Things Dad Taught Us

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. ~Ephesians 6:4 NKJV

Teaching has been my profession for about thirty years but whether we get paid or not we are all teachers. We teach our children how to be our mini-me. We are proud to see our children improve on who we are as they grow up. Though he wasn't a teacher by profession, my dad intentionally taught me and my two brothers. 

My dad taught us how to be a part of a family:

• how to catch a ball with a glove and throw a curve ball
• how to tie on a leed and bait a hook
• how to shoot a gun and hunt
• how to skin the game we shot: "If you kill it, you eat it." 

These were things that made us part of the Wofford family. Things his dad had taught him and his dad before. Skills the family had always passed down.

My dad was a hands-on type of guy. He built a workshop and tore down motors under shade trees. We were always a part of those activities whether we wanted to be or not. Those types of things taught us skills as well.

• how to use a hammer to drive nails in and pull them out
• the relationship of fractions by handing him tools
• doing math in our heads
• adding figures from left to right in a column

My dad loved to sit on the porch at night and tell family stories.

• how his grandpa shot a panther off the roof of the house by the light of the moon.
• how he himself shot a mad-dog to keep children playing in the yard from being bitten.
• how his grandpa accidentally shot himself and came to Jesus
• how thirty years later Dad knew his grandpa had been saved like the thief on the cross

My dad loved music though he would often say the only thing he played was the radio.

• he had favorite country songs and had visited the Grand Ol' Opry
• he recited poems he learned in school like Two Dead Boys. 
• he sang kids' songs like There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
• his favorite hymn was I'm a Child of the King.

 My dad never finished high school but you wouldn't know it. He read hunting and fishing magazines, the newspaper, and his Bible. He taught us to read by example.

• we read the scriptures together as a family every night.
• we got down on our knees as a family and prayed together every night.
• we saw his personal study time and he often shared his discoveries with us.

God gave us dads as physical pictures of what our heavenly Father is like. He likes to show us how to be part of his family by trusting in His Son as our Savior. Then he teaches us to be fishers of men. Hunters of the lost sheep and how to deal with life when it throws us a curve ball. 

God shows us how to build his kingdom by using the tools of witnessing and going into all the world and making disciples. He shows us that he will add to the kingdom those that want to be saved.

God will remind us of his history of faithfulness with the stories of Daniel in the lions' den, Moses in the wilderness, and David the conquering king.

God puts a song in our hearts, the memory verses from Psalms, the songs of our childhood like Jesus Loves Me, the songs in our hymnals, and the worship songs that ramble in our minds day and night to remind us of God's love and faithfulness.

Now it's our turn to train up our children in the way they should go, reading scripture with them as a family every night. Praying together as a family and sharing those things we have discovered in our personal study time. 

Father, may we carefully and thoughtfully train our children, not purposefully provoking them to be angry but lovingly showing them your way. Showing our children that they were created for a purpose that only they can fulfill with the Lord's help.  In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Today is a special day to honor our dads but it doesn't just have to be today. We are to honor our parents every day by obeying them. The Bible says this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 

Do you have special memories or times spent with your dad? 

What are the ways you can honor your dad today? Here are a few hints.

• Make a card with a picture of something you like to do with dad.
• Fix a special dessert with mom's help.
• Thank him for something he has taught you.
• Sometimes just a smile and a handshake that turns into a hug mean more than anything else.

 

Read a Good Book Lately?

Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 
           Judges 13:8

God told Manoah he would have a son. Manoah wanted to know how to teach his son. Seemingly there was nothing special about his upbringing. He was raised during hard times. He had to hide just to thresh the grain for his family. But, Manoah's son was Gideon who delivered the children of Israel with 300 men. Manoah taught his son to believe and trust God. 

Last week we discussed how to help our children read good literature, literature that demonstrated Christian values. Teaching our children to recognize Christian values is more than just reading a story. We must also teach them to analyze. 

How did the story begin?
Did the story begin with a problem or was it just an ordinary day that ended up in a storm? 

What was the problem?
What happened to cause a problem? Was the main character in the wrong place at the wrong time or did the main character create the problem? 

How was the problem fixed? 
Something needed to happen to bring the story to an end. Was the problem fixed by the main character or did something or someone have to intervene? 

What was your favorite part? 
Figuring out our favorite part is the beginning of recognizing the value of a story. Often the favorite part is how the main character "fixed" the problem. How did the main character change or grow to be able to "fix" the problem? This may be the key to teaching our children the value of a story.

What books have you identified as demonstrating Christian values?

Hey Kids:
Did you find some good books this week?
Here's a partial list of the books I like.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle -a salvation story - the caterpillar eats the wrong thing and though he tries to turn over a new leaf, he still must die to his old way of life to gain a new life with a new body.
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle - be aware of who you hang out with - every animal invited the spider to come and play, then left except a fly who kept hanging around. He eventually was eaten by the company he kept.
Beauty and the Beast - a servant's heart story - our kindness can make a difference in so many lives
Little Red Riding Hood - listen to your parents - a story of Satan who walks about seeking whom he may devour
Elephant and Piggy by Mo Willems - a variety of stories about two friends who face common or funny situations but manage to do the right thing to resolve the issue
The Grinch by Dr. Seuss - Christmas is not about gifts but about the Gift
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss - a sanctity of life story
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - stories of family life centered around family values
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - a fantasy genre that depicts the war between good and evil
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - Historical fiction about a ten-year-old girl whose family hides a Jewish friend to protect her from the Nazis. A story about doing the right thing even in the face of grave danger.

Happy Reading!

Gail