Above is a pic of my youngest daughter and me.
My Husband, My brother in Christ
Partial to my Pantry
Here is an excerpt from the book, Mothers of the Wise and Good by J. Burns
(what I have written within this quote is in parentheses):
"How much evil may be prevented and how much good may be done by judicious management in the education of children... In order to form the minds of children, the first thing to be done is to conquer their wills, and bring them to an obedient temper. To inform the understanding is a work of time, and must, with children, proceed by slow degrees, as they are able to bear it; but the subjecting of the will is a thing that must be done at once, and the sooner the better; for by neglecting timely correction, they will correct a stubborn-ness and obstinancy which are hardly ever after conquered, and never without using such severity as would be as painful to me as to the child. In the esteem of the world, they pass for kind and indulgent, whom I call cruel parents; who permit their children to get habits which they know must be afterward broken. Nay, some are so stupidly fond, as in sport to teach their children to do things, which, in awhile afterwards, they have severely beaten them for doing. When a child is corrected, his will must be conquered, and this will be no matter hard to do, if it be not grown headstrong by too much indulgence. And when the will of a child is totally subdued, and when it is brought to revere and stand in awe of its parents, then a great many childish follies and inadvertencies must be passed by--some should be overlooked, and taken no notice of; and others mildly reproved (in the sense of choosing your battles wisely, for their will be many when training up a child for the glory of God); but no sinful transgression ought ever to be forgiven children, without chastisement less or more, as the nature and circumstances of the offense may require. I insist upon conquering the will of my children betimes, for this is the only strong and rational foundation of a religious education, without which, precepts and example will be ineffectual(for how can my children learn to obey and submit to their heavenly Father, if they cannot learn to submit to and obey their earthly parents.) But when this is thoroughly done, then a child is capable of being governed by the reason and piety of its parents, till its own understanding comes to maturity, and the principles of religion have taken root in the mind. I cannot yet dismiss this subject. As self-will is the root of all sin and misery, so, whatever cherishes this in children, insures their after wretchedness and irreligion; whatever checks and mortifies it, promotes their future happiness and piety."
I also love the story within this book of "The Mother in the Closet"... for I too, have a pantry closet that I go into to plead on behalf of my children to my Most High God and that I go into to plead for His wisdom in raising them up... a place I also run to so as not to respond in an ungodly manner, a lost temper... a safe place to pray and seek Him for the eternal perspective. Though I can and do stand and pray anywhere and drop to my knees at any time, I am partial to my pantry.
I also enjoyed reading the story of George Washington's mother regarding the providence of God.
Go to this link for AN EXCELLENT SPURGEON QUOTE: He loathed the rod
