Train Up a Child

I love that I have this man by my side to raise our children with.  He is such a man of character and I know that with God's help he will be such an incredible father figure for our children to look up to and learn from.

We're pretty simple folk and don't require much to enjoy ourselves.  So just taking some time off to regroup and recommit ourselves while having some fun in the process was just what we needed for this week.  It's been raining, raining, raining which has kept us inside and away from our plans, but we're just enjoying being together.  

As we went over our tentative schedule for the week, Jordan shared with me how he just wanted to spend the mornings reading Scripture together and praying.  He chose a week long study on Parenting through the YouVersion Bible App and I'm so glad he did.  It's opened up a lot of great discussion for us, and the first day could not have paired better than with what I'm reading on my own in the Proverbs Plan through the same App.  Here's what these verses had to say:

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Proverbs 1:1-7

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Purpose of Proverbs

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

² Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
    to help them understand the insights of the wise.
³ Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
    to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
⁴ These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
    knowledge and discernment to the young.

⁵ Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
    Let those with understanding receive guidance
⁶ by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The best thing we can do as Desmond's parents is to pass on the truth we've been given.  To instruct him and train him in wisdom, and that wisdom begins with God.  I love how it says to repeat it again and again.  We discussed and wondered how we began to make since of Scripture and how it just seemed to be there in our hearts and minds, and we both equated it to Awana and Youth Group.  We both had parents who saw that same value and grew up in stellar churches and are so thankful for that influence in our lives.  So thankful for the people who took the time to cultivate a spiritual foundation in our lives for us to grow and bloom.  Habits come out of repetition and that begins early on.  To live a disciplined life.  One that is not centered on self, but first God and then others.  We want to be speaking of these things constantly in our home.  That there be evidence of it everywhere.  To write it on our walls, so it's written in our hearts.

I've said before that I'm so excited to begin family traditions and with these verses in mind I have some places to start.  And thanks to again...Pinterest, I've got some fun and creative ideas to get us going.  Here are some projects I'm looking forward to doing to help us:

 Making something like this sign to incorporate Scripture in our lives to live and practice out.

A little Daily/Yearly Calendar to remember to just enjoy each day and all of the little things.

And for making the Holidays more special.  To remember what life is all about to give back much gratitude, having things like this Thankful Tree.

This is what we're committing to.  It's just as much for us as it is for Desmond.  I love how everything works together for teaching and training.  We're excited to grow in wisdom as we grow with Desmond.