Good Christian Parenting

Mom, Dad & Me - May 1976

 While I was pondering the complexities of the universe, a question came to mind.  If falling away from God/Jesus/Church/Faith/Religion is so prevalent among people who were raised in Christian homes going to church, how come I never did?  I certainly had every 

opportunity, especially that first year in college when I was on my own with absolutely no accountability in my life to make me do what was right.  And yet, I didn't.

Now I'm not claiming I was perfect.  I certainly wasn't.  But I can say 



Dad & Me - October 1996

this absolutely, with no question or equivocation in my mind:  I never even came close to giving up my relationship with Jesus Christ.  And tonight I asked 

myself why.

Why didn't I abandon, or even question, the beliefs I had been taught?  Why did I always go to church, and feel extremely guilty whenever I missed?  Why didn't I go try out all the things that the world has to offer those who are ripe for temptation?

 

Mom & Me - October 1996

I'm not sure I have all the answers, but I think Good Christian 

Parenting would right at the top of my list.  So after reflecting very briefly on the way I was raised, and thinking very highly of the parenting skills of Mom & Dad, I thought I would share some thoughts with you about why I turned out so good. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. After Dad got saved (April 1976), Jesus was what our life was all about. 
2. Mom and Dad MADE me go to church.  Sunday school, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, any other night anything was going on at church, home Bible studies...none of it was optional.  Of course, I liked church, so it wasn't so much of a have to as a get to.
3. Mom and Dad taught me how to pray, at the tender age of 3.
4. Mom and Dad read me Bible stories every night before I went to sleep.  When I got old enough to read, I was expected to read them for myself.
5. Mom and Dad MADE me read my Bible, especially when I didn't want to.
6. If I developed attitude problems, Mom and Dad made attitude adjustments--grounding, lecturing, depriving, spanking.
7. Did I mention that my Dad believed in and practiced corporal punishment.  The government would like you to think you should go to jail if you hit your kids, but let me tell you something--a good and proper spanking can go a long way to bringing a wayward butt back into line.
8. Proverbs says that a man who loves his son will spank him, and that spanking will deliver a child from hell.  Well, my daddy loved me and wanted me to go to heaven, and he proved it to me often.  So did I mention that I got spanked?  Alot?
9. And after the spanking, Dad would take me in his arms and tell me he loved me.
10. And then he would explain to me what I had done to deserve the spanking.
11. And then he would pray for me.
12. And if none of that worked, he would rebuke the devil who he figured was influencing me.  Yeah, Dad was an extremist.
13. From the day he got saved, Dad lived out Christ-likeness in front of me.  He wasn't a perfect man, but he was definitely a godly man, husband, father, teacher, and friend to me.  I learned alot from his example.
14. From the day he got saved, Dad refused to compromise his faith in Jesus Christ, or his commitment to becoming like Jesus.
15. From the day he got saved, Dad told me I needed to get saved too.  Yes, at three-and-a-half, I needed Jesus for salvation.  And he did not rest until I accepted Jesus as my savior.
16. Mom and Dad couldn't make me live for Jesus, but they refused to let me live for the devil.  So I heard "no" alot.
17. Mom and Dad had rules, and I was expected to live by them.
18. Mom and Dad had standards, and I was expected to uphold them.
19. Mom and Dad had morals, and I was expected to abide by them.
20. Mom and Dad taught me that the Bible was absolutely the true Word of God--and if anyone contradicted the Bible, it didn't matter how smart they were, what degrees they'd earned, or what position they were in, they were wrong.  That made for alot of interesting science classes in school.
21. Mom and Dad taught me to respect authority, regardless of who was in it.
22. Mom and Dad stood up for me when I was wronged, but made sure I was really the one in the right.
23. Mom and Dad told me who I could and could not date (at least as long as I lived in their house). 
24. Mom and Dad MADE me eat whatever food was put in front of me.  But if I really hated it (like liver and spinach), they made the decision to not put it in front of me.
25. Mom and Dad taught me to say things like "yes ma'am" and "no sir" and "please" and "thank-you" and "you're welcome."  That's being polite.
26. Mom especially taught me about opening doors for ladies, and walking streetside on the sidewalk with lady, and chewing with my mouth closed, and not talking with my mouth full.  Those things are called manners.
27. Mom and Dad taught me to respect my elders, to be quiet unless I was spoken to, or later, to be quiet unless I had something of value to contribute.
28. Mom and Dad taught me to seek God for direction and for answers.
29. Mom and Dad showed me how to live by faith.
30. Mom and Dad loved me absolutely, without question, and never for a moment made me doubt it.

There's probably a whole lot more, but I'm telling you right now, if you want your children to grow up to be good Christian people, you need to put forth alot of effort when they're young.  After all, the Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

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My mother is going to give me what-for because of that first picture, but I couldn't resist.  As far as I know, this is the first picture of us as a family after Dad got saved.  And no, my parents weren't toothless hillbillies.  We were dressed up for a special church event.