tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8400340423678181828.post2080608542293592436..comments2023-10-04T18:01:43.464-05:00Comments on Dads Teach the Bible: EdumacationMike Cunninghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05971102076711413290noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8400340423678181828.post-22574695342522416682012-03-09T15:50:03.819-06:002012-03-09T15:50:03.819-06:00Wow, thanks, this is better than my post! You wri...Wow, thanks, this is better than my post! You write really well.Mike Cunninghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05971102076711413290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8400340423678181828.post-824101541830685602012-03-09T15:44:17.966-06:002012-03-09T15:44:17.966-06:00An excellent exhortation, Mike, and one which I fe...An excellent exhortation, Mike, and one which I fear is a largely unknown concept or deliberately ignored for various reasons on our pursuit (as Christians) of "the American Dream." <br /><br />Our family had the privilege of returning to the States when our children was just starting school after living overseas for three years. We recognized that the entire culture, including the Christian community, was living a frantic life-style even more hectic than their unbelieving neighbors because of just adding church activities on top of otherwise pursuing the cultural norms of modern America. <br /><br />We decided that we didn't owe our kids every opportunity that was available, even forced upon us and them. <br /><br />We made a rather painful decision that we were going to limit our activities. We wanted to be more involved with our children, more in touch, more guiding their overall development. My main learning from that was that it took a steel hard set of decisions on an almost daily basis to make it happen. It was counter-cultural. I'm not going to claim we were all that effective, but by God's grace He protected us from an awful lot we saw in the Christian community around us.<br /><br />They were rich years, with lots of happy (and some otherwise) memories. <br /><br />About five years ago we moved from the home we had lived in for 26 years after returning to the US. They kids were long gone, largely on their own. After the trucks were loaded, the cleaning done, and Sharon was out ready to go I walked through the empty house - empty except for countless memories. I thanked God in each room for the laughter, the tears, the hurts and triumphs (and the protection during a tornado), and the visions of all those little pigtailed angels (well, mostly) growing up, taking wing and flying off. I never spent one night (about 26,300 of them) wondering what they were doing, going, with whom, taking a call from the police or needing to go out looking who would know where they might be as a number of my Christian friends had. <br /><br />Please note: that is not to my credit, at all. Many of those friends who experienced those things are far more godly than I. It was only the grace of God Almighty.<br /><br />The memories aren't gone just because the house is. I believe they are engraved in all of our lives. I'm so grateful for what is, and only wish I'd have done a whole lot better. A whole lot....<br /><br />Now we need to try and learn how to be grandparents; three here with one more on the way to arrive every day. Their parents face far more than we did. <br /><br />In his work, The Message, Eugene Peterson renders Malachi 2:15 as follows:<br /><br />15 GOD, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that's what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don't cheat on your spouse. <br /><br />If I am to take discipleship (following Christ) seriously, it starts with my wife, and my children (there is NO conflict with these two!). The house goes, the retirement goes, the antiques go, the lawn, the paint job, the car...<br /><br />My family is eternal. I need several more lifetimes to get it right....<br /><br />Thank you Mike, for helping sound the alarm.chuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04631165961382647198noreply@blogger.com