And isn’t this our walk with God? We don’t measure our life by lack of challenges, but through it all, we seek to be connected with God…and as we seek and he is faithful, we know more of his character, ways, and purposes…and who we are in light of who he is.

I truly believe that how we parenting is a reflection of who and how we TRULY believe God to be. Parenting is a spiritual journey, for me, to parent my children as I understand God to parent me…and as I seek to do this, I continually find my understanding of God challenged…and I find myself both more and less like him than I thought. And I grow…and so do my children…

I have often said that our sin management church theology idolizes sin by focusing so much on it and brings our attention always to our own selves (as opposed to God and others). All the major Christian parenting influencers have done is take the sin management in the Western church and tailored it to parenting.

It’s always great to hear someone else with another way to articulate. I hadn’t thought of the individual vs. communal – though I very strongly emphasize the relational priorities in parenting.

I have something simular but switched around. I was a X Drug addict now recovered and restored plus given more by the Lord Jesus Christ. I went away to Teen Challenge for a 1 year program later on to go back for 6 more months. When I was there I really was introduced to God, gave him my life, had recieved a transformed life and mind and became a spirit filled person. I was taught many Godly views, values, virtues, and morals, as the seed of Jesus Christ in my life. That time was spent away from my parents for the most part. When I left the program, I found myself standing on a ledge in my mind and heart with my parents, ready to say one thing in insucirity and fall and lose everything I ever was taught at teen challenge by and through God. I knew my parents did’nt know very much about God and when a conversation was formed of him, it became pridefull, insulting, judgemental and stired up war, even confusing knowing im there child, Gods child and under there authority and Gods authority. Then finding the understanding of unforgiveness and dishonor, judgement of there ungodlyness and the fear that comes in the midst of one trying to do the right thing while stones are being cast all around, enough to lose your mind, but worth it in the end. I found intrappedment and the reality of a lost mind I gained in all of this, I felt like a insult, a guilty person and confused one with a colusion that I can only disown my parents to overcome this because I need Gods love anyways to love them. I came to a few scriptures I tried to use to help my trouble heart. One was Luke 12:52-53 – 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law – I have tried to divide it with the scripture of loving your enemies, it just can be hard to except the fact that ones parents are there enemies and try to embrace the viewing of that each day but missing the point of why he mentioned to love them, heard the statement keep your friends close and your enemies closer? The guiltness and wrongness ones feels about that but the assuance and truth the word brings when one puts there trust in it to bring about a whole lot of love to have a relationship with my parents even when were ripping each others heads and divided. The aim is Jesus and a Godly Life. The next scripture was – Mathew 15:4-8 – 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. – This is really good because it lets me know how much God is in control, how much he can order things in or life, how much of the Way the Truth and Life he really is if we just choose to love. Above all, love, He said they honor me with there mouth & lips but there hearts are far from me. think about it the closer our hearts are to Jesus, the closer we understand him, and him in or life, he is able to help and build us up to be a Godly personal image and have identitiy of him and in him. “Who ever curses his father or mother let him die the death”, Its like Grace vrs. Legalism. “The gift is Jesus”, He is or gift, “everything”, if you want him to be. He is the gift of life. The scriptures say’s “It is a gift” after that the scripture points out this gift being profitable, and being able to make someone free and causing dishonor to parents breaking the commandent making the word of God of no affect, leaving out the basic fundamental foundations of God, I heard a pastor say once you cant pick and choose out the bible. This word points out that there is a possibilty to deny the word of God by actually trying to embrace more of it, even the possibility of a denial of all of it. which has left me with a conclusion of selfcenterness in God, meaning myself saying God this is who I am in you and how were doing this instead of God saying no this is who I am in you and this is how were doing this, “I want him now and in this way right now”, even if I dishonor you or am rude. Which isnt really right and it literally does feel like a insult or can turn out to be one when you say to you parents or think, well you didnt raise me Godly nor never really introduced to me the gift of Jesus in way I was conscious of him. Now I want to be Godly so forget you and those teaching because things have changed. kind of a tough statement, but there has got to be a loving way and a change of heart in all of this that Jesus has, while looking at my parents and in the ways that they have taught me while adventuring into new Godly things, with out it bringing about guilt and a feeling of unresponsible accountability, forsaken forgiveness, taring the word apart, making some of it useless and on top if it losing my mind. Mom, dad I want to change from the way you raised me, let me step in here with myself, “from my desicions I have made” and change into a Godly man. Is that okay with you leaves authority, is that going to be okay with you, is taking it out of pretense leaving room for there thoughts and there opinions and finds love in the center with change, Love is God, all things are possible with him and there is a way a truth and a life through him. The spirit can be insulting when your not in a repentive life thats given to God, (Im one to know) He’s just trying to help you. If your not living right basically you better right, “Be right with God” by doing that you’ll be right with everyone else and have patience, because there is a way a truth and life. This whole thing has been mind blowing But God has provailed and is glorious. Some how in some way he has brought peace in a unmeasurabel way and humbled me where I need to be.

We have three daughters in the public school near our home. They are 5, 7 & 9. We have often been questioned about our decision to send the girls to this particular school. Not only because it is public, but because they are by far in the economic and ethnic minority in every class so far. The academic performance is improving, but the scores still rate among the lowest in the district.

When it comes to conversations or questions related to fear and public schooling, we have hit the common topics of physical and emotional safety and stymied academic achievement. The questions are well-meaning and we have respectfully agreed to disagree with friends and relatives who make different choices. Our choice is working well for our family.

We have tried to broaden the discussion of what we as parents fear when it comes to education – fears that are based on our understanding of how to raise kids that know what it means to follow Jesus.

One example of this is our perspective on the friendships and soft skills they inevitably learn in school. We are fearful that if our kids don’t have regular opportunities to learn with and from people who are different from them, they might become too comfortable within their own social group, suspicious of other social groups, or be ill-equipped for the world we live in. We believe that experiencing God’s creativity in humanity at an early age will help to prepare them for living out Kingdom values in whatever vocation they choose.

The challenges they’ve faced are already shaping them and opening up awesome opportunities for discussion on issues of faith and how to experience God’s activity in their lives every day.

I appreciate the weight of the decision about education. We are relieved to have the decision behind us! At least until they get to middle and high school…

Her best friend was collapsing under the strain of middle school and her parents – also strong believers in public education – finally put her in a private Christian school. She has completely landed on her feet and thrives in her new environment.

My nephew went to a large public school in Texas and was pulled out to be homeschooled because he was getting beat up all the time and the school couldn’t seem to keep it from happening. It was a racially charged situation. He has done much better in his co-op.

We’ve chosen to stick with public school. I believe in the public school system and stay involved in hopes of making it just a bit better. I really dislike private Christian schools for a number of reasons and I have seen some homeschooling disasters. But I have also grown to respect the decisions that parents make for their children as I’ve seen alternatives to public schools really work for some kids.

I agree with Bill that we shouldn’t let a general cloud of fear distort our perceptions of public school or drive our decisions. And I agree that having some struggles benefits kids and helps them to grow. But when kids are really being damaged socially or educationally by their environment, sometimes parents have to do what they believe is best for their kids and that’s okay too.