The Wisdom of Youth

He made us accepted in the Beloved.  

Ephesians 1:6

One morning, experiencing one of those irritating situations that can happen in life, a father lost this temper.  He unleashed his frustration and anger on his son, who happened to be the closest target.  Later in the day, while he and his son were fishing, he became convicted about what he had said and done.  He began, 'Son, I was a little impatient this morning.'

'Uh huh,' the son grunted, reeling in his line and preparing to cast again.  The father continued, 'Uh... I realise I was a little hard to be around.'

Again, 'Uh huh,' was his son's only response.  The father continued, 'I... I want you to know that, uh...I feel bad about it.'  Then quick to justify himself he added, 'But you know, son, there are times that I'm just like that.'  The boy merely said, 'Uh huh.'

A few seconds passed, and then the boy added, 'You know, Dad, God uses you to teach all of us in the family patience.'

Our families have a way of 'nailing us' with their honesty, but rather than feeling hammered, take what they say as good advice.  Nobody else can help you grow into the nature of Christ Jesus as well as your family members!

Unless a father accepts his faults he will

most certainly doubt his virtues.

Heart Maker

"You must have a good heart," one man said to his child, "if you are going to act right in this world."  And then to illustrate his point he continued, "Suppose my watch was not keeping time very well.  Would it do any good if I went to the town clock, and made the hands of my watch point exactly the same as those of the larger clock in the square?  No, of course not!  Soon my watch would be just as inaccurate as before.  Rather, I should take my watch to a watchmaker, or to a jeweller who repairs watches.  It is only when my watch has been cleaned and repaired that its hands will be able to keep time accurately all day long."

When we spend time in prayer, we are, in like manner, going to the Heart Maker, asking Him to 'clean and repair' our hearts from the damage caused by sins we have committed.  We are asking Him to put us right again on the inside, so that we can act right on the outside.  When our children see us doing this, they are much more likely go to the Heart Maker when they feel their own lives are in disarray or 'out of sync' - rather than turn to the world and reset their soul according to its standards and priorities.

Have you visited the Heart Maker today?

Example is not the main thing in influencing

others.  It is the only thing.

Chocolate Truffles Recipe With Picture - Joyofbaking.com

Chocolate Truffles Recipe With Picture - Joyofbaking.com

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A Friend

I like the following article by Colleen Evans about friend, lover, marriage partner....

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A friend is someone you are comfortable with, someone whose company you prefer.  A friend is someone you can count on.

A friend is one who believes in you - someone with whom you can share your dreams.  In fact, a real friend is a person you want to share all of life with - and the sharing doubles the fun.

When you are hurting and you can share your struggles with a friend, it eases the pain.  A friend offers you safety and trust....

A friend will laugh with you, but not at you - a friend is fun.

A friend will pray with you - and for you.

My friend is someone with whom I can share my ideas and philosophies, someone with whom I can grow intellectually...

My friend is one who hears my cry of pain, who senses my struggle, who shares my lows as well as my highs.

My friend does not always say I am right, because sometimes I am not....

My lover, my friend - this is what a marriage partner should be.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Out of www!!

I was immobilized for 4 weeks - 'internetically'!! It's so good to be back online!! :)

The keyboard finally called it a day, and the only thing to do was to get a replacement. Somehow the shipment was delayed due to stock availability. Singapore has no stock, to them anything older than 2 years is 'antique' and they don't store 'antique'. After a worldwide Apple centre search, they finally found the part in India. That's the reason why it was delayed... from 5 days to 21 days!

But all ends well, I managed to get it done and on top of that, quite a number of new software installed in my Mac, that's what I called "a blessing in disguise", praise the Lord!

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Days after graduation....

Welcome to the POWERHOUSE HOME of 

^ -^ Chee Chung & Serena Wong ^-^

We have promoted (graduated) !!  Collected our certificate and now we are ready to teach and share what we have learnt to others.  

Though we were running a very tight schedule for 4 months but it was well worth it!!  In fact, I told my husband that, I don't mind going through the same course again.  

The reason of putting the lessons on the blog is for a dear friend who's staying in Den Haag, Holland.  I'm hoping and praying that she and her husband can take the lead and be the first to start Parents For Life course in Holland :)

Parents For Life

Week 9 - Destiny 

----------------------

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, 

says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, 

to give you a future and a hope" 

[Jeremiah 29:11]

A) Your Child's Destiny

• God has a specific plan and destiny for every child He sends into this world.  
• He trusts the care and nurturing of children to parents so that we might cooperate with His plan and help each child fulfill his or her destiny.  
• From birth to release and beyond you can help each of your children find and then accomplish their mission on earth.
  

B) The Early Years

• God has placed within each one of us a need for identity and destiny.
• During pregnancy pray over your child. Speak words of life, love, and acceptance to your child.
• Welcome your child into the world at birth. No matter what the circumstances of your life at the time, t hat child was sent from God in His timing and plan. Give your child a name that is a blessing.
• One of the most effective ways of helping your child grow into his or her destiny in the early years is to recognize the uniqueness of that child.  God has a reason for the qualities He has placed in each child and don't force all your children to be the same.
• You have learned how to assess your child's temperament, love languages, spiritual gifts, and learning styles. Each of these is given by God to fulfill His purpose and assignment on this earth. It's good to begin assessing these as early as possible but it's never too late to start.
• As you learn more about your child's personality and gifting you will see  God's plan for that child unfold.

C. The Middle Years

• Your child's destiny must first be rooted in Christ. It's impossible to know what they are until they know whose they are.
• The middle years are a time in a child's life when others begin to have as much influence as parents and family.
• Those we allow to influence our children must be a positive force in the development of their identity and destiny.
• Young children are impressionable and see all adults as authority figures.
• Many parents have taught their children to honor authority only to send them to be trained by those who adamantly oppose the values of the parents. This forces the children to honor two conflicting authorities.
• When parents do not provide identity and destiny, children will seek it through others. 
• Our children are too precious to allow others to tell them who they are and why they are here.

D. The Teen Years Into Adulthood

• Throughout these years our children move back and forth between wanting to be independent and wanting to be cared for.
• By this time in life we should know each of our children well.
• Although they may not be sure exactly how they are going to fulfill their destiny, they should know by now that they have one.
• They should be comfortable with the way God made them (temperament, gifts, love language, learning styles).
• The  teen years can be a time of focusing on self but it should be a time of learning to give out into the lives of others.
• The role of father is critical at this time of life.
• The father determines the sex of the child at conception and is vital in the development of identity and destiny for both sons and daughters.
• Fathers encourage their children beyond themselves desiring to "launch" their children into greatness.
• Mothers desire to hold while fathers desire to send.
• During the teen years the balance between privilege and responsibility become most important. All teenagers want privileges but they need to understand they go hand-in-hand with responsibility.
• This is an important time for contracts tha delineate both.
• This is training ground for release to adulthood where all decisions carry consequences, both good and bad.
• Teenagers who experience the reality that their decisions bring, enter adulthood with a healthy attitude toward personal responsibility and avoid becoming victims of circumstances. 
• This is a good time for you to expose them to philosophies and belief systems that do not agree with yours. This gives you an opportunity to discuss the issues while your children are still under your roof.
• "Cocooning" children does not do them a service as they will eventually be exposed to these things and then will have to face them alone.

E. Coaching Their Decisions

• Too often parents try to guide and even control the decisions of their adult children.
• Instead they need to coach, mentor, counsel and cast visions for their children.
• When our adult children are fiends they are confidants with whom we can share not just thoughts and opinions but relate to one another heart to heart.
• As children mature, instead of telling them what decisions to make about vocation, friends, education, finances, etc., we can learn to coach them.
• Coaches don't play the game for their teams, they simply give training and input to help discover mistakes, work on weaknesses, learn skills for improving play, and become winners.
• coaches see the talent and gifts within each team player and work to maximize those abilities.
• We want to see our adult children succeed in relationships and vocations that fulfill God's plan for their lives.
• They need coaching to help sort out and set priorities in life.
• As coaches we impart the basics in order to win: God first, family next, then work, church, rest, recreation and other things follow.
• as effective coaches we model and say to our children, "In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success" [Proverbs 3:6]

F. Mentoring Their Relationships

• Parents become invaluable counselors and mentors for children as they grow into courtship, marriage, and parenting themselves.
• As counselors to our maturing and adult children we listen, speak the truth in love, point to our children's gifts, potential and talents.
• We comfort them when they fail to make the right turn while pointing them back in the right direction.
• Encouragement is an essential dynamic between parents and children as they grow into becoming friends for life.
• To encourage is to deposit courage, bravery, boldness, and assertiveness.
• That enables them to stand firm in the Lord  through the trials and test that they face in their own families.
• Mentoring sets an example as parents go through life ahead of their children [1 Corinthians 11:1].
• Adult children are always watching how we handle job changes, moving to new homes and locations, making and maintaining friendships, working through conflict and difficulties, and moving into the empty nest and senior years with grace, purpose and commitment to christ.
• That is the desire of parent mentors. We remain faithful to the values and truths of our Christian walk as trustworthy examples and witnesses to our children.
• Integrity, courage, and faithfulness become a strong threefold cord that ties us generationally to our children and families.
• We must not only start this parenting race strong, we must finish strong as well.

G. Leaving A Legacy

• Leave a legacy for your children and your children's children.
• We must plan the legacy and inheritance that we leave that includes good financial management as well as teaching God's truth to our children.
• Our responsibility as parents is not only to leave a financial inheritance but sow the fruit of the Spirit into our families as well.
• That legacy becomes a blessing that is enjoyed by each succeeding generation.
• It becomes the foundation of biblical t ruth that guides the decisions of our children.
• From early childhood to adulthood your child's spirit should be nurtured by the truth of God's Word.
• A parent who runs the race well and finishes strong results in this : "Her children rise up and call her blessed" [Proverbs 31:28] and "His children are blessed after him" [Proverbs 20:7]
• Our legacy goes beyond memories.  It's rooted in eternal truths of God passed on through the generations.

This is the last lesson of the course.  

Our Graduation Day is scheduled to be held on 17th January 2009!