Today's Gospel Reading: Mathew 4:12-17, 23-25
"This is then, how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error." 1 John 4:6
This particular reading stood out to me this morning. As we mother our children, there is always a fine line between truth and error. I cross over to the error side often. I know when I cross over and know that it is wrong but continue to mother in error anyway. Be it yelling, screaming, cursing under my breath (and sometimes out loud), letting them watch too much TV, letting them eat candy early in the morning, letting them win (getting away with what they shouldn't). We are called as mothers to live in truth, "mother" in truth. Yes, we all get tired and let things slide, but we have to stand for truth in all that we do. Our world accepts error way too easily and often. The way children run all over their parents today is acceptable in this "error-proned world" but completely unacceptable in living the truth. If my children act up in church, I yank them up out of the pew, take them to an empty back room and spank their bottoms. Yes, I might be wrong in the worlds eyes, but frankly, I believe I am teaching my children truth. There is no "if, ands or buts" about behaving in public and church for that matter. After spanking them, I let them sit and cry for a few seconds and then we immediately return back to the pew. Somehow, they behave very well the rest of mass. I refuse to let my children rule over me....refuse. I think this is a huge problem in the world today. Children are ruling their parents way too much.....Parents are letting the spirit of error reign. I believe if we pray for the spirit of truth every morning and ask for guidance in mothering throughout the day, we will teach our children in truth. Yes, we all fail in mothering from time-to-time, but if we focus on mothering in truth...having the spirit of truth in our hearts, on our minds and on our tongue, we will be doing the best we can do at our job.
So today, I am going to focus on the word truth....on what is truth and what is error. Maybe this simple practice will help us divide that fine line that sometimes gets out of focus.
Have a blessed Monday!
5 comments:
Child buttock-battering vs. DISCIPLINE:
Child buttock-battering for the purpose of gaining compliance is nothing more than an inherited bad habit.
Its a good idea for people to take a look at what they are doing, and learn how to DISCIPLINE instead of hit.
I think the reason why television shows like "Supernanny" and "Dr. Phil" are so popular is because that is precisely what many (not all) people are trying to do.
There are several reasons why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea. Here are some good, quick reads recommended by professionals:
Plain Talk About Spanking
by Jordan Riak,
The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children
by Tom Johnson,
NO VITAL ORGANS THERE, So They Say
by Lesli Taylor M.D. and Adah Maurer Ph.D.
Most compelling of all reasons to abandon this worst of all bad habits is the fact that buttock-battering can be unintentional sexual abuse for some children. There is an abundance of educational resources, testimony, documentation, etc available on the subject that can easily be found by doing a little research with the recommended reads-visit www.nospank.net.
Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea:
American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
Center For Effective Discipline,
PsycHealth Ltd Behavioral Health Professionals,
Churches' Network For Non-Violence,
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps,
Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children,
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In 26 countries, child corporal punishment is prohibited by law (with more in process). In fact, the US was the only UN member that did not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
"Lecturing your children can sometimes be as out of place as singing to people in mourning, but a whipping is a wise choice of discipline at any time." Sirach 22:6
I don't read books and look to the media for advice in disciplining my children. I look to scripture and the ways of our wise ancestors. Somehow they had better control over their children and in turn the children had so much more respect for their parents than they do today. This problem of reading too many books and having the wild idea that spanking is a form of sexual abuse is the exact reason our world is in the state it is....crazy!
I will say no more.
The vast majority of professionals agree that child buttock-battering isn’t healthy. A marginal few (mostly religious fundamentalists) think that child bottom-slapping is good. They use the same selective literalist interpretation of the Bible as was used to justify “witch”-burning, depraved torture methods for those accused of sin and heresy, slavery, racism, wife-beating, oppression of women and a host of other social ills.
I think spanking is a parents discipline choice. We spank and it works. I agree with you Kim. You an incrediable loving mother, your children know that.
We have to be in control of our children and not let them be in charge. Too many families have kids in charge or for that matter the adults that act as children. That's why the world is mostly immoral, selfish and childish.
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