Where are your children’s roots drawing nourishment from?

            Where our children draw their spiritual nourishment from is very important.  The Bible often uses the tree analogy to describe man.  Colossians 2:7 states that we are to “let our roots grow down in him and draw our nourishment from him.” (TLB). 

            Just like huge redwood trees, our children are grand and awesome, with their potentials being limitless.  They are extremely special to God and to us.  Their roots are their firm foundations from which they derive all the nourishment that they need to grow and flourish.  

            Ask yourselves, are my children’s roots getting the spiritual nourishment that they need?  Where are my children drawing or deriving their spiritual nourishment from?  Each parent should be readily able to answer these questions.

            Children will derive spiritual nourishment from having the Bible come alive to them and knowing God personally.  Make sure that they attend church regularly and participate in the children’s ministry at your church.  Many people make the mistake in believing that the children’s ministry is just a babysitting service while parents attend the adult church.   As a former children’s lay minister, I can assure you that it is not!  Your children will learn the Word of God at their levels. 

            Be sure to supplement what they learn at church with material at home.  Once a week church attendance is just not enough in this very noisy world that is trying to steal their attention.   Some of the things you can consider are the following: having a short, daily memory verse from the Bible; talking with them about what they learned in church; praying with them daily; having books about biblical heroes and Bible topics easily accessible for them to read; and having them watch Christian movies/videos and discussing with them to get their thoughts and feedback. 

            Also, be mindful of who are your children’s friends.  Are they also Christians?  Please read my blog post titled Helping Our Children Choose Their Friends, which will give you the Christian’s perspective on the type of friends for your children based on 1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character.”  (NIV).

Should You Take Your Child’s Friend on Vacation?

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The summer months are quickly approaching.  What are your family’s summer vacation plans?  Often, parents with an only child consider bringing along their child’s friend.  Please don’t make this decision in haste or just because your child begs you to.  There is a lot to consider and here are a few helpful suggestions.

Who will pay the costs?  This is a very important issue that needs to be addressed with the other parents.  Gather all your information first – such as transportation costs, hotel costs, approximate cost for food, costs for renting equipment (such as swim or snorkel gear), costs for admission to various theme parks and movie theaters, etc.   You might initially think that there would not be much extra cost, but once you sit down and plan it out, the high cost may surprise you.  In the end, you may just decide to bear the entire cost for the friend to make this a more enjoyable vacation for your child. 

What will you do for discipline? Since your form of discipline for your child may not be what the other parents approve of, this is also a critical topic to discuss.  There should be clear guidelines established beforehand.  But, even prior to your discussions with them, how well do you know the child?  Is the child one who is well-behaved and respectful when in your company?  Is this friendship one that you as a parent would like to encourage?  As Christians, we should always be mindful of who our children are friends with and who can influence them.  1 Corinthians 15:33 states “Bad company ruins good morals.” (ESV).

What will you do in the event medical care is needed? Again, this needs to be planned out.  In the event of a medical emergency, you will need to have the authority to obtain and provide medical care for this child.  Make sure you have the legal authority to do so.   Often, a copy of the child’s health insurance card and a letter from the parents is enough. 

When I was growing up, I went on many trips with my best friend as she was an only child.  We all had a lot of fun, parents included.  But, that all stemmed from them knowing me and my parents well, as well as me knowing them well.  I felt comfortable being with them and was not a discipline problem.  It all worked out wonderfully!