\00:27:16.88 And don't be afraid to be parents. 00:27:16.89\00:27:18.22 No... Not at all. Well, let's pray, 00:27:18.23\00:27:20.27 for us as parents, yes, for those who are 00:27:21.06\00:27:23.59 watching our program. Okay. Heavenly Father, 00:27:23.60\00:27:26.08 we are thankful that you shared with us, 00:27:26.09\00:27:28.29 that we could be part in the creation 00:27:28.90\00:27:30.69 process of our children. And Lord that you've said to us 00:27:30.70\00:27:35.06 that we should train the children 00:27:35.07\00:27:36.54 and we should train them from our hearts. 00:27:36.55\00:27:38.43 We pray first of all that you will be in our hearts. 00:27:38.96\00:27:41.89 Lord, teach us as parents to obey your will, 00:27:42.33\00:27:45.16 to delight to do your will. And then Lord, 00:27:45.17\00:27:48.07 may we someway, somehow, through the Holy Spirit, 00:27:48.08\00:27:50.73 within our hearts and in our homes, 00:27:51.48\00:27:53.55 may we be able to convey this 00:27:53.56\00:27:55.76 joy of obedience to our children that they might grow... 00:27:55.77\00:27:59.49