My Family doesn't GET me!

I just I just felt like sharing...


my family doesn't get me at all. a couple days ago a family member made this hint to me that I am cold, uncaring, not affectionate to my kids, that my boys will find wives that are the same way. Then made a comment that I am too stern have too high expectations, also that my kids will never be able to find a wife as I won't ever let them go, and let them out of my sight. ( They are homescooled and we don't do Sunday school)

I was like are you SERIOUS? I am an attachment parenting mother! They would quite possibly be the ONLY one on the planet that would call me uncaring, and cold. I breastfed my TWINS until they were 4.5 YEARS old! There are total strangers that I meet in a store or online for 5 or 10 minutes that know more about my ideals and philosophies than my own family. Also, do they need to be spouse searching at the ripe ole age of 6? I DO expect my children to obey me. I DO check attitudes and character issues, and nip bad behavior in the bud, and I DO lovingly enforce consequences.. But I DON'T consider my behavior to be uncaring.

The same relative also said a week before that the homeschooling issue really bugs her. It also bothers her that we seem to be so counterculture. (Which I thought we were SUPPOSED to be, not conformed to this world but transformed by the rewing of our minds, in the world not of the world, the 1 century church turned the world right side up! .. but I digress) but her spouse reminded her that considering what I came from it could be much worse, after all, I could be all strung out on crack! so... homeschooling the kids, or crack habit...well homeschooling is ATLEAST one notch above crack... hehehe it actually sounds so funny typing this out. I am giggling as I type...

Interestingly enough this same relative admits that my children are wonderful, good, easy going, behaved her words, not mine... could it POSSIBLY be that MAYBE the weird horrific way I parent might have SOMETHING to do with it? OR is it completely by chance that my children are a joy and delight to be around, and are wonderful compassionate, moral God-fearing people? We may never know the real answer! Hope this cheers you up. Or makes you laugh.. Also, if anyone has a couple of daughters that need a spouse... Canaan & Elijah will be 7 in July. They like long walks on the beach, puppies, and Bibleman! So the girls would have to be OK with that... ;-) I don't want to let them get too old and not be able to find a suitable wife. hehehe ok, I'm off to bed.

Can You Shelter a Child TOO Much?

By Gena Suarez Do you "shelter" your children?We're finding that's a bad word in some circles. Something is creeping into the church (and even the homeschooling community), and it isn't biblical. It is an "anti-sheltering campaign" of sorts, and it's full of holes. Think about it. What does it mean to shelter? Protect. Defend. Guard. Preserve. Watch over. Shield. Safeguard. Hmmmm, so far so good, right? Sure, until "pop psychology" comes in and tells us we should allow our children to taste a little of the world in order to understand it or pray for it - that we should not "over-shelter" them. Nonsense.

What's the opposite of shelter? Expose. Endanger. We parents are called to be like our Father in Heaven. He is the greatest "Shelterer" there ever was, and it is us He shelters - or watches over; protecting us, preserving us, shielding us. Praise Him for this! Glory to God who knows how to parent (shelter) us perfectly. May we as parents follow this model - His model. Let's continue to shelter (love) our children as He loves us. Dismiss the garbage that crawls in; don't buy it. We're promised there will be false teachers, liars in the church (and there are many). I want to keep my eyes focused on Christ, come what may.

Parents: Keep sheltering them. You are bringing them up in the love and admonition of the Lord, not in the latest "homeschool philosophy." God's word trumps any speaker! It dwarfs any author! May you be blessed as you continue to walk in obedience of His word.

Lord, thank you for sheltering me. Please never stop. "Over-shelter" if You will (if there is such a thing). Fine with me!

Over-protect, over-defend, over-guard me; please do! I'll take it all, Lord. Keep me tight to Your side. I'm safe in that place. There, I can breathe and thrive. It's where I live.

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. - Psalms 61:3

Action point: Do you need to repent to someone today for looking down on (judging) them? Have you been a thorn in another parent's side over this issue? Who have you scolded or cryptically "spoken to" about their "overbearance" in regards to their own children? It might be time to humbly pick up the phone or shoot off an email.

Parents who strongly shelter their children are to be praised, not made to feel inadequate or odd. That's the world lying to us, there. And this world is not our home. - Paul & Gena

Sincerely, Paul and Gena Suarez